Travel in Pictures

I love travel. There's nothing like exploring a city that you have fallen in love with and always discovering treasures in every street.

Oregon Winter

by Jeanne McGahey

The rain begins. This is no summer rain,
Dropping the blotches of wet on the dusty road:
This rain is slow, without thunder or hurry:
There is plenty of time – there will be months of rain.


(this is a bubbling fountain in the summer)

I love TeaZone on 11th near Glisan, the little Ace Hardware store on Glisan, and Tea Chai Te on 23rd, and Pearl Bakery on 9th and the Whole Foods downtown and the Infants Story Time at the Library (and the awesome children's Librarian who helped us out so much!) and the poems on the MAX and the Pony Club gallery that displayed Amy's art, the little "Resting Garden" where I stopped each day...



On one walk, I stopped into a new Yarn Store on 11th, Urban Fiber:



Although the space is small, it was full of unusual, local yarns and accessories. There were so many beautiful fibers to choose from, and the prices were good. I fell for the cashmere blend in The Road to China and got enough for two winter scarves:



In the front, to the left of the door, is a cosy space with comfortable chairs for a small group of people to sit and knit - very friendly! Even the accessories were unique - I didn't think I would see anything new, but ended up with a nice little bag of unusual items. A friend of the owner makes the stitch markers, and they even have little lace markers. Since I knit on mostly small needles, this is the kind I like. I liked Urban Fibers and would like go to one of their knit nights or other group activities!

Another favorite of mine is Twisted, up on Broadway. This is quite a long way from the Pearl district where I am (I take the Gresham train) but is so worth the trip. When I visited this time, they had moved the enormous stock of fingering weight (sock) yarns across the entire right hand wall. The Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarns of all types - not just STR but also Silk Thread, Seduction, Peru, De-Vine, WooBu, Laci, and Geisha - covered two sides of the corner. This may not seem unusual to those of you who get to go to the Sheep and Wool Fairs and Sock Summits and Knitting/Spinning/Dying retreats where Blue Moon yarn fondling is rampant. But for someone who usually only views it online, this face-to-face encounter was pretty mind-blowing.

It was educational too. They had almost all of the new colourways and they were all different. It was amazing to see several skeins of the same colourway with none of them looking exactly alike. Often, there were two in the same colourway that were like fraternal twins, with the same depth of colour, but never more than two. I really had a jolt of realization of what “hand-dyed, two at a time” meant! It was amazing, and amazingly beautiful! And I realized that when I see a photo of a skein example online and expect the skein I order to look just like it, I am truly on the train to Looney Town, headed for City Central! Because - they are all different! Of course the colourways have a definite family resemblance, but none are identical twins. None. But each one is so beautiful! (did I say that already?)

Getting to choose the exact looks and depth of colour that I wanted was so much fun. I got a Spike that had a deep blackish red (the other two skeins had a lighter black) and a Drusilla with a lot of nice grey-mixed-with-red, and a Paula Mae that had an incredible little touch of light blue in one spot (one of the other skeins had that and third seemed to have no blue at all).



I also went crazy over the other yarns, especial A Verb for Keeping Warm. This yarn uses natural substances to dye their yarns so the colours are subtle and soft. There was so much to choose from that I stood back, on the other side of the store, to view the wall as a whole and then picked out the two skeins that my eyes kept going to again and again. It was quite funny, because, although they looked different from a distance, they turned out to be the same colourway!



Here is The Peacock's Wild Plume in Metamorphosis, the sport weight yarn with 70% Superwash Merino and 30% Silk... and The Peacock's Wild Plume in Annapurna, another sport weight in 80% Superwash Merino, 10% Cashmere, and 10% Nylon. So Soft!

Okay, so I got a little carried away with all the yarn love, but you know that I'll use it and lots of lovely cosy clothing will result. So it's a necessity, right?

I also visited Knit/Purl on Alder and 11th which is a lovely store but very inconvenient with a stroller and a sleeping baby and I have to say that, although my several experiences before the baby were great here, this time they followed me around like I was going to tuck yarn into my carriage. It was embarrassing. And although they opened and held the door for a couple of people ahead of me who were carrying their packages out, they actually stood right near me and smilingly watched me struggle with the heavy wood-and-glass door, the stroller, and my bag (with the Rowan book I had just purchased) as I tried to carefully back down the one big step out of the store without tipping over, and they never even stepped forward to hold the door! I didn't buy any yarn there, although there was a lot I wanted. I'll go back sometime when I'm over the sting of that experience and can visit on my own. Because I really do like the store and I know that sometimes people don't think to help until after the opportunity is over.

