tongue in beak

7/22/10

awol interrupted

Since I started rock climbing a few months ago I've been too distracted to focus on much else, but I've been sidelined with a shoulder injury for (hopefully only) a couple weeks so now I can catch up on this blog. I recently completed a Citron shawl with the Jojoland Melody I bought at Stitches last year. I highly recommend this fun and quick project. But be forewarned, it is a lot of stockinette...I even added an extra section to make the shawl bigger, so there were 636 stitches by the time I got to the final ruffle!

In less happy knitting news, I had to frog the Eve shawl I had been working on. The beautiful and soft Malabrigo Lace was just the wrong choice of yarn for the pattern. As you can see from the photo, the stitch patterns are obscured, especially in the Indian Cross Stitch section at the top. I couldn't even frog past that point because the yarn had felted together completely. Another lesson learned!

6/4/10

happy friday

photos courtesy of paula mcnamee

My friend, Paula, was kind enough to stop by the knit not war exhibit and send me photos. I just love seeing all the cranes displayed together - such lovely colors. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

5/25/10

knit not war

200 cranes in spring

photo courtesy of Seann McKeel

Hey Portland-area friends and visitors, the cranes I knit almost three years ago are finally going on display in an art installation at the Ace Hotel, so check it out if you have the chance (and please send me pictures if you go!) Here are the details:

knitnotwar 1,0o0: a public art installation displaying a thousand knit cranes, celebrating the quiet logic of peace. More than a hundred artists contributed to knitting one thousand origami-style cranes which will be displayed through the weekend of June 3rd, 2010 in the lobby of the Ace Hotel at 1022 SW Stark in Portland, Oregon.

See the installation and join us for green tea and snacks in the lobby of the Ace Hotel on First Thursday, June 3rd from 7-9pm.

The origami crane is an international symbol of peace, due to the hopeful and heroic story of Sadako Sasaki. Sadako died of leukemia after exposure from US atom bombings of Hiroshima in 1945. Believing a Japanese legend that anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes will be granted a wish, Sadako hoped to get well. She completed over 1,000 folded cranes before dying on October 25, 1955 at the age of 12. Thousands of artists, children, religious groups, and other organizations commit to folding strands of a thousand cranes every year to express their commonality in belief of banning nuclear weapons-- their solidarity for peace.

5/11/10

happy tuesday

a rose from our yard

One Perfect Rose

by Dorothy Parker

A single flow'r he sent me, since we met.

All tenderly his messenger he chose;

Deep-hearted, pure, with scented dew still wet -

One perfect rose.

I knew the language of the floweret;

'My fragile leaves,' it said, 'his heart enclose.'

Love long has taken for his amulet

One perfect rose.

Why is it no one ever sent me yet

One perfect limousine, do you suppose?

Ah no, it's always just my luck to get

One perfect rose.

4/27/10

draw your life

Here's a cool free e-book to download by Michael Nobbs called "Start to Draw Your Life" which also includes "75 Ways to Draw More." It's inspirational to read that the author took up drawing as a way to cope with an illness. (via The Pen Addict)

4/25/10

up in the air

Yesterday, I went rock climbing for the first time and had a blast. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics of my first two climbs, since everyone was occupied with a job at the time and had no free hands to play photographer. Here are some of my third up a chimney formation and then rappelling down the other side. I highly recommend this experience - really exhilarating!

4/14/10

my first laceweight project

yarn: Malabrigo Lace - Stonechat colorway

needles: size 3 Knitpicks circular

# of stitches cast on: 363

Oh boy, this is going to take awhile. I've completed 8 rows but it's barely 1/2 inch long...why, you ask? Because it's double knit lace. I guess I should have read the pattern more closely before I purchased it. Luckily there are several stitch pattern changes throughout the wrap to keep me somewhat sane!