Not Pink Floyd

But definitely a wall. And I have hit it. Not writers block or knitters fatigue but a wall of sheer exhaustion. Most people can either see this coming or they never suffer from it, at least not in any sense of regularity. I, however, am not most people. I do this to myself more often than I would like to admit because I have no sense of balance. No sense of how many activities constitutes "too much". I have to have my hand in every pot: dyeing, knitting, working for this company or that, regular job, knit nights, guild, blogging, working out, church, nursery, missions team, leadership team, book study, plan this, plan that... I enjoy it all, I really do. But that's the problem, I enjoy it all.

I also find it incredibly difficult to go from "vacation" mode to "work" mode. I have to ease into it. I loved my time in Washington over Spring Break but found I was even more despondent than usual when returning to work on Monday. And I didn't help myself by taking a day off the very next week for Stitches. Now I'm counting down the hours until I can send the kiddos off for the summer and I can start breaking down my room.

And so, I find myself up at 10:00 on a Wednesday doing some "light" pattern editing which (again, I loved to do and gladly offered my services) left me mentally exhausted. I was already physically exhausted because I had little sleep in the previous nights and no naps for the prior 2 days (which is kind of a big deal to me). The result was my OCD flipping out and simultaneously turning into the grump monster from H-e-double hockey sticks. Luckily no one was around to see it.

Today has not been much better. In fact I found myself crying this afternoon because I'd gotten snippy with my mom because I didn't want to talk about finances.

But now I have calmed down a bit. I will call my mom and apologize later when I am in a more right state of mind. I have called a dear friend to come and give me a massage (she's a licensed and has her own table and everything!) and I'm about to go have a little lie down for about 30 minutes.

In the near future I see myself really taking a look at all the things I'm involved in and analyzing the things I really want to stay involved in. I will not stop knitting or going to knit nights or drop out of church or anything like that but I've got to stop trying to be the hero of everything.

Ok, I've whined enough for one night. I'm going to go take a nap.

Congratulations

To my little brother and his girlfriend Brandi.
They got engaged on Saturday night!
I'm so excited for the 2 of them and I couldn't have asked for a better sister!

Epic Adventure-Part 2

In which our heroine runs into her nemesis Yarn Budget and soundly vanquishes him.

I went armed for battle.
Like the shirt? You can get your own here.

My first stop of the morning was in the Market. I thought there would be much more of a rush of people but it didn't seem too bad for me. I had a plan though and I was sticking to it.

I headed straight for The Yarn and Fiber Company booth. They were selling Cascade Eco + at a good sale price. I got this nice burnt orange (I'm really into this color right now. I can feel a burnt orange stage coming on...)
and this slightly heathered blue. It will make some nice sweaters. Because sweaters are kinda my thing.
Then it was over to Cast-On Cottage and Needlepoint Garden's booth. Oh how I wish their store was closer to where I live! They carry every color of Cascade 220. Every color. And the ladies there were all really nice. Helpful without being pushy. Funny and generally pleasant. Just a wonderful experience all around. I made out like a bandit.

2 skeins of red tweed
2 skeins of a twisted grey, black, brown, and white (one of my favorite purchases of the day)
2 skeins of a sunny yellow
And 2 skeins of black that are destined to be combined with some already in the stash yarn for...wait for it...a sweater! Bet you didn't see that coming.
My last stop was at Purrfectly Catchy. They were selling hand made sock blockers and stitch markers. I was really impressed at the quality of their sock blockers and their prices were great. $35 for 2 hand made, wooden sock blockers! That's a deal considering I've seen places that sell plastic ones for $22 (plus shipping). And these blockers have been used by many of the big names in knitting for photo shoots. I got the star ones since, well, I'm a rock star :)
After all my shopping I stopped by the Malabrigo reps booth for a picture with the Malabrigo Junkies from Ravelry. Then Antonio and Little Bob went to lunch with us.
After lunch I took a phenomenal Celtic cables class with Melissa Leapman. I really wish I had taken one of her design classes now. She's a really, really smart lady who translates her technique well in the classroom setting. Unfortunately, at the end of the class I'd been concentrating so hard on making cables that I developed camnesia and didn't get a picture of Melissa. I will, however, show you the mad crazy cables we made. It all starts with a circle.
Then jumps right into a simple knot.
I finished a little early so I tried my hand at designing a figure 8 cable following Melissa's directions.
I was on the right track. Look at that axis cable! Maybe I'll try my hand at the third swatch.
Maybe not tonight. Penelope is unimpressed by it all.
Stitches South was a ton of fun and I can't wait to see what next year will be like. I hope it keeps growing and there are even more vendors and teachers and friends to meet. I had a great time and, while I did go a teeny tiny bit over budget, I really felt like I got some good purchases. Now I just need a massage from head to toe. Buying yarn is exhausting!

