Krafty1

Ta-Da! Ampersand (upside down)

The pattern, "Ampersand (upside down)" is finished!!!  You can download the pdf in the sidebar.  I'm also in the process of getting it set up on Ravelry.  (Need an editor and a photo and a designer profile...)

The pattern was originally written by Kirstin Kapur at Through the Loops and was designed for Socks that Rocks medium weight yarn.  In order to ensure that my single skein of County Clare (a gift) would be enough, I revised the pattern (of course) to toe-up.

A few people on Ravelry asked for my toe-up instructions.  A quick note to Kristin for permission to revise her pattern and voila!

Well, maybe not voila!  Of course, in order to check my notes, another pair had to be knit in order to transcribe my notes into an actual pattern.  This pair was knit with Artyarns Merino 6, a DK weight yarn.  It worked perfectly!

And that's where the Loopy Ewe tote ransom incentive came in.  Sure, the notes worked and they became a handwritten pattern, but the pattern still needed to be written on the computer, printed and knitted again to ensure accuracy in getting the handwritten data transferred to digital.  Once the digital version was ready, the Loopy tote had to be opened in order to get to the DK weight Lorna's Laces that I'd ordered specifically for the final test.

Edgewater...what a perfect colorway name. Perfect for this project...no longer standing on the edge...I'm swimming in "design water" now. 

Next up, another design that'll be toe-up but completely my own again.  Like Mom's Fixation.  Fortunately, someone adopted it in the early days of Ravelry.  Unfortunately, I can't edit Mom's Fixation until it gets transferred back over to me.  Ravelry needs a volunteer editor for me...anyone out there able to give me a hand?  Anyone able to tell me how to get the photos linked to the pattern?  I could knit you a pair of socks....

For everyone else, you'll have to knit your own socks...at least now, you have the pattern!  Next up...the rest of the tote bag's contents.

Nearly finished

Too busy writing to write post.  The pattern, at this point is written and being test knitted.  That means it should be posted here next.

You know what that means..."Carol, show her what's in the bag!"

In full disclosure though, one item from in the bag was necessary in order to test the pattern...stay tuned!

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

• Special K made it home from her week up North.  She had a great time with highlights that included "song nights", getting up on water skis (and falling almost immediately), and ending her week as co-pilot on the flight home!  Life is never boring around here!!!
• She was home for three days and has since left for Girl Scout camp. 
• The bag is yet unopened.  The deal was that (no matter how many of you insisted  or gave me permission) it could only be opened once the blog site revisions and the pattern were completed.  One down, one to go.  Since Special K is gone for the week, the pattern is top priority.  That bag shall be opened this week!
• There is yarn on its way here to finish Panda's socks.  Knitters are the best!!  A brief browse through Ravelry's "All Used Up" for Kingfisher, a few emails back and forth and voila! Knitted Squirrel is mailing her leftovers to me.  In the meantime, when Amy finished her pair of Kingfisher socks her sister, Knit & Purl Mama, told her about my situation and suddenly I had two offers for leftover yarn!!!  I told you knitters are the best!!!
• BTW I did rip the first sock back to the heel and reknit it with two shorter heel flap rows that were also knit on a smaller needle.  It yielded a whole whopping 18" of leftover yarn.  Not even close to what is needed for the toe!  But Panda likes the fit better now that it's been knit to match the second one.  Once the yarn comes from Knitted Squirrel, matching socks will be completed!!
• So what's on my needles in the meantime?  They're for Doogie's size 11s!  Boy, do I wish that there were some smaller feet in my family to knit for!!!

Worth Waiting For

This weekend, the mailman stuffed my mailbox with this box.  A Priority Mail shoe box.  Who knew these even existed?  Not me. (Though I've ordered some for myself now.)

Unlike another recent parcel, this one was from my Secret Pal and was ripped into right away!!!  I've been watching on Ravelry and in blogdom as one person after another has posted about their Secret Pal parcels.  I've impatiently waited.

And what was inside?

A geocache!!! What a perfect parcel!!  My pal has done a bit of research and discovered that even though we've found a number of geocaches (140), we haven't placed any yet.  (Currently, there are roughly 625,000 caches worldwide with more being added every day.) So he/she put together a container for us to hide and register as an official geocache.

We'll have to search out a good location to hide this container in the next week or two.  Owners typically give them fun names.  (Go to Geocaching.com, enter your zip code and look at the names...you don't have to be signed up to look at the names.)  Any suggestions?  If we have enough of them, another survey may appear in the very near future.

