BIGGEST SCORE IN THE WORLD!!!

I've not been well lately, due to medical issues but I'm not going to bore you with that.  What I will bore you with instead is a 'special' find at my local second hand store recently.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I'd find what I did last week.
I walked into the op shop and usually the first thing I do is head for the crafting section.  Well that's what I call it anyway.... it can be as big as a whole corner full of stuff or one lousy small basketful.  But on this particular day, I spotted a MASS of knitting wool and nearly had an aneurysm.  The impact was so intense that I nearly blacked out.  

At first my sight went a little blurry and in the span of just a second or two, I thought to myself 'I must have walked into an up-market wool store by mistake?!'  But then I realized that there aren't any yarn stores where I was.

So I got closer to the HUGE MASS of wool and I stood there with glazed eyes.
There must have been 3 huge plastic tubs full of it and I honestly didn't know what was going on.  Was I dreaming?  Was somebody playing a practical joke?  WHAT???  It was like I was going through the 5 stages of grief.  I've also seen it as the 7 stages of grief, but let's stick with 5 for the sake of keeping it shorter and sweeter;

Denial
This can't be happening.  This is can't be real.  Am I in an op shop or did I mistakenly enter a high priced wool shop?  Is somebody going to jump out from hiding behind a clothes rack and shout 'SURPRISE, YOU'RE ON CANDID CAMERA!!'  No, it's a big mistake, I'm quite sure of it.

Anger
I swear if ANYBODY tries to touch that wool, I'm going to knock their blocks off.  If anybody more than looks at it, I'm going to..... well I don't know what I will do but it will be very nasty.

Bargaining
Gee, I can't afford to buy ALL of this wool.  I've got a good amount on me but it's mostly for food shopping.  But gee-wiz-golly.... if I don't buy what I can now, I will regret it.  Self, look at it this way;  if you buy a heap of this wool, it will last you for years to come.  You won't have to buy more for a really long time.
Go on, you know you want to.  

Depression
But, but.... oh it's food money!  We will probably go without eating for a week or two, get all thin and gaunt and we'll become very sickly.  It's a sad, sad situation.

Acceptance
A sigh of relief.  The truth is that it's only money and I can steal, beg or borrow more money for food if I have to.  LOL.

Dear friends and those who aren't, I forked out $145, and mind you there is only 90% of it showing in the photos.  The other 10% was still in my car from lack of room: 

Can you see what it is?  Click on each photo to see!  Do you know how much all this wool is worth new?  Some of it is discontinued, some you can still find.
Example: one ball of Rowan kidsilk aura could set you back $8 per ball.  And there are ones in there that you'd have to fork out more that $10-15 per ball/skein.  The whole lot would have cost me closer to $1000 if I had been in some swanky, snobby yarn store.

-Rowan, including cashsoft, wool, wool/cotton, silky tweed & fine milk.
-Alpaca Silk
-Classic Elite Yarns
-Malabrigo

Maybe now you will understand what all this hoopla-hoo-ha was about and why I'm ranting and raving.  I think the only people that would appreciate this find, are the knitters and crocheters out there, and those that understand the worth of beautiful, luxurious yarn.

I shared my find on facebook (crafting group) recently.  I could tell there was a little jealousy, even though nobody said so but some were actually over the moon happy for me.  One lady said she went to her local yarn store to find some Rowan, just out of curiosity to see the prices.  She was gobsmacked.  She told the store attendant of what I found at the op shop, and she didn't believe it.  Apparently NOBODY GIVES AWAY EXPENSIVE WOOL TO AN OP SHOP, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!  IT DOES NOT HAPPEN!

So there you go, I'm a liar.  It never happened.

But do you think I'm worried whether people believe it or not?  All I care is that I found it and I'm very happy - it was a deal of a lifetime find!  And I have sore feet from all the little happy dances to prove it.

I think I've just turned into a yarn snob.  ;)

Monday

I used to get my meals served on a silver platter... but I now get served on a gold bowl

 

 Then my sweet dessert will be respectfully served on a square glass plate

 

 After dessert comes a lover-ly cup of tea from an English tea pot, no less.

 

 Then the English tea pot is placed on a dainty crocheted white cotton doily

Yes folks.... just a reminder that I find these types of things on people's junk piles - in case you've forgotten.  ;)

Pick a bale o' cotton...

This cotton set me back $10 last year.  Another one of those 'I really don't know why I bought it' things!

Cheap enough for 600g of cotton I guess.

It's about an 8ply and in the U.S. that means DK weight, so it's a bit thicker than what I'd like for cotton.

I've inspected it and it looks like I can separate it in 2 to make it thinner, but honestly... do I really want to go through that much trouble for some cotton?  And knowing me, I'll end up in a BIG pile of tangled cotton mess and my husband wouldn't be able to find me anymore.  Oh the horror...

Anybody know which language this is written in? 

The mother load.

A few years back I hit the jackpot.  Winning the lotto would have been nicer, but I had to settle for $10 worth of cotton.  Believe it or not, I've not used any of this as I'm waiting on a 'good reason' to start something.... but I say this with a little jest.  I don't really like working with cotton all that much, but seeing that I have it, I may as well think of something to make!  Funny how we buy things, just because it's a real bargain, and even though we could probably live without it.

It's cotton time

 Fabulous cotton finds from yesteryear.

 Gem cotton...

only $7 for all of this;

 Patons Stonewash cotton...

only $5 for all of this;

I love it when I score well!

Oh so long ago.

I remember the first time I entered a second hand shop.  We call them 'op shops' here in Australia, which means 'opportunity shopping'.  And rightly so.  So many opportunities to find so many great things out there, it's overwhelming.  The problem is where to put all these great finds in the house, or as I like to call them... treasures.

Anyway it was over 10 years ago when I entered that dingy, old and smelly op shop.  I was at my local shopping centre with my mother and we saw it, entered it and we were amazed with.  I'm pretty sure it was my mothers first time also, hence the fascinating comments that came out of her mouth.  We had a quick look around and I found what I was looking for.  An electric blue silky shirt.  It was faux silk of course, but I just had to have because after all, it was a measly $2.  I wore the shirt a couple of times within the year, but then gave it back to an op shop several years later.  Not to the same op shop, because it closed down months later.  I got caught up in how much the shirt was, rather than actually really liking it.  Isn't that always the way?

The second time was in Bunbury, a good few hours away from home.  My husband was sent to do some work and I tagged along.  Found the op shop, entered it and it took me about a minute to look around, then left.  Why?  I didn't know what I was looking for, I was the only one in there and I was embarrassed.  Again, why?  To this day I do not know.  I was new to the op shopping experience and had a lot to learn.  And so it began.  My hunt for more op shops and actually looking for something worthwhile.

Found many years ago....
A bunch of yarn cones, small cones were $2 and large cones were $5.  The large ones are heavy and I thought they were a steal!

Mostly wool, some cotton, and an acrylic.  I don't normally buy acrylic, unless it's soft and is an appealing colour.   Still, was elated when I found these.