FOs and potential FOs

Rumour had it around the Canberra knitting scene, that Cassidy's at the Jamison Shopping Centre has a pretty good yarn, pattern and needle selection.

Saturday is the day I take my housebound Mum out. We do a bit of grocery shopping, sometimes take in an op. shop, sometimes we attend a special event. Today she insisted I needed new needles for the forthcoming Sock Hop (I think we've discussed the genetic nature of knitting obsession/stash accumulation before). Normally we would go over to Stitch 'n' Time at Southlands Shopping Centre. It's closer, and despite the yukky atmosphere and usually unwelcoming owner, the basics are available and they do have bamboo dpns which is what I was after today. However, we thought an investigative expedition to Cassidy's was in order.

Cassidy's is an old fashioned small department store. The sort that were in the country towns of my childhood. Some shoes, some clothes, some manchester and instead of drapery, they have YARN. They have LOTS OF YARN. They have LOTS OF YARN AND 5 TABLES OF DRASTICALLY REDUCED YARN. They have LOTS OF YARN AND 5 TABLES OF DRASTICALLY REDUCED YARN AND A 15% OFF SALE TODAY ONLY.

What they don't have are bamboo dpns!

And now they don't have 20 x 25g balls of white and cream Patons "Dream Time"/Cleckheaton "Merino Bambino" 4ply; 2 x 25g balls of Cleckheaton "Merino Bambino" in mauve; 2 x 25g balls of Cleckheaton "Merino Bambino" in pale blue; 1 x 25g ball of Heirloom 4ply in mid blue;2 x 50g balls of Sirdar "Snuggly" 4ply in navy blue and 2 x 50g balls of Sunbeam "St Ives" sock wool in gum leaf green. *sigh* Tell me you wouldn't do the same at $2 ball and all your Christmas gift money in your purse.

Mum put a shopping bag on front of her walker and just kept shovelling 4ply into it. How could I disappoint my mother after she'd worked so hard?

For all you Canberrans. Cassidy's is great. Extremely good yarn selection. More than Stitch 'n' Time. Staff not particularly knowledgable as far as I could tell, but they were cheerful, obliging and welcoming. Many more patterns than Stitch 'n' Time, too. Needles and accessories better than BigW, about as good as Stitch 'n' Time (but no bamboo dpns). Well worth the trip to Jamison - which has to be the MOST depressing of all our regional shopping centres, although the proximity of a Salvos Family Store and the YMCA op. shop is a definite bonus! Plenty of free parking and you sure don't have to fight the crowds.

I've been a very productive girl this afternoon, though. Guess I have to be.

Finished the beanie I intended for David: Mark's Butch Cap. It's too small. I tried it on my boofhead and it only just stretches enough and isn't very long. As it only used about 50g of the 225g ball, I'll make another one or two. Next time I'll add 12 stitches to the width and another 1.5 to 2 inches to the length. Love the yarn though. The greasiness has left my hands very soft. :)

Also finally made two PVC niddy-noddies. They are as ugly as a hatful, so they'd better work! All up they cost $28 for the two. One for me, one for Jejune.

This was not the weekend to leave the camera at work!