Six Sweet Strands

While I was in Portland, I happened upon a new-to-me needlework store called The Playful Needle. The store is largely dedicated to needlepoint canvases, but does stock a small selection of cross stitch charts.  And of course, both needlepoint and cross stitch use many of the same fibers, so I had fun looking around.  I was taken with a line called Six Sweet Strands.  The line had 154 colors, but is no longer in production.  I fell in love with the soft pinks, lavenders, mauves, blues and violets - so I treated myself!

If ever you visit downtown Portland, there are four fun stores situated very close together.  The Playful Needle is at 11th and Alder.  It is right next door a very funky knitting shop called Knit Purl.  I don't knit a stitch, and I thought their windows were luscious! Also close by is The Button Emporium, and goodness knows cross-stitchers always are embellishing their designs with buttons.  Lastly, for the "generalist", there is Josephine's Dry Goods, a wonderful fabric store. 

This morning is a cool grey day (again!)

I had a male Goldfinch drink out of my fountain.  The hummingbirds also bathe in the very small pool at the top of the fountain.

The Audubon Society closely observed the finch!

 My ferns are happy in the cool weather.

And so are the fuchsias!