Miscellaneous ramblings...and a camel

We went to the Racine zoo and I met this creature who ate alfalfa pellets from my hand, and then proceeded to bite me as I attempted to pour more food into my hand. It makes me marvel at the first person who decided to comb a camel for fiber to knit... a desperate person who was probably really happy to (I hope) discover sheep or goats later on. There was also a terribly aggressive long-horn cow, or possibly a steer... it was bovine for sure, at the petting zoo. A good idea? I think not. It would not let me feed the llamas it was penned in with, and in trying to save my own eyes my finger got mashed between the stupid cow's horn and the fence post. There was blood. Mine. It stung like the dickens. So, Racine zoo people, wtf with the giant horned beast in the 'petting' zoo?

In other travel news, I did a very limited stash enhancement and explored (or attempted to) some of the Milwaukee area yarn shops. Here's the haul, with 2nd Kiogu sock still on the needles(today has been hellish):

First, to the owner of Barbara's Yarn Garden... oops, ya missed out on a huge sale. Hope your lunch run was as satisfying as it was long. I had more fun shopping the next day at 'Loop Yarn Shop' in Bayview. It's tiny and funky and the subway tiles and vintage mosaic floor just add to it's charm. There is a massive felted bag hanging way up high which is Olympic knitting if I've ever seen it, and the yarns span the color and price spectrum, so there's something for everybody. She's also savvy to the 'magic loop' technique, so, Loop-yarn-chick... you rock. My second shop of that day was Ruhama's in Whitefish Bay. I have always loved the selection there. It was there that I discovered Kiogu yarn for the first time, which cemented my fate as a knitter of socks. It was there that I first heard of EZ's passing, and can remember the painful stinging behind my eyes, the choking lump of sorrow in my throat, at the passing of knitting's greatest champion. In that shop. My knitting life history is tied up with that shop, which makes it all the more galling at how cold and disinterested the staff were. People, get a clue. You sell yarn, customers have the cash. Make an effort... look alive. Geesh, the biddies at the table debating 'gladiola' colors were more entertianing... at least they had a pulse... or pacemakers, at the very least. So, I bought, but may not go back for quite some time. End rant. Now a screeching toddler needs a bit of attention and Mommy needs a Xanax. Have a good night, y'all.