LYS Trip

(As I mentioned in the last post) I got to go to a LYS** by myself. It was lovely.

**By LYS, I mean a LYS in the big city, ok a suburb south of the big city, 2 hours from my home. It's just the way the timing of the day worked out.

I got there around 2:30 and they didn't close until 5. Over 2 hours. To shop, knit. Alone. No kids. No nagging husband (love you babe!). It was just wonderful.

I spent a long time walking around just looking at the yarn. My husband said I could buy yarn, but I was convinced I would just fight the urge and look at it. I have enough yarn at home. It was still pretty to look at and feel. They had a huge wall of just sock yarn. It was gorgeous.

After I gazed, and stared at, and felt the yarn for who knows how long, I went to look at buttons. I specifically needed buttons to match this sweater. I found them.

Then, I went back to the yarn. Then I looked at the books. Then back to the yarn. I decided I needed to get away from the yarn if I was going to resist the urge to buy any. I picked up a pattern.....The Wonderful Wallaby....which I have already knit but I had borrowed the patterned from my friend and she is moving (we'll talk about that later). I want to knit it again, so I figured it was worth the money.

I had the LYS worker hold the buttons and pattern for me and went to the "coffee shop" side of the store to sit and knit. There were 5 other women sitting and knitting. Even though I didn't know any of them I had a blast!! We talked and knit and talked and knit some more. It was so wonderful to just sit and do something I enjoyed and have a conversation with adults without being interrupted.

Really. I should do that more often. The ladies even told me that they are they every Saturday and Sunday if I thought I wanted to stop by again. I love knitters.

At 5 minutes to 5:00pm, I went to pay for my iced tea, buttons, and pattern. I was not buying any yarn. I did not need any Malabrigo Sock Yarn, or Handpainted Mountain Colors Yarn. No, not me. No expensive yarn purchases here.

I decided to get some stitch markers. Can you see what they say? (the pic's a little blurry) One says "SSK" and the other "M1". Cool. Impluse buy. But cool. I wanted some of these the last time I was there.

I also picked up these US size 0 (2mm) 9" circular needles. I am going to try them on some socks. I don't know if I'll like them, or if they will just cramp up my hands.

Wait, w'a's that? Is that a skein of local handpainted yarn? All by itself? No matching skeins? I can't leave it alone, can I? It's so pretty. It's merino. It's worsted. It would make a lovely pair of longies. But it's only one skein. Ha! It's only $14! Handpainted yarn!! 220 yards! Well, maybe something around here will match.....oh look.....Cascade 220.....inexpensive but good wool....this would make a lovely trim for the waistband and legs.....sheesh, could be boy or girl......bet I could dye a shirt to match......only 7 bucks for the Cascade.....yeah I should get it.....hubby said I could buy yarn.....what a great deal.........

And I left the store with this too:

It really is quite lovely. And wasn't expensive. I managed to leave the store and only spend roughly $40-50. That is pretty good. There was sooooo much wonderful wooly, alpaca, cashmere-ness in that store to buy. I am proud of myself. Two skeins. And some needles and buttons. And a pattern (just one). And stitch markers (just two, but functional).

All in all, a lovely day. (Followed by a lovely evening dinner with moms from my homeschool group to celebrate another new life!!)

(*****Oh, and if blogger takes out my formatting, or changes it, or screws it up, I am really sorry. I had paragraphs in here. Reasonably spaced ones at that. It always does this when I upload pictures. Sorry. And it bothers me. A lot. Rant over.*****)