Rewards - a good thing!

Several days ago I visited my local yarn shop (LYS). For me that shop is All About Yarn! http://www.allaboutyarn.com/

It has been awhile since I visited the shop, and I discovered big changes had been made. The shop was able to expand its showroom by expanding the back room into what looked like yarns for babies and children. Very appealing. In addition, they were able to create a classroom space - very important for a yarn shop. Finally they gained more storage space - freeing up their current storage space for an office. Very nice changes.

The shop is appealing as well because it is run by 2 women and their daughters as shown in the picture.

Since my daughter was at home with mom, I decided to stop in for a visit to my LYS on my way out to get the grand dogs. It had been about 6 months since I had stopped in. This past year I avoided visiting yarn shops and online shops because I was on a self-imposed yarn diet. When you have enough yarn to open a small store - you need to put the breaks on yarn purchases. And that was what I did since April. But my spirits needed a lift and a yarn store always does that for me.

While there I decided that I needed a reward for surviving the last 6 dreadful weeks. I didn't know exactly what the reward would be, but I knew it was waiting patiently for me in this shop. I just needed to discover where it was hiding. I love playing "hide and seek" in a yarn shop.

The trouble with having an expansive yarn stash is that finding new yarns that call to me is harder. When I did my yarn inventory last winter I was very pleased to discover that I still LOVED all the yarns I selected over the years. I was still eager to use all of them. But now new yarns have to be very special for me to buy them. Still the thrill of the chase - the hunt - add to my enjoyment of the purchase when an ideal candidate for inclusion in my yarn "collection" is found.

Such was the case this trip. I searched and searched throughout the shop. Many beautiful yarns and many new books. But nothing called my name. And then, without warning, something did catch my eye. A beautiful fire engine red Namasta faux leather bag called Monroe. It was a bit smaller than my other Namasta bag which was more of a large tote. The Monroe is a cross between a purse and a tote bag. The more I examined it the more excited I got. Many pockets, zippers, magnet closures, room for a knitting project, but also room for a wallet, note pad, keys and stuff. And my iPad, phone and iPod Touch would fit as well. I loved it. On my arm it went. I made one more sweep of the shop - and discovered that the bag also came in black and a deep purple - called Egg Plant. The picture doesn't do the purple color justice. The red was definately beautiful, but purple seemed more my style.

As I was rounding the store, in a basket on the floor was a beautiful Rainbow Shawl kit by Fiddlesticks Knitting in the collective colorway called Earthy: Basil, Curry, Sable, Copper, Suede and Bottle Green. Don't those colors just sound wonderful? The yarn is JaggerSpun, Zephyr Wool-Silk: 50% Merino Wool and 50% Silk. Very soft. The shawl pattern is done in an easy to work Feather and Fan lace pattern and is recommended for beginner lace knitters or TV watching for the more experienced! Sold! I have done the pattern before and have done lace as well. This was the yarn and pattern that was calling my name.

I left the shop feeling very good. This year has been a very slow knitting year for me. I couldn't seem to get moving on projects. Even when I spent all that time sitting in the hospital and rehab - I didn't knit much - maybe 4 rows on a sock in 6 weeks. I guess worry and fatigue had a killing effect on my hobbies. But the desire to knit and complete stuff is growing again. I need to get my stash/collection organized and get moving on some real projects. I am eager to pick up my handweaving looms again as well. And there is a spinning wheel that is just screaming at me all the time. The spinning wheel, called Agatha, will get her turn when my spinning cousin comes for a visit later in the month. I really need more hands on instruction.

My other Namasta bag? As you can see, it is a lovely Celery Green color. I gave it to my daughter. Milo has a lot of "needs", and she hauls his stuff to my house every weekend. Her current tote was fine but showing wear. This Namasta tote was perfect for her. And I am so glad to see it getting used - it is a beautiful tote and it was a shame for it to sit idle in my den.

The coming year feels better with each day! I am encouraged.

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

I wonder how many apples I can force my mom to eat in a day :-) .

Side Note:

That day when all the world looked good to me, my visit to the yarn shop was successful, and I had my grand dogs babies in the back of my car coming for a visit ... that day ... as I was pulling into my parking lot - my daughter came out the door with a worried look on her face. You know you are in trouble when your adult child (substitute caregiver for my mom) meets you outside with a serious look.

While I was gone, mom had thrown up twice. Coming in I could tell mom was not feeling well and the un-said message we were all trying to avoid (the "elephant in the room" as the saying goes) was - are we heading into another hospitalization. Well I am glad to report all turned out well (for a change). Mom's post nasal drip had become excessive that afternoon - and what she appeared to be vomiting was lots and lots of mucous (I mean serious amounts - without getting to graphic.) Her vital signs were normal and she had just finished a long course of antibiotics. So I decided she was well - willed her to be well - demanded of the fates that she be well (hoping desperately I was right). I told her she wasn't sick, and in an hour or so I would feed her. If she kept it down, she was fine. If not, maybe she wasn't fine. But we wouldn't jump to any conclusions (even though we all were jumping to conclusions).

Thankfully I was right. She was fine. We all slept in our own beds that night! The black karma that had been following us since the end of November was pushed aside by pure force of will on my part, and we are moving forward.

Period. The End.

As of January 2, 2011 - all are healthy.