Ramblings of an upset mind

Today I found out that I've been kind-of-blacklisted at a local yarn store.

I KNOW! A yarn store, right? Knitters are supposed to be kindly, easygoing people. Or so I thought.

But I was the subject of some (apparently) rather catty remarks. It doesn't feel very good.

swift: zanyshani 

What did I do to bring that upon myself? I asked (ASKED!) if I could use their swift and ballwinder to wind some yarn that I had bought online.

That's it.

When I went into the store, there were a few ladies sitting around knitting, and the store employees were chatting with them. The swift and winder were sitting idle. Nobody was even shopping at the time.

ballwinder: LollyKnit

I asked if I could wind my yarn, and was told that it would be okay, as long as it was yarn purchased at that store. I said that it hadn't been, and was told that then I couldn't wind it there. Okay, then. That's fine. And then the woman I was speaking to implied that if I came back some other time, when there weren't any other customers present, that it would be alright for me to wind my yarn then.

But apparently, after I left, there was great discussion about how I could even think that it might be okay, and what kind of a rude person I must be, and how *could* that employee  even consider my request.

So I went in again this morning, to the now-empty store, and asked if it would be okay for me to wind my yarn. That's when I heard all about the kerfuffle I'd caused.

Black Water Abbey yarn: feydesigns

I totally understand that they want to keep the swift and winder for their customers' use... but I AM their customer. I buy most of my wool there. The only reason I'd bought this particular yarn online is because it simply isn't sold in stores, and "my" store didn't have a substitute.

Now I feel uncomfortable going back to that store. Which means that I'm that much more likely to buy more stuff online instead of locally. Which is kind of sad.