We Heart Yarn

lives

2012-01-31T06:17:00.000-08:00

When we do the best that we can,

we never know what miracle is wrought in our life,

or in the life of another.

~Helen Keller

Embossed Leaves sock pattern by Mona Schmidt in STR 'winter solstice'

imagination

2012-01-27T05:25:00.000-08:00

This world is but a canvas to our imaginations.

~Henry David Thoreau

beatitude

2012-01-19T05:31:00.000-08:00

If you see this from your front door...

...the wise woman turns around and does this.

A little drowsing cat is an image of a perfect beatitude.

~Jules Champfleury

winter play

2012-01-17T06:19:00.000-08:00

Look what a three-day weekend can produce!

First up...a new to me yarn: Socktopus Sokkusu Original yarn in "Spring Storm" (I got mine here).

I've never used this yarn before and wanted to give it a whirl...I'm so glad I did. I heart it!

It could be my new favorite yarn. Seriously.

I. Heart. It.

The pattern...dang, I'll prob'ly get a poopy label for this (smile) but it's of my own making from one of BW's Treasuries.

Is there anything better to do in the depths of winter than to play in new yarn and new patterns?

Nope.

Play on!

Play is the exultation of the possible.

~Martin Buber

purpose

2012-01-13T06:03:00.000-08:00

I am convinced that the universe is under the control of a loving purpose,

and that in the struggle for righteousness man has cosmic companionship.

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

hiver

2012-01-09T06:24:00.000-08:00

I could no longer resist casting on for something new. Kind of new.

...I'm sure you'll recognize the pattern...Toasty Twist socks by Teresa Fox,

and the yarn...STR 'Currier and Ives'.

You cannot do a kindness too soon,

for you never know how soon it will be too late.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

winter goodness

2012-01-06T06:31:00.000-08:00

Nothing can beat hand knit socks on the needles....and the feet...

and exploring new destinations with a camera in hand and a friend.

Wishing you a great weekend! xo

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land,

or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.

~Helen Keller

quiet time

2012-01-03T06:35:00.000-08:00

I hope 2012 is treating you well so far!

Lots of knitting was accomplished over my brief vacation (and why is it that one week of vacation seems to go by five times as fast as one week of work?)...but there's a lot left to do...3 socks finished, 3 mates started and in progress...and another sock started and waiting for its turn...and a shawl that was worked on between times. Phew. I need another vacay!! :)

True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.

~St. Francis of Assisi

Mad Color Weave sock pattern by Tina Lorin in Becoming Art Agave yarn in 'Sanguine Sky'

ahoy 2012

2012-01-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

As we look forward to 2012, we want to take the opportunity to extend our gratitude and appreciation to you for taking the time to visit us here at We Heart Yarn! Your presence here is a delight, and it encourages me to keep this little blog rolling along...Thank you, thank you!!

We hope your 2012 is filled with good health, the time to enjoy the love of family and friends, much laughter, and of course...fiber stashing with abandon!! :)

The happiest of New Year's greetings to you and yours!! xoxo

making

2011-12-28T14:24:00.000-08:00

Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Embossed Leaves sock pattern by Mona Schmidt in STR 'winter solstice'

welcome winter

2011-12-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

For the unlearned, old age is winter;

for the learned it is the season of the harvest.

~The Talmud

To be Embossed Leaves by Mona Schmidt in STR 'winter solstice'

new

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's almost winter...officially; by looking out the window...it's here.

My toes feel the cold...new socks are in order!

I pulled out my stitch dictionaries...picked something that looked memorizable, textured - but not too finicky, and immediately cast-on with my new favorite cast-on.

I even perused the stash and pulled out this lovely Sanguine Gryphon Bugga yarn in 'tulip tree beauty'.

My toes aren't warm just yet...but soonsoonsoon!

We turn not older with years,

but newer every day.

~Emily Dickinson

winter green

2011-12-09T06:26:00.000-08:00

Winter is unabashedly here. The days are crisp and cold...really cold.

Fighting winter is futile. There is nothing to do but embrace it by casting on another new pair of socks!

Almondine by Anne as found here,

in Spring Garden sock yarn from The Woolen Rabbit.

I did a tubular cast-on...as found here. Tres cool method.

Happy Friday!! Happy weekend!! xo

Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.

~Pietro Aretino

bliss

2011-12-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

Knitter's math:

Becoming Art yarn in 'Sanguine Sky'

+ Mad Color Weave sock pattern by Tina Lorin =

Bliss!

If you follow your bliss,

doors will open for you

that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.

