Unexpected

Sometimes the surprise finds are the best.  I knew I’d visit yarn stores on the trip, and I fully expected to enjoy them (and did).  I planned to go out to the shore, and expected that to be delightful (it was).  I did not expect to find a small pile of knitting loot at the Japanese dollar store.  Yet somehow I did.

That’s some hilarious socks (alas, too small for me, but now on their way to a friend), some graph paper index cards (perfect for sticking the one little chart I always need in my travel knitting pouch), and the longest dpns I’ve ever seen.  I’m particularly excited by those.  I don’t like circs, and finding enough of the more usual dpns to make things like hats or cowls can be tricky.  These should be perfect.

Delightful as all that is, the real haul came from the Japanese bookstore next door.  I went in on a lark, on the off chance they might have a knitting book or two.  I walked around the small first floor, and saw nothing but comic books.  Then, tucked back in the corner, I saw a staircase.  A staircase that looked exactly like the sort you’re not supposed to go up.  The sort that’s for employees only.  The sort you’ll be yelled at for even glancing at.  But I went up anyways.  I was well rewarded.

That’s some (some, mind you, not all) of the Japanese knitting books.  There were more on the table in front.  There were a similar number of English-language knitting books on the other side of the bookcase.  I’ve seen yarn stores with fewer knitting books.  There was even a special section (under the heading ‘Lacework’) of stitch dictionaries.  I may have had a small fit, followed by a large indulgence.