lori times five

at the beach

2012-02-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

i have discovered it's near impossible to blog, while at work or at the beach, where i've been most of the time. the surf is up here, luckily coinciding with a classic surf contest that i've been watching and taking a few pictures of. i'm on my way down to the finals this morning. my husband finished yesterday in first place in both divisions he was in, the masters and grandmasters, so he'll surf again today. just when he confided he might not compete anymore, chuck found new inspiration in the form of one small boy. travis, our surf crazy grandson. this boy is his most dedicated fan (well, there would be me...i have the starry eyes for him, but i don't run up and down the beach. anymore. hee hee). see where we are here.

i did want to share with you before i head out today, a coupon you might want to take advantage of, it's for a photobook at 'my publisher'. so sorry i wasn't on this sooner, it expires tomorrow, but you have ninety days to make your book once you buy the voucher. for ten dollars you can make a hard cover, twenty page book. i made a tutorial for bookmaking at 'my publisher' here. the link for the coupon is here. i think it's a great way to try it out. i hope you'll let me know if you do.

to the beach now!
love, lori

this week

2012-02-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

this week : :

: : another roll of film was developed, it's like christmas waiting for it , forgetting all that was taken.
: : more knitting doll photos at the beach with our grandson ( loving little wetsuits,  it seems like yesterday it was my own boys in them), slow progress has been made on the chair pad.
: :   a day trip to cambria with a friend, to visit this gallery, and see this artists work.
: : and a splurge on one small platter for me, and a big splurge by my friend, she bought several pieces.
: :   a few vintage store finds, these sweet strawberries and three new (old) books i forgot to photo.
: :   we celebrated my sweet sisters birthday :)
: :   chuck has two more magazine covers, oh his photos! forgot to take pics of those too. so proud of him.
: :   i won a give~a~way, lovely wool and a pattern. thank you plucky knitter!
: : and we found dresses for my daughter's wedding! she found her's, and this one is mine. and that is just about the most exciting thing. it happened for my girl the way i'd hoped. she fell in love with hers. she cried, i cried. wedding planning is so much fun. except for the not so fun part of missing my youngest girl who lives across the country, and wanting her to be involved too. i'm missing my sons, but they don't care too very much (not at all) about wedding planning. so we are doing our best to stay connected with, emails, links, photos and phone calls. i'm sure that some sort of hand knit cover up is next in the plans.

extra yarn

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

in an effort to work from my stash, i made a felted yarn bowl with wool on hand, extra yarn. the cut out happened after the felting and the bowl was dry. i'm surprised, it's working fairly well, the wool does catch some, trying to think what i can do to remedy that.
this is brown sheep lamb's pride bulky weight in the color eggplant. i think. i've misplaced the band somehow. inspired by watching one of my favorite movies last week, and trying my hand at needle felting again, i added a small red fox, into the bowls bottom. he seems to be content, curled up and asleep, snuggled in his soft nest.

i have three books to share this week!
i received 'a knitter's home companion' as a gift from a dear friend. i intended to savor it, keep it in my knitting basket, taking it out here and there for inspiration. instead i read it in two days time. it is charming and i loved it, and i think it's going to stay in my basket as much for the patterns and recipes, as for the friendship it came with. you can find the book here.

then after reading a review (in the knitter's home companion) for the book 'safe return', i knew i needed this one for my library too. here is the review (i hope it's okay to share):

safe return

by catherine dexter

'safe return', a middle - grade novel named after a swedish mitten pattern, is one of my absolute, hands-down, all -time favorite children's books. a beautiful and moving tale, 'safe return' takes place in the stark setting of sweden's gotland island. the main character, ursula, an orphan from the mainland, is being raised there by her aunt and uncle. her outsider feeling is reinforced by her inability to knit, a skill acquired early by the other children in visby, their fishing and farming village.

many books for kids that involve knitting are about the process. in 'safe return', the character learns not only how to knit, but how knitting can soothe even a reluctant knitter's turbulent times. there is an authentic tenderness to the text that reflects the author's understanding of the setting, character, and knitting. you can almost feel the lanolin in newly spun wool, the fierceness of the wind, and the darkness of the night in a time and place before electricity. and in 'safe return', you will experience the joy that comes in a very satisfying ending.

it really was a lovely read, it arrived this morning and i finished it in a couple hours, the more i think about it, the more i love it. there is something so comforting about reading books at this middle grade level. i'm also loving the fact it's based not only about knitting, but about a true event that took place in 1824. and it's about sweden, which is where my family is from. happy. book found here.

the third book is 'extra yarn' by mac barnett illustrated by jon klassen. this book caught my eye in a local children's bookshop, it says it's intended for ages 4-8. but i bought it anyway. i am still those ages, plus a few more. i love the short sweet story, and i think the pages would look great framed. link here. joining with:

p.s. the bowl pattern can be found in this book!

west coast crush

2012-01-27T23:30:00.000-08:00

thank you very much for kind words on a first attempt video tutorial, i will try for more, but it would be so much easier if you came over instead. :)
our day was super fun, chuck surfed for hours (third pic down), and i watched and took photos for a little while. but when the tide started going out, the sea anemones and sea glass began vying for my attention. with temperatures hovering near eighty degrees i got a little sunburned, woops! happy weekend!

knitting color

2012-01-25T14:30:00.000-08:00

i've made a swatch for demonstration, and a very short, under three minute, video to share
(nearly didn't post this, feeling kind of awkward here, who wants to hear their own voice. oh dear).

it wasn't as easy as it seemed, to make one. it's a bit like writing
on a typewriter, mistakes show! truth is i was self conscious, even though it
was only me at home! well, i hope these tips, if you haven't used them before,
will help you in your color knitting. that's the most important thing.

if you don't want to watch or can't, what i've shared are two tips that help
make fair isle, or color knitting, much easier.

the first is to work with short strands (i said cut yarn, but really
meant short strands!). the idea is to cut a yard or two at most, of
wool. this eliminates balls of tangled wool, bobbins or twistys. the
shortened strands practically undo themselves. i tried to show in the
video, but i couldn't drop the wool or you wouldn't have been able to see it.
it really does work though.

the second tip is to spit splice the ends as you go.
much less weaving at the end of your project. again, in the video
my hands were out of the picture somewhat,
but you will want to take both your ends, after separating
them about an inch. wet them in your mouth, then overlap
about a half an inch, pinching the wool together. then between
your palms, roll the wool until you have a nice felted bond.
(thank you bella for reminding me to say this will only work with
animal fibers, anything that is 100% will do).

i liked the first video i made much better (everything is easier to see) but it
didn't want to be published. i hope this one was some help, thank you
for watching!

joining with....

glow

2012-01-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

my goodness.

glowing is me to know that there are at least ninety two people in the world that love childrens painted wooden knitting spools. maybe my family will stop teasing me now. hee hee. thank you so much for all your memorable comments. i really loved reading them all, hearing your memories. some of you had spools made by a beloved parent or grandparent, some made their own. i am most amazed that small children can work the spool knitter. its an art, like knitting, that will survive, and more, i think it will thrive. i'm sure of it. i wish i had a hundred knitting dolls to send out, how lovely that would be. but i had to choose just one for the giveaway. the random number generator helped me, it picked :

claire of border stories

and

the lovely host of yarn along wished for one too,

another knitting doll will be on it's way to ginny of small things.

a small thank you.

the mittens are flying off to:

evi of sister sun

i hope you'll enjoy :)

this weekend my daughter and i shopped for wedding dresses. the one above was ordered online and is being returned, it's not the one. but i think we may have found it in a shop saturday, it's simpler, with just a bit of lace. the wedding consultant asked my girl 'is this your dress?' and we giggled (but she didn't say yes. yet. but she was glowing). and oh i cried too, the shop had boxes of tissue strategically placed. they know. :) the above glowing rose photo, along with a few others, are newly added to my etsy shop, with new smaller sizes and prices to match. now, time to knit!