~Joseph Campbell

trickster

2011-12-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

I saw this color in use a short while ago on Ravelry and had to have it. I just had to!

It's STR 'ghoulash'

While on our way to the coast a few weeks ago, we stopped in Cannon Beach and checked out one of my favorite yarn stores that carries BMFA...Lo and behold...the color was there! woo hoo!

And the pattern...another pair of Intrepid Travelers...what can I say...there's a method to my madness of preferring memorizable patterns...I can travel light and paper free!

But look...the heel is different! By the time I got to the heel I had this book in my hot little hands, and knew I had to try the linen stitch heel instead of the eye of partridge that I was thinking about doing for a change of pace.

Love. It.

Oh yeh....I added a picot edge instead of the original ribbed edging, too...no surprise there, right? LOL!

Oh how this color has brightened up the days around here!

I hope you have a fabulouse weekend! xo

Kind hearts are the gardens,

Kind thoughts are the roots,

Kind words are the flowers,

Kind deeds are the fruits,

Take care of your garden

And keep out the weeds,

Fill it with sunshine

Kind words and kind deeds.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

adieu november

2011-11-30T07:05:00.000-08:00

Listen ...

With faint dry sound,

Like steps of passing ghosts,

The leaves,

frost-crisp'd,

break free from the trees

And fall.

~Adelaide Crapsey

2011-11-29T06:13:00.000-08:00

Winter's knocking at the door.

Don't let the sunlight fool you.

We've had rain, frost, wind, rain, fog, and more rain.

Really...I think winter stopped politely knocking, and just stormed on in.

Koolhaas hat by Jared Flood in Yarn Daze Yucatan 'blue gem'.

This is the perfect yarn for this hat. Perfect.

I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.

So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.

~Nathaniel Hawthorne

morning lights

2011-11-18T05:35:00.000-08:00

peek-a-blue

2011-11-16T06:52:00.000-08:00

Something a little old...and a little new.

I started these quite awhile ago, never finished them, and thought I'd get them back in the active queue (and maybe finished!) before the end of the year.

Intrepid Traveler, by me, in STR...I don't remember the color, but it isn't a rare gem or a mill end...so I'm not a poopy! :)

If you see a tree as blue, then make it blue.

~Paul Gauguin

almost a pair

2011-11-10T06:08:00.000-08:00

The second pair of toasty twist socks are well underway.

I love the pop of yellow in this colorway.

It definitely brightens the grayer days we've been having.

A little sock sandwich...Top Chef here I come!

I hope you're having a great week!

Autumn wins you best by this its mute appeal to sympathy for its decay.

~Robert Browning

Toasty Twist socks by Teresa Fox in an STR Mill End.

prodigal of blue

2011-11-08T05:37:00.000-08:00

Nature rarer uses yellow

Than another hue;

Saves she all of that for sunsets,

~Prodigal of blue,

Spending scarlet like a woman,

Yellow she affords

Only scantly and selectly,

Like a lover's words.

~Emily Dickinson

sock pattern by me in Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Sock

sweet november

2011-11-04T06:03:00.000-07:00

A new month...

...and a new sock on the needles.

You've seen it before...it's Toasty Twist by Teresa Fox

The yarn is an STR mill end (if you like it, you might like ST-1).

Love the pattern.

Love the yarn.

Just how it should be.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

~Albert Camus

light and color

2011-11-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

How beautifully leaves grow old.

How full of light and color

are their last days.

~John Burroughs

parkside

2011-10-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like spending time

in a park

on a crisp fall day.

Nothing!

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace

As I have seen in one autumnal face.

~John Donne

Honey Badger sock pattern by Irish Girlie Knits in an STR rare gem

remains of the day

2011-10-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

They (the days) come and go like muffled and veiled figures

sent from a distant friendly party;

but they say nothing,

and if we do not use the gifts they bring,

they carry them as silently away.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

patience

2011-10-24T06:16:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it has been two weeks since my last post? OH my.

I'm not sure where the time has gone, nor do I have a good accounting of how it was all spent.

Sigh.

Socktoberfest is almost over and I have half a sock to complete by the end of the week to finish my pair of embossed leaves socks!

Until then...

Have patience with all things,

but chiefly have patience with yourself.

~St. Francis de Sales

embossed leaves sock pattern by Mona Schmidt in an STR rare gem'

quiet progress

2011-10-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.

~St. Francis of Assisi

keeping toasty

2011-10-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

The Toasty Twist socks were finished just in time for the autumn rain.

I heart this pattern...

...quick, memorizable, and the fit is wonderful.

I believe a second pair will be on the needles in the near future.

