Blocked swatch

Just sayin.

Japanese knitting patterns

Having mentioned that I am the blessed recipient of a Let's Knit Series pattern book, I thought I'd also share a link where you can download a document to help with translating Japanese patterns (and buy a few too!).. just in case you'd like to jump on the bandwagon with me. Keeping in mind that 2010 is the year of Estonian Lace knitting (aka: the year of no fo's)... we'll have to shoehorn this teeny tiny endeavor into the schedule. Doable.

Some eye candy for your enjoyment.

A random act of charm

.. and kindness ..

My friend's mom traveled to Japan some time ago, and she asked me if there was anything I would like.

I now own a beautiful Japanese pattern book. I'm totally thrilled.

And thankful.

Geoache link

Here's a video that explains a little about geocaching. It's a really great way to spend some time outdoors, and I love the treasure hunting aspect (tho, I rarely keep anything.. I just like the hunt). The kids are over it right now, but BFML and I are not. We are team 6Rabitts.



Some photos I had previously promised:








Strangest thing, this. We were caching, and I told BFML that I thought the cache might be close to a house I did a LOT LOT LOT of work in when I was still doing floors. It was one of those jobs that you just don't forget.. house is closing in on mansion status, lady was nasty, I was accidentally locked out of the house with no jacket, no keys, and it's.. hmmm.. about 40 below zero at the time... and finally, it is the very last place in the world where I still experienced feeling in the tip of my left index finger. It was on that job that I smashed the finger and wrecked it forever. It was just weird to be there, by that bad memory house.. I was remembering everything and I looked up; there, hanging from barbed wire - surrounding a municipal waterworks gadget - was a rubber fishing lure. Just the weirdest thing, overall.



Just in case you think I don't knit any longer, here is the Girasole I'm working on. It's in a light worsted alpaca, and I think it's gonna be gorgeous. It's sitting on the dashboard of the truck while we were out geocaching.



Crazy, huh? We found piles and piles and piles of hail in the grass by a weigh station near Calgary. You don't expect to hold ice in your hand in August, that's for sure; unless it came out of your beer cooler perhaps... but in the grass?

And finally,



A gratuitous puppy photo, and one beautiful eye (if you don't mind me taking credit for one of my loveliest creations).

A little geocaching video from earlier today

Gazillion pictures to follow.

Take that, Home Road

I beat it.

Kinda... I blew a shift and that stopped me dead in my tracks. But instead of walking the rest of the way up, I got back on the bike, and I rode to the top.

YYYYYaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy. Home Road? You don't get all caps any more.

Me and the BF have really been enjoying the Tour de France, and I was sad to see it end last night. During the tour, I knitted a lot on the Glow gloves; the first one is close to needing fingers. I also spun a couple hundred grams of BFL and Merino/Silk.. and I cast on for the Girasole. I'm about 1/2 way through Chart C, and it's looking good.

Did I mention that I whupped Home Road? Big.Silly.Grin.

Ride to Conquer Cancer

I think I can do it. I think I will.