A funny little yarn story...

[eurolyons]

...well funny to me anyway and I want to share...

 

I just recently was home in the states on a visit and knew I was going to hit a Michael's or Joann store in my travels. That happened when I flew into Sacramento to go see my mom. While I was able to bring my crocheting along, there was some yarn I wanted to get while there for a quick project for my mom's cats.

 

Now, over here, there are small yarn stores all over the place, and even the department stores have a decent yarn section...however, much of the yarn, although great stuff, is German made, and I wanted Lion Brand Homespun, which I usually order.

 

Anyway, I knew where there was a Michael's within spitting distance of the airport (sort of) and that's where we headed, after first grabbing a much craved for burger at In N Out burgers, which is in the same shopping center.

 

I walked into Michael's and I was like a cat walking into a very strange place...I walked very slowly to take the whole place in...I forget there are stores like this that are devoted to crafts and nothing but crafts and that they can be SO BIG.

 

Honestly, I felt like Robin Williams in Moscow on the Hudson when he goes to the grocery store for coffee and gets overwhelmed by all the choices.

 

I mean Germany is not a third world country by any stretch of the imagination, but so many times I go shopping at the military shopping center and inevitably they are out of whatever it is I need or want; the German economy is better, but still when I want something like chenille yarn, it can be hard (not impossible, just hard) to find...

 

I had to walk the entire lenght of Michael's to find the yarn, because of course, the yarn section was in the very far corner...and oh joy, what a selection...I really had to remind myself that I couldn't buy everything, as I didn't have room in my bags and didn't want to have to check any bags on the plane going back to Seattle.

 

As it was, I left a skein of white #10 cotton thread and a #7 steel hook with my mom for future visits...

 

I wanna go home...although, I can only imagine how insane and broke I'd be if I could go home and get to Joann's or Michael's on a regular basis... :manyheart

[Mel]

I know how you feel- we don't really have much of a craft 'culture' in the UK so sometimes I get green with envy at some of the ranges of yarn available in the US (not to mention how much better the prices are in the US). Locally I have a small yarn store that is pretty limited in the type of yarn it offers- although they do have a lot of bargain, unbanded yarn- but still I would love to find somewhere with the range of reasonably priced yarns as in the US. ( couldn't find a green with envy smiley )

[eurolyons]

I think the one thing I really miss over here are good fabric stores that sell more than just cotton for quilting...There is a nice fabric store in Heidelberg that I managed to buy the fabric for my wedding gown 4 and a half years ago, but it's kind of off the beaten path and I always forget about it...

 

But yarn...yarn is around...I love getting on the trolly and seeing someone working on a knitted sock...I freaked some people out when I was crocheting socks...they'd never seen or heard of such a thing.

 

Still, I'm in love with the Lion Brand yarns and I'm in the Free Shipping club from Joann.com because I was placing several orders for yarn over the past six months or so...my DH was getting worried...but I was completing projects left and right, so he tried not to complain too much...he did roll his eyes when I bought the cheetah printed handled Ginghar shears though...but he knows I'm worth it...

 

:

[momofgmd]

I live in the States, but I live in a very rural area. Our closest Wal-Mart is 90 miles away, and a brand new Michael's just opened up 120 miles away. The yarn selection in town is very limited. I can only find the most common brands of yarn here. Just recently we were down state and I "had" to go into a Ben Franklin that I saw looming across the road from the park we were letting our kids play in. I was amazed by the yarn selection in that store. It was the first time I have ever seen so many specialty yarns in one place. They had these really cool skeins of yarn that I've seen (similarly) on ebay, but now I got to touch them and really see them. I was excited and bummed at the same time. I loved the yarn, but my budget wouldn't let me buy any of that (quite expensive) special yarn.

[kellyv]

Boy I forget how spoiled I am by having a Michaels, Joannes, and an AC Moore right near me. I also have walmart and 3 really good yarn stores right near by. I have micheals right up the road less than 1/2 mile away, Joannes and AC Moore are 10 min away tops. And the yarn stores are no more than 10 minutes away too. So the next time I complain about not finding yarn I will think twice and count my blessings!!

[MarvieN]

I felt the same way when I went home this past spring =) I was so awed by all the different yarns, I spent forever petting them and saying "Oh so *that's* what such and such is" because most yarns I had never seen in person (since I started crocheting seriously after moving here)

 

I can get Homespun and LB yarns at our base craft shop, the cost is ridiculously high, and the selection is tiny (you better not need more than 6 skeins of a color, and they never have basic colors of anything) but it's there in a pinch.

 

I recently discovered the department store craft section when I was downtown.... it never occured to me that department stores would have craft stuff lol but I was tickled to discover purse handles, lots of yarn and thread, beads, fabric, and lots more

 

I agree with ya, I so can't wait to go home, but by then I'll be too broke to enjoy the availability lol. As it is we're about to take a pretty big hit to our COLA here in Stuttgart, it's gonna hurt. I better stock up before the holidays are over because I doubt there will be much yarn buying after Jan. when it happens =( I already think I'm gonna have to get a job when I get home so I can afford to feed my addictions.And addictions they are rofl.

[eurolyons]

I felt the same way when I went home this past spring =) I was so awed by all the different yarns, I spent forever petting them and saying "Oh so *that's* what such and such is" because most yarns I had never seen in person (since I started crocheting seriously after moving here)

 

I can get Homespun and LB yarns at our base craft shop, the cost is ridiculously high, and the selection is tiny (you better not need more than 6 skeins of a color, and they never have basic colors of anything) but it's there in a pinch.

 

I recently discovered the department store craft section when I was downtown.... it never occured to me that department stores would have craft stuff lol but I was tickled to discover purse handles, lots of yarn and thread, beads, fabric, and lots more

 

I agree with ya, I so can't wait to go home, but by then I'll be too broke to enjoy the availability lol. As it is we're about to take a pretty big hit to our COLA here in Stuttgart, it's gonna hurt. I better stock up before the holidays are over because I doubt there will be much yarn buying after Jan. when it happens =( I already think I'm gonna have to get a job when I get home so I can afford to feed my addictions.And addictions they are rofl.

 

Yeah, I was blown away the mark up on Lion Brand at the Arts and Craft store at Patten Barracks in Heidelberg...but fortunately I didn't need that much yarn and I was thanking my blessings about Joann.com for like the 1,000th time...

 

And yeah too about the department stores having like nearly every kind of notion need too...I was so happy to see a lot of that stuff because even in the states some of it is not easy to find.

 

I understand too about the whole COLA thing...the whole Euro thing the past few years has hurt us...good idea to stock up now...

 

Oh and did I mention I live next door to a small yarn shop? Problem is, I've been on strike from that place for personal reasons for the past 3 years...but I know other places to get yarn...thank God.