Happy Monday! Happy Columbus Day!

We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness

and travel and explore and tell the world

the glories of our journey.

~John Hope Franklin

Toasty twist sock pattern by Teresa Fox in STR 'grandma's flower garden'

witch hazel

2011-10-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

October is here and fall has arrived in full force.

The air is cool, the witch hazel is turning, and the socks are flying on and off the needles at a wicked fast pace!

This STR rare gem perfectly captured the turning of the leaves from summer green to autumn blaze, and is a perfect choice to commence Socktoberfest!

The pattern is Honey Badger by IGK, one of the Q4 KAL options in the Ravelry STR group.

I love, love, love it!! I added a picot cuff...I couldn't help myself!

Happy Monday!

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.

For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.

~Edwin Way Teale

Honey Badger sock pattern by Irish Girlie Knits in an STR rare gem

pixels 'n prose

2011-09-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

To be yourself in a world

that is constantly trying to make you something else

is the greatest accomplishment.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

autumn leaves

2011-09-27T06:52:00.000-07:00

The autumn rain and wind have arrived, at least for the next few days.

Hopefully the leaves won't all blow off the trees before they change color!

Just in case, I have a plan B for fall color.

Embossed Leaves in an STR 'rare gem'.

Every leaf speaks bliss to me,

fluttering from the autumn tree.

~Emily Brontë

autumn joy

2011-09-23T02:04:00.000-07:00

Happy autumn!!

What better way to ring in my most favorite season than with a PSL accompanied by woolies!

Wishing you a bounty of warm smiles and wooly joy this autumn season! xo

The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream.

The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg,

and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs.

Dreams are the seedlings of realities.

~James Allen

hazel leaf

2011-09-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

'Hazel Leaf' from Shalimar Yarns for Anne's 'fall in full color' club.

Sigh. You knew I had to be in that club, right?

Anne.

Fall.

New to me yarns.

Fall.

The patterns are really lovely, you'll have to peruse them here as I haven't cast on yet myself...I'm still finishing up my projects from summer! I'm particularly enjoyng the yarns as both shipments have been from dyers who I have heard of but never used before (Spirit Trail Fiberworks was the first offering).

The first day of fall is tomorrow!! I might have to have a PSL with whipped cream to celebrate.

What about you...any celebration plans?

If I don't see you tomorrow, I hope you have a fabulous first weekend of fall! xo

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace

As I have seen in one autumnal face.

~John Donne

a little progress

2011-09-19T06:10:00.000-07:00

Autumn has definitely arrived...along with a little rain.

Good weather for knitting!

I hope you had a great weekend!

Happy Monday!

I trust in Nature for the stable laws of beauty and utility.

Spring shall plant and Autumn garner to the ends of time.

~Robert Browning

Toasty twist sock pattern by Teresa Fox in STR 'grandma's flower garden'

finished

2011-09-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

The 14th pair of Monkey socks is finished!

Knitting them was like hanging out with an old friend...

...you just pick up where you left off,

no matter how much time has passed between visits...

...what more could a girl ask for?

Happy Friday-eve!

Spend the afternoon.

You can't take it with you.

~Annie Dillard

Monkey sock pattern by Cookie A in STR 'lavender truffle'

september garden

2011-09-13T06:29:00.000-07:00

Something new...

...knit in STR in Grandma's Flower Garden

Summer is nearly over...the acorns are falling...

these socks will be the perfect bridge between seasons.

In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.

~William Blake

Toasty twist sock pattern by Teresa Fox in STR 'grandma's flower garden'

opportunities

2011-09-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

I shot over 1000 images between Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon.

Starting with a trip to the Portland Farmer's Market...

...followed by a photowalk with a friend in the late afternoon...

...ending with spending the day...the whole hot day...in the dahlia fields on Sunday.

Life is good!

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful,

for beauty is God's handwriting.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

labor day

2011-09-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

autumn's cheer

2011-09-01T06:55:00.000-07:00

Happy September!!

In my little book of rules, the first of September is the beginning of autumn...

...and despite the presence of the sun last evening...

...the crisp air shouted "autumn" loud and clear!

It's time to pull out your woolies!! Happy dance!! :)

Happy Friday-eve!!

By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With summer’s best of weather

And autumn’s best of cheer.

~Helen Hunt Jackson

the present

2011-08-30T06:07:00.000-07:00

You must live in the present,

launch yourself on every wave,

find your eternity in each moment.

~Henry David Thoreau

Monkey sock pattern by Cookie A in STR 'lavender truffle'

sorriso

2011-08-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home.

~Author Unknown

Can you believe it's the last weekend in August?!

