tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228377892024-03-08T00:25:59.838-08:00ever green knitsevergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.comBlogger409125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-19916820100356372782014-11-18T09:13:00.001-08:002014-11-18T09:14:51.127-08:00summer sprout<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Until a few weeks ago it still felt like summer to me— since, heck, it was 90 degrees in Phoenix — but the turning chill in the air reminds me that time is moving on. So before it gets any later in the year, it’s time to look back and catch up on a few remaining summer stories.<br />
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Since I was back in Vermont, one of the themes for my summer knitting was to revisit the patterns I wrote when I lived and breathed this landscape. One was the madder-dyed Vermont Shawl that I gushed about last time; the other was a rich green Sprout Blanket (details <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/evergreenknits/sprout-blanket-2" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
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Sprout was one of the first patterns I wrote, actually, and it’s still one of my favorites. I love the yarn. I love how the leaves pop out of the fabric in lush three-dimensionality. And I love the deep textures on the back of the blanket.<br />
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It was interesting, though, to knit it again, because it had been so long that it was like knitting a new pattern. I used to know the chart well enough that I scarcely needed to glance at it — but this time I really felt how challenging it is, how much attention it demands, when you come to this pattern for the first time. It was a good experience of the teacher feeling like a beginner again.<br />
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And it was just as well, since one of my goals was to issue a new version of the pattern with line-by-line instructions. Phew! It’s all up on Ravelry now (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sprout-blanket" target="_blank">click here</a>) so head on over there if you’d like to download the updated version or buy it for the first time. <br />
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-20958098283832399402014-10-02T21:49:00.003-07:002014-10-02T21:51:41.448-07:00Shawl from a Vermont summer <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When we decided to head back to Vermont for the summer, it made the decision for me about my knitting. For months -- nay, the past <i>year </i>even -- I'd been coveting a skein of madder-dyed lace yarn from <a href="http://www.averbforkeepingwarm.com/collections/yarn/products/floating" target="_blank">A Verb for Keeping Warm</a>. And now I had my reason to get it: I'd bring this Oakland yarn across the country for a shawl in Vermont, knitting together my different geographic footholds.<br />
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For the record: yarn is VFKW Floating in color 'Transnational Fury,' pattern is my own <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vermont-shawl" target="_blank">Vermont Shawl</a>, knit on size 5s instead of the usual 6s to ensure that I could make the whole pattern in one skein.<br />
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I had an interesting experience knitting this one. There was a time when I'd knit this so many times (<a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2009/08/verdant-vermont-shawl.html" target="_blank">one</a>, <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2011/01/vermont-shawl.html" target="_blank">two</a>, <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2010/10/narrative-of-pink-shawl.html" target="_blank">three</a>) that it was second nature. But it's been a few years now. To tell you the truth, this time I mucked up the complicated maple leaf lace pattern and had to rip out inches of knitting. Painful! I tell you what, though, it made me appreciate my own designing work. This is one complex piece of lace! And most of the time it was a pleasure to knit, curled up on the porch with my cat.<br />
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I finished it on one of our last mornings in Vermont. Sitting outside with my morning coffee, just as the sun started to break through the morning mist and give everything a soft glow. Here's the shawl all scrunched up on the little circular needle just before the bind off ...<br />
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And here it is just after the bind off, spread out on the table and encroaching on Mountain Man's journaling. Knitting these shawls is not for the faint of heart, because after all this work it still looks blobby and small until the blocking ... </div>
