Yarn Train 2011

Aw, yeah! The event I’ve been looking forward to since last year’s Yarn Train. (And I’m already looking forward to next year’s.) This year my partner in yarn, Jennifer, and I boarded the train in Tacoma and her mother-in-law, Kerrie, joined us. It was obvious from the time we walked in the door at the train station that things were a little different at the station that day. Knitters everywhere!

Jennifer, Kerrie and I are eager to board the train and I was so pleased to wear my Noro scarf made with yarn that I bought on last year’s event (though I’m a little horrified at how frumpy I look in this picture).

The event organizers really out did themselves with the goody bag. Wow! Look at this score (or should I say swag?): a row counter suitable for circular needles (I really needed one of these), a tiny flashlight, highlighter tape (perfect for marking patterns), a notebook with paper and post-its, a pen, a pencil (which was pre-sharpened, talk about attention to detail), a key ring with double ended crochet hook for emergency repairs and these totally adorable little cards intended to put in with a knitted gift conveying fiber content and care instructions. Wow, wow, wow! I think I said that already but, wow!

Proof that I did actually knit on Yarn Train. (I have no idea who that is next to me, poor kid was already on the train when a swarm of knitters descended upon him. He kept his head buried in his laptop the whole trip. I was a little disappointed that he didn’t seem interested in learning how to knit.)

Our train, above, and the Portland station, below.

My friend Jessy hopped the train in Lacey and Jennifer’s friend Michelle met us in Portland so our group grew to five. We had lunch at The Tea Zone. I just love that place, Jennifer and I found it last year and loved it so much at lunch that we went back for dinner. This year it was on my “must do” list. Done! And Michelle was super thrilled to find out that they had gluten-free bread there. She ended up being so impressed with it that she asked the waiter (who I suspect was also the owner) where they bought it. Seattle funnily enough.

My lunch because I knew you’d be dying to see it. A Hot Cinnamon Latte, falafel and salad. Lord help me, I want more now!

I didn’t take pictures of the first two stores that we stopped at (Urban Fiber Arts and Dublin Bay) though I should have since those were the stores where I actually bought yarn. But I did get some at our last stop, Knit Purl. Wall after wall of yarny goodness.

And look at who I found! That’s Zion’s elephant only it’s not Zion’s elephant. It was almost as if someone had snuck into her room the night before and stole her elephant. Funny. And a little weird. But mostly funny.

More yarny goodness! If I actually had any of my budget left the choices would have been overwhelming.

Yes, this sign says that ONE of those skeins is $55.00. I thought it would be the most expensive yarn I saw that day until…

I found the $72 yarn (and to be honest it wasn’t all that soft, if I’m going to spend excessive amounts of money on yarn it had better be not just soft but damn soft. This was not.)

This year we did not head back to The Tea Zone for dinner we hit Kenny & Zuke’s Delicatessen instead. I agree with myself when I suggest to me that we need to come back again when I’m more hungry. It was so good it boggled my, our?, mind apparently.

On the way home our train had been replaced with the Coast Starlight which, as you can see, was somewhat of an upgrade. I managed to knit and not sleep but not by much. It was pretty comfy (and we were on the top of a double decker car – though I’m pretty sure that that’s not technically what they are called when it’s a train and not a bus).

Home with my score: 5 skeins of “Solid Gold” and a skein of gray that will become a wrap for me (the gray will edge the gold wrap), the book Ocean Breezes that had so many patterns for gorgeous scarves and shawls, that silvery yarn will become a scarf from the book, the blue/brown multi-colored yarn will be a head band for me, the fall colored yarn may be a scarf, not sure yet but it was just so darn soft and beautiful I couldn’t resist (also I keep hearing about how wonderful this yarn is so I really wanted to try it), and then all the goodies from my goody bag. Quite a successful trip I’d say. Maybe next year I’ll be wearing my wrap on Yarn Train 2012. Looking forward to that!

ETA: For Marfa, the expensive yarn was bison of all things. The blue thing I'm knitting is a shawlette. The pattern is called Sweet Jazz. If you're a member of Ravelry the link is here. And thanks for the compliment about the gold yarn, I can't wait to start this project!