Wishing you a great one! xo

hello

2011-08-25T06:54:00.000-07:00

A little wordless today...

Just a little wish for a...

...Happy Friday-eve!

The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.

~Elizabeth Lawrence

Reagan sock pattern by Liz Abinante in STR 'lettuce knit'

lavender squared

2011-08-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

And more knitting is afoot! Fancy that!

The first monkey sock is finished and the second one is off to a good start.

I'm not sure I'll have anything fresh for you tomorrow, so I'll wish you a happy Friday-eve now,

and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! xo

His Labor is a Chant -- his Idleness -- a Tune --

oh, for a Bee's experience of Clovers, and of Noon!

~Emily Dickinson

Monkey sock pattern by Cookie A in STR 'lavender truffle'

pixels 'n prose

2011-08-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

Thought is the labor of the intellect, reverie is its pleasure.

~Victor Hugo

progress

2011-08-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

A wee bit of progress has been made on the knitting front since I blogged last.

The leg of the second Reagan sock has been started...

...and the second leg of the 'picot time of year' sock is well underway, too.

Thank you for all your kind words about the ladybugs and dragonfly images! :) Someone asked me about the colors of the ladybugs in our area...we have red, red-orange, orange, and buff--with spots and without.

I hope you're having a great week!

Success is steady progress toward one's personal goals.

~Jim Rohn

the return

2011-08-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

Look who're back in town!

The Queen Anne's Lace is in its full glory,

and the ladies are celebrating!

It was either photographing them, or socks last evening.

Socks are always around, so I grabbed Mr. NK and we went out in search of lace and ladies.

I hope you don't mind!

He travels best that knows when to return.

~Thomas More

2011-08-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

Summer afternoon - summer afternoon;

to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.

~Henry James

We're coming to the end of the first week of August and the first week of summer afternoons all at the same time. Imagine that!

Do you have any plans for the weekend? We're hanging out here at Chez NK getting caught up with some gardening, photography, and of course...knitting!
Wishing you a grand weekend! xo

show and tell

2011-08-03T06:55:00.000-07:00

A little show and tell from Sock Summit.

My first stop was at the Becoming Art booth as I had been after a skein of Sanguine Sky for quite awhile.

Isn't it gorgeous? A couple more skeins from Lisa fell into my bag, too.

Sock knitting was virtually non-existent during the festivities of Sock Summit; I need to catch up a bit and will hopefully have some sock progress to blog about soon!!

There is no must in art because art is free.

~Wassily Kandinsky

Becoming Art skeins in Atlas sock 'Midnight Mountain',

and Agave fingering (MCN) in 'Sanguine Sky' and 'Pristinely Ungifted'.

summits

2011-07-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

Is there a better way to celebrate the advent of Sock Summit 2011...

...than with a plethora of socks on the needles?

I think not.

Truth is the summit of being;

justice is the application of it to affairs.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monkey sock pattern by Cookie A in STR 'lavender truffle'

Reagan sock pattern by Liz Abinante in STR 'lettuce knit'

picot time of year pattern by me in mama llama perfect sock yarn 'jelly fish'

cool blues pattern by me in hedgehog fibres sock yarn 'down by the river'

soul of the home

2011-07-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

Which sock pattern do these picots grace? Can you guess?

I've knit 13 of these socks. It has been a long, long while since I knit the last one. Thirteen seemed like a good place to stop. A lucky place, perhaps.

(hint: counting socks on Ravelry won't help you guess the pattern, as some of these socks never made it to Ravelry, apparently!!)

A wise, knitterly friend told me that 14 would be luckier.

...I took it to heart and started planning the next sock!

Do you know what these are yet?

Yep. A Monkey sock.

The 14th Monkey.

Here's to a little extra luck!!

Happy weekend! xo

I love cats because I enjoy my home;

and little by little, they become its visible soul.

~Jean Cocteau

Monkey sock pattern by Cookie A in STR 'lavender truffle'

fresh

2011-07-18T06:02:00.000-07:00

Something new this way comes...

An STR mill end from a few shows ago...I think it is probably the Lettuce Knit colorway.

I was inspired by Cristi to also knit the Goneril and Reagan pattern although it wasn't chosen for the Q3 STR KAL on Ravelry.

Sometimes a girl just has to knit what a girl wants to knit, period.

I love the scroll pattern.

I hope you all had a great weekend...quiet, and rainy in these parts.

A good time to work on something new.

Fresh activity is the only means of overcoming adversity.

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Reagan sock pattern by Liz Abinante in STR

happy stitching

2011-07-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

Something came in the mail this week....