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But once the blocking is done, you realize you've made magic. I unpinned it, tossed it over my shoulders, and took it for a walk in the forest. Winding through the trees ...<br />
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to the waterfall. It was a moment of pure delight. Mossy aromas. Spray of fresh water. Cool air. And a lovely new shawl! </div>
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-16628878210450683122014-09-10T23:25:00.000-07:002014-09-10T23:25:30.057-07:00there and back again: a summer story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Well. It's autumn now, far past the time when I should be telling my summer stories. But I've clearly gotten off the blogging wagon these days -- so I guess it's better late than never. And what a summer it was, criss-crossing the country!<br />
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We started off in Santa Fe ...</div>
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Magical Santa Fe, where we picked bundles of sagebrush and headed east. </div>
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Through the Oklahoma panhandle, with big horizons and a stunning sunset. </div>
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Into the green fields of corn country</div>
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And finally up the Northeast corridor </div>
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To the Green Mountains of Vermont. Our happy place. </div>
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Actually, Isis's happy place! </div>
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Nothing she likes better than to cruise around the lake in the evening</div>
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It was a working vacation -- lots of writing during the day. </div>
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But punctuated by hiking and wild blueberries</div>
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Turtle-catching in the canoe</div>
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Excursions up to the beaver pond (can you spot the little critter?)</div>
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And, yes, there was knitting</div>
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(I think I'll leave the story of that for another post, though)</div>
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But all too soon, there was a chill in the air </div>
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telling us that summer was turning into fall.</div>
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So it was time to head home.</div>
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First down to DC, to visit family and stretch our legs at Great Falls.</div>
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Southward through the rolling hills of Virginia and Tennessee</div>
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Out through the small towns of Arkansas, </div>
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on the hunt for legendary pie</div>
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And then, just like the like, the green hills gave way to rangeland</div>
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Big skies, dry fields, train tracks. </div>
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(And a night in a haunted hotel in New Mexico!)</div>
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On the last day, we made one last stop -- again for pie. </div>
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Pie Town, NM</div>
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And then we were home in the desert.</div>
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So there you have it -- the last few months laid out in photos. I've got projects to share. Knitting, whittling, mending, kombucha-brewing. Hopefully I'll get to them in the coming weeks. I do miss blogging in some ways, miss the connection with the community here. It's just that I've so much to do with work these days that taking the time to reflect with photos and words ends up feeling like another item on the to-do list sometimes. Will try to get the spirit back! </div>
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-42489101568781598842014-06-26T10:25:00.004-07:002014-06-26T10:27:16.479-07:00roots, leaves, and shawl<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
a.k.a. madder status! I've got a jarful of dried madder roots, tucked away on a shelf for the season ...<br />
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... and a barrel-ful of madder plants, which regrew so fast after the harvest that it's overtaken this corner of the garden once again ...<br />