knitting dolly

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

once upon a time, long ago, i brought home a knitting dolly

it was so cute, i found myself bringing home one more, and then one more, and now i have several. i love them, standing there painted and ready...to make something... but, i've never made anything. i didn't know how. this child's toy baffled me. until this discovery.

now i know how to spool knit! round and round, inch after inch, the cord grew. i carried it everywhere this week

the spool in one pocket, wool in the other

spool knitting is easily toteable (my grandson wondered why i was playing with a toy though!)

i had an idea, i have a chair, this yellow one, that needs a seat pad

the little knitting doll is helping me to make one

all i have to do is knit for another few rounds and a few more days, and my chair seat will be done! well, it still needs sewing together, and maybe a knitted dolly tie or two. i'm happy to be using the sock yarn left over from this project

and then i think i'll be satisfied to just admire the cuteness of these knitting dollies (otherwise called a knitting nancy, bizzy lizzy, knitting mushroom, knitting spool, french knitter, peg knitter, knitting noddy or knitting knobby!)

i picked up two of the same dolls, one to share with you, in case you'd like to start (or add to) a collection yourself! leave a comment if you'd like this doll (little box included). i'll choose a name on sunday, the same day my other giveaway is ending. go here to enter, if you haven't already. reading a charming book written in nineteen o nine on spool knitting, here is a free download.
joining with small things yarn along this week! xo lori

to finish, to give

2012-01-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

i finished my mitts! so happy with these little hand warmers, they are cozy and very warm. if you'd like to knit them i hope you will give the pattern a try. you can find it here. i was thinking of making a video demonstrating a couple techniques i learned that make fair isle easier. i wonder if there would be an interest?

if you don't knit (or even if you do) i'd like to have a giveaway of this pair of winter white fingerless gloves (showing one front, one back here) . i was thinking as i was knitting them, that so many of you make for others, knitting or crafting, giving of yourselves in so many ways. perhaps you've never had a thing hand knit especially for you. theres also all the kindness you give, so abundantly, all the time here. which means the world to me, so it would be my pleasure to offer these. if you'd like them , they are made of the softest merino wool and cashmere (one size should fit most, the 4 x 1 rib gives a good stretch) please leave a comment letting me know. but if you can't wait and would like to make a pair now, you can find the pattern here. comments will be open till next sunday, january twenty second, when i'll announce the winner!

and the knitting doll photo? it's the thing i've been up to lately, more to come on tuesday! i hope you have a
very good week ahead, with moments of magic and true joy. xxx lori

vintage effect

2012-01-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

hello hello! today i'm sharing photos taken with one of my film cameras. a vintage thirty five mm pentax i found at a flea market. a super lucky score! these are untouched, with the exception of the last one. its had this effect applied. when i got these back from the lab, i saw that i'd taken just two photos of this sunset. there were many people on the beach that night that claimed it was the most spectacular sunset they'd ever seen. i felt this way too. perhaps that is why i took this and then stood agape in wonder.

i think i told you i didn't paint the little rock house or rock grandma. but i did paint these blocks. i'd
forgotten about them (till the rock love), these cute wee blocks. it may have been twenty but more like twenty five years ago that i made these for my children. (can't believe i misspelled puzzle, eeps!) i recently took them over to a wood worker friend and asked him if he could cut a few more blocks like this please. i think i'd like to make some more.

happy birthday to my baby boy, my youngest son, who will be twenty three tomorrow! do you remember
these puzzle blocks honey? love you so very much son.

jacob and hannah, twenty some years ago

i have something to tell you

2012-01-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

will this baby be next?

dear friends, have you had a passion for something, someplace, you felt a need to protect and preserve? it is africa for me. and this is why i'm sharing the above video. chuck and i are soon to leave (in may) on a safari back to the continent, my fourth time there. i don't know how i've been so lucky, but on each trip to africa i've seen either the black or white rhino. my heart breaks knowing these magnificent animals are on the decline, being murdered, because of illegal poaching. i don't know what to do besides share this video and perhaps some links where there is more to learn and make a small donation. if you have an interest please watch the video and visit :
wwf - world wildlife fund international rhino foundation save the rhino african wildlife foundation
(there are more, these are the ones i know).
thank you for taking the time to read this and a big hug if you've watched.
xxx lori

the first good thing

2012-01-07T21:30:00.000-08:00

today marks one week of the new year. i'm sorry for complaining about not having my

favorite camera. it took a few people much wiser than i to point out it is not really the problem

i'm imagining. between film cameras and my teeny tiny digital, i don't have to stop taking pictures and participation here is still possible!

the start of january and the first good thing...

the season's biggest swell came to town, making my husband and sons really happy. i love watching them surf. and taking photos. my tiny digital tried it's best. but then i don't think there is a camera that can capture the energy and excitement a large ocean swell brings. salty mist hangs over homes and fields, sea spray is tossed onshore with each crashing wave. at night falling asleep, i hear the rumble and i believe i feel it too. i'm reminded to be thankful we live here at the beach.

good thing number two : at home a package was waiting for me

can you see what was in the box?

it's a portrait done by julie whitmore. if only i were better at this, i would have the proper
words to describe my complete joy and happyness, and gratefulness. and delightedness. thank you julie, for painting this.

in this picture is one of my favorite possessions in the world. a portrait done by my mother, of me as a child. now to have this one by julie too. beyond thrilled almost comes close to how i feel. visit julies shop
here to see more of her exquisite pottery and art.

and then. so many of you asked about the rock house and rock knitting grandma, i took close ups so you could see them better. i did not paint either. the house was found in a gallery in morrow bay, and grandma was at an arts and crafts fair. i wish i would have bought two houses (they were all different colors and shapes), wouldn't they be cute as bookends?

the side

and the back. hee hee, a bird bath. i would like to live in this little pink house.

good thing number three: christmas knitting! i forgot to take pictures of completed projects, this is the only one i have, but they were happily received, yay! i made three simple cowls and two pairs of these fetching mitts. (still knitting the second ysolda mitt).

good thing number four: after recent inspiration found here and here, and all the encouragement to use up our stashes, before buying new. i uncovered an old counted cross stitch sampler i began (feeling a bit silly now) in 1986.

it was soon after i had my third baby, that this was packed away. my sister and i taught ourselves counted cross stitch, sneaking in a few stitches between feedings and diaper changes. it's a lot like fair isle knitting, reading from charts. i don't know why i put this away so many years ago.

but it's out again now! see the giraffe? LOVE that one best. i've a ways to go on this sampler still, and i think i'm going to need one of those magnifying light up lamps. my eyes are not the same as they were twenty four years ago.

and last, good thing number five: a super healthy egg dish recipe. it's very yummy.

eggs florentine

2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
small handful of spinach, or chard leaf, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil

heat a cast - iron frying pan for a minute, then coat with 1 tablespoon
of olive oil. add 1/4 inch of water and heat for another minute.
add chopped vegetables, cover with lid and cook for 3 minutes.
then pour two (beaten) eggs over mixture, cover and cook another
three minutes. scoop out entire mixture with spatula and serve.

this is a great way to add more veggies to your day, starting with breakfast!
(chuck adds salsa, i like it topped with a bit of avocado)
xxx lori

one mitt and the big deal

2012-01-03T21:30:00.000-08:00

this week i have knit one mitt.

tonight i hope to cast on for the other.

here are the wool and needles (waiting patiently) for me to begin. the pattern is ysoldas, found in 'my grandmother's knitting' by larissa brown, link here. i used the same wool the book called for, jamieson & smith. after having a look at all the colorways, i became completely indecisive, and so chose the same colors as the model pair. tonight after looking at the photos of my mitt i realized you can't see the sweet picot edge at the bottom, its a design element i really love.