...aren't they pretty?

Tiny dose stitch markers in Lime green and Swimming Pool blue from the Velvet Hippo.

Torii is a sweetheart...she custom made these markers, and they fit my sock needles perfectly!

I lovelovelove them!!

Happy Stitching, indeedy!! Especially with markers that coordinate with my knitting!! :)

And a very happy weekend to you!! xo

Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands,

but let it go,

and you learn at once how big and precious it is.

~Maxim Gorky

pixels 'n prose

2011-07-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

The events in our lives happen in a sequence in time,

but in their significance to ourselves they find their own order:

the continuous thread of revelation.

~Eudora Welty

table for four

2011-07-11T06:33:00.000-07:00

Two socks joined us for dinner al fresco Friday.

The pasta was delish...it was a lovely way to start the weekend.

The guests: Hedgehog Fibres and Mama Llama yarns in the current patterns de l'été.

sigh...yum...but we still had room to split a lemon cake with berries.

Now, that's a way to start a weekend!

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold,

it would be a merrier world.

~J.R.R. Tolkien

summer daze

2011-07-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been a week since my last post.

Sigh.

Summer is here...with little doubt.

We've had our first two consecutive days over 80F in 305 days.

The roads are full of blooms and grasses.

Photowalks and the sound of the shutter clicking is replacing the needles most evenings.

But not totally!

Happy Friday! xo

"I've been thinking Hobbes"

"On a weekend?"

"Well, it wasn't on purpose..."

~Calvin & Hobbes (Bill Watterson)

emerging

2011-07-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

Look at what has developed since the last time you saw this yarn!

Another picot edge...it must be that picot time of year.

And a simple little stitch pattern...perfect for summer knitting!

I hope you all have a great weekend...if you're celebrating Independence Day--have fun and stay safe in all your travels and celebrations! xoxo

As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living,

new dimensions of the soul will not emerge.

~Henry Van Dyke

a so far untitled pattern by me in mama llama perfect sock yarn 'jelly fish'

pixels 'n prose

2011-06-29T06:08:00.000-07:00

rivercats

2011-06-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

Black Sheep Gathering was a blast...The stash was modestly enhanced...more on that in a later post.

The Rivercat socks are finished! Yippy skippy!

You can find more details on my Ravelry page, but suffice it to say, these socks are Awwwwsome!

The pattern is engaging, the fit is perfect and the yarn...

...the yarn is phenomenal. I heart the Woolen Rabbit!!

It's always nice to have an assistant during a photoshoot!

Happy Tuesday!!

How could drops of water know themselves to be a river?

Yet the river flows on.

~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

gone fishin'

2011-06-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.

~Celia Thaxter

I'm off to Black Sheep Gathering. Jen and I are going down for the day. I've been going to this festival for many years now; it is a yearly fiber pilgrimage. No matter how busy life gets, I have to go, even if just for a day. It just wouldn't be right to skip it!

Wishing you all a fabulous first weekend of summer! xo

and so on

2011-06-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

There are two kinds of people, those who finish what they start and so on.

~Robert Byrne

I was almost a "so on" kind of person with these socks. I started them oh so long ago and then let them languish for some reason...that reason is now long forgotten. I ran across them the other day and felt it was time to finish them up. So here we go!

The pattern is the Gentleman's Fancy sock by Nancy Bush. I've modified it slightly and added a right twist on the last row to the knit stitches just cuz'.

I hope you all are having a grand week!

p.s. the yarn is an STR rare gem.

welcome, summer

2011-06-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

It is summer, it is the solstice

the crowd is cheering,

the crowd is laughing in detail permanently,

seriously without thought.

~William Carlos Williams

Good bye to the wettest spring in 110 years, and

Hello Summer!!

Mama Llama Perfect Sock yarn in 'Jellyfish'

father's day

2011-06-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

Do you see me in the twinkle of his eyes?

For sure here!!!

He definitely had his hands full...

Hah! At times it took both of them to wrangle me!

Among many other things, including algebra and the chemistry of DNA, we learned photography from my dad (that's my sister Laurie).

uh-oh...quite a crew to keep in check...and he never stopped smiling!

Happy Father's Day!! xoxoxo

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.

~Clarence Budington Kelland

busy blues

2011-06-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh....Friday.

As usual, it couldn't arrive soon enough.

I've been a busy girl...remember the Hedgehog Fibres yarn from last week...

well, it's rapidly becoming a sock.

Of course it had to have a picot edge...and a memorizable stitch pattern...

These cool colors are the perfect antidote to the warm evenings....ok, in my book anything above 70F is warm...just sayin'!

