Just got back from a great 12 day trip to Seattle and northern Washington, on a teaching and book signing tour. It was our first time in the Pacific Northwest and the scenery was amazing along with the friendly people and great foods and wine. We enjoyed the generosity and hospitality of Jean and Bob Dunbabin of Cascade Yarns along with their lovely family, Shannon, Rob and David. It was a special weekend with a great annual air show highlighted by the Navy’s Blue Angels aerial team, and from the terrace of Jean’s beautiful home, we had a front row seat on the action (Jean and Bob have a giant American flag on their roof and the Angels responded by flying directly over , many times). I also got to know and love Marina Shumway, Cascade’s New England rep.
The first event was a Stitch and Pitch event at a Seattle Mariners baseball game, attended by hundreds of enthusiastic yarn lovers (I signed lots of books and got to go down on the field and meet some of the players).
Then on to classes at some great yarn shops… I met old friends from past yarn trips and cruises and made new ones at:…Renaissance Yarn…Yorkshire Yarn…Tricoter…Great Yarns…Apple Yarns…and Wild Flowers. It was an exhausting schedule but my students were so enthusiastic that we had a lot of fun (we also sold a lot of books especially the current “A Kiss In Every Stitch”(Soho Publishing), the new “Enchanting Collection” (Aslan Trends Yarns) and my forthcoming book “Knitting Block By Block” (Potter Craft Nov.2010).
One of the highlights of the trip was Jean Dunbabin taking me to the enormous Cascade Yarns warehouse. Talk about a kid in a candy shop…there I was surrounded by tons of fabulous yarns…my head was spinning and I wanted to move in.
While I was working hard, my husband Howie was doing intensive research on Seattle’s sights, coffee, foods and wines (a tough job, but someone had to do it). He particularly loved the great Pike Market where they throw fish, and have wonderful shops, foods and flowers. He discovered a little French bistro there, overlooking the water and we enjoyed a lovely lunch there with the best duck confit that I’ve had outside of France. We also enjoyed many of the wonderful Washington State wines that are gaining great popularity across the country.
At the end of the trip we got to spend a couple of days with our dear friends Chris and David (and their 19 cats) at their amazing house in Mt Vernon, Wa. The view from their deck is beyond breathtaking and David took us flying in his plane where we got “up close and personal” with some snow covered mountains.
It was an extraordinary trip, and I was actually invited back again next year…can’t wait!
Well, back to work….Happy Knitting
Nicky
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