Family Visit

My mom and brother just visited us for a week. It was fun to have them here for so long. My mom took this photo of my brother Nate and I and the dogs on the front porch.
We don't normally spend a lot of time on the front porch as it is in need of some...ahem.. serious repair.
My brother thought it was charming and was spending a lot of time out front people watching with my dogs for company.
I am still experimenting with all the fun settings on my new camera and thought this setting would give this photo a very Dorothea Lange look.





By the way, according to Jeff Foxworthy, "if your porch collapses and injures more than two dogs you might be a redneck". We may have cause for concern illustrated here.

Blocking Lace on the Road

I finished the Shetland Triangle this morning. I only made it to row 10 on the edging and was very afraid I would run out of yarn, so I casted off.
It is a little less regular than I had hoped for, but that may be partially due to the hasty way it was blocked today on a picnic table in 90 degree, dry heat.
I may block it again when I get home.
Still, I am happy with it!








Pedro and Rosie wrastling.



Lace Detail



More pretty places we explored..

Knitting in Paradise

A very long (6 hour) car trip with three dogs who were surprisingly well behaved. Either they knew our destination or Morgan did a great job packing the car and maximized the dog comfort factor, probably a combination of the two.
Morgan was a doll and drove the entire way so I could work on the Triangle.





And then there was Festivus; Blues, Brews and Bronze in Joseph City Park six short blocks from my house.
It was fantastic fun all around and the after party was at our house. Our tenant, Kate has done wonders with the house, painting and new flooring and the place looks amazing! I will post some photos later in the week.
I did not knit a stitch on Saturday because there were just too many old friends to catch up with.
There are few things better than an good music, beer and catching up with old friends in a park with a view.





Today was all relaxation and knitting at the lake and on the front porch. The Shetland Triangle will be complete very soon.



Great birding in the shade of mature Ponderosa Pine at the head of Wallowa Lake.



Hi to everyone in Portland!

# 1 Ladies Bookclub in the Park

Every August my bookclub meets in our neighborhood park. Our newest member, Ashley is 9 months pregnant. She and her husband moved here recently from Texas and are still settling in.
We thought some knitterly Stumptown hospitality was in order.


Ashley was surprised and elated by all her goodies, especially the gift certificate to the spa just for moms (who knew) and all the handmade baby knits.



I was pretty happy about the wine and the beautiful cupcakes with flowers from Sarah's garden!



All the food and good company



And a lace pattern that is lovely yet easy enough to knit while socializing.
Behold WIP Shetland Triangle
I can hardly put it down it is so soothing to knit.The yarn is Aran Silky Merino in 'Sangria over Garnet' from Sundara.
We are off to Joseph Oregon for a week. I'm not sure if I can block a lace shawl while on vacation, but I'm sure gonna try!

Free for the Picking

I forget that although picking blackberries is free in the northwest, it is not without hazard and consequence.


Stinging Nettles


Thorny thickets


Scratches, scrapes and wet pants


Next year I am bringing a machete.

I took all three dogs and they had a wonderful time smelling smells and playing in the creek. We only frightened (briefly) one man with a small dog all day which is remarkable. All three of my dogs are mild mannered and sweet but we look scary from afar and it is nearly impossible to walk all three on leash by myself.
We go to off leash areas and out of the way spots but inevitably encounter others.


Pedro is growing into a very well behaved little dog. He stayed very close to me and always came when called, a relatively new phenomenon for this high spirited American Staffordshire Terrier puppy.

Tempest (who is 12 and is surviving Cancer, Hypothyroidism, Arthritis and a host of other health issues) was a trooper. She bush wacked through blackberry brambles more slowly that the rest of us but alway emerged from the thicket wearing a grin. She especially delighted in laying in the cool creek and drinking.

All three of them were exhausted when we got home which was reward enough.





And then there was jam.......with lavender.

Lost Camera

We went to a wedding on the Olympic Penninsula this weekend and hubby lost our digital camera. I didn't get a lot of knitting done anyway but we had some fabulous photos of the wedding and long lost friends from college and us all dolled up and...oh well..all lost.
I will need to replace my camera with a much cheaper version of itself. Until then, I shall knit and read your blogs with longing in my heart to participate.
I did finish book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and had mixed feeling about the ending, especially the epilogue, seemed pretty cheesy. What did you think?