On a somewhat separate note, I had an epiphany last night. I think I want to own a yarn shop that carries every type of Cascade yarn. All 4 lines, all their hundreds of yarns. I thought up this idea while wondering why I can find Cascade 220, Eco, and Eco + at some places but can never find an LYS that sells Magnum or Heritage sock or many other lines. To me it would be heaven. I'd call it Queen of Cascade since I am the Queen of Cascade (John from Churchmouse said I was!). Think I should email the Cascade rep I met and tell her my idea?

Epic Adventure-Part 1

It's a tale or mystery, intrigue, romance, and yarn on the high seas. There was deception, drama, and knitting. And that was just the first day!

Welcome to Stitches South.

Ok, so there was no high seas, deception, and relatively little drama (unless you counted my gasp at an outrageous yarn price) but it was a whole heck of a lot of fun!

I started my day nice and early with a class with Sandi Rosner called You Don't Need A Pattern for That.
She was a delight. We all made little baby sized hats and Sandi answered a ton of questions for us. It was nice to get some ideas about basic design. When she mentioned the Pythagorean theorem for figuring sleeve caps it was funny to hear a collective groan. I don't think any of us will be taking Melissa Leapman's class on design any time soon. I did pick up a pattern for a quick and easy baby sweater so I will be using that to help clothe baby Britt, my new cousin, when he arrives in July.

This is the hat that I made this morning.
And this is one from another lady in our class.
As all the members of the class knit we inevitably starting chatting. I talked a little about my charity knitting and at the end of the class the lady at the end of my row gave me her hat to donate to Warm Woolies. So very sweet of her!

I then headed to the Market and for the first time in my life I was genuinely overwhelmed by the amount of beautiful yarn there was. I actually showed a good deal of restraint as I went from booth to booth. Today I purchased only one of a kind yarns that I thought might get really picked over by tomorrow. It was so cool to see all the hand dyers and it felt really good to support them. Maybe one day I'll be hosting my own booth at Stitches and I hope people will support me as enthusiastically as they did the artists today.

As I was wandering through the concessions seating area to get a water I notices out of the corner of my eye someone watching me very closely. I was wearing my @theknftyknttr shirt and a lot of people had been noticing it throughout the day so I didn't really think twice about it. I just figured she was trying to read what it said. About 2 minutes later she runs up to me and says, "I'm lemonesque!" She's one of my Twitter pals! It was so cool to meet Abby/lemonesque in real life.
Since joining Ravelry and Twitter I've wanted to be one of those people who goes to conventions and knows everyone in the room thanks to my mad networking skills. It would make me feel like a rock star. Abby may be from Georgia but she's putting me one step closer to rock stardom. Look out Yarn Harlot!

I ended up spending a good deal of money in the Market but I feel like I got really good stuff out of it. Tomorrow I plan on picking up some staple yarns (read Cascade 220 and Eco+) and some sock blockers. I have a plan, I have a map, I need to get more cash...

I got a skein of worsted yarn in Where My Beaches At? from the Indie Dyer along with a pattern for the Antarctica hat made with one skein of her yarn.
Because I'm a Malabrigo Junkie (I totally blame Mary Ellen for that one, always talking up Malabrigo at knit nights) I got to meet the totally funny, awesomely sweet duo of Antonio and Tobias. I chatted with them for about 10 minutes (hilarious guys, and sweet, have I mentioned that?) and they gave me a skein of their test yarn. Amazingly sweet. Did I already say that? Can't remember... I tried to get them to join Twitter but Tobias said there was too much on the internet for them to keep up with already. Funny guys. Srsly.
The very first stop I made this morning was actually at the Sanguine Gryphon's booth. I know that Wendy has knit with her yarns before and Mary Ellen (ever the enabler :)) said that her stuff would go quick so I made a beeline for Gryphon's booth. I wasn't disappointed. Picked up a skein of Bugga! sock yarn in Acrobatic Snail. Luscious.
Also one of the first places on my list was Creatively Dyed Yarns. I follow Dianne's blog so it was very cool to meet her in real life. And she is even more positive and nice than I ever could have expected. You know you've meet a gem when the very first thing she does is fish out a Ravelry button for you. As soon as I saw this skein of sock yarn I had to have it. This is her newest method of dyeing. I can't wait to see it on my needles!
Eventually I wandered over to Mass Ave. Yarn Shop where I found this Mission Falls pattern book.
Inside was the pattern I've been drooling over for months now, Natalia. It's one of the few patterns I've wanted to actively seek out to knit. It just looks so modern and classy. Totally my style.
Then I flipped over the page and saw Hillary.
I knew this booklet had to be mine. No question about it. I actually think all the designs in the booklet are really well done. I can already imagine several gifts coming out of there.

