Herbed goat cheese recipe

By request, from the July 2009 spinning night…

Herbed Goat Cheese Dip / Spread
(inspired by a recipe from Epicurious.com, I forget which one, grr!)

10-12 ounces mild goat cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used mostly tarragon and parsley, with some cilantro, a little bit of basil and a tiny bit of mint)
2-3 green onions, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream

Mix together the goat cheese, chopped herbs, and green onions, adding salt and pepper to taste. In a separate bowl, whisk the heavy cream until slightly thickened, then fold into the goat cheese mixture. Refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavors meld, then bring to room temperature for better spreading consistency.

fibre space in Old Town Alexandria

I think I'm in love. Okay, so I exaggerate, but only just a little bit. Yesterday, I visited the new LYS in Old Town Alexandria, fibre space.

fibre space, 102 N. Fayette St, Old Town Alexandria VA

Unfortunately (shh, don't tell them I said so *wink*), I was accompanied by a non-knitting, visiting-from-out-of-town friend and the bf, so I was limited to a measly one-hour hit-and-run mini-tour. (Seriously though, I am very grateful to both K and G for being relatively patient - an hour must have seemed a lifetime to them!)

Miss Babs 80/20 Merino Silk Top, in Forest Afternoon

On second thought, perhaps that was actually a fortunate thing, because I could have done some severe damage to my wallet if I'd stayed longer! As it is, I'm proud of my restraint - just one skein of the new Spud & Chloe Sweater in the sunny-yellow Firefly colorway and a luxurious 2 oz braid of Miss Babs 80/20 Merino Silk top in colorway Forest Afternoon, all in a reusable shopping tote (which cost an additional $5 and which I ended up giving to my sister because I felt bad for (a) visiting the shop without her and (b) not getting her anything yarn-y).

Spud & Chloe Sweater, in Firefly

The space itself is light-filled and airy, with beautiful hardwood floors and a great open feeling. There is a cozy sit-and-knit nook in the front of the shop, complete with a wide window seat. I'll assume the seating is comfortable, because though I didn't get a chance to sit and knit myself, my companions had no complaints about their comfort level in the "waiting area."

Sit-and-knit nook (note the expression on G's face)

To the side is another sizable room, which I assume will be used as classroom space; there is also a swift and ball-winder available for use in that room. There was also a long row of Miss Babs roving braids hanging from hooks - very pretty! The shop will be carrying some supplies for spinners (though there are no plans as of yet to be a wheel-dealer), and because the owner isn't as well-versed in spinners' needs as she is in knitters' and crocheters' needs, no fewer than two shop employees approached me to ask for suggestions. I appreciated their efforts to meet spinning needs.

Back room / classroom space / spinning fiber wall

The requisite yarn shelves line the walls, of course, but there are also clear shelving units (also filled with yarn) in the middle of the room, which isn't at all obtrusive. To the side, there was a "landing soon" display of soon-to-arrive yarns, which was also a nice touch.

fibre space main area (including clear shelving units)

Right next to the checkout counter, there was a computer with internet access available for on-the-spot Ravelry browsing, a feature that some knitting friends and I had wistfully wished for while visiting another of our favorite local yarn establishments. Danielle, Knit-A-Gogo / fibre space gal herself, explained the placement of the Ravelry station-slash-knit doc area. She wants people to be able to sit down, browse, look for projects - and if they need it, to ask questions to her or whoever else is working behind the counter that day.

Ravelry station / knit doc area / checkout counter

All in all, fibre space shows a great deal of promise - and could potentially become my favorite LYS. I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit!

Just a random lone duck hanging out in a fountain