Journal to a Muse

Two More Yarn Stores!!

Remember how kids in about 6th grade used to brag about how many of the United States they'd been to? It took me until I was 19 before I had any reason to leave California!! I've made it to the corner states: Maine, Florida, Washington and California. I've been in states bordering the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf as well as Lake Superior and Lake Erie. But I've missed a few in the Rockies and the deep South. But I'm not counting.

And you probably know some birdwatchers who twitter on about their "Life List." How many birds species they have seen personally. (My life list is under 100. There are currently reported to be 9567 species world wide, with 700 in the US. If you include the fossil record the numbers are over 150,000 species.) That's a lot of bird watching!

... but what if...one decided to keep a record or roster of all the yarn stores you'd visited?

Here are my two newest which my darling daughter (the founder of the Knitting Wendys Web- Ring) and I visited while we were in the vicinity for Indiana University's graduation.

Cottage Knits
After DS graduated on Saturday, DH went down for a nap and DD and I went scavenging for fiber! The local telephone books (Verizon, Yellow Pages, and another publisher) had varying listings for Columbus, IN. Cottage Knits had the advantage of being in town and locatable on our hotel-supplied map.

The window was full of socks and Noni felted bags.Alas, it was closed. We found out later that the owner was in Illinois at a different university graduation ceremony.


We returned on Monday. It was easier to find because there was a cluster of cars out front. A cheery knitting group of the sort I find in my hometown suburb was working in a bright back-room. I noticed socks, a throw and a sweater on the needles. One woman was choosing between powder blue, salmon and custard yarns that were about the size and shape of Debbie Bliss skeins. Cathy welcomed us in the front of the store. She had a solid collection of supplies and basic yarns. I noticed plenty of Cascade, cottons, and sock yarns. She also had patterns in books or individually. DD was delighted to find Size 2 needles in the 40 inch length to try magic loop socks. She LOVES making socks.

Knitty Paws

Knitty Paws had a much bigger advertisement in the single telephone book in which is was listed. I was right AND wrong in the several assumptions I made based on the ad.

After two phone calls to clarify the location and get directions we found "the second farm on the right." I can't tell you what fun it was for this city-bred 'girl" to discover such an attractive small farm (I think it was small...but I don't know how far back from the road their property actually went. )

This is how I'd have painted some of the outbuildings if I'd had that enough time and long enough light. It could look like Kahn or Hopper. I loved the shadows and angles and clouds.

We drove all the way to the end of the drive and found a door propped open.

Inside were shelves and shelves of amazing yarn. There was thin Acrylic ribbon knit into lace. (I bought all she had in an incredibly vibrant turquoise.) There was Noro in several styles. German cotton, mohair, merino, bamboo etc. etc. I had no idea bamboo yarn could be so soft. I bought enough skeins of "Hempathy" to make a Clapotis!! And since I was SO excited, Madame Proprietor printed me a copy of the Knitty pattern. Wasn't that nice?

She also searched for the Triangle in Triangle pattern that had been mentioned by Jackie E-S at last week's HandKnitter's Guild meeting. Her teen children came and went, even lounging in the knitting area for a bit. As I am inclined to do, I'd elicited a good part of her life story in short order. She had way more degrees than you might expect from a run-of-the-mill yarn seller.

One advanced detree is in business and finance... which explained her advertising, web and inventory expertise. She had obviously thought about her locale and local knitters tastes. Who knows what she'll make of a Texan and Bostonian showing up on the same day, TOGETHER! Or... what she'll begin to stock when her web-store is up and running... (target date in early June, from what I could tell.)
Her second degree is in alternative education, and it turns out she's a big force behind the Montessori school in town. We had LOTS to talk about. I wish I could go to one of her nightly knitting sessions!

Eventually, we put our credit cards away, gathered our purchases and waved good by to the peaceful dogs in the back yard, and this contented (painted) cow on the front lawn.

There's more to tell about our trip... but it will have to wait. Too sleepy!