Victory is MINE

The Plan:
Go to the LYS. Grab two balls of RYC Silk Wool DK for the Fetchings, #6 DPNs if the order was in, and find out how to fold my loom. If that one hank of Anne that I lusted after is still there, I can get it only because Anne is one-of-a-kind dye baths and it's sock yarn. Avoid direct eye contact with any other tempting yarns. Hold breath. Leave quickly. Get into car, drive away fast.

The Reality:
There was a hitch in the plan—a potential pitfall of grand proportions.

The Pitfall:
I arrived at 4:45 PM; the person who knew how to fold the loom was not due in until 5:45 PM—meaning, I had an entire hour to kill, or... a return trip at a later date (and exposure to temptation yet again). I almost panicked.

Then I remembered, hey, I have an entire readership of blogfans out there (all not-sure-how-many-of-you) lending me psychic moral support. "I can do this," I thought. "I can resist the Enemy."

How It Went Down:
First, I ambled slowly back to the sock yarn department. Mountain Colors called out to me by name. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Opal beckoning me provocatively. Rowan winked at me and reminded me of the 30% off sale. The entire Classic Elite Choir sang sweetly as I passed. I tucked my chin into my chest and pretended I didn't notice. Their cries of dismay and rejection haunt me still.

I caressed each skein of Anne as I searched for the coveted dark violet blend. Two errant hanks jumped into my hands, begging me to take them home (danged pound puppies)—one was an enticing blend of eggplant, wine and chocolate; the other was an earthy composite of brown, rust, and brick red. They were clingy little suckers in desperate need of attention; I humored them and let them sit in my hands as I continued my quest for the subtle dark violet blend.

At last, I found it, still on the bottom of the heap where I'd last left it—waiting... patiently waiting... just for me. Our reunion was interrupted by a saleslady. "Have you seen a pair of black reading glasses? Someone came in, and who knows where they could be..." I held tight to my Violet Anne and her two itinerant friends while I helped the saleslady hunt down the glasses, silently breathing a thank you for the moments of distraction from yarn that the pursuit of spectacles provided. (They were nowhere to be seen. No pun intended.)

The search abandoned, I turned my attention to placating the stray sock yarns and telling them why they couldn't come home with me this time. I assured them that certainly someone will come along and give them a good home—just be patient, and sit up nice and tall when a potential victim new Mommy walks by. As I was explaining this to them, my name was called out from the front room. The skeins and I walked quickly to the front of the shop. A saleslady had called the loom folding expert while I was petting the sock yarn and she was on the phone. My spirits lifted—was I saved? Would one phone call solve my problem and allow me to escape the LYS unscathed?

Several minutes were swallowed up by the conversation, which ended with the determination that the only way to illustrate the folding process was by demonstrating it in person. Therefore, I would have to wait for her arrival. Alas, not saved.

I returned the poor, neglected stray sock yarns to their homes. I gave them time to say goodbye to their Violet friend. We moved into the next room. I headed straight for the RYC bin and quickly located two balls of my project yarn.

I almost made it past the notions display, but the sock blockers, uh, blocked my path. Size small? Don't need. The others are probably medium like I have, right? Good. So anyw—oh, crap. They're large. Exactly what I need for the socks for She of the Enormous Feet. I sighed heavily in defeet defeat. They joined our merry little band, as did a package of jumbo stitch holders (the ones shaped like padlocks that I adore and had never seen that big before). On to the register, quickly now!

$81.18, in cash. Exact change.

And it was only 5:05 PM.

The store was empty save for me and two salesladies, who retreated to the classroom/knitting area after ringing up my sale. They invited me to sit with them while I waited for the loom folder. Whew! It was like a Safe House. No yarn to be found, except for the projects they were working on. I folded my arms securely (to prevent creeping yarn fondling) and focused intently on the conversation, which was largely about recent New Year's activities. Time flew. Suddenly, my saviour arrived. We went to the back room and I got a lesson in loom folding. (It's easy, but they really do need to provide an ILLUSTRATION or photograph because the process does not easily translate into words.)

Soon, my purchases and I were safely out the door and in the car. I managed to escape without further additions. I got out of there with:

• two balls of RYC Silk Wool DK for project completion (belated Xmas gift)
• one skein of coveted Violet Anne sock yarn
  
• one pair of size large sock blockers
• one tiny package of stitch holders
• info on the upcoming Weaver's Guild meeting next week (free)
• the #6 DPNs are still MIA so I couldn't buy them
  

Sock yarn doesn't count; tools are exempt. I pretty much stuck to my resolution, I think. Agreed?

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Labels: Christmas knitting, knit from your stash 2007, stash enhancement, yarn diet

posted by Jeanne @ 12:04 AM