here is a close up of the thumb detail. such a pretty pattern, now i'm imagining it made up in other colors.

i like these photos in the book

here is the back view. i wished i had one of my girls here today, to help model these. but the sweat pant and tshirt ensemble, self timer and spare tiny leica will have to do (oh boy do i miss my camera, off at the repair shop, but i am truly grateful to have a backup!). the book i'm reading is 'the history of love' by nicole krauss. it's been hard to put down right from the start, which is pretty much why i only have one mitt.
raverly notes found here.

the big deal : i'm reading another book. this one arrived a few days ago. it's 'photographer's forum, best of photography 2011' it's a hard cover treasure chest of stunning photos. i'm thrilled that the folks at p.f. chose to use a simple one of mine. (exciting big deal for me). :)

here it is, it's the surf photograph. thank you little rock house and wee knitting rock granny for propping my book open, and thank you so much photographers forum, sigma and serbin communications, for sponsoring this and liking my work.
yarning along with small things and all the other lovely knitters and readers here.

new year

2011-12-31T20:30:00.000-08:00

hello lovely friends. thank you once again for the kindest words on the mountain posts. i'm hoping everyone had a wonderful holiday, celebrated with love and joy and even a little magic. i think i'm just now recovering. i cried when my children all came home and cried even more when they left again. i cried missing my mum who passed away last september. but when i had to hand my camera over for repairs, and was told maybe it would be back in six weeks ( my eyes filling with tears again), i knew it was time to find a way to step out of this fog i've been in. missing is okay, but it was beginning to feel like depression.

tonight i picked up my knitting needles, the first time in days. and made this post too. looking through the many photos i'd taken this year made me feel blessed and better already.

giving thanks for twenty eleven...

january ~ spending our anniversary in the redwoods, big sur, california

february ~ camping in californias serengeti, the carrizo plain

february ~ visiting my youngest daughter in brooklyn, new york

march ~ fox encounter, carpinterias salt marsh

april ~ back to the carrizo plain

may ~ back to nyc, to the fashion institute of technology, to earn my knitting teachers credential

june ~ taking the train to anaheim, california to see u2 in concert

july ~ the royal couple visited carpinteria

august ~ home

september ~ my mother, paris 2001

october ~ paddle boarding in the pacific ocean

november ~ making big plans

december ~ the sierras, family and home

these were some of the things that filled our year in twenty eleven. it's difficult to choose just one photo and one line to describe a month, or even a day. and though losing my mom has been the hardest thing in my life, tonight when chuck and i went out to dinner we agreed it was indeed a year to be thankful for, with the blessings of good health, good friends, much loved family, one little dog and adventures too, we hope for the new year to be more of these things, for all. cheers and welcome twenty twelve.
love, lori xxx

cold cold river and my rose

2011-12-19T22:00:00.000-08:00

thank you very much for the kind comments on snowy mountains, this then is part two (and last of our adventure)...

mt. whitney is the largest summit in the contiguous united states, with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m). this time though, we didn't come to inyo county to visit the mountain. our plans were going to take place at the base instead. but with a mountain range this spectacular, it was nearly impossible to keep those granite peaks out of my cameras viewfinder. it is always changing, and always astonishing.

the purpose of this trip was to get photos of standup paddleboarding on the owens river. the kids were asked to do this in their swim suits. i don't know if it's easily visible, but parts of this river were frozen. luckily, the weather cooperated and the day was sunny and still, no wind. here are chuck's models, smiling when they were done, even with frozen toes. thanks so much kyle & vanessa. i took the sort of safer route and went out in the kayak instead (my feet still turning to ice). photos of chuck and i paddling by my son kyle. good job dear son. and thank you honey for another epic adventure :)

* * *

and...my youngest, the last of my five, turned twenty one today. i found a bakery that lives near her in brooklyn, nyc. and they awesomely delivered this darling cake in the morning, which surprised her and made her laugh. and prevented me from crying (too much) about not being with her. well, and also, she'll be home in only three days. oh my girl. happy happy birthday dear hannah rose. love mama.

(cell phone photo of yummy cake, sent by happy birthday girl)

snowy mountains

2011-12-17T21:30:00.000-08:00

in the shadow of the majestic sierra nevada mountains, in a tiny rustic motel, i am typing this post. dear friends, back at home we experienced a problem with our internet provider, and so we've been out of service for the last three days. i've missed blog visiting and emailing (and trips to ravelry), but i'm hoping to get time to catch up tonight. this motel we arrived at last night, might lack in certain amenities for some, but it has wi fi, so hurray!

do you see that river in the top photo? we are here to get photos there this weekend for an assignment chuck has. my son and daughter in love met us up here today. hurray again! we popped into an outdoor store on our way to dinner tonight and spotted a baby in a box, unfortunately, she was not for sale (but i did get some christmas shopping completed, excited). there is snow here, up on the mountain, that is really very very exciting too.

chuck's cowl was a replacement for the one i recently made, this one fits much better. he's very happy with it. he reports it kept him warm this morning in the freezing wind and chill. knit on a super bulky wool, with size fifteen needles, it was finished by the time we arrived to the snowy mountains. ravelry notes here.
joining (belatedly) with small things yarnalong.

little ragg

2011-12-14T01:12:00.000-08:00

on the morning of my husbands birthday we met friends and one daughter for breakfast in summerland, a small town up the road from us. i brought my knitting hoping to finish a birthday present for one grandson, whose birthday was this day also. i was making a hat (with sock yarn) deciding to knit just the day before. this does seem to be the way things are going lately. last. minute. oh dear.
chuck's wearing his purple mountain's majesty' hat from last years birthday. big mistake and happy ending here and here. it was another last minute, and almost wasn't to be.
(i broke the rules on the nutrition diet and ate the cranberry orange scone featured above, my will power and resolve is wavering.)

later at the party...

(mesmerized by a new surfing dvd)

(travis's gift to granpa chuck, a rock painted with big waves)

i brought the hat, still on the needles, thinking i might finish it at my daughters. but you can imagine, it never left my basket. there were children to watch, babies to hold, presents to unwrap and candles to make wishes on. so when i kissed him 'happy birthday darling' and said goodnight, i told him i would have his hat ready when he got out of school the next day.

it's a simple hat. a basic little hat. yet since i picked him up from school today, he hasn't taken it off. and guess what? he told me this friday is hat day at school. and he already knows which one he'll wear. i'm so glad to have it done and that travis is happy, now one more birthday and then i can think of christmas!

paton's basic beanie - version one (man size)
kroy socks ragg shades
rav notes (and travis, finally on ravelry) here.
joining with ginny and the yarnalong.

a day to celebrate

2011-12-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

today is amanda's baby shower so graciously hosted by tracey! thank you tracey, you are such a lovely hostess, welcoming everyone, and the food is yum! here is my gift to your new babe amanda, i intended to wrap it so you would be surprised, but this tiny bunny insisted on posing instead. he is knit from organic cotton from the book vintage knits for modern babies. ravelry notes soon. :)

when the first baby laughed for the first time,

the laugh broke into a thousand pieces

and they all went skipping about,

and that was the beginning of fairies.

