Domestic Geek

I used to take little road trips all the time. It wasn't uncommon for me to end up in Fort Collins or Pueblo on a whim. Unfortunately, the cost of gas and a different working schedule than I used to have has put a major crimp on those trips.

I heard about an "Alpaca Extravaganza" that was being held up at the Boulder County Fairgrounds up in Longmont this weekend, so I decided it was time to take a little road trip yesterday. I figured as long as I was going to be North of the Denver Metro, it would be a good time to hit a couple of yarn stores that I had read about on Ravelry.

First, I went to Mew Mews Yarn Shop in Louisville. Aside from going past it a couple of times because I wasn't sure how to get to its parking lot (you have to turn into a car lot to get to it), it was easy to get to. It's a great little shop full of patterns, different yarns, wonderful samples and a resident cat (who I'm assuming was Mew Mew, as I heard another customer call her that). While I was there, I picked up a Fiber Trends® Felt Clogs pattern that I had been wanting since I saw them on Mintlatte's Crafty Space a couple of weeks ago. The shop owner had on the same clogs and loves them! I can't wait to find the particular shade of yarn I'm wanting for these and get started. I promised myself I wouldn't start them until I get a couple of other projects finished, though, so it will be a couple of weeks.

Next I headed over to Boulder to visit Shuttles Spindles & Skeins. First off, I really hate that this shop is in Boulder. Besides being far away, I swear that the people up there can't drive worth crap. I wonder what the accident rate is in relation to other cities in the state. I have never encountered so many people that seem to be in their own little worlds as I did there yesterday. Seriously — who doesn't look at least once before you back out of a parking space? I'm lucky my little Subaru and I made it home unscathed.

About the store, though, it was the most marvelous shop I had ever been in! It was huge and had so many different types of yarn. In addition to all the wonderful supplies, they also sell knitting and sheep related art and gifts (I'm guessing from local artisans). There was just so much cool stuff in there. I'll definitely go back when I have some disposable income.

Since I missed the turn for Foothills Parkway to take me up to Longmont, I ended up going through Lafayette to get there. I had to stop in at one of my favorite little quilt shops, Patch Works. If you quilt, I'd definitely recommend the trip up there. It such an awesome little shop.

I finally arrived up in Longmont and couldn't believe how that area has grown! I guess it's been a few years since I was up there. I completely missed the fairgrounds because it was totally surrounded by development. I've wanted to own alpacas for many years now and after falling in love with knitting with alpaca yarn coupled with my trip yesterday, I want that more badly than ever before. They are such wonderful animals. I was really cool getting to be that up close to them. There were many vendors there selling alpaca wares (clothes, fiber, etc), too. I must figure out how to make this happen.

Anyway, there's going to be an alpaca show at the National Western Stockshow complex here in Denver in May, so I'll be attending that one, as well.

This last week it clicked why I never got the hang of knitting before.

It's the freaking needles.

I've tried knitting at various times in my life. Mom tried to show me when I was young, but I just couldn't get it. Crocheting? Took to it instantly.

I've tried time and time again to learn by myself and Marcus' mom even got me a "Teach Yourself to Knit" kit for Christmas a few years ago. I couldn't get it.

I took a class last year at A Knitting Habitat and suddenly I got it. I thought it was just because I had a good teacher. Well, that was probably part of it, but it wasn't just that. She taught me on circular needles.

I tried casting on a scarf I want to make on regular needles this week. It just wasn't working. I thought maybe it was because I was purling, too, and I'm not as practiced at that stitch. I switched to shorter needles. No luck. I tried making just a knit swatch and it sucked. Tried again on the circulars...success.

Hmmm.

Since I was accepted to Ravelry, I've been finding out about some new (to me) LYSs in the area and have been checking out about one new one a week. I'm seeing a definite trend that would hinder me coming back to some of these shops: too much merchandise in too little of a space and no price tags.

I know there is all sorts of reasons for this. Marking merchandise takes time that a shop owner would probably rather spend doing something else (like knitting samples or something). Honestly, though, if I come into your shop to browse and nothing is priced, I'm not buying. I don't have time to seek out the owner or an employee every time something I see strikes my fancy. I'm also on a pretty tight budget, so I need to know right away if the shop is too pricey for me.

