A hop and a shop and away I go!

This morning, after I got off work, I drove out to Glenelg. It's a beautiful beachside suburb of Adelaide, and Glenelg's Jetty Rd is a significant shopping district. Jetty Rd is pretty much what it sounds like, a road that leads to the beach and the Glenelg Jetty, which extends out over the Southern Ocean. I suppose it had been almost a year ago when I went there last. I took my son out there not long before he flew back to the states in March of 07. That made the trip bittersweet, as I do miss him heaps. There, an excellent lead to explain why I have a picture of my son, not even wearing knitwear, on this blog post. That's Glenelg jetty in the background.

I got off work at 7 AM, which is always a hassle with two hours to burn before most things even open up. But hey, where better to burn time than in one of the loveliest locations on the planet? Now, it is inconvenient for me, even from work, but it was well worth it. I stopped at McDonalds and got a breakfast sandwich and ate it on a bench overlooking the ocean. Then I walked a bit around the beach area and the jetty. It was the best wait for something to open I suppose I've ever had.

Still, I had a mission. There was a yarn shop tucked away there somewhere that I had not known about until recently and had not seen on previous visits. It's actually not on Jetty Rd proper, but if you turn the corner on Byron Street, there it is. Barb's Sew and Knits, a lovely LYS in the old tradition. Heaps and heaps of stuff, and literally thousands (if not tens of thousands) of patterns, complete with a yarn savvy person behind the counter. It was my first visit, but I doubt I last a week before I go there again.

I shopped and chatted, and settled on 9 balls of Grignasco Top Print, which was everything she had left in this brownish orangy greyish sort of color. It's a lovely, if 'manly' alpaca. I reckon it was the color that caught my eye. That, and I love knitting really soft alpaca. I'm not sure of what I want to do with it. Maybe a vest, maybe a couple or three hats. Maybe a matching scarf and hat. Dunno yet. Right now I can't get past the "manly" color to think of gal's projects, but maybe I'll see something on ravelry that will inspire me and send me in an intirely new direction. Who knows? That's part of the joy that is knitting.

I chatted a bit more, discussing an upcoming project for my mother. But I'll get to all that in another post. I also picked up a pattern for a jumper out of a ton (8 balls or so) of Wendy's Velvet Flake that I have lying around here. Impossible to find an adult pattern for, or so I thought a few months ago. Seems I looked EVERYWHERE but the right place. All in all a wonderful morning, and this afternoon, with hubby and his buddy at the movies, I have the whole afternoon to spend on Ravelry. Yipppeeeee!!