Yard Sales Rock!

[dreamflower]

Today is the fall city-wide yard sale here. Basically, lots of people in town holding yard sales on the same day, and no permit required. We toyed with having one ourselves, but since the DH had a seminar this weekend, I decided it would be too much work for me on my own.

Instead, I took a few bucks and cruised the yard sales myself.

For $6.50, I got several really nice Christmas and Halloween decorations at one house. .25 bought me a goblet-shaped wooden pencil holder that will work great with my calligraphy pens.

But-- my most awesome score: at one house a lady was obviously a crafter, and I was tempted by a number of items-- but found a knitting tote bag, cute little canvas bag with a kitten playing with a ball of yarn printed on the front, and it was filled with knitting needles. She only wanted $5 for all of it!!!

Inventory behind the cut, for those who are interested:

14 circular needles in various sizes and lengths, including size 1! (Some were still in their packages, others I will have to use my needle sizer on, to see what sizes they are.)

13" straight needles (mixed plastic and aluminum):
2 pr. size 2
1 pr. size 3
3 pr. size 4
2 pr. size 6
2 pr. size 7
2 pr. size 10, plus a single plastic size 10 and a single aluminum size 10

10" straight needles:
1 pr. size 1
2 pr. size 2
2 pr. size 3 (actually, they are four different colors, but they are all aluminum and all the same brand, so they count as pairs.) ; )
5 pr. size 4 (4 aluminum, 1 plastic)
3 pr. size 6
2 pr. size 7
1 pr. size 8
4 pr. size 9
a single size 10

8" straight needles:
1 pr. size 1

Double pointed needles:
1 set size 1
2 sets size 2
2 sets size 3
1 set size 4
1 set size 6
2 steel double-pointed needles that I will have to check, but which are probably size 1 or 2.

And a small zip-lock bag full of markers and point protectors.

Approximately 2/3 of a cone of Sugar 'n' Cream cotton, in variegated yellow/white.

Buying all of these new, individually at today's prices would have been well over a hundred dollars! Plus which, finding the smaller needles-- sizes 1 and 2-- is really hard locally.

Of course, I already had some of the more common sized needles-- 6, 7, 9, 10, and a couple of circulars and smaller sized bamboo needles, but wow!

Now I have to figure out what to knit. Any fellow knitters familiar with the slip-stitch method of color changes? I have a book from the library, and it looks much easier than either intarsia or the usual method of carrying the yarn behind. But I haven't actually tried it out yet. Maybe I'll start a scarf...

Comments

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

how exciting! you really cleaned out! I LOVE a good yard sale! :))

[dreamflower]

There were a couple things I passed up, that I kind of wish I'd got now, but the knitting stuff was a real find!

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

That's really nice. I've forgotten everything I ever knew about knitting.

[dreamflower]

Well, I think it's like riding a bike-- if you started in again, it would soon come back to you. I know that when I started up again after many years, I was surprised how quickly it came back to me. The only thing I had trouble remembering at first was casting on.

Anyway, lately I've been obsessed with making yellow/white/blue dishrags, to go with the new kitchen curtains I made in a pretty yellow/white/blue floral.

[telperion1.livejournal.com]

That is one of the things I really hate about not having a car - there simply aren't opportunities for good yard sales. eBay and other similar sites is the closest thing I come to that these days. It sounds like you got so many good buys!

I did just get a laptop on the cheap - a surplus from the university where I go to grad school, barely used for a few months this summer, and so not quite yard sale prices but I know the thrill of getting a really good buy.

(Even before you mentioned how much the knitting stuff would sell for in a crafts store, I had a suspicion you got it at *at least* a tenth of cost. Just think how excited you'll be with whatever you produce, because you weren't stressed over the cost of materials.)

[dreamflower]

Actually, I probably underestimated the cost, now that I think about it!

I love yard sales. And this morning I was able to walk to three of them, across the street. Problem is finding the good stuff-- the majority of things I saw were usually infant/children's clothing, kitchenware, and old exercise equipment. But there *were* some good bargains-- as I found out!

(I was *really* tempted by some DC comics at the house right across the street, but that's a fandom that's passed me by, and I wouldn't have had the context for them.)

[wizard42745.livejournal.com]

Love yard sales! What a bargain you got. Good for you.

[dreamflower]

Yep! The holiday decorations were a good deal too-- they were brand new, never used. Two boxes of Christmas lights, a little decorated tree that goes around on a musical stand, and for Halloween a little yard sign, and a cute little light up ghost with a pumpkin!

[shirebound]

You scored!!

There seemed to be yard sales than usual in our area today, too.

[dreamflower]

Well, of course there was a reason for all the ones here; but it does seem to be the time of year for a lot of yard sales. The weather most places seems to be rather temperate.

[lady-roisin.livejournal.com]

Now "that" is awesome!!! That would have cost a fortune at our old craft store that you and I both worked at. :-) I never recall the store ever carrying size 1 needles, an that was the section of the store I worked and stocked.

Major congrats! The bag sounds so cute!

[dreamflower]

I know! And now I have size ones in three lengths, and circular, and dbl. pointed!

And I found some really good slip-stitch patterns online, so I'm working up a blue and yellow dishcloth. I must say it really *IS* a lot easier than having to carry the yarn/thread behind.

[lady-roisin.livejournal.com]

I just learned stokinette and purl stitches recently, and they're fun. It's just a nice relaxing activity. I till struggle with increase and decrease though.

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you did very well indeed.

[dreamflower]

Sure did! *grin*

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

Off topic but someone told me that you might be going to NY to hear the performance. Are you?
I am still trying to arrange it so that I can go but nothing is finalized. I have a ticket to the performance but haven't done anything else. I am trying to decide if I can afford it all after my UK trip.

[dreamflower]

No. Unfortunately, some unexpected expenses came in and ate up the supposedly extra money we were going to use. *sigh*

I do hope *you* can go, though.

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you aren't able to make it. I am still very ify myself. If only I were rich! Just sent you an email by the way.

[gamgeefest.livejournal.com]

Those are some great finds! But a permit to have a yard sale?

[dreamflower]

It's a recent thing. It doesn't cost anything, but you do have to get the permit and show it during the yard sale.

It's a way of cracking down on certain people who were putting junk in their front yards and leaving it 24/7 forever, with a "yard sale" sign stuck in the ground. And putting signs on other people's property. With the new rules, you can only have 4 yard sales a year, they can only go on for 72 hours at a time, and all itemes must be brought in at dusk. Plus it regulates where you can put signs, and that they have to be taken down as soon as the yard sale is over.

As is usual with lots of local code rules, it's penalizing everyone for the actions of a few.

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

Sounde like you'll have fun with this! I am looking for yard sales as well, but I've not seen any info yet. I've got some stuff to give away as well and it's the time of year schools hold the half-annual flea markets so it should be something. Unless it of course was this weekend when I was away...

*hugs*