Time flies...

A new yarn store has opened in Gainesville, FL - Hanks Yarn and Fiber. And it's a goodie! My mom and I stopped by for a visit yesterday afternoon. The smell hit us first.. freshly brewed coffee.. cozy and wholesome. Mmmmm. We were warmly invited in for coffee and browsing. And then we saw the yarn. Double mmmmm! I had never seen so much Lorna's Laces or Malabrigo in one place before. Insanely gorgeous. I couldn't keep my hands off of the Malabrigo lace and the Lorna's Laces superwash worsted. My ooh my!

The women in the shop were friendly, funny, and not at all pushy. The selection was colorful and luxurious. I wish we could've stayed longer to explore, chat, and buy.. but we were in a rush to get back to St. Augustine. Hanks is a fun, fun store.. definitely one to spend an afternoon in!

The other fiber excitement for the weekend was a return visit to one of my favorite yarn stores, Yarnworks, also in Gainesville. They boast a huge collection of yarns, neatly packed on shelves from floor to ceiling. This store has the largest collection of Noro I've found in my limited LYS shopping. (And oh how I love Noro!) Handknit sweaters, hats, slippers, bags, afghans, and socks adorn the rooms, tempting you with possibilities. They also have tons of patterns to look through.

My big, happy find here was the 2006 Knitscene issue with the pattern for the Central Park Hoodie. I've been drawn to this sweater again and again - it's just so me. Tweedy, cabley, easy-to-wear, buttony goodness. But I kept talking myself out of going out of the way to find the pattern. Luckily, this one jumped into my hands (and they had a few more issues, if you're looking!), and now I have to knit it. The hardest part will be choosing the yarn! Cascade 220 Heathers seems a good choice, but I've been dying to try out the Beaverslide worsted I have stashed, and now that I've touched the Lorna's Laces Shepard worsted I want to knit a sweater with that even more than before. Malabrigo is also on the short list.. sooo soft. I'm just not sure if it'll hold up to the high use that I'm anticipating this little hoodie to get. Suggestions?

Well! My last fiber surprise for the weekend was the acquisition of a pile of vintage knitting patterns from my grandmother. Those demand an entire post of their own, though! :)