So, as you know, I am officially finished with my alternative certification program.
In fact, I danced the afternoon away a few days ago.
Well, I wasn’t finished celebrating, oh no I wasn’t.
See, such a milestone as this one deserves a BIGGER indulgence.
For a knitter, this means YARN SHOPPING!!
So, on a somewhat rainy morning that turned more and more sunny the closer I traveled to the beach (which isn’t far from my house, by the way), I headed to the two “real” yarn stores closest to me.
By closest, I mean over an hour away.
Hello, my name is AuburnChick, and I transverse great distances in pursuit of fine yarn.
The first yarn store on my route was not my favorite of the two. The place is nice enough, but the selection is a wee bit limited compared to the other store.
Still, I found myself lovingly petting a skein of Tilli Tomas Rock Star…
Although the yarn desperately wanted to come home with me, I resisted. The $40 price tag was a huge reason for this.
I decided to check out the other yarn store, which is my favorite. I know. I keep repeating myself, but I have to. See, the other yarn store is my first love. It is the place where I purchased my very first skeins of “real” yarn. It is where I bought my first set of “real” knitting needles and pattern book as well. The shop is small but very inviting and packed with a GREAT assortment of very nice yarns. I really wish I lived closer, because I would love to attend knit nights with the ladies who run the shop.
Anyhoo…what I saw when I arrived this afternoon did not disappoint…
That is a basket of Frog Tree sock yarn.
Now, if you’re not a knitter, you must understand something about yarn shopping.
It.
Is.
Fabulous.
It is an experience that requires the interaction of sight and touch.
When I go yarn shopping, I can’t even think about projects until I walk around and touch everything. I simply refuse to knit with or wear yarn that is not soft.
So, that’s what I did…enjoying the peace of the day…my mind free from the concerns of assignments.
My only assignment of the day was to buy nice yarn.
The store had a couple of knit shawls hanging over the shoulders of mannequins.
What a great way to sell some yarn!
I fell in love with the Shetland Triangle shawl that was made in a red, DK weight yarn.
Ok, so that’s not the red one from the store, but my head was so much in the clouds that I didn’t get a picture of it. I am showing you the above picture because it really shows off the stitch pattern.
The gal working in the store explained that the original pattern calls for a lace weight yarn, but that she had used seven skeins of a heavier, glossier yarn that provided a nice drape and more stitch definition.
As she pulled out the book that is home to the pattern, I realized that I already own the book, Wrap Style…a giveaway I had won during a New Year’s Eve KnittingHelp.com knit-along that I had participated in a couple of years ago…
Although I didn’t buy the yarn for this project, I have tucked the pattern away in the back of my mind. I will definitely knit it in the future.
Meanwhile, I continued to shop.
The other shawl that was hanging up was the Ishbel…
Because the sample was knit in just over one skein of Malabrigo Sock yarn, I decided this would be a good way to go.
For some reason, I am finding myself drawn to shawls. Chicky thinks they look like things that old people wear, but I counter her contention by saying that a shawl adds a touch of class to an outfit. I think shawls are beautiful accessories that can be used to dress things up a bit.
With the Ishbel in mind, I picked out the following yarn…
Isn’t that just divine?
Sigh…
Can you say happy?
But the happiness did not end there.
The Frog Tree yarn kept calling me back.
I kept touching the yarn.
Finally, I made up my mind. What kind of knitter would I be to leave those frogs there?
Here’s another picture…
Cookie A. didn’t know it, but she was with me when I made my decision…
You might remember that I test knit a pattern for Cookie’s book last summer. I have not had a chance to knit a pair of socks since.
I intend to rectify this situation.
Immediately.
One final item that kept calling my name in the store was the following…
That, my non-knitting friends, is a shawl pin.
I have found myself in need of one of these do-dads in the past, and it looked lovely against the red shawl in the store.
It came home with me too.
And home I am…happy as can be.
Final thoughts on my shopping adventure:
As I composed this post and researched the shawl patterns, I decided that I am going to use the red Malabrigo to knit the Shetland Triangle Shawl. I looked up the pattern on Ravelry (yay for this web site) and discovered that other knitters had used two or fewer skeins for this pattern. I will probably knit eleven or twelve repeats. More research will be done, but I am pleased with my plan.
The Mr. knew of my shopping adventure because I went ahead and told him about my plans yesterday. When he walked into the house this afternoon, he asked to see the stash because, in his words, “I know it’s here somewhere.”
LOL
Then, he asked me how much I spent.
I balked.
He then threw out a number.
Dang.
He’s good.
He got it, spot on, minus the price of the shawl pin.
His eyes bulged a bit.
Then he left the room…to recover, I presume.
Either way, his reaction was much better than I had expected.
At this point, I sincerely doubt that I will ever get my Master’s degree.
No, it’s not because I think I’m not smart enough.
It’s because every time I complete a set of college courses, I spend all of the future proceeds I would have been earning…ahead of time.
teeheehee
Celebrations are definitely much better when there is yarn involved!
Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: Frog Tree, Knitting, malabrigo, shopping | 4 Comments »
AuburnChick's Adventures 