The Crafty Lizzard

After a long wait for the schedule to line up, Cat and I finally made it to the Yarn Market. This is wonderful place where knitter's can go to be in heaven. I am actually being serious. The Yarn Market is an online yarn store whose warehouse just happens to be located on the south end of town. Heaven exists because they encourage people to come into their warehouse and browse and shop. There is also a wonderful staff who will let you fondle any yarn that is there (and point you to "cloud 9" when you're standing in "cloud 7"). I went strictly looking for sock yarn and on a budget so the haul looks small.

However, that haul equals 5 pairs of socks, armwarmers, and a hat!
(Yes, there's already a project attached to all of it!)

For some reason today as I was fondling all the beautiful yarns, I kept being drawn toward the silks. I've never really knit with silk before but the softness and slinkiness of it was really pulling me in. Maybe it's because it's getting warmer outside so I want to move away from the heavy pure wools....I don't know. I do have one hat that was made out of recycled sari silk and maybe that was another inspiration. I do know that the at was the inspiration for the hat project -- I love that hat so I decided to make another.
This yarn is made from the bits leftover from textile factories in India and the colors are amazing! There is no name for the color -- well, actually there is -- it's called random. It's a mixture of every color and is silky, soft and twisty! I love it. I'm itching to see what it knits up like!

With all this beautiful yarn the colors get a bit overwhelming...especially when you're faced with bins and bins of Noro. I know that this yarn is not the softest or squishiest but I CANNOT resist these colors. Since I was in the mood today (and I've used the Kureyon before) I opted for the Silk Garden Sock yarn. There was a reddish one that was gorgeous but because red will always grab me so I went for the beautiful blue/black/green one. Something different.

The yarn that I fell in love with today was Lorna's Laces.
I've fondled this yarn before but today it grabbed me and would not let me go! Every combination they had (wool, wool/silk, angora, etc.) was soft, squishy and beautiful. It's just too bad they don't have a silk blend in a sock weight -- While the colors are not as shocking and bold as the Noro, they are gorgeous in their own classy way. This one reminds me of a flower (and not just because that's the name of the color) -- brown for dirt, green for stem, red for flower!

I also picked up 3 balls of the Tofutsie yarn to make myself and my 2 nieces socks out of. I've been curious about the cotton/soy/chitin combo would work and I am anxious to see how the colors turn out. The 2 black balls are for another pair of armwarmers for me -- for when I have to be the 'woman in black' and I'm sitting in a freezing pit. (Yes, the inspiration for those hit me last night during Sound of Music.)
And don't you worry all you knit kniter's reading this.....there will be much yarn to pass around next week. You will all have a chance to fondle the goodies!

Once we finished eyeing, fondling and purchasing of the yarn, Cat and headed to the Bucket or our favorite "shrimp and beer" for lunch. And to top it all off (and to introduce Cat to it), we finished with dessert at Jeni's ice cream. Can I just say "yum"! I think I could live on their Black Coffee ice cream! Such a good end to a wonderful morning!