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... and a madder-dyed shawl on my knitting needles. Not from my own madder, since this spring got away from me and I never managed to haul out the ol' dye kettle. But honestly this is even better: a vibrant semi-solid yarn from <a href="http://www.averbforkeepingwarm.com/" target="_blank">A Verb for Keeping Warm</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynWFRsVmmdJQWitNJNDtRyiLNXo3BMzeYtP3_TzBRmsUwHRjPMvtmHKAdmcApcTcGueBnoEfLzm805azinDMJlXCfgw799KdW2eb9M62T2Mv47_yYYacBCq4A-dJwcpTc_Rsctw/s1600/1406_madderyarn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynWFRsVmmdJQWitNJNDtRyiLNXo3BMzeYtP3_TzBRmsUwHRjPMvtmHKAdmcApcTcGueBnoEfLzm805azinDMJlXCfgw799KdW2eb9M62T2Mv47_yYYacBCq4A-dJwcpTc_Rsctw/s1600/1406_madderyarn.jpg" height="360" width="540" /></a></div>
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I'm using it to knit yet another <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vermont-shawl" target="_blank">Vermont Shawl</a>. And the most fabulous news of all is that I'll have a chance to finish it when I'm back in my beloved Vermont for the summer! Road trip to come ... </div>
evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-70135144597564197802014-04-26T10:54:00.000-07:002014-04-26T10:54:25.909-07:00Madder Part 2: root size experiment <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My oh my, has it really been three months since I posted about <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2014/01/digging-up-fresh-madder-roots.html" target="_blank">digging up madder roots</a>? I had a whole series of blog posts planned where I'd test how different dyeing procedures affected the colors from the madder roots. I haven't got to that yet, but what I <i>did</i> manage was a wee test of how root diameter affected the dye colors from fresh madder roots. Here's where we left off ....<br />
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<i>fresh madder roots, dug and washed</i></div>
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After digging up the roots and scrubbing off the soil, I let them dry overnight. The next morning, I went out to the shed and got out my dyeing equipment. I haven't touched it in a couple of years now, but it was wonderful to pull out the familiar gear and remember the good ol' <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2009/03/fruition.html" target="_blank">glory days of dyeing</a>.<br />
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<i>dyeing thermometer, stained over the years by madder and cochineal</i></div>
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Next, I prepped yarn samples. I have a cone of organic wool from <a href="http://www.zensheepfarm.com/" target="_blank">Zen Sheep Farm</a> that dyes beautifully, from which I cut a dozen lengths that were 10g in weight. I mordanted these with alum and cream of tartar while I was getting the roots ready.<br />
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<i>Step 1: cutting lengths of yarn to mordant</i></div>
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What I wanted to find out in this round of experimentation was how much of a difference the age/size of the roots makes in the dye color. I sorted all the roots out into three categories: the largest roots were 3-4 years old, the medium roots were probably 2 years old (and a little thinner than a pencil), and the small roots were probably 1 year old.<br />
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<i>Step 2: sorting root sizes</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbscfKICgrpZU3auJ6okUCBCXSRk2jTvxzChfyDpjEwvBLGzA97CzH_w9afYBMDsvmN5t45EyETwnQtZqPyhFRqZ-ComfG5qAhQmpTq__hapi-R6eZRCVGdohjJcCtJuMG9h46Gg/s1600/1404_madder-diameter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbscfKICgrpZU3auJ6okUCBCXSRk2jTvxzChfyDpjEwvBLGzA97CzH_w9afYBMDsvmN5t45EyETwnQtZqPyhFRqZ-ComfG5qAhQmpTq__hapi-R6eZRCVGdohjJcCtJuMG9h46Gg/s1600/1404_madder-diameter.jpg" height="380" width="540" /></a></div>
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Then I chopped them up with a kitchen cleaver. The size differential is even clearer when the roots are sliced. The shadows in this snapshot make it hard to see, but hopefully it still gives you a sense of how much thicker and woodier the old roots are compared to the new roots. And also what rich, red colors came out of these roots!! (FYI: I haven't adjusted the color tone or saturation, so this is really what it looked like)<br />
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<i>Step 3: slicing up the roots</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7E0mcu0gfnBXPxxLN4Jo5e_10CDisQxOOit9MkDy84-r4vymzj5MbWylHm79h8rE1B28rh6YZtlDevwaf1HqcW5D_zjBZwodG1zoMHhaFKp0IXEVPN7ilik-qSy0MMkYf39OQUA/s1600/1404_slicedmadderroot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7E0mcu0gfnBXPxxLN4Jo5e_10CDisQxOOit9MkDy84-r4vymzj5MbWylHm79h8rE1B28rh6YZtlDevwaf1HqcW5D_zjBZwodG1zoMHhaFKp0IXEVPN7ilik-qSy0MMkYf39OQUA/s1600/1404_slicedmadderroot.jpg" height="360" width="540" /></a></div>