- j.m. barrie

congratulations amanda and welcome to your new

soon to arrive sweet bundle of joy!

today is an extra extra special day as it is my husbands birthday. and my grandsons. my lovely men are

forty eight and eleven today. here are some things i've made (am making)....

when i knit, i stitch with bliss

and with every stitch

there went a kiss.

i hope you have the most wonderful day my guys.

a photo of us that chuck loves, it's even in a frame (which hardly ever happens!) and a cowl knit with no pattern, only about nine inches of seed stitch in a very soft and cosy alpaca. i hope it keeps him warm. i'm going to make you a sweater honey, promise.

and a kroy sock basic beanie for travis. it's knit on a size three and size five needle. i haven't gotten to the size five yet, but when i do (soon!) it should go alot faster and be off the needles in time for the birthday party tonight. he's getting a new deck pad for his surfboard too, something he really wants!

i'm late to the shower, and i want to take my husband out to breakfast, but when i get back i'll add the ravelry links.

have a wonderful day!
love, lori

last minute knit

2011-12-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

(all photos from last year, except the partial raverly one right above)

dear friends, if only i had been as wise as you and began my holiday knitting weeks ago. the thing of it is, i wasn't planning on giving hand knits this year. until two things happened... my grandson came over for dinner the other night (it's a treat to have just the one, he had our undivided attention). travis asked to look at my computer which was sitting on the counter open already. while i was getting our dinner ready, he began to ask questions about the page i was on, " grammy, what is ravelry?" i explained he was looking at my very own hand knits. he was interested and scrolled down. then he said " i see sadie! and brianna! their on your page!" and then more to himself " i like this hat" and " i would sure like a hat like that".

yes, i do feel like the world's worst grammy. how long had it been since i had knit for my boy grandchild? i couldn't remember. and how could i leave him off my page when his sisters were there with their newly made sweaters? so christmas hat project is on the needles (photo to come soon!).

next, my daughter was over one morning while i was getting ready for work. i had a pile of knitted goodness out, deciding which to wear. she began looking through, gently handling each piece. i can't say here which one she loved (so it'll be a surprise) and she said "how did i not know about this?" and "oh i wish i had one too" . so project number two is on the needles.

and the natural scarf, that is on the needles again too, another last minute knitted gift (which may not be finished in time).

projects shown (photos from last year):
his and her hats, purl bee pattern, rav notes here
branching out (scarf) pattern from knitty, rav notes here
and the photo with the pile of knitted goodness, is not entirely on ravelry yet, oh my goodness,
so much to do! for reading, only pattern notes this week.
joining with ginny and all the yarnalongers, here.

like cake and cookies

2011-12-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

~ this weekend

~ my husband was off to the desert adventuring, while i stayed here at home. a cold wind was blowing, keeping owen and i indoors. maybe it was the near hurricane winds that prompted the flurry of activity. we got so much done! (well, owen mostly offered support by watching me from his doggy bed with one sleepy, yet interested eye.)

~ i'm pleased that:
the tree was trimmed
house decorated
outdoor lights strung (once the wind died down)
outside cleaned and swept after wild wind
inside cleaned (laundry too!)
marketing was done
day thirty five of eating to wellness, so far i've had no caffeine, alcohol, sugar, bread, pasta,
baked goods, dairy, poultry, meat and anything else that falls in these categories for over a month.
i went to africa two years ago, came home with a mystery ailment, and am still searching for a
cure. even if the africa bug doesn't leave, the rest of me will be super healthy.
recieved two packages in the mail, one from emily and one from andrea, thank you so much.
made one pot of chicken soup for my sick girl who was at her home in bed. delivered soup, and animal crackers, for good measure, too :)

~ i added one photo in this post twice, a thing was missing from the first i wanted to show. i see it's still
partially missing. i might have been lazy about one or two things this weekend (no photo do overs)
hee hee.

~ the ornaments on my table, the fox, hen, bluebird, toadstool and teacup are from
julie whitmore, potter, artist. she owns a brilliantly creative heart inside a kind and humble (super talented) body. julie's art can be found here and here.

~ a recipe for you...

almond bread (shown above with sesame butter)

1 lb. almonds, raw and organic
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup water, carbonated

preheat oven to 350 degrees. blend almonds (a small amount at a time) in food processor
or blender to fine texture. place in bowl and add remaining ingredients.
pour into olive-oiled bread pan and bake 1 hour. can stay fresh for over a week in an airtight
container in refrigerator.

the bread really is very yummy and makes up for no cake or cookies. almost.
:)

warm puppy

2011-11-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

this is owen. he's my puppy. owen had a birthday, he's now two.
for his birthday he got two cookie bones from cafe luna (thanks kim for
turning him on to them), his favorite thing in the world almost ,except cheese.
and he got this new sweater. he really seems to love it, he jumped around for a
bit and did that rolling thing like he was trying to remove it. but then
i think he realized he wasn't cold anymore and he's been wearing it all morning.

i started with a pattern on ravelry, but quickly changed it up. if you have a
shivery puppy you'd like to warm, notes are here. next time i'm changing it even
more, knitting one long tube in the round with openings for his little puppy legs. please
forgive the wretched seaming here, that was the result of sleep knitting. i sleep knitted
my tea leaves too and ended up pulling out four inches, while sleepy also, which resulted
in a very large pile of tangly wool (using two balls at once.) i didn't have the heart
to take a photo of that. oh dear.
still reading and delighting in wildwood.

joining with ginny and all the yarnalongers here.

running mountains

2011-11-27T21:00:00.000-08:00

here we go, up up and up, to the top of the santa ynez mountain ridge. my sister lindy and i drove up saturday morning. it took us an hour from my home which is waaay down below on the edge of the pacific ocean . i live about center and straight down next to the sea, on the other side of the middle peak.

we are driving up here to see chuck, my husband. he is in an ultra run. a fifty mile trail run. the run is on the back side of this ridge we're on. looking at this photo the ocean is on our right, the back country on the left. he is in the back country. along with seventy two others. running fifty miles.

we are at one of the check points now. behind me is a makeshift tent with supplies for these endurance athletes. we waited (a bit anxiously) for chuck and cheered as each person came through. then, we saw him. he's that blue dot right above the words on this photo. notice the rugged back country from where he's come. there are a lot of hills.

he was so happy to see his friend and fellow athlete.

now he has to replenish before heading back out. there are foods with potassium and salt. and if you think you see a bottle of maker's mark whiskey on the table, you'd be right. some of the runners might need it i suppose. (i'm quite sure i would).

this is the check point we were at, i think there were at least five more throughout the course. i am always in awe of the people who volunteer their time to help. my husband appreciates it very much. everyone is so nice and supportive at these things (they must all be bloggers) ((bloggers are the nicest people on earth)).

he was with us for five minutes before heading back out. can you imagine finishing a marathon and beginning again? and on a trail too?

see you tonight honey. have a safe trip. lindy and i watched him run off and then headed back down the
mountain. we had a day planned. which thankfully didn't include any running.

as we were driving down the narrow windy road, this red-tailed hawk suddenly burst out of the bushes to our right ( there was shrieking) (by us) flying almost into our car, swooping over the hood and then as if we were in the wildwood book, he soared only inches from the ground, right directly in front of us! and then, suddenly again, he made an immediate stop and an abrupt turn into the brush on our left, attacking (scaring the wits) out of a small bird. the bird flapped his wings madly and flew straight up and away and the hawk, seemingly satisfied with himself landed on the top of this small dead branch. and stayed. i was shaking whilst trying to raise my camera, i've never been this close to a red-tailed hawk ever. i counted to three as he looked at me, raised his tail to poop (which indicates flying is next) and then he was off.

in glorious graceful flight.

i wished for a moment wildwood were true. i would have asked him to keep an eye on my love.

chuck and i and my sweet sister lindy. photo courtsy of kevin steele. for kevin's images of the run
go here. (chuck's photo is the first one, he's wearing his handknit hat, a purl bee pattern.) :)

oh! lindy and i had a fabulous day, we went to a holiday fair, shopped, and played with owen (i only glanced up at the mountain once). chuck finished some time after eight p.m. and walked in the door at nine o five, after fourteen hours of (torture) running. and although he's tired now, i know he'll do it again. if your reading honey, i'm proud of you. and i forgot to ask, did you see a bold red-tailed hawk?

giving tree

2011-11-24T22:30:00.000-08:00

the little tree called out to me

waving it's jewel colored leaves

gathering ten or twenty, sure that's plenty

i had a plan in mind.

i wanted more than turkey or pie

i wanted something else to remember

this thanksgiving day by.

i made my request

(to grumbles and eye rolls)

but lo and behold

they did as they were told.

