Petunia rambles on and on….

This Crawling stuff is fun!

Last Sunday, I went to Vulcan’s Rest (Chesapeake City, MD) and Stitches with Style (Newark, DE).  I was by myself, had a nice time, found beautiful fiber to spin at the first shop, some nice yarns and a sweater pattern at the second store.   I’d been to both shops many times before, and they are within an hour’s drive from me.   With a late start that day, 2 shops was all I could do.

I really wasn’t planning on going to any of the other places on the crawl.  I didn’t know anyone that was that interested that they’d be willing to spend all day going to yarn shops.  And there would be some traveling involved to get to the other shopss.  Snow Hill, MD is over 75 miles from me, Cambridge is over 60 miles, in a somewhat different direction.  I knew I would not be able to get to all of them, knew that I’m up to my ass in wool now, and gave thought to the fact that buying yet more yarn really wasn’t the best financial investment I could make at this time.   Still, I admit it, part of me really wanted to see some different shops.

Then, at the last minute, on Friday, I got a call from Tanya, who works at Vulcan’s Rest.  She had seen my posts on several Ravelry forums, knew that I have been in 2 stores already, etc., knew that I was a yarn freak buyer!!   She was one of the “driving forces” in setting up the Crawl, co-ordinating between all the stores and such.  Now as the Crawl was winding to an end, she needed to go around to all the other shops and collect their donations to the Grand Prize that will be given away to all those who made it to all the stores.   She asked if I wanted to go with her. 

First stop - The Sanquine Gryphon, Easton, MD

I can’t say enough about this young woman and her skills and her knowledge and her love of fiber.   Gryphon, herself, is as lovely as her finished goods.  As I watched her move among the colors, I thought,  “gentle” and “graceful.”  To stand in front of a large display of her yarns and fibers, and see all the colors play against each other was breath-taking.  Much more difficult was picking out only a few to come home with me!!  I touched her “Little Traveller” 100% superwash merino wool. 

I saw  Pantanal, and 2 skeins leapt into my arms.  Shades of deep reddish purple into deep blues. 

A skein of Little Traveller in Gaul followed the other two, lest they be lonely.    Shades of red into more shades of red. 

I came away with 3 skeins of yarn, and a great respect for a talented artist, The Sanguine Gryphon.

Next stop – Frivolous Fibers in St. Michaels, MD

The town of St. Michaels is a small community on a peninsula jutting out into the Chesapeake Bay, a beautiful little town strongly influenced by the water around it.  We had several shops to go to, and limited time, but I really would like to go back to St. Michaels, when I have time and sunshine – it rained most of Saturday! – and just walk around, checking out all the little shops and cafes.   We met with Marnie, a co-owner of the store, and her customer service and goods will bring me back into this shop.  She had Noni patterns.  I’d not seen them before, and spent a great amount of time looking at the felting work – something I have minimal experience at – two Booga Bags only.  The Booga Bags are simple, a sack with a handle.  These Noni bags are ornate, decorated with felted flowers of all kinds, or ruffles, or berries – or apparently, any shape that can be knitted and felted.  I saw a Messenger style bag that could double as a tote for a 13″-15″ laptop.  My eye went to that one.  I like a big purse – maybe not that big, but damn near, and that pattern could be adjusted down a bit.  The store also carries a grand supply of bag hardware, handles, clasps, clips.  I ogled shamelessly.   I’m be ordering from their bag hardware section.

In the back, I found 3 skeins of Noro Kureyon that I loved – my colors, deep blues, purples, reds. 

My biggest purchase, both by size, yardage and price was the work of another local indie dyer.  Blue Heron Yarns, out of Easton, Md.  I fell for the Rayon Metallic – so very soft to the touch, and the metallic spun in is done lightly, delicately.  Definate case of “Less is More” here. 

I went for pastels here, a very soft pink…..

and a second skein in a lavender. These colors were not what I usually pick, but the way the tones varied, faintly changing, softly shading delicately from one to another.  Well, I couldn’t resist.  Then, I couldn’t resist again!

Last Stop – The Fibre Cafe in Cambridge, MD

Our last stop was a very small shop inside/adjacent to an art gallery.  Very small.  What was there was very nice, but not a great amount of any one type or color.  Great for socks or other small projects, but I didn’t see enough there to make a larger item, that would require more than 2 skeins in the same color. 

 

I bought 2 skeins of ArtYarns Supermerino in shades from white, through grays to black.  Will make great socks for Pop, laid-back coloring that he’ll like and wear!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So for me, the Yarn Crab-Crawl is done. 

I did not get to The Yarn Shop in Chestertown, but it’s not too far, about 35 miles from here, and after hearing about it, I’ll make the trip on my own – it’s a nice town, and now I have a really good excuse to take a ride over there on a nice day.  I didn’t get to the shop in Snow Hill, due to its considerable distance from me.  To have gone there on Sunday would have added another 2 hours of driving time and then add time to spend in the shop.  Just too much all in one day.

