More photos from the road

We have returned to Portland with the furniture intact, Morgan did all the driving home in the U-Haul. I am very grateful as I stayed up way too late bonding with my sister-in-law.
The dogs were happy to see us but were fairly calm about our return. I slept much of the drive home except for a detour in Ashland. I also had to try to photograph this double rainbow.

The backyard waterfall in Woodside.

A beautiful double rainbow in northern Oregon along I-5.

We stopped in Ashland and went to Websters, a yarn shop. I bought this skein of sock yarn, made in Wales.


Pedro giving me the cold shoulder when we got home last night.

Progress Report

Morgan and I took the Amtrak Coast Starlight from Portland to the Bay area to visit his brother and retrieve some furniture he had stored for me.
We had a blast on the train, enjoying spectacular views from the lounge car.
I met a very cool knitter named Monika and we chatted about sock knitting, traveling sock photos and knitting versus blogging. I showed her my traveling geisha finger puppet and we took some photos. I brought the newly started front panel of Gyrid with me an the second Twisted Flower sock. The front panel and the first sock are finished and at home.

My sister in law, Corinne took me to Nine Rubies, a delightful little knit shop in downtown San Mateo today and I made it out the door with one lonely but gorgeous skein of locally produced silk/wool hand paint and a lovely small, silk project bag.


We are staying in beautiful Woodside, California tonight with a hot tub, swimming pool and so many amenities I feel like I am at a resort. More photos and more about the traveling geisha to follow.

So Long

It has been so long since I have posted. I started back at my new old job and have been very, very busy, also spring has sprung and I have been dashing outside between rain showers whenever I am home desperately trying to repair the total annihilation of my yard by puppy. One half of the backyard now has no grass which is just fine with me as it is less to mow. My husband has washed his hands of the entire situation and I have to admit it is discouraging. I want to grow tomatoes and have it nice enough to have friends over for some parties this summer. Alas I will try to keep my expectations low for Pedro is only a year old and there is so much more destruction in his future.
I keep starting knitting projects but have not finished anything for what seems like forever. I started a linen hand towel so I could experience knitting with linen. I have four or maybe five socks on needles (all different) and what else...the Gyrid has once again come to a screeching halt. I need another circular needle to continue and am working on addis so I need to get another expensive needle.
I think I am going to go home a do some knitting. I deserve it!

Mixing new and old

I have been tirelessly working to complete some very old UFOs. I almost completed the back of the Gyrid tank and am now blocking the cabled red Ksar scarf that I started when I first learned to cable and wanted to design a cabled scarf of my own. It is going to be very warm and soft to wear but needless to say the stitch pattern I chose almost two years ago to challenge myself was very boring to finish now. There are also some errors and design flaws that will bug me but at least it is a warm wearable item rather than an unfinished pile of yarn sitting in my livingroom taking up space on the needles. I also have a hat to match that I have been wearing for almost two years!

I finished my Monkey socks in STR mediumweight in the Fluorite colorway. They are absolutely gorgeous and as tempting as it is to wear them and keep them for myself I am going to stash them away for my best friend for Christmas. I am starting early this year folks as last December I was knitting too much for comfort or sanity.


I may make another pair for myself.

I also made a baby hat for some friends having a girl in May,it is DB Baby Cashmerino and the Drooping Elm Leaf lace stitch from Barbara Walker's first treasury of knitted stitches. I don't think I quite translated it correctly from the directions for flat knitting into the round. It is still pretty and very girly... It has small flower appliques on it.





On the new end of the spectrum, I just had to cast on some Twisted Flower Socks, in green, for my mom, this pattern is just so beautiful. It is also kinda slow moving at first with lots of twists and turns. I'm sure it will be worth it. I am making them in Shibui sock yarn in Seaweed.
Here is my progress photo.

So Much Multi Tasking

Gyrid Tank in Progress.

If you grow orchids and have trouble getting them to bloom, take this advice; water them once a week and otherwise leave them alone. Overworrying kills them!

Monkey Sock #2 is getting there.