Knitcation Part 2

For the second part of our Knitting Vacation, we ventured into the wilds of Portland, OR.  Well.... I just navigated and my husband drove so I could knit, of course!  Our first stop?  Happy Knits on 1620 SE Hawthorne Blvd. 

This has to be one of my very favorite stores in Portland... hands down!  The interior is clean, bright, and easy to navigate... with aisles and aisles of yummy, luxury yarns.  They carry a whole selection of KnitPicks needles and accessories, vintage buttons, patterns, as well as many other knitting notions.  My very favorite part of the store, however, is all the way in the back.  They have a wonderful classroom/sitting/knitting space -- complete with child's playroom!  I really can't say enough good things about this store.

All of the yarn is organized into shoulder-high shelves (front and back), and neatly displayed by type (worsted/sock/dk/etc).  They don't carry a lot of workhorse yarns, but they have a wonderful selection of such goodies as MadelineTosh, Jill Draper, Malabrigo, and O-Wool, among others.  So... what did I get?  A skein of Asland Trends King Baby Lama in Grape... to knit myself a pair of Vancouver Fog Mitts.

A quick journey by car, and our next stop was Close Knit on 2140 NE Alberta Street.  This little shop is tucked away in a trendy area full of shops and restaurants... and parking was definitely difficult.  But this shop was worth it! 

 It's a smaller shop, but they do a great job of pairing sample items all knit up with their yarns in order to tempt you!  In fact, they snared me with two of their samples... a darling little newborn sweater knit out of Spud & Chloe sweater yarn, and a knitted tank style toddler dress.  All of the notions are tucked away in very chic drawers and armoires, while the yarn is stored in glass shelves that line the windows.  The seating area is crowded, and pretty small... but the woman at the front desk was extremely helpful and welcoming, and I would definitely visit here again!  I've already worked up the Spud & Chloe into a sweet little newborn sweater for our impending arrival (and I even had enough for a matching hat.. but only just!)

Next stop?  Dublin Bay, 1227 NW 11th Ave!  First off, be prepared to pay for parking if you want to visit this knitting store... but just know that your money will be well spent!  This large, roomy store features yarn from Handmaiden, Three Irish Girls, Blue Sky Alpacas, Fyberspates, Solstice, Lorna's Laces, Malabrigo, Mountain Colors, Sweet Georgia, Yarn Love, Spud & Chloe, and many more!  They have a darling kid's section filled with all sorts up knit up samples (carefully labeled), as well as a comfy seating area, and attentive clerks.  I ended up coming perilously close to my parking time as I browsed their shelves :) 

It was hard for me to decided... but I finally went with a yarn that I have wanted to try for the longest time... Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Bittersweet.  I think these socks are going to deserve a special pattern to show off this luscious yarn!

 

That is my "short list" of where to visit in Portland (there are many, many other shops in this wonderful city... but these are a few of my favorites!)  Hope you enjoyed following us on our journey, and tune in next time for the final episode of Knitcation: Part 3!