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For each category of roots, I measured out an even 350 g of the fresh madder roots. I read somewhere that the fresh weight is about 7 times the dry weight. So this would be equivalent to 50 g of dry roots, which would make for an incredibly saturated color on the 10 g yarn lengths. The whole point was to push the color to its max.<br />
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<i>Step 4: weighing out the roots</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbvQbG0iffi9rL4kRwc7AXlH-gQoE4OszQK2iaUl4fS-_SlP2urvLnKbhyj_P7jbxZUa3kL75SxS8UOpAnNGdqg45LjbCIX1uAtg3mugNJSeBt-7C5OVD0bABnX88W0ZS1lIWGg/s1600/1404_dyescale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbvQbG0iffi9rL4kRwc7AXlH-gQoE4OszQK2iaUl4fS-_SlP2urvLnKbhyj_P7jbxZUa3kL75SxS8UOpAnNGdqg45LjbCIX1uAtg3mugNJSeBt-7C5OVD0bABnX88W0ZS1lIWGg/s1600/1404_dyescale.jpg" height="360" width="540" /></a></div>
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Then it was time for dyeing! For color tests, I use large mason jars in one pot of simmering water (see a photo from a few years ago <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2008/02/dyeing-experiments.html" target="_blank">here</a>). That way they all get the same temperature and timing. In this case, I set up a jar for each root size category. I slowly brought them up to temperature (keeping it below 180 degrees so that the madder pigment doesn't turn brown). I plunked in the wet, mordanted yarn samples. I kept it at that slow simmer for an hour or two, then turned off the heat and let it soak overnight. Here's what I had the next morning:<br />
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<i>Step 5: dyeing in mason jars</i></div>
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Ready to see the results? Drumroll please ... and the result is that there was <i>virtually no difference across the three root sizes</i>. All of them turned this insane carrot color. <br />
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<i>Step 6: shock and awe</i></div>
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If it looks like there's color variation in this photo it's just because the little yarn lumps have different angles that catch the sun a little differently. In real life they're indistinguishable.<br />
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So there you have it: all my dye books said that madder roots must be at least 3 years old to get good color, but I didn't find a difference between the 1 year old roots and the 3-4 year old roots. I thought this was actually an interesting finding. <br />
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The only disappointment is that I'm really not into this crazy orange. At least one of my dye books (can't remember which one now -- probably <i>A Dyer's Garden</i>) said that letting the roots age for at least a month will shift the colors, so I'm just letting the the roots dry and hang out for now. Hopefully the next installment of this experiment won't take so long! </div>
evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-86925294623307687322014-01-19T22:28:00.001-08:002014-01-20T14:18:27.815-08:00digging up fresh madder roots<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Of all the natural dyes in the world, madder may be my favorite. I love its deep red-orange hues, its earthy aroma while simmering on the stove, even its finicky nature in the dye-pot. It was natural that it would be one of the first plants I wanted to grow in my dye garden.<br />
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I planted the seeds in the spring of 2009. Only one of the seeds germinated, but it turns out that's all it took. In no time at all, it expanded to fill the whiskey barrel and then some! Every winter, I'd cut it down to the ground (if it hadn't already been killed down by a hard frost). In early spring, it would put out tons of fresh, green growth.<br />
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And by summer, <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2011/06/veritable-mess-of-madder.html" target="_blank">it'd take over</a> the rest of that corner of the garden with wild, scraggly, horridly scratchy stems several feet in length. It was so aggressive, it overtook the barrel of mint next to it! To be honest, it's always been a dreadful plant, but I kept it around because <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2012/03/madder-root.html" target="_blank">I was so darn excited</a> about dyeing with the roots someday.<br />
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Well, dear readers, that someday has arrived! I started out by burrowing my way down through this year's tangle of growth to peer into the roots ...<br />
