Yarn Geek: Some Things I Just Can’t Get Into

My mom’s in town for the weekend, and she’s big time into the yarn. I think, actually, she raise an alpaca from birth, shear it, make yard from the fiber, and turn it into a sweater, all on her lonesome. That’s some pretty serious yarn fixation. So I asked around with some other knitting junkies in the area to see where there were some good yarn stores (because apparently those are big things if you knit), and they all said to head to Halcyon Yarn in Bath. So that’s where we went yesterday. And I have to say, if you like yarn, knitting, weaving, or any other sort of thread-related activity, the place seemed like it would be pretty much heaven on earth.

I don’t knit.

I’m not saying I had a bad time–time spent with my mom, wife and the kids is always a good time–but I am saying that it reminded me how bewildering and confusing it can be to try to venture into unfamiliar geek territory, something I ask of my wife every birthday and Christmas.

It all seems like it should be so easy to me. I like board games. I know all about board games. I can tell a good board game from a bad one by smell alone. Well, almost. Shopping for me should be T-ball, and yet Denisa consistently comments how confusing it can be. And it has to be like that yarn store was for me. I went in, and there was yarn everywhere. Yarn from alpacas, sheep, rabbits–there was even bamboo yarn. I mean, come on. Bamboo yarn? What are people doing–knitting sweaters for pandas? There were projects all over the place. Looms, felting, knitting, bag making–who knew?

And if Denisa asked me for something from that store, I would be beyond clueless about what to get her. I would need very specific instructions, down to the the last detail. And there’d still be a good chance I’d get her the wrong thing. Nothing’s more confusing than being in unfamiliar geek territory.

It’s a good life lesson to learn. 🙂

We all have our little niches that we know a lot about. Get me talking about books or games or movies or writing, and I’m in home territory. Computers and video games? Super. Dessert baking? Fine. I’ve been branching out into home construction, wood stacking, and yard maintenance. But no matter how great I get at those, I’m still so clueless about some things. Yarn being one of them.

What’s yours?

Have a nice weekend, folks.