fine as frogs' hair

remembering aaron

2012-01-08T12:16:00.002-08:00

I performed my first yarnbomb today, though I feel that's a misnomer in this case. My class lost one of our mates last winter, and in remembrance, we planted a tree for him near campus. I had the idea awhile ago of knitting a little scarf for the tree, in red, the color of aaron's raincoat. This morning, I finally acted on the idea and attached a little warmer to the tree. Not a yarnbomb, but a little hug made of yarn.

And a little camera practice while I was there....

Nikon D60 // 1/50sec // f/5.6

2011 street change

2012-01-02T19:00:00.003-08:00

This just in! My 2011 cash count is ..... $29.43

Finds of note:

a Kenyan Schilling (at today's exchange rate, that's 0.01177USD)
a Canadian dime
an Australian nickel
pennies: one ginsu'd, one badly corroded, one wheat, one smashed into a souvenir
folding money: two ten dollar bills, found on consecutive days. one in a pile of leaves near my school building, the second at a busy bus stop (it was in plain sight on the curb, but all the folks waiting for their buses were too busy thumbing their smart phones. losers).

thankful for

2011-11-26T21:00:00.001-08:00

I am thankful for my family and friends, for my good health and a roof over my head. I am most thankful though, for my husband. I love him and appreciate him every day, and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with him, wherever that may be.

on a blustery day at Lincoln Park, Seattle

autumn: color

2011-11-05T20:32:00.001-07:00

Cotinus coggygria "Grace"

constitution day, observed

2011-11-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

The University of Washington observes Constitution Day on November 1, since school is not in session on September 17th. I participated today in the read aloud event at Suzallo Library, getting to read three times instead of the once I was expecting. My lines were....

[Article 1, Section 6]

No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.

....and.....

The Preamble to The Bill of Rights

Congress of the United States
begun and held at the City of New-York, on
Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.

The Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

....and....

[Amendment XX]

Section 5.
Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.

Section 6.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission.

finn says...

2011-09-22T21:51:00.001-07:00

gardening: day of the tomato

2011-09-09T08:49:00.002-07:00

I'm one of those people who just doesn't love summer. Temperatures over 80F make me cranky. Over 90F just makes me mad. I left Sacramento after living there a mere 18 months, and have followed the magnetic draw of the north pole ever since, landing in the Pacific Northwest, with its lovely, reasonable summers.

Stupice tomatoes, from my own garden

But I do love me some tomatoes, and tomatoes love summer. My own garden tomatoes are plugging along, and now that Seattle is in the middle of some really warm weather, I have high hopes for the large fruits that have been green for weeks and are now starting to blush. I will enjoy every bite of those, even if I do have to resort to the green tomato recipes, but in the meantime, I stopped at the Yakima Fruit Stand in Bothell yesterday and bought many pounds of Washington grown Roma and beefsteak tomatoes, and today I got to work dehydrating and canning the lot of them, and even some of my own. I even ran out of jars, so I'll just have to make some tomato sauce and freeze it.

cherry tomatoes ready for dehydrating.
the resulting dried tomatoes are like candy and get right in your mouth

canned washington grown tomatoes.
I look forward to opening these some dark winter evening.

Good thing I love tomatoes, eh?

knit parade

2011-09-07T20:57:00.000-07:00

Dad's socks (I apparently only posted these to Ravelry, so Dad thought they were languishing in the knitting basket, when in fact they are rolled up and ready for the giving)....

Pattern: Mr. Pitt's Socks (aka Dad Socks) by Kaitlyn Wong
Yarn: Malabrigo sock yarn, chocolate colorway

And a "thank you" for the Millerings for taking me out to lunch (multiple times, over the past few summers): a dishcloth for their trailer....

Pattern: Crocus Dishcloth by Kelley
Yarn: Lily, Sugar 'n' Cream

quilting: riley's baby quilt

2011-08-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

I called Michelle to ask her what colors I should use in Riley's baby quilt, but after our chat, I ignored everything we said and made a rainbow quilt instead. I'm such a rebel.

Nikon D60, f/4, 1/500 sec., 18mm focal length

DPC: day30_self portrait

2011-08-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

It's the last day of the daily photo challenge! I'll keep practicing though....

Nikon D60, f/5.6, 1/160 sec., 55mm focal length

DPC: day29_black and white

2011-08-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

Nikon D60, f/4.2, 1/15 sec., 24mm focal length
made into black and white and contrast adjusted in Photoshop

DPC: day28_flowers

2011-08-28T21:59:00.000-07:00

Also in Tacoma, at the Tacoma Dome Light Rail Station, just waiting for their glamour shot...

Nikon D60, f/5.3, 1/60 sec., 36mm focal length
contrast adjusted in Photoshop

DPC: day27_from a distance

2011-08-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

I volunteered at the Pacific West Quilt Show in Tacoma today, and afterwards noticed this (distant) view of Mt Rainier looming over the 21st Street Bridge and the cone of the Tacoma Glass Museum.

Nikon D60, f/8, 1/100 sec., 200mm focal length.
contrast adjusted in Photoshop.

DPC: day26_close-up

2011-08-26T21:45:00.001-07:00

After I took the turkey's picture, I picked ten pounds of blueberries. I freeze the blueberries and eat them throughout the year, but before I freeze them, I sort through them and pick out the unripe green berries, leaves and critters that also make it into the blueberry bucket. This haul had about six teeny tiny snails (the shell of the largest snail was about half a centimeter across, and the shells were so thin, light easily passed through), and this one tried to climb one of the green berries (it rolled over just as he reached the top).

Nikon D60, f/8, 1/60 sec., 55mm focal length
Auto-adjusted in Photoshop

DPC: day25_hands

2011-08-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

Nikon D60, f/5.6, 1/160 sec., 55mm focal length

DPC: day24_animal

2011-08-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

I went u-pick blueberry picking today at Mountain View Blueberry Farm and stopped by the turkey pen before heading out to the fog-blanketed blueberry rows.

Nikon D60, f/5.6, 1/80 sec., 55mm focal length

I think her name might be "thanksgiving"...

DPC: day23_sunflare

2011-08-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

The subject matter isn't spectacular, but I managed to capture some sunflare....

Nikon D60, f/5, 1/50 sec., 18mm focal length
auto adjusted in Photoshop

DPC: day22_something pink

2011-08-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

In case you're keeping score, day 22 is actually supposed to be "hands" but I'm still working on that one, so in the meantime I'm multitasking by taking photos of the cute little pink skirt I just made for Zoe as she starts kindergarten, and doing my "something pink" DPC photo (day 25).

