Note to self: Yarn diet to commence immediately!!
Although I had anticipated on dropping some moola on yarn this past weekend on the yarn crawl, I didn't expect to go overboard! The photo above is my yarn crawl loot and does not include the 11 balls of Berroco Pure Merino that I had to order from Button & Needlework Boutique. They only had 1 ball left of the grey and I really couldn't see myself wearing any of the other colors that they had in stock (I thought they would all make me look like I had jaundice or something!), so they were super kind enough to special order me some more and will still give me the 40% off when the yarn arrives! What great customer service!! I'm always amazed at how they are willing to go above and beyond normal customer service to make you happy. Out of all the yarn shops that I have ever been to, Button & Needlework Boutique is the only shop that has consistently strived to make their customers satisfied. I just wish that their store was bigger and offered more of a selection, that way I can shop there more frequently!!
Anyhoo, I'm digressing. The yarn crawl was loads of fun even though the attendance number of Bitchy Bees members were on the very low side. The lovely Becky (who is sadly blogless) picked me up in her VERY spacious van with the equally lovely Judy in tow. When Becky assured me that her van will be big enough to hold several knitters and copious amounts of yarn, she wasn't kidding!! I'm completely in love with her van! I was actually able to stretch my legs out in front of me without touching the other seats (which isn't saying much since I'm also on the vertically challenged side). I could live in her van!
Ok, I'm digressing again. Button & Needlework was the first shop on the list. We were a bit too eager as we arrived 5 minutes before they even opened. A coffee run was contemplated but then quickly dismissed (holding anything that wasn't yarn could hinder our shopping experience!). Lucky for us our coffee needs were met when Buttons finally opened their doors and warmly welcomed us with a pot of freshly made coffee and scones for all early birds! Again, what great customer service! I picked up a few Zauberballs, which were on my list of things to score, and was beyond happy and excited to find that they had the rainbow colorway that I was after. I also picked up a few skeins of Malabrigo Sock (which were not on the list) and had actually showed some sign of willpower and restraint when the gorgeous skeins of Ella Rae Lace were begging me to take them home. I'm sure if it weren't for those 11 balls of the aforementioned Berroco Pure Merino, some of those Ella Rae skeins would have followed me home!
The next shop on the docket was the Beehive, which I have to openly admit that I was a bit disappointed with. This shop, which is normally over flowing with yarn, was practically bare! I wouldn't even say they were picked over, the shop honestly looked like it was going out of business. They had absolutely nothing to offer! I picked up a few skeins of Patons Classic Wool that I'll be needing for a felting project, and some sock yarn from a company that I have never tried before. I was hoping to get my hands on some Tanis Fibre Arts and some Dream in Colour, but apparently some woman had arrived the day before and wiped out the entire TFA selection! I must hunt this woman down and give her a lecture on the art of sharing!! As for the Dream in Colour, well, let's just say it wasn't my time. As much of a disappointment that Beehive was, I'm sure my wallet is thanking me!
Ok, I'm digressing again. Button & Needlework was the first shop on the list. We were a bit too eager as we arrived 5 minutes before they even opened. A coffee run was contemplated but then quickly dismissed (holding anything that wasn't yarn could hinder our shopping experience!). Lucky for us our coffee needs were met when Buttons finally opened their doors and warmly welcomed us with a pot of freshly made coffee and scones for all early birds! Again, what great customer service! I picked up a few Zauberballs, which were on my list of things to score, and was beyond happy and excited to find that they had the rainbow colorway that I was after. I also picked up a few skeins of Malabrigo Sock (which were not on the list) and had actually showed some sign of willpower and restraint when the gorgeous skeins of Ella Rae Lace were begging me to take them home. I'm sure if it weren't for those 11 balls of the aforementioned Berroco Pure Merino, some of those Ella Rae skeins would have followed me home!
The next shop on the docket was the Beehive, which I have to openly admit that I was a bit disappointed with. This shop, which is normally over flowing with yarn, was practically bare! I wouldn't even say they were picked over, the shop honestly looked like it was going out of business. They had absolutely nothing to offer! I picked up a few skeins of Patons Classic Wool that I'll be needing for a felting project, and some sock yarn from a company that I have never tried before. I was hoping to get my hands on some Tanis Fibre Arts and some Dream in Colour, but apparently some woman had arrived the day before and wiped out the entire TFA selection! I must hunt this woman down and give her a lecture on the art of sharing!! As for the Dream in Colour, well, let's just say it wasn't my time. As much of a disappointment that Beehive was, I'm sure my wallet is thanking me!
Knotty By Nature was the next stop, and one of the owners, Ryan, was offering hourly specials. When we arrived he had an Indigo Moon and sock yarn special of buy 2, get 1 skein free. Unfortunately not a single Bee bought anything as the color selection was very limited and not what anyone wanted. Michelle was hoping buy half a dozen skeins of Gaia's Colours, but alas, that sock yarn was not part of the sale. Oh well, maybe next time!
The last yarn shop on the crawl was Boutique De Laine, who we were unsure were part of the crawl. They welcomed us with open arms and needless to say we had all walked away with armloads (or, in Becky's case, bagfuls!!) of yarn. I scored some yummy Debbie Bliss Donegal Chunky Tweed in a gorgeous green (yes, I'm still on a tweed kick) that was on sale for 40% off due to the fact that it's being discontinued! I bought 9 skeins in hopes of knitting up Sedum, but am now contemplating going back to pick up more for a complete sweater in case I change my mind. Hmm...
To wrap up the crawl we ended up at the Penny Farthing Pub in Oak Bay, which I must say is absolutely wonderful!! Not only was the food soooo yummy (I ate everything on my plate, which is definitely rare for me...I highly reccomend the beef dip and yam fries!) but the seating area in the back was pure heaven! We opted to not sit in the pub area (there was lack of proper lighting for our knitting...and we weren't in the mood to watch the footie on the telly) so we sat in the back, which had super comfy, oversized lounging chairs with giant cushions and get this, an open roof! The sun was beating down with a nice enough cool breeze to take the edge off. It seriously felt like a knitting resort! It was a pity that we had to leave!
In my mind, the day was pure fun with a bunch of lovely ladies of like mind. Makes me excited for the next yarn crawl and/or the next Bitchy Bees outing!
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