peace love and narnia

i found a new trail only ten minutes from my home, that led through a most magnificent oak forest. feeling as if i'd stumbled upon another narnia, i wondered how it is we never knew before that this place existed. taking my bike back home, i returned with my camera, and the big lenses. so no hummie was made to feel self conscious by my photographing his morning grooming. and sparrow parties went undisturbed as well. (if you love birds audubon has uploaded a new video, the abc's of birds, it's short and super sweet. they also have their field guide app on sale for 4.99, regularly 14.99, it's fantastic, hurry though, sale ends tomorrow.)

a package arrived with new wool, inspired (by where it came from) i put this favorite band on my ipod while winding the wool into three delicious cakes. resisting every impulse to cast on, as i already have three wip's (works in progress) as it is. it's satisfying enough to admire these for now.

the random number generator has chosen two names for the giveaway, genevieve and faith (proof that the first commenter does win sometimes!)  please email me with your preferred photo and your address and i'll send these off tout de suite! thank you for entering everyone, and for the kindest of words. and thank you so very much for the banner love. i've decided to make these to order and have added 'summer moss and fern rose' to lindy love etsy shop.
wishing you peace and love and finding your narnia.

summer moss and fern rose

a crocheted banner that i'd seen recently, kept popping up in my mind. this week i decided to make one too, knitting it instead. i found this helpful calculator, to determine how much to cast on and decrease, it made the little triangles simple to create! 

i used patons kroy socks jacquards from my stash, a super fine wool blend in color ways 'summer moss' and 'fern rose'. i did choose these skeins for their names as well as color! it was intended for socks, which turn out so pretty in this self striping wool. i still have about a half skein each, maybe just enough for a pair of baby ones. or maybe another banner. ravelry notes here.

i'm so sorry i forgot (again!) to photograph the book i'm reading, but it can be found in my last post where there is also a giveaway. if you have the time, maybe you'd like to visit and enter, if you haven't already. a winner will be drawn on sunday!

linking up with the weekly yarn along at small things. and with natural suburbia's creative friday. wonderfully inspiring places!  have a lovely weekend!

x o lori

september sun and a giveaway



(all photos taken with my new old vintage pentax and fuji film, the one i bought recently at a flea market,

i'm so happy it works!)

 the weekend brought fog again. if i wanted to see the sun i would need to go up. up into the foothills, so that's what i did. first to the vendanta temple and bookstore to browse and birdwatch (and enjoy the warm sun).  this place, vedanta, means 'knowledge', veda, and 'the goal of', anta. it's said that it is universal in it's application and equally relevant to all countries, all cultures, and all religious backgrounds. i thought of blogging and how we affirm the oneness of existence, and the harmony of religions.  the book i bought seemed to reflect this, it's written by twelve spiritual writers, six from the east and six from the west : rumi, st. francis of assisi, hafiz, kabir, st. teresa of avila, tukaram, st. catherine of siena, mira, st. thomas aquinas, rabia, meister eckhart, st. john of the cross.

sitting there in the peaceful surroundings thinking about all the blessings in my life i realized this blog recently had it's three year anniversary, and so did my etsy shop. i know if you blog, you feel like i do, and if your like me, how difficult it is to put into words just what it's brought to your life. i'm forever grateful to everyone i've met in and through this virtual world, which isn't really about technology at all. it's really full of real and kind and lovely people. like you.

in celebration of these last three years here i'd like to giveaway any one print in my shop, your choice. no, two, i'll choose two names, there are two anniversarys to celebrate. thank you for your friendship here and on etsy (oh and can't forget ravelry, i started there three years ago august too!) i say this all the time, but you really are the best.

x o lori

p.s. i'll choose the names next sunday september 11, around 6 p.m. pacific standard time.  :)

owens the man

 owen used to be just a wee pup

  toy animals were larger than him

even the grass was taller

he wanted to grow up

sometimes he would pretend he was owen the big boy surf dog

well, do you know what?  :)

owen and my husband in deep - photo by me!

 he made it into deep surf magazine! no, he's not surfing, but he's looking pretty grown up and cute.

i think he is nearly as proud as me.

(here i am under contributing photographers, right under chuck)

it helps that owen's papa is the editor.

but still.

:)

oh they grow up so fast.

p.s. thank you so much for the blue hat love!!

little blue hat

or perhaps more appropriately, little blue hurricane hat.  this was knit over the weekend while keeping

one ear on the dreadful news reports. knitting is truly therapy, with every stitch tension melts

away and a soothing rhythm develops, very much like a meditation.

i'm joining ginny's small things again for the weekly yarn along, where it's all knitting and reading and inspiration.



this is the very funny blocking tecnique for this hat. first step, wet block and then stretch the hat over and around a dinner plate. this is important so the pattern will fully show, otherwise it looks like a lump of (unattractive) knitted wool.

next, with a piece of waste yarn, make a running stitch around the brim where the ribbing meets the cableing and cinch it tight (remove after drying). this keeps the part that fits around your head from becoming too stretched out. a brilliant idea!

reading:  i've fallen behind in this series, there is already a new book out i need to get. i have to buy them, since i love them so and want to keep and reread them. again and again. (in depth love post for alexander mccall smiths books, the #1 ladies detective agency). oh! and see my new vintage blue enamel pitcher? it's danish and i think terribly cute. it does a splendid job of holding needles without toppling over.

the pattern blooming

baby sweaters wrapped up and delivered

unintentional blurred photo, (or was it?? hmmm), i thought you may like to see the front of the hat  :)

brambles beret, ravelry notes here. happy yarn along day knitters and happy wednesday everyone!

better now

did you hear that big sigh of relief? that would be me.
all is well. thank you thank you thank you
for the sweetest comments and support last night.
i really needed you. being here alone (chuck was out at the islands working)
with only the alarming news reports to keep me company, may have, no did,
make the situation worse. your comments made me okay. they made me want to hug you
really. thank you.

the entire weekend wasn't spent worrying though, there was ocean swimming, a trip to
the flea market, i got a vintage camera! and the coolest handmade thread holder. and the
most lovely little wooden flower people.
i played with chuck's macro lens (this is why you get to see photos of my breakfast).
and bee's. i tried forever to get photos of them,  it's not easy! they never stop moving,
it's even worse than hummingbirds or owen.

and in between all this, there was knitting, another baby sweater finished (ravelry notes here) and a hat made. it should be called the worry hat, with every stitch i felt anxiety dissolve.

do you see him jumping to the blossom below?!

have a wonderful safe unhurricany week ahead,
hugging you from here,
 lori