Now for a very rare Sunday post. What with the whole changeup in the employment situation, I can’t very well blog during the day. Besides, I had a great day yesterday and I didn’t want to wait.
Deb and I visited three yarn stores, and a great cafe yesterday in Montclair. This is the third installment in the adventures through NJ yarn stores for the two of us. It was a beautiful day, if a little chillier than I like it, but really, it was about yarn, food and spending time with a good friend. I did a little retail therapy. 
After this past week, I kind of needed it 
Not to mention Modern Yarn had offered up 15% discount for by medal winning Olympians and I couldn’t pass that up! I got the yarn I had planned on for my next sweater. From left to right, 9338, 9440 an d 8420. They should be good together in fibonacci stripes. I got three skeins of each color so I should have more than enough for a basic long sleeves cardigan. Besides, as Deb said, it is Cascade 200, it won’t go to waste. I can’t wait to start this and have the sweater queue jockeying around in my head. There’s chances the FLAK sweater is going to be declared DOA as it just hurts my hands to work on it. But that’s for another day.
I also went for the potato chips of the yarn world, like I really needed more… First up is a skein of Cherry Tree Hill supersock in Fall Foliage colorway. I found this little number on the 40% off shelf. I couldn’t very well pass up that bah-gain now, could I? Didn’t think so.
I also found this skein of Diakeito Diamuseefine yarn in a traditional sockweight. With my tiny feet, this skein should be enough for a pair. It was different and colorful.
Those were my purchases from MY. A nice, bright store, with well organized and displayed yarns. I really liked it. One thing I really liked about it were the baskets of yarn on the table with a vase of needles for sampling. Deb found this skein of a really stretchy yarn. I played with it for a moment and guessed correctly that it was the Cascade Fixation. I plucked a set of US1 needles from the vase and sampled it. I have to admit, the tiny bit of elastic in that cotton yarn definitely made it very appealing. I’m going to have to add some Fixation to the stash soon. If it hadn’t of been for that basket, I wouldn’t have even considered buying any.
Off to Stix-n-Stitches where two skeins of GORGEOUS laceweight yarn in "Blue Blood Red" jumped into my hands. There was no getting rid of them and the price was very good. I knew when I was beat and paid for the little buggers. Right now, I think they are going to be the Super Spiral Shawl from GOL, but we all know how well I stick with a pattern plan. Stix-n-Stitches is a great store too. I liked the big comfy sitting area, the huge book selection and walls of yarn. There was plenty of designer yarns, but a goodly selection of the basics. The two stores are worth the trip, which really, isn’t a very far trip for me. Google put it at some 11.5 miles or so. Oh and Carole, that makes 13 new skeins for Buy More Yarn!
Lunch was very yummy grilled chicken, basil, mozzeralla cheese, arugala rolled in a whole wheat pita. It was yummier than I expected and good enough that I finished the thing in no time flat. Dessert was really to die for. I had this wonderful cake that had the first layer being cheesecake, topped with an equally sized layer of chocolate mousse. The whole mess was drizzled with caramel and chocolate. It was divine. Together with an espresso and good conversation, I was a very happy camper indeed.
A short visit to Ely’s revealed a sock yarn that had jojoba oil and aloe vera to make it "eaiser on the hands". Huh? I haven’t found sock yarn to be hard on the hands. Well except one that I found a little scratchy, but really, I can’t complain about sock yarn. If you want it easier on the hands, how ’bout leaving a little of the natural lanolin in the wool rather than stripping it so clean that it now needs an injection of other stuff. It was pretty, but the idea didn’t sit right with me. And the yarn crawl was over much too soon. I did have to get back to do a little packing and pick the kids up from my folks house. It was a beautiful day and I always have fun with Deb.
I have an interview tomorrow afternoon so happy thoughts please. I also got an email from someone I sent my resume to through a posting on Monster. They wanted to know what my schedule was like this week and they’d like to see me. Neat.
I’m going to spend the sorting and probably some time with my shredder. Time to part with years old paid bills and the like. No reason to move junk, right? The shorties are enjoying The Big Comfy Couch now and tonight I get the TV for the Sopranos! Woo. I don’t know if I’ll be able to pull off a daily posting, but I am planning on a WIP update for Wednesday, so everyone get to work! Could all participants send me a quick update via email so I can post it, I don’t want to miss anyone.
Craft on!
