Jaywalkin' at the Coast, or, What I Did on My Spring Vacation

by.....sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss


Yet another pair of finished socks have slid off my needles. Not that it's such a big accomplishment; I began these socks so long ago I can't even recall casting them on, but they were finished in the most serene and ideal setting. (I also began and finished the Yarn Harlot's newest, Knitting Rules. This is a wonderful read, with practical information as well as Harlot-y goodness).

S and I had one of those weekends, you know the kind, the weekend to top all weekends. First of all, the weather here in Portland has been absolutely amazing - warm, sunny, blue skies, and most importantly (and suprisingly), NO RAIN!! Saturday, we woke up early, did a few errands, went out to breakfast (my absolute favorite meal to eat out, probably because we do it so rarely), and headed to Wordstock for a few hours. While there, I attempted to get a glimpse of Dave Eggers, who I decided I want to be best friends with after seeing him speak at a WRAP function at the Alladin a few years ago. He is funny, sweet, caring, and charming. My sister and I wanted to propose best-friend-ship to him that very night. Anyway, I never did see him. It was for the best, actually, because I don't think I would have actually gone up to him. Big talker, little walker, that's me.

We then got on the road, and headed west. Oh, what a drive, once we got a few miles outside of Portland (the first REALLY nice weekend since the fall + one way to get to the ocean = TRAFFIC, and I don't mean the Michael Douglass movie). It was fantastic; we had the windows down; and I even drifted off to sleep for a moment or three. I have found that it is impossible for me to knit while in a car heading to the coast, especially when we are driving a sporty car S got from work. So, we talked. And laughed. And gossiped. Held hands.

We arrived in Cannon Beach in the early afternoon, and got a room practically right on the beach. We have camped out there, but never splurged on an actual room. Totally worth it. We then wandered through town, got some fresh crab cocktail, and began making our way toward the ocean. My eyes were drawn to the left - whoa! What is that, right in front of me? With the lovely colors in the window? Right down the street from our hotel? If you guessed Yarn Store, ding!ding!ding! You win. It is called Coastal Yarns, and the proprietor opened it about 6 weeks ago. I do believe the previous owner retired. This store is beautiful, a definite must-see next time you are in Cannon Beach. It's on 2nd. The best part? Hold on to your hats, ladies, they have SOCKS THAT ROCK. Yeah. I bought some. I couldn't help myself. Seriously, what is a knitter supposed to do when faced with STR Medium Weight????? I have heard rumors about this stuff, sure, and the next Sock Club yarn is supposed to be the medium, but I have none in my (considerable) stash, and the color is so restful and beautiful, and it was calling to me from the shelves. I was thinking to myself, okay, I am getting away fairly easily, one skein, when, out of nowhere, I was slapped upside the head with the beauty of another colorway, in the heavyweight, and really, what's a few dozen dollars among friends, right? I mean, look at this stuff:

STR Mediumweight, Spring Fling
STR Heavyweight, Red Rock Canyon

no regrets...