Oh, but wait, there's more.

Inside this geocache were my very own "First to Find" prizes for me to keep: Vanilla Mint Chapstick, Davco "coffee" socks, Dark Chocolate Espresso Beans, bath gel in the cute sheep shaped container, Lorna's Laces in Franklin's colorway AND a Sheep Geocoin!

Geocoins have a code so that they can be tracked as they travel the world.  (Hmmm, we could have a "Name the Sheep" contest too and release the sheep in the new geocache!)  Omigosh....my Pal nailed it with this parcel!!! 

Now I'm curious, does my Pal geocache as well...or did he/she read up on it? (My guess is a fellow cacher.)  Curious too; is my Pal a member of the Ravelry Geocachers group?  There are more than 200 in the group...and I'm not about to snoop to see if I can figure out if my Pal is in there.  I like surprises too much!

This was far and away a parcel well worth waiting for!!! Thank you Pal!

Questions, questions

Secret Pal 12 is in its 7th week.  Each week my mind comes up with a question that the entire world can share in answering.  Unfortunately, I've been lax in answering my own questions!  A bit of "catch-up is in order.  Hopefully, this week my answers will accompany the question post haste.

Week 5

1) Where is your favorite place to go for vacation/holiday? This is one of the most difficult questions for me to answer. In the UK, I fell in love with Stirling and was totally at peace walking the Highlands.  For years, Doogie and I were prepared to move there...that was until my trip to the Netherlands.  The people, the culture, even the language came easily for me there and I want to go back...mostly with Doogie to see whether he could choose between The Highlands or The Netherlands.

Closer to home, the place that truly relaxes me is Fairy Godmother's place loving known as "End House" or "Knit Camp".  SO much nature! 

2) Where is one place you’d like to go?  In the US: Seattle, WA (I've heard there are excellent knit shops in the area.)  In the world: Prague or Oslo

 

Week 6

What is your favorite type of project to take along on holiday/vacation? I bet you can guess what I take along for traveling...hint: rhymes with rocks. 

Tell us about a time that you packed too much knitting or were stranded without knitting. A time...one time...typically, the packing includes three times as much knitting as could possibly be done in the length of the trip!  Plus, a trip to a LYS at our destination adds to the project pile!  Guess that makes me normal!

 

Week 7

What is(are) your favorite place(s) to knit? My comfy chair or a coffee shop are where I mostly knit.  However, in the company of other knitters is my FAVORITE place to knit...even if it means that there isn't as much knitting completed. 

What supplies (besides yarn & needles) make the setting perfect for knitting?  A cup of coffee or glass of wine and good lighting are all I need to be happy.

Overload

A Knitty surpise...

A Vogue fall preview...

An Interweave Knits preview...

And a new online magazine about to be released...

What's filling your knitting "plate"?

This is why I knit toe-up

Ladies and Gentlemen!  Not once, not twice, but now for a third time, may I present Rattlesnake Creek socks.  This time, Panda requested that the Jitterbug Kingfisher yarn that we'd purchased in New Orleans be knit into Rattlesnakes instead of Monkeys.  No problem...or so I thought.

She loved the way the cables gripped her calf. (Though the dog seemed a bit aloof about the whole process.)  Once this first sock was finished something became apparent.  55 grams left.  Normally, that wouldn't be an issue.  Jitterbug lists 110 grams as its packaged weight.  However, this particular skein was actually 114 grams!! Houston, we have a problem!!  (4 grams worth of problem.)

For the second sock, maybe with a few modifications, there'd be enough.  First, the cuff was knit with one less round.  Then, the switch to the smaller sized needle took place at the ankle instead of after the heel turn.  Unfortunately, the modifications made the sock fit better but still weren't enough to finish the toe off.

Great looking almost pair of socks, just a bit "airy" at the moment.  There are a few options.

A) Remove the toe of the first sock and convert them to pedicure socks.

2) Frog the first sock back to the beginning of the heel flap, switch to a smaller needle and HOPE that once they are finished again that there is enough for the second sock's toe.

c) Check Ravelry for some leftovers.

Currently, there are three emails out on Ravelry begging asking for scraps leftovers of Jitterbug Kingfisher.  It won't matter if the dye lots are different.  Anything that I could substitute from "in house" would be far more obvious than a mild dye lot shift!  Keep your fingers crossed that I can score a bit of Kingfisher.