My final purchase of the day was from Schaefer Yarns and this was my personal splurge. A lumpy bumpy skein in the colorway Toni Morrison and a skein of mohair blend in Chamomile. These are going to be combined into a shawl/wrap for me.
I wanted to make a little shrug or something and then I saw a shawl in these colors on display and decided to go that route instead. I think I'll use the stitch pattern from the little Arctic Blanket I made and just kind of wing it. Or maybe I could actually research something. Winging it seems to be more of my personal style though.

I came home this afternoon and totally crashed on the couch with Penelope. I've never been so tired! I blame it on yarn fumes. I didn't know that was a side effect. Be warned.

Tomorrow will be more Market, more classes, more fun with friends. And more pictures.

P.S. I would have gotten pictures in the Market but they wouldn't allow pictures or video. Bummer. Guess you'll just have to go.

The Night of the Random Post

1. I would file this under "Things That You Do Not Want to Happen to Your Apartment Complex." Thankfully this isn't my building but the neighboring one.
2. Tonight at knit night I finished the back of my Half and Half sweater for Warm Woolies. That's 100% genuine hand dyed yarn there and I think it looks pretty dang good if I do say so myself. Of course I'm kind of biased...
3. Tonight at knit night my good buddy Albert brought by some shirts for our group.
And some shirts for people who are on Twitter and also happen to be knitters.
Hopefully both of these shirts will be available soon at my store. Keep your eyes peeled!

4. Getting so excited for Stitches! As Laurie said tonight, "There's only one more day between you and Stitches." I've got the stores I've got to hit up on Friday ASAP already marked and a path mapped out for optimum yarn viewing. My swatches are knit and most of my other notions have been gathered. Now just need to clean out my knitting bag. It seems to be bursting to overflowing...

Projects

So, I haven't just been buying yarn lately, though it might seem that way. I have actually been knitting some.

Exhibit A: Partial body and two non-swatch swatches for the Mystery Sweater Knit-A-Long #2 for Warm Woolies.
Exhibit B: Partial body of a self designed sweater in hand dyed yarn for a Warm Woolies sweater.
Exhibit C: One finished Space Monkey sock. The second sock has been started.
Exhibit D: A finished fair island sweater for Warm Woolies (sweater #4 of 10 for those of you playing along at home). I can fit it over my head, the body is long enough for me, but the sleeves are a little too short. I think it will fit a 14 or 15 year old pretty well. I had originally planned to write out the pattern for this sweater but I've had a lot of trouble getting the numbers to work out right so I don't think it will come to pass (at least not any time soon).
Exhibit E: Portioned yarn being knit into swatches for a Melissa Leapman cables class at Stitches South! (1 down, 2 more to go)
Exhibit F...almost: This languishing skein of Cascade 220 (this was before my addiction to Cascade yarns had come to fruition so I only have one skein of this lovely red) will become a swatch and then eventually (I believe) a project at a Sandi Rosner class at Stitches South!
So, as you can see, I have been accomplishing a little bit on the knitting front. I've got to finish up my swatches for classes at Stitches South and then plan my route through the market (gotta make sure I hit all the vendors I want to). I'd love to finish my self designed sweater this month as well but I also need to label yarns before the May Atlanta Knitting Guild meeting when I'll have my table for the very first time. For now it's off to finish those swatches and pet a kitty :)

Cascade

Recently I have come into some new stash acquisitions and I would like to take this post to let you see all the yummy new yarns in my possession. Some are from my recent trip to Seattle and some are other avenues. Before I begin though I'd like to take a moment to admit something.