Nikon D60, f/5.6, 1/640 sec., 55mm focal length
exposure and saturation adjusted in Photoshop

DPC: day21_faceless self portrait

2011-08-21T07:56:00.001-07:00

Nikon D60, f/5.3, 1/100 sec., 38mm focal length

hike: rachel lake

2011-08-20T21:42:00.001-07:00

Classmate and friend Pam and I set off for a hike today to Rachel Lake, in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It was a beautiful day, so the trail was popular, but still perfectly enjoyable.

panoramic view of Rachel Lake

Finn and I, having lunch

Finn was obsessed with the bugs....

Pam enjoying a rest on the trail

DPC: day20_bokeh

2011-08-20T21:17:00.001-07:00

From my hike today to Rachel Lake, in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area...

Nikon D60, f/5.6, 1/100 sec., 55mm focal length
Adjusted in Photoshop to burn in the over-exposed plant

DPC: day19_something orange

2011-08-19T15:11:00.001-07:00

'tis the season for apricot jam!

Nikon D60, f/7.1, 1/125 sec., 42mm focal length

I'd also like to point out that my something once green is now (somewhat) orange...

Nikon D60, f/7.1, 1/200 sec., 82mm focal length

knitting: anders' sweater

2011-08-19T15:00:00.001-07:00

I just finished a cardigan for Jana's baby.... before he's grown out of it. Ta-da!

cardigan: Baby Wrap Sweater, Churchmouse Wee Ones, by Suzanne Sullivan.
details here (rav link)
photo: Nikon D60, f/5.3, 1/320 sec., 42mm focal length

DPC: day18_your shoes

2011-08-18T07:44:00.001-07:00

I had a good bit of fun with the grain filter and image adjustments in Photoshop for this one, trying in part to reflect the bleary-eyed feeling I had as I took these photos, just after sunrise.

Nikon D60, f/5.3, 1/40 sec., 40mm focal length
filtered and adjusted in Photoshop

DPC: day17_technology

2011-08-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

This is my desired idea of technology, these days....

Nikon D60, f/5.3, 0.77 sec., 40mm focal length
filter added in Photoshop

DPC: day16_long exposure

2011-08-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to take one of these classic shots for a long time. I see many more similar attempts in my future.

Nikon D60, f/14, 2 sec., 48 mm focal length

I think anything longer than one second is a "long" exposure, but in case you don't, here's a longer exposure:

Nikon D60, f/25, 30 sec., 34mm focal length

DPC: day15_silhouette

2011-08-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a silhouette photo to fill the assignment, but I hope to get something a little more inspired soon.

Nikon D60, f/5.3, 1/640 sec., 35m focal length.
Image rotated and cropped in Photoshop.

DPC: day14_eyes

2011-08-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

Overexposed, but I like that about this one.

Nikon D60, f/4.5, 1/10 sec., 26 mm focal length

DPC: day13_flowers

2011-08-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

Day 13 is actually supposed to be "you with 13 things". What? I gave it the old college try, situating myself on the floor with thirteen bowls from around the house, but out of frustration and boredom (myself and thirteen things?! really?), I gave that up and and present instead, a lovely shot I took this morning of some dill flowers and an book I've been drawing photographic inspiration from, A Year of Mornings.

Nikon D60, 6/10 sec., f/5.6

DPC: day12_sunset

2011-08-12T14:50:00.002-07:00

Nikon D60, f/5.6, 1/320 sec., 18mm focal length.
Panorama created in Photoshop.

While it's been lovely during the day here over the past few days, dense clouds in the west have foiled my attempts at sunset photos. Finally, the clouds abated and I got this nice shot, taken at Sunset Hill Park. (Click on the photo for a larger version.)

food: putting up pickles

2011-08-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

I wish I'd had this photo for "something green" day and/or "fruit" day (did you know? botanically speaking, a cucumber is a modified berry? true story.)

Nikon D60, f/6.3, 1/80 sec., 30 mm focal length.
Brightness adjusted in Photoshop.

I love canning. And I love dill pickles. So it's no wonder that I have twelve quarts and seven pints of cucumbers brining away until October, when they'll be ready for the snacking. I use the instructions from the Mixed Greens blog. Next up: apricot jam (at Eric's request -- apparently last year's was good), and various mixed berry jams.

DPC: day11_something blue

2011-08-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

Nikon D60, f/4.8, 1/400 sec., 45 mm focal length.
File size reduced in Photoshop.

This is some of my favorite yarn: the gloaming, light worsted rambouilet, by Spincycle Yarns. Blue indeed!

DPC: day10_childhood memory

2011-08-10T14:57:00.000-07:00

Nikon D60, f/5.3, 1/60 sec., 40 mm focal length.
Diffuse glow filter applied in Photoshop.

Crayons -- not just the sight, but the smell too -- is one of my strongest and favorite childhood memories... I'm surprised it took me so long to think of my trusty box of Crayolas (with the sharpener in back!) for today's photo theme.

DPC: day09_someone you love

2011-08-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

We all know Finn's standing in for my number one guy here, and I couldn't decide which to post here...

Nikon D60, f/5, 1/100 sec., 22mm focal length

Nikon D60, f/6.3, 1/50 sec., 55 mm focal length

I love how you can see me taking the photo reflected in his eyes.

DPC: day08_the moon

2011-08-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

Day 08 is actually supposed to be "a bad habit", but since I don't have a single one, I just had to make up my own topic. What's a perfect girl to do?

Nikon D60, f/5.6, 1/100 sec., 300 mm focal length, adjusted in Photoshop

Not a spectacular shot, I realize, but by far my most successful photo of the moon. Usually it just looks like a fleck on the camera lens or something.

DPC: day07_fruit

2011-08-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

Nikon D60, f/5.6, 1/100 sec. 48mm focal length, color and saturation adjusted in Photoshop

I keep using Photoshop to intensify the colors in my photographs. Is there a way to do this in the photography, and not the computer? What am I missing?

DPC: day 06_from a low angle

2011-08-06T15:01:00.001-07:00

Nikon D60, f/5, 1/100 sec., 165 mm focal length, adjusted in Photoshop.

When I imagined this upwards shot of my garage roof, the moss was dewy and the sun was clearer, but this'll do the trick.

