Gratitude

Our member Karen used to bring her swift and ball winder to meetings. It was a great way for her to meet new people. And it was a nice service for members, especially new knitters who may not yet have sunk money into infrastructure. Or maybe they have mercifully not yet experienced a skein blowing up on them and so do not yet know the soothing confidence of using an umbrella swift? It was Karen who got us thinking that maybe a guild that could have a well-stocked library and a microphone system could also have a swift and ball winder.

A letter went out to the shops and two of them generously responded. Main Street Yarns & Fibers in Watkinsville donated a ball winder. This shop is located off GA 316 near Athens. If you happen to be up near the University of Georgia anyway, this is a great place to stop. To get there, drive about 40 miles up 316, then hang a right at the light onto Oconee Connector. Follow it about 5 miles until it dead ends at Main Street and turn right. Go to the second light and turn left onto Barnett Shoals Rd. If you pass Jittery Joe's, you've gone too far. Go about half a mile (over the railroad tracks). The shop is the charming red barn on the right. The mailbox has a dinosaur on top. And be sure to ask the ladies where to eat lunch -- they know and it is worth it to listen to them. Ruth has kindly donated or discounted books for our library as well, so ya'all be sure to thank her heartily when you see her at meetings or when you visit her shop.

Yes Yarn in Anderson, SC made a sturdy wooden umbrella swift available to the guild at a greatly reduced cost. If you are traveling up I-85 through South Carolina, use Exit 19A (which is marked for Anderson). From what Mapquest shows, it looks to be an easy 5 miles down Clemson Highway, which becomes Clemson Blvd, which becomes N Main Street. Keep left at the fork with E North Ave. Many thanks to Margaret for giving our guild a great bargain and for shipping, too.

Be sure to thank both of these shops for making our life with skeins easier. And come prepared to enjoy using these clever gadgets at meetings. Bring on that yarn!