I have a torrid, unabashed, deep seeded love for Cascade yarns.

My favorites are not the fuzzy, novelty, super expensive or exotic. My favorites are 128, 220, and Eco +. You could probably throw Magnum in there too.

Even though these are considered "workhorse" yarns I cannot resist them. I've tried. I really have! But as you will see, I'm drawn to these yarns like a moth to a flame.

It does not bode well that when my super close LYS Rare Purls opens its doors in a few months they will stock Cascade 220 year round. Not good at all.

The first stash addition came from WEBS and arrived just before I left for Seattle.

3 skeins of Eco + in a bright fuchsia color
3 skeins of Eco + in lilac (both these colors are discontinued)
6 skeins of Cascade 128 in a bright green
6 skeins of Cascade 128 in Puget Sound (bright blue)
6 skeins of Cascade 128 in Sage (a little bit greener/brown in real life)
All of the above yarns were part of WEBS's major sale they have in the spring so I got all that yarn at a very decent price. Of course I wanted more but it was no problem when I went to Seattle to acquire some.

2 skeins of Eco+ in a burgundy color (from Canvas Works)
5 skeins of Cascade 220 in a very bright orangey red (even brighter in real life) from Churchmouse Yarns and Teas (on sale!) and already swatched for a Warm Woolies sweater KAL.
2 skeins of Cascade 220 in a sunflower color from Churchmouse
2 skeins of GGH Kid Melange from Churchmouse. This is a special purchase because I think I'm going to use it to make a lace scarf for a friend's mom (Brandi, what do you think?).
1 skein of MALABRIGO sock yarn in Abril. This is some of the yummiest, cushiest yarn I've owned. The socks I make out of these are going to rock. This also came from Churchmouse.
1 skein of Hazel Knits artisan sock yarn in Cami Chic from Hilltop yarns. Wendee (the dyer) lives in Seattle and works at the Hilltop East store!
5 skeins of Cascade 220 in purple heather from Hilltop
1 skein of Araucania Aysen yarn (silk, alpaca, and merino, yum!) from Canvas Works
And finally, 1 skein of Araucania Ruca in some beautiful Spring-y colors. This yarn is made from sugar cane and feels like silk! (Also from Canvas Works)
As you can see, I had great success with the yarn stores in Seattle (and Olympia and Bainbridge Island). And at all of them I managed to pick up some Cascade yarn :)

One final stash enhancement came from my Aunt Jenny. She and my Uncle Mark are getting ready to have a baby so they are clearing out some things from their house. Jenny's mom used to crochet but she had given it up. However, she still had some stash left over. Jenny asked me if I wanted it and I agreed (you can never have enough yarn). I thought I'd be getting a few odds and ends, maybe enough to make a patchwork blanket out of. Was I ever surprised when I got a 2'x2'x3' box full of this:
It's all acrylic all the time but there are sweaters, nay, afghans worth of yarn in there. I have taken pictures and carefully documented color, amount, and brand of everything in the box. Hopefully I'll get the pictures up on Ravelry but for now I'll spare you (there were a lot). I don't know how Jenny and Mark got all that yarn in the box because, even with careful repacking, it was bursting out of the top.
Here's my list I made as I took pictures:
The total count was 123 skeins of yarn. I'm speechless. I do have plans for several colors I found in there. And no worries Jenny, baby Britt will be well clothed for several (several) years.

The last thing I'll leave you with is not yarn related but just funny. Some of you might be familiar with the monorail cat. Well, it seems like we have an extension service running through my apartment.

The Last Hurrah

Thursday was my last full day in Washington. I started in Forks and drove to Port Angeles, Sequim, and back to Seattle.

Here are a few more pictures from my hotel room. Even the light switches were decked out in Twilight gear.

All around Forks there are landmarks that places in the book were based off. This is the Cullens house.
It's actually the Miller House Bed and Breakfast (or is that just a front...?). Esme leaves a note to let guests and visitors know where they are at the time.
Darn, out of town.

