Report from the North American West Coast (1)

I have been gone for a while. But not any more. How do one explain a yarn, work and vacation adventure without boring the audience? Well going there is easy. Just a little hop Stockholm, Copenhagen, Seattle and some hours wait before reaching San Jose in CA. Silicon Valley - Here Im! It starts with curing the jetlag and itch to see american yarnshops. With a knitmap and a GPS, you cannot go wrong. The first shop had not open yet. The second and third had closed their business (Knitting Arts and. The third- after a yummy Starbucks, was Yarndogs. A medium sized but yammed packed with great expensive luxury yarn. I also got my pink Denise needles. Actually - I spent some hours in that shop. Great area in them hills. Anyhow, I happy with the first big catch, I rushed on to the next shop - thinking (haha) I would not buy anything more...It was the newly opened Green Planet yarn. A big airy store, also with a lot of interesting yarn - and a great owner too. I really like this place, maybe the lace-shawl curtain won me over (great idea!)... so I got some more (yarn). She also spared me a visit of a third closed down store...And boy did they have people signing up for their courses. Then over to The Knit Room. A shop that has been around. Jammed packed with patterns - and knowledge. In the beginning I was a bit hesitant, maybe because this was the first real sale I saw and I assume people have been cleaning the shelfs a bit. But I got some great cotton yarn (of course without thinking how heavy that is...the hot weather... does have an impact). Ok you see two blue, nuances there on the desk.. Really nice folks though. Im sure they could solve any pattern problem. Ok. Long day... Finally, I went down town and visited Commuknity (on the right - interior). Orderly airy and filled with great books and some good yarn and stuff, I thought this would be a great hangout place. But somehow it felt a bit too hip for me. Maybe I was growing tired..My final store visitin San Jose is Purlscence yarn. It was again filled with interesting yarn, people and knitting going on. So, after this, please do not ask me to RATE this yarnshops. I realize it is all about what you are looking for, what kind of person you are, what yarn and colours you like, and if you tick with the people in it. I love them all. Otherwise I must say having breakfast on IHOP (International House of Pancakes) is not healthy. I got maple syrup like a very thick sweater on me now - except it is under the skin. But I started the day with 49 minutes on me and hubby's new toy. Wii fit. Shwosh..... Im back!