The first yarn shop we went to was Wild Fibers. They had a nice selection of yarn, buttons and very amusing note cards about knitting that we laughed out loud at. I spent quite a bit of time looking at the sample felted bags - I aim to try my hand at such endeavor someday soon. I purchased two patterns for children's sweaters - one with an intarsia pattern of a puppy and one depicting a kitten. We walked two blocks down the street to Hellen's Needlework which is a venerable institution for needleworkers. She has been in business nearly 30 years which speaks volumes about her knowledge of knitting, crochet and sustainabilty of a storefront location throughout varying economic conditions over the decades. I bought some more ladybug buttons (whatever for?) and a set of Addi needles 40 inch in length. I like to support my local yarn stores - even if "local" ends up being 70 miles from home!5 miles outside of Mt. Vernon towards Camano Island, I thankfully had the instant state of mind to carefully maneuver my vehicle in such a way to avoid being rear ended by a distracted teenager in a huge Ram truck who screeched to an angled stop mere inches from my bumper. Scottie and I were not concerned with our own personal safety but rather with the project bags filled with knitting in the back cargo area in proximity to possible mishap. We arrived at Arlene's house about 10 minutes earlier than the rest of the group. It is such an enchanting location on a bluff overlooking the water with a glimpse of distant mountains and the eastern edge of Whidbey Island. Eagles were soaring, verdant trees held vigil over the oceanside cliffs, and the backyard orchard held promise of apples, figs, pears and grapes. I was in a state of bliss. So calm, peaceful and beautiful. Just what I needed to reconnect and take temporary respite from the working world.
I ventured out for two extraordinary walks on the beach - one with Scottie on Saturday morning and one early Sunday morning with Arlene. Being close to the water and looking at the shells, round rocks, driftwood and seaweed brought back memories of Adak Island where I grew up in the Aleutians. Site is similar also to Richmond Beach, which was close to my first Seattle home many years ago. Over the weekend, I spent almost as much time eating as I did knitting. How could one resist? We had some amazing meals: Salmon Saute with green beans, corn and tomatoes, Tangy salad with cilantro, edamame and oranges, Portuguese soup, Crustless-quiche, Spinach soup, Chocolate chip cookies, Scones, Blueberry crisp and chocolate-cherry tort. I will later post the recipe for the Salmon Saute and salad on this blog. I know my mom will love them!
The big development over the weekend was not knitting but adopted animals! Scottie is the proud owner of two baby kittens (Hank and Erin) from the Camano Island animal shelter. The felines are still awaiting spay and neuter so Arlene will be transporting them back to the Big City in a week or so. On Sunday we packed up the cars and headed back home. Donna, Arlene and Elaine had collaborated to teach me the Magic Loop method. I had bought the wrong size needle at Hellen's two days before and wanted to find a yarn store on the route home so that I could use the needle and knit the sleeves during travel on my business trip this week. Alas, the stores in the vicinity that we were familiar with were closed on Sunday so we went to a store in Mill Creek called Main Street Yarn. We were so ecstatic to be in a yarn store again (after 34 hour break) that we called Arlene and recommended she and the rest of the entourage take the detour as well. The sales clerk in the Main Street Yarn store was simply darling. She was friendly, knowledeable and extremely helpful - especially to the 5 of us who were like locusts as we descended upon the shop. The sales clerk's mother was in the store knitting at a nearby table and she was lovely as well, especially having taught her now adult daughter to knit at the tender age of 7. I was so envious of that transfer of skills and the creation of a lasting bond over a common activity. The store was very attractive - lots of books, patterns, spacious aisles, a wide variety of yarn, standard and unusual knitting assessories, well organized creative displays and an abundance of natural light. I would highly recommend the store for anyone in the area - it was quite a treat. Speaking of treat, I did so for myself by purchasing some exquisite rapsody yarn in an pale iris color with tiny, shimmery beads. It reminded me of my grandmother and I didn't want to leave the store without it in my possession! My ambitions are to turn it into a rectangular lace shawl but the investigation of such will have to wait until the future when I can consult with Naomi, my lace guidance counselor. I also bought some variagated-but-mostly-purple sock yarn and Lucy Neatby knitting essentials DVDs. What a wonderful weekend! It was perfect. Great scenery, food and comaraderie. Who could ask for anything more? Rob and Whimsy greeted me with a warm welcome home and dinner of grilled salmon, rice, salad and blackberry cobbler. I wish I could stay home and play with my new toys but I have to pack for an early morning flight to the land of diamonds, lace and chocolate - Belgium!
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