Off the diet

Yarn, that is. I've been pretty good lately and haven't spent a lot of money on yarn. Most of the time when I get something it's with a store credit for having made a shop sample. So I don't count those. Kind of like iceberg lettuce.

Today it was like having a banana split with real whipped cream. Mendy and I went to Velona's in Anaheim Hills. I've been there lots of times and each time I'm amazed at the sheer quantity of yarn they have amassed in one building. And on top of that, there's the tremendous variety. The needlepoint and crochet sections alone are staggering. And the prices are usually the lowest around. Their range is from Lion Brand and Patons up through Anny Blatt and Colinette. No Koigu, though.

I've been looking for same cotton blend ribbon yarn to make the Wave and Shell Shawl that a lot of people are making these days. I'm sure if I looked carefully I'd find something in my stash that would be okay. But I didn't want "okay".

So I came home with 16 skeins of Katia "Spray". There was another yarn that I also wanted but the tab was just too high because I also got 10 skeins of Takhi "Chat". And some sock yarn and a couple of pattern books. For the first time ever, I spent more than Mendy. Not by much, but still, it's a first for me. She did get a lot more variety than I did. Scarves and hats will be happening. I just have to show her how to get started with dpns and she'll be making socks soon. Actually, one of the scarves she's making is worked in the round on dpns. Too skinny for circulars.

I finished one Christmas gift and am started on another. And, thanks to Bess I'm off in another direction on the undecided scarf that I'm making with that leftover El Paso yarn from Interlacements. I can't find the colorway on their site but they have some nice stuff anyway.