Now it's time to actually create something with the yarn I bought. Right now on the needles are a pair of Veylas in Indigo Moon black (from Twisted) and I'll also make a hat from this... I found two scarves in the newest Holiday Vogue (they have a section with several lace scarves) that will be perfect for the cashmere Road to China yarn, and as for the STR... The Paula Mae will be stockings for Jule, the Spike will be knitted ribbed pants for the baby, and the Drusilla will be for me. The Annapurna cashmere blend from A Verb for Keeping warm was going to a Peak's Island Hood, but there is not quite enough yardage, so I need to re-think that... There is the Holly Berry Cowl in the latest Piecework magazine, and although it's gauged for lace weight, I might be able to adapt it... So many possibilities!

I have traveled around the country pretty extensively, but I do have some favorite places. One of those places is Portland, Oregon and I've been visiting there a lot lately. I spent some time in Northwest Portland a couple of weeks ago, and really wanted to stay longer. I stayed in a charming Guesthouse that spanned 3 old houses, side by side, connected by their back gardens and porches.



I was given two rooms at the top front of the end house, and had a wonderful picture window under the eaves, that was shaded by tall, leafy trees. The wide bed was incredibly comfortable, and I slept deeply - something that often doesn't happen when I'm away from home. Right across the street was a great coffee & tea shop where I spent many happy times, and we all gathered one afternoon to draw comics and talk and make plans. I had Rooibos tea, and they prepared it in a French Press.



One day, we went to the Portland river market, in search of local honey. But rather than a Farmer's Market, like we have here, this market - that stretched all along the river - was an artist's market, like a perpetual craft fair. There was no honey. But, there were some really beautiful handmade things, and I did buy some dried sweet potatoes for the dogs.

Another rainy day, we took the bus to a big paper warehouse, to get paper and supplies for books and comics (I also got some plastic sleeves for mailing my knitting zine). It seemed like a long way away, and after we left the bus, we walked through winding streets lined by warehouses and very few people. We passed by a warehouse for an auction house, and it was open, so we wandered in. It turned out that everything waiting for auction was for sale, and it was great fun sorting through boxes and bins. In some cardboard boxes under a table, we found a whole set of Jadite china. I bought Jule some soup bowls and a big mixing bowl with a handle and a pouring lip, because her Jadite mixing bowl had fallen off the counter the day before and shattered, as Jadite does.

Another day, we walked down to a local Yarn shop, Knit/ Purl, to check on my knitting zine. It turned out that it had never made it to the manager's hands - perhaps put on her desk and then buried under days of mail... So we left another and chatted with her a bit and - of course - perused the yarn.

They were having a sale on Catherine Lowe's Couture Yarns, so I picked up some skeins of the luscious extra fine merino - 400 yards each for less than the cost of a good loaf of bread.



I believe that this is the same Catherine Lowe who used to write The Ravel'd Sleeve - an antique knitting newsletter with patterns. I've never been able to get my hands on a copy, though I want to, badly...

This yarn store also has a very nice big collection of Habu Textiles. I found some unusual examples that had to come home with me:

Navy blue wrapped cotton (for a summer baby hat):



and 700 yards of some incredible silk and fiddlehead fern fiber. This is going to a lace wrap, perhaps an Ishbel:



I was also captured by the wall of Handmaiden Yarns - they do make beautiful hand dyed yarn - and splurged on Flaxen, a blend of 65% silk and 35% Linen in the colour "Smoke". Two skeins should be enough for a shrug.



My last purchase was a bright little sample of beaded silk in Blaze, a fire-red. The sample if from Planet Earth fibers, and this will probably become an edging on something fun.



I love souvenir yarn!

This trip was so fun and we all got addicted to Dominion (a role-playing game) and I made some good food for the whole group, as well as eating great food made by friends (gluten-free peanut butter cookies - Yum!!). I can't wait to go back.

The Teal of Sean

What do I know about Sean? He has an Elven magic and works in a hospital. He is an artist and cartoonist and very kind to his friends. He rocks the turquoise/teal - the colour of his jacket... I think (hope) he'll like this scarf.



Stats:

I used 4 skeins of Noro Silk Garden, 50 grms each

The main colour was two skeins of colour #47 - Browns, Tans, and Black
The first contrasting colour was #244 - Rust, Yellow, Teal and the second contrasting colour was #245 - Yellow, Teal, Turquoise, and Purple

The pattern (from Brooklyn Tweed's website) called for needles size 7, but I used size 5 needles and was glad I did! The scarf is about 6 inches wide on the smaller needles and the stitches are pretty loose. I wouldn't want it any bigger or looser. It was just a mistake, at first. I had an Addi lace needle that I started with and thought was a 7. When I decided to switch to straight needles, and noticed how much bigger the straight sevens were than the Addi I was using, I realized it was really a 5 and decided to stay with that.

