Save Your Money

I was at Left Bank Books on Tuesday and noticed they are selling the Szechuan Scarf knit kit.


Knitters, try to hold up here. This kit contains 108 yards of acrylic yarn, a pair of bamboo needles, and a pamplet* with instructions on how to knit what seems to be a 4x2 ribbed scarf.


Retail price? Only $20.


Nothing against Left Bank Books--yippee for independent book stores and all that--but $20 for a ball of acrylic and a pair of needles? Jeezus!


I can think of a lot of things I'd do with $20, like go to Burns Night tonight, or buy The Big Oyster by the guy I was there to see. The book sounds fascinating, and the only reason I didn't buy is was that I didn't have $20. Technically, it costs $23.95, but I could probably scrounge in the change can to come up with the balance.

Or, if you're the altruistic sort, you could spend the $20 as a donation to help Bruno, an 80 lb. bulldog who wandered into Left Bank on Friday, scared, neglected, and malnourished.


I'm all for people learning to knit, but let's not take advantage of them. Leave them with a little money left in their pocket. That way they can afford to buy more yarn ... or books ... or haggis.



*originally this was a typo, but that's how they pronounce "pamphlet" in Baltimore, my home town Hon, so I left it.