More of Port Gamble~ Part 2

Another place to shop while in Port Gamble~ The smallest boutique shop I've ever seen. "Second Spring" is the name of this one room of a shed/shop, full of lovingly hand knitted and sewn items. If you need to use the 'public facilities',that are located on your way out of town,on the left,this shop is right across. I believe sitting in the parking lot...? You'll want to shop BEFORE Melissa and I get there,cause we scooped up all the cutest stuff quick~ See Melissa in the window?

I think she's open Friday and Saturday's only... the paper bags she uses for your purchases are machine sewn together~ very cute~

Call me crazy

I haven't been able to put the current edition of Knitting Traditions down.  I've had it for a week today and I think I could list the projects from cover to cover by heart if somebody dared me....


Knitting Traditions ~ Winter 2011

Did you ever have a Julie/Julia Moment?  This magazine is definitely mine.  I have an urge to finish up all my unfinished projects and make the entire issue my next Big Thing.  Amazing, amazing stuff.  And the stories that go with each project are beautifully written and so inspiring to me.

Have you seen it?  Does it make anyone else feel the same way?  Anybody want to join me? :)

Melissa

Men at Work

Thanks, Lowell and Sam, for helping us rebuild the driveway ~ you made the job much easier!  We appreciate you both!

The Artful Ewe

Our trip yesterday turned out to be a huge success.  I decided to share our adventure in 2 separate posts since I think (and I'm sure all 4 of us are in agreement here) that The Artful Ewe in Port Gamble is worthy of so much praise that it would be a shame to lump the rest of our stops into the love fest that's about to follow!  Excuse me for gushing....

We dressed for the inclement weather that we woke up to early yesterday morning, but by the time we met in Edmonds to catch the ferry across Puget Sound to Kingston, the sun was shining and brilliant and we were all wishing we had worn something different.  The drive to Port Gamble is a quick one, about 10 minutes, and it is definitely one of those towns where if you blink you'd miss the entire thing.  I think their saving grace is that there's a sharp 90 degree turn that you have to slow way down for, which gives you time to notice this adorable single street of shops.  Here's where you'll find Heidi's store.

Of course, the cameras popped out as soon as I stopped the car.  I hope Kelli got some pictures that she wants to share.  There was so much to look at from the minute we opened the door and were greeted by sweet Gracie.



Resting after welcoming the Knitwits

Dozer would think he died and went to heaven if we could fix him up a bed such as Gracie's!  I think my jaw literally dropped open when I stepped inside Heidi's store.  If you can imagine the absolute perfect fibery shop, and then multiply it times 100, I'm not even sure that would measure up to what you find once your eyes adjust to the overwhelming amount of beauty everywhere you look.  Heidi said she was fairly wiped out on stock since she had just been to Madrona a few weeks back, so I can't even imagine what the place is like when it's full.  There were beautiful hand spun and hand dyed hanks of yarn along every wall, loose fiber for spinning piled here, there and everywhere, and works in progress with knitting needles still in them on display throughout.  All items for sale were displayed like works of art ~ I drifted through the shop for almost an hour just looking at everything ~ noticing something new each time I circled that I hadn't seen the time before.


Baaaa-sking in the sunlight



My favorite picture

Seeing how things were displayed and how Heidi makes use of every little nook and cranny in her cute shop gave me so much inspiration for my knitting attic and how I want it to feel when it's finished.  I hope my friends that come to sit and knit with me feel as welcome as we did in her shop and don't want to leave when it's time to go home.

We would all love to have stayed and hunkered down in the back of the shop in her comfy chairs, with the sunshine streaming in, and just sit and knit the rest of the day away.  We'll definitely be back again, and The Artful Ewe will probably be our first and last stop of the day, so we can plan to stay a bit longer.  Thanks, Heidi, for creating such a wonderful, inspiring space for fiber lovers to come and shop, visit and dream.  I can't wait to come back!  Oh, and thanks for spinning up the amazing Alpaca that I finally chose to bring home with me ~ I'll let you know what I decide to make with it!



Elemental Affects Natural Shetland Fingering




Handmade shawl pin & buttons and new lace needles

And thanks Kelli, Trudy and Sherry (in your amazing coat of many colors) for coming along ~ you make the adventures all the more fun!  Can't wait for our next excursion....where to, ladies?

Retirement

The older I get, the more appealing it sounds ~ a week of vacation just isn't enough anymore.

We've been working on the house all week so today was for fun.  Went and sat with our knitgroup and saw some of the retreat gals for the first time since October.  The drive to Mount Vernon was beautiful as always ~ it's nice to get in the car and actually be able to drive and not do the stop-and-go that is my everyday life.  Spent some time visiting with my #1 Homey for the first time in months, also (that would be YOU, Kelli!) ~ it was a great day and I actually got a bit of knitting done on my Bias Summer Scarf.

Punta Yarns ~ Merisock Handpainted

And tomorrow, we're bombing the house for the moth invasion that I'm afraid has started (I killed 2 yesterday ~ the nasty, nasty buggers), and the gang that went to Portland on the yarn train is heading over to the Olympic Peninsula for the day to visit some yarn shops that we've never been to.  It will be a great day if we only have 1/2 the fun we had in Portland!

Rescued



 We spent about an hour watching what we thought were 2 separate events this morning.  There were huge plumes of dark black smoke just outside this photo that appeared to be from a large fire on Whidbey Island.  We were more interested in this ferry that was circling in the water, as well as the Coast Guard helicopter you can see at the top of the picture.  There was also a smaller Coast Guard boat that I couldn't catch at the same time as the ferry and chopper.  We see many shipping boats and an occasional naval vessel pass by, but since we never see a ferry, we assumed this was some sort of safety drill but come to find out the smoke and all this excitement were all tied together and it wasn't a drill at all.

You can read the story about the man who was saved, uninjured, from his burning boat that eventually sank here.
...Melissa

A day for play...

Yesterday we spent the day goofing before we spend our upcoming vacation week doing major home improvement things.  It was a great idea and I feel refreshed and ready to paint and install and unpack and organize....hopefully there will be some new photos of the attic by the end of the week that show major progress.  Until then, here are some pics from yesterday to tide you over!  ~ Melissa


a better photo of the Mondo Vest



brrr ~ it is NOT springlike quite yet!



Giddy-up, nephew ~ so sweet!



Time well spent playing with my nephew ~ my boots are big boots to fill!