Tuesday, March 22, 2011

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day was my birthday. It was a fine day indeed: sunny, mild for the season, full of good spirits. Mountain Man was visiting, and we spent the afternoon strolling around the neighborhoods of Boston. Here's a pause in the North End after savoring a cannoli from Mike's Pastry.


The new hat is yet another Rivendell, but instead of a snug cap in DK wool, it's a lush, soft, slouchy hat in worsted, single-spun alpaca. The yarn is Cascade's Eco-Alpaca, which is undyed and minimally processed. The cables are delicious in this yarn!


I plan on eventually re-releasing this pattern with instructions for both the DK wool cap and the worsted alpaca sloucher. But ... sigh .... I've kind of lost my steam with the pattern making since I've come back to Cambridge and re-focused on my real work. It's a simple enough pattern that it would probably only take one Saturday to photograph/type/chart/etc. and finish the pattern, but ... sigh ...


What I have had more energy and appetite for is photographing this place. I'll be headed back to Arizona after this academic year, and I'm trying to appreciate all the textures and experiences while I'm still East. Like these antique radiators, packed into an outside lot at a salvage company in Union Square.


They're so beautiful and sculptural. Every time I bike past, I think, "I should really come back here with a camera."

Or take this monstrous pothole in my neighborhood, which reveals a glimpse of paved-over cobblestone streets. I took this photo about a week ago. When I biked past the spot again yesterday, it was patched up and back to plain-old asphalt. It's amazing to think of these layers of hidden history.


And while I'm thinking about my own sense of place, here are two other posts, from two of my favorite blogs, that transported me so thoroughly to other magical places this week: Knitting Iris's St. Patrick's day in Montana and The Times We Are Living In's elk-research adventures in Wyoming. Enjoy!

9 comments:

Acorn to Oak said...

Happy Birthday! :-)

Great photos! I like the colors and patterns in the top radiator photo. The radiators in the other photo are so decorative and pretty. I like that you were able to capture a shot of all those layers of history before they covered it up again. I look forward to more photos of the area before you head home.

Lisa said...

Love the cobbles. Hidden history in plain sight. Too bad they paved back over it.

Julie said...

Happy belated birthday!! That hat is lovely, but I totally understand losing steam... at least you know when you are feeling like writing up patterns again, it'll be there waiting for you!

The BUTT'RY and BOOK'RY said...

I JUST LOVE YOUR BLOG!!!
(my B-Day is St Paddy's day too1
perhaps that is why I love it so)!
Hee
Blessings, Linnie

Turtle said...

happy belated birthday! Had a drink for you when we were in vegas for a few days! Awe, kind of sad about the cobblestones being covered, just so much more attractive. Love the knitting, recently finished a hat similar to your cabled one... using the same fiber and colorway even! (must be great minds and all...)

kathy b said...

Happy Birthday. I hope it is your best knit year yet! i love your hat. Love the minimally processed wool. It knit up beautifully. Thanks for the links....im off to check them out

Amybel said...

Happy belated Birthday!
As much as I would love to live somewhere warm all the time (saying that as we are getting snow once again) there is something to be said about New England. Anything but cookie-cutter houses, meandering streets, one ways, and dead ends that seem almost funny. I get lost in cities with North/South-East/West grid formation streets!

Rachel said...

Happy belated birthday! And thanks for the shout-out...Wyoming, though stark in the winter, is a magical place to experience!

I, too, have been eying the 'details' of the world around me lately. Glad you took time to photograph yours.

Anonymous said...

Love the hat!