good times

+   +   +

home again. on the island, the wind blew and the fog rolled in and out throughout the day and into the night. i made a postcard of this photo of us to send to the kids, although it was windy and damp and cold and chuck was working, it is still a very good time   :)
i saw baby foxes!  i saw a baby raven too! the one caw caw cawing. they are so much fun to watch, perhaps i should have been looking a little more closely though, one small wild thing took off with my sock. hee hee. at least my knitting was closely guarded, priorities! i saw wild figs growing and colorful bugs mating. i came home with two new hat commissions, do you know, does superwash merino really mean it can go in the wash? these hats will be for men that will never wash them by hand, and they would like wool...

... back at home, i photographed a soon to be married couple, in a meadow, overlooking the sea. i'm wishing them all the love their hearts can hold. xxxx lori

summer love

this is the rachel bag. soon as i saw the pattern on ravelry, designed by handy kitty in sweden, i was pedaling my bike to the quilt/yarn shop in town, hoping to find the cotton yarn needed to make it. it is so sweet! i followed kitty's very good directions, a little knitting a little crocheting a little sewing. except for the lining, a phone pocket was added, and for the strap, a knitted icord instead of a crocheted one *happy*  i really like this one. and my daughters did too, as soon as i sent them a photo of the completed bag, they instantly replied, make me one too please?!

pattern: rachel bag 

yarn : cotton classic tahki stacy charles, inc. color 3003

needles : us 6 (4mm) double points x 5

crochet hook : us g (4mm)

and (if you were wondering) bamboo cell phone case here

a sweet book i loved reading, the summer book by tove jansson, i've shared it before, but it's beautiful and charming... "in the summer book tove jansson distills the essence of the summer it's sunlight and storms - into twenty two crystalline vignettes" 

x x x

he's returned! my adventuring husband. with exciting stories and a beard, and wearing his sweater! 

tomorrow we are back out to the islands, he for work, me to tag along.

 this time i'll bring a camera, hiking poles, a book

and my new knit camping container...

to help keep my yarn clean (camping = lots of dirt)

 i've written out a few recipes on the outside of this empty oatmeal carton, made a hole on top for the yarn

 there is one for small leaves, for fingerless mitts, a hat, slippers

 inside holds just enough wool and needles to make any of these, well, two things and a few leaves...

i think i'm going to make another to leave in my truck, a break open in case of (knitting) emergency kit!
edited to add (thank you willfulmina!) there is a tiny pair of snips, tapestry needle, measuring tape on the bottom, all the little things we need! see you soon dear friends xxxxx lori

sharing with ginny and yarn along

knit in color

there is a good explanation for this increase in wool and books (in case you are reading somewhere up there in the arctic honey!). a shop was closing, sad when this happens, but all the yarn in the first four photos was 50% off! variegated yarn is something i don't really use, but this pink, looked just like the pink of my hollyhock! it was so pretty, it came home with me and was made into a baby sweater, now on it's way to a friends newborn.

online, the lion brand cone was on sale too, it seemed interesting so i ordered one to try, the eggplant color. it is lovely! knitting with a size 4 it's making into a beautiful soft squishy fabric. it's a super fine 100% virgin wool, but feels a little heavier. i like it so much i went back to buy more, and found two new colors, fisherman and charcoal heather, and on sale too! at 2045 yards per cone (1870 m) these are such good value. i'm trying the silk mohair from lion brand too, i hope it will make a pretty shawl for an upcoming wedding.

i've been knitting dishcloths, three at a time, for all my kids. the closing store had lots of cotton (forgot to photograph) so we should be good for the next few years :)  and hmm, more knits on the needles...two hats, no, three, a bag and another baby sweater, all to be gifted (and then there are the knits for me).

lots of reading too, some new books to share. i've been re-rereading very favorite alexander mccall smith books, the #1 ladies detective agency. starting with the first, these are SO good, so filled with warmth and wisdom, gentleness and compassion (and africa!). so lovely. just finished the summer book by tove jansson, truly a gem, tove was the author of the moomintroll books. and am anxious to get to the others, the art of cleanup at first glance is brilliant (it's not about cleaning)  :)

i'm afraid i've got cast on itus, many knitting works in progress at once. this makes me a bit shaky, i like one project at a time. i'm sure i know how this happened, there is SO much inspiration everywhere, but what i wasn't sure was how to gain some control. and then, just this morning, sweet andi at my sister's knitter, began a ravelry group, a sort of knit along, finish along group! if this sounds like a good idea to you, please join in here!

 i hope you are having a wonderful summer or winter so far. between knitting and reading and hiking and gardening and riding my bike to the beach, oh and going to work, it's been one of the quietest summers ever for me, but good. chuck will be home next week and it's back out to the islands for us both!

more islands, men folk and a knit to share

 ...i do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in
the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what i have been doing all day. 
   mary oliver, the summer day

some of the wandering i've been doing has been out on the islands again. i brought one of my vintage film cameras last week, and set it in the trail to take this self portrait. i found a manual for this lovely old pentax (bought at a flea market) online at orphan cameras here.

santa cruz island

the island fox

they keep getting bolder and bolder. this one came to the portable guide shower for a drink, and then walked so close to me i could have pat him on his tiny little head  :)

in the eastern sierras...

chuck

mountain menfolk, my husband and friends. they climbed mt. whitney (again). this time the east buttress way. chuck is pictured rock climbing up the face. it's difficult to tell in the photo, it's very steep, almost vertical. eeeps. well done men!

a few years back, we went together, taking the trail (not really scary) way to mt. whitney's summit 

then, musical menfolk....

the avett brothers are coming to santa barbara!

i have tickets!!!!

family and friends surfing menfolk

my son came up with friends, their first time to santa barbara 

the sun surf and sea breeze all came too, to make sure they'd have a fabulous time.

a new sweater

(unblocked, ah well, it's finished and just in time!...)

and hat

this is the cobblestone by jared flood, i think maybe the three thousandth one made on ravelry. hee hee. my dear husband is heading out on an epic adventure, to the far north. i tried to surprise him with this, and came close, but he was persistent, who is it for?? it's made of baby alpaca, so so soft. and warm, which was most important. i made him two hats also, the one pictured above is called the wolf pack. he is hoping to see a wolf in the wild, well, one of the things he is hoping to see. i'm hoping for him too, and maybe this hat will be a totem for him, keep him warm and give him luck.
raverly notes for the sweater and hat

not much time for photos, i was able to take these while he was at work at the beach

 (red lifeguard shorts) 

 

wearing his other new hat, the sweater all tucked in his backpack and ready for it's first big adventure!

  safari njema (travel safely) honey, i can't wait to hear your stories!