The scarf is 6 feet long, but I don't think it matters if yours turns out a little longer or shorter...

I'm really happy with this and the way the neutral main colours really mellow out the contrasting colours. Even though it's July, I'm going to send this off to Sean as a thank you for all the help he gave on the day of the wedding. When he opens it, he'll probably think, "heh?" but when winter comes, he'll wrap up in it and be happy...

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The July shipment of the Blue Moon Rockin Sock Club came early this month (SPOILER below!), because all the Blue Moonies are busy getting ready for the Portland Sock Summit and Marketplace in the Convention Center. When I was in Portland last month, I stayed at the Red Lion hotel that is right next door. It's in a really convenient spot and the train is right across the street and you can get anywhere from there.

If you're going to the Sock Summit - don't miss going to Twisted. They carry Blue Moon yarn I hear and I know they are super nice! (I'm in their Single Skein Club this year). And don't forget VooDoo Doughnut:



We ate all the funny ones out of this box already - the blunts with red sprinkles on the tips and they also have a voodoo man which is shaped like the gingerbread man and has red jelly inside the squishes out with you poke him...Someone even brought Voodoo Doughnuts to the wedding reception! Very wise idea. a good omen.


Another place I can recommend whole-heartedly is Urban Fondu. We spent a really fun evening there and the dinner was incredible - We had Tillamook Cheddar fondu and then had the dark chocolate dessert fondu.

Now for the Sock Club Spoiler.... Definitely Don't Look if you are in the club and want to be surprised.....

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Garden Daze, a riff on Heirloom tomatoes and all things gardeny in this hazy July...picture taken in my raspberry bushes...

...and what I did while in Portland...

My recent trip to Portland included much running around the city, which – to me – is like a collection of distinct towns connected together by a great train/ bus/ subway/ trolley system. The architecture is beautiful – I kept thinking that I should take pictures of the buildings, but unfortunately was so often distracted by the “Oh! That’s Pretty!” in the windows. I remember an apartment building that had winged Sphinxes on it’s four corners…

I did do some yarn-related shopping, visiting Knit/Purl on 1101 Alder Street and The Yarn Garden on S.E. Hawthorne Blvd. (The #14 Hawthorne bus stops at 14th avenue on both sides of Hawthorne). Both places were great fun and had big comfy chairs for my non-knitting friends to sit while I browsed, but neither had local yarns from indie dyers. I kept expecting Portland stores to carry Blue Moon Fiber Arts, but was disappointed in that respect.



We went to the Yarn Garden first, and it was there that Jule found copies of HandKnit Heroes for me!! I was super excited! I read both zines on plane on the way home, but was a bit stymied by the microscopic lettering and the poor airplane cabin lighting. I’ll have to re-read them at the kitchen table with a magnifying glass. I think I managed to get most of the words right. Both patterns (each magazine includes one knitted item) are great – a hooded scarf with pockets (very 1920’s!) and a mesh beach or market bag.

Yarn Garden had a whole shelf of Japanese knitting books. I wanted about 10 of them, but they were all very expensive – mostly between $25 and $35. I contented myself with one – the 300 knitting motifs. I haven’t had a chance yet to look through the whole book, but I’m really, really hoping that these knitting pattern (lace mostly) are different from the US stitch dictionaries that I have. The girl at the counter told a funny story about all the customers who buy these Japanese knitting books and then return them because...well, they're written in Japanese!



On another day, we went to Knit/Purl. Knit/Purl is one of those shops that goes on and on and on with multiple rooms. One of the last rooms had a huge table full of knitting and crochet books on clearance! And at the counter was a display of used needles. I was in heaven pouring through this collection, and found some of my favorite vintage circulars: Bates Circulon, an early 50’s plastic that is warm and pliable. I even found one that has metal tips in bright blue and the rest of the needle and the cable between the tips is Circulon! There were also several used Addi Turbos that I got for a much reduced price. I don’t know why someone would sell their Addis, but … lucky me! (I left many, many of these behind BTW – in case you want to get some). They were not damaged in any way and I checked the joins which were nice and smooth. I gathered mostly smaller and shorter sizes for sock and baby knitting.



I also picked up a nice skein of green single ply silk (I love this yarn!) but I don’t remember which store had this. Both has extensive collections of posh yarns – walls and bins of silks! Knit/Purl had a bin of MadelineTosh and I wished I could justify getting more of this, but I couldn’t. I got just the one skein of silk to make these wristers:



Now – if I could only finish my Lily of the Valley Shawl so I could start them!!