Miles (and miles) of Yarn

At Guild last month, it was announced that a member who previously owned a yarn store was selling what remained of her stock.

For an exceedingly good price.  So exceedingly good, I would say…it was almost free.  ALMOST FREE! for pete’s sake.

So I went.  And my stash grew by miles.

I know this because I have my yarn supply listed in spreadsheet format for easy tracking, and it is easily calculated into miles…or kilometers…or fathoms…

Yarn Garage Sale Lady #2 told me she was going to be selling her books in a few weeks and would email me.

She did.  I bought books…and more yarn.  More miles of yarn.

This enabler told me she was going to bringing out magazines in a few weeks, and she also informed me when this event occurred.

I went, and bought magazines…and buttons…and more yarn.

It was almost free.  I had to.

Such a heady experience it was. I got the best yarn ever.

I would show it off, but that would only cause grief and envy!

Rugs, Books, and Yarn

Because of the Room Renovation, there has been a bit of shopping for new bathroom rugs.  Just a bit, right after the bathroom floor first went done, because the painting was still a week off, and I am not one that can ‘SEE’ it before it is done.  I have to SEE it when its done to make sure I haven’t completely skucked my color choices.

So the bit of shopping for bathroom rugs occurred at Tuesday Morning, because I love good cushy rugs on my bare feet that fluff after washing time after time after time, and that I don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for.

Alas.  Without the walls being painted, The Guy and I were at a loss at TuesAM to determine if any of the choices was the right one, but being in no hurry, we felt no pressure.  In fact, I even thought to check the craft-y section before we left!

And oh my! They had knitting and quilting books. Double oh my!  It took me some time to go through the dross to find the nuggets, but I find two good ones, indeed.

Kristen Knits, by Kristin Nicholas, and Thimbleberries Big Book of Quilt Blocks.  For about $6 each...boo-yah!

We are fortunate in our area to have a second location in the town not far to the south of us, and later in the weekend, I suggested having a look-see there for the rugs.  This time I had a sample floor tile and a paint chip, but alas, it was to no avail.  (The right rug-gage will come later to us.)

But again…I thought to check the craft-y section….and oh my again!...this store had sock yarn.

Oh yeah!

Update: More shopping ensued this past weekend, and after exhausting most all shopping options (and ourselves) we returned to Tuesday Morning, and my first instincts!  We now have soft cushy ruggage!

I Can See For Miles and Miles

In the Never Give Up Never Surrender vein, I called the garage yarn saler, after not finding anything going on last weekend. She called back Friday evening, and said while there was nothing formal planned she would be home all day on Saturday and would be glad to let me have another look! So I went back and found a few (just a few...) more bargains. I was on a mission, you see. For Christmas... and my sisters and...give me a minute and I can rationalize it a bit further. Gah. I love me a bargain.

And I love yarn. I love the promise of what it might be, and what I might learn in helping it become all it can be. I love making yarn from scratch. I love the creative outlet and the learning opportunity that spinning and knitting gives me. I love the community of sharing the experience with like minded individuals.

And then I found there is this little thing I found I could do with my Ravelry stash. It can be converted to an excel spreadsheet.

Oooohhhhhh. I love an excel spreadsheet. Not as much as I love yarn, but...there is so much I can do with an excel spreadsheet.

My Rav stash is pretty up to date and complete. I mean all my stuff is there. But when I converted to the spreadsheet, there were gaps!

Empty cells. Vacant places!

While I didn’t feel the need to fill all that information in on Ravelry? Those holes in my excel spreadsheet yawned at me like gaping maws.

Feed me, Seymour!

I set about working the numbers, reformatting the worksheets, alignments! borders! column widths!

I worked really hard on the worksheet that elucidates on ‘the yarn gone’. It wasn’t completely complete. And I really wanted it completely complete. Most of all I wanted to know how much, since I cranked back up my knitting, had I gone through.

It’s IMPORTANT!

There was some miscellaneous info about some generic yarn that required full filling in. I was surprised at what I remembered, and what was covered on my project page. Some, though, was just…whatever…not counting that. So, yes, there is some that is unaccounted for, but I am okay with how complete the overall picture is.

I have knitted, (drum roll optional) not counting cotton used for dishclothes (and I have knit some dishcloths!) (and some misc. acrylic projects…meh…whatever), 8.1 miles of yarn since I started knitting again, with a vengeance, in fall of 2006.

Yes, I would say that describes it. With a vengeance…

On the flip side, I have 14.3 miles to go before I sleep…..*

* Does not include fiber. Or dishcloth cotton yarn.  And don’t judge me!

New Year's Goal Number Whatever

"Knitting down the yarn stash, and getting some of the fiber stash spun up, too."

Or some such verbage....

The MLCB and the entrelac shawl did very well for the first, not to mention the MIL scarf.

