Yarn Quest - Chapter One

Since I've only been knitting a year and a half, I'm not sure how long it's been going on, but the Local Yarn Stores in the Salt Lake Valley have an annual "Yarn Quest." This year seven stores put on the Quest: The Black Sheep, Blazing Needles, Kamille's, Three Wishes, Unraveled Ewe, Unspun, The Wool Cabin (links to all the stores are on the right side bar.) Questers received a punch card at the first store visited. After visiting all seven, the filled out punch card was turned in and the participant entered for prizes of amazing fibery goodness.

My friend, KC, and I met at 10:00 at Blazing Needles and started questing. KC driving, we forged bravely ahead for several hours (okay, I admit, we did stop for lunch) until our cards were completed.

I am a weak woman, consumed by yarn lust. I opened my wallet in every one of those seven stores.

But look at the great loot I got:

Hey, some of this stuff I really needed. Like the Nutmeg Tones Panda Silk, now I can knit the last four napkin rings to complete the set of twelve the Engineer wants. And the two skeins of green DK Panda Silk. I'll make a set of a dozen napkin rings for ForceOfNature for Christmas -- she's 110% Irish, green's her color. And the Feather Duster Shawl pattern, it's Susan's newest pattern, gotta support Susan, not to mention it's gorgeous. I have big plans for the other stuff too, but can't mention them on my oh so public blog, the intended recipients might guess what is headed their way eventually.

There was only one - well, two - totally impulse buys. The baby jacket pattern and the multi-color handpaint. But it wouldn't have been right to buy from five stores and ignore the other two, now would it?

Tomorrow, Chapter Two

My First Heel

The things I like to knit best are things for the people I care about. The Engineer, my BelovedSpousalUnit, is one of the people I care most about (as it should be!)

The Engineer, however, is not one of the easier people in the universe to knit for. Here's the saga of the first thing I knit for him, a ski headband: http://thewitlesswanderer.blogspot.com/2008/04/interim-knitting-or-my-first-design.html and http://thewitlesswanderer.blogspot.com/2008/04/keeping-his-ears-warm.html.

He has yet to wear it because I gave him a ski helmet to protect his tender parts when he's on the slopes and the headband won't fit under it, nor does he need it for warmth with the helmet. (So I tell myself for consolation.)

He grumped a lot this fall about not having any good warm socks, so I decided that would be my next, hopefully not futile, project for him.

These are undoubtedly the world's most expensive socks. I bought three (just in case two weren't enough) skeins of Shibui superwash worsted merino and did test swatches on several different size needles. I presented the test swatches to the sock expert at Blazing Needles and was told to knit the socks on the size 2. Worsted, on size 2! These socks are going to be able to stand up on their own! Since I don't like dpn's, I had to buy an Adi circular needle in size 2. I really need the Adi slipperiness to be able to work the worsted on size 2 needles. Also bought a sock book so that I wouldn't have to return it to the library before the socks were done.

I started knitting on my Carolina trip back in November, but hibernated the socks after returning home to work on Christmas stuff. Then I had to knit thank you scarves for Mr. & Mrs. Good Neighbor. As soon as I was done with all that (last Thursday), I dove back into knitting on the socks.

And did not understand the directions on turning a heel. Went to Friday morning knit group at Blazing Needles where SockLady and a nice fellow knitter gave me some tips on heel turning.

Got that done, then came to the gusset instructions...

Huh?

Off to the library to get a more profusely illustrated sock book. Got the gusset done -- Yay! Hurray!

Now I'm working on the foot. I have no worry about the toe decrease, nor the Kitchener stitch to close the toe -- I can do that.

The one remaining problem is that the Engineer's birthday is Saturday. I hope he likes getting a sock and a half (maybe) for a present.

The Newest, and Cutest, LYC In Town

The Grand Opening was September 6. The hardwood floors were brightly finished, the stock and furniture were in place, and a faint smell of fresh paint lingered in the air. Blazing Needles had officially arrived in Salt Lake. Cascade yarns form the basic backbone of the stock -- from Cascade 220, the yarns go high end. Manos del Uruguay, a personal favorite, was well represented. There were ultra feminine yarns with beads and sequins scattered throughout the skeins, yarns with textures from ultra smooth silk, to warm and fuzzy wool, to rough raffia. Needles, books, samples, notions and accessories were placed conveniently about the store. Cynthia, the owner, understands the need to touch. (I would guess she also understands the direct connection between touching and wanting...) My fingers wandered over fine wool. alpaca, silk. Yarn lust seized me.

Then I walked into the room that leads into the lovely outdoor courtyard and saw the Shi Bui trunk show. The coolest knit pillow ever immediately drew my eye. I've visited Shi Bui's web site, but images on a screen simply cannot compare with the reality of the knitted samples. As I was examining the spherical pillow, the Shi Bui lady herself came over and spoke with me. Nice lady, nice yarns, next time I have some discretionary funds burning a hole in my pocket I know where they'll go.

Last Thursday evening I attended Blazing Needle's Knit Night. It was held in the room where the Shi Bui trunk show was still displayed. Chairs were drawn up around a dark wood table for a wide demographic range of knitters and crocheters from a cute male college freshman to women of (how to put this delicately) wisdom and experience. There were light refreshments provided, even a couple of bottles of wine (in Land o' Mormon!) and a congenial atmosphere.

Yes, I will be going back to Blazing Needles.

And, Cynthia, love the name, Blazing Needles, it brings to my mind a dynamic theme music.
(Click on the note and mentally make the obvious substitution of words.)

Girl Child in Dangerous Land

Middle of last week I discovered that six of the local yarn stores in the Salt Lake Valley have joined forces for an annual "Yarn Quest." They had "great fibery prizes" and "a fabulous Grand Prize (Bag FULL of knitting goodies) worth about $450!" The stores are scattered from Ogden to Provo. Dang! No way I could hit all of them in three days. I'm not sad, though, the flyer gave me the addresses of three yarn stores I'd never visited.

Monday morning I had an appointment with a blood sucker at the Red Cross in Murray, so I decided to reward myself afterwards with a visit to the Three Wishes Fiber Arts store.

I am lost!

I walked into the store and gazed at a loom and strange spinning devices. To the left was a wall of shelves stocked with big cones of yarn. There were baskets of roving on the floor. I walked back to the left past the loom and my fingers started to twitch. Oh, the yarns Kristine has in her store. I want ALL of them!

So many beautiful yarns. To the back left there was lots and lots of Manos del Uruguay, including the yarn I need to go with the two skeins that kidnapped me at the Wool Cabin. I had to get the Manos. And there were sale yarns in the back room (it is not safe for me to go near sale yarns.) I got two skeins of a manly-man brown, cream and blue-gray wool worsted to make a scarf for my large and manly cousin. And there was a skein of grey/taupe/cream wool that would make a perfect hat for a friend.

Kristine, the owner, knew I was lost. She kept pointing out beautiful fibers to me. I told her she was evil. She grinned. I told her she had the most dangerous yarn store in the valley. and she said, "Good, that's what we want."

Then, the final blow. On the way to the cash register I saw a wonderful yarn, all bronze and gold, pewter, silver and copper. It sang a siren song to me of becoming an evening wrap. It painted pictures of itself all knit up and looking oh so glamorous draped over my shoulders (as if I've ever looked glam in my entire life.)

Kristine laughed as she handed back my plastic. "You kept it under a hundred," she said. If she hadn't been so nice, if she hadn't had such beautiful yarn, I might have had a heart attack when I saw it was all of 37¢ under.

Danger! Danger! I cannot go back there.

I will go back there.