Oh, and lesson learned...it's back to toe-up knitting for the next pair of socks!!!

700 Club

Welcome to the newest edition for Krafty1!

After 2.5 years of writing, 700 posts total, it felt like time for a bit of an overhaul to the look of the blog.  Something a bit cleaner.  Something that made it much easier to add all of my favorite "reads" and yet wouldn't bog down load times for all of you.  Let me know what you like (or don't like) about the new layout.  Give it some time...I know I will.

Of course, a redesign has been on my "to do" list for awhile now.  (Can you say New Year's Goal!?! We don't do resolutions round here!)  I hope you like the new "look".

Last week, Loopy Ewe had another "sneak up" that I fell for.  The parcel arrived on Friday.  Inside was an added surprise or two wrapped inside a special Loopy Tote that I hadn't ordered.  Turns out it was my sixth purchase which makes me an official Loopy Groupie. 

That was when I decided it was time to use the surprises (& special K's absence) as incentive to take care of several items that have been nagging me to deal with.  I must be the only Loopy Groupie who has held off diving into that lovely tote.  It's currently going on five days since the order arrived and the tote is still sitting next to my knitting chair unopened!

The blog update is finished.  There remains a pattern write-up to complete AND THEN I'll allow myself to open the tote to see what's wrapped in the pretty blue tissue!  (The white tissue is my actual order.)  Watch this space for the pattern and the contents of the tote...coming soon!

Destruction to creation

  This pair of socks has sure had a "lively" creation!  They were started as something for me to do while Special K would be gone for the week.  I liked the pattern so much from the previous SKP event and wanted to use up the green, but wasn't sure when casting on who would be the recipient of this particular pair.  However, from the beginning, the "universe" must've decided that they were meant for Special K. 

First, they kept me company while storms blew through our area and postponed her flight.  Her late departure meant she tried the cuff on (for sizing) before finally flying north.  Then, they kept me company while waiting for roadside assistance when my tire blew!  I started to worry about what might happen next that these socks might need to keep me company for!!! 

It became apparent that these should be for Special K.  Among other "meanings", she shares her name with a Hindu goddess.  This particular one is a goddess of destruction from which all creation is born!

With the destruction we'd seen during the knitting of the first sock, I'm just superstitious enough to have kicked knitting the second sock into HIGH gear!

Ta-da!!  Green Rattlesnake Creek socks from Opal yarn that has been in my stash since 2004.  They are now quietly waiting on Special K's bed awaiting her return.  Hopefully, the destructive forces have been quieted with the creation of these socks.  (How's that for superstition!?!)

Debris

The tornado passed through last evening.  In its path, there is PLENTY of debris throughout town!  Pretty much anywhere you drive, you'll find trees and or branches in the roads and in yards.  100s of trees like this one.  Amazingly, not one landed ON a house!  Sure, they landed on cars and yards and streets, but no houses received direct hits!

This morning was a much better time for Special K to depart on her adventure. She boarded the plane with a big, healthy grin and was on her way...she checked in and let me know she'd arrived safely.  Now we hope she has a great time and miss her for the next week.

Did I mention that the city is littered with debris?

How about a little knitting in public? 

In my skirt...

In the shade of a random standing tree...

In 90 degree weather...

What reason could I have to be sitting on the side of the road, knitting a sock!?!

Could it have anything to do with the sudden puncture in my tire!?!

Have I mentioned debris in the roads?

Debris that was not just of the garden variety tree branch sort? How about debris that was aluminum that more than likely had been blown from a nearby scrap metal business!?!  The kind with the ability to puncture the sidewall of my tire.

All I can say tonight is thank goodness my daughter made it safely to her summer vacation and thank goodness my knitting was in the car while I waited for roadside assistance!  Now I'm hoping for a quiet, uneventful weekend!

Staying Put

If you haven't figured it out by now, we LOVE to travel!!!  In fact, we love it so much that we've sent an inanimate object Luke to travel the world this summer since it's just not currently in the cards for us.  We've worked hard to instill the love of travel on to our kids. Special K asked for a passport for her 7th birthday gift.  Both girls have already been to Europe.  Panda hopes to study abroad in China, Japan, or Germany someday. And, Special K has a few things up her sleeve as well!

This afternoon, she was to have taken her first solo trip.  Over the past year, Special K has built a friendship with a girl her age from Chile.  The girl is visiting her grandparents for two weeks and invited Miss K to join them at their summer home in northern WI.  The plans have been in the works ever since!  (BTW The girl's grandparents happen to also be my bosses.)

