Shannon (L) and Margaret (R) at the Astoria Fiber Arts Academy in Oregon
Taking a little survey today-- how many of you plan your vacations to specifically include knitting adventures/destinations? Besides just always being on the lookout for knit shops when I am traveling, I also have some very specific knit-related places I enjoy visiting as often as possible. One of these is Astoria, Oregon, where I spent the past couple of days.
I have a friend, Shannon, I met in 2006 when I spotted her knitting at the Astoria Farmers Market. We struck up a knit conversation, and we've been friends ever since. I have another friend in Astoria, Margaret Thierry, who hand dyes yarn and also runs the Astoria Fiber Arts Academy. The academy opened in 2010 and includes a room full of looms, some of them historic. Someday I'd love to just spend a month in Astoria hanging out with Shannon and Margaret.
On the drive back to Portland from Astoria, my host and driver spotted Knit Divas, a little knit shop in St. Helens, Oregon. Of course we stopped. I love talking knitting with people-- it's like an instant pass to a friendly conversation even with total strangers.
What about y'all-- do you have places you visit because you know you'll find fellow fiber fanatics? Have you ever been traveling and come across a great knit shop by accident? Tell us about it.
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3 comments:
I don't plan my vacations around my knitting. As part of my Economic Recovery Plan (for my local community as well as everywhere else I go) I try to find local shops that sell goods I use and spend money (cold, hard cash) wherever I go. When we are talking yarn stores and knitting, I look for local dyers and producers on top of all of that. On the most recent road trip, I purchased earrings, a coffee cup, some fabric and some beads all in small local shops. Aside from a few breakfasts at Cracker Barrel, all of our meals were in locally owned restaurants. Even our hotel stay was a locally owned small hotel.
I do the same thing here at home. I try to spend money in local stores as much as I can. Frequently I can get what I buy on-line cheaper, but I want my local economy to thrive. Very much worth the extra twenty percent and the sales tax.
I don't plan my vacations around knitting, but wherever I go, I find the yarn shops! (I always leave extra room in my suitcase before I leave home)
My last vacation was to Berlin. I spent hours looking for a yarn shop that was tucked under the train tracks. Hard to find! I don't plan the vacations around knitting, but try to find a store wherever I go. In France I showed a washcloth I was making to a 92-year old French woman. She was astounded I would knit a cloth to use for dishes! She was knitting a sweater.
The strangest place I found yarn was in a small town in the Limousin region of France. It was in the tourist office! Made from the wool of that region. It is a bulky, natural color and I bought 2 skeins.
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