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There they are. Not really so enticing when first encountered. The vivid orange flesh of the roots isn't always visible from the outside. They just look like plain old roots until you scratch the surface a bit.<br />
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And digging them up turned out to be a delicate job. It turns out that the roots are quite brittle, quite brittle indeed. Tugging on a root would cause it to break off an inch or two below, which meant that the rest of the root could get lost into the soil. So I ended up doing quite a lot of careful excavation, brushing away the soil with my hands and tracing out as much of the roots as possible before trying to lift them out of the barrel.<br />
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Here's that same root system after I dug it out. This one is the oldest plant in the barrel -- planted in May 2009, dug up in January 2014 -- and the center root was as thick as my thumb. It snapped off from the rest of the root ball when I was digging it up, so I'm holding it here separately in my left hand (right side of the photo). </div>
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After digging up the roots, it was time to give them a good scrub. Before their bath they were dirty and kind of dingy-looking ....<br />
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And after: gleamingly clean and beautifully orange. What a transformation! I just plunged the whole pile in a bucket of water, grabbed a small handful of roots at a time, and rubbed them clean with my hands. They were beautiful in that late-afternoon Arizona sun.<br />
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As for the madder plant, it's going to bounce back in no time. I pulled out all the sizable roots in the center of the barrel, but I left plenty of small roots and shoots around the barrel's edge. Madder sends out tons of runners, and there were little plants coming out through cracks at the bottom, too. Since we had a mild winter here the plants are already getting ready to grow, grow, grow!<br />
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Next up, some initial dye tests with the roots! Stay tuned.<br />
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-56114795650181066642014-01-05T14:44:00.002-08:002014-01-05T14:44:49.579-08:00winter colors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm home in Arizona for winter break. And -- ah!! -- it's such a breath of sunshine and bright color. When my mom visited from Connecticut, we had such a laugh wandering around the citrus tree farm. Amidst the lemon and tangerine trees was a great flock of peacocks. This is winter in Arizona! </div>
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The next day, we went to the Desert Botanical Gardens to see the new Chihuly exhibit. It was magnificent: huge installations of brightly colored glass, some 5-10 feet tall, in the green desert foliage.<br />
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But best of all may have been the desert's own plants. 'Tis the season for blooming aloes here. I can't get enough of them! Especially in the late angle afternoon sun, when they're lit up and aglow. </div>
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I'm trying to drink it all in before I head back to California for the spring semester .... though I'll have a few fiber adventures to share with you before that time comes .... </div>
evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-63089949226737064772013-12-04T23:30:00.003-08:002013-12-04T23:33:32.678-08:00New hats on the Northwest road<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last week, Mountain Man and I drove north to spend Thanksgiving in Portland. We made a nice little roadtrip of it, splitting the drive each way into two civilized days on the road. The first day we drove up to camp way up north on the California coast. We pitched our tent under a clear starry sky and awoke to a peaceful dawn along the Pacific ocean. </div>
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Both of us had new hats to keep us warm. I had my <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2013/11/hoarfrost-moonrise.html" target="_blank">Hoarfrost</a>, and he had a new <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cambridge-watchcap" target="_blank">Cambridge Watchcap</a>. Oh, yes, and a fuzzy dog to cuddle to keep warm, too! </div>
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Along the way, we saw all kinds of wondrous woodland animals. Elk, owl, woodpecker. Every time we spotted one of these creatures, it left me breathless with excitement.<br />
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Beautiful fauna as well. Ferns, moss, mushrooms EVERYWHERE. It was so wonderfully rich and earthy to walk in those Pacific Northwest woods.<br />
