The news that Lidl* was stocking sock yarn heralded a stampede of bargain-loving knitters who wanted to get their hands on the £2.99 packs.
Egged on by tales from my fellow Foyles knitters about the colours to be had, I went to my local branch, in Cricklewood, and bought two packs of grey yarn.
I realised that there was another branch a couple of miles up the road in Kingsbury. So I stockpiled enough grey and cream packs to make an adult-sized cardigan.
While visiting my family in east London, I couldn't resist buying some more in the East Ham branch. Goodness knows how many packs I ended up with.
Then the news broke on Ravelry. Lidl was to recall the yarn. Once I knitted with it, I realised why. The yarn was labelled as superwash - but it most certainly isn't.
I used some as a contrast in a pair of socks for Matthew. The toes felted after a couple of wears. They hadn't even seen the inside of a washing machine.
Some will say, 'well, you get what you pay for,' but I disagree. I am just glad that I hadn't made the socks for someone else or started on a cardigan for myself.
Lidl is a chain of German no-frills supermarkets. To get customers through the doors, they'll sell a range of themed items at dirt cheap prices. I can't wait for Gadgets Week when I can buy a 'home planetarium' - though I'm not sure £49.99 is such a bargain!!