Trying Something Different

I really tried different things this weekend. My first experience at blocking - pins, pads and all. A different Coffee House. A really exotic shopping experience. Please come on my adventure with me. This Crofters Cowl is for my wonderful niece and I am new to blocking, it seems quite a simple thing. I like the versatility of the blocks and the ability to put them away in their own bag as I have limited storage space.

I amended the Crofters Cowl for me by using size 10 knitting needles for 2 repeats, then size 9 knitting needles for 3 repeats and finished off on a size 8 needle. The cowl now sits further down on my neck and is a bit more comfortable to me. This colorway is especially dear to me as I like to contrasting colors -its quite dramatic.

I visited a place called the Coffee Cat which is a writers hang out, this little cubby looks like a favorite spot to hide in. The place was abuzz with writers, most tables had someone seated with either a laptop or a pad - pen in hand, I observed for a moment, there was the slight hum of people talking quietly abiding by the unwritten rule - do not disturb those around you.

The booths against the windows are the ones that are the most popular, I can imagine there's quite a scurry to obtain one. The air about this place is charged with intellectual energy.

I sat outdoors (my table is to the right) next to a table of female writers who were ablaze in conversations, debating over a multitude of writing topics that changed at such a frantic pace it was almost dizzying. I enjoyed my little departure from my coffee house, but I really missed it, the warmth of the place with its mixture of eclectic people, writers, knitters, cyclists, families, all doing a variety of things from quietly sitting and reading their book, some playing cards or the huge chess games, but everyone enjoying themselves.

I found the most exotic store that was chock full of really beautiful things, these purses had such rich textures, gorgeous fabrics and some were beaded. I am learning to think outside the box and it just occurred to me that one would make a lovely bag to tote my knitting around.

This skirt was so beautiful, they have so many skirts (the kind that has that lovely flow when you walk). Maybe I'm not so adventurous as to where the entire outfit, but I really appreciated individual pieces. They have quite a few cut out lace tops that would have looked lovely with just the skirt.

Their displays were so exotic and rich looking, you just did not know where to look first, I could get addicted to this store, fortunately it is a drive to get there (so that will save my pocketbook).

This display in person was so luxurious, the browns with the shades of purple were intoxicating, and while photos let you get the gist of it, the human eye sees so much more.

I'll leave you with this wonderful historical California Architecture. I love the older stuff as it has so much character.

The Getty Villa

This if the view as you walk into the Getty Villa, the trees framing the Pacific Ocean, I had to pause and marvel at nature's beauty. The Getty Villa is intimate, the collection itself is astounding, the gardens wondrous, the experience - unforgettable.

This is the center courtyard of the villa, the fountains fill the air with their musical sound.

I could appreciate the view of this courtyard from every angle, I kept walking around it noticing new details emerge with every pass.

And now the west garden which faces the Pacific Ocean, some of its wonders can be seen below.

Beautiful symmetry was apparent in every garden, patterns forming with every vista. who could not appreciate such balance?

The water's reflection danced upon this statue in a way that was so magical, I wish this photo could have shown this, I had never witnessed this before and it was entrancing.

This bust of a bearded man was a little above waist height, but the photo I took while standing did not reflect his eyes, so I searched for the right angle to do him justice and finally found it, his eyes unlike many of the statues had depth and kindness.

The elegant lines of this antelope(?) was so pure in its form, so real in its beauty.

Even the garden seat was inspired, I wonder how many quilters have taken a photo of the details of this flooring and used this in one of their creations.

Surrounding the garden are walls painted in such fine detail, the beauty of this place will live in my memory, its serenity to be drawn upon when needed. I have more photos to share which will trickle into my blog now and then. I will have to return to this villa in the spring when the garden will be in its full splendor.

Lovely Gift

A friend who I have not seen in awhile brought me back this lovely yarn all the way from Ireland. Isn't it gorgeous. I believe it is calling to become a scarf, I've never worked with this kind of fabulous tweed before and so am not sure what kind of pattern would show off this beauty. Any suggestions?

