I could also title this post My Friend and Next Door Neighbor Opened a YARN SHOP and I am The Luckiest Girl in The World, but I'm never really sure what letters to capitalize with a long title like that. So yes, my neighbor Tracy (who is also my friend but I have another friend named Tracy so I call her my neighbor Tracy) opened a yarn shop in town! Let's see I just googled it and it is 1.5 miles away by walking. Hello! Is this not awesome. Rhetorical, it is totally awesome. The only other yarn shop here (in Salem, Oregon in case you're wondering) closed last year. Yarn is one of the only things I hardly ever buy online (besides that Sundara craziness I hoarded while pregnant). I love feeling yarn, being inspired by the samples and books in a yarn shop, and talking with the shop workers and patrons. So ya, I'm psyched. I thought I blogged about it before but I can't seem to find any reference. I happened to check my stats the other day (which I never do) and it showed 40 people searching for yarn shops and getting to my blog in a week. I don't know how that happened or what they were searching for: shops in Salem, Oregon? Portland? The Willamette Valley? Online? Or just plain Awesome Yarn Shops (hehehe how's that for some keywords :), but they come here. Soon I'll have a little badge over there (if I knew how to make arrows one would be pointing to the right), but for now here is a link to her blog: Teaselwick Wools.
The first time I visited a month ago (see above – I was posing with a sling to show Ceara that they can be classy – Yes Emily I got the Sakura Bloom) I disgraced myself by having Tuesday wear this not handknit hat and you know what when I came back yesterday:
I freaking did it again! So that must mean I need more yarn. Plus St. Patrick's day all green yarn on sale. I am so there!
The shop is really filling up. Tracy has excellent taste, which is a good thing, but can have drawbacks, like me buying way too many books because she has tons of great ones that I haven't seen anywhere (I'm still loving this one that I made Ceara's hat from).
This is wool from Oregon – some kind of lovely unspun stuff that looks (and fills) so yummy! The shop is in an old Wool Mill (Mission Mill) so very fitting. Please check it out if you are in town and so inclined.
Of course I had to congratulate Tracy on her new venture and when I saw this fabric I knew I wanted to sew her up something. So I made her a bag to carry knitting and stuff to and from her shop.
and the inside:
We were trying to get more pictures outside, but someone wasn't a fan:
Imagine a better shot of the inside where I made a pocket with a contrasting lining and added one of my labels (my birthdate printed on this twill).
Up close of the fabric.
This was my first bag like this (I used this pattern – horrible cover art, I know, but the pattern is great) and I learned a lot. Like I should pre-read the whole pattern. I don't know how many times I have to be told this to get it into my head. It's a good idea with any project in any medium, and I still fail to do it. If I had I would have known to move this little patch further away from the edge of the outer panel so it wouldn't get caught in the corner. I gave Tracy a verbal lifetime repair coupon when I brought her the bag, so we'll see how soon I get it back. I think doing a few of these at once would be best, so you could press all at once, baste all at once, and sew all at once.
Now I just need to start knitting all of this yummines:
if I don't get distracted by this vintage barkcloth panel from Tracy's parent's house (she got it when her dad passed away – these were their curtains!!
):
Like I've said before: project overload!!!
I like the way the patch looks sewn into the corner, makes it unique, and I’m loving the labels with your birthdate, I may have to borrow your idea for the crocheted afghans that I make ( have tried knitting and it just doesn’t work for me ). Our only wool shop closed years ago so I have to buy my wool from one of the big retailers here and it’s just not the same. Have a great weekend.
What a wonderful shop! And 1.5 miles – yay! The bag you made is fabulous, I love the clever label idea.
Her shop is really filling up with beautiful yarns! I need to get back there!
fun shop! i need to check it out! what a cute bag you made her! i love the color combo (and that knitting fabric). i might need to borrow that pattern someday 😉
looking forward to tomorrow!
Super cute bag! We’ll be sure to stop in the shop next time we’re in the area. We are lucky to have a lot of yarn shops up this way, not just in Portland, but in Vancouver as well. But my favorite is Knit Purl in downtown Portland.
I read this in my REAL SIMPLE magazine and knew you would love it –
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Awe thanks, it is unique! Totally borrow the idea if you want. I have tried crochet and it doesn’t work for me! LOL
I know you get south of Portland and it is like a fiber drought down here! Lucky you!
Thanks for thinking of me, that’s interesting, I’ve never heard of it before.
I stumbled onto your blog a while ago and have been lurking ever since. Not until this post did I realize you were in Salem too! (I have looked at the shop’s blog and thought I recognized that baby!) 🙂 I am also excited for the new local yarn shop. I googled the distance to it from my house and I have you beat at only .9 miles!
I love yarn. I don’t know how to do a single thing with it…but sure is pretty to look at!
I’m also quite jealous that Tuesday keeps a hat on her head. “Rip off the hat and throw it” is Miri’s all time favorite game! 😉
And…apparently you didn’t know about my magical tree-age-guessing talent?? 😉 😉 I can’t believe I won!
I have wanted to learn to knit for years. I need a hobby, something to spend my money on, some projects to have around the house….
Oh wait, no i don’t. 🙂
I LOVE MY BAG!!!! THANKS AMBER!!!!!!!!!
Crazy, I always wonder if locals (minus my lovely family) are reading!
So probably a hat is not something I should send you 🙂
Hahaha, that is so my thought process before I start anything new—though it doesn’t seem to stop me!
I LOVE that sling!! It looks so comfortable! You look amazing! When I am down there in a few weeks we have to check out that yarn shop!! My favorite one up here went out of business….remember the one that was always closed even when the webpage said it should be open?? Go figure, they went under. Also As I say every week, where on earth do you find the time to make so many awesome things???? Seriously, Tuesday does live at your house right??? Crazy!
Ya, we totally have to check it out. I’m not surprised that the yarn shop up there went out of business, but it is a bummer, there fiber was so nice! I was just talking about this to Sarah, it’s all in the eye of the beholder in terms of getting things done. It may seem like I’m getting a lot done but I’m probably not doing something you ARE doing (and that’s probably working out, LOL).
I’m so glad, now send me a badge so I can put it up on the blog!