Just down the street City Hall and the Police Station where Charlie works.
Forks High School where all the "kids" went to school.
There's a little community hospital on the far side of town. If you drive around back there's a parking space reserved for Dr. Cullen.
The Swan's house is on K street. They've even left a little sign to let visitors know. Charlie must have gotten a few toys for Renesme because there were a few little push toys in the driveway.
Forks Outfitters was Newton's at one time, the store where Bella worked.
And there really is only one streetlight in town (unless you count the "emergency signal" the fire department uses in emergencies).
After I left Forks it was off to Port Angeles. In Port Angeles there's a Fine Arts Center with a labyrinth. Currently there's an installment called "Art Outside" with local artists dressing up trees, shrubs, and open meadows with art. This path leads up to the museum and has broken glass and mirror shards.
In an open grove trees dance in tutus.
Pillows line the path (but I wouldn't relax on these, they're cement).
Go through a gated portal and find...
A field of people-less sweaters.
Brings a new meaning to fiber "arts."

Come over a ridge and find a beautiful view of the port.
After Port Angeles I headed to Sequim where they have a huge lavender festival every year. It was still a little early to get ready for the festival but I stopped by a little store and bought some nice gifts for friends and family.

From Sequim I went to Bainbridge Island where Churchmouse Yarns and Teas is located. It was a wonderful shop with a great variety of yarns and teas. I could have lived there. They had my favorite tea, Irish Breakfast, and it was the only yarn store I found that carried MALABRIGO! In all weights! Some may have fallen in my basket. Along with some Cascade (on sale!) and a little surprise that has a purpose...more on that later :)

After Churchmouse it was time to head back to Seattle. The only way to go is to take the ferry. It was the first time I've ever driven a car onto a ferry. My gps still kept up with me.
For my last night I stayed in the Executive Hotel Pacific again. This time my room had some interesting "features" in the bathroom. First, the toilet paper was conveniently located at shoulder level.
The shower head was the perfect height for anyone under 5'2". Even I had to bend my neck. Just for the record I did adjust the head before I took a shower.
The window was frosted over but there was no shade!
I hung a towel over the lower half before I showered.

Speaking of towels...they were located at a great height for anyone over 6" tall.
I still had a restful night and was able to hit one more yarn store on Friday before I got on my plane. Tricoter was my last stop before leaving for the airport and I gotta be honest, it's not really my type of yarn shop. Churchmouse, Knitch (my LYS here in Atlanta), and Hilltop Yarns all stock their products by fiber content (Knitch goes one step further and separates it by fiber and then color). Canvas Works separated their yarn by a hybrid system of weight and/or fiber. I like both of these systems. Tricoter separates yarn by color. There is some separation by fiber, winter/fall on top, spring/summer on bottom. One of the ladies explained to me how they work: you can pick any yarn(s) you like and swatch it to find out what needles you need. The staff will help you pick the best needles, figure out the amount of yarn you need, and help you customize any pattern you have. That sounds really nice but I found that the yarn on the shelves was little disheveled (I guess from people swatching with it). I was also approached by all 3 staff members and asked if I needed help. One woman actually seemed a little put off that I didn't need her help. It was nice that there were people there to help but I'm a browser, I need a little time to feel everything and ponder over what I can make. I want to make it clear that I'm not dissing this store or trying to turn people off. It just wasn't my personal favorite of all the ones I visited.

After that one last stop it was off to the airport to turn in my rental car and catch my plane. The flight was a little bumpy, especially as we got closer to Atlanta were there had been thunderstorms and rain all day, but we touched down safely and I stayed with my parents last night.

Monday will be back to the daily grind but in just a few weeks Stitches South will be here! More yarn, more fun! Maybe I should start swatching...

All Forks, No Spoons

Wednesday I drove from Olympia to Forks. Forks, for those of you who haven't read them yet, is the setting for the Twilight books. Between Olympia and Forks there's not a whole lot except the Olympic National Forest. There were several little turn offs along the way. I pulled over at one because I spotted the ocean through the trees. These trees have crazy looking lumps on them.
They're called spruce burls and they're actually tumors caused by bugs or infection. Not technically cancer but still tumors. Very crazy.

Something I found really interesting is that there are portions of the National Forest that are considered rain forests due to the amount of rain they get each year. There is one about 10 miles south of Forks called the Hoh Rain Forest. I decided to go and visit. It's a 20 minute drive from the main road to the entrance of the forest. On the way I spotted 2 elk feeding (can you spot them?).
I was pretty impressed that I saw these because they were on the other side of a river out the passenger side of my car. I may or may not have come to complete stop for this picture.

