California Girl in Oz

Well, I'm back from Stitches West, which was unbelievable. I think I wandered around in a daze for the best part of four hours, unable to focus on anything in particular. Feeling like a kid in a candy store, I just couldn't bring my mind to what I should buy...amazing! Eventually, I did find some gorgeous things. Here's Tactile Superwash Merino Sock Yarn in Aventurine: And, feeling adventurous, I bought some Habu Wool Stainless Steel (75% wool, 25% stainless steel): And a skein of Habu Superfine Merino: My friend Margaret, in Oz, had contacted me this morning to see if I would bring her a couple of bits of Blue Faced Leicester so she could try spinning it. That helped focus my mind a bit, and Lynne ( Yarnivorous ) was a big help in keeping me on track to accomplish that goal. Thanks, Lynne! Here's Lynne admiring some gorgeous yarn in just "her" colors: And here's the BFL I chose for Margaret...first up, A Verb for Keeping Warm, in Color #9: Next,

What fun! Having 3.5 wheels of leftover Unspun Icelandic from Schoolhouse Press in the great color, Sumac, I decided to try Elizabeth Zimmermann's Stonington Shawl (from Knitter's Workshop, maybe? I left my book at home). Actually, this was my illicit airplane knitting: you may remember the great Bamboo DPNs Scandal of last year...well, this time I decided to be smarter. I took my KnitPicks Harmony 5.5mm tips, tucked into my briefcase beside the pens and pencils. The cable resided in an outer pocket, all on its lonely. One wheel of yarn was tucked into my rollaboard. Once settled on the plane, well after takeoff, I assembled the needles, cast on, and during my sojourn in California I have been knitting. Today I paused to admire my brilliance in attempting a picot bind-off on the completed shawl/blanket, and here's what it looks like...cool, eh? And here's the unblocked shawl...er, blanket. We're going to leave it here in Oakland at the apartment, so we'll have

Well, dang! Looky-looky...see that blue bow? As I started blocking the wet pink alpaca shawl, I found a very large hole, getting larger with every gentle pat of the shawl. It was such a sickening sight, I couldn't stand even to take a pic of it for you to see! Instead, I grabbed a yarn needle and some yarn, gathered up every open stitch I could find, and pulled them into this bow. Now I've gone ahead and blocked the thing, and I'll worry about somehow sewing that spot in some not-too-obtrusive fashion when I'm finished. Grrrr! Can't even feel too sorry for myself, because I remember Bells had a similar experience recently, and someone else, too, but I can't remember who it was. Anyway, here's the nearly finished piece -- sorry for the poor pic. It's a very grey day outside, and pink alpaca doesn't show up very well against the pale blue sheet on which it's being blocked. In happier news, here is the scene when we visited our friends in

Look what jumped into my shopping cart at KnitPicks...two skeins of Imagination in the color Looking Glass, and two skeins of Felici in Tyrian Purple. These were supposed to be for socks, but...Imagination just wanted to be a scarf... And then, and then...my Peace Fleece (in Volgasippi Blue) and Beaverslide (in Dusty Clover) arrived. Peace Fleece will be the Acer sweater, and Beaverslide I'm not sure...was thinking of the Amanda cardigan from A Fine Fleece , but now I'm uncertain. I did also succumb to this DK weight Swish in Ash, because I've been wanting to make something in a superwash wool. But wait...there's MORE! The Yubina Cashwool and Cashmere I'd ordered arrived, too. That's the Cashwool on the left in the silvery blue (it's maybe a shade lighter in real life), and the gorgeous cashmere laceweight in the red violet on the right. Too cool... And, can you believe it? I finally got my blocking wires. Now all I have to do is find the intestinal fort

Thought I'd check in, anyway. Guess who forgot to bring the camera to California. Grrrrr! Fortunately, DH will fly up tomorrow, and he's bringing it along, so I may have things to show soon. Having a great time just lounging around the condo, taking naps, going for walks, EATING OUT! And I've had a chance to see the grandsons three times...they are leaving for India with their mom tomorrow for three weeks' holiday (DS is staying home to take care of their kitties and keep the home fires burning), so I was lucky to have the time with them. We made bread together the other day -- the No Knead Bread recipe that's been all around Blogland lately. Have you tried it yet? Absolutely wonderful. In fact, since I learned to do it in mid-December, I haven't bought a single loaf of bread. And I've been shopping, of course. What have I bought, you ask? Well, my Yubina Cashmere Lace yarn in a silvery pale blue arrived and it's gorgeous, as well as the Cashmere-Si