I'm not a morning person and I've had a lot of them lately. ;^) This morning was another one but it had a fun reason so worth hauling myself out of a warm cozy bed.
Arrived at
Orenco Station (not the actual stop but the businesses nearby) to find Bobbie, Angela and Karen already there. We added in Noriko before getting on the train. Picked up Sara and baby Connor at the Sunset Transit station. Bobbie and I knit out way into town. She worked on a mini-hat and I worked on the Karma One Row Scarf. I added an inch and a half to what I had cast on last night.
We got off at the China Town stop and walked past the closed Chinese Gardens and zig-zagged our way to Union Station. We had an hour to wait for the Seattle train. We were early because last year they arrived twenty minutes early - that didn't happen this year. I pulled out my yarn event book and had those present sign it. I got Joan Schrouder's and
Deb Accuardi's signatures, they're already 'famous'. ;^) Joan tried tempting us with knitting in Hawaii or the Swiss Alps. There's also a spring retreat in Newport that she'll be teaching at.
I had helped Rachel carry one of the two bags of fiber samples that Susan (Abstract Fibers) had sent along to give to the Seattle knitters. I did scoop up a half ounce of merino in Hydrangea that is a pretty pink/red with black. Then after the Seattle Knitters had their chance in the two bags, and to help Rachel combine the bags, I looked through and got two samples of SW Merino in Autumn, two BFL in Shady Grove and another Merino called Crater Lake (they're all in my 'stash' at Ravelry if you have access, if you don't you'll see them soon I'm sure).
From Union Station we headed out to Dublin Bay. My first time in there. It's a nice sized store with lots of lovely yarn. Some in shocking sizes to scare your credit card. ;^) I was doing well at resisting the yarny calls until Bobbie waved around this HUGE bundle of
roving at us. There I was with a chocolate finger in my left hand and a ripe juicy strawberry in the right and alternating bites (yes, getting my chocolate covered strawberry experience) and she's waving roving to be fondled. It's from Kerry Woollen Mills in Ireland. It's 100% organic combed wool. Bobbie found the one and only natural available and I was lured into getting a lovely Purple that isn't as shocking at the other Easter Egg colors they had on the shelf. It's a pound of roving that was $17 but we got a lovely 20% discount so that dropped it to under $14. They claim that there's enough to spin into a sweater.
From Dublin Bay we zig-zagged up the streets to head to Cupcake Jones (there was a brief stop at the Tea Zone for bubble tea for a couple members) and some delicious cupcakes. I picked up a mini one for the dogs (oatmeal and apple with a cream cheese frosting):
(sorry about the flash glare on the frosting). Then I picked out following minis: Peanut Butter & Jelly, Gingerbread Cookie and Caramel Latte:
The only larger cupcake I bought was the Peter's Chocolate Mint one:
I resisted temptation and didn't start eating them. I wanted to save for later. It's next door to a Ben & Jerry's, how decadent can you get?!
We then found our way to the well hidden Knit Knot. It's a tiny little store that is owned by a dog and looked like it had some nice earrings and scarf pins (from seeing them on some of the Seattle ladies). It was a bit crowded and hard to see all their yarns. Bobbie and Kathleen did get an awesome deal on an acrylic-mohair yarn that has futures as shawls.
There was a call for Cacao and some drinking chocolate, so a lot more zig-zagging finally found us there. We were able to have a shot or a cup (some decided a shot would have been more than enough - I'd already learned that one) and sit and relax for a bit and catch our second wind. We'd lost Camille and Noriko along the way by that time. But found them when we arrived at our next destination - Knit/Purl.
I truly looked for some Malabrigo Worsted or any other worsted that was under $20 for a future as some manly scarfs but was unsuccessful. Sandy B and Sara did oohh and aahhh at my knitted mini-samples. I'm assured that I'll be invited to the next Yarn Sampling. I think the photos will also appear on their blog too since Sara took photos.
Bobbie and I kept Kathleen company while she popped next door to
Josephine's Dry Goods store to pick up some material to make some skirts. Isn't it nice that there are people out there that still make their own clothes? Kathleen was wearing one of the lovely skirts that she had made too. We then walked a couple blocks over to meet up with knitters waiting at the Starbuck's (Susan and
Michelle). Fondled a Leyburn sock, made a mental note to do the twisted top if I do the sock out of the Doctors Without Borders STR. Then realized that food was needed if not that, then time to head back home.
Our group of eight ended up going in two directions. Bobbie, Sara and I to walk the couple blocks over to catch MAX back home and the rest of the group (Susan, Rachel, Angela, Karen and Michelle) to go to Dublin Bay. Kathleen I think was going to get a ride to get back to her car.
I must say that Connor did really well. He chilled in his chest carrier, nursed when able, napped, and flirted and had a high end diaper change in the hotel. It wasn't until near the end of the day that there was a slight crankiness that was easily distracted into chewing on a toy and flirting with grandparent types on the train. I never would have thought an eight month old could spend the whole day like that without a major blowout. Cool kid. ;^)
I had intended to cop out and just get fast food but since I needed to pick up dog food at
Nature's Pet I popped over to the New Season's Market and picked up some olives from their olive bar (very cool!), a mini loaf of sourdough bread and some homemade chicken alfredo. William and I'll eat a much healthier dinner that way. If he's lucky, I'll share halves of the mini-cupcakes. ;^)
My batteries are running low so I'm going to grab dinner and veg in front of the box and try not to fall asleep too early.
Oh! We're talking about doing a Portland to Seattle Yarn Crawl for late spring/early summer. Wonder how many yarn stores they have easily accessible from their train station?
The color is dark grey and fawn for the Romney-Perendale.
