The actual yarn is not quite so candy-like. I didn’t buy more yarn. My partner graciously bought the yarn. See? So technically I’m still good for this month’s yarn budget, which I blew a few days into April. 
Here’s me playing reviewer:
The Store. We drove down to Adela’s Yarn in Castro Valley. Hundreds of untwisted, free-hanging skeins of yarn hang on dowells lining one wall, and racks throughout the store. The natural fiber yarns range from basics like Cascade 220 to high-end wools/alpacas/silks by Schaeffer, Great Adirondak, and other gourmet producers in a stunning array of colors at upwards of $40 per skein.
The owner, Antoinette, seems dedicated to carrying the full line of colors. She even shows off some colorways custom-dyed especially for her store. So there are somewhat fewer yarn choices, but an amazing color selection.
But the reason I went there, and want to return, was the selection of medium price range/higher-quality acrylics by Cascade, King Cole, Wendy/Peter Pan and the new brand Dark Horse. Neither my neighborhood LYS (Local Yarn Store) nor the nearby Michael’s carries any of these brands.
Best of all, the store is both knit and crochet friendly. One of their staff is a crochet designer, and the owner provided great service today. No snubbing just because I was a crocheter, and one looking at their least expensive yarns. While some of the garment samples were a bit dated in style, I definitely plan on visiting again.
The Yarn. I love natural fibers. But wool is too hot for summer and cotton is too hard on my injured wrist. Sometimes you want a nice synthetic. I couldn’t stop petting Cascade Yarns Cherub Collection and Wendy/Peter Pan 4-ply (distributed by Berroco), both DK weight, deliciously soft nylon/acrylic blends.
Antoinette explained that both are exactly the same yarn from the same mill in England, sold under differet labels. Good to know! These synthetics are so much more supple than Red Heart, Bernat, or even Patons acrylics. I went with five balls of Cherub in celery green (#31) for a cardi. $5/190 yard ball.
I also picked out a ball of light rose Dark Horse Yarns’ Fantasy, a worsted nylon/acrylic blend, $6/205 yard ball. Also extremely soft. Nice range of colors, from pastels and heathers to dark hues. The yarn came out in January, and Antoinette said that customers return again and again for this yarn. I’m looking forward to seeing how it works up.
