A change can do you good...

Guten Tag! Anyone visiting my site again (Thank you!) will notice a change in the template. I really liked the orange of the old one, but could not get over how large the type font was, so I switched to something that I think is a little gentler on the eye. Feel free to weigh in on it in the comments. I know I already posted on my friends wedding, but I had to share this fabulous photo that New York Sara took.
The high school friend that I reconnected with, her name is Sara, my name is Sarah, and so to lessen confusion we were referred to throughout the weekend to those less familiar with us as New York Sara and Texas Sarah. It worked well. This is the bride and grooms daughter being absolutely precious. Almost makes me want one of these little things myself - almost. Must get through grad school first!

Today on Sarah's Stash Flash! is some yarn that was acquired on my recent trip to Germany that I took with my dad. First up is a lovely alpaca/wool blend that was gifted to me by Astrid. And who is Astrid you ask?

Explanation: my dad's favorite activity is hot air ballooning. One morning almost 6 years ago at the Albuqueque International Balloon Fiesta he landed in a field with some other balloons. Two of these ballon pilots were friends, Harry and Gunther, over from Germany. Gunther came towards my dad shaking up a bottle of champagne and sprayed it all over him - my dad proceeded to do the same to him. Harry joined in at some point and invited my dad to a party later that evening. They've been friends ever since and my dad has been over to fly with them three times in Deutschland! This year I went along as my 30th birthday present - not to shabby, eh?! Anyway, Astrid is Harry's wife, and a prolific seamstress and knitter herself.

When she was showing me her sewing room (Naehzimmer) she pulled out this yarn and said I should have it. Now, as a Knitter, you never say no to yarn, but this was my first experience of someone gifting yarn to me from their stash. Once my initial shock subsided I realized that she was telling me that she had had more and had already made a Pulli (sweater) out of it for someone else, and that this color didn't look good on her. I thanked her graciously for her generosity and tried to prevent myself from dashing off to pack it in my luggage. It may become a poncho/shawl for my mom.

Before leaving for the trip I did some research on yarn stores. What I was able to find was somewhat slim. I'm not sure that there is the proliferation of small privately owned shops devoted strictly to yarn and fiber for handknitting as is common here in the US. I did see sock yarn in a bakery though, and purchased a goodly amount of Regia sock yarn from a little shop in Wilmadingen where we stayed for part of the trip, but it was more stationary/gift shop than yarn store. One search proved successful though, and that was for a chain store called Woelle Rodel! Astrid knew this store immediately and knew where it was located in Ulm, so that was my second stop when we visited the city one day. They have their own label and it is apparently manufactured there in Germany or the European Union, so no import fees! I bought enough to make the Pearl Buck Swing Jacket which I've been lusting after ever since that issue of Interweave Knits came out!

I am thinking that I'll cast on for it as a celebration of finishing my current job and the month that I'll have off before school starts.

More stash flashing in the days to come! Progress is being made on both the Bevo hoodie and the recycled cotton log cabin rug, but ya'll will have to wait for photos until That Guy comes back from Dublin. *Sigh* It's been so long since he was able to take a real vacation that I had forgotten how tough it is when he is away. It's just to darn quiet! That Guy plays keyboard and is hooked on sound so right now it is quiet here!!! Truth be told, I very much rely on him to make selections when it comes to music and tv/movie programs. He's funny funny funny too, so the apartment is void of laughter right now - bummer. If you get a chance to get online babe - I'm looking forward to you getting home and telling me all about your adventures in Ireland!

Also noteworthy: he emailed me to say he had arrived and all was well. He and his mom were getting ready to plan some day trips and then do some shopping in which he would look for yarn for me! How romantic is that?!
Tschuss!