Entrance to the rain forest:
What's funny was that after I spotted those 2 elk from 3 miles away I almost missed this herd that was 2 feet away from my window. I think I was too busy yelling at the people stopping in the middle of the road to take pictures. I may or may not have also stopped to take some pictures.
One of the draws to stop at the Hoh Rain Forest is the Hall of Mosses. It's a trail lined with moss covered trees. The entrance looks like a portal to another world.
I wonder who lives here?
A close up of lichen.
Some mega mushrooms.
Stairs to more enchantment.
It was lovely but it was a long drive to get to all the beauty. After the Hall of Mosses it was back to the main road and on to Forks!
Kind of hard to read but it says: The City of Forks Welcomes You. Outside the tourist information center is Bella's truck.
I was a little afraid that people in the town would be put off by the number of tourists who flock there to take pictures of places connected to the book but the people there are actually really into the books and welcome the publicity. They are more than happy to point out places of interest. Every store carries Twilight merchandise and every restaurant has a Twilight themed dish. Those books are the best thing to happen to Forks.

After a quick drive to my hotel (where my room was being cleaned) I decided to head to La Push, a town on the Native American Indian reservation about 15 miles outside of Forks. La Push is also in the books. If you've read the books then you know why this sign is posted just outside the borders of the reservation:
I went looking for First Beach (also in the book). It's not marked like Second and Third Beaches and I may or may not have almost run off the road trying to find it but I did make it. I even climbed down the driftwood to walk along the beach. I will say that, unlike in the movie, you can't drive a van down on the actual beach.
Too much driftwood and rocks in the way. As I was leaving I was able to get a picture of this encouraging sign:
I never thought tsunamis were something you'd have to worry about on the west coast but I guess with the threat of an earthquake a tsunami is always possible.

After First Beach I decided to hike to Second Beach. And yes, I did say hike. I can't remember the exact distance it is from the turnoff on the road to the beach but I would like to say it's about half a mile. A lonely little walk. Right before you get to the beach there was is this tree trunk that has this natural little grove in it that people have filled with little trinkets.
A little offering to the ocean and forest. Second Beach is even more rugged than First Beach. There was a lot more driftwood to climb over.
I didn't stay long, just enough to take a few pictures. I wasn't about to try and pick my way down to the actual sand. Plus, by this point, I was tired and ready for a nap. Back to my hotel room!

I splurged at the Pacific Inn Motel on one of their 3 Twilight themed rooms. Decorated in all red and black.
Curtains that sparkle! (And keep out any light, made me feel like a vampire.)
A flower:
Twilight towels:

And of course an apple, the forbidden fruit ;)
After a little nap I went out to Sully's Diner for a bite of dinner. I didn't get the Bella Burger but I did see the table reserved for Bella and Edward :)
Tomorrow will be the wrap of Forks and back to Seattle!

Delay in Programming

First I want to thank everyone who's been keeping up with my travels via my blog. I love hearing your comments about my (mis)adventures. I had planned to give an update on Wednesday's visit to Forks but I'm simply exhausted tonight. I've stayed up a bit too late tonight and had a few too many hours on the road today. Tomorrow night I'll be getting home late so there probably won't be an update until Saturday night. Sorry to keep you all in suspense about my walks through halls of moss and Twilight themed landmarks but I promise they will come.

Olympia Loves Me

How do I know that Olympia loves me? Because it was sunny and 65 there yesterday :)

I must say that, so far on my trip, Olympia has been my favorite place to visit. I think of it as "Seattle-light": it's got enough of the alternative lifestyle feel without being too crowded. The people there are nice and you can still walk to most places. Hip urban if you will.

My hotel room may have contributed to my happiness.
That's a queen size bed. And a sitting area on the right. There's another TV in the sitting area. There was also a fridge, little bar sink, microwave, and coffee maker. And, unlike in my Seattle hotel, I didn't have to close the bathroom door just to wash my hands. There was also a sliding glass door that opened onto a little ledge that overlooked a park.
How could you not like this room? I sat beside the little open door for most the night knitting and people watching.

Before I settled in to knit I took a little walk around town. I spy with my little eye...
Canvas Works was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. There was a huge selection of yarns in a variety of weights and labels. There was also a very impressive selection on patterns and books. Plus notions that aren't usually carried in yarn stores (I saw a niddy noddy!). And that was just in the front! In the back are bolts of cloth and sewing supplies. I had such a wonderful time just walking around and squishing yarn. I bought some real goodies there that I will show you once I have time to take them out and properly photograph them.