Really well, as a matter of fact. I think the total knit down hovered around 21 balls/skeins for the first project, 12 smallish balls for the second, and 3 skeins for the third.

Whee!

Also, I have finished washing and teasing the baby alpaca, and can see the end of spinning my first fleece. Not the knitting, but the spinning.

So far, so good.

But then I found this.

Noro Taiyo - 40% Cotton, 30% Silk, 15% Wool, and 15% Nylon (1100 yds, enough for something sweet!)

The lys worker whispered 'this batch is mispriced...'

Then this happened....

Textiles A Mano - 100% wool (1500 yds, I am thinking maybe a sweater.)

The other lys in town had a grand re-opening after a wonderful remodel.

Textiles A Mano - 100% Silk (a scarf for moi.)

I found all this at a great discount. A really great discount.

Textiles A Mano - 50% Silk, 50% Wool (socks, of course)

The fleece and fiber I found in February has already been spoken of.

I have never spun suri before. I hope I can!

However, I found this suri roving for $3/oz. 10.4 ounces! In Old Town Fort Collins, no less. A very unlikely place to find suri roving, I must say...and marked down. Sweet.

So....

Any one keeping score? How am I doing?

Andre's on Saturday!

Do you see that, Sisters of Mine and Precious Niece? You and your eating together at the KC Andre's yesterday...well, I get to go to the Denver Andre's Saturday. Chocolate almonds, here I come. I know, I know. It's not the original, and not the same, and you all won't be there, and it's a far cry from the Kansas City Plaza, but still! Chocolate Almonds!

I am going to meet College Friend for lunch, then a 50th birthday party for a cousin of the X's (who still consider me family, and since they are wonderful people, it makes me feel just grand!). Rites of passage themselves have become rites of passage. Engagements, marriages, births of children...weddings of said children, births of grandchildren, and 50th birthday parties...what are next? Don't answer that! It was strictly rhetorical.

Soooooo.....that means I will be in Denver from lunch at Cherry Creek to party time (6:30 in Broomfield) by myself, with time on my hands. Whatever shall I do? I heartell there are few things to do in that there rustic ville...

I think I may hit the Tattered Cover first. Then I am thinking some yarn shops. (Any ideas, suggestions, and general hints from those of you who may reside in the area?) Armed with my TomTom, my Outback, and a full tank of gas, I will be on the prowl and no area nor corner of town will be safe!

Yeah...a Swiss confiserie, a book store, and yarn shops.
I am Attila, the Hun.

Thursday Post Nombre Deux

I got to Lambspun at lunchtime today and didn't go over board. Good girl! Two loverly skeins. one skein to go with a skein of the same stuff bought last year, that wasn't enough to do anything with. What, you say? Buying two skeins a year apart and hoping they will match? Well, I am thinking mittens and a scarf so maybe it won't be such a big deal. The second is to make another of the secret project...for me. It is perfect....and both were 40% off.

Followed that trip up with a visit to the Megabiggiantsuperstore. No Barbie shoes unless they were on Barbies feet. I don't need the feet and legs attached! Just some shoes!

Did find some fingering acrylic and some crochet thread marked down for further stylings on Barbies behalf. Barbie doesn't care so much if she is not tricked out in 70/30 merino/silk, or 50% merino/30% silk/20% cashmere. Hah! Like I could justify that! At 40% off! Hah! (Just try me....)

Must. Remember! ...it is so much faster to buy yarn than it takes to knit it...

Showing Admirable Restraint

I was notified today that one of the lys has a very nice yarn, Crystal Palace Creme (60% wool/40% silk), on sale through the month. I have used this before for a special project, and love this stuff. I thought to myself this must be checked out! This afternoon at work, we had a power outage, and after about 30 minutes, I decided my destiny must be to leave work early and....go to the yarn shop, of course. It wouldn't do to head to the house too early where my Wonderful Guy works from home. Why...I might disturb him! When I arrived, the proprietor was helping someone, so I wondered around looking for the brand, and found one bin, with only 3 or 4 odd colors. Oh well, probably why the sale...but I decided to stay around and ask to be sure. Eventually, when asked if I was finding what I was looking for, I told her what I was seeking, and was pointed to another bin, this full of delicious colors, whereupon I picked out 4 skeins each of 3 different colors. My mind was racing with the possibilities and the savings! Wait...the savings? How much must I spend to save....how much??? Get out the calculator....OMG....I cannot go home with $114.00 of yarn, I don't care how delicious looking or yummy feeling. He is a Wonderful Guy, but does not quite get the concept of yarn 'to die for' when it rings up over...(fill in the blank).

I re-gathered my sanity, selected a very nice forest-y green, bought 5 skeins (500 yards) which should be enough for something very nice, and left feeling very fulfilled. And it is to die for!