Oh Laurie! You are so lucky. The nearest yarn shop to me is over an hour away. BLECH
There are times that I wish I lived in a city....but then I almost immediately come to my senses again!!!!

And not only are we the only ones who make any sense, we are also armed with nice, sharp, pointy sticks!

Laurie, my cats chewed through my yarn again! I left a tiny bit of it hanging out of my knitting basket and they chewed right through it. Luckily, it was at the end of the row, so I can just join it there, but still.....

Congratulations on the article, sweetie!! I'm so proud!!! (thump, thump, thump....that's my proud and happy heart!)

I've never been to Los Angeles but maybe someday. I saw Stephanie from Unwind on Knitty Gritty yesterday. It looks like a wonderful shop.

Enjoy your day, Laurie!

Very nice. I wish I could remember the name of the shop in Encinitas that stayed open past closing because I was a clueless tourist and my husband had taken the car and the child in search of diapers. They didn't want to "throw me out in the cold". You know, because it's chilly in Encinitas in July.

Wahhhh! The link won't work for me!!!!

It didn't work for me either. But this is the year I finally learn to knit! Yay! I recently found a LYS nearby and I will be taking lessons. I'm excited!

The link won't work for me either...behind a firewall?!?!?

Laurie, I highly recommend the new Rocky movie if you are in need of a pick me up (and like Rocky of course).

I was expecting to hate it and think OMG WHY? But, I loved it.

Speaking of Rocky, I've always wondered if Stallone knits, muttering to himself, "yo, ssk!"

Ahem. Moving right along. Hi! I have shown the comment love, although as I said therein LA is on my list right up there with Bali, Cozumel and the moon. That of course would be the list of places I'd love to visit but may never get to. Sigh... maybe I should call up one of those shops and order some yarn...

Hooray!

Laurie, have you been to Slipt Stitch in El Segundo? It's a great little shop, with a good yarn and book selection, and far and away the best needle selection I've seen anywhere. It's friendly and in a nice section of downtown El Segundo, and -- this is the most amazing part to me -- there is always easy parking when I go.

Do you find Stitches from the Heart is kind of variable? They'll be nice one time, and nasty and grumbling that the previous customer "didn't buy enough" the next. I guess with volunteers you sometimes have to take what you can get, but my last visit sure didn't leave me feeling all warm and fuzzy about going back.

Hi Laurie,

Barbara B. clued me in to your list. I don't know the etiquette for yarn shop owners posting on customer blogs :), but you deserve a "public" thank you for being a great Unwinder! And thanks for putting us front and center in your list. Keeping a yarn shop going is crazy hard work, so how wonderful to have folks like Crazy Aunt Purl supporting us.

Happy Holidays to all!

Carrie,
Was it The Black Sheep in Encinitas? That store has one amazing collection of yarn. I went there before I even learned to knit and I just walked around forever touching all the fabulous yarns there. I'm afraid to go back now that I knit - I don't think my budget could handle it!!

Loved the list CAP - I'm going to have to take a road trip soon!

Gooooo Laurie!!! I shall memorise the list for when I can get to the US one day and spend my return ticket money on yarn.

How cool. You are now LA's most famous knitter, sort of like an Angelina Jolie of yarn! Make sure these stores give you discounts now for mentioning their name in print!

The AJ of yarn. HAH. How true. All you need to do is adopt orphan balls of yarn from foreign countries. . .

Somehow, that doesn't seem so absurd.

Also, Common Threads in Encinitas is a fabulous place, with incredible varieties, great staff, and a house cat!

THANKS for another year of smiles and sharing your life with all of us. As a native of Los Angeles, a knitter, and referee of three cats, I relate to your daily postings.
And your pictures/photos with captions....always a delight!

Very cool! Purl speaks, we listen. Grandma looks great and so did your cupcakes, yum.

I tried the link again, this time without trying to open it in a new window which it automatically did on its own and it worked!

Woo Hoo! I finally got the link to open and there you are!! Congrats on the press, you are such a celebrity. I am so happy we have our crazy aunt purl!!
Grandma does look good! Does she have a flock of boyfriends yet?

*snork*

Orphan balls of yarn!

I could be humanitarian. You know, just for the yarn's sake. Wouldn't want a single one to feel unwanted. Nope.

Hey you are Fay-mouse in LA!!!

I sense that book deal for you in '07 coming on....

you go girl! Getting more an more famous each day. Soon you'll be telling us the four cats are fighting over sharing an agent.

Laurie,

Congrats on the post, you rock! I will be leaving Southern CA next week to move to Bellevue, WA so maybe I can add a few stores to the list in that area! And, today I found out that I will have a weekend job at a fabulous yarn shop up there! Whoohoo! I can hear it now- "Step away from the yarn, and no one will get hurt" :)

hey Laurie

thanks so much for submitting your list! it appears to be (like everything you touch) a huge success!

happy holidays!

tp

You are just too cool for words.

*looking over shoulder and muttering to cats* "You don't think that she's trying to be the next Empress of the Universe, do you? Because I thought I was a shoe-in for that job..."

Thanks for sharing the list. I'm going to be in the LA area (Seal Beach) for about three weeks in January and for most of the month of May. I think my trip goal will be to get to each of these shops and really open my eyes to what's out there. We live in MAJOR rural nowhere in Michigan and the closest thing to an LYS is the Michaels that's over an hour away and that doesn't count even a little bit. I fear I will come home with major debt...LOL
As always, you rock!

WOW - very impressive...I'd say you have hit the big time! Just don't forget the "little people" now that you are famous :)

Good Job, Laurie! I'll be there next week for the Armenian Christmas celebrations - and plan on spending Christmas cash at the LYS - definitely plan on hitting Unwind and La Knitterie - but do you - or any of your commenters - know of a great shop for sock yarns?? Thanks!

Liz G. - A Mano has a good selection of skinny yarns, or at least they did last time I was there. Which was too long ago.

For some reason, I couldn't comment on the Laist site. But, good work again, Laurie! Now, here's the ideal career...they can send you out on assignment around the country to list the top ten yarn stores in every metropolitan area! Yarn purchases will be deductible, as necessary business expenses...

Liz G -- also, online store yarnzilla (www.yarnzilla.com) has sock yarn, too.

I truly think having knitters featured in Time is a great idea. They (we) are so eclectic, creative, generous, witty, etc.

"I truly think having knitters featured in Time is a great idea. They (we) are so eclectic, creative, generous, witty, etc"...

But I'm still to see how knitting advances mankind? :-( Perhaps I am missing something...

Thank you for the fab list! I'm lucky enough to have 3 lys, but I love knowing where to go when I visit LA...

Yeah for the knitting list. I have become a recent frequenter and weekend employee of A Mano! Hope to see you there!