LYS wisconsin

in madison my cousin-in-law (is that a term?) took me to what was almost the perfect yarn shop: Lakeside Fibers. the yarn bins spill out into the coffee shop next door, and the coffee shop opens to a lovely little patio that looks out onto the lake. down below the patio there is a little playground. downstairs there are even some dusty cones of weaving yarn, which the knitting staff upstairs didn't really know much about. there was a beautiful scandinavian weaving magazine i thought briefly about getting; quite briefly, however, as it was in swedish. (i think. not real familiar with the differences between the scandinavian tongues.)

and the other day i was in milwaukee so i stopped by loop yarn. where lakeside was cozy cottage-like with a granola feel, loop was modern and just a bit edgy. it was easier to browse - more clean light and the room might have been smaller but the selection was better and a bit more higher end. i could not resist the habu in the clearance section. i have been obsessed with habu since seeing it at Stitches Midwest and even though i haven't yet knit or woven with it, it comes in such cute little balls and is so different from the usual stuff i just have to pick it up. so i got some blue sky alpaca silk in blues and greys to coordinate with some habu cork chenille.