(gently asked really.)

it made them stop

it made us think

thankful words did appear

on every one

this gift of leaves from the little tree.

and one more thing...

it's kindly provided these two their engagement photos.
today was a very good day for this giving tree and me.

green and wildwood

2011-11-22T22:30:00.000-08:00

new green wool, green juice, my shabby green chair... green is a color i've been spending time with
lately. this cowl is circumnavigate, a new pattern by heidi kirrmaier. it called for malabrigo's
silky merino, something i had in my stash after winning this giveaway not long ago. when i saw the
pattern for circumnavigate one evening while on ravelry, i set my current project aside and cast on. intending to start and then let it wait in my basket till later (the tea leaves is calling). but found i couldn't put it down. this pattern was completely totally addictive fun. i LOVED knitting it, and now love wearing it even more. the silky merino feels like cashmere, a truly gorgeous yarn. when my husband felt it, he smiled and asked 'where's mine?' luckily heidi says ...'and is non-frilly enough to be worn by guys and gals alike.'

pattern : circumnavigate
wool : silky merino by malabrigo
colorway : 076 manzanilla olive
ravelry notes here.

i managed not only to get a photo of my book this week, but finessed a photo of the book being
read, while wearing the knit. hee he. i LOVE this book wildwood, and want to always carry it around. it's a treasure without even opening it, the cover art is gorgeous, yet once inside it's even richer. makes me feel a girl again. the authors (a husband and wife collaboration, he also is a member of a favorite band ) call it a middle grade fantasy adventure series. if you click on the link above, you will be able to read the first four chapters. but this truly is a book you'll want to hold. and keep.

counting my blessings this week and wishing all a very happy thanksgiving. we'll be staying home,
with most of my kids coming here, except nyc , miss you hannah girl,
mamas hold on to your babies now, they do grow up...

joining with small things and the weekly yarnalong here.

field trip

2011-11-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

(photo by cheryl)

one sunshiny day
two wee girls
three different places.
my friend cheryl and i took a field trip yesterday up california's gaviota coast, to look for a location to take family christmas photos. at the same time, i was looking at potential wedding sites, there
is going to be a new union in our family! we looked here and near here, and stopped at the peace farm, here. at one of the places we looked, the caretaker offered us a ride up to the wedding meadow in his jeep. we were grateful, these two would have had to been carried much of the way.
thank you very much for your kindness on my last post, your sweet words make a little girl like abby blush with delight, and big girls like my daughter and me too.

knit to learn

2011-11-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

thank you so very much for the tea cozy love in my previous post :)

this week:

: : beginning knitting classes began, although for abby and amy above, it was their second time to come. wee six year old abby is the youngest person i've taught, and as proud as she is, i am prouder. today she completed her first garment, a scarf for her pig, wilbur (of charlotte's web) i let her choose a button from my jar for her scarf, i love how delighted she is, it fits! abby and her mama are part of a home school group that's learning to knit in my classes. if your reading this, happy happy almost seventh birthday abby. see you next week. and don't worry, i won't go to africa before your classes are done. (her mama told me she was worried ) :)

: : 'leah's lovely cardigan' is finished. except the buttons, which i forgot to look for. for the photos, old mother of pearl ones stood in just fine. my daughter was more than happy to take these of me, when she realized she would be using my camera. thank you honey :)
she had fun playing photographer and she did a wonderful job i think. i had to get new head shots of her today too, her agent requested red hair, so new dye was used. california blondes (her agent said) are too common and don't get work. we'll see and maybe cross our fingers a little too.

: : and after a four month wait, the wool i ordered arrived to my lys (local yarn store) it's tosh dk by madeline tosh, in the colorway, well water. i think the timing turned out to be just right after all. casting on for this tonight, so happy to finally be making it...

: : joining with ginny of small things and all the other lovely yarn alongers here. (can't believe i forgot my book, a part of the yarn along, again.) :)

keeping cosy

2011-11-08T21:30:00.000-08:00

my pot has a new sweater :)

this cosy is a bit on the large side, but it is doing the trick of keeping my tea warm now. in this last photo
if you look close, the front is damp, i learned that the pot should always be undressed before filling. trying my hand at needle felting too, i made small toadstools on a scrap of wool and then appliqued it on the front of the cosy. it is fun, but i can see this is something i need to work on. so giving it another try, this time adding them directly to another baby cardigan. that was even more difficult to do. i definitely need practice. in the meantime my 'leah' is almost done. hoping to have it finished to show today, but i underestimated the time it takes to knit ribbing on a yoke using size one needles. it is s l o w knitting at best. reading mostly magazines and catalogs, i'm having too hard a time concentrating this week to keep to a book. we've just had my mamas memorial and i'm doing something experimental with a health issue. knitting is again helping me through.

the teapot cosy pattern can be found here, and the cardigan, here. lovely needlefelt toadstool inspiration, here. and redwood forest print, here. joining again with ginny (thank you) of small things for the weekly yarn along. :)

xxx lori

small visitor

2011-11-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

yesterday this little bird flew into our house.

it came in through this window...

which really was surprising since this puppy is usually standing guard (it's his favorite spot, notice his

toy hot dog on the window sill in the photo above this one, hee hee)

after flying and crashing madly around the room, all the while owen jumping and barking too, the poor thing landed at the opposite window. see that tiny spot above the words? he's maybe two inches long.

he sat dazed and disoriented on this ledge, for almost ten minutes. owen having been shooed to the backyard. i talked softly to him and do you know he seemed to calm and listen?

he was so cute, i took hurriedly jiggly photos, i need chuck's help with id'ing. i think it's some kind of warbler? maybe you know?

have a lovely weekend everyone, we are supposed to get some rain, a good thing :)
xo lori

happy dance

2011-11-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

sweet young journey

little buckles

one of the greatest rewards of crafting, is seeing your efforts of love in use, it's like another layer of love is being adding. each time i see my husband pull on his cap that i knit for him i feel a sense of fulfillment, a happy dance goes on in my head. my daughter recently asked me to mend the purse i made for her, she'd enthusiastically worn it to disrepair. this makes me happy. it was being loved.

these two posts above, made by friends yesterday, have sent me over the moon happy. click on photos to see. :)

thank you so very much for the book love (previous post). i forgot to say that once you buy it, the book becomes available online to share with family and friends. if you would like to see the entire book of rouge vif, just email me and i'll send the link. :)

hello november

2011-11-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

sleeves are done on the leah cardigan, working my way up the yoke enjoying the knitting. although the entire sweater has been a pleasure, i really like this part, and i think it's safe to say this sweater is almost complete. finally remembering to put a book in the yarn along photo, i've been reading 'finding beauty in a broken world', by terry tempest williams. this book is about social change and healing. it begins in italy, travels to the american southwest and finally ends in a small village in rwanda. i think finding beauty is terry's most moving book since 'refuge'. i started this two years ago and somehow put it aside, now picking it back up and not able to put it down.

today i received a package. this time something i made as a gift, for a friend. cheryl came over this morning for a little crochet (her) and knitting (me) time. while we were sitting chatting and stitching, the fed-ex truck pulled up to my house, with her surprise. still can't believe the perfect timing.
:)

i made this photo book for my friend and her daughter, to thank them for being my model (sterling) and for making it happen (cheryl). i wanted them to know how much i appreciated their help. and i knew cheryl wanted these photos of her girl. this book is one of the paper back books available to make in 'my publisher', it's twenty pages long (i've only shown a few pages here), and along with using the photos i posted on rouge vif , i was able to add a few more that i took that day. if you are interested in making a photo book, i made a kind of tutorial here. it really is easy and a lot of fun to do. and cheryl, i think she really did love it.
:)

happy to be joining with ginny and all the lovely yarnalongers here.

