Secret Train Order 11 now in effect
A day of March sunshine in Portland is rare as red sea glass, and not to be wasted. Katrin and I knit in one of the urban parks, took refreshment at the Tea Zone (they serve a creditable English scone with Devonshire cream and lemon curd, joy), and swung by Knit/Purl to ogle her beautiful finished Autumn Cardigan (a beautiful Ruth Sorenson design in the Kauni yarn you’ve read so much about) and to drool over a new shipment of Pear Tree merino. This was a perfect cap to a lovely half-weekend with my husband and pup at the beach (we did a nine-mile hike on Cascade Head, now officially one of our favorite places in the world). The weekend may also have included a few moments of weakness in Nestucca Bay Yarns:
Really, can you believe I’ve been to Lincoln City all these times and I’ve never set foot in the shop until now? Turns out it is admirably stocked with Rowan, Jamieson’s, and Cascade. I heartily approve. And I approved of this luscious, tweedy, foxy Silk & Lambswool too much not to bring home four skeins for some sort of cute, cabled, button-up vest. Sinful stash enhancement was offset by virtuous work on the Ivy stole, at the beach and in town on Sunday:
I think it’s two-thirds of the necessary length. I think I also made my first mistake in the pattern yesterday, but I believe I tickled a fix out of it that will make it invisible to the masses. If I look at it again with a more critical eye, I may have to do some surgery. We’ll see. That’s what I get for trying to knit fiddly lace in the park in the sunshine with my friend while chatting and scoping out knitwear on other park-goers.
At last it was time to make my way home, and I took the train, as I so often do. Sometimes you can faintly hear over the loudspeaker the messages meant only for the drivers, and just as we were pulling into my station, I was treated to this: “All red and blue lines, Secret Train Order 11 is now in effect. Secret Train Order 11 now in effect.” What felicity to catch such an absurd and amusing directive! Seriously, they have Secret Train Orders, and that’s what they call them? Anyway, now that I have to live with the vexation of not knowing what Secret Train Order 11 is, I thought I’d be an equal tease to you, dear readers. I’m working on a new sock pattern, and I’m very pleased with Sock the First:
I have concealed its most alluring features, although that picot cuff is darn cute, though I say it myself. For now we’ll just call it the Secret Train Order 11 sock, although I’m rather chuffed to have finally thought of a good real name for it the other night. I won’t be able to unveil these officially until the fall, but secret knitting is so dull if nobody knows you’re doing it, don’t you agree?
Posted: March 4th, 2008 at 6:25 am
Maybe the Secret Train Orders are for the train to Hogwarts?
Sounds like the perfect weekend. The sock looks pretty “alluring” to me, as is — can’t wait to see what the even more alluring features are!
Posted: March 4th, 2008 at 8:47 am
I live in Lincoln City and I have stroked that very yarn many, many times! I have resisted because I haven’t thought of the perfect project for it yet, so I can’t wait to see what you do with it! I’m glad we had some nice sunshine for your hike. Cascade Head is so lovely!
Loving that red sock!
Posted: March 4th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
It sounds like a nice weekend! Too bad the weather turned grey again. The stole is really pretty!
Posted: March 5th, 2008 at 7:27 am
first of all, the ivy stole is GORGEOUS! i so want to knit some lace. hmmmm, that’s got me thinking.. and secret train order 11? oh the possibilities! 🙂
Posted: March 5th, 2008 at 8:29 am
I love that you were privy to secret train orders. I love to listen in to the special “pilot” station on airplanes – there’s something soothing about it.
Posted: March 5th, 2008 at 11:31 am
oh wow, wow, wow, the store is breathtaking basking in the sunlight like that! looks so soft, too!
Posted: March 6th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I think someone was laving a little too much fun with that secret train order business.
Love the looks of that sock!
Posted: March 7th, 2008 at 9:36 am
How fun! I’m going to start pretending that when I have to wait too long for my buses, it’s because they are in “secret bus order 5” or something.
Posted: March 8th, 2008 at 12:56 am
love the sock…I totally agree about the secret knitting thing, I designed my first sock pattern and just couldn’t keep quiet about it!
Posted: March 8th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I LOVE the yarn shop in Lincoln City. I purchased some Shetland wool in Thistledown and have been saving it for “just the right project”. I’m new to knitting and self taught, but have been crocheting since I was a child.
Your sock and wrap are gorgeous. Great photography, too! You are very talented!
Posted: March 9th, 2008 at 10:14 am
ooh pretty yarn. i love to read your blog because you are such a talented storyteller and writer. i learned to knit when i was a child but have been knitting again for about a year now. i started a new blog about knitting recently, but i may include other interests like sewing and painting. just need to find a good way to keep everything organized and connected so it flows well. 🙂
take care