Desperately Seeking...

So back to the checklist.

Yarn?

Ummm, maybe I need to ask louder.

YARN?

Yeah. Well, I did actually find the yarn store. Yes, I said THE yarn store. It is the only one listed here. Wednesday afternoon after we had returned from visiting the school, I asked the driver to take me to the shop. I had the address and name from the Knit Map and I showed it to our driver, Manju. (Do contact him if you ever need a driver in Bangalore. His English is pretty good and he is fairly knowlegable about getting around the city!) Manju got sort of a concerned look on his face and said, "Why do you want to go there?" I explained that I was looking to find some yarn for knitting, actually I think I said crocheting as well thinking that he might understand that word more easily. Then he said that he couldn't drive me in there as it was too congested and that there was no parking. I said it was fine for him to drive me close by and I could walk in. He hesitantly agreed and we headed out. Now this shop is located in the Bangalore Central Market area. I guess you would say that it is more of a traditional shopping area and is absolutely packed with little shops in which you could probably find just about anything you would be looking for. Well almost, but we'll get there.

So, I am walking down the street, the only white person in sight, once again alone. But I didn't feel too uncomfortable, I just went about my business and tried to find the shop. I walked, and walked and looked for the shop. It was almost impossible to see any individual signs because there are just so many. The visual stimulation combined with the near constant "beep, beep", people passing going both ways, constantly watching where my feet were landing in hopes of preventing tripping or stepping in any potholes, mud puddles or other unpleasantness. I encountered a local who chatted me up and asked if I had had lunch yet, how about coffee? tea? I politely declined and he eventually left me on my own. But after some time of walking and noting the approaching flyover I realized that I must have passed the shop I was looking for. I spotted a Sari silk shop across the street that had actual windows and doors and so I went over in hopes of getting some help and directions. A gentleman approached and asked if I needed any help, when I showed him the name of the shop I was looking for he commented that it had the best materials and I was headed to the right place. He asked where I was from, why I was there, do I have children, what are their ages, where are they studying.... all typical Bangalore style meet and greet. He then took me outside and gave me specific directions on how to find the shop I was looking for. I eventually did find the shop after a couple of more diversions and they have:

Acrylic yarn.

Embroidery thread.

Cotton fingering/lace weight "thread"

and Silk fingering/lace weight "thread"


So I purchased a 40 g. skein of the cotton and a 50 g. cone of the silk. I will try them out and see what they are like. Total cost? 38 Rupees. That's about $1.00 US.