Where to Eat Close to the Meydenbauer

Hello!

Our bald eagle was chasing off or being chased off by a crow this morning, and I was able to run outside and get a photo as he/she rode the wind back up the hill.

So, back to Vogue Knitting Live, Pacific Northwest.

If you haven't read my post from yesterday, you might not be aware that Vogue Knitting Live, Seattle is actually being held in my city, Bellevue, which is east across Lake Washington from Seattle.

Today, I want to show where I recommend you park (for free), and then talk about some of the closest places to eat.

Our big shopping center, Bellevue Square, is on Bellevue Way between NE 8th St. and NE 4th St. There are many parking structures all around Bell Square.  The one I recommend is on the corner of Bellevue Way and NE 4th St., at the SE corner of Bell Square.

The black arrows show the entrances.  You have to be headed South on Bellevue Way, or West on NE 4th St.

This parking lot is much smaller than most of the lots at Bell Square, only 2 levels.  Exit at the corner near the big Macy's sign

 and walk North on Bellevue Way.  (the red lines and arrows).  At the light for NE 6th St., cross over.  You will be at the Bellevue Arts Museum.

I'm putting a plug in for visiting the museum while you are here.  This museum has an arts and craft focus.  The first Friday of every month is free, so you can visit for free.  The current exhibits are:  Love Me Tender, art made from money (I kid you not, these are amazing):  Italian Design and the Photography of Aldo and Marirosa Ballo; and Maneki Neko, Japan's Bekoning Cats.

Walk down NE 6th along side the Arts Museum.  This street has been ...  narrowed  ... so it is very pedestrian friendly.

The blocks in Bellevue are "super blocks" so they are very long.  But when you come out on the east end, you will see a California Pizza Kitchen.  One possible place to eat. 


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Across this street is another  retail complex, The Galleria.

There are a few possible restaurants, including Rock Bottom Brewery.  It's not local, but it does have decent pub fare.

To the left of this complex is a big Barnes and Nobles Bookstore.  I am sure there will be a "bookstore" at the Marketplace at Vogue Knitting Live (btw, I am working the door of the Market there on Friday night from 5:45 - 8:30 and again on Sunday afternoon from 12:00 - 2:30 ), but if you need a non-fiber book, that is a good place to stop.  Of course it has a Starbucks.

Continue walking East along side the Galleria.  There is no longer a regular street here, no cars, but there is a pedestrian walkway.  When you get to 108th Ave NE, you will see the Bellevue Transit Center just across the street.  

If you come in on the bus, this is most likely where you will stop.  You can catch a bus to Seattle, if you are headed there.

There are many places to eat all around the Transit Center, including 2 more Starbucks.

City Center Bellevue,

right next to the Transit Center, also has places to eat.

 Continue straight through the Transit Center to the next street, 110th St. NE.  When you cross it, you will be at the Meydenbauer Convention Center.

Ok, the building on the corner is really part of the Bravern (more shops and restaurants as well as offices).  But you can see the Meydenbauer Convention Center right next to it.

That's it for close places to eat.  Tomorrow I will walk you to Old Main Street.  You will probably be in the mood for some amazing chocolates or french pastries by then.

Remember that Quiltworks Northwest is offering a 15% off coupon for the weekend.

Shameless Self-Promotion:  If you bring one of my books, Salt and Pepper at the Pike Place Market is a good choice, I will be happy to autograph it.  You can find me guarding the door of the Marketplace at Vogue Knitting Live Friday night from 5:45 - 8:30 and again on Sunday afternoon from 12:00 - 2:30.  I hope to be knitting the socks I am currently designing, my Braveheart Socks. 

I only have the cast on photo.

I am designing these toe-up and knitting them 2-at-a-time.  I have the toes finished, and am working on the foot/instep motif.  I can't decide if they are going to be too fussy.  Doc is a good sport, though, and has definitely proven himself to be sock worthy.  When the feet are finished, I will post a photo so you can see the design.

Until tomorrow,

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with sock toes.

Train Knitter

Hello,

[warning!  further down there is photograph of a piece of art that is a male nude]

My daughter, Moogie, was home for the weekend.  It was her 21st birthday.  So good to have her home, but of course, all the fun with her played havoc with my knitting.  The above photo?  Not me!   I took her to the train station this afternoon,

 and as I was driving home on the 90 fwy, she sent me a photo entitled, "Train Knitter."  So if you were the knitter on the Seattle to Portland train at about 2:20 pm, That is a photo of your knitting!


We went out for dinner so the Doc could buy her her first legit drink, and I made her a strawberry cheesecake for her birthday cake.

Then on Saturday afternoon, we went to the Bellevue Arts Museum.  They have 3 very cool exhibits going, a Bamboo one, a Fiber one, and a Paper Cutting one.  For those of you not from Bellevue, our museum shows "Art/Craft/Design."  It's not your typical famous painting museum.  For me, though, especially with the Seattle Art Museum just across the lake, it is perfect. 

This weekend was the last days for the bamboo exhibit.  I took some photos, but then I realized that while I could photograph the fiber and paper cutting exhibits, I wasn't supposed to photograph the bamboo, so I won't post those.

I will just say, really amazing shapes.  I kept thinking of knitting and cables. 

The fiber exhibit had all different expressions of fiber usage.

There was quilting but not quilting you might expect (sorry, I didn't get the artist's name for a few of these):

close up of the quilt

fiber and some type of like puff paint (again, sorry no artist's name):

And Crochet (this one is by Jo Hamilton and is called "Bridging Shine."):

And a close up of the face:

There also was an exhibit of the paper cutting artist, Nikki McClure's work.  Her stuff is amazing.

 Again, thinking of knitting, I kept thinking how cool her work would be as an illusion knit.  Since it is just positive and negative space, it would translate really well into that medium.

Other than partying and museuming, I did work on my afghan for my Transfiguration OWL.  I am using the beautiful Eight Pointed Flower by Julie Yeager.  I have finished 2 rows (8 squares), and almost 2 more squares.  I need to have 12 squares finished and hooked together to meet the OWL half-way mark this month.

I am really happy with how it is turning out.

As is Beena.

 Peace.
Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with 2 rows of an afghan