Why I Like My LYS

riverrock
Originally uploaded by sunasak.

I was just thinking about friends I met at my Local Yarn Store, and how much I miss just sitting with them and knitting, either in companionable silence or while talking about our lives, our issues, our problems and such. I have received so much solace, empathy and peace from this.

I am very grateful to the LYS owner for setting up a place where a community could form and knitters (crocheters too) can spend time just doing their craft with likeminded others. I know some stores I have been to seemed more shopping oriented, or the community was more tight-knit and not open to new folks. Each does what works for them, but I enjoy mine.

And I enjoy it even when there is a lot of noise, distraction, animals and children there. You get pot-luck at the LYS and if you don't like it, come back later; it will be different.

Lately when I am there, fewer knitters have been present, and the ones I have "bonded" with most don't seem to be there as much. One moved away, another seems more involved with her guy now...you know, the usual. Plus some of the people who are close friends prefer to get together in the back, away from the random group of knitters in the front. That's natural, that close-knit groups would form! It makes me happy to see the friendships growing from random shoppers.

I certainly don't get there as often as I did when I worked from home, or even as often as I did when I had my more flexible previous contract job. I miss the silent, calm knitting with friends. I miss getting to teach a variety of classes, too--teaching people to knit or teaching new skills are both real joys in my life. Teaching is so much fun!

So, what's the picture? It's the River Rock slippers I designed for a class at the LYS in 2005, so I thought it was appropriate. I supposedly sell patterns for them, but eek, I think my PayPal is attached to a defunct email address. I plan to look into that, honest. The slippers are based on a baby bootie pattern that I modified to have a circular cast-on rather than a bumpy seam at the bottom, and I added a fun top with optional novelty yarn. Of course, the best pair I have made so far are the store samples, pictured. And I can't wear those because they are at the shop!