Portlandia and Yarnia

For mid winter break, we thought we'd look for our adventures in Portland this week. I had three goals: Food, Coffee and Yarn! I can say that every goal was met beyond my expectations!

What a great place to get away for the feel of a different city, with fantastic restaurants and all within either trolley or walking distance from our hotel. Shown here, a fabulous meal at Pazzo. Filet mignon prepared "just so"...over braised kale and roasted sea salted fingerling potatoes. Need I say more? My husband had the duck. I was too busy eating mine to ask him about

how he liked his!

   

 House made bread...carbo-licious!

 Tiramisu, of course for dessert...the best we'd ever eaten.

 So, as you can see, the food part of the story was going well. Now for the yarn and coffee hunt.Within a short trolley ride we found ourselves in the Pearl District. And while I waited for a yarn shop to open (they were late!)...pretty views like this were near by.

 Coming back to the yarn shop, after getting coffee, I found they had opened. I had been here once before: Dublin Bay Knitting Company.

They have a lovely selection, though sometimes not the particular brand or type you might find readily elsewhere. I was looking for a chunky wool but ended up finding a chunky worsted cotton from Blue Sky Alpaca instead.

 My little purchase in the color "Jasper", awaiting the trolley. 5 skeins should be enough to do the pattern, Sidecar Jacket.

Besides yarn, the main reason I am walking around out here in the Pearl District is to find the Sisters Coffee, always a favorite of ours when we head down to Bend, OR.  This is one of their newer stores.

 And I was not disappointed...aaah!

 Lots of shops to browse in through the Pearl District. In the Keen store I found this cute chalk art sign and met the artist/clerk. A very fun discovery!

Another fabulous dinner out at the famous "Paley's". A trolley ride into the Pearl landed us practically at the door step. Set inside a large house in huge living room setting, is a gem of a restaurant.

My exquisite 4 oz. rib eye on a bed of farrow, with peppers and beef jus. Delectable!

For dessert, vanilla creme brulee and complimentary coconut macaroons. Our tummies happily rode the chilly trolley ride home.

Our last day, so I must make the most of getting up early and off to fetch my second latte of the trip at Stumptown Coffee, another favorite we also discovered in Bend that has since opened also in Seattle. So I have met the food and coffee goals, indeed.

Though I have a destination point to reach: Voo Doo Doughnuts. I have heard about this place, apparently open 24/7 and it had a line around the block the day prior to my visit. Today, however being a regular work day for most people, I had the place to myself.

It is the quirkiest place you will find, with more sugar on each doughnut than you ever thought imaginable. I came for the bacon and maple bars, their most popular one. I ended up settling for something smaller and just getting a picture of all the madness in the case that you can pick from.

Satisfied with my choice, and now REALLY needing to get in my walk for my "Walk Challenge" that I started this week, in an even bigger way...I headed over to Powell's Books back by our hotel. That might give me, oh 1/2 a mile or so and burn a few calories.

 It looks like even the dogs around here are in need of a little scarf and leggings.

Well will you look at this? This whole entire wall filled with books about knitting! And a little birdie said they may soon also carry yarn here as well.

I settle for a knitting magazine and head out into the rain. It's time to check out of the hotel and we have one last important destination before we leave Portland.....We are headed to the land of Yarnia! Here is is on the other side of town on SE Division street. I had seen it online and knew immediately I was headed there on this trip. Here, you choose from an array of fibers to custom make your own yarn. A sort of do it yourself yarn place! Genius! I set to work to pick out my fibers. Which should I choose? I had a project in mind and they were very helpful in assisting me to assure I had enough fibers to make the appropriate weight for my garment.

I have chosen my fibers: wool, cotton, rayon, linen and together, they will make my sport weight needed to do "Leaving" sweater. Here she is calculating my yarn weight and pricing.

Next she sets the yarn up and readies it for the machine. It's all so exciting!

And away the machine whirs! My yarn is winding up here rather swiftly and in no time flat, I have 1240 or so yards!

It is a lovely light weight and pretty blend of seafoam and mushroom tones. I hope for a great outcome using it for my sweater!

Here is a video clip of the actual "making" of the yarn on the cool machine! Enjoy!

Turning Over a New Leaflet

My matching leaflet necklace was made for me by my daughter :) My shirt is a bit scrunched up on the neck below, but take a look at this beautiful triple leaflet pattern! I can see that I have room to snug it up closer to my body and pull it in tighter across my front. It is very comfortable and just the right weight for wearing a layer underneath. I was able to eke it out in one skein. Barely! Final mods: Added two stitches extra at the underarm (as I mentioned below) than called for in my size in order that the K2P2 rib would come out even on the sleeves. I also ended the front and neck ribbing two rows prior to the pattern directions, since I was about to run out of yarn and wanted to make it with one skein. Whew! I had maybe 4 inches left and that was it. Talk about cutting it close.

Leaflet Sweater is coming along rather nicely, rather swiftly in the chunky yarn. Progress shown here. Knit down the back putting sleeve stitches on hold, and when reached the end of the 3rd leaflet, I knit on the lower ribbing. Then using dpn's for the sleeves, knit them downward in the round.  Only mod is I added 2 more underarm stitches so my P2K2 rib would come out even. Getting ready to pick up stitches all around the front side and neck and then it will get blocked nice and smoothly!

This is the back side. The cute leaflet pattern is a fun detail that runs all the way down the mid back.

As the snow melts, I can see the green appear once again out from under the white. All the mess and debris from the wind is strewn all around. Ready for something new now. Ready for a routine and to get back to daily life, but it was good to be still for awhile and have non stop knitting days.

Changing Seasons

If you were paying attention, one beautiful winters night in Seattle, you would've seen this amazing sunset right in your own backyard. You would've stood in awe as it changed and morphed into something spectacular. We called it "Jenny's sunset", in honor of my cousin who had surgery and was in our prayers at the time.

And if you blinked, you entered into a new season of magical snowfall, that closed down our city for nearly a week ... first with its heavy snowfall and subsequent ice storm, then followed by the threat of flooding. I think it is all mom's fault because she made this Christmas card....What do you think?

 What's a Seattle knitter to do with all this snow and days home from school, which for me is work? Well that is obvious, don't you think? However, I never guessed we would be without power in 29 degree (below) weather and I'd be knitting with an REI headlamp on my head. So thankful for our gas fireplace! A sneak peak at the next sweater project. I am dreaming of spring...spring green and leaves.
Leaflet, on size 10 needles and using Eco Wool once again. It's inexpensive, it's chunky and it's wool. And it is helping keep me from going stir crazy being cooped up inside the house.

Snowy Chocolate Owls Sweater

Given my recent liking for owls, this sweater seemed like the obvious next project to do, along with hundreds of other Ravelry folks who have gone before me...Mine is in Ecological Wool, two skeins of a very dark brown, on size 10 needles. I'm doing the body on circulars from the bottom up, as directed in the pattern. The sleeves are knit separately and I'm doing those on size 10 dpn's. They will be attached to sweater body and the yoke will be knit upward. The fun part is coming...knitting the cute owls! This is going to be a really cute sweater!

Owls, by Kate Davies:

Snow days can be very, very productive, indeed!!