date morning

2011-10-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

daybreak in the marsh
we saw a new pair of white - tailed kites
thrilling to see them take up residence here.

and we saw the fox, sly fellow that he is
didn't know we were there to watch
as he steathily tip toed by...
(no photos, he's too quick)

hunting here

crossing through the marsh, landing on the sea shore
we pulled out our stand up paddle boards for a near perfect
paddle up the coast. grinning to each other as we passed the
house we were married at six years ago today.

and then, dolphins came (how do they know we wish for them?)
to escort us back home. the video i've included down below
was taken a couple years ago, (from my kayak previously, neither of us
had cameras out in the ocean yesterday) but this is how it was.
so exciting, it makes me cry everytime.

stopping to see a group of sanderlings

happy anniversary dear husband.

love, lori

special delivery

2011-10-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

this week : :

: : pierre (the french halloween lover cat) arrived from maryland. winning him in a giveaway from this super talented artist made me happy, but i think it made a certain someone even happier. olive (learn about her arrival here) , another yoborobo creation, is smitten. it may have happened when pierre first tried to impress her, as well as her friends, with his headstand. he is full of surprises. in the note that arrived with him, i was told to keep an eye on the wine. duly noted. ah love...

: : then, in another stroke of unbelievable luck, i won another giveaway, from here. this gorgeous malabrigo wool and nichole's new ebook . that was tuesday, and the wool arrived today. my goodness gracious. thank you thank you leslie and nichole.

: : today the mail carrier also brought this little acorn all the way from new zealand. frances, the artist says : " At last! an answer to that age old question 'Where does a squirrel hide his stitch markers?'.

These stitch markers are made by me in my work shop from sterling silver. They are soldered together and have no edge to snag on your knitting.
Simple, elegant and functional- these little markers will make keeping track of those pattern changes a pleasure.

These markers will fit 4 mm and smaller needles, the second set of 8 will fit needles that are 6mm or smaller.
They come in a little turned wooden acorn made from Tawa, a native wood of New Zealand.
The Acorn is a reproduction piece based on a friends beautiful antique ivory acorn shaped needle case. I loved her one so much I decided to make my own. " an indulgence i know, and i tried to resist. really.
acorns found here.

: : during all this mail excitement and photo taking there was more than one here who was less than charmed. owen only slightly raised his furry white eyebrow and then snuggled back into his new favorite spot, to sleep and dream his own happy doggie dreams. these guys just do not understand certain things.

: : the very best part of the week did not come in a box or mailer though, it came in the form of telephone calls, one from each of my five children, to say hi and i love you mom *sigh*. and to ask for recipes. :)
and today, the date i had with my husband, where we spent the early morning in the marsh, bird watching (we saw the resident fox!) and photographing, and then jumping on our standup paddle boards where dolphins joined us the moment we passed the house we were married at, on the beach, six years ago tomorrow. chuck said to me, what are you going to say about this on your blog? he said maybe you should say how grateful we are to live where we do and for everything we have. i said i definitely would. and i truly am.

have a wonderfilled weekend dear friends,
lori

certainty

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

happy the sun came out today
to walk through the marsh
to have wound the last skein for my sweater
giving thanks for this epic autumn day.
love, lori

a few stitches and a little roller

2011-10-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

thank you again for your comments on last weeks yarn along post, i know my friend was touched by all

the sweet words for her little girl, red riding hood. and it touched me too, to feel so much love.

and now, the progression of a very enjoyable knit, this sweater. hopefully by next week i'll have more interesting photos to show. ( i do prefer the finished object pictures to this). rav notes here. :)

i thought it might be of interest to share some helpful ideas i use here, all in regards to knitting of course. above is a double point needle holder. for many years i've tried different ways to organized these small, useful needles, until finally i made this...

it took less than a yard of fabric. i didn't have a pattern to go by, but used the needles for reference (length wise). unfinished ends are bound in bias tape and individual pockets are sewn to keep sizes of needles separate.

then each pocket was numbered with a sharpie. i wish i would have known this was going to be used
forever, i would have put a bit more thought and care into the making ,and sewn straighter too. :)
it is super handy though, rolls up easily and ties to close with a piece of wool.

the next method of organizing needles is with this notebook. i knit with circulars and dpn's. only ever. i love them so much, and only like the look of (but not to use) straights.

this notebook (found for a quarter at a second hand shop) is the best way i've found to organize circular needles. using these see through pages, each one holds one needle. again, with the sharpie,
each sleeve gets labeled with the size and length. if you go one step further and keep the pages in numerical order, easily finding the needle you want is a breeze. (except if your like me and don't own the one needle that your project calls for). i've also attached one of those needle sizers to the notebook. sometimes it's hard to see the markings on the smaller needles, and this helps when you go to return your needles to the correct sleeve.

remember to return after using... :)

in another notebook are printed out patterns i've saved. and in the pocket on the left, bands from wool. being pre ravelry, i still like to keep these things, you never know when you might need just the one.

and here is my favorite way to keep track of where you are, even when you put one project down in favor for another. after years of small hands playing with counters, those little pegs falling out of the keep track board, magnets getting bumped (or moved, small hands again), this works. it takes a bit of time at the start, to write everything out, but it is a good way to ensure you've read through your pattern and understand whats in store.

on index cards with a hole punched in the corner, first number the cards (oops, i did not do that on these examples, look below or just imagine i have. then on each card, you will want to write out the directions of one row. you can even do this with charts, i've tried it, it works. :)

make sure to leave a card for any directions you won't want to forget, as well as a photo, to check your progress. this way of keeping directions is super portable for travel. the best part is that you won't lose your place again (be sure to keep cards securely tied).

again, through trial and error, this see through plastic box is my favorite way to carry the essentials.
i like this so much because i can see what i'm looking for in an instant, things don't get squished,
the counter (i do use sometimes) doesn't get accidentally clicked. and best of all,
it holds everything i need for every project. and it's easy to move from basket to bag if i want.

always with me: needle protectors, needle gauge, pom pom makers, blunt nose needles, burt's bees (for soft hands, calculator, markers, counter, thimbles, measuring tape, needle case, diaper pins (my babies old ones, good for holding stitches and for reminiscing), scissors, swiss army knife, seam ripper, crochet hooks and cable needles (small stitch holders are in use at the moment).

i hope you enjoyed reading these tips, i have more (and i like to share). have any of these been helpful

to you? and do you have any tips you'd like to share too? i would love to hear. joining today with ginny

at small things and the weekly yarn along.

p.s. astonished about this

seven days

2011-10-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

thank you so very much for the kind words on the little red cape post ( previous to this), i read and reread each comment several times. filled me up it did

and now, a photo for each of the last seven days here on the cool and cloudy california coast

there was a walk through the marsh, flower finding and bird watching

celebrating a month late, my son's birthday and today, my mother's

there was cheering my grandchildren as they ran in a school fundraiser on the beach,

cooling off with a jump in the ocean after. time spent in my favorite room, my space

looking through our wanderlust book (turned into guest book), looking forward to this upcoming date, can it be six years already?

and this morning making a batch of little quinoa patties for my husband to take on a backpacking trip

(his request). these are so delicious, simple to make, and if you prepare the ingredients beforehand you can make them as wanted. we like to dip ours in plain greek yogurt. recipe here, i really recommend buying heidi's books, both super natural cooking and super natural everyday. hoping your seven have had a little wonder and a lot of love. lori

rouge vif

2011-10-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

oh what fun it is to be three
when the world is all imagination and fantasy
where wolves wear coats
and spectacles and ties
surprising little girls, did you see those eyes?

