Here is my yarn store info. I went to Black Mountain Weavers in Point Reyes, and dude, despite this San Francisco mag article, it sucked. It did have yarn from local dyers and weavers, including yarn spun from local Marin sheep, but the selection was so so so small, and it was all so expensive (all skeins were two digits) that it wasn’t really very good at all. (I will say that this yarn is unique, and of course, like other artisan/labor-intensive products, understandably expensive. However, having maybe some 40 skeins of yarn is not a very big selection!)

I did have a chance to go to ImagiKnit in the Castro, though only for a short period.

It wasn’t as nicely styled as say, Purl, here in New York, but it was quite big, and had a pretty big selection of a lot of stuff. The staff seemed pretty helpful, but between being too overwhelmed by choice, and the fact that I didn’t really need anything, I just ended up buying a copy of a vintage pattern. They had a big stack of old pattern leaflets from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I’m not sure what the copyright dealio on this is, but it was nice to be able to browse through them. I got a pretty cardigan pattern from the 50s.

Here’s photo of me in the wool room of Imagiknit. The other room is cotton/silk/acrylics. Each room is arranged from thickest yarn to thinnest, which is useful. (I am also committing a fashion faux-pas in this photo, i.e. wearing a dress over jeans. I had come from my sister’s graduation, but was cold, so I threw on jeans underneath and a polartec stolen from my sister on top, leading to the bag lady look.)

In summary, thumbs up to ImagiKnit, and thumbs down to Black Mountain Weavers.

Black Mountain Weavers: Only open Thurs-Mon, call ahead. 11245 Hwy. 1, Point Reyes Station, (415) 663-9130.

ImagiKnit: 3897 18th St., S.F., (415) 621-6642, http://www.imagiknit.com/