My husband has to travel every once in a while for his job. Sometimes it’s just a day or two with a few hour drive to get there. Sometimes he goes half-way around the globe. I would love to go with him every time, but with kids and a budget, it just doesn’t happen. He started bringing me small gifts from his travels. I think because he’s generous and because it was a piece of his travels that I could enjoy in hand (so he wouldn’t have to hear me whine about not getting to go…). He figures out where to buy yarn and/or fabric while he’s doing his other scouting.
J went to Japan several years ago and brought me home some Washi tape just as it was the becoming the latest trend. I was proud to have the real deal directly from Japan! J knows the colors I like, he knows the kinds of animals I love, he knows that I love fabric too. He also knows what not to buy, it’s not like he can return it… He has since been back to Japan, and as my tastes change I make sure to tell him what items I’m interested in and even include manufacturers names. This is his latest find. Since his last trip we adopted two cats, therefore the gifts include cats. Smart man.
When in the Yarn Shop
Each time J goes into a yarn shop by himself, the ladies swoop down and pounce on him. At least that’s what he says. They cater to his every whim and I think they enjoy the fact that he’s buying his wife yarn. I am truly fortunate to have him and he’s not too shy to go into predominately female run businesses. He knows nothing of knitting other than it takes yarn and usually expensive yarn! If you are lucky to have someone in your life who is willing to do this, make sure they know exactly what you like before they step into any local yarn shops to buy yarn. Local yarn store/shop is abbreviated LYS on many sites, maybe you’ve seen it and wondered what on earth they were talking about.
Recent Yarn Gifts
This yarn was purchased at Ewe and Me Yarn Boutique in Colorado Springs. It is Madeline Tosh DK, in the Cousteau Colorway. I decided this yarn needed to be a pair of fingerless mitts and I fell in love with a pattern called Spira Mitts by Holly Terrell. I taught a class using this pattern to teach my students all about knitting cables and some tricks about making a join in the round smooth and not an eyesore.
This yarn is my latest gift. He bought it at Shuttles, Spindles and Skeins in Boulder CO after hunting for a well stocked yarn shop. The yarn shown is Cashmere Squeeze, a 75% Superwash Merino, 15% cashmere, and 10% silk blend in the ‘Elderberry’ Colorway by the Palouse Yarn Company out of Moscow, ID. It is so amazingly soft. I really don’t yet know what I’m going to do with it, I’m thinking some socks for cozy winter nights.
What do you look for while on travel?
Whenever scoping out travel destinations, I usually look up where to buy yarn and fabric right after finding accommodations. I try to work them into our visit in some way, usually by navigating past the store on our way somewhere. When we head back to the hotel, it’s easy to just say, “Mind if we stop there, we have a little time before dinner?” It doesn’t always work but it’s worth a shot. I find the most success I have is when we travel with J on a business trip. I can take the kids to the yarn and fabric shops as a way to kill time while waiting for him. Then maybe we’ll hit a playground…
priorities, priorities….
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