happy thoughts

i thought i would post a few photos that have made me smile the past few days. the weather here is turning to spring, my favorite season(well there all favorites i guess) my bikes are out, kayak has been dusted off and working on my "roll", the sea loins are basting in the warmth of the sun, and i just recieved a little package from the postmaster. yes, its from "purl".

instant craftification

here are the finished products from craft night last night, the purl bee pin cushion. they were a big hit with the girls, what they called instant gradification. we compared the instant gradifying feeling to something, what was that comparison Sue? cherly let us raid her fabric stash for the base of the cush, scrapes from our salina worked well as the "topper", finished then with a little bead work(michelle loves her beads)and so do we! thes little beautys were adorable!

and this is lizzy, my lepeord gecko. lizzy is under rated by most so i thought i would give him some publicity. he is no trouble, throw him a few crickets, keep him warm with some light and stoke him now and then. the perfect pet! i adopted him from the local pet shop, no cost. the little guy lost his tail(they can do that)so nobody wanted him. as you can see, it grew back and he is now a lovely color when he sheds and all his part are in tact.

Climbing trellis Market bag

This is a great free pattern from "Purl" thats on the sticks. One ball of Rowan 4 ply cotton makes this bag a quick knit. I wanted it a bit longer in length, so i added a section on the bottom of silk bamboo in "jade", love it! It's just a 4 row pattern, with 2 rows of it purl. The challenge will be picking up around the top edge and completeing the I cord handles. A great bag to bring along to the public market!

Rowan Salina

so this small group of woman have come together and share their love of "crafting". what amazing talent these woman have! this was are first project for the ones who wanted to learn to knit. the small 6 by 6 rowan tweed square was knit, then hand felted, so much that Barbs hands were pruned! the part i enjoyed was the "stash" of extra yarn we got to rumage through(thanks to kate) and select our colors to do the detail work. greater excitement came when we got our hands on Michelles stash of beads!! put it all togehter with the wine and chocolates, a fabulous evening. stand by for our next project.....

Nice Ride

now this is the way to travel! i spotted this vintage ride parked at a store front in Aspen. As i am constantly filling my tank with gas, i have visions of a wicker basket hanging from the bars and knitted panear packs drapped over the back wheel!
i do have a ride somewhat similar to this, a Vespa. Yes, an old beater that needs some work. my plan was to get started on it over the winter months, time just got away! now i am sad that my wheels are not up and running. it not only will take time, but a few bucks as well! i will keep dreaming as the gas prices keep rising :( this will be my ride someday soon

Making of the Rink

Not much stick work over the weekend :( but i have been thinking about ripping out my Twinkle cardi. I just love it, but if it was just a bit bigger,i would love it more! I made the small with added arm length(i have long arms) and it is way short in the length,even with a tee under it.

Anyways, i was busy this weekend making a hockey rink! Yes, that's me with a leaf blower and NO leaves! Makes for a nice smoooooth surface.i thought at first is was a great deal of work, well it was but well worth the effort! i missed my recap night with the Aspen girls all to clear the rink! We had game time at 2 on Sat with about 18 people, hot cocoa and a stiff wind! Our location is on the canal, just in front of the Pittsford boat house. we are now experiencing a thaw, but we are hoping for favorable conditions toward the weekend. bring on the cold nights!

back to back knit adventures

i hope to stay put at least until friday(might head out to Ottawa for ski race) the past 2 weeks have been rather eventful in travel and knitting! its amazing how fast one can whip up a hat, cowl and wristlets while waiting in a airpirt. who ever knew getting in and out of Aspen could be so difficult!

made it home from Aspen and then on to Lake Placid for the famous "Loppet" A gruling 25k -50k nordic ski race. this time i opted for the 25k, not much training in Aspen and a little to much wine ;) poor luke had no clothes due to hubby and i forgetting his pack! my patagonia worked just fine in a pinch. great snow coverage on the olympic course, mt Vanhoovenburg. i managed to pull a second place win!during my rest period on sunday,i decided to work with my new Blu Sky Suri Merino in "Dusk". adding the Blu Sky cotton in "Pickle" for a few stripes! the finished product fits beautifly! wider ribbing makes for a snug fit.

finally, my blog.

please be patient with me as i attemp to create an inviting place to visit. i am a knitter. this is the side of me that requires a low heart rate(although i have seem some yarn and designs that have sent my heart into a elevated state) i am also an athlete. i love to bike mt and road, kayak(did i mention i kayaked across lake ontario)run, snowshoe,ski,and my true passion was adventure racing for a few years. i am competitive and love to race. i quess i do well. i make the paper and manage to turn a few heads.

so this weekend, the 2 shall mix again. i will be with friends skiing the mountains of Aspen.soooooo,i need something on the sticks for travel and to present to my host upon arrival. i searched the local shops, nothing. but then i remembered the local favorite that closed. i knew someone had to have a skein of "special stash". luc came through with the art yarn silk. cream with a delicate weave of silver, perfect for my aspen host! i now begin to knit.