This afternoon, Special K was to board my bosses' plane and head north.  As we pulled out of the garage, the sirens went off (3:50 PM), a storm front moved through our area and dropped a tornado and 70mph winds in our vicinity. (Photos here.)

She wasn't worried in the least.  She has complete in my boss and our company's pilots to make the right decisions.  (So do I.) The flight is rescheduled till morning.  As much as we love to travel, there are those times when staying put is fine by me!  (Especially when my baby is flying SOLO!!)

Daydreaming

We knitters are an interesting breed.  Talk to one and you'll discover that we have amazing daydreams while we knit!

  While finishing this pair of socks (#7 for the 52PP), an email hit my inbox from Beth Brown-Reinsel.  What set me off dreaming? This cruise through Europe & Estonia with classes taught by both Beth AND Nancy Bush!

The daydream included cruising with Doogie & two of my favorite teachers visiting, among other places, Norway where my great-great grandfather sailed from bound for the US.  Hmmm, perchance a few meet-ups along the way with fellow bloggers.  Ooooo, and to be in St. Petersburg, Russia with my husband on our wedding anniversary!!! (Aug. 30, 2009)  How cool would that be!?!

And that's when it happened...the bubble burst.  No, it wasn't the price, it was our anniversary...which...always...falls...at...back-to-school...time. Coincidentally, "back-to-school" 2009 will mean "off to college" for Panda's freshman year!  Wild horses couldn't keep me from delivering her to school for freshman year! 

Hmmm, would it be wrong to persuade her to pick a school that would start early enough to allow her parents to go on a knitting cruise through Europe!?!

When I'm 94.

It's time to update the old Beatles song.

This weekend was "reunion" weekend around here.  A long time ago a brother and a sister from one family married a brother and a sister from another family.  Ever since, the families have been meeting up during the summertime.  Around 120 of us gathered this time around.  It was a grand time.

This time around, my Grandma was the eldest of the relations (though she isn't one of the siblings that married into the other family).  How old is she?  Well, coincidentally, July 14th is her 94th birthday!! 

"Grandchildren on your knees..."

Little Taylor...not a grandchild, but the oldest and youngest at the reunion!

It'll do.

Happy Birthday Grandma!!

Stash

Each Wednesday, my job has been to post a "Question of the Week" for SP12 participants.  Oops, this is week five and I haven't answered my own questions yet. Time to do a bit ofcatch up!

Week 3: "What would you consider the perfect amount of stash?"

This is nearly all of my current stash. (The rest, three sweaters worth, is in the footstool.)

There are days that "this" feels like too much. I used to think it would be cool to stockpile enough sock yarn in order to be able to walk in, grab a skein, and begin knitting.  Now I wish that there was a bit less on the shelf so that I could go to a yarn shop (or online shop), see something wonderful, buy it, and not feel guilty about all the yarn that is sitting on the shelf waiting for its turn on my needles. (No wonder so many knitters keep their yarn hidden!)

The feeling comes and goes.  Sometimes, it's so easy to look at the shelves and know exactly what would be perfect to knit with next.  Other times, I look at the shelves and NOTHING appeals to me. Those are the times that it all seems like too much stash. My current goal has been to get my "visible" stash down to four cubes instead of six.  My sweater yarn, on the other hand, is and always will remain at three sweaters worth.

Week 4: "What yarn would make your stash complete?" and "What yarn do you never want to be without?"

Don't start with me!  Sure, the previous paragraphs lamented my bounty of stash.  However, if one more could be added, currently (because a knitter can be fickle afterall!) it would have to be Franklin's Panopticon exclusive LL colorway.  Hey, what would one more, itty-bitty skein hurt!?!  Okay, so it would have to be two skeins because that's what you need of Lorna's Laces to make a pair of socks. 

It should be no surprise then that Lorna's is the one brand that'll never be missing from my stash.  They produce everything from laceweight to chunky yarns.  Every pair of socks I've knit in the past with Lorna's, has been a pleasure!  Currently, there are two pair of socks worth of Lorna's in-house. Two pair, that's all that's left in my sock stash!  There should always be at least two pair in the stash of Lorna's...my rainy day mood booster!  Maybe it's time to restock!?!

Weaving in Tails

That's right.  I was a "good kid" and resisted the temptation to cast on something new in order to weave in the tails on my BYOBag.  Will power!

