What Makes a Good LYS?

I live in the land of plenty. We have plenty of lakes- we boast “land of 10,000 lakes” but we actually have 11,842 according to the MN DNR. We have plenty of changable weather. We have a multitude of sports teams – The Twins, Vikings, Wild, Swarm Gophers, little league…. We have plenty of places to eat (I have a waist line to prove that one). And within 1 to 1 ½ hours of my house I have over 30 yarn shops. That’s crazy. And yet – people will say they don’t have a good yarn shop near by.

When I worked at my friend’s yarn shop back in the late 70s-80s while going to college we had a lady come in who complained she had to drive so far and why wasn’t there a shop closer to her home. When I questioned her, it turned out she lived about 3 miles away. True, she was an older lady but, come on, 3 miles! I know people in Iowa who make it a day event to visit a yarn shop because there’s nothing around them for hours!

With all the shops we have to choose from there should be a shop to meet everyone’s needs but – what makes a good yarn shop? Before going to a new restaurant or movie I like to read the reviews but I frequently end up disagreeing with the reviewer. My girlfriend and I can’t even agree on what we think is good food sometimes. I like spicy food. She can’t tolerate it. So, back to the yarn shops, do you like your’s spicy or mild? As I travel around I’ve been in shops that leave me absolutely cold and then I read a review and hear the reviewer talking about how wonderful it is and it’s their favorite shop, Who’s right? There are a few standards all shops should have: good customer service, a good selection of yarn, hours that match your available shopping time, etc.


My goal this summer is to visit all the yarn shops in our area and revisit the ones I’ve been to before with open eyes. What yarns do they have? How to they greet new customers? What needles and other supplies do they have? What about classes and help? What does the shop physically look like and how easy is it to get to the shop? What are the hours? Do they have crochet, spinning, weaving, other fiber activities? I’m going to snoop around and take notes. I’m going to write about what I see. This doesn’t mean you’ll agree with me and it doesn’t mean, I’m right or wrong – it’s just my opinions about that one day’s visit. Who knows I may even let Andy Lumper come along!

Iowa - hot and muggy

Andy enjoyed his first trip in 3 years. While we were at the new Copy Center he got to see an electronic paper cutter. Andy stayed behind the safety guard because this cutter can slice through 500 sheets of paper very easy. He didn't want to see if it could slice through him!

I got done early enough Friday to drive over to the Amana Colonies on my way home. People often think the Amish when they find of the Amanas but they are two different groups of people. The settlers of this area back about 150 years ago were from Germany and wanted to keep a simpler life. To this day they still have many of the original buildings.

They stopped communal dining in the 1930s but still maintain a close community life style. There's several villages divided around the area to support the farming life. They also have a Woolen Mill. Andy met a new friend at the woolen mill and this friend came home to stay with one of my friends that collects penguins. The warping reel behind them prepares the warp for the looms.

During the trip home an important thing happened. Laurie and I always had to celebrate when one of our cars hit a fun mileage mark. I car turned 24442 this week. It would have been cause for a supper out. Silly things like that pop up when you aren't expecting it.

Bert and Chief were very glad to see me home. When I'm gone 1 night they're okay - 2 nights they tend to get a bit dramatic when I get home.

MOM! Where were you? I was just getting ready to throw myself out the window I missed you so much!

I did get some knitting done while I was gone. I finished last month's sock of the month - I'll get pics next time. I also started another one of Elizabeth Zimmerman's surprise baby jackets because it seems everyone at work is expecting all of a sudden. The mystery shawl is coming along. And I started work on this month's sock of the month. Pics for all next time. I have to head out to take care of some things for my Mom.

If you're interested - the college I was at setting up the new copy center had the STRANGEST toilet seats I've ever seen. But - that story will have to wait until next time.... how's that for a cliffhanger!

Andy goes to Iowa

After leaving the Minneapolis area at 6:30 am this morning Andy and I drove for over 4 1/2 hours to get to our companie's office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I haven't been to this part of Iowa before and the difference between the US 35 drive and the drive to this area is amazing. Most of the ride down had things to look at - rivers, valleys, trees, small towns. The US 35 - straight down the center of the state - drive is one giant flat land. Andy was lucky to have this as his first trip to Iowa!

After a day at the new site we're opening, I made it to the hotel to relax for a few minutes and check emails before hunting up supper. While I checked emails - Andy checked the view.

Well, I've seen better. But I like this view better than the bookcase I've been living on for the past year!

After a wonderful supper at Applebee's (I tend to hit the same restaurant's at every town), we headed back to the hotel to watch TV, take care of a few problems from the emails I read earlier, and get out the knitting to relax for a bit. Andy was tired out after all the driving. There's 2 queen beds in the room so Andy gets his own.

Now, this is the kind of bed I could get used to!

