The KO - Day 1

Friday, I received this gift from a dear friend at work. Each item was labled with it's intended use.

Candy bar: "For when you knit right through lunch and forget to eat." No-doze: "For the endless nights and the last minute knit for the Gold." Water: "Athletes stay hydrated" VK: "For February 24th - when you finish 2 days early - something to pass the time" CD: "Music to jam with - KNIT KNIT KNIT!

What more could a knitter ask for in a friend? As you can see by this picture, not much has been accomplished. I have cast on for Eric's hat several times, but each time, I am not thrilled with the result. So, I broke down and am swatching - ACK. Unfortunately, this just isn't working well for me. I am going to change needles sizes again and see how it goes.

Today while visiting my mom, we went to one of the most unusual yarn shops I have ever seen and unfortunately I forgot my camera. The place is called Christa's Yarns, it is located about 45 minutes north of LaCrosse, Wisconsin and is well work the long drive. You could hardly walk there was so much yarn everywhere. The woman who owns the shop is in her early 80's and is originally from Germany. I was a bit nervous that what I would see would be either all acrylics or super-scratchy wools. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I have never seen so much yarn in one place in my life. Yarn covered each of the long walls in the main room from the floor to the 12 foot ceilings. Keep in mind that theses long walls were about 35-40 feet.

One wall was all acrylics - but not a bit of Red Heart to been seen, this were the nice stuff that you would actually want to use for your little ones. The other wall was also full of yarn, there was some Berrocco Cotton Twist amongst others. But, I couldn't get close enough to that wall to see what else was on it because the aisles were full of yarn. Down the center of the shop there was another set of shelves that stand about 7 foot high full of yarn on either side. Here she had her sock yarns (Treking XXL, Lana Grossa, Sockatta amongst others). She has Cascade 220 Superwash for $8.50 a ball. But was I was most impressed with was a huge number of hand paints, most notably from Rio de la Plata. She must have had 8-10 colorways that I could see (mostly because I was trying not to step on them). I cannot wait until I come back this way in April, because I am most certainly bringing my camera with. Just a note of caution, to help keep her prices low, she does not accept credit cards, but will accept a personal check.

I was able to pick up the Cascade Superwash for a cabled sweater for Caleb. I was thrilled by the price.

Just across the street from this shop is a local artisan’s cooperative. A local woman runs it as a consignment type shop and there was everything from handspun yarns to braided rugs, to hand knit sweaters, to oil and water paintings. My mom who is a professional quilter and former weaver will most likely be selling some stuff there. I might try to as well. I would have to show a portfolio of my work to the owner of the business. Who knows where it could lead.