As you may know, this weekend was SPA, up in Portland, ME. I couldn't leave with Jess on Friday, so I took the train up Saturday afternoon. What a pleasant thing, the train.
A great time to do homework...
I had never done this before and now, I want to go on a train trip. So lovely, whizzing through forests, over rivers. Somehow this made me feel more connected to the travel expereince, even though I was only going 2 hours from home. I had dreams involving trains for two nights after this little journey.
Kate and Jess picked me up at the station and we headed over to the vendor area at the Doubletree. Within 10 minutes of being there, I bought these without even thinking.
Walkabout colorway up top, Harvest down below
Amy Boogie does that to you. You see her colorways in person, and you can't help yourself. You must own them. It made me even more drawn to spinning (if that's possible), looking at all the braids of fiber hanging in her booth. I'll say again what was repeated over and over during our two days in Portland: Amy Boogie is a genius with color.
Basicially, the rest of the night (which I did not take pictures of) involved hanging out in our makeshift suite (an extra hotel room the Hampton Inn coughed up after bumping the girls into regular rooms on friday night due to construction in the suite they were supposed to have. not acceptable. 6-10 people cannot spin in a room full of beds. So the hotel cleared most of the furniture out of a third room and a makeshift suite was born). I tried several spinning wheels and am pretty sure I have pinpointed a couple that I would be very happy with. Right now, I'm leaning toward the Kiwi. But, unless I come across some awesome deal, I should really wait until this summer, or possibly until my next move, to get one. Money, space, time—all the usual considerations factoring in here.
When I wasn't trying out spinning wheels, I was knitting this:
The beginnings of Ingrid...
Here is where blogging is an insufficient medium for knitting expression: one must feel this to truly apprecite it. Baby twist alpaca, so soft, yet sturdy. So pretty. I love love love. I hope to finish it before the weather shifts into spring, which is probably a pipe dream. But still—I'm gonna dream...
so funny you mention loving trains. there are really cheap ones that go to portland and vancouver. i keep meaning to just go, but then never do. one of these days...
i should warn you before you become a train rat, that the novelty wears off after about 5 hours (unless there's alcohol involved). having been on many trains in my day around europe and along the east coast of the US, sleeping on a train totally blows.
it's the perfect 2-3 hour trip indeed, especially if there's pretty land to see (the netherlands/switzerland/oregon), but try spending 2 days on one without the comfort of a cabin. my parents were cheap when we moved from florida to pennsylvania and did just that. very uncomfortable and tiring. bleh...
Posted by: travelling bug barrie | February 19, 2007 at 08:34 PM
i, too, love knitting and riding the train. it feels so old-fashioned and romantic! (ok, only for a few hours, but still.)
Posted by: carrie m | February 19, 2007 at 09:21 PM
I was wondering why I didn't see you on Saturday (I had to leave early because my friend Rachel had a family commitment). I'm so glad you had a good time!
Posted by: Sara | February 20, 2007 at 08:00 AM
i can't stop looking at that yarn. the colors are SOOOOO PREEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTY.
Posted by: maurene | February 21, 2007 at 01:38 PM