The bag was a fairly quick knit, but was surprised me the most was how big it is.  It's kind of hard to tell from the photo but the red that you can barely see is a LARGE box of breakfast cereal.  The two 3# bag of coffee beans aren't even visible.  (I just noticed when linking to the pattern, my handles are in the wrong place!  How'd I manage that!?!)

This one probably won't be toting any groceries though.  It is more than likely bound to tote cross-country running gear (sweats, socks, dry clothes, snacks, etc) for the upcoming season.  Panda will be running for her fourth and final season.  Hard to believe the final year of high school is coming up!

After successfully completing the bag project, there was a lot of evening left to go without knitting.  Again, I resisted the urge to cast on something new and instead opted to pick up the "old" Spring Vest.

The orange stitch marker indicates how much knitting on the fronts has occurred.  It feels good to finally be in the decrease stage of this project.  However, there seems to be a bit of a fly in the ointment.

That red footstool that has been the resting place for the vest back happens to sit in front of our bay window. You guessed it, there has been a small amount of color fade going on!  Oops.  Thank goodness it's all on the back.  The back will be one shade of pink and the front another slightly darker shade.  Not really obvious (hopefully) when viewed from the sides. Time to finish this puppy!  (But maybe, just maybe I could cast on a pair of socks since my needles haven't seen socks in four WHOLE days! Mom gave me permission to bring knitting to the family reunion afterall.)

Geek

This is how I managed to resist Monday's temptation to cast something new on.

Awhile back Lime'NViolet were discussing KnitWars on their podcast.  They use it as a way to keep track of the time they've spent on projects plus motivation and rewards for completing projects.  There are even experience points (XP) given for blogging! 

All these months, I've resisted signing up. (That hasn't stopped 1480 others from doing so!)  For some reason, it called to me Monday and the rest is history.  Thankfully, it doesn't require a lot of time once you're signed up (no loading photos of stash or projects) so it can easily updated at the end of the day.

This may be the shot in the arm that's needed to help me finish a few long-standing projects (like the "Spring Vest" that was started in Winter, stranded in Spring and revisited for Summer).  Plus, from what I've read, others use their accumulated gold as "stash enhancement" incentive gold.  You can set your own rules for spending gold.  Mine probably won't be dollar for dollar (gold), but it may help me reisist the Loopy "siren song" (but it didn't stop me from looking...new stock snuck up Tuesday night!).  Plus, it might be the shot in the arm that's needed to avoid the summer blogging gaps that have been creating holes all over the place on this ol' blog.

Monday's poll was fun. (Tomorrow, you'll find out which option was chosen.) There may be more polls in the future. Time to shake a few things up as far as my blogging is concerned.  Look out, it could be a bumpy ride!

Decisions, decisions

Do I weave in the tails on BYOB?  Do I resume knitting on the Spring Vest? Or cast on a totally new project (Ravelry link)? 

What's a knitter to do when faced with these tough decisions!?!

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Getting back into the swing

Hard to believe the amount of time that has passed since my last post!  Throw in a holiday weekend full of fun activities and the blogging really suffers!!

When you live near a large body of water, there is NO shortage of things to do...especially on a holiday weekend.  The festivities began on Thursday evening with a Venetian boat parade.  Boats decorated with lights, some with marching bands on-board as well. 

The Fourth kicked off with a landlubber parade, followed by a boat launch of homemade cardboard or foam watercraft, and capped with fireworks lighting the sky and reflected in the water!  We couldn't have been blessed with two better days!!

The days have been warm and the nights have been cool and dry.  There have been enough stolen moments to finish the second of the Spring Forward socks- "summer style".  The yarn is Chewy Spaghetti Sunkissed.  It was fun to work with and I'm anxious to see how it washes up.

With all of the summer fun of the weekend, it's time to get back into the swing of things for the week.  I can't help wonder though, when can we have another long weekend as wonderful as this one!?!

Event #3

July 1...that meant it was time for Event #3 of the Sock Knitters Pentathlon.  The pattern was released at 11AM local time, but starting the latest sock had to wait until I got home from work at 12:45. 

Specs: The pattern chosen for this round was Rattlesnake Creek Socks.  It included a 3x3 cable.  The rules:  It had to be knit top-down with at least 1.5 repeats of the pattern for the cuff.  The pattern shows that the cables were carried down the top of the foot to the toes, but the rules stated that we could do the foot in stockinette.  I split the difference and carried the ribbing down the foot.