DPC: day05_from a high angle

2011-08-05T18:58:00.002-07:00

Nikon D60, f/5, 1/15 sec., 27 mm focal length

I racked my brain trying to figure out what to do for today's photo that didn't amount to buying an elevator ride at the Space Needle. I had to convince myself that "high angle" doesn't equal "high elevation". I ended up just standing on one of my plastic patio chairs and taking a photo of the garden, which has gone relatively unphotographed this year anyway (7 tomato plants, 8 squash (winter and summer varieties), six celery, three strawberries, and that's it. yes, really).

I have grand plans for the day 06 photo... wait for it... from a low angle.

Also, if you're paying much attention, please note that Blogger reduces the resolution of the image within the blog text (and today's is particularly bad). To combat this, click on the image and a better resolution image will appear. Thanks!

DPC: day04_something green

2011-08-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

Nikon D60, f/7.1, 1/100 sec., 55mm focal length

I got really close to my subject for "something green". I've always loved the thin red leaf margin of this jade plant leaves, which, incidentally, I propogated from a single leaf that fell off the mother plant.

quilting: Elliott's baby quilt

2011-08-03T10:32:00.001-07:00

My nephew Elliott's quilt (only a few or ten months belated ). I had begun a stacked coins quilt in greens and browns, but it just wasn't going the way I wanted, so I abandoned that when I saw this and knew that it was the right design for this project. My thanks again to Natalie Weaver for the inspiration, it was just what I needed!

DPC: day 03_clouds

2011-08-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

Nikon D60, f/9, 1/400 sec., 18mm focal length, dodged and cropped in Photoshop.

Once again, I was ahead of schedule with today's daily photo. I was photographing Elliott's newly finished quilt when I started to get artsy with the low angle and sky background. I tweaked the image in Photoshop a little to bring out the quilt while not overexposing the clouds too much.

original image

DPC: day 02_what you wore today

2011-08-02T09:48:00.001-07:00

Nikon D60, f/5, 1/5 sec., 32mm focal length

I have to confess, I took this photo last week, when I knew I was going to do the 30 day photo challenge, but felt the need to synchronize it with the month of August. I had just been working in the garage and came in all dirty, so I piled my clothes on the washer, was struck by the color combination and lighting and remembered that day 2 of the photo challenge was "what you wore today". So I whipped out the camera and took this picture in advance of the challenge.

daily photography challenge: day 01_self portrait

2011-08-01T13:50:00.001-07:00

Day 1 of my daily photography challenge (as found here, and well-loved on Pinterest, where I encountered it). I reserve the right to change some of these as I go... I'm not set up for bokeh, for instance (day 20), and my "someone" (day 9) is far away.

Nikon D60, f/14, 1/30 sec. 18mm focal length

garden + photography

2011-07-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

kale in the garden, Nikon D60, f/5.3, 1/25 sec

same photo, tweaked in photoshop to accentuate red leaf and warm overall. what do you think?

DSLR: more practice

2011-07-26T14:08:00.001-07:00

More practice with shutter speed and aperture with low early morning light...

upholstering: old folding chairs

2011-07-26T13:58:00.001-07:00

Eric and I (finally) reupholstered a pair of folding chairs from the mid-1930s. We've been moving these chairs around from apartment to apartment and finally to this house for years, always with the intention of reupholstering the beige plastic seats.

The chairs sport a particularly interesting folding structure, with the back section of the chair remaining still while the seat folds up and the front legs fold in, rather than the whole thing scissoring to the flat position.

source: Google patents search

DSLR: practice

2011-07-25T17:07:00.001-07:00

I took a class through the UW Experimental College yesterday on "How to use your Nikon DSLR camera". Taught by Jim Altengarten, it was a great, informative class. Now I just have to remember it and practice, practice, practice. To that end, I dusted off the tripod and fussed around with the camera this afternoon.

craft: quilt top and kindle cozy

2011-07-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

Despite working over the weekend, I managed to get some crafts finished: a Kindle cozy for my mom and baby Cora's quilt top.

I don't know the quilter, but I (obviously) relied on this color scheme and layout. Thank you!

superheroes

2011-06-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

I made superhero capes for Zoe and Nathan from this tutorial. I hadn't seen the kids in over a year and wasn't sure how big they were, so they're smaller than I'd intended, but they seemed to be a hit all the same.

garden: strawberries + kale

2011-06-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

I've had more success with strawberries and kale already this year than in all previous attempts put together.

bliss

2011-06-22T20:36:00.002-07:00

I flew kites with my niece and nephew last week.

throwing in the towel on veganism

2011-04-24T11:42:00.002-07:00

I couldn't hack it. What's more, I didn't want to. I still wanted to go on with the challenge aspect, but I was tired of stressing out over what I could or couldn't eat, especially when it came to where I could eat, and with whom. I found myself making exception after exception (I had sushi three times, for instance), and I wasn't even fully dairy-free at home until two weeks after lent began when I finally finished an enormous tub of yogurt. But through the experience I came to clearly understand that I am much more interested in eating locally, supporting the farmer's market and my CSA, and the locally raised chickens, wild salmon and mammals. Someday I hope to raise and forage for the things I eat, but for now, I'll just have to work with my little garden and the fresh veggies and fruit it provides.

broccoli in the cold frame

I saw a bumper sticker as I biked around Portland yesterday that read "Think Before You Eat". I don't know the agenda of the bumper sticker maker (could be PETA, could be Jenny Craig), but the way I interpret the statement, it means to be mindful of where my food came from, who grew and harvested it, and not limit by some arbitrary food classification what I will and won't eat. I think it's better to eat eggs from a small Seattle area farm than bananas from South America, for instance.

in which I take after Benjamin Franklin

2011-04-04T08:18:00.001-07:00

I have been known to plan my day out, hour by hour, just like Mr Franklin....

(image credit: http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/can-do/)

Now if I could just get the whole doing-good-all-the-time ball rolling (somehow, I don't think that organizing my yarn stash--much as it pleases me--counts towards worldly good).

the rules of vegan lent

2011-03-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

1. Regarding the contents of my fridge: anything already in the fridge is fair game (i.e.: the enormous tub of yogurt), but food in the house that will last until after lent is off-limits (canned tuna, for instance).

2. Regarding ingredient pickiness: if ever I dine out, I am not going to quiz the server on the exact vegan-ness content of say, the noodles, but I will not order a bagel with cream cheese and salmon.

wish me luck!

and now for something completely different

2011-02-22T20:57:00.000-08:00

short hairs

2011-01-09T14:45:00.002-08:00

yay! short hairs!

