Bangrila!

The past three days have been spent in a magical part of Washington state. An invite from dear Naomi led me to Bangrila - namesake of a beautiful home on serene Lake Spencer in Mason County. I faced my fear of "high bridges over water" and anxiously made my way over the dreaded Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Driving 42 mph in a 55 mph zone across the scary span with a long caravan of impatient vehicles close behind me. I stopped in Gig Harbor to see Val and Jonas who are longtime friends of my parents. It had been way too many years since I have last seen them. I spent 2 hours catching on the latest news regarding their wonderful sons & special grandchildren as well as sharing updates on my family. They fed me a yummy lunch and gave me some tips for my upcoming business trip to Budapest since Val's brother lives south of that city. It was wonderful to see them. They are so warm, friendly and loving - I definitely need to visit more frequently. It was just the exact warming of my heart that I so sorely needed at the time. I then drove towards Shelton where Bangrila is located. Enroute I stopped at the Knit Shop in Allyn and purchased some gorgeous deep purple yarn from Cascade which had arrived at the store that very day. I also found some chocolate brown buttons that were perfect for the blue striped henley baby sweater I was knitting in place of the abandoned Ladybug sweater. The owner was very friendly and helpful. It was a pleasant store that had a nice selection of yarn and spinning materials. Informed that the rest of my "party" had been to the store a few hours earlier, I headed out for the final leg of my journey to Bangrila.

Once I arrived at Bangrila I found Ellen, Naomi, Sarah and Amy on the back patio, knitting and enjoying the scenic lake view. Sarah had arrived from Michigan a few days earlier and had made the necessary rounds to more than half a dozen of the best local yarn stores. Sarah is the effervescent owner of The Plucky Knitter and the creative force behind the most incredible hand dyed yarns. Lose yourself in her web site at http://www.thepluckyknitter.com/

After Michale arrived that evening, we made dinner and feasted on healthy spaghetti, salad, bread and cheesecake. Amy was generous and shared her $7 chocolate covered bacon candy bar with the rest of us. Naomi showed me how to do a german cast on which is more flexible than the cable cast on I used on the Baby Surprise Jacket. Most exciting is that she and Ellen showed me how to knit socks on two circular needles. I am beside myself with glee. I anticipate a lot more hand knitted socks in my future now that I don't have to tangle with double pointed needles! Ellen is such a fast knitter. I was mesmerized at how fast she could add rows to the sweater she was knitting. The next morning I woke up early and went for a long walk through the woods and on a trail near the lake. Melinda arrived and we all went to a local eatery for lunch. Half of us selected an entree containing Dungeness crab. Not quite as good a substitute as my favorite Alaskan King crab but pretty darn close! Next stop was to be at Fancy Images yarn store in Shelton. The outside of the store is painted cheery colors and the flowers and nearby garden are enchanting. The store had a lot of hand dyed yarn and kits w/blended yarns and custom buttons to make colorful, artistic sweaters and hats for babies. Simply darling. I purchased some buttons and hand painted yarns. I think I have enough yarn now. Someone save me from myself!
The next day found Amy learning to spin using one of Ellen's wheels. She went from being a novice filled with trepidation to skilled confident spinner in no time at all. I was so impressed! Sarah finished the sleeves of her alpaca sweater and modeled it with her fabulous new red shoes. Her dear husband Bob arrived from Michigan and they made plans to leave early the next morning for a week touring other Pacific Northwest venues such as Mt. Rainier and Victoria, BC. Michale made a delicious risotto that was paired with salmon and parmesan coated zucchini. Can I take her home with me?I began knitting a sock on two circulars using hand dyed yarn in Seahawks colors. Midnight blue, medium blue, white and lime green. Fun! Sunday morning a few of us settled in for the Seattle Seahawks versus Buffalo Bills game. Unfortunately the game was not so much fun. Alas, my beloved NFL team lost 10 to 34. And wide receiver Nate Burleson out for the season due to a torn ACL. Yikes. The disasterous game cast nary a shadow over the joyful weekend filled with learning, laughter and comraderie of other knitters. Such a treat. I am so grateful.After leaving Bangrila I drove to Shipwreck Beads in Lacey, outside of Olympia. Anything to avoid a trip over the bridge. Shipwreck Beads is advertised as the "world's largest bead store" and that is no exaggeration. The store is approximately the size of a gymnasium and has numbered aisles, similar to those in a grocery store. There is even an onsite cafe! I purchased Swarovski crystals, beading wire, and strands of clear chinese cut glass, pale aqua bottle glass, coral, jade, onyx and aventurine. I have some necklace and bracelet designs in mind to make but not sure when I will be able to execute on those visions. More yarn than time. More beads than time. The bead store made me recall the first time I had gone on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland in California almost 30 years ago... I was more enthralled with all the beads strewn about the site than with the special effects created for that ride. That should have been a clue to me way back when! I went to the airport to pick up Rob as he arrived tired but exhilerated from his weeklong bike ride in Colorado. Whimsy dog is happiest when we are all home together. Smile.