After my hour (or so) shopping in Canvas Works I took a little walk down to Capitol Lake which was right behind my hotel.
Then I walked up the street to the Capitol Campus. There were some beautiful flowers in bloom.
The Capitol Dome was really majestic and I may have take a million pictures of it from different angles.
On the grounds there was this:
You might be a big a$$ tree if... your branches have to be supported by metal pillars.

There were several memorials around the campus. I loved these flowers that were left on the memorial for fallen police officers.
This is the Victory Statue for World War II.
And at the Vietnam Memorial people had left flowers and flags.
One thing I noticed in both Seattle and Olympia is that people will often park backwards in parking spaces on the street. It makes sense to me: easier to do than parallel parking, lessens the chances of your car rolling backwards into the street, and makes it *a lot* easier to pull out into traffic. Think this seems a little daunting? Never fear!
It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!

After a full day of walking and shopping I had dinner at McMenamens Spar Cafe. I got to dine with the pope (or is that supposed to be Jesus?).
My burger was good and my local micro brew was excellent. I had a great seat right by the windows so I could people watch.
I had a really lovely time in Olympia. I could see myself staying there for a week just to relax.

For all the places that love me here in Washington there is one thing that definitely does not love me: my sinuses. In addition to the stuffiness and sneezing I had before I left home I now have a cough. My cheeks also feel flushed all the time but my body feels cold. I don't think it helps that I spent a good portion of my day today outside in nature. But more on that tomorrow. However, I know that some friends of mine wanted to see my hotel room for tonight:
I'll be sleeping under Edward's watchful eye tonight :)

Seattle

Monday was the start of my wonderful Spring Break trip to the lovely state of Washington. Over the next week I will be showing you a little of what I've been up to.

Seattle:
The first order of business was to go straight from the airport to the Space Needle.
The view from the top was lovely. You can kinda see Mount Rainer in the distance in this shot (to the right of the buildings).
Seattle is quite lovely, mountains rising in the distance, calm waters. It was nice to get a good look around.
I wonder what the people in the circle are doing...

After the Space Needle I headed next door to the Experience Music Project. As a audiophile and general music junkie it was really a treat to be in the city where some of my favorite music started: early '90s grunge!
There was a really cool sculpture of instruments (mostly guitars) in the lobby.
This building and the adjacent Science Fiction Museum are part of a Frank Gehry designed building. If you think these buildings look crazy on the outside, you should try and navigate the inside! I'm pretty good at reading maps but I swear I stared at the thing for 20 minutes and still couldn't totally figure it out. In fact I didn't know that the EMP and the SFM were connected until I had walked out of the EMP, down the street, into the SFM and then turned a few corners once inside!

Anyways...Here's the outside of the SFM:
Inside was a nerds dream world. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to take pictures inside so I snapped a few (or 30).

Fan created storm trooper armor.
One of the robots from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies (my brother should like that). This was Donatello.
ET puppet.
Yoda replica.
Planet of the Apes monkey/person.
Very cool experience for all my inner nerdom.

Afterwards I took a little walk around the Seattle Center complex and took some pictures of all the flowers and plants.
I think in a previous life I was a nature photographer. I photograph plants *all the time.* I tried to take a picture of myself with the Space Needle in the background but I just looked disgruntled and weird and you couldn't really see the Needle. Plus people were coming and I didn't want to look like a total fool.

After the Space Needle I headed to North Seattle and the neighborhood of Queen Anne. Lovely, lovely, lovely. Beautiful, cottage type houses with gorgeous little lawns. Very posh. I stopped by Hilltop Yarns which was nice. Just a small little house but every corner/bookshelf/desk had yarn popping out of it. I got some really nice locally dyed sock yarn and some Cascade 220 (because I am near the Cascade Mountains, Cascade's birthplace). Unfortunately I had camnesia and forgot to take a picture of the outside. Instead take a look at this beauty, located just a few streets away:
My friend Laurie pointed me to this house. It sits among some plain houses. The house looks like it is hand carved. Simply beautiful and a special treat. Thanks Laurie!

