02.10.2006 | 19:26

How to get yarn as a souvenir

I read the Finnish comments and I started to think how to get yarn as a souvenir - that is, good yarn. Bying chocolate is in general a fairly easy thing, you can grab a box while you run from one checkpoint to another. However, if your hand luggage is checked because the chocolate might be a bomb, that probably won't guarantee chocolate the next time. ahem. "Codename Godiva: Finnish chocolate bomber caused confusion at the Munich airport early on Saturday morning..."

If I told you that you just need to find a good man, I'd be wrong. A man who does not buy yarn or other souvenirs is also a good man (how else would he qualify as a knitter's man?) and that would be oversimplifying the whole thing anyway. Of course, if your man has potential, the process is easier and to help you, I reveal my secrets:

1) Slowly but surely
You have to break your the man in a gentle way. When you whisper "Darling, what will you bring me as a souvenir?" at night in bed, he associates yarny souvenirs to having his feet tenderly caressed by bed socks (what did you think I'd write here?) and that inspires him to bring yarn to his beloved, that is, you. You can start this long before he leaves, but be moderate, otherwise he might get bored of this.

2) Attack is the best defense
Sometimes you just have to say it out loud. "Dear, bring me souvenirs" works out quite often and you can reply "Yarn, my love, yarn - and chocolate, my love, chocolate" to his quiet question "What do you want then?" That also takes us to the next tip.

3) Well planned is half done
When your man goes out on a trip, pay attention. Ask about his hotel, its name and location and find out the closest yarn shops, their opening hours and selection. Write down a couple of interesting yarns, their colours and the amount you need. Then go back to step 2 and e-mail that information to your man well before the journey. If your husband is an advanced yarn buyer, only a list of the desired materials is enough, becausehe remembers your favourite colour anyway, doesn't he?

4) Use his weak spots
"Honeybunny, your hotel is close to the historical centre of the town. When you go out for sightseeing, there is a yarn store near by, by the way..." worked here the last time. Replace "the historical centre" with an appropriate expression as needed, for example "a good record store", "your favourite football team's fan shop" or "a great pub that offers beer and bratwurst" might also work.

5) Pleas on synergy
"Honey, when you bring yourself beer/wine anyway, you could wrap the bottles in yarn balls so the bottles won't break." This is a good, old trick. In fact, it's so good that when we travelled during the Yarn Hamsters Stash Reduction time, Jussi asked worryingly how he could now protect his beer bottles.

Finally, you should remember that it all comes down to the right circumstances. The hotel must be close enought to the yarn shop and the yarn shop has to be open. No matter how hard I try, Jussi never makes it to Anntorps Väv in Stockholm in time.

« Katsokaa ja kadehtikaa | Blog | Kuinka saada lankatuliaisia »