modeling the wee red cape for me this morning is my friends daughter, sterling.
thank you cheryl, ruby and sterling. oh my gosh you are all so cute. my current
knitting projects are all on small needles (size three and four), too small to comfortably
knit with my hurt finger. this cape came to the rescue as it took a size nine and worsted
weight wool. i've been wanting to make it for a little girl about to turn two. she and her family
are a constant source of inspiration and sighs. i hope you like it bella. i loved making it for you.

rouge vif (bright red) cape in ravelry here
basket on loan from here
dapper wolf print from here
location : manning park, montecito
reading: these guide books
visit bella and her family at little buckles here
linking with ginny at small things, weekly inspiration for knitting and reading.
and at natural suburbia's creative friday.

dedicated to the little girl in each of us. love, lori

one good week

2011-10-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

photographing : an oil portrait my mother painted of me at age two, her navajo turquoise bracelet. beachcombing and turning leaves. lunch with my daughter, new second hand books. my grandson's face.

doing : this, this morning. dinner at the beach, watching the sun set over the pacific, eating california burgers, drinking red wine. my son and his love coming for dessert. connecting with each one of my kids. many moments adding up to one good week.

photos taken with vintage pentax super me camera and fuji film.

knitters anonymous

2011-10-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

here is a voice message left for me by my oldest girl.
i've saved it on my phone since it makes me laugh everytime i listen
(you have to hear her) and the truth is she left it before i broke my
finger two days ago. but it fits well i think.
:)

"hi, ah i was looking for 1- 800 knitters anonymous
i, i just can't stop knitting. i mean i try to put down my little... knitting utensils
but i, i just can't stop picking them up and i knit all the time and
i knit scarves and i knit hats and i just want to stop knitting
so i heard this was the president of knitters anonymous
and i was hoping that you could help me stop.. knitting.. so.. much
ummm okay well i'm gonna go knit and i'll wait for your call
and maybe your knitting too
and then we could like...
oh no! never mind! we're not going to talk about knitting
um anyways bye bye byeeeee byyyy"

i am fine, my finger is an unnatural shade of blue and purple
and for the first (and okay second) day i could only cry, but see how i go now (slowly)
after my same (funny) caring daughter applied a splint to ease the pain.

when wool is named for a seagull

2011-10-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

knitting and reading (and watching) this week:

two wip's (works in progress) at the moment, first the elizabeth zimmerman pi shawl. i stalled for a bit on this after increasing to one thousand, one hundred and fifty two stitches. it was difficult to move them around the needle and one go round would feel like forever. it wasn't much fun anymore. without thinking i picked it up one day on the way to my mom's. and as i sat with her, i began to knit it again. row after comforting row it grew, then without realizing, i was out of wool. since this is a truly unplanned knit, as far as colors and size goes, it is my own fault. it was only good luck that i found two more balls available and as soon as i receive them this will finally be done. i've no idea yet though how i'll block it, once it's released from the needle it's going to be large.
made with beaverslide dry goods fine merino wool, ravelry notes here.

next, on the needles, a deep yellow wool that couldn't make up it's mind what it wanted to be. after two pattern changes and one unraveling, it finally settled on this. making a cardigan out of fingering weight wool, with size one needles for the rib and size three for the body makes for another slow and steady knit. but now, it feels just right. i told myself i'm not allowed to change my mind again, this is the one. made with madeline tosh merino light, ravelry notes here.

then, one dark and rainy morning, while peeking at some favorite online yarn shops ,when i really should have been doing dishes and laundry and getting ready for work, i discovered a new wool being offered by quince & co. as soon as i read the words heathers, limited edition for winter, and the colorway, kumlien's gull, i was ready to place my order. justifying it as not completely impulsive, since i'd already purchased the pattern a few months ago (the things i tell myself). i really have no business buying any more wool at the moment. but it was named after a seagull...

i've been reading 'love poems from god' , an exquisite anthology that's become a favorite. i think this would be a good book to gift, there is something in it for everyone. joining with ginny at small things for the yarn along, a place for weekly inspiration of knitting and reading.
xxx lori

p.s. watching this wee hummingbird sit through a rainstorm made me giggle. he alternately shook his feathers, ducked when drops landed on his head, and stared back at me grumpily, even though i invited him in.

california native

2011-10-09T23:30:00.000-07:00

this weekend the california avocado festival came to town. there are so many of these fruit trees in our valley i guess it's natural that there would be a festival to celebrate it. did you know that california grows about ninety percent of this nation's avocado crop? today my sister and i went. we wandered and looked and admired and ate. i took lindy to see our new quilt ~ knitting shop too, it's my favorite place in town.

i bought a new skirt and a tshirt at the festival to benefit here ( i love the mission statement of my friend who began epmov. i chose indonesia for the memories i have of being there). and lindy bought us each a soy candle that's named christmas eve. it's become a kind of tradition for us, we each have the same candle and when we light it, we think of the other. this year we'll both be smelling christmas eve all through december. that little notebook is mine too. it needed to come home with me when i read the words on the cover...'we are all wanderers on this earth; our hearts are full of wonder and our souls are deep with dreams.'

and for you, a recipe i picked up today:

avocado pasta salad with red pepper & feta cheese

serves 4

6 oz. penne (or other short, tube pasta)

1/3 cup vinaigrette dressing

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1/2 cup feta cheese

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped

3/4 tsp. chopped garlic

2 tsp. chopped parsley

2 ripe fresh california avocados, peeled, seeded and diced

cook pasta in salted, boiling water until just tender, about 10 minutes; drain well.

while still warm, toss with vinaigrette.

fold in remaining ingredients and serve.

for additional recipe ideas, visit california avocado.com and if you need any avocados, i have plenty to share too. xxx lori

knit through everything

2011-10-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

knitting can be a source of comfort. the simple act of holding wool and needles in my hands

is recipe for joyful minutes, sometimes even hours, in a day. since losing my mother last week, i've found that the thing i can manage, the thing that soothes my broken heart, is still knitting.

sadie, my granddaughter, chose this yarn, for her sweater. she was so pleased with it she told me she planned to wear it for her school photos. and she also wanted to wear it to the 'home' she and her brother built on the beach. after all, even though there is an outdoor kitchen and garden, inside the bamboo hut is a seaweed chandelier, and dressing nice is always welcome. (i love how much my daughter and granddaughter are looking alike in these photos).

sadie's sweater

yarn : kaleidoscope by loops & threads, 100% wool

color: painted desert

needle : size nine

pattern : here

book i'm reading : a journey of hope by susan k beeney, r.n. (it's helpful.)

giveaway winners for the needle pouchs (from two weeks ago) are greer and linda, of typically red and natural suburbia. dear friends, please send your post information so i can send these right off to you. linking with ginny at small things, where weekly sharing of knitting and books takes place.

for your prayers, kind words, and wishes, thank you.

bless all your hearts, from my family to yours.

keep safe, hug often, love always.

xxx lori

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says: “There, she is gone!”

“Gone where?”

Gone from my sight. That is all.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says: “There, she is gone!” there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout:

“Here she comes!”

And that is dying.