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Earthy ... and also chilly and damp. So those woolen hats were mighty necessary. Here's another picture of Mountain Man wearing his on a walk through Tryon Park in Portland. I love those biased, twisted ribs! The yarn is Quince & Co. Lark in a deep charcoal gray. </div>
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Before we knew it, we had to head home to Berkeley. We spent one evening drive down to Ashland through farmland, bare trees, and a muted sunset. </div>
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And on the last day, the last breath of freedom before heading back to the grind, were treated to beautiful views of Mount Shasta. <br />
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Thanks for coming along for the ride! And I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving, too. </div>
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-86791911416524978392013-11-18T22:12:00.004-08:002013-11-18T22:13:44.661-08:00hoarfrost & moonrise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Quick note here to say: the hat, it is finished! I've been wearing it every day this week. The mornings have been foggy, the evenings have a damp chill. It's the perfect Berkeley-in-November hat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJdi1PcN6TaN6fkgSDDINmKT0wr1YbcuZ1_OgA3r7lS1wWqbiFZP2aB9fEI5yjQZ4rablAwro8KNhr-eTFGimY7wYqexEkydz6KMq8vynz5wP3Bf_lQQLqX8cTiuKnjCSkn90YA/s1600/1311_hoarfrost-hat1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJdi1PcN6TaN6fkgSDDINmKT0wr1YbcuZ1_OgA3r7lS1wWqbiFZP2aB9fEI5yjQZ4rablAwro8KNhr-eTFGimY7wYqexEkydz6KMq8vynz5wP3Bf_lQQLqX8cTiuKnjCSkn90YA/s1600/1311_hoarfrost-hat1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3UquI_GOIGkcQJTyY8WnQ5gxSldk9zs6idldqNUkfXLuMxi6XfKYwkcSTVy-89G3sMZvzQx2WQkOJwxGrT8UYERnRAazSH-IthCd3OhApDNb4GY2o_0ddqx4S5oPtGvDweadAg/s1600/1311_hoarfrost-hat2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3UquI_GOIGkcQJTyY8WnQ5gxSldk9zs6idldqNUkfXLuMxi6XfKYwkcSTVy-89G3sMZvzQx2WQkOJwxGrT8UYERnRAazSH-IthCd3OhApDNb4GY2o_0ddqx4S5oPtGvDweadAg/s1600/1311_hoarfrost-hat2.jpg" /></a></div>
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The pattern is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hoarfrost-2" target="_blank">hoarfrost</a>. The yarn, a rustic DK wool that I bought some years ago. Deep stash. Damned if I can remember what it is.<br />
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Later that evening was the full moon rise. I don't have a tripod here, so it's just hand-held snapshots. A blurry glow behind the fig tree branches. But still sensational!<br />
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-11081863746299313422013-11-07T22:14:00.002-08:002013-11-07T22:14:17.547-08:00Yosemite<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I finally made it to Yosemite Valley. What glory to be there in early November, with the last glow of gold in the trees! The air was crisp. The bears were fat. The crowds were thin. It was heaven.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5VKi45ptgpbHDLfdHoTUC6JGHkGzUEUaVM7R8fKGDReQDl9h_-w2StCkewj6KhqQzJuLHSm2xT29WMNOrG-W2H4-X_ZgGdK5Pv3QSdjN9r1SLcL4X04b4WDu9PieWg9qQp-iVA/s1600/1311_halfdome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5VKi45ptgpbHDLfdHoTUC6JGHkGzUEUaVM7R8fKGDReQDl9h_-w2StCkewj6KhqQzJuLHSm2xT29WMNOrG-W2H4-X_ZgGdK5Pv3QSdjN9r1SLcL4X04b4WDu9PieWg9qQp-iVA/s1600/1311_halfdome.jpg" /></a></div>
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The funny thing was that <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2013/10/granite-gray-wool.html" target="_blank">the last time</a> I wrote, I was on New Hampshire granite playing with a ball of gray wool. This time I'm on California granite doing the same! Here I was on Saturday. As always, taking a sunny pause between climbs to get in a round of knitting. Looking here back at Half Dome (same rock as above). We climbed it the next day ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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But first, let's talk about the knitting! Remember that sweater <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2013/09/kayakknitting.html" target="_blank">I started this summer</a> in Maine? I'm still working on it. But it's<i> </i>boring. <i>Real</i> boring. So to give myself a break from that, I cast on for a slouchy hat in the same gray wool. </div>
