rocks get soft 

Beach Rocks 

soft wet sand 

more beach 

Cannon Beach 

Yellow Poppies 

A day off, chai and company

I checked out a Chai house that was new to me today to meet a friend. The company was great, the chai was not really to my taste. But, they do have 8 other kinds, so there may be hope.

I was a manic knitter this morning, finishing my black shrug. I now realize that this is the garment that my wardrobe has been missing for years (pictures to follow, I hope). Now onto designing other ones in silks and cottons, etc. This time I WILL write down what I'm doing as I go along. There's no good reason why I can't develop some patterns out of my recent design binge.

I've also decided that just because i don't know absolutely every knitting technique, that doesn't mean that I can't design with the knowledge I do have.

Also frequented the thrift shops for some clothes, as I often due around here on my time off. I seem to have better luck than in San Diego. Bigger women up here? I think so. At least taller.

Thursday's Blues-day

Working more on a computer then knitting.
Leaves me little for a coping mechanism.
Drinking too much tea.
Knitting a shrug in Black microfiber that just won't seem to get done. The yarn is splitting terribly and the black is hard to see. I put the work in it, but because I'm designing as I go, there's a fair amount of frogging when I don't remember something correctly. I figure it will be done in a day or two.
Ugggghhhh.

I'd like to make my own buttons and I've found a book on it. Love buttons...

yarn yearn

Okay, so it's driving me nuts that I can't buy yarn right now. I'm finishing projects left and right, and although my current stash should last me another couple of years, it makes me nervous. I know that I'm not alone. If truth be told, I actually go to all these yarn websites, plan what I'm going to buy and then just "click off." Sad. Better than spending, though.

If I were to spend some money on yarn, most of the time it would be here:
http://www.elann.com

I went online to the local library and found over 300 knitting books. I put about 25 on hold. I figure if I really like them, then I'll buy them. There was a time that I belonged to a book club and bought all these books and then didn't really use them. I ended up selling them to used books stores. Pass it on, pass it on...

A cool day waiting for the tea

Considering that this blog has "tea" in the title, I write very little about my tea obsession.

Lately, I've come up with the idea that I can keep my caffeine intake down and tea flavor up by using a decaf teabag and a few grains of really tasty tea like Scottish Breakfast. I feel a lot less deprived and am buzzing a little less now.

Seeds and such

Deb's "bushwalk" collection of botanical samples
everything Deb goes out walking, she picks up all sorts of botanical material that's new to her. When we lived in San Diego, most of it was common to Australia as well. All this Oregon stuff is new to her, and she is completely fascinated.

As the days pass, they wrinkle and rot so I thought I would keep a digital account of some of the collections.

mini city garden 

First cable sweater

Zimmerman Cables in Wool and Mohair

I knitted this a couple of years ago and am only now getting to photograph it.
(I used to be a quilter, and NEVER took pictures of my work and now deeply regret it...)
So, it weighs a ton, is an outside sweater, for sure, and tested my patience. But, I love it, especially the blueberry/inky color of the yarn.
Now whenever I look at a Zimmerman cable design, I just want to start it. Trouble is, most of my stash is short on the ammounts a cabled design takes to complete.

cable detail 

Chinese Style Vest from Folk Vests

I just finished this last night. Okay, so the original pattern was a bit cropped and I made mine tunic length. I'm not sure on what kind of buttons I want, or how far I want them to go down the length of the front.
It was knit in a celadon green, Cascade 220.
Cheryl Oberle's Chinese Vest (no buttons yet)

chinese vest detail 

cropped mohair, metalic sweater

cropped bell sleeved sweater (that really does fit!)

Because the sleeves are ribbed, they create a bell affect. Now, I know it looks like it belongs to a monkey, but because it's really cropped, the sleeves are not TOO long, just a little for hanging.
I made this last winter or the one before.

Cropped sweater detail ( mixing Dune into the stripes)

Elizabeth's Frill Tank

I started this in the Spring, and didn't know who it was for. Now I know!
It was really fun to design and knit this with a few balls of ( I think) Online City, purchased from Knit/Purl, here in Portland.
Elizabeth's frill Tank

Frill Detail

frill detail

So, I posted all of these photos today, and then it occured to me that it might seem rather random. So. I will attempt to caption some of these with a little more detail for the reader's benefit.

My 12 year old cat, Brahms is looking pretty good for her age.
We have a special and co-dependant relationship...
I have written love poems to this cat, this one of a kind feline.
'Nuf said.



Me and Brahms

These are the star lamps that lit up the tall ceilings in my first place in San Diego. I still have them, but they are decidedly less impressive in their current position, here in Portland.
Are the stars out tonight....?

Balboa park, San Diego. I love the patterns in nature and find that they inspire me constantly...

eucalyptus bark

This stuff is just amazing. Not like a tree but like a reptile in it's colorful shedding bark.

Summer 

chevron garter rib top (back is straight accross)

This top is a little revealing on, but I love the shape and intend to make another. I don't know who the designer is, but I got the pattern from Interweave online.

Top detail 

great texture to play with...

learning about ribbing in design