Then I traveled a few blocks to Kerry Park and got to see the best view of the Seattle skyline.
There are tons of post cards with this exact same picture. Apparently Kerry Park and W. Highland street are the place to go to get wicked cool pictures of Seattle. Just down the street is the Parsons Memorial Garden which I stumbled on as I intentionally got myself lost (it's a good way to learn your way around). The flowers are starting to bloom so I had a look inside.
I loved these flowers. They hung in clusters from trees inside the garden.
This plaque reads: A respite for those who see beauty in all things.
I thought it was a lovely saying and looking around you really could see the beauty in everything.
The plaque was on the ground in front of this little bench. I wandered over to take a seat and just happened to look down. I'm glad I decided to stop and rest and even more glad that I decided to aimlessly kick my feet in the gravel.

Here's a picture of my hotel room that I stayed in last night at the Executive Hotel Pacific. The rooms are tiny (which is on par for what I paid) but still nice. It had a vintage feel but in a good way.
You can see how it took me about 30 seconds to spread out and take over.

This morning I took a little trip down to Pike Place Market. I tried to go on Monday night but everything closes at 5 or 6! I saw the Seattle Art Museum with this cool sculpture out front, and it moves!
Here's picture of the Market sign.
I had a picture of where I thought the original Starbucks was (but had moved) but I discovered that the original Starbucks is actually *in* the market itself (and I past it like 3 times and didn't bother to get a picture). The rumors about there being another Starbucks right across the street are false, by the way. Across the street are fish and flower stalls. Now across the street and down about 2 blocks is a Tully's coffee place so maybe that's where the rumors started. I will say that people in Seattle love their coffee. There are about 4 chain stores (including Starbucks) and they are everywhere.

While I was at the market I stopped by the Pike Place Fish Market. That's the place where they throw the fish. They weren't throwing fish today but I did see a Monk fish which was huge and nasty looking.
See, world famous even!
So, that was my day in Seattle. It was busy, a little stressful (learning how to drive in a new city is always fun...), but overall a really good time. Plus I know Seattle loves me. Why? It was in the high 60s and sunny while I was there :) Tomorrow: Olympia.

Will My Head 'Splode?

Only time will tell. I've got a lot to do this week in order to make this week and next a success. I'm trying to keep it all straight but I have a feeling it will all come down to the line. No worries though! I have knitting!

Finished the second fingerless glove tonight at knit night. Looks a lot like the first one.
You wouldn't believe how hard it is as a right handed person to take a picture using your left hand. Or maybe you do.

I'm on the first sleeve of my self designed Warm Woolies sweater. Kind of looks too big to me.
It is in the drop sleeve style, which is notoriously roomy, but I've been decreasing every 3 rows and it still has a very large opening. Maybe it will look better when I'm finished. I'm keeping the hope alive.

I dyed some yarn on Saturday. Most was for myself but I did one colorway for the store.
I think I'm going to call this "B Scene." I just think it's catchy. This is the sock yarn and it will be reskeined before it goes in the store but you can get an idea of the colors I used.

As I mentioned, I dyed a lot for myself. And, as I should have expected, it turned out nothing like I thought it would. This skein should be grey-blue, dark green, and brown. I was going to call it "Field, Forest, and Sky."
Um, so where is the brown? Oh right! The purple you see? That should be the brown parts. Riiiiight...Thanks brown dye for crapping out on me. I mean I could understand if I had just mixed some dyes together but you are specifically designated to make brown. And yet...
Oh wait! Are you trying to be brown? I laugh at your futile and pathetic attempts! Ha ha ha!

Now we have "Mountains, Forest, and Sky." You know, like "purple mountains majesty"? This was going to be another self designed, male geared sweater. But I need you, my dear blog readers, to give me an honest opinion: Is this too girlie now due to the brown debacle? Or does it still look "manly" enough for a tween-ish boy?

Ok, so all that wouldn't be so bad if the next thing hadn't happened. See, I was going to take the grey-blue and make a semi-solid to go with the hand painted. Except...I ran out of the original batch of grey-blue and had to make a new one. Except...I ran out of grey. So I had to kind of fudge it. And I ended up with 2 skeins of grey-blue and 2 skeins of blue-grey. That wouldn't seem to make such a big deal but it's enough that I will have to alternate skeins every other row or so.
The front skein is grey-blue, the back blue-grey.

I'm still optimistic about the outcome of the sweater despite some set backs. It just makes me want to work on my dyeing skills even more. And I still love this base yarn. I want to bathe in it, it's so fluffy. You can be sure there will be more personal experiments in the future.