Wishing you a bee-zy and fun weekend!! xo

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.

~Henry David Thoreau

a bowl full of patience

2011-06-16T06:24:00.000-07:00

Besides photowalks and shopping at the market, we've accomplished a little bit of knitting this week.

You probably recognize the Rivercat and Tesserae socks...what you haven't seen before is the Swallowtail shawl by Evelyn Clark in Fleece Artist Sea Wool 'Moss'. I started this a few years back, and it's been patiently waiting for me to decide on whether to do 14 repeats or 19.

I chose 19. And now it's nupp time.

I hope you're having a great week! Happy Friday Eve!

Patience is necessary, and one cannot reap immediately where one has sown.

~Soren Kierkegaard

wordless wednesday

2011-06-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

the river

2011-06-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge

and lean over to watch the river

slipping slowly away beneath you,

you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.

~Winnie the Pooh

Hedgehog Fibres sock yarn in 'down by the river'.

Happy Friday!! xo

seeing spots

2011-06-08T05:47:00.000-07:00

We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.

~George Bernard Shaw

These color palettes are hot right now (they've probably been hot for awhile, I'm just figuring it out now...I'm always behind the cool kids).

You can see them in daily use at Design Seeds, Tammy Lee is posting a color series at Bliss and Folly, and they show up sporadically at Creature Comforts, and are seen at the Color Collective.

Do you have a fave site that uses this kind of display?!

The extremely generous Rita from the CoffeeShop (awesome photog site) got me off to a great start with her fabulous tutorial and template and then I played around and learned how to tweak it a bit more.

Have fun playing, and let us know if you give it a try!!

singleton

2011-06-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

I did a wee bit of knitting over the weekend...the heel of the second Tesserae sock is flapped, turned and nearly gusseted.

I'm thinking about the next pair of socks, what color should they be?

See that cool float in the background. It is over 80 years old and was found in an old shed in Japan that was full of small floats never used. Tres cool, huh?

I went on a photowalk last night with a friend...the forecast was for clouds and a chance of rain...what a pleasant surprise to have had sunshine and blue skies!

I hope your week is off to a grand start!

Tesserae socks by Anne Hanson in Mama Llama 'See Spot Run'

thoughts

2011-06-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

The second cuff of the Rivercat socks is underway. I love this pattern, but more than that I'm loving the Lucent yarn from the Woolen Rabbit. Love. It.

I seem to be having a bit of an obsession with thread, buttons, and burlap these days. I particularly like thread and buttons because I can pick colors that match or complement the yarn.

I'm so easily entertained!

I was playing with bouquets earlier this week for a different project. Here're a few posies to send you off into the weekend! I hope yours will be bright and fun! xo

There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray, love, remember;

and there is pansies, that's for thoughts.

~William Shakespeare

knitting around

2011-06-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's Friday-eve already...I'm not sure where the week has gone.

Monday was the first unofficial day of summer, and it was glorious here in the Pacific NW...and Tuesday the rains returned. We've had the third coldest and the second wettest spring on record.

All that good knitting weather has been well spent as the second Tesserae is well underway.

I also finished the first Rivercat sock...but more on that later.

Happy Friday-eve!

Come, knit hands, and beat the ground, in a light fantastic round.

~John Milton

sock talk

2011-05-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

I've typed, deleted, typed, and deleted five times...maybe six.

Perhaps, I should just let the socks do the talking today!

Do you have anything fun planned for the long weekend? It's my mom's and sisters' birthdays (Happy Birthday!!!!), so I'm thinking there might be some cake in my future!! Yum.

Wishing you a fun and 'sweet' weekend!! xo

Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future.

~Charles F. Kettering

Tesserae socks by Anne Hanson in Mama Llama 'See Spot Run'

Rivercat socks by Brenda Patipa in The Woolen Rabbit Lucent in 'Ladyslipper'

Spicy Cinnamon Chipotle and Meyer Lemon Explosion Truffles by Missionary Chocolates

market faces

2011-05-25T06:28:00.000-07:00

We went on a little road trip to the Astoria Sunday Market this past weekend.

It was a little chilly and a little windy but we had a blast. I even knit during the drive down and back on a project that had been languishing for almost 3 years.

I didn't know where to aim my camera...

at the cute kids...

...or the flowers at the market!

There were dogs everywhere at this market. They were all so well behaved.

These poppies were amazing.

There was even a real blacksmith doing his thing at the market.

I'm thinking Sundays will have a whole new itinerary.

To keep our faces toward change

and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate

is strength undefeatable.

