Saturday, December 15, 2007

Feeling Better Now



It turns out what I needed was a little retail therapy. I went to Chattanooga, on my own, armed with maps printed out from Google, to three yarn shops and found two and a half. One had closed,and one was both a yarn shop and gallery and had quilts hanging on the walls!! Walking into Yarnworks, I immediately felt a wave of wonderfulness cascading over me.


I planned ahead and wore this sweater, lest anyone mistake me for a civilian.


In less than 3 seconds I recognized a quilt I know, and actually have a photo of it in my studio. Instant connection. What is with the quilts in a yarn shop? Well, this is not just a yarn shop, in fact it is a gallery of fiber arts. I kid you not. O...my...It turns out that it is a co-op and one of the semi-owners is the daughter of Jacqueline Nouveau (who I knew before she changed her name to Nouveau) This daughter was not present at the time, but I am destined to meet her.



I bought two skeins of this yarn, 90% wool 10% silk. Very Noro Kureyon-like, only a bit finer, not so slubby and coarse. And less expensive by like $2 a skein. Never seen it before.


There were several students knitting at the table and a teacher from Rockford IL doing a sock class. 4 needles. We had a lovely visit and I know I will return often. It's only an hour away...


Then I went to my next yarn shop on the list Genuine Purl. All I could want in a LYS.


Again a group of gals were knitting at a table when I walked in and my sweater was my introduction. I browsed. I fondled, I chatted, I purchased. I forgot my pledge not to buy yarn.


I found this red red red cotton wool, and it leaped into my hands. Potholders. Yes, I want hand knit doubly, potholders. After burning my thumb the other day, I decided I can't use my silicone ones as easily as I could a nice fabric one.




And they had the new Kaffe Fasset line of sock yarn. Not that I need any sock yarn. But the colors are so fabu, and so me.
My day also consisted of four gallery stops where I saw really super high end art, and got a shot of inspiration for painting again, and then I also perused several girly shoppes. The kind that makes Dave want to wait for me in the car. I revisited The Knitting Factory which is all antiques and Greenlife the new grocery store that has such lovely wholesome overpriced food.

Going by myself, and finding my way around is what I must do to feel at home in this place. And connecting with art and knitters and quilters who make original work...the perfect tonic.

10 comments:

  1. Hmmm Retail Therapy - minus hubby is some of the best medicine, they should bottle the stuff and make it over the counter! But then I bet it wouldn't work as good, have fun acquainting yourself with the local areas!

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  2. Seriously, you really didn't make a pledge not to buy any yarn when you were going into town to yarn shops? Love that new sock yarn. Can't wait to see what you do with it. I have seen the Plymouth before and I love Cascade. Now I'm feeling like a yarn crawl except we have a huge storm moving in.

    Sounds like my kind of shopping excursion. Chattanooga sounds very interesting to me. Neat place for a walk about.

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  3. Anonymous10:21 AM

    Ahhh, glad to see the grey clouds shifted, I am sure it can be credited to the RED yarn, always seems to do the trick for you! LOL

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  4. It sounds like a perfect day. I like shopping alone too.

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  5. Anonymous1:55 PM

    hi mel.

    i'm in florence, italy. thus no capitals, since i can't cope with the keyboard.

    i found a knitting store yesterday, that i had found in 2000 and not bought anything, then couldn't find later that day. but i did find her yesterday, even though she had moved, her old shop was now a clothing store and the guy didn't know what i was talking about. but i found her, and bought 18 skeins of wool, and a woven scarf, in case i don't make it back here before she moves again.

    i also bought 20 skeins of mohair-rayon in rome for a euro a skein.

    and another 12 skeins in another shop.

    brian cut me off from yarn purchases after that.

    today, we saw great art, then an elvis impersonator and then i bought a purse.

    shopping therapy really works.

    brian said he noticed that i'll be complaining about my aching feet, then see a store i want to go into and i'm suddenly cured.

    love,
    robbi

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  6. Anonymous11:09 PM

    Yarn, artistic inspiration and no DH....just what the doctor ordered! It's a tonic that works every time. Love Chattanooga, too!

    :)

    Colleen

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  7. Anonymous12:57 AM

    Greaaaaat....just what I needed to see....new yarn from KF. Wonderful. You are a VERY bad influence on me.

    Glad you are finding your way around and feeling more "at home." And, speaking of home- it is snowing like a son-of-a-gun right now. See what you are missing?? There is even snow on the ground in Chester (Nova Scotia)!! I just hope I can get there!! Yikes. At least I don't have to go thru Newark to get there like my dad and step-mom. They fly Monday from PBI. Wanna take bets on whether they actually make it to Halifax on Monday?? HA!

    Enjoy that 78 degree weather!

    Big hugs to you and Dave.

    teri

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  8. Must make that trip again in two weeks or so...

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  9. Retail therapy cures most ills, I've found... it sounds like you found some of "your" people... so cool! Glad you are feeling better!

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  10. Hmmm - and since I'm in Rockford, who was the teacher? Katie?

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