The Most Incredible Yarn!

This is the most gorgeous yarn! It is sooo soft (80% merino and 20% bamboo) I feel almost guilty is using this lovely yarn to make a pair of socks. The colors really do remind me of living plants with soothing greens meandering thru the white. The artist who created this yarn had it available on Ebay under the seller Celticmemory and I have listed her as among my favorite blogs. Her blog is one I look forward to reading as the tales of her travel (along with good photos) transport you to places that I can only dream of at this point in my life.

I tried in vain to find a beautiful Birch tree to photograph to post with this yarn, there was a couple of sad specimens in my neighborhood, certainly not worthy to share space with this yarn. The closest thing I could find was the Variegated Hydranea in my front yard, the colors of the yarn in person is actually closer to the photo below than the actual photo I took of the yarn, for some reason the yarn did not photograph well.

The Catalina Coffee Company is the best coffee house I've come across (and I'm willing to drive to Redondo Beach - which is about 30 miles), Helen has invested so much of herself and it shows as it draws people there and has become a destination for many who crave great coffee and good food in a positive atmosphere that seems to stimulate creativity.

The clientele is eclectic, authors, students, cyclists, knitters, readers... There are artistic touches that contribute to this atmosphere, its not too chic, its lived in and comfortable.

Whoever heard of a coffee house with an actual fireplace! I can hardly wait for cooler weather so that I can curl up in one of the overstuffed chairs by the fireplace and read or knit away the afternoon. It's difficult to go back to the local chain coffee shops, wish there were more independant coffee houses like this one around where people actually converse, or are encouraged to just hang out and read.

I just found the greatest place to view films, its historic (at least for Southern California) and beautifully maintained, the seats are modern and comfortable with a great sound system (I hesitate to share this as it is such a jewel and no long lines!). The popcorn was fresh and hot (not what I'm used to at the chain movie theaters where the popcorn is so stale it almost resembles packing styrofoam)