here we go, a-lys-ing

Black Friday sure highlighted the differences between my mother and I. We did two very different things on Friday. For Mom, we went to look at jewelry. For me, we went to a LYS.

We started at JoAnn's and Borders. You see, I've decided that I want to learn to make socks. So we had to find a pattern book, and we had to find the yarn and needles. JoAnn's had neither. At Borders we found a good beginner book of sock patterns, but it's not like they sell needles or yarn, now do they?

I had to explain to Mom that not every pattern calls for acrylic worsted weight, socks in particular. I took her to Ewe-Nique Yarns and showed her the sock yarns there. They had a bunch, along with some pre-made socks on display to show the variegation and self-striping in action. The woman working there helped me to pick out good needles and let me know I could come in at any time for a tutorial. It's the first time I've ever made a purchase at a LYS, or ever bought natural fiber yarns. I can see it will become an addiction.

Then we got back in the car to head out and look at jewelry. Jewelry is my Mom's obsession. She's a collector, a connoisseur, and an admirer. On our way there, we discussed the LYS.

"They had lovely things! Why would you buy your yarn anywhere else?" She asked.

I explained it thus:
Say you are in the mood for chocolate. No, not in the mood... you are craving it, and can't stop thinking about it. You'd love to have a good piece of Lindt, but all you have is 65 cents, which is the exact price the vending machine charges for a Hershey bar. Do you buy the Hershey bar to satisfy your craving, or go without chocolate because you will only tolerate the best? In my case, I buy the cheap yarns because otherwise I can't craft. The desire to work yarn in my hands is stronger than the desire to buy high quality yarn. (Plus, some things are just better in acrylic - baby blankets for example, benefit from the softness and durability of acrylic fibers)

Then I tried to put it in Mom terms:
You want a new pair of earrings. A gorgeous pair of diamond studs is what you have in mind, but you can only afford a cheaper pair of zirc's. If your jewelry lust is stronger than your desire for fine things, you buy the zirc's. Because otherwise, you don't get any earrings at all.

"I think I would hold out for the diamonds."

"Of course you would, Mom. Of course you would."