The Yarn

First I've had a couple inquiries about the heel on my socks. Its part of my basic recipe but I was thinking I would right up a short pattern to cover but I need to get to that point in a sock. So I guess that means its coming sometime in the future (probably my next pair of socks - which knowing me I'll probably be starting soon.)

Now for the yarn from the trip. There's quite a bit of it.

The first stop was Coastal Yarns in Cannon Beach. This was a really lovely, small shop, with a large selection of fingerling weight yarn. Plus yarn of other varying weights and huge array of colors. They had baskets and needles and books and other paraphernalia as well. I got three skeins of yarn there.

Blue Moon Socks that Rock - Mediumweight in Mossay. Just in case... 100% superwash merino. 380 yds/ 347m per 5.5 oz. You've seen this one already and also the next.

Arauncania Ranco Multy in color 318. I've seen other people knit with this or pop it into their stashes after a trip so I decided to grab a skein while I was there.

Now this one is interesting. Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rail in the colorway Bronze. 400 yds. 60% Rayon/40% nylon. Anyone heard of this one before? Its a really dramatic colorway. Lots of depth and saturation.

My MIL picked it out the first time we were in the shop but there was just one skein. We thought we would make it a shawl so we would need more so I was going to order online from Blue Moon if possible so we'd get all one dyelot. So, that evening I was searching the Blue Moon Site and couldn't find this yarn base let alone the color. I searched Ravelry too. No luck. The base isn't even an option. I used google. Didn't get anywhere much with that either (not that I really tried that hard, I was on vacation). So we went back the next day. I'll make her a wide scarf instead.

The second stop of the yarn tour was Knit/Purl. I know Portland has a lot of yarn stores but I've "shopped" here before online and I wanted to see this one in person. We really only spent a day and a half plus one evening in Portland and I wasn't going to drag my MIL to multiple stores in the same city. So just Knit/Purl. Its another cute little shop. Lots of stuff to choose from including Koigu, Shibu (surprisingly I didn't like this stuff), Handmaiden, Kauni and lots of sweater weight stuff too. I picked up a few more things.

Koigu KPPPM in P525D76. 100% merino. Apparently not superwash. Thats good to note as I didn't know it wasn't. 175 yds/160m per 50g. I was trying a little bit to get away from my same old, same old. Maybe have a pair of socks that isn't orange? So two green pairs of socks when I'm done with these and the one above. Almost branching out. Whoo-who!

Koigu KPPPM in P324196. This one remnds me of wildflowers. As you can see by the pink, orange, yellow, and brown that I didn't stray that far from my favorites.

Finally the jewel of the trip (also know as MY favorite as opposed to Chris' or my MIL's).

Handmaiden Fine Yarn CamelSpin in Pumpkin. 70% silk/30% camel. 100% soft soft soft. 300m/100g. Its about a thick fingerling. I love this yarn. Half of me wants to decide what to knit with it now and the other half wants to just let it be yarn so I can pet the skein. So weird because I'm usually not like that.

Moving farther into the country. We come to Hood River, Oregon. My days in the Gorge. Knot Another Hat yarn shop. I'll admit there wasn't a huge draw after looking at the website since I am mostly into sock yarns when traveling and they have plenty of yarn for making things other then socks. It was a pretty shop. Quite warm inside though. I don't think I would sit and knit. I managed to grab a couple skeins though. Or really I should say that Chris did. Since I only selected the first. (Can you tell that I took all the other pictures at the hotel in Portland with the nice brick wall and white sills and trim? These I took at home where most everything is wood colored.)

Alpaca with a Twist - Socrates in the colorway Solar Explosion (5016 974). 30% Alpaca/30% Merino Wool/20% Bamboo/20% Nylon. 3.5oz - 400 yds. I have a plan for this sock yarn. I really wanted to get another color too, but its Alpaca. The need to keep my feet that warm just isn't there that often so I settled for just one. Its a really lovely color. I'd been looking for a sock yarn with a bit of a halo.

Fiesta Rayon Boucle in colorway Tequila Sunrise (2132). 100% Rayon. 240 yds per 4 oz. Chris picked out a scarf in the store that he liked (pre-knit) it was in the Rhubarb colorway which they didn't have more of. He then selected this color thinking it seemed really tropical. Guess that means he'd like this done in time for us to go to St Thomas. We also got a free pattern for the scarf which just confirmed to me that it was a garter stitch going lengthwise knit on really big needles like I thought. He still wanted the Rhubarb. So when we got home I found it on Ravelry in a destash. So I'll be knitting the same thing twice most likely. Not that I mind that considering I've knit the same sock over and over a dozen or so times now and still want to knit it again.

Peruvian Tweed in colorway fawn/black. 100% Superfine Alpaca. 300 yds per 4oz. Chris picked this while sitting in a chair across the room. "How about that brown and black one?" I picked it up and we tried to pair it with a couple other yarns but mostly it didn't really go so I'll be making a scarf out of the one skein. You put that man in a yarn shop and he'll actually pick things out for you. Sadly what he picked out made my plan to use only 3 or maybe 4 images in this post completely useless because these last three yarns look really really really bad together.

Since there are already so many yarns/pictures I might as well show a couple purchased off etsy recently too.

From Yarn Lust I purchased a 80% wool/20% bamboo blend in the colorway Mustard. I was a really taken with this yarn when I saw it. Its hard to tell but it is brown, yellow and evergreen with some sprinkles of red thrown in.

I also custom ordered a skein of Kona Superwash from Fresh from the Cauldron in the colorway The Burrow. She does most her business in the form of custom orders so if you go look be sure to check out the sold items. I think she has no problem repeating stuff so all you'll have to do is ask for what you want.

So thats all. I actually ordered some other skeins a while ago. I don't expect them for a while yet either. Now to get knitting all of it so I can order more without wondering when all of the yummy yarn I have will ever get knit.