Wednesday, April 13, 2016

yarn along: exploring new PNW places


We arrived home Monday night from a lovely trip to the Olympic Peninsula to visit a church at the end of our spring break.  I've spent my whole life in Washington but hadn't ever been all the way up to the tip of the Peninsula, and the town of Sequim is just beautiful.  We visited with a kind couple who showed us around their lovely area - from the waterfront and marina to hilly farmland dotted with cows and crops with the incredible Olympic mountains rising up in the background. There is a Native tribe in Sequim and they have beautiful artwork- totem poles and other designs-  that I loved seeing all around. I hope we get to go back sometime.  

I visited a yarn shop in Sequim called The Local Yarn Shop while Jesse took the girls to a nearby park.  While they ran around, I wandered happily around caressing yarn and trying to decide what to go home with.  I settled on a skein of Madeline Tosh Light in that beautiful gold and orange colorway above.  I am thinking about using it for a Starshower cowl but since I always seem to end up changing my  mind when I get down to casting on a project, I make no promises!  They had really gorgeous yarns, a good variety of high quality options.  After I browsed, I sat down and joined a group of ladies who were knitting away while I waited for Jesse to pick me up - of course I had my knitting because I always have my knitting.  I enjoyed all the clicking needles and beautiful projects trailing into laps and comfortable discussions about cables and errors and how to fix them and how the same pattern can look so different when knit with different colors.   The other skeins of blue I brought home are Berrocco pima cotton that I hope will suffice for a Kiddy Vertebrae for Millie.  I picked those up at Churchmouse Yarns and Teas while we waited for the ferry to take us from Bainbridge Island back over to Seattle.  What a treat to visit two yarn shops in one trip! 

Right now I'm working on Hitchhiker in Cascade Heritage Sock yarn.  Easiest knit of my life... I haven't made a single mistake to unknit. I love how the self-striping is turning out!

I am reading My Antonia by Willa Cather and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.  Both are very good and I wish I had more time to just sit and devour them but alas that pesky life thing keeps getting in the way.  I am also reading The Tanglewoods' Secret by Patricia St. John (excellent read for children!) and listening to The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas on CraftLit.  

What are you making and reading?  I have always loved making but the more time passes, the more it keeps my head and heart in a rhythm to create a thing of beauty.  Especially on a week like this where I am surrounded by laundry and overgrown weeds and half-finished home renovations!

Joining with Ginny for Yarn Along.

6 comments:

  1. gorgeous yarn you purchased! I change my mind so many times when I purchase something. I think that's one of the best things about being a knitter, the possibilities!!

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  2. It's a lot of fun to soak in some yarn fumes and then sit and knit isn't it? And two yarn stores? Hooray! You brought home some very pretty yarns.

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  3. Love your yarn stash enhancement! Beautiful colors!

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  4. I love your yarn purchases. My cousin lives on Bainbridge Island, so good to know there is a yarn shop there for when we visit this summer! My brother lived on Whidbey Island for years (Navy base) and I loved exploring the peninsula.

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  5. Yarn shopping and possibilities! You can always change your mind later. Sounds like you had a great trip!

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  6. Wow- what a great madtosh color!! And I love that you got to sit and knit awhile. A rare treat for me, to sit and knit with other people who love it as much as I do.:). I totally agree with your comment about knitting... It helps me stay sane and it's just amazing to be able to create something with yarn and needles and hands that is beautiful... Especially when there is chaos and messes and laundry surrounding most of the time:))

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