2010 street change

2011-01-03T22:21:00.001-08:00

just back from my winter excursion to california (more snow, rain and wind than sun, so don't go imagining me lounging on the beach or anything), and I've just completed that all-important new year's task of counting last year's haul of street change:

folding money: $24 (a twenty in a Sacramento gutter sweetened this figure)
cold hard cash: $12.68
foreign currency: $0.31 (canadian and australian, converted using today's exchange rates)
one train-flattened penny (can't spend it, so it's not counted, but it was a penny)

grand total: $36.99!

2011 is an awkward looking number

2010-12-30T18:17:00.000-08:00

...but it's here all the same, so here are my resolutions from last year, how I did, and those for this year:

Blog more (obviously)... ha! clearly not.

Drive less, bike more (grocery store, school, etc)... yes! I biked to school nearly every day, until my bike brakes came undone, and I haven't been able to fix them yet.

Write more (correspondence).... nope. but I have a remedy for this one.

Sew more (2009 was the year of the Knit).... knitting is just so darn convenient when you're in school and can only get a few minutes together to work on something. But I did do this...

Read more....yes, but exclusively school-based.

Establish an advance directive, etc. ...nope.

Volunteer six times... hm, can I count donating blood? I do that every eight weeks. other than that, I volunteered about four times.

Make a quilt for Eric and me... nope.

Learn to knit socks... woo hoo! I sure did!

snow day

2010-11-23T10:34:00.001-08:00

It's true, Seattlites are snow-wusses, but today it gives me a lovely sunny (if very cold) snow day, so I'll take it. I've just baked gingersnaps, a blueberry coffee cake is in the oven, and I'll sit down with some knitting soon, before turning my attention back to school (the campus may be closed, but I still have lots to do).

funny: frank chimero

2010-10-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

This funny story came to my blog reader, and I immediately wanted to share it. Enjoy!

school: wood shop

2010-10-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

I remember laughing in undergrad when I took a soils class (I'm playing in the mud... in college?!?), and now I'm laughing that I'm in grad school and taking wood shop*.

*OK, OK, it's actually called Landscape Materials, but it sure feels like wood shop so far.

in which I jump out of a perfectly good airplane

2010-10-02T18:15:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my birthday (just a little late this year) by going skydiving! I've never been before, though I'd been wanting to for years and years. I did a tandem jump from 13,500 feet, with about 60 seconds of free fall before my instructor deployed the parachute.
Bill at Skydive Snohomish was my instructor, and he was great. Thanks, Bill!! It was such a thrill, I'm looking forward to going again already!

quilt: miranda & todd's wonky log cabin

2010-09-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

I hope Miranda and Todd like this quilt half as much as I do. I am really pleased with how it turned out!

hike: glacier national park, goat haunt (waterton lake)

2010-09-02T22:51:00.001-07:00

Unnamed lake, where we stopped for water.

We ate dehydrated, vacuum sealed maple cinnamon toast with rehydrated apples (found here) for breakfast -- not too bad, if I may say so, but then I am a huge fan of any breakfast served on toast. The toast was bulky to carry, so have it early in the trip. We ended up chatting at length with two of the guys in our camp. They had been brought in by horse (though the horses had been taken back to the trailhead). I clenched my jaw and refused the real cream one of the men offered me to put in my coffee, simply because it had been brought in by a horse. I don't like what horse packing does to the trails, let's just leave it at that. As we chatted with the guys, we came to find out that they were plain-clothed Border Patrol agents. They told us about how they get the hard job of hanging out in GNP (since it abuts the Canadian border) for a spell during the summer. I was surprised at how forward they were with us, which made me a little skeptical, though it explained (but didn't soften my attitude towards) the horse packing.

After breakfast, we packed up our gear and headed towards Goat Haunt. We stopped at an unnamed lake glacial blue lake, and later, at Lake Francis, we could hear thunder, and by the time we were ready to go again, the storm was nearly on top of us, so we hung out under tree and waited it out. First time I've had to do that. It showered on and off for a time after that, finally easing up as we approached Goat Haunt.

Goat Haunt was rather surreal. We knew it was accessible from the Canadian side of Waterton Lake via a ferry concessionaire, so while we understood that people might be present, it was still odd to come wandering out of the woods and into a developed visitor center area, complete with uniformed Customs agents, NPS law enforcement and swarms of non-backpack-shlepping tourists. The NPS law enforcement ranger asked us if we had encountered any Border Patrol agents in the backcountry and my skepticism of the two horsepackers evaporated. We were then asked if we'd seen these folks (we hadn't). The ranger went on to tell us that there were known bears in Goat Haunt, including a brown-colored black bear.

Goat Haunt has formal "hiker shelters": concrete slabs with three-walled and roofed cubbies for hikers to pitch their (hopefully free-standing) tent in. My tent is not free-standing, so I slept sans tent, which is my preference anyway. If a bear is intent on getting me in the night, making myself into a plastic-wrapped treat isn't going to help me. We did see the brown-colored black bear while we were enjoying some time lakeside, but he stayed away from camp so far as we could tell. We did laundry and considered our options for the next day. The previous day's hike had done a number on some of us and we weren't sure we could safely proceed with our next day (14 miles). Dinner was "Tamale Pie for Ungrateful Waifs" from Lipsmackin' Backpackin'. Really good (I'd had a hard time dehydrating the green chilies, so we actually packed in a small can of them -- first time I've ever packed in canned food), but sooo much of it, we nearly didn't finish it. Cheesecake for dessert.

The view from the Goat Haunt campsites
(the Goat Haunt Visitor Center is the structure on the shoreline)

Next morning, we had dehydrated eggs with spinach and cheese a la Backpacker's Pantry (much better than I remember from my girl scout days), vacuum-sealed bacon and tortillas for some pretty fine breakfast burritos. As we were packing up, it became clear what I think we all knew: we weren't going to attempt the 14 mile hike, but take the ferry to Waterton, Alberta and then a shuttle van from there to my car, stationed at the border on the east side of the park. And that's what we did.

hike: glacier national park, boulder pass and brown pass

2010-08-23T22:19:00.010-07:00

Me at Boulder Pass.