This yarn became the Basket Weave socks, I still have one skein left, plus a little extra and shall have to ponder what to do with it, Should my darling Niece think of anything else she should want from this, please let me know.

The basket weave socks are finally done, and my Niece's patience will be rewarded with warm feet as I am sure that winter will eventually come this year (temps still in the upper 90's so it is a little hard to imagine right now).

This lovely yarn is drawing OOOOHS and AAAAHS where ever it goes. This is my break time knitting project as it can tolerate the many interruptions that I experience so a simple knit is a must. So far this has been the most popular yarn, everyone automatically reaches out to touch it, exclaiming how pretty it is and are astounded by its softness, this will really be a joy to wear and Jo at Celtic Memory Yarns did such an outstanding job with the dye, the pattern that has emerged is lovely and really does remind me of Birch Leaves - so the cowl will have the name Birch Cowl which I think is most appropriate.

Coffee Nirvana!!!!! This is by far the best coffee I've ever had, it is rich and so full of robust flavor with no bitterness - REALLY! At work I've created my only little peaceful haven, a small coffee maker, my radio playing classical music Mozart, Vivaldi, Beethoven... Anyone who enters my wee little cubicle said they can't believe how peaceful it is. Oh and of course my knitting bag has a prominent place and sits on top of my in box.

You could smell the chocolate perfuming the air down the street from this chocolate shop and of course I just had to investigate the cause for these aromas. I spotted these in a large glass case full of sweet wonders, Espresso Truffles, they would make a lovely companion to my coffee - yummy!

I had taken this photo during one of my Farmers Market trips this past summer. I remember these well, their intense color - perfection - wonderfully fragrant - so full of flavor - don't they just make your mouth water?

Beautiful?

Dare I? I still have to locate the beads(am pondering whether they are really needed), I have the right yarn and needles now (see below). I just love the look of this cowl and am such a romantic at heart that I know I would wear it, especially when on a foggy morning. (photo is from Knitty's website)



This is the lovely stuff of dreams Rowan Kidsilk Haze that I won on ebay and now it has a destiny. Hope I can do it justice. I will need to learn how to do a Provisional cast on (I don't know how to crochet, guess I'll have to learn). I needed a 16" circular needle with sharp points and I could not locate the Addi Turbo Lace in this length.

I've discovered that the right knitting needles does make a difference in your knitting experience. One of my friends Tricia innocently stopped by my desk with some of these beautiful colored wood knitting needles from Knit Picks - they were so smooth and shiny - with defined points, plus they were pretty reasonable, considering that I have been purchasing the Addi Turbo's as needed, it was time to shop smart so I bought the detachable cables which will be more reasonable as only the needle part needs to be purchased and a few circulars. I will be venturing into the world of sweater knitting soon and the multiple cable lengths will really help. I have really come to appreciate the needles that I have acquired and remember when I first started I had a bunch of old heavy metal needles which made my hands ache. So it was either give up knitting or begin to explore other materials. We learn from experience about what we like and dislike, and now I stick mostly to the Addi Turbo or wood knitting needles depending on the project to be knit and the yarn I am using.

Aren't these pretty? So my theory is, pretty needles = pretty knitting. Right?

These headbands are such a quick knit, they hide a world of flaws (such as when your hair color is growing in faster than your trips to the salon, which of course I would not know about as my hair just naturally changes color all by itself every four weeks). I love Kody May's headbands, I get so many complements on them, she has several free patterns on her blog and her hats are really cute on. These headbands are knitted on size 8 circular needles with Patons SWS (Soy Wool Stripes), it is reasonably priced and available at most craft stores.

The Farmer's Market has become quite small, so this was my last visit until next March. I had a difficult time finding subject matter as for the most part my berries and fruit were gone and the vegetables were definitely limited. (This might be due to the heat wave and the Santa Ana's we experienced with wind gusts of up to 85 miles per hour).

The onions were quite lovely, they just have so much more pizazz than your ordinary store bought variety, they shimmered in the late afternoon light.

There weren't many fruits left, these grapes did look good though.

