Gifts

It is 1:37 in the morning and I can't sleep yet again. It is also the day after my 40th birthday. As I rest in the warm glow of our alarm clock and listen to the soft hum of my husband's thick breath I started thinking about all the wonderful things knitting as given me.

Knitting has given me...

A place to put my worries

A place to escape

Patience

Perseverance

A place to be quiet

A way to be kind to others

New friends

A way to give to others

Creativity when I thought I didn't have any

A great job

The color wheel

Books

Nature

Something to write about

A room of my own

Warmth

Humor

A community

A place to put my hands

A sense of accomplishment

Something to talk about

Education

Christmas gifts

A way to help others

Something to be proud of

What has knitting given you? I'd love to know.

Twist

It's been too long...

Today a group of us dirty knitters, Sallie, Jill, Becky, Lynette, and myself, met at the local Starbucks and piled into Jill's Merlot colored "mommy Suburban" and headed to Manhattan Beach to a wonderful yarn shop called Twist, and I loved it. The owner, Kathy, is a lovely lady with golden hair and very zen. She has managed to do a lot with a very small space and boy was I impressed. She had tons of Malabrigo, Handmaiden, and the best part yarns with a conscience like frog tree...She offers classes and has great samples all around for those of us who ask "OMG this is awesome, but what do I do with it?" After shopping we walked over to a little restaurant for lunch called El Gringo. Delish. I recommend the flautas, but be sure to split the meal because it's huge! The sangria is good and the margs are stiff. Make a day of it girls--knit, drink, eat! What a great way to spend the day.

So, I have deemed this the official start of my yarn vacation since I had to make a few purchases after I swore yet again that I wasn't going to buy anymore yarn until our vacation (and the anniversary sale at the LYS I work for didn't count). My husband and I are flying up to Seattle (I've never been there) in two days for my 40th birthday and riding our Harley all the way back to Sunset Beach, CA. Along the way I get to hit all the marvelous yarn shops I've heard so much about & do a little wine tasting on a side trip to Napa.

I'm looking forward to the trip and I will be checking in along the way if I can get my phone Internet to cooperate with me. Other wise, I'll post all my favs when I return. In the mean time get your butts over to Twist. It's worth the drive.