We got up as early as we could manage, gulped down some coffee and trader joes blueberry muesli mixed with instant oatmeal and topped with cranberries. We had some serious trail to cover this day -- 16.5 miles I believe, is my all-time single day record (I remember having a really long day on my last 50-miler with the girl scouts, but I think that was more like 12 or 13 miles). We headed up and into a recently-burned forest, like a telephone pole farm. Fresh new shrubs covered the ground -- they'll have most of the sun while the trees get reestablished, then thin out again as the forest canopy develops.

Looking down into Hole in the Wall basin
from the east side of Boulder Pass.

The views of Kintla Peak, Agassiz Glacier, and a pass that was formed from the most amazing step-like rock erosion were spectacular. Looking back, we could see Upper and Lower Kintla Lakes... and then the switchbacks began. According to our NPS backcountry permit, we climbed 3470 feet that day... nothing to sneeze at. Up and over Boulder Pass (easily one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, if only because of the stellar views in all directions), and down into a deep green basin with cascading waterfalls and views of Bowman Lake, Thunderbird Mountain and Brown Pass, where we would camp that night. I realize now that a good bit of this view was also of Canada -- I should've waved. We chatted a lot on the trail (talking is encouraged in bear country), and we played kid's travel games to keep the talking nearly constant, interspersed with "hey bear".

Heading down from Boulder Pass towards Brown Pass,
Bowman Lake in the background.

We arrived at the Brown Pass campground a bit grumpy (did I mention the 16.5 miles?), and were greeted by more mosquitoes than was really necessary (the permit-issuing ranger did warn us about the mosquitoes, at least). There were only three campsites at this campground. We dined on chicken noodle soup (I'm convinced: soup packets are a source of sanity in camp), tortellini with vegetables and I suspect we had some dessert, though I don't recall what it was. Hung the food and tromped off to bed.

more photos can be found here.

hike: glacier national park, St Mary and Kintla Lakes

2010-08-18T12:28:00.006-07:00

I arrived in Montana around noontime on Saturday and was almost immediately smitten. I have long believed that I would love Montana, and it turns out, I was right. A stunningly beautiful mix of mountains, farmland, wetlands and small towns. I headed north from I-90 at St Regis, following State Route 135 along the Clark Fork River. I continued northward on State Route 200 passing through Paradise and connecting with State Route 28 near Plains and heading towards the resort-town surrounded Flathead Lake. US Route 93 took me around the northwest edge of the lake, heading towards Kalispell, an adorable town I could see myself living in some day. US Route 2 (which I could've taken all the way from the Seattle area, with a few extra hours -- next time) took me from Kalispell to West Glacier, and the Park entrance.

Since I was meeting Jana and Mike on the eastern side of the Park, I had to drive the Going to the Sun Road, not that I was complaining. The sunniest of what would be three trips for me on this road, it was gorgeous. Near The Loop, about halfway across the Park, traffic was held up by two men who were flagging down a Park Ranger to tell them that they'd seen a bear about a mile away. I shuddered as I noticed that they were both sporting handguns on their belts. I am much more afraid of them than I am of the Park's bears.

the view from Going to the Sun Road

I arrived at St Mary Campground shortly after Jana and Mike. They'd already checked in with the nearby Backcountry Permit Office and found that no permits were available for our preferred hike, the North Circle. Mike had a printout of the permits that were available as of permit office close of business, so we poured over maps and guidebooks to build a new preferred hike and some alternates. Mike is great at this -- I may hire him to plan all my backcountry hikes for me!

My first night with my red canister of bear spray at my side was a little unnerving and I didn't sleep as well as I might have if I hadn't been downright expecting bears to walk through our camp. They didn't.

Up at 6am, Mike shuffled over to the Backcountry Permit Office and was still the fourth person in line. Jana stayed in camp to make breakfast (blueberry pancakes and bacon), and I brought Mike a cup of coffee (note: Starbucks' single redeeming feature may be Via, their instant coffee -- perfect for backpacking). When we got our turn at the permit counter, I was reminded of how I used to register for classes at Humboldt: planning out my class schedule on graph paper, watching a pair of TV monitors at the commons building that listed the number of seats available in each and every class, then going to the registration office at my appointed time and hoping the classes hadn't filled up while I was standing in line. Mike pointed at a map and named campsites as the ranger entered our choices into a database and would say yea or nay to getting a permit for each. We ended up with a dramatized version of our new preferred hike:

(edited to correct mileages)
Kintla Lake Trailhead to Lower Kintla Lake: 6.3 miles
Lower Kintla Lake to Brown Pass: 16.5 miles (!)
Brown Pass to Goat Haunt: 8.6 miles
Goat Haunt to Mokowanis Lake: 14.3 miles
Layover at Mokowanis Lake: 0 miles
Mokowanis Lake to Chief Mountain: 14.4 miles
TOTAL: 60.1 miles

(The original had the miles spread out a little more evenly)

We divided up the communal gear, food and got my car situated at the ending trailhead, Chief Mountain (right at the US/Canada border). We then hauled across the Park in Jana and Mike's trusty Volvo stationwagon and up to the Kintla Lake Trailhead About four hours to do all that had us setting out onto the trail at about 5:15pm. Fortunately, our first 8 miles were essentially lakeside, so there wasn't much elevation, just mostly flat miles. We heard a pair of loons on the lake -- a lovely, eerie call. Quite a bit of bear sign -- mostly torn up tree bark, where the bears look for insects. Gorgeous mountains surround the lake: the Boundary Mountains to the north and Kintla Peak to the southeast.

scenery around Lower Kintla Lake

We got into camp just as the evening light was dwindling. This was the largest backcountry campground we stayed at, with about seven campsites. The campsites in Glacier's backcountry were unlike any I'd seen before: each designated campsite is just large enough to sleep four (two small tents or one larger one). There's a communal food preparation area, like one of the campsites, but surrounded by benches, and near to that is a constructed bear bagging pole or frame (no searching for a tree branch that was just right!). All food, food-or-otherwise-scented items, and water were to be bagged every night. They even stipulate that sweat-soaked clothing should be "secured", lest some salt-seeking marmot or mountain goat find it while you're not looking. Each campground had a pit toilet (some with walls, some without). Our first dinner was miso soup and chicken curry. The curry was pretty decent -- it was one of the dinners I was charged with preparing back home, so I was pleased to find out that it went over OK.

We saw several mice at this campsite and not an any of the others. They scratched at my tent a few times in the night -- I flicked them away from the inside. Bear spray at my side, I slept well.

see ya!

