Monday, June 09, 2008

The Dilemma of Souvenir Yarn

Love working in a LYS. Love it.

But I ran into an ethical quandary when it came time for some souvenir yarn.

The background: I had to be a rock star in Des Moines this weekend. I had to leave StL at 9 am Saturday, drive all day, be a rock star that night, and then return to StL the next day, finally arriving home at 9 p.m. Basically, 15 hours in the car for 3 hours on stage. Being a rock star can suck. I totally get why some rock stars can become whiny divas. If there were a way for me to demand a driver and a posh hotel and a personal chef and someone to take care of all the details, trust me, I just might insist.

Instead, souvenir yarn would have to suffice.

My first yarn stop was At Home, in Fairfield, IA. Being the home of the Maharishi University, Fairfield is an odd mix of the homey Midwesterner and the sophisticated urbanite. And not always odd in a good way, although the restaurant scene is mind boggling. At Home sold fancy china, Scandinavian children's toys, and the epitome of high-end self-indulgence: Vosges chocolate bars. There's also a wee yarn store in the back.

I opted for this Regia--it's a line we carry at the LYS, so I feel I can wear it, but it's not a color we carry.

At an antique mall next door, I also picked up these little ironstone dishes. One's a soap dish and the other two are from a child's tea set.


At the next stop, in West Des Moines, it took me forever to decide. I'm eternally grateful to NRStooge for her patience at closing time while I dithered. Should I pick something I can wear to work? Then what the hell is the point of souvenir yarn? I almost got more sock yarn, a Sockotta in a colorway we don't carry, but a part of me felt like it would be the yarn equivalent of driving across the country and eating at Applebee's. What would be the point?

Finally, I picked Confusion, from Plymouth Yarn's Kaos line.

It's cast on already. I may be able to wear it the next time I'm feeling like a whiny diva.

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