Henry Van Dyke

my mom sylvia

october 22, 1934 ~ september 28, 2011

on holy ground

2011-09-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

'Walking with loved ones as they approach death is a sacred time. Your hands, your touch, your care are instruments of God's presence. Your voice allows your loved one to trust so he or she can move into a new relationship with God. You are standing on holy ground.'

my mother is dying. yesterday we met with hospice as all her family gathered one by one around her. we had to discuss those things i never wanted to before. my sister my stepdad and i. we took decisions on her behalf, she can't see or speak anymore.

they came, the aunties and grandchildren, the cousins and friends. each saying in his or her own way, goodbye. my sister and i sat each on the side of her bed, holding her hands and made promises to her, those things a mother would want, need to hear. we'll take care of each other, she'd never have to worry.

hospice told us maybe a week more, maybe tonight. i foolishly thought i'd been prepared, this has been a long grief filled road. but now, holding my mothers wisp of a hand, i know i've a ways to go.

x lori

this is the hardest thing for me to write about. but it's too much a part of my life (it is my life) to not be open about here. i began this blog for my mom, 3 years ago, when alzheimer's was taking her farther and farther away from us. my stepdad would bring up my blog on their computer and set her in front of it, and she would read. after a time she would not be able to read anymore, but just look at the photos. for a long time now, she hasn't looked at all. somehow i know she would be okay with me writing this. she always felt that everything i did was brilliant. just like a mother tends to do.

treasure hunting

2011-09-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

all photos, (except the shelf and book ones) are taken with a pentax super me and fuji film, my last flea market find!

we went to the flea market in town. once a month the carpinteria museum hosts it for a few hours on saturday morning. we always find one or two small treasures, although i like to just look. the thing i liked best today was watching my granddaughter. she had five dollars of her own to spend and she's now old enough to walk around with a friend, coming back to check in with her mama and me every so often (it's a small market and we can still see her).

the girls chose matching friendship bracelets which they proudly posed with. the museum attendant ladies said they wished all the children that visited were like sadie and her friend. since i can't take credit for that its okay i boast right? but if i were to say how proud i am of my daughter... oh these girls of my heart...

my finds pictured are: an old leaf candle holder, a wooden shelf installed by myself (there was even a power drill involved!), two vintage crocheted hangers and an old alice starmore knitting book filled with beautiful photos and classic designs. grand total: seven dollars!

we haven't seen the sun in days and last night there was a spectacular thunder and lightening storm with what felt like hurricane winds, but judging by tonight's sunset you would never know.

:)

woolgathering

2011-09-20T23:30:00.000-07:00

the opportunity for late afternoon light in my space is almost gone now. by the time i get home from work, there are only minutes before it's too dark for photos. and tonight it was uncommonly foggy too, making it even darker. luckily owen, my puppy, waited patiently (sort of) to play catch, while i hurried to get these.

i also need to apologize for what i wrote in my last post, saying i don't use photo shop or any photo manipulation. i've been feeling guilty and i want to explain. i really don't use p.s., but i have it. i use it for resizing photos to a larger dpi when an editor requests it. and i didn't buy it, it's photo shop elements, and the software came with my leica camera when i bought it. i'm grateful for it because i can't do this resizing in picasa, which i also use. sometimes i use the tuning button to bring more light to a photo (i don't like flash), and sometimes i use the writing tool to add words to a photo. i've been told (by editors) that this doesn't qualify as a shopped photo and is accepted even where manipulated photos are not allowed. when i said that, i wanted to tell you that the orange of the sky was true. and i didn't add that. it's my goal and hope to try to achieve natural photos always. plus to be honest. always. this was really bothering me. i'm sorry. i guess the truth is i do and i don't. (that would be the gemini in me! aggg).

okay! it's been a busy week! everyday, flags flags and more flags! the candy corn banner was dreamed of on the long drive home from my mom's on saturday. stopping at michael's, i found the right color wool, it's 'full o' sheep' and 'washable ewe' stitch nation by debbie stoller. the orange is clementine, the yellow: duckling, and the off white : little lamb (such cute names!). ravelry notes here. and in etsy here.

the fall banner was a request, and even though it was hard to get a good photo, the colors are pretty and autumny, i hope she thinks so too! the wool for this one is from loops & threads - luxury sock - super fine. in the colorways 'redwoods' and 'canyon'. in ravelry here.

i'm reading 'mollie makes' and 'cloth magazines', LOVE these, so colorful and inspiring! and did you see the little pencil pouch? i found it at michael's on the dollar aisle. it holds double points perfectly! i was so happy with this find i bought two extra, to give away. if you'd like one let me know, there's the tiny flower one and the red squiggly one. i love that my dpn's have a nice safe place to be when my knitting leaves the house. i'll choose a name at next week's yarn along (wednesday sept. 28). non knitters, you can still use it as a pencil pouch, cute!

and on my needles in the basket, a new sweater for a favorite little girl. thank you for the birthday wishes for my son and for coming here, i almost don't want to mention this, but its because of you, i have four hundred and ninety nine followers since this week, welcome new friends. there are so very many exciting things happening around here these days.
linking with small things weekly yarnalong. and natural suburbia's creative friday.

xo lori

and just like that

2011-09-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

kyle and mom

kyle and my 'daughter - in - love' , vanessa

this was the sunset last night, in all it's glowing orange gloriousness. i guess i've never said this, but i don't use photoshop or any photo manipulation tools. i am positive i'd make a mess of it, but more, it's supremely satisfying to try to make a photo with natural (epic) light and patience and luck (and sometimes filters). after uploading these i was pleased they came out, even showing rings radiating out from the sun. i love that the camera can pick up things sometimes our eyes can't see. linking with natural suburbias creative friday.

thirty years ago today my firstborn son came into the world. in a spectacular way, he was born on our living room floor. oh he was a planned home birth, but he came a bit quicker than anticipated, arriving just minutes after my midwife's assistant did. i know he probably can't believe he's 30 (i remember like yesterday feeling the same), but what's even more strange, i can't believe i have a 30 year old son. in the photo above he and i are in hawaii, when he was at university (and i was the only woman in his life, hee hee) and now here he is with vanessa and in love. today, on his birthday these two are in hawaii visiting her family and their friends and celebrating his day. aloha au ia`oe my son, you came into the world and made mine. happy happy birthday, i love you to forever and back. mom.

plans big and small

2011-09-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

knitting, reading, planning place

{my photos of zimbabwe, africa 2009}

knitting and reading and planning (dreaming) this week...

i cast on for a sweater, knit a bit further than shown here, then saw a pattern i like much better and pulled the whole thing off. so now i only have a pile of lovely curly wool. it is tosh merino light, madeline tosh, colorway alabaster, from my stash. i love this beautiful handpainted wool. can you see the difference in these two skeins? switching off every couple rows is necessary so there will be a better flow of color and less obvious changes in skeins. hopefully the new pattern i plan to make will do it justice. have you done this too, changed your mind well into a project? oh dear. i've begun the new sweater, but don't have much to show, perhaps by next week!

a new box of books arrived the other day (i'd been saving for these!), i love them all and so am reading them all at the same time. i should say giving each one equal time and attention, and although i haven't read enough to give a complete review, i can say the knitting book is already a favorite. and rachael's book is such fun, i've not read a book like this before.

here are the books:
'how to knit a love song' by rachael herron of yarnagogo.com

'mindful movements', ten exercises for well-being by thich nhat hanh (the book comes with a dvd which i really like, i'm not sure if the electronic edition does, but probably not?).

'my grandmother's knitting' family stories and inspired knits from top designers, i see a few i'd like to make!

and the 'namibia bradt travel guide' , for the trip we have booked for next may.

we've been in a planning frenzy for weeks, doing research on what we'd like to see in africa and where we'd like to go. we'll be making a giant loop around the country of namibia, staying almost a month and in eight different camps and lodges (want a peek at one?). now all the reservations have been made and our itinerary is complete. it's still a ways away, but i like this part as much as the trip, the reading and learning and looking forward to. and dreaming of africa again.

linking up with small things and the weekly yarn along,
happy peaceful rest of the week friends!
xo

peace love and narnia

2011-09-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-07T00:30:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

(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

2011-09-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

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!!