Stash "Enhancement" (or, More Obsessive Purchases of The Fiber Kind)

Update: I received a comment about the ArtYarns Ultramerino which reads:

"I saw your post on Artyarns Ultramerino4 and wanted to let you know that it is brand new fall yarn and just started shipping!  It will be available widely in the next few months.  We are a little behind on updating our web site, but should be there shortly.

Take care,

Iris"

So, yay!

----

Saturday started out cloudy and dreary and I began to get that icky feeling I get when I've just about had it with crappy weather -- that feeling that alerts me to the fact that my Inner Cranky Pants is about to make an appearance. Thankfully, as I got closer to Wickford Village (a cute little coastal town in Southern Rhode Island), the clouds started to disburse and the Golden Orb made it's way out to save the day. Literally.

Oh yeah...

It was gorgeous. Perfect weather for some walking, shopping and yarn shopping -- which is, OF COURSE, different from plain 'old shopping,

I must admit, though, as soon as I parked my car and headed toward the Wickford Gourmet to meet my friends, I started feeling twitchy and could think of nothing else but the yarn shop just MERE FEET AWAY!

Is this bad?

Should I be worried?

Anyway, after popping in and out of a few stores, we finally made it to And The Beadz Go On. I Know, it's an odd name for a yarn shop, but none of that matters once you walk in. Once inside it's just "ahhhhh" all the way.

The first thing I noticed was a couple of bins of Koigu containing at least four colorways I haven't run across. Can you believe how bright and Summer-y, orange-y and pink-y this yarn is?

There is NO way I could've left without it.

I was then confronted with some luscious ArtYarns Ultramerino4 which, for some reason, isn't listed on their site (PLEASE tell me this isn't discontinued!) I own some Supermerino -- which is fabulous -- but have never actually seen or fondled the Ultramerino4. The colorways were beautiful and rich and it's strikingly similar in feel and weight to the Rowan 4-ply Soft I'm currently using for Granny's socks.

So, of course, I had to have some of that as well.

By this point, I could tell my friends were glazing over, so I decided to make another trip this weekend to inspect the inventory more thoroughly and to pick up a hank of this gorgeous yarn whose brand, price, make-up -- or anything, for that matter -- I don't remember. I was trying to be considerate and yank myself away from the store before I had a mutiny on my hands, hehehe.

All I can say is that it was thick and silky soft. It really feels like there's a touch of silk in there. It's handpainted and I think it was from a local company.

Oh, and did I mention that I loved it so much I can't stop thinking about it and obsessing over whether or not it'll still be there when I go this weekend?

I think my lust for this hank is fueled by the vision of the sock the owner was making from the same yarn. I never knew a thick sock could be so luscious!

Pray for me, people, and for the successful acquisition of the nameless hank.

(Oh, and for World Peace).

In other news, for those who care -- and there seem to be quite a few of you -- Granny and Grandpa have resumed their regularly scheduled programming. I visited this evening and walked in on them cuddling under the blanket while watching the WWF. Granny LOVES the WWF -- but that's a WHOLE other story!

There you go.