I discovered a really lovely shop in my mother-in-law's village. It sells all very old stock from the fifties and sixties. They had masses of yarn. I bought a few skeins for next to nothing and the very kind lady gave me all this when I explained about KAS.
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I figure that only some of it is that old, judging from the labels. It all came from a very quaint store in the village. The owner ran a general store. For general, imagine the kind of village store that sold everything: seeds, paint, toys, haberdashery, saucepans etc. I've been married for 44 years and I think she was at least in her mid-forties when I first went to the store. She also owned a small grocer's that had belonged to her parents. Eventually she gave up ordering new stock and when you asked for something she'd root around for a few minutes then tell you she didn't have any. She eventually closed the store in the mid- nineties. She literally just closed the door and continued living there. She was found dead in the store ond day, and it was estimated that she'd probably been dead for about a month. The store remained closed for many years as she had no family. It was sold at auction a year or so ago and was bought by an English couple. They did up the grocery store and turned it into a general"junk" store. You can find everything there. Apparently younger people are crazy about all the sixties and seventies stuff. It is a bit like walking back in time. I'll have to go back sometime as there is a whole load more yarn just waiting for me!! She has several big cartons in her stock room. Funnily enough, one of the oldest yarns is the bright orange. It was one big armful of spaghetti and when I started to wind it into balls, I found that it was very fractioned and so I have lots of tiny balls with some other really big ones. It's very thick and I think I'll make a cuddle with it.
Yes, Sharon. The blue has sparkly thread running through it. The sampleer comes from my pre-KAS period when I was a fanatical cross--stitcher. I have several drawers of unfinished cros stitch projects!!
Oh, my ... what wonderful stories come with the yarn ... I love them all. And good for you to work through a tangle and put it all to good use. Tell hubby that he is designated to give you big hugs from all of us.
Do I see sparkles in some of that blue? Won't that make fun squares? Can't wait to see your beautiful work.
Oh Valerie - there is always a back story....... good on you for persevering. There would have been laughter here yesterday when I tried to dye acrylic white with beetroot and onion skin. I knew wool would work but I was
curious - mess everywhere and a soggy skein of exhausted acrylic drying out. :)
I've been using some of it to make amigurumi teddies. Thank you Ute for the link to the pattern!
I actually had a bad experience with just over half this yarn. I washed it as it was dusty and musty. I put it nicely into pillow cases tied around the top to dry in the spin dryer. Of course, 2 of the pillowcases came untied. Some of the skeins, the mohair ones, just felted a little bit together and were easily wound into balls. But all the lovely blue yarn at the back, the orange merino wool and several other skeins came out one lovely spaghetti mess. Entangled is too tame a word for it. Hubby suggested that I just bin it all. NO WAY! I've unravelled a little each day and wound it all into balls. I got the last ball done last night and not an inch wasted! It was too good to waste and I couldn't throw away the kind gesture of the lady who gave it to me.
Comments
Valerie, what a fascinating story about the store !
What interesting history on this place. I'm glad someone took the initiative to open it back up and make it a special place to visit again.
I figure that only some of it is that old, judging from the labels. It all came from a very quaint store in the village. The owner ran a general store. For general, imagine the kind of village store that sold everything: seeds, paint, toys, haberdashery, saucepans etc. I've been married for 44 years and I think she was at least in her mid-forties when I first went to the store. She also owned a small grocer's that had belonged to her parents. Eventually she gave up ordering new stock and when you asked for something she'd root around for a few minutes then tell you she didn't have any. She eventually closed the store in the mid- nineties. She literally just closed the door and continued living there. She was found dead in the store ond day, and it was estimated that she'd probably been dead for about a month. The store remained closed for many years as she had no family. It was sold at auction a year or so ago and was bought by an English couple. They did up the grocery store and turned it into a general"junk" store. You can find everything there. Apparently younger people are crazy about all the sixties and seventies stuff. It is a bit like walking back in time. I'll have to go back sometime as there is a whole load more yarn just waiting for me!! She has several big cartons in her stock room. Funnily enough, one of the oldest yarns is the bright orange. It was one big armful of spaghetti and when I started to wind it into balls, I found that it was very fractioned and so I have lots of tiny balls with some other really big ones. It's very thick and I think I'll make a cuddle with it.
Yes, Sharon. The blue has sparkly thread running through it. The sampleer comes from my pre-KAS period when I was a fanatical cross--stitcher. I have several drawers of unfinished cros stitch projects!!
Oh, my ... what wonderful stories come with the yarn ... I love them all. And good for you to work through a tangle and put it all to good use. Tell hubby that he is designated to give you big hugs from all of us.
Do I see sparkles in some of that blue? Won't that make fun squares? Can't wait to see your beautiful work.
Oh Valerie - there is always a back story....... good on you for persevering. There would have been laughter here yesterday when I tried to dye acrylic white with beetroot and onion skin. I knew wool would work but I was
curious - mess everywhere and a soggy skein of exhausted acrylic drying out. :)
How lovely to find this shop ! And how generous of the owner.
Lots of patience needed to untangle that wool ! Of course, hubby wouldn't understand :-)
I've been using some of it to make amigurumi teddies. Thank you Ute for the link to the pattern!
I actually had a bad experience with just over half this yarn. I washed it as it was dusty and musty. I put it nicely into pillow cases tied around the top to dry in the spin dryer. Of course, 2 of the pillowcases came untied. Some of the skeins, the mohair ones, just felted a little bit together and were easily wound into balls. But all the lovely blue yarn at the back, the orange merino wool and several other skeins came out one lovely spaghetti mess. Entangled is too tame a word for it. Hubby suggested that I just bin it all. NO WAY! I've unravelled a little each day and wound it all into balls. I got the last ball done last night and not an inch wasted! It was too good to waste and I couldn't throw away the kind gesture of the lady who gave it to me.
Fantastic Valerie good for you. It is such pretty yarn too. Isn't it amazing how those very old yarns are going to go to warm the children.