Neck warmer or Cowl

My current project is so simple that I thought just to cast on without reference to any patterns. So far I have cast on 130 stitches on a size 8 circular needles and a simple knit one purl one rib. The yarn was bought for sock yarn -this was the Birch yarn (merino & bamboo blend) that I had bought from Celtic Memory Yarn - but it is far too pretty and I just couldn't see it being hidden by shoes, so a cowl came to mind. I'm not sure if I have cast on enough stitches and will have to wait and see how it turns out. I really wanted to photograph this outdoors, but the Santa Ana's are howling outside and just blew down our gate, I can hear things being blown about, so this is the only photo I could get and the flash does wash out the color a bit.

This is the last month for the Farmers Market, the crowds have thinned, but the produce still looks pretty good. The tomatoes were ripe and you could tell that they had just been harvested as the stems were so fresh. There were huge dark Haas avocados right behind, but they were camera shy and their photos did not turn out.

The jalapenos had a jewel like quality and glistened, their spicy aroma filled the warm air.

The peaches sweet fragrance perfumed the air, enticing you to come and buy them. They are probably the last of the season.

The veggies were holding up surprisingly well in the heat (the Farmer's Market starts at 5pm and the temperature was about 90 degrees)

A spontaneous Friday Night - you make plans that go astray and are replaced by the something special. As we strolled down the street intending to go the movies we came across a fellow playing the guitar at an outdoor cafe. You could tell he loved what he was doing and that made us stop and we began to listen to him play Croce, the Beatles and lots of other songs from the 60's & 70's. I couldn't recommend the latte or the pastry, but the performance was worth the tasteless items that this cafe served. I didn't get a photo as it seemed I thought it would disrupt this magical moment.

Belated Post

This is the Crofter's Cowl knitted with Malabrigo's Stonechat, this photo does not due the color justice, they are quite rich in person. I still need to wash and block this cowl which leads into the next picture.

Most indulgent (or I'm telling myself maybe it isn't REALLY as it is difficult to find a safe place to block with three Standard Poodles looking for soft things to carry to their beds to chew or cuddle with ).

This set of blocking tiles was in one of Knitty's featured articles. The compact storage was a big plus and now my projects are calling for them. I've never used tiles like this before so I purchased the small kit and will see how far that will get me. This will be especially handy when I begin my sweater making adventure.

One down, one to go, these will help keep my darling Niece's feet warm this winter, they are a sportweight yarn by Nature Spun (Brown Sheep Co.) and the pattern the basket weave sock on Criminy Jicket's blog. The pattern is very clear and simple to follow and the results are anything but boring. (Hope you will like them my dearest Niece).

ONLY IN NEWPORT BEACH

Newport Beach residents demand perfection, the stores there are almost beyond belief. This is a local pharmacy in an incredible strip mall - attractive buildings and landscaping (which I failed to photograph this time around) and the most beautiful pharmacy I have ever seen. I was so overwhelmed - it was beautifully composed and attention was paid to the overall look and to the tiny details that you wil see below. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a kitchen large enough to display these Roosters? The hen was especially nice and since this was just a fantasy shopping trip where one did not need to look at price tags and be practical about things, I could choose whatever I wanted and put it in my imaginery Villa along the Cote D'Azur overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

They did not leave out anything, even your sense of sense of smell was pampered with the lovely fragrances of well made candles. (There was just enough fragrance that it was pleasing - not overwhelming and the gentle ocean breeze drifted in the open door keeping the air clean and fresh)

EYE CANDY

I could visit this pharmacy many times and still find something new with each visit. I was so charmed by the flower arranging area that I failed to notice the ribbons until I posted this photo. I will have to be sure to return to this store so that I can pay proper attention to them - ribbons are such usefuly things to have around the house - one can never have too many ribbons. A plain gift wrap is so greatly enhanced by a beautiful ribbon that I believe it can turn a simple present into a cherished gift.

The accessories area is what first drew me into the store as I glimpsed them thru the window. I found the scarves especially soft to the touch, the mixture of textiles and the color combinations made them so stunning.