Portland Trip Part 1 of I don't know...I could go on forever about it

So, you have read about the saga of my luggage.  I did finally get my large bag back.  It took hours of calls, 20 some Tweets (I really don't use Twitter) and 4 days...  She made her way back home though!  It was one of the most frustrating situations I have ever dealt with while traveling.  I truly hope that United handed poor Neil Penney's bag over quicker than American handed mine over (4 DAYS) especially as my bag was never "lost" it was just not where it was supposed to be.

Part of getting my bag being back in my possession means I can start sharing what I worked on (not much at all) and what I got while traveling around the greater Portland area.  Most especially my birthday/travel yarn purchase (also a plug for the sweetest yarn store to ever exist)!

Love the messed up hair!

So, the flight to Portland was pretty standard, nothing to report, cross country flight.  We flew from SC to Dallas at o'dark thirty.  I had one single hour of sleep going into the airport, but I was jacked up on travel adrenaline and the big ideas in my head that I have to circle back to at some point...  I took my hexies on the flight thinking that between those and my kindle I should be entertained the whole way to Portland.  Lack of sleep caught up to me very quickly...

So, don't get me wrong, I did get a lot of crochet done, but I was way over ambitious on the flight project thing and with only an hour of sleep...  I kept nodding off but never quite getting to sleep all the way to Dallas.  Cotton Top was out a lot of the first leg.  He could have slept the whole way if he had taken the window seat from Dallas to Portland.  I was picking up my crochet as I was awake but having to put it up again while nodding off...  It was a mess.

Finished hexies

This went on the whole flight.  I did get to sleep about half an hour when we were over the desert...  But yeah, it was frustrating.  By the time we got to the hotel in Portland I had crocheted all of my tiniest balls in the basket into centers (1 and 2 round circles) so that was at least done, but I had over a gallon bag full of balls for the outsides and "whole hexies".  I never did get a count on my centers that were completed, but it was a samie bagish amount.


The whole week, I was toting around this 2 gallon bag of bits of yarn and circles.  I am sure that if anyone had noticed me getting to and from cars, in and out at our destinations, the hotel lobby...  They would have thought I was nut bag.  I didn't take it on our train and walking destinations and I did forgo taking it to the nightly parties.  I did manage to remember to take my cutting pendant off every night while changing clothes (I am prouder of this than I should be).

Yarn left still in basket

The craft time on the flight back was about the same until we were most of the way back home (last 2 hours in the air) because I was just getting sleepy. 

I finished a total of 54 hexies while I was gone.  25 have their ends woven in.

That is it!  Seriously, this was the least I have ever knitted or crocheted while on a vacation ever.  Especially a vacation where we were traveling for Cotton Top's work!  Normally I find myself in the hotel most of a trip while he works, but Portland was so easy to navigate on foot and train!  I also had the teenage granddaughter of a colleague to go to the zoo, gardens and shopping with.

My yarn and look at that bag! LOVE!

I want to share my yarny purchase before I start on the vacation portion of our trip.  First off, I am not counting this towards my "Great Craftdown" this is something we do every trip we go on out of state.  This is somewhere between a memory reminder and trip "scrapbook" for me.  It was also my 35th birthday while we were traveling, so Cotton Top is the one who kinda bought it for me.

Garden out front

Thursday, August 16th, we went to Wooly Wooly Wag Tails Yarn in Washougal, Washington.  A) Isn't that just the cutest name for a yarn store?!  B) Jennifer has an amazing shop.  I didn't get pictures of the inside because we had people waiting on us.  C) Jennifer is also just the sweetest shop owner!  I will get around to that in a
second.

So, as always I asked Jennifer if she carried anything local or unique to her store.  No romance, right to it; we had two other people traveling with us who aren't yarnies or married to one.  She took it in stride and was very gracious!  She carried a wonderful variety of colors and textures to share with me.  I purchased 3 brands and different fibers.

