trip

we could use some rain but the sunflowers are hanging in there

So there I was writing a reply to your kind comments about my much traveled slow socks. I was saying it looked like I wasn't hitting the road again so soon, when I found myself on an overnight zip to Vermont for last minute book revisions.

No complaints. Love the designer. Love Montpelier. What a shame to be spitting distance from Norma-land and only 2 days short of the Vt Sheep & Wool with no extra time.

However. The drive is not without rewards.
First pitstop is Putney for a good sandwich and snacks. While I was waiting for my order I tried some patchouli & lime scented body lotion, and fell in love with it. Vermont is the kind of place where patchouli & lime smells just right, kind of like buying cowboy boots and hats while in Texas, or big turquoise jewelry in the southwest, or pink flamingo print sundresses in Florida. You get home and say "what was I thinking?" . In this case , my bad . I used the same scented tester on the way home, and three people told me how utterly great I smelled. (no, wait, as of now I am saved by online shopping if you meet me in the coming months, take a whiff).

Back on the road , the Green Mountain Spinnery, is around the corner in Putney. The only yarn I'm yearning for now is heavier weight superwash sock, which isn't their thing. For old times' sake, I had to stick my head in. I used to stock up on yarn whenever I passed by, back in the dark days. You know,the years before the internet but after all the good yarn stores had closed . There were two guys picking over fleeces outside in the sun, and inside, the usual friendly folks, and the mill whirring away. I peeked in ,I like spinning bobbins and gears, I squeezed and petted skeins , I considered this cardigan pattern. Not this visit. This time, 2 more hours to drive.

The work went splendidly. The next afternoon homeward bound, another favorite, the infamous Webs in Northampton, Massachusetts.

It doesn't have much , as they say in real estate, curb appeal. Inside, always wow.

With 15 minutes to run in, seek sock yarn, and pay, I vowed not to go anywhere near the back warehouse room. Its ginormous, full to the rafters with industrial shelving, piled with sale priced yarn . The list on the website is the tip of the iceberg. You can easily lose an hour a morning. My usual MO is go straight back, then when I'm done, venture into the also spacious front sales room . There's enough floor to kneel between the shelves and lay out skeins, and indulge in all the decision making rituals you require without blocking fellow shoppers.

This visit I decided quickly in the retail front , I paid, I asked to use the restroom...and clearly the knitting goddesses are in on this : the lav is in the warehouse. I only lost another twenty minutes, and promised myself a more sane visit soon, upon spying the tall shelf with Noro closeouts as I hustled by.

A sales woman complimented my speed and focus. Maybe she saw the crazed gleam in my eye. Maybe it was the wafting patchouli & lime .

My just-what-I-had-in-mind-purchase:
Artyarns Supermerino worsted weight, for some quicker knitting of socks. This seems to be working - without much knitting time at all I've almost completed a sock in 2 days. And soft! The only drama is whether I need more than 2 skeins to get the little doggies done.