alligatorjuice ([info]princess_eowyn) wrote in [info]punk_knitters,
2006-07-22 17:26:00
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  • Mood: amused

yarn store hilarity

i've been waiting for months, and i've finally done it. i ran around my lys willy nilly with my birthday money. i could say that i was restrained in my yarn purchasing. but then there's also the little detail that they didn't have several items i wanted (a couple books and several skeins of yarn). however, i didn't buy anything i hadn't planned on, and i feel that i made several economical choices, including a few items to make gifts out of, and ann budd's 'book of sweater patterns'.

don't worry, this far from exhausted my yarn fund. i said i'd still have a bit left over, and i do. and i'm not touching it till the finger lakes fiber arts festival in september.

but anyway, on to the comedy.

i got several skeins of yarn that needed to be wound into balls, so i asked to be shown how to use the swift and ball winder. so i was winding and winding and winding, at a really good pace. and then the ball flies off the winder and rolls around the floor a bit.

now, this is a very nice, quiet yarn store. the kind where you can just sit and knit in nice comfy chairs in quiet contemplation, or have a nice quiet conversation about the merits of your favorite yarn. so my manic laughter was somewhat out of place...

i think it was also kinda distracting to the felted entrelac bag class five feet away, who were discussing very serious matters of the state of world events.

i guess this was the world's way of telling me that no matter how often i go to that store, i still stick out like a sore thumb. and you know what? that's ok with me. as long as they don't kick me out, i'm cool. :D


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  • 16 comments

[info]futuristicplans

July 22 2006, 23:00:05 UTC 5 years ago

That used to happen to me all the time when I worked at my LYS. We wound the yarn for the customer, and I always hated certain yarns because I KNEW that once I got into my windin' groove, the ball would go flying off across the room. I always felt bad because the customer's yarn would be rolling across the floor. >.>

[info]princess_eowyn

July 23 2006, 19:02:38 UTC 5 years ago

they wind the yarn for customers at this store, but i didn't want to take up the girl's time with my yarn - she's supposed to be up front to greet customers and answer questions, but from the part of the store where the ball winder and swift are, the front of the store isn't visable. so i figured why have her do it when i'm perfectly capable?

Deleted comment

[info]princess_eowyn

July 23 2006, 19:15:28 UTC 5 years ago

- 7 hanks of dark red cascade 220
- 1 ball* of black cascade 220 superwash for a hat and maybe mittens for my designated knittee
- 3 balls of red cascade 220 superwash for a sweater for my designated knittee
- 1 ball of blue/green sockotta sock yarn
- 1 ball of rainbow-colored regia sock yarn
- 2 small packs of natural-colored wool fiber
- ann budd's 'book of sweater patterns'
- a clear plastic notions bag
- 5 pewter buttons

though i'm thinking i'll return the buttons. i saw the buttons, and they absolutely screamed to be made into a cardigan, and they even pointed out the yarn for me. but when i got the yarn, it told me it would rather be made into a ribbed pullover. so i'll think it over this week and take them back next week, if that's what i end up doing.

*interesting note - cascade 220 comes in hanks, which need to be wound into balls. 220 superwash, however, is already in ball form. didn't know that. that, and i didn't know how much softer superwash is than regular wool. i know why, i just didn't know the superwash process changed the texture so much.

[info]amandagorey

July 22 2006, 23:47:32 UTC 5 years ago

i uhm..
have that problem virtually every time i ever try to do that.
no. really.

this... is my life.

[info]amelie317

July 23 2006, 00:41:39 UTC 5 years ago

I've never had a ball fly off the handle like that! Usually I make the balls really *tight*. Maybe it's just a bad winder?

[info]princess_eowyn

July 23 2006, 19:16:37 UTC 5 years ago

nope, just winding too fast. someone else said they had the same problem last week. also, the spindle may not have been securely snapped into the base.

[info]haricotvert

July 23 2006, 04:28:55 UTC 5 years ago

sounds like one of my lys's. it's really prissy and stuffy and i hate it there. the other one down the street is so much more easy-going and fun and they love me there! but sadly the first one is the only one that carries Noro. my love-me lys had a tiff with the providers or whatever.

Deleted comment

[info]haricotvert

July 26 2006, 03:02:50 UTC 5 years ago

I don't go in there often enough to know if the snooty woman knows bloody anything about what she's selling...

[info]princess_eowyn

July 23 2006, 19:28:25 UTC 5 years ago

this lys is excellent, and the staff knows their stuff. however, it's in the suburbs, and attracts a suburban housewife clientelle. they have a lot of seriously expensive yarn, and a lot of beginning knitters who can afford to buy it. they also have really gotten into the felting trend and everyone is grabbing up $10/skein yarn for their felting projects. and i'm not saying any of this is wrong; i'm just saying i rather stick out like a sore thumb there.

not to mention that the most lively music they play in there is enya. i had thought that was normal for yarn stores till i went to pittsburgh knit and bead, and they were playing alternative. i've never felt like dancing in a yarn store before... :D

[info]sam_sonite

July 24 2006, 23:45:16 UTC 5 years ago

I have that problem with the two closest to me as well. The staff are very nice, but I always feel a bit uncomfortable and out of place.

[info]haricotvert

July 26 2006, 02:55:59 UTC 5 years ago

i wish my lys would play music. i'd bombard them with playlists like woah. and i use $10/hank wool. but for hats. because i like to blow money i need for rent (or not). i'm an idiot like that.

[info]thefuryofcocks

July 23 2006, 05:09:24 UTC 5 years ago

that happened to me 3 times when i was trying to wind a ball of mohair. i got spinning too fast and it just kept flying off. so i had to wind it really slowly. luckily we didn't have any customers at that time. but it kept shooting off like a rocket. rather impressive.

[info]princess_eowyn

July 23 2006, 19:29:10 UTC 5 years ago

yup, i was spinning too fast, and that's why it came off.

[info]athenanoctua

July 23 2006, 11:43:26 UTC 5 years ago

I had the same thing happen. The nice older knit store lady told me that winding too fast was a *bad* thing...she said that if you wind fast, then you're winding too tight...apparently if you try to wind your yarn tight it stretches the yarn and when you knit it will be all wonky. i'm trying to be careful now, but its so Fun to see those balls wind up!!

[info]princess_eowyn

July 23 2006, 19:30:35 UTC 5 years ago

yup, i learned the hard way that winding too fast was a bad thing. :D now i know, and knowing is half the battle.

[info]weezerscaddy

July 24 2006, 02:33:32 UTC 5 years ago

Or you'll just give others to courage to let out that they feel the same way you do :). I get excited too!
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