~Helen Keller

off the path

2011-05-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, this is still a knitting blog! Who knew?!

I've strayed a little off the path, but that's where all the cool stuff is.

Like ladybugs and fleurs!

By the time you read this, we would've had our third day in the 70s...you can't blame a girl for going outside!

I hope you all have a great weekend, and perhaps you'll stray a little from home and make your own discoveries this weekend...let us know what you find! xo

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things

that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

~Mark Twain

pixels 'n prose

2011-05-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

The heart has reasons that reason cannot know.

~Blaise Pascal

macarons and monday

2011-05-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

How was your weekend?

Ours was quiet, gray and rainy...with a spot of sun late on Sunday.

Lots of knitting was accomplished. One secret knitting project finished, and the other one slowly, sloooowly progressing!

I was able to work on my Tesserae socks for a couple of hours for a little break.

I'm really enjoying the mama llama yarn.

I found that little button on something I bought at the antique store awhile ago...the colors match the yarn beautifully so I had to incorporate it into the imagery.

And the macarons...they're from Two Tarts...I've been so busy photographing them that I can't tell you how they taste...I think they need to be a little more generous with the filling though! :)

I hope your week is off to a great start!!

Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.

~Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Tesserae socks by Anne Hanson in Mama Llama 'See Spot Run'

rumors of spring

2011-05-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

Rumor - noun:

1.A piece of unverified information of uncertain origin usually spread by word of mouth.

2.Unverified information received from another; hearsay.

The calendar says it's spring...the "ladies" say it's spring...

the fleurs provide a suggestive scent of spring...

The rains? Fooey, they're just trying to get us off track!

Go back and look closely at the top picture...do you see the third critter that's secretly hiding? I didn't see her until I downloaded the image...probably a good thing!!

Blogger was having major hiccups this week so I couldn't post yesterday morning, but here we are today...

Happy Saturday!

Rumor has it, a great weekend is in store for you...make it so, my friends!! xo

And Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

~Percy Bysshe Shelley

yesterday's gift

2011-05-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

There is nothing that warms this photowalker's heart more than coming across a ladybug. You can only imagine my excitement when I came across a bajillion of them!! Really...a bajillion for sure!

Last night was lovely and warm, and we found a patch of wild flowers and grasses that were loaded with these little ladies.

We almost didn't make it home as I had to stop every two steps to snap. So much better than TV.

Mr. NK at my side, evening light, and ladybugs...

...Priceless.

Each day provides its own gifts.

~Marcus Aurelius

angels on benches

2011-05-09T06:51:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a great weekend! We had rain, hail, sun, torrential rain, more sun...you get the picture! In the middle of all that a lot of knitting was accomplished and we had a great Mother's Day day!

The stitch pattern is from a Japanese pattern book; I just plugged in enough repeats to fit into 72 st around.

I carried the pattern down the center of the heel, it's flanked by the typical heel flap stitch.

I've never knit with Malabrigo sock yarn before, but I really enjoyed it. The yardage is immense, I had plenty left over.

A traditional flap and gusset construction...I'm pretty boring that way.

They fit perfectly!

It's Monday and so far no rain...We're off to a good start!

Wishing you a great start to the week, too!

Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted,

no solutions searched for.

Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.

We need hours of aimless wandering or spates of time sitting on park benches,

observing the mysterious world of ants and the canopy of treetops.

~Maya Angelou

Sock pattern by me in Malabrigo sock yarn 'Archangel'

mother's day

2011-05-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day,

to all the moms of two-legged kids, or the four-legged variety!

My sisters, Mr. NK, and I are celebrating with my mom and dad today.

My sister Jill (the twin on the right) scanned these great shots of my mom and sent them to me. Isn't she just lovely?! I still remember that yellow dress.

Sorry for the late post, I get my timing from my dad (!!!), but I get my knitting, fondness for baking and eyelashes from my mom! :)

Speaking of which, I'm bringing chocolate cake with cinnamon buttercream frosting to the party...I better get going, or I'll be late for a very important date!!

Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children.

~William Makepeace Thackeray

into the green

2011-05-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

To sit in the shade on a fine day

and look upon verdure

is the most perfect refreshment.

~Jane Austen

Happy Friday!! Happy Weekend!!

I hope you all have

a refreshing and perfect weekend! xo

sock 'n roll

2011-05-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

You know that spring has truly arrived

when you can dine al fresco...

at 6pm...with no jacket on!

And there's nothing like Thai food to satisfy the body and soul.

I haven't "played" with my food like this in a long time!

Mr. NK and I had a blast!

