Welcome to anyone wandering over from the Lime and Violet show notes (wow...I made the show notes). And don't worry, I still have a ridiculous amount of knitting left to do for Christmas. I just have the bags done.
I had a small adventure yesterday. One of my local yarn stores (if you count a 40 minute drive local) was having her holiday open house. Katherine always has delightful stuff and her store atmosphere is warm and welcoming. AND it was my first day off in two weeks. Guess what went on my calendar in capital letters.
Only, I didn't much like the prospect of driving down alone. I put out an email to the local yarn mavens, who amazingly all avoided the temptation. Thus with only one seat taken in the car by someone it's best I not write about at length, I started calling the kids from the knitting group I ran at the library earlier this year. In short order I was supplied with a backseat full of giggly girls.
I picked the girls up first and tossed a box of Girl Scout Thin Mints into the back seat. There would be snacks when we got there but I figured cookies for the road was worth the vacuuming that would need to be done. And we were off! It's a lovely drive between La Crosse and Viroqua, especially with a sunset out the rearview mirror (which I kept checking to make no one was actually strangling each other).
We got to the store and the girls were given a couple of ettiquette points--this being their first trip into a "real" yarn store. We swept in and they were almost instantly overwhelmed. Here was not just one or two aisles of yarn, most of it being of the acrylic or fun fur variety (although I have to say Hobby Lobby has a pretty sweet collection of dishcloth cotton). Here were walls and walls of wool--in far more varities than I'd brought them to see from my stash.
I let the girls browse for a little while and ask questions and then lured them away from the snack table. I told them they each could spend $10 on yarn or supplies and I'd pay for it. Now--it was browsing with a purpose.
There was a lot of education going on--why was this yarn so much more than that yarn? What was so special about a $50/skein of yarn with bison wool in it? Why was there balls of fiber on the wall? Could you knit with that?
I let everyone browse for about an hour--and then it was time to check out so we could get back at a reasonable time. Stuffed further with cheese and crackers, the girls hugged their purchases and we headed to the car. You'd think they'd have been quieter on the ride home. Nope! Much giggling ensued. Little Brunette cast on a number of stitches with the yarn and needles she'd gotten (green wool with purple knitting needles) and knitted aimlessly. Little Blonde had gotten a boucle that I imagine will be a hat the next time I see her. And the Little Redhead found red handspun that she couldn't live without.
I got some handdyed sock yarn and needles to finish Christmas projects--which I had best go and do since it's one of my days off.
No comments:
Post a Comment