2010-08-06T15:15:00.001-07:00

hike: glacier national park

2010-08-05T10:52:00.004-07:00

I can hardly sit still, I am so excited about my upcoming trip to Glacier National Park. I'll stay in Spokane on Friday night, then drive across the skinny bit of Idaho and into Montana Saturday morning. I'll be meeting good friends Jana and Mike on Saturday late afternoon on the eastern side of the park, which gives me all day Saturday to explore the Going to the Sun Road through the park.

I've got all my gear staged in the garage, a few food items left to prep, the ice chest to pack, and dog stuff to pack (Finn stays with his buddies Helo and Atreides). I watched my bear safety DVD twice and bought bear spray, hoping to never use it.

I'll take lots of pictures, I promise!

hike: glacier mountain

2010-07-26T22:29:00.003-07:00

Finn and I set off for Granite Mountain Sunday morning with four liters of water for the two of us, way more lunch than I could eat (I'm usually ravenous when I hike, but not this time), and not a speck of extra clothing (an oversight on my part, but I was way too hot to care). And, sans camera. But whatever, we all know what Mt Rainier looks like on a spectacular cloud-free summer day, right?

Eight miles round trip. Every single step out was uphill, and every single step back was down. Certainly an exercise in heel blistering and toe bashing. Ow. But great. Really great, actually. The top half of the trail is almost entirely exposed, sparse trees creating little oases along the way. On the way back down, Finn would plop his butt on the trail in these shade oases and refuse to move for several minutes. Once we were back into the forested lower portion of the trail, he trotted right along.

I am nearly as sore as I was after Mt St Helens last summer (ok, probably not even close, but it is reminiscent). Wait a minute... that too was eight miles... up... back.... view of mt rainier.... same old, same old....

colors: freshwater coastal wetlands

2010-07-16T08:52:00.006-07:00

I just love these colors!

The colors of the baylands vegetation are gorgeous -- I find them very inspirational and plan to use these photos to guide some future quilting.

hike: ira springs trail to mason lake

2010-07-05T10:50:00.006-07:00

The goal of my second hike of the season was origininally Bandera Mountain, but I changed course to Mason Lake as I reached the trail junction. The Snoqualmie Pass area was socked in with clouds, so I opted for a scenic lake, rather than a view of the clouds. I estimate 8-9 miles total, as I took the "Road Closed" sign too seriously and parked on the forest road about a mile shy of the trailhead (the way between the sign and the trailhead was completely passable, and about 40 cars were in the parking lot when I got back ot the trailhead... oh well. Four and a half hours, round trip. A lovely hike, a very well maintained trail -- you'd have to work really hard to get lost on this trip.

view from the trail looking out over Snoqualmie Pass

dwarf dogwood (Cornus canadensis) dotted the trail edges, along with bear grass, indian paintbrush and lupines.

mason lake, from its outlet, where the trail approaches the lake

hike: anderson butte

2010-06-26T20:50:00.011-07:00

My first hike of the year was to Anderson Butte, Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. I was aiming for Watson Lakes, but for a multitude of little reasons, I turned back early, around what I think was the foot of Anderson Butte. Most of the hike was on a snow field, so the trail was sort of a decomposed remnant of a snowmobile trail, getting thinner and weaker as we went. The snow was rapidly melting -- I could hear the snowmelt rushing along the streambed that was under our feet at some points, which made me nervous -- both for myself and for Finn -- if one of us had crashed through the snow, serious trouble could be had, or at the very least, some real discomfort for the return trip. I also got an embarassingly late start, and I wasn't prepared for hiking in the dark. So I called it a day before all the little stresses turned into a big stress and ruined the hike.

It certainly was beautiful though!

aforementioned snowmelt underfoot

finn tries his hand (paw) at forest management

that's Mount Baker there, hiding behind the clouds in the distance

handmade shopping

2010-06-19T21:30:00.003-07:00

I am a huge fan of buying handmade goods, especially locally. To that end, I do as much of my "shopping" at craft fairs and festivals as I can, including today at the Fremont Fair in Seattle. I had on my list a couple of t-shirts, a skirt to wear to Alaska in September, and a wine bottle stopper (that one had been elusive!). Since I want to do what I can to promote buying handmade, here are the websites of the folks I bought from today:

Uzura www.etsy.com/shop/uzura
Intertwined Designs www.intertwineddesigns.com
B Hive Designs www.bhivedesigns.com

go handmade!!

there's a little saying in these parts....

2010-06-18T13:12:00.006-07:00

Q: What do you call a sunny day that comes after two rainy days?

A: Monday

And just to prove our point....

(source: nws.noaa.gov)

what I did over spring break

2010-03-28T21:53:00.003-07:00

more to come....

first bad review

2010-03-10T22:21:00.005-08:00

ugh. two out of three reviewers tore me and my design apart today. at least it's over, I guess, but I feel like I have more questions about what I did wrong exactly, countered by a complete disinterest in seeing that project anymore.

for now, some sleep.

tomorrow, some knitting.

you know you're facing finals in a design program when.....

2010-02-27T19:13:00.004-08:00

.... your fridge looks like this.

ps: don't worry mom, I went to the grocery store today.

crunch time, and a question

2010-02-24T20:46:00.006-08:00

As if I haven't been busy all quarter long, I'm about to get even busier. This quarter we're designing a tiny (0.3 acre) park in the downtown area of Seattle. We have the option of making it an off-leash dog park, which it currently is (but was not designed to be), or a people park. As you might imagine, I have some pretty strong feelings on what's a good dog park looks and feels like--from the dog's point of view. So I toyed with some design ideas that included an off-leash area (as well as a partial off-leash area, a third option), but have decided to design a "people park". There are very few families with children in the neighborhood in question, but that demographic is on the rise, so I am trying to design a site that's fun for kids, without being a playground. Any suggestions? I've got some ideas that involve lights, varying ground surfaces and interactive art installations, but I'd love to know -- have you ever seen (or wished you had) something in a park that really caught your attention?

catching up

2010-01-02T22:34:00.010-08:00

I did a few really cool things since I last posted in September (coincidence? I think not). First, I climbed Mt St Helens. Amazing trip, and I'd do it again. I had essentially zero practice or training, and still did pretty well. Not setting any speed climbing records, but it was a great time. I was joined by my friend Brent and his friend Heather, who was on a flight layover between Nova Scotia and Australia. Most folks I know bring a book or knitting for layovers... this woman climbed a mountain.

just getting started

the fog is clearing

the climbing route: Monitor Ridge

on top of the world, but not yet on top of the mountain (Brent, Heather and me)

making progress

getting closer (the horizon line is the top)

looking north from the cornice -- the 1980 eruption blew the top and north side of the volcano off.

at the top! known to the mountain's climbers as half way

============================

Next up, my parents went on a long road trip that included a visit to Seattle and British Columbia. I loved having them here and I loved the time we spent exploring Vancouver and Victoria, BC. We ate well, laughed much and saw new things.