As far as the tight, cramped conditions, I realize that retail space is expensive and that they're trying to offer as much as possible to their customers. I am, however, a big woman and if I'm browsing an "aisle" and I'm knocking down yarn behind me as I'm two inches from the stuff in front of me, it's too cramped. I'm also claustrophobic, so I probably won't take time to browse the store when that desire to escape overcomes me. Some of these shops also want people to come hang out and knit, but where?

Oh, and one final thing. Being ignored. I battled a snowstorm to go into one shop on my way home from work only to be ignored the whole half hour I was in there. Even if you're busy with another customer, take a moment to greet me and let me know you'll be available to help me as soon as you are able. If you can't do at least that, I guess you don't want my business after all.

All that being said, I've gone into some shops where I have nothing but good things to say. I'll share some of these good experiences later because I want to highlight some of these shops so that my few readers can check them out, too. I was warmly welcomed, merchandise is marked, well-defined areas for knitters to gather and work, etc. One shop owner even took the time to write out a quick scarf pattern for me to use with her yarn. See, that's the kind of stuff that will keep me coming back.

Sorry that I’ve been MIA lately. I’ve done got myself addicted to The Sims™ 2 again. Later this month, the expansion pack “FreeTime” is coming out. Man, I wish I could get that one — I’m all about the hobbies! I’m actually a couple of EPs behind still. I was hoping to pick up a couple cheap during CompUsa’s closing, but software was the first to go and it didn’t even go cheap. People are such suckers. Even at “Liquidation Prices,” I could still get those games cheaper on Amazon or eBay. Just wasn’t meant to be yet.

I got a “Save the Date” email from my high school’s reunion committee yesterday. Our 25th reunion has been scheduled for mid-July 2009. How in the heck did I get old enough to be coming up on a 25 year high school reunion? I was looking through some pictures from past reunions on the Gateway High School Class of ‘84 page that they have set up (I’ve yet to attend one) and it’s weird seeing people that kind of resemble people I kind of knew back then. I know I’ve written about it on here somewhere before, but I feel really detached from my past. I know I went through those experiences, but for some reason, I don’t have any “feelings” associated with them. It’s really hard to explain, but even now I feel oddly disconnected from my life.

Anyway, I decided I will probably go to this one if the funds are available. The people I would really like to see probably won’t be there (most of them haven’t been to any reunions either), but maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised. It’s pretty cliche, but I definitely need to get myself in better shape before I attend. I don’t want to be the one that every points at and says, “Gee, look at how fat she got!” If they even remember me, that is.

In other news, I’m still sick. Argh! Positive health vibes coming my way from anybody that reads this would be greatly appreciated. I’ve got crud in my upper chest that just won’t let loose. I’m so tired of coughing. It was really bad today because the pollution levels are pretty high. Other than that, I’m feeling pretty good.

I have a profile on Ravelry (you’ll only be able to see it if you’re a member). If you haven’t heard, it’s an online community for knitters and crocheters. I’ve been chatting with a woman that runs the Parker Stitch N’ Bitch group and I’m thinking I’ll head down one of these days and join in.

OK, that’s about it for now. Being sick, Sims and work is about all that’s going on right now. Oh, the days are getting longer and that makes me happy.

I'm really trying hard to be grateful for the good things that happen to me. I've spent so much of my life focusing on what I don't have or the bad things that happen that I don't take time to really enjoy the good.

I am happy that my sickness lessened to a point where I could go to work today and not use any of my vacation time.

Today I am grateful that the girl I sit next to went home sick so I could spend the day focusing and working in total peace. I'm also grateful that I work in the same place as Marcus so that he could come look over my Applescript I was editing and see where I had a syntax error.

I'm thankful I made it home safely in the snowstorm.

I am proud of myself for resisting the urge to buy craft supplies when I stopped into Hobby Lobby to take a break from the drive. I'm also proud of myself for putting back the cake mix and frosting before I checked out when I was grocery shopping.