Crap.

So, yeah...it's been almost two weeks since my last post.
Time to decide how much I want to reveal about myself here. I think I'm comfortable enough to say that I had a pretty serious bout of depression a couple years ago, and occasionally I still go through bad periods. It doesn't help that I have a bit too much time on my hands of late; time to dwell on stuff.
On a lighter note, part of my process of dragging myself out of the depths of despair involved some retail therapy of the yarn variety. I decided a while ago that everyone on my Xmas gift list is getting something handknit, or a book. Or both, if I really like them. I'm trying to knit mostly from stash since part of the point of this exercise is to save some moula - I can get a bit out-of-control with the shopping around the holidays - but since I tend to acquire stash in colours that appeal to me, I was a little low on manly-appropriate yarns. Somehow I can't see my 6'2" cousin wearing pink and purple socks.
S0 off to the yarn shop I toddled. I decided to visit a couple new (to me) stores, Tricot Quartier in NDG and Mouline. Tricot Quartier is cute, with a decent selection, but nothing particularly appealed to me for socks, especially socks that I am going to be knitting for a loooong time (6'2" man with size 13 feet...). However, I managed to grab a copy of Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks (I'd been looking for a good sock reference for a while) and some of those cute SOAK garment labels. Oh, and some Peruvia Colors in Berry Bush for a scarf (which will be gifted, I swear! Shut up, stop looking at me like that!)
Mouline is a yarn shop after my own heart - wicked selection, including some locally-dyed sock yarn (Tanis Fibre Arts - that link is for her etsy shop), the biggest Malabrigo selection I've seen here so far, and most importantly beaucoup sock yarn in guy-friendly colours. In addition, the owner Scott was a great help in figuring out some yardage issues (again with the ginormous socks for gigantor feet, but he has size 15's so he knew what he was talking about) and just generally super-friendly and chatty. He also really knows his stuff. I grabbed some Berocco Sox in Doon and...two skeins of the TFA (chestnut and stormy). These are also potentially for gifts but I may be tempted to keep them for myself.
Next time I think I will post the details of my Xmas knitting list, complete with pictures!