Yarn Nirvana

Today I temporarily abandoned hubby, children, pets, and term papers, and I went on that yarn shopping trip I was promised for my birthday back in March. In my absence, it looks like royalty visited:

but I don't mind missing the royalty because I was yarn shopping. I drove to San Rafael, about 2 hours away (and a lovely drive it was, too, because there was NPR on the radio and no squabbling in the back seat). I went first to Marin Fiber Arts, a new store I'd never been to before. They carry mostly high-end yarns, but not the frou-frou types. The two people working there (the owner and an employee, I think) were very friendly, and they led me into temptation in the form of Goddess Yarns alpaca. This experience was quite a difference over the one I had earlier in the week at that store in Oakland. Consequently, I spent exactly $0 in Oakland the other day, and a lot more than that today at Marin Fiber Arts.

I next visited Dharma Trading, an old favorite of mine several blocks down 4th Street. They'd rearranged the store since I was in last, which was slightly disorienting, but I still came away with some goodies.

Lastly I swung through Berkeley on my way home and stopped at Stash Yarn on Solano. Note to self: avoid Solano on Saturday afternoons. What a zoo. It took several trips around the area to find a place to park, and even that was just a 30 minute spot. Which was probably just as well, since I did less damage to my credit card that way. Anyway, here's today's haul:

I like that Ruthie is guarding it for me. Such a helpful dog. I actually have specific plans for all this yarn, as soon as I turn my grades in....