My Local Yarn Store

Some Happy Stash Enhancement moments with Anita at the last Guild Meeting

Buying over the internet from the ease and comfort of one's computer supposedly cannot beaten -but not in all cases. Knitting is such a tactile art that it is not uncommon to see shoppers in wool stores stroking yarn, holding balls to their cheeks and (something I am often guilty of) sniffing skeins.
A computer monitor cannot convey the true richness of the colour of a ball of Kureyon or the soft texture of a skein of Naturally Mohair, or the rich, earthy, lanolin smell of a Merino/Possum mix. Nor can it easily provide the invaluable answers to the age old questions such as - "what's going wrong with my knitting here?" or "what can I knit with this?".

I thought I was above such plaintive appeals as I am a self reliant, self taught knitter; a member of many knitting groups and forums with access to the vast wealth of experience and wisdom therein; a practiced Googler and ebayer with a pay pal account and a long list of online yarn shops. Despite this, Anita, from my LYS, The Wool Inn, showed the true worth of the non-cyber interactions by solving my latest yarn dilemma in about 5 seconds.

She suggested I knit this from this. She even had an example of the completed garment available for a close and physical inspection. I could see clearly how this beautiful lightweight mohair yarn easily knitted into a sideways garter stitch boat neck top -with an additional crab stitch edging. So it seems that an essential ingredient of a successful LYS proprietor is ESP and patience, endless patience. Thank you, Anita!