The one in which I went on the great yarn hunt of 2010...

Oh boy. I hate when I'm in the middle of project and it's rapidly coming together and then the unexpected happens...you run out of yarn. Oh jeez. Thursday evening I can see that my last remaining skein of Patons Classic Wool for my Slouchy Cardigan is not going to make it to the end of the project. There was just no way that I was going to get a hood out of it. I tried to decide if I wanted the hood at all, after I rarely will pull a hood up over my head.

After much thought, I decided that I did want the hood. So Friday after I got my hair done did, I stopped at the Jo-anns to see if they had any more of the Patons Classic Wool in Heathered Moss. Naturally, they were out. Not so much as one skein of a different dye lot. Errrrrr. I headed home without checking to see if Michael's had it because Hubbs was waiting for me to go to dinner.

After dinner I checked on line to see if Michael's even carried the stuff. I had heard that they had a small yarn department but since I don't normally shop there I didn't have a clue what they carried. According to their website, they carried it but colors vary from store to store. I called, they put me on hold for 15 min's and finally I hung up. I hate being on hold.

Saturday morning, I head off on what I started to call the great yarn hunt of 2010. All I needed was one lousy skein! Just one! I was willing to take a different dye lot, I wasn't being picky. It was for the hood, it wasn't like I was going to finish a half finished front with it or anything. I stopped in at my Jo-anns on the off chance that they stocked it last night or something but no, still no Heathered Moss. Ran across town to Michael's. They had Patons Classic Wool but again, no Heathered Moss.

And just like that I was out of local options for this yarn. Thankfully I'd had the foresight to print out directions to the next closest Jo-anns. It was at least 30 min's away but since I'd been there before (4 years ago) I had some idea of where it was. I find the right exit, I follow the map. The map says that my destination is on the left side of the street, so I'm in the left lane. The more I think about I remember it being on the right side of the street but Hubbs was driving that time so who knows how closely I was paying attention (wedding highs don't lead to having a great memory). As I cross Morse Avenue, I see the sign...it's on the right. The store is on the right...fawking google maps. No prob, I jam on the breaks, cut in behind a car that is already turning into the parking lot and whip in.

I felt like jumping out of my car, arms raised and yelling, "taaaadaaaaa!" But I exited the vehicle like an adult, meaning that I hopped out and tried my hardest to walk calmly across the lot. Once in the store I located the yarn section. Amazing! They have the yarn I need in the right color way! Woohoo! Score! Of course it's not the same dye lot but beggars can't be choosers. Now I have to decide, 1 skein or 2. I decide that one should do and all but skip to the register.

I dash home, slowing only to make a pit stop at Target where I discover that they have jeans in lengths but that's another story. I cast on and knit like a mad woman. The hood is coming along swimmingly. I knit and knit, all the while watching my one skein of yarn dwindle. By Saturday night it has become abundantly clear that I should have bought two skeins. Oh dear.

Sunday morning, now know at the Dropped Stitch Household as, "The Great Yarn Hunt 2.0." I head off, but at least this time I knew where to get the yarn. I zip there and back despite the rain. I knit madly for the rest of the morning and finish the Hood. While the hood is blocking, I clean out my knitting bag and discover that I had enough yarn in my bag all along. I could have easily finished the hood with the partial skein that was lurking under my Berroco Vintage. Ack! Wasted gas, wasted time. I hang my head in shame as Hubbs laughs at me.

My hood is currently blocking and in the mean time I've been working on seaming up the Slouchy Cardigan. I normally whip stitch projects together in stead of actually seaming them in the "proper" way. But I figured that I should challenge myself and learn to do something new. Turns out seaming isn't all that hard and I managed to seam the entire cardigan (fronts, sleeves and sides) in one evening. I'm still working on getting all the ends woven in but hopefully by the time I finish that the hood will be dry and I can get it seamed up and on the cardigan.