Mainely Yarn

Wouldn't be vacation in Maine without dragging the family to every yarn store in a 150 mile radius of our house. I pray for rain so we can make these trips! And if it doesn't rain, I try to engineer a really bad sunburn for someone and the need to stay off the beach for a day. This year was further complicated by trying to work in four - count'em, four! golf opportunities. Yes, golf interferes with knitting, especially on vacation.

I had mixed feelings about Knitwits in Portland. The store had a great view of the Portland East End Cemetary and was roomy, sunnny and pleasantly arranged, with a very good selection of the usual: a full line of Cascade, and some local yarn like Peace Fleece (more about Peace Fleece later) and Nashua Handknits. On the day I went there was a great sale, with lots of yarn 30% off or more on prices that I thought were already reasonable by New York City standards. I thought wow- this could be the place! Groovy neighborhood, decent selection but...unfriendly. No one said hi when we walked in, and the staff was too busy putting labels on a mailing about the store to tell actual humans about the store.

Now you don't have to kiss me on the mouth but I like a little acknowledgement when you see me. It's hard to tell by looking at me that my pockets are bulging with money and my fingers burn with desire for some hot yarn action. I didn't buy a thing.

Next door was Ferdinand, a great little shop where I did buy something. And the proprietress did everything short of kissing me on the mouth by way of greeting. I bought this nice patch for Brendan who was working on his own crafts on this vacation, not all of them golf related.

Tomorrow - or later this week, depends, since I have to go back to work - detailed description of my trip to Halcyon Yarns in Bath, Maine.