And of course, dining al fresco is not complete without some knitting al fresco, too.

Happy Friday Eve!

All sorrows are less with bread.

~Miguel de Cervantes

Rivercat socks by Brenda Patipa in The Woolen Rabbit Lucent in 'Ladyslipper'

pixels 'n prose

2011-05-04T06:18:00.000-07:00

He knew a path that wanted walking;

He knew a spring that wanted drinking;

A thought that wanted

further thinking.

~Robert Frost

beach glass

2011-05-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

Third time's a charm. I cast on for these socks a little while ago, but wasn't pleased with the striping and how the colors stacked. Rip. I cast on again with a different yarn...lovely yarn, but still not what I was envisioning for this sock.

And much like Goldilocks...I dug deeper into the stash and when I saw this yarn, I knew it was just right.

Mama Llama.

'Perfect sock' yarn in 'See Spot Run'.

The pattern...Tesserae.

Ahhhh....just right.

We can only be said to be alive in those moments

when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

~Thornton Wilder

may day

2011-05-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Does anything shout "May" louder than tulips in bloom!?

I think not. The weather has definitely taken a turn. We walked last evening with camera in tow...look at that sunlight on those little purple flowers...Glorious, indeedy!

This morning I went out and caught this little dogwood blossom.

And second only to the tulips, these pink blossoms are screaming May!!

Happy Sunday! Happy May Day!!

The world's favorite season is the spring.

All things seem possible in May.

~Edwin Way Teale

breaking hearts

2011-04-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

Oh my. It's been a week. Friday couldn't come soon enough for me.

And look...a little ball of yarn...you know what that means!

Yep...an FO is on the loose. The Breaking Hearts socks by Cristi.

I love these socks.

Love. Them.

Check out the patterning on the heel...

I did a plain toe (on purpose!!)

and a regular gusset (not as on purpose!)

And who doesn't just melt in front of that twisted cuff. Top to toe...I love these socks!!

I'm not going to jinx my weekend by declaring my plans or hopes...but I think I can safely wish you all a fantastic weekend!! xo

Breaking Hearts socks by Cristi Brockway in STR 'Storeytime'

bluesy

2011-04-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

Something new popped onto the needles...I didn't mean for it to happen, really I didn't.

This color is the lovely 'Ladyslipper' in Woolen Rabbit Lucent.

The pattern is Rivercat by Brenda Patipa.

I think the pattern is working up beautifully in this lovely yarn. It's memorizable, too!

What do you have planned for the weekend? I'm taking a Photoshop class, and I'm thinking about going to the tulip festival if it isn't too rainy.

If you're celebrating Easter this weekend, I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Happy Friday! Happy weekend!! xo

I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown,

for going out,

I found, was really going in.

~John Muir

spring road

2011-04-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

Joy at the start

Fear in the journey

Joy in the coming home

A part of the heart

Gets lost in the learning

Somewhere along the road.

~Dan Fogelberg

rosebuddie

2011-04-18T07:03:00.000-07:00

The perfect pink for the pattern.

The perfect name for the pink (Malabrigo sock).

I hope I can finish it before the arrival of the recipient! :)

Think what a better world it would be if we all

- the whole world -

had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon

and then lay down with our blankies for a nap.

~Robert Fulghum

Rosebuddie designed by Anne Hanson in Malabrigo sock yarn 'light of love'

notes from the shore

2011-04-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

Most of us are just about as happy as we make up our minds to be.

~William Adams

We're chasing our bliss! We'll be back soon...maybe!! xo

blooming along

2011-04-11T11:39:00.000-07:00

Clue #2 went up on the Solid Sock group Spring Blooms mystery sock KAL last Friday...so what's a knitter to do, but knit it up?!

A little cables...and lace!! Second only to picot edges!

I'm a little behind...but will hopefully finish clue #2 before the final clue goes up on Friday!!

This is all I have for this Monday! I hope you're having a good one!!

And Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

~Percy Bysshe Shelley

Spring Blooms mystery sock by Marcy Vandale in MadTosh sock yarn

growth

2011-04-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

The first Breaking Hearts sock is finished and the second started.

I love that twisted edging!!

Look who joined me in the garden last evening...Gigi.

It was cold yesterday--frost in the morning, and chilly most of the day, but sunny!

Gigi likes the sun!

Yep, I really, really like that twisted edge!

Speaking of garden, check out the peony sprout!!

Have a grrrrreat weekend!! xo

The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice.

~George Eliot

Breaking Hearts socks by Cristi Brockway in STR 'Storeytime'

pixels 'n prose

2011-04-06T06:54:00.000-07:00