Ahhhh Summer

Blogging in the back yard with a cold beer under the shade of the ginkgo tree.
I started another sock, just a plain ribbed sock, sometimes I really enjoy watching the yarn do all the work and I love it when the colors pool.
the blue thing is a linen hand towel I have been knitting just to get the feel of knitting with linen. It is lovely, not as lovely as wool, but lovely nonetheless.

Icy Hot Wool

One sock done, a modified BFF sock, pattern by Cookie in BMFA Socks that Rock in Farmhouse and Koigu sock yarn in an icy blue colorway.
Like most natural fibers, wool breathes very well and is lovely in the summer. I have worn wool socks for summer hiking and slept comfortably with wool batted quilts in the warm months. It is one of the worlds most perfect fibers and should not be relegated to the cold. Hand knit socks are also perfect with sandals after the evening has cooled down a bit. I don't care what the fashionistas say.

I Love Three Day Weekends

I checked Craigslist Portland this morning for free bricks and found a new posting about six blocks from our house, so before coffee and without a shower I headed over to check it out. I really expected that they would be long gone, it has been very hard to find used brick in Portland in the last couple years, so I did not bring gloves or a tarp to protect my car (Morgan is at work with his truck).
I loaded the poor Subaru up with as much as I thought she could handle and left some half bricks behind. I drove very slowly........

I wheelbarrowed all the bricks to a pile in the backyard and let me tell you bricks and mortar are heavy. Morgan will be very surprised when he gets home today.
We will have to clean the mortar off and then we are going to use them for a pathway/patio in the backyard in the high traffic area where there is only dog dug dirt now.

Facelift in Blogland

As you can see I have changed the look of my blog and also the title. I am still learning a lot about computer technology, even the relatively basic, user friendly stuff frustrates the hell out of me.
The original, title was chosen in haste when I set the blog up and I just realized that I COULD change it. You cannot change your url which makes sense but the title does not have to be the same as the address. Hurray, I love learning new things.
I also just discovered how simple it is to put a photo on my header. I'll admit it took me most of an hour to get it the way I wanted it and it is only a silly picture of Pedro.
I think my new title is a more accurate reflection of my blogs content. As much as I love knitting, house projects and my furry children also figure very prominently. There is far less cashmere in my realm than I would prefer but I'm an Oregonian and according to the Oregon Chamber of Commerce this is 'the place for dreamers' and what better place to fantasize than the blogosphere.
Lastly, on a related note, I am happy to report that I was finally able to make our home DSL connection wireless, so that I can blog on my laptop comfortably on the sofa.
I was spending a lot of money in WiFi cafes to avoid using the home desktop PC which is obsolete and would be smashed (Office Space style) in the street if it were up to me.
So I look forward to posting more frequently and continuing my technological learning curve....also more knitting.

Face The Music

OK, OK, so I was tagged by Stella and here goes nothing.
Seven random things about me:
1) I hate stuff like this. It is too much like public speaking, peer counseling or chain letters.
2) I am a hypocrite because I love, love, love reading these things about others, especially my friends.
3) Did I mention I have a mortal fear of public speaking or performance, no spotlight for me thank you very much. I am a behind the scenes kinda gal.
4) My thumbs are spoon shaped, seriously, sometimes I feel like Sissy Hankshaw in Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. I was very self-conscious and tried to hide them all the time, until I realized no one really cared except me.
5) I am very fickle. This is why I have never and will never get a tattoo and also why I keep changing my blog layout and even the title.
6) I am currently nursing a painful crush on Stephen Colbert, his obtuse humor makes me squeal with delight. I am in the company of Jane Fonda and many others to be sure.
7) I am a tomatophile to the extreme. I look forward to growing tomatoes all year and last year canned my own from the garden. I roasted some of them on a hardwood barbecue along with chili peppers also from my garden and canned 'fire roasted tomatoes'. I also love to just graze on them directly from the vine all summer.
Enough is enough already with this sharing shit!
I can't decide if I want to tag others now, please see #1 above.

Doggie Dash and Spring Cleaning

I haven't been knitting much. Morgan finished lining the attic with plywood and we have begun to reorganize our small house and decide what things should be stored and what things should find a new home. Of course I look at this and all I can see is the yarn storage possibility.



Pedro and I participated in the 2007 Doggie Dash, a fundraiser for the Oregon Humane Society. It was a lot of fun and a great experience for Pedro. He had never been in such a large crowd of people and leashed doggies. He was intimidated at first but soon realized it was a big old dog party on the waterfront! You can see from this photo that he was pretty excited.

Finally.....Some Twisted Flower Socks

All photos are before blocking. Don't they look as if they grew in the garden with the Swiss chard?

A Busy Weekend

The April Sock club yarn, so gorgeous, you really need to touch it to appreciate fully, it is regular Socks that Rock with a little silk spun in...mmmm


My sporty new scooter. It is so fun and exciting. I filled up the tank and got change for a $5!


The veggie garden plot with wire to deflect Mr. naugty.



The Hops are going to be huge this year!

Aaaah they are so cute yet soo bad!

Socks and Scooters

No new pictures to post. I have been working on the second Twisted Flower sock from Cookie, trying to finish in time to block, dry and send them to mom for Mother's Day.
I have also been preoccupied with a new hobby. I am buying a scooter from my friend Nicole, so I have been going to her house after work to practice riding so that I can drive it home this weekend. Scooter riding is exciting and I am looking forward to running many of my smaller/closer errands in a vehicle that gets 70 miles per gallon of gas.
Off to knit night..hopefully I will have photos of socks and scooter to post by Sunday.