As usual, we had to post a photo of the in-progress sock and then the finished pair.  Barbro was first yet again! (Three times in a row for the Swedish Knitting Champ...11 hours 35 minutes!)  Second Place went to Mluni this time.  She posted at 1:15AM...one hour ahead of me.

That's right. I posted my finished photo at 2:15AM...13 hours and 30 minutes after I got home from work.  Third place for this round.  With two more rounds to go, I'm still in 2nd place overall for the event.  I couldn't be happier with 2nd place knowing that the top finishers are mostly European...where they are practically born knitting! ;-)

Work this morning did NOT include my contact lenses!  3 hours of sleep...now I know what this little sign came home from Madison with my purchases!!!  Just hook it up intravenously since thirteen+ hours of knitting has left my fingers too stiff to grip my coffee mug!. Thank goodness Event #4 isn't until September 1!

Madison Part 3: "The Shopping"

It was NOT supposed to be a "Fiber Feeding Frenzy" weekend.  Just a couple of stops in search of some Lambs Pride Bulky, or equivalent, to replace the blue Cascade for my friend's felted bag.

First, a stop at my favorite shop from my quilting days, Millhouse Quilts, in search of fabric that could be used for a lining if necessary.

A trip to Millhouse is always a successful one! In the end, I needed Panda's eye to help make the final choice for the lining AND came away with a couple of goodies for me to boot!

Next, Lakeside Fibers.  The sky had clouded and the family decided to come into the shop because they have a great eatery and sitting area for guests of the knitting AND non-knitting sort.  Unfortunately, they didn't have what I was hoping to find for the the bag.  The girl that was assisting me recommended that I check another of the shops in town that carries Lambs Pride.

Now, every time I visit Lakeside Fibers, I am mesmerized by their "Wall of Cascade".  This trip was NO different; but with a twist.  Maybe it was the "guilt" of not having a purchase after being so graciously waited on.  Maybe it was the sudden torrential downpour that held us captive indoors.  Or maybe it was the desire to have the final 2-$5 punches whacked off my frequent buyer card. Whatever the reason, suddenly, 10 skeins had jumped into my arms to knit a replacement for the Jersey Girl sweater I felted!

The rain stopped, and we headed to our next stop, The Knitting Tree, in search of the elusive Lambs Pride.  In the past, I'd always considered The Knitting Tree to be the place to go in search of something "funky".  So, it caught me a bit off guard to be referred there for something I'd consider as a "basic" type yarn. 

But, there it was, THE PERFECT yarn to coordinate and be the new base for Kelly's felted bag!  Isn't it great when things come together perfectly!?!

Mission accomplished. They were ready to ring me up..stop..wait...I just got here. 

"You wouldn't happen to have a copy of 'Knitting Lace Triangles' by Evelyn Clark?"  Sure thing!!!

"Do you have anything new in sock yarns?"  ShiBui Sock.  I've been reading about it and wanted to try it.  Doogie wants a pair made with the dark teal green Peacock, and the other three (kiwi, anime, and sky) will find a home this Christmas.  Now I was "high" from the fiber fumes!  Now, it was time to check out.

Back at the hotel, something unusual happened: buyer's remorse.  Never before have I had fiber related buyer's remorse.  But the 10 skeins of Cascade...something I can get at my LYS...something that in the sunlight looked more like Doug's choice for sock yarn than the blue green it appeared as during the rain storm.  I don't wear green on my body!  Ackkkk!

After reviewing the exchange policy on the receipt (and knowing there was no way I'd be knitting a sweater for myself in JULY!), we decided to make the trek back to return the yarn before we left town. 

I believe these things happen for a reason. The same young woman assisted me on our return trip.  When I walked in the door and announced, "It's too green!" she was very gracious and helpful. 

Doogie had asked that, if I wasn't going to get yarn for my sweater, the exchange be for either the Fog Sweater or the Cambridge Jacket.  Sounded perfect to me.  We found some gorgeous blue Donegal Tweed that would be just the thing.  There wasn't enough of it but, since it was on their upcoming order, we could special order it.  The clerk took down the vital info and when she heard the name of our city she was tickled pink! 

It turns out she has been interviewing and may be moving to our town.  She was SO excited to know that when/if she comes to town that she already knows another knitter.  We exchanged Ravelry info and then I knew WHY I'd fallen for the Wall of Cascade and had buyers' remorse...everything for a reason...in this case, MoKnitting needed to know that there really are knitters in a town that doesn't have a knit shop!