Knit Out-Tampa?

Yesterday while knit blog surfin', I ran across a blog from a gal in Gainesville. In one of her posts she mentions a Knit Out here in Tampa scheduled for March 25th. I commented on her blog, but so far no response. I then went to the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce webpage, but no such event is listed. What's up? I think this is a fantastic idea, and when I read it, I thought..wow! Now maybe Tampa will be put on the knitting map!! Oh, and I also searched the Craft Yarn Council's page, but only old knit out dates were listed. I want a knit out!!!

Ok, so here's what's going on.. I went to the thrift store again. Sorry the photo quality sucks, but my camera battery is on it's last legs...this is a beautiful cable sweater by Kate Hill (Who is that?) made of merino wool and acrylic in a deep cranberry. I snatched that puppy right up and ran out of the store with it for $1.94. I've been dying to have a pair of socks in this color but wasn't able to find any yarn suitable in my last yarn stashing event. I've also been lurking the Rekal blog for a year...I think it's a super idea, and I've been wanting to try it out. I came home and frantically ripped the sweater apart...ok. I actually only got one sleeve done, but that's not the point. I washed and wound the former sleeve into a hank, and now it's drying. I couldn't get the yarn unkinked! I read that some others hung weights on the yarn, and even had used just another hangar at the bottom of the hank, but it didn't work. I'll bet it's because of the acrylic content! I've decided that I have to try it, and if the kinks make the socks look bad..oh well! However, if it turns out ok, then I'll have a new pair of socks for $1.94. Ya can't beat that! Think about how much you've spent on sock yarn.

Now a gripe. The second thrift store I went to had only 2 lonely skeins of vintage Fleisher's yarn. Aha! I cried. More socks!! But, no price tag. I take it to the counter where the guy at the register rudely said to me.."I'm in the middle of ringing up another customer." I said I only wanted to ask a question. He felt like a fool then. Ok, so he points out the mgr, and says to ask her if she'll price for it for me. Again I was encountered with a person of attitude. She gives me the song and dance about how it will have to go to the backroom to be priced, and then it won't come back on the floor until Monday. I thank her and walk off. She never took the skeins away from me "to be priced". In other words, this was all B.S. Here's why I'm soooo mad. The stuff is donated for free!!! What would it have taken for her to say..take 'em for a buck or what ever. They are in the business to make a profit to support homeless people and give re-education to those who may be unemployable by society's standards! WTF! I could see if I were asking her to price a sofa or something...but please! 2 skeins of yarn!! My rant could go on forever and ever about this since I've been in retail for over 20 years. Let me just say this...you get what you pay for...or in this case, what ya don't get, and what ya don't pay for.