If I finish early Friday I may head over to the Amana colonies on my way out of the area. I haven't been there for over 10 years and Andy wants to see them!

Yarnis Spitupicus

We finally got rain today. The weather man said yesterday if we didn't get rain in the next week the farmers would lose 10-20% of there crops. In the meantime, 150 miles south of us they got 5 inches. Go figure!
Random odd picture - In the process of pealing off the multiple layers of wallpaper in the bathroom I found the paper from my childhood. How funny is this! We were very much in style in the 50s.

Bert woke me up in time to see Deb on TV this morning, unfortunately. Fun to see the knitters, not so fun as to why I was up at 5:45 am. Bert has to check out everything. I have always joked I should have named him Dyson - he sucks up everything on the floor. If Chief leaves some of his hair on the floor - Bert will find it and WHOOSH! it's gone in his stomach. Last night he found a small ball of sock yarn. I started the second sock (lower left in pic) and pulled a bit of yarn from the skein to be able to match the starting colors. Bert found that bit and - you got it - WHOOSH! This morning at about 4:30 we got the usual Bert WAIL. Mom - I'm alone in the hall and no body loves me. But it was followed by kitty urping noises. In the bathroom was a 4 foot long strand of kitty spit yarn but no Bert. He was in the kitchen huddled in a corner with a 5 foot soggy strand coming out of his mouth. ICKY POOH - My poor baby! We got the yarn out of his mouth. I think we got it all but just in case I gave him a little bit of vegetable oil (which he sucked right up - WHOOSH!) and I'll be on poop patrol for a few days. We get to check his tummy and his poop for a while to be sure it all came out and nothing gets tied up inside.

On a happier note - Bert made friends with Andy. Andy has been up away from Bert's usual haunts. Andy is excited because he's going to go to Iowa with me next week on business. I haven't been to Cedar Rapids yet so will have to check out if there's any yarn shops in the area. I'll be down there Wed and Thurs nights and I'll be looking for something to do besides sitting in the hotel room!

(Oh - the title today is Bert's way to honor of Harry Potter coming out this week)

The Tale of Andy Lumper

Here's the answer to - "Do the cats shed?" I swept this area 3 days ago.

Target had some rubber floor maps on sale so I bought them to use for blocking sweaters, etc. Yesterday I tried putting a few of them together to see what they looked like and ran into the kitchen to take out the muffins. When I got back the mats were a bit busy.....

The Tale of Andy Lumper

Andy came from the wide prairies of South Dakota. He grew up where the deer and the antelope play. He grew up calling the buffalo his friends.

Andy is a man's man. He's a cowboy of the highest calling - to travel the world and bring comfort where it is needed.

I first met Andy in the fall of 2004. Laurie and I decided to drive across the prairie of South Dakota and visit the Black Hills area. When we got there the plan was to scope out the area and figure out what our schedule would be for the next few days. I also heard about a quilt shop in the hills we wanted to go looking for. (This was during my 'gotta make every quilt in sight' phase) As we came around a corner we spotted the quilt shop/Christmas shop up a bit on the hill and just past it was a wine shop. As I drove I babbled about where we could go. Not a real big surprise- one of the things that made Laurie and I such good friends was I liked to talk - she liked to listen. As we rounded the next bend and a lumber yard came into view I was babbling - "and we can go to the quilt shop and we can go to the wine shop and we can always go to the lumber yard."

"Andy Lumper?"
"What?"
"Andy Lumper. You want to go see Andy Lumper?"
"NO! AND THE LUM-BER YARD."
"Oh, Andy Lumper works at the lumber yard. What else does he do?"

Did I mention Laurie and I also have bizarre sense of humor? This conversation went on for about an hour. We decided Andy's whole life. He was a cowboy that lived in the area and worked in the lumber yard to help out a friend. Lived by the buffalo trail. Eventually we left that conversation and started a new equally strange one.

The next day we stopped at a gift shop near the buffalo trail to get some water and I spotted him. Andy was sitting there just waiting for me to bring him along on our adventure.

He joined us along with a dozen Custer National Park pens to give to our employees as gifts and bottled water. That afternoon Laurie got a phone call and there had been a death in the family so we had to go home early. Little did we know this would be our last trip together before she died.

Over the next year Andy lived at my desk at work. He and I had several conversations about Laurie and he watched me shed more than a few tears. Andy came to live at the house when I moved work locations. But time heals the sorrow and the joy and fun return. Andy helped me remember the fun we had on that trip and other trips. He reminded me of the silly stories Laurie and I told him in South Dakota and let me tell him about our childhood together. Andy has met Laurie's boys (the godkid and his bro).

Andy talked things over with Chief and they agree. .....Time to travel again. Andy says he will go where Laurie would have. I've promised to show him the Twin Cities this summer and he wants me to share his journeys with you.

Game on - it's time to play tourist in my own home town!