My mom and me at the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park....

Here are my parents on the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria....

My dad, Finn and me canoeing at Green Lake, Seattle.

============================

Then, just as they'd done some 23 years earlier, my parents dropped me off for my first day of school. My first quarter of full-time grad school went wonderfully, and was as much fun as I've had in a long time. Drawing and coloring, cutting and pasting, showing and telling -- I tell you, this is all the fun of kindergarten with all the perks of adulthood. My classmates are awesome, and my grades are good. I am having a blast.

==========================

Lastly, a note from Mr Finn. He gained a little fame when the doggie day care we take him to selected his image to paint on the side of their doggie transport truck. How awesome is this?

thanks, Great Dog!

skagit river eagles

2010-01-02T21:53:00.004-08:00

I dragged Finn along to the Skagit River today (say SKAJ-it) to see the bald eagles that take up residence there in December-February for the annual salmon feast. According to the Eagle Watchers docents on hand with info and spotting scopes, the high count for this season was on 30DEC09: 255 eagles. I saw nine. I'm sure there were many more there to be seen, but as Finn hasn't yet learned how to drive, I had to keep my eyes on the road, where there weren't any eagles. We went for a rainy walk at Rockport State Park, which we had entirely to ourselves. The outing certainly scratched an itch I had for a hike, and I saw something new, which is an item I need to add to my list of resolutions.

The Skagit, with two eagles (that I know of) in this photo

Just the scenery

Resolution number one

2010-01-01T21:21:00.003-08:00

Blog more (obviously)

Resolutions the rest:
Drive less, bike more (grocery store, school, etc)
Write more (correspondence)
Sew more (2009 was the year of the Knit)
Read more
Establish an advance directive, etc.
Learn how to ... (TBD)

Oldies but goodies:
Volunteer six times
Make a quilt for Eric and me
Learn to knit socks

And in financial news, I collected $8.17 in street change in 2009.

vitreous humor

2009-09-09T20:14:00.003-07:00

This has been my favorite yarn for a long time. I felt like the spinner must've had me in mind when she created it, but given that I wasn't the first, and that she regularly sells out of it, and that there are several projects made with it on ravelry (rav link), I guess I'm not the only one who would love and cherish such a yarn. In fact, I know this is true, because I place the origin of my penchant for eyeballs squarely on my dad. He knows why.

And, no sooner did I say that I can't do a whole knitting project in a single sitting in my last post, than do I do exactly that. Last night, I sat down with my favorite yarn (which I had previously been content to simply display in a wad in my bookcase) and a pair of borrowed size 35 needles (for the non-knitter, that's the same diameter as your average broomstick), and Kathleen Rogers' Vitreous Humor Scarf pattern (rav). It was the first (and as yet, only) pattern I'd seen for this yarn that allows the yarn to retain it's gutsy, sinewy character instead of just knitting it into a dense, pink fabric.

And even a little early for halloween, no less!

oh no, not another one

2009-09-01T19:10:00.002-07:00

I have recently discovered needle felting. As if knitting, quilting, sewing, beading and occassional card making and embroidery weren't enough crafts to have in my life, I now have needle felting. And of course, I love it. I love that you can sit down with a little idea and go from roving and needle to finished product in one sitting. Quilting and knitting are not like that -- at least, not for me.

Here's a little felted embellishment I made for Chinchilla's broach...

and here's a flower....

anyone who knows about my facination with eyeballs will know where I'm going with this one....

photos from helicopter

2009-08-25T21:29:00.003-07:00

our chariot of the sky...

Smith Tower, Seattle

I can see my house from here!

helicopter photos

2009-08-25T20:01:00.003-07:00

Lake Union, Seattle, August 2009

Seattle Skyline, or We're All Monkeys at Typewriters, August 2009

even more photos

2009-08-25T19:44:00.003-07:00

Forum Room, Parrington Hall, UW, Seattle, July 2009

Parrington Hall, UW, Seattle, July 2009

Museum of Flight, Seattle, July 2009

Sculpture at UW, Seattle, July 2009

Abandoned Building, Seattle, August 2009

102 degrees

2009-07-29T22:30:00.003-07:00

all-time high temperature record for Seattle was set today.

posted at 10:43pm, when it's 95 degrees IN MY HOUSE.

2009-07-28T21:34:00.004-07:00

The temperature hit 97 degrees today, so what did I do? I finished a quilt! I'll be giving it to baby Maja this weekend.

specs: 50 x 50", the colorful fabrics are from the Noveau line by Moda. Orange and yellow flannel backing.

more photos

2009-07-26T17:28:00.006-07:00

settling back in after two weeks of dog/housesitting. tiring, but I'd do it again for these folks in a flash.

catching up on some of my architectural prints:

Transmission tower base, near Blythe, California, July 2009

Boarded up building near Snohomish, Washington, July 2009

Fire alarm, Seattle, Washington, July 2009

Dillon wind farm, near Palm Springs, California, July 2009

Desert twig, near Blythe, California, July 2009

Desert Center gas station, California, July 2009

my charges

2009-07-11T17:24:00.005-07:00

I've got my hands full for the next several days with some dog friends. I'm taking care of these three gents, who alternately sleep, play, argue, sleep and eat.

working in the garden

2009-07-03T22:53:00.002-07:00

it's hard to believe I was drinking coffee and wearing a fleece this morning (around 7)... it ended up a scorcher in the afternoon.... 86 degrees! yikes!

my first prints

2009-06-28T07:32:00.005-07:00

Architectural Detail, lamp base in front of Suzzallo Library, University of Washington. Copyright Andrea Slusser, 2009.

===================================

Architectural Detail, windows of Gerberding Hall, University of Washington. Copyright Andrea Slusser, 2009.

alpaca shearing

2009-06-22T19:23:00.007-07:00

I was generously invited to the annual alpaca shearing event at Vashon Island Alpaca, which took place yesterday. I helped with fleece gathering and bagging, as well as animal handling.

