Stash Enrichment Expedition

My awesome boyfriend offered to take me to yarn shops on the way home from Rescue. Yarn shopS. Plural.

STOP NUMBER 1:

Shelby's place in Sacramento

This yarn shop, sadly closing down, was sharing space with a hydroponics shop. This was probably the weirdest yarn shop in the world because of that. I walked in and the first thing I saw was two guys at the counter. And they smile at me and I'm like huh.... guys running a yarn shop? rad! Then, of course, I smell plant chemicals and realize that the yarn is only on the right third of the store. And, that there are 50% off everything signs all over the place.
I definitely wasn't the first one to hear about the sale. There was a lot of cotton and many products were lacking in color choice. But I did pick up a skein of Merisoft for a mere 8 bucks.

Now that I look back on it, I should have picked up a lot more while I was there because there was some Cashcroft for sale and lots of other Rowan yarns. But, the way I was looking at it, I still had 2 more stops to go and I can't go into a yarn shop without buying something so I saved my money for.....

STOP NUMBER 2:

Rumpelstilskin in Sacramento

 At Rumpel, I went ahead and bought 2 skeins of Happy Feet for my Hexiquilt. I can't help it. I absolutely love making hexipuffs, even when it hurts my wrist. And somehow, I can't help buying more fingering weight in spite of the 5 skeins of Koigu I picked up a month ago.

Be honest: would you have been able to resist?

By this time Vyvyan was pretty sick of yarn shops and mostly of getting in and out of the car, but after we ate a quick lunch at Bagel Time we went ahead and found:

STOP NUMBER 3:

Anna's Yarn Shoppe on Laguna blvd in Elk Grove

 I made it to the door of this shop, when Will called me back to the car for a quick (not quick) and dirty (very dirty) diaper change. By the time we made it into the door the kid was very cranky and generally not very happy. By that I mean he screamed and screamed. He didn't even like the adorable Praying Mantis at the door.

(he's holding the class schedules....awwww)

This shop was a hit! I mean, Vyvyan was kind of rampaging and he might have tangled a skein (I AM SOOOO SORRY ANNA!!) and so I wasn't entirely devoted to browsing, but the store was amazing. It was big, well layed out, a great selection of beautiful yarn, and a great big open area full of couches and a table for community knit nights. I can't wait to go back there. Oh, and of course I bought some yarn there too.

I figured since I got worsted at the first shop and fingering at the second, I'd pick up some chunky at the third. I didn't notice until now, though, that my yarn resistance shrinks with each shop I go to. One purchase at shop one, two skeins at shop two, and three by number three. Maybe it's a good thing we didn't make it to Knitique!
Also, though, I kinda felt horrible for Vyvyan grabbing that skein of something gray and running wild with it so I had to buy three skeins. Will was supposed to be watching him, and on top of that I had given him two hexipuffs (one for each hand) to prevent him from touching. Apparently my son can hold two hexipuffs in one hand. Damn.

You'd think that would be enough yarn shopping.
No you wouldn't.

JoAnn was having a sale on Patons Classic wool so I picked up enough to make this bag inspired by Salvador Dali. It's so awesome!

I also picked up some Fisherman's wool while I was there since I used up the last skein with the first section of the Super Stitches Knitting Project. The second skein is a sort of tan color, but still light enough to see the stitch definition. I was getting sick of white.

Then, when I got home I found three packages waiting for me!!
Package number one (and my favorite because I spent absolutely no money on it) was my prize from Alana at never not knitting and it was sooOOooOO awesome.
(I'm totally wearing one of the shirts right now.)

Never not knitting one is the one on top

This is the one I'm wearing- the other one is an XL :(

Mmmm tasty homemade lip balm. Unfortunately it leaked a tiny bit onto the second shirt, which is in the hamper awaiting bathtime

Math for Hats, and adorable shirt that says "I like ewe, kniterally speaking"

And the personal touch from Alana, along with a postcard reminding me of her new design collection coming out in October, Coastal Knits.

Squeeeee!!!!
So I opened that up, and fondled my new stuff and made a solemn promise to enter every blog giveaway ever from now on because winning stuff makes me feel so damn special. Then I had a bit of a sit down before opening...
PACKAGE NUMBER 2:
A few months ago, I joined a class on Craftsy.com with Stefani Japel (author of Fitted Knits and Glam Knits) and received a free $10 Knit Picks gift card. I saved that baby up while contemplating what to buy with it, and finally ended up spending it last week. So thus came my 2 skeins of luscious alpaca-blend fingering weight:
This is from Knit Picks' "Imagination" series, and I have to admit that it may have been the names that won me over more than anything.

Colorway: Wicked Witch

Here are some of my favorite names:
Looking Glass
Unicorn
Pirate King
Mermaid Lagoon
Loch Ness
But, of course, I had to get Wicked Witch because I am one.
Then, after my purchase (why do I always look up yarn reviews after the purchase?) I found claims that this yarn felts quickly when made into socks. So now I'm not quite sure what to do with it. It may become wrist warmers, or 24 hexipuffs. Who knows? What would you do with it?
Also in the Knitpicks box came a skein of plain ol' White WOTA just in case I run out while working on my Raglan. But I'm not showing a picture because it's boring in comparison. Also because I didn't take a picture.

The third package was supremely disappointing. I ordered 3 sets of short DPN's from Ebay from this  seller. I hate to be mean, but there were some serious quality issues and in all likelihood i am never ever going to use these needles. I even made a video for you. (where you can totally check out my adorable shirt! squee!!)

Oh well.
In happier news, my niece had her baby girl last night! Awww!! I can't wait to go and visit her (them) in the hospital and give them gifts and hugs and squoodles. (Squoodles are what you give babies.)

Happy knitting, everyone!