Tanya, my fellow crawler, did much of the organizing for this event, and asked the shopowners if it was beneficial to them.  Each answered that they believe it brought extra dollars into their stores, new faces that they hoped would return, and the interest generated was good both for their store and yarn crafts in general.  I had commented on Ravelry that I thought the timing of the event, for the month of September, was perfect.  The weather is still warm and people want to get out before winter socks us in.  Because colder weather is right around the corner, many crafters (myself included) are looking for interesting projects to do when warm weather activities are over for the season.  And there’s also those that are shopping now looking for goods to give as holiday presents – or looking for things they can make and give as gifts.  Most of the participants indicated that a second crawl might be in order, and they also seemed to feel that September worked well for them.

I definately spent more than I would have otherwise.  If others did the same, well, that’s a boon to the shops.   I was introduced to the work of two local dyers, and was most pleased to support their efforts with my compliments and my purchases.  I was privileged to shake the hand of the lovely Sanguine Gryphon and admire much of her work (and touch it, and squeeze it, and turn it over!).

And Tanya, thanks so very much for a lovely day.

Last night, Pop and I went to Wal-Mart.  We were out of dog food, poor Sophie had about 9 kibbles in her bowl and the bag was empty.  (we buy dog food in a sack so big that Pop has to sling it up on his shouldder to carry it)  There’s other places to get dog food, and we discussed going over to Sam’s Club.  Stuff’s often cheaper over there.  I opted for Wal-Mart simply because it was pouring rain and Wal-mart bags up your stuff.  You can carry more stuff into the house faster when it’s in bags than goods bought at Sam’s Club, where you get no bags, no boxes, just a shitload of loose stuff rolling around in the trunk that all must be balanced precariously in your arms.  Meaning – More damn trips back and forth between the house and the car until I’m soaking wet, there’s water all over the floors, and I’m looking like a drowned rat.

So, Wal-Mart it is.  That man sure does take me to the fancy places.   Sadly, we wandered around gathering things here and there and ended up spending far more that we should.  This is not unusual.

This, however, is!!!

In the soda, soft drinks aisle.  Hawaiian print shirt beer cozies!!  Sadly, there are a few in my immediate family that would love these!

I started smoking when I was 13, thinking it would impress other kids on how grown up I was.   (I used my lunch money to buy them)  (or I swiped some of my mother’s cigarettes, on the sly)  See already how mature I was?   In those days, just about everyone smoked.  My parents did, their friends did, people you saw on TV, in movies or on the street did.  It was as common as men wearing trousers.  They all did.   I joined the ranks and started a lifelong habit, that cost me 7.2 fortunes over the years.

A very few times over the decades did I try to quit.  Actually, I went 30 years never making any effort at all, and 2 serious attempts in the last 10 years that failed.  Once Pop and I used a nicotine patch system which had us off cigarettes for about 6-8 months, maybe.   Then Pop’s mother took sick, went from hospital to nursing home, to hospital.  As an only child, it was a very stressful time for him, with no siblings to share the burden.  I came home from work one night and he was sitting at our kitchen table, with an ashtray in front of him and a cigarette in his hand.  I almost mugged him to get at that fresh pack!  He said the stress got to him.  Sadly, his return to cigarettes has worsened his health issues, and did nothing to save his elderly mother.

This time, I’ve gone 18 months without a cigarette.  Not a puff.  No sneaking one when I’m alone.   I wouldn’t dare.  I still fear that one cigarette would have me back smoking packs a day again.  Just one and I would lose all the ground I’ve gained.  Pop’s not doing as well.   He was off completely for quite a while, but did start back with sneaking one, now and again, when he thought I wouldn’t know.  Haha, like a 40-year smoker wouldn’t recognize that smell all over his clothes, hair.  Yeah, right.  I threw a fit about smoking in the house, for 2 reasons.  The health of 2 small grandsons who currently live here with us – their mother does not want them exposed to the second-hand smoke, and the fact that a house filled with the scent and trappings of the habit would weaken my resolve to remain smoke-free.  He has, for the most part, respected this request, and goes outside to smoke.  Takes him much longer now to take out the garbage, get something out of the shed, and he often volunteers to go out to the store for milk before it’s a desperate need.    It’s a time, a way of sneaking another cigarette.  He comes in reeking of tobacco, and perhaps thinks he’s fooling us.  He’s not fooling his lungs, though, and already has major COPD.  The idiocy of having inhalers in one pocket and cigarettes in the other seems to escape him. 

18 months.  I didn’t think I could ever do it.   I’d rather spend the money elsewhere.  It’s gone on FAT overpayments to the monthly mortgage, 2 vacation trips per year.   I think, to celebrate my milestone, I’ll order more yarn.