================================

The shearing itself is done by a three-man team of shearers: one man using the clippers, while the other two held the animal. Kind of like different cuts of beef, there are different parts of the fleece: "one" is the back, "two" is the neck and the upper parts of the legs, and "three" is the belly, the topknot and lower parts of the legs, if it's not very dirty. We who collected the fleece and bag it (one large plastic bag for each type) would scamper around the feet of the shearing team, pulling shorn fleece off and picking locks of it up off the floor, working as quickly as possible to keep it tidy, out from underfoot, and organized into the three types.

Jake, a farm regular, and I made a good fleece collecting team

most of the animals stood throughout the shearing, but not all of them.

Knitters: you know that baby alpaca yarn we all oooh and aaahh over? This is it.... baby.

================================

After several rounds of that job, I helped fix some jagged wires in a fence of the holding pen, and then I helped prepare the animals for shearing. Each animal was identified by serial number and name, then rounded up by one person (basically by grabbing their head and neck--I let the pros do this bit), and then holding them--this is where I came in--for a blowdown with a high-powered hairdryer, and some fleece-picking, if necessary. And yes, I jumped right in when asked to pick twigs, lichen bits and.... other bits... out of the critters' fleece.

a little alpaca ass-grabin'

a good mix of befores and afters, for reference

================================

I tell you though, there is just no end to how funny these guys look after they've been shorn....

this guy insisted that they leave his sideburns

...and they sure can bend!

I had an incredibly good time, and I sincerely hope I can come back and do it again next year.

Thanks to Bill and Lee for having me, to Nathan and Harlan for allowing me to help, and to Cohni and Josh, for inviting me, and for taking pictures!

gettin' my garden on

2009-06-18T21:27:00.004-07:00

Things are growing in the garden -- some losses already, but some successes. I had to pull the broccoli raab when it bolted (I never even saw the part I was supposed to eat), and the chard is touch-and-go. But the tomatoes are going well, as is the basil -- now I just need to learn how to make fresh mozarella. The cilantro is still alive, and the potatoes need no encouragement at all. The winter squashes look about ready to burst with flowers (pleasepleaseplease), and the blueberry bushes are heavy with green fruit. I've had a few strawberries (yum!) and the onions are doing well (how did I end up with three types of onions?). The asparagus is wild and still putting up shoots, but the star of the beauty pagent is probably the hops. These plants are just lovely, leafy and green, and I'm sure I could hear them grow if I just listened closely.

morning photo

2009-06-11T18:40:00.003-07:00

With increasing frequency, color combinations are catching my eye, and when my camera is around, I try to capture them. This morning, it was the strawberries on my oatmeal in a turquoise colored bowl that did the trick. I'll try to capture more of these colors/combinations and show them to you.

I still got it

2009-06-07T22:17:00.004-07:00

I haven't done much jewelry making lately, so when a colleague was telling me how she wanted some gaudy orange earrings to go with a teal dress she planned to wear at an upcoming wedding, I jumped at the opportunity to pull out the needlenosed jewelery pliers. Ellen helped me select the beads, and I came up with these lovelies:

specs: about two inches long overall, mostly Swarovski Crystal (multiple colors), cloisonne and metal beads, golden wire, golden earwires (unsure of specific precious metal content).

come and gone

2009-06-07T21:30:00.004-07:00

Eric was here all last week, and we had a great time together. We celebrated our eighth anniversary a little late by taking a three day trip to San Juan Island, where neither of us had been before. We stayed at a bed & breakfast on the western side of the island -- a working ranch, tended to by very friendly innkeepers. After the orcas, alpacas seem to be the island's mascot, and while we didn't see any of the former (they were out in open ocean), we saw plenty of the latter, and got to feed the ones at our B&B. As you might guess, I left the island with some lovely alpaca yarn. We brought with us lunch fixins and picniced every day, we brought dinner foodstuffs and had a bbq at San Juan County Park before settling down with some brie and wine for the sunset. We saw harbor porpoises, seals and sea lions, bald eagles, deer and foxes. We criss-crossed the island a few times, saw American and British Camps, lingered on beaches and generally had a lovely, relaxing time.

the shoreline at Lime Kiln State Park

a picturesque fence at American Camp

more picturesqueness near American Camp

alpacas at Krystal Acres Alpaca Farm

We also managed to squeeze in a trip to Portland to see Heather & Stephen and their lovely new home, paint the sun room, bunches of gardening, dinner with Cohni & Josh, and I think I even went to work for a little bit.

can't talk now....

2009-06-02T17:37:00.001-07:00

... having entirely too good a time on San Juan Island with Eric. More later.

first hike of 2009

2009-05-24T22:19:00.004-07:00

Finn and I hiked to Lake 22 (near Mount Pilchuck) today. We arrived early and were the first ones on the trail, which was lovely. The first two-thirds of the 2.7 mile hike in were snow free (some mud), and last third as well as the entirety of the lake, was still very much snowed in. I let Finn romp off-leash in the snow (both for his enjoyment and for our safety -- I needed all of the balance I could get on the slippery, actively melting snow).

from the trail

nearly to the lake (where's Finn?)

panoramic of Lake 22, with one of the cirques that makes up the backside of Mount Pilchuck.

knit one, fly too

2009-04-29T16:00:00.002-07:00

Writing from over Nevada again…

I just finished the Liesl scarf. This was easily the most complicated knitting I’ve ever done, which meant reading a pattern for every row from what is now a softened and dog-eared piece of paper, but never while conversing, listening to music or while watching a movie. It was not knit on at either of my knitting groups, though I would show it off at said groups after sufficient progress had been made. When I’m crafting at home, I usually fall into one of two situations, either I’m listening to the radio and sewing or quilting, or I’m knitting while I have a movie on, so no knitting on this scarf then either. Working, eating and sleeping take up a goodly chunk of the rest of my time, which left one time group for complicated knitting: airplane time. I cast the project on while we were at Steamboat Springs in January (which is of meaningful coincidence, since the scarf recipient was born in Colorado). I’ve worked on it in the airspace of Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Utah and Colorado. To round it all out, the yarn is by Mountain Colors of Wyoming.

Specs: Pattern is Liesl, by Mary Joy Gumayagay at Yummy Yarn. Yarn is Mountain Colors, Mountain Goat (name of the yarn, not the source of the fiber), in the Firestorm colorway.

never mind the woman modelling the wool scarf when it's 73 degrees F outside. she's crazy.