The blue yarn is Mountain Colors Hand-Painted Yarn.  Holy cow this stuff is visually so intoxicating!  I am beyond in love just for the look of this yarn!  The color way is Avalanche Lake.  The fiber content is 100% Merino Wool.  The fiber is sturdy but not rough at all.  I have no idea what I am going to make with it, but it will be for me and I am going to just love it!

The lavender yarn is Traci Too by Imperial Yarn.  The colorway is Sweet Plum.  The color is just right up my alley with the dusty lavender, but the texture is so soft and bouncy!  I have worked with a similar yarn years ago, it was one of the first high quality 100% wools.  I loved how the bounce in the fiber stayed into the finished project.  The two balls I got of this will be turned into Architexture by Jennifer Weissman.  This yarn was displayed in that pattern in the store and it just had to be mine!

My yarn and new coffee mug

The Fuchsia is Teresa Ruch Tencel.  I only got one of this to make a shawlette (I haven't picked a pattern).  It is just special.  This is the kind of yarn you buy with every intention of making something, but end up petting it for years because you are just in love with the yarn itself.  On its own this is a stunning fiber and I want to just love it as it is until the right project comes along.

Now as I was checking out, we got to chit-chatting and Jennifer was so gracious and sweet and gave me a birthday gift.  The circular needle and the soft pink yarn both were birthday gifts from her based on our conversation.  I just felt so blessed and happy to have met her and spend the little time I got to spend in her store.

Please take time to go and see Jennifer if you are in the area!  The address is 982 E Street-Washougal, WA 98671.  Come on, the store name alone you guys!!!  Wooly Wooly Wag Tails Yarn!  How sweet!!!!

Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock

Sunday after we landed, we went to Cannon Beach.  I didn't get anything there.  Believe it or not, with the number of shops that were open, I couldn't find a single shirt to fit and I really wasn't looking for jewlery.  Most of the places with local art were closed by the time we were done taking in the Pacific ocean (first time for 2 of us).

It was freezing.  I was the only one with sleeves and pants.  Everyone else was still dressed for South Carolina.  I was amazed at just how different the beach was from the Atlantic coast.  I could have easily just stayed here and taken up "writing that novel".  It was just stunning, the air felt so clean and the water just freezing!

How many times do you have a lovely drive through mountain passes to get to the beach.  There was a house off in the distance that I just really was in love with.  Not that the house was that special, but the view that house has...  OH MY GOODNESS!  LOOK!!!  How can anyone say no to getting your morning coffee looking at that!  So, now I know my millionaire house!  LOL!

This house will be mine!

Monday afternoon, we went up to Mt. Hood!  I was able to grab some more normal stuff like shirts.  I also grabbed this bag that I am using as a project bag for my Cakes Two to Tango Shawl.  I know it is so silly, I only have 50 bags around my house!

Tote bag

This was an easy drive and so much fun!  I wish I had gotten a shot of it while we flew in, but I was pretty out of it Sunday.

I did however get some shots coming around the bend to see the mountain.  I will have to edit those into videos that I can share.
It took everything to not stop and take a picture every mile we went.  It was just so pretty and the air quality was so clear when we first got to Portland.

Mt Hood coming around the bend

First full look of the mountain

These are untouched!  These are like my normal "ugly" natural pictures!!!!  Look at that BEAUTY!!!!!  Look, I am 100% a mountain person.  The beach was stunning, however, I was dying at Mt Hood and Trillium Lake.

Yeah, we were done with the mountain fairly quickly as none of us are skiers and no one was prepared for hiking.  So we decided on our way back down, we went to Trillium Lake to see the view.  I could easily spend a week redoing the Mountain and Lake.  The weather was just perfect and really showed both off to their best.

Trillium Lake with Mt Hood

 I swear the landscape just makes it so easy!  I look like a pro with this scenery!

Cotton Top and Me

Over the weekend, I will get part two pulled together.  I still have pictures to round up onto my computer.  I am hoping that later this week I will get my regular WIP post up and take some time to let you know what the next few months will hold for us.  I might have to rearrange some things because I came back sick (like always) and have had to post pone starting my next crafty adventure.