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The pattern is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hoarfrost-2" target="_blank">hoarfrost</a>, which is a simple hat that starts in 1x1 ribbing and poofs out by transitioning to garter rib. It's rare that I buy a pattern this straightforward. Usually I just design my own hats. But it was kind of nice to dodder along following someone else's directions rather than having to think for myself.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyU5fRohaCZmtXwTFiKgxO8k-2WZVRbM0v0xIsKl1uknCJSkOTO3xf9grt-2CadQ5eMy3W3G7EtLupAzDyxx1eOiw2HcwGqLP0JDnADxK2yiPbRjvsgJghPrGhkkSgopR0Luq5Yw/s1600/1311_hoarfrosthat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyU5fRohaCZmtXwTFiKgxO8k-2WZVRbM0v0xIsKl1uknCJSkOTO3xf9grt-2CadQ5eMy3W3G7EtLupAzDyxx1eOiw2HcwGqLP0JDnADxK2yiPbRjvsgJghPrGhkkSgopR0Luq5Yw/s1600/1311_hoarfrosthat.jpg" /></a></div>
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This particular ball of yarn had already been knit up into a long shawl edging some years before. The lace pattern is called <a href="http://thewalkertreasury.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/peris-parasol/" target="_blank">Peri's Parasol</a>. Quite a decorative stitch, as you can see. I'd cast on about six feet of it (!) but then abandoned the experiment.<br />
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So now it was being unraveled into my hat. Yes, I know I should have unraveled it and washed it ahead of time. No, I didn't care. I can't be bothered to do that sort of thing these days! I just grabbed the edging and needles, downloaded the pattern on my iPhone, and headed into the mountains.<br />
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The big day of adventure (though less knitting) was on Sunday, when we headed up to Half Dome. The morning started with a few hours of hiking up to the base of the rounded southeast side of the dome. Here's Mountain Man on the last push of the hike. You can see rock climbers as tiny dots on the rock face above to get a sense of the extreme scale of this landscape. </div>
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The climb that we did was called "Snake Dike." It's a wild feature on the rock: a dramatic spine of harder rock that snakes its way upwards. Here's Mountain Man ahead of me on the climb ...<br />
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We got to the summit by the early afternoon -- <i>and we had it all to ourselves</i>. It was unbelievable. Such peace to stand on the top of this incredible mountain, looking 5000 feet down into the valley, with no sounds except a peregrine falcon flying above. </div>
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We descended off the steep northern slope. The Park Service has cables set up there. During the summer, they're turned into kind of a bannister with metal support poles. But this late in the season, the bars have been dissembled. The cables lay slack on the cold rock. It's definitely a bit harrowing to descend this way. </div>
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But man, what a magnificent place to experience. Here's my favorite shot of Half Dome, taken from Yosemite Valley in the last rays of sunset. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLrlUHqfA66gO0bEewFskbTkcY97kGhFuTcaF3_xrqoHeopFFUKXNCVK84ONLs6qWOgmzlSXC3OaaTnGQF02Yq8meGKDvCjk3RTbDL2YMXSKuIAFmJJzEGI5-s-xYbFIf4nMQOA/s1600/1311_halfdome@sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLrlUHqfA66gO0bEewFskbTkcY97kGhFuTcaF3_xrqoHeopFFUKXNCVK84ONLs6qWOgmzlSXC3OaaTnGQF02Yq8meGKDvCjk3RTbDL2YMXSKuIAFmJJzEGI5-s-xYbFIf4nMQOA/s1600/1311_halfdome@sunset.jpg" /></a></div>
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-3991171912465514612013-10-05T15:03:00.004-07:002013-10-05T15:03:49.858-07:00granite & gray wool<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A close-up study of a ball of wool, carried along on a climbing trip ... <div>
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-58501953076396320062013-09-29T23:17:00.003-07:002013-09-29T23:17:38.303-07:00early morning in the garden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
To be honest, I did not enjoy the summer in Berkeley. To wake up to those foggy, chilly, <i>sunless</i> mornings put me in a dismal frame of mind. But September, ah September is splendid! I wake up to refreshing, earthy air and bright sunshine. <div>
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I love to go out on these lovely mornings and check on the garden with my morning coffee. On Saturday morning I took my camera to the garden, too, and this is what I got as the sun was coming into the backyard. (All photos are straight out of the camera, by the way, just adjusted for size)<div>
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<i>a sprouting row of radishes</i></div>
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<i>a "Rouge vif D'Etampes" pumpkin, glowing in the dawn light</i></div>
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<i>dewdrops on clover at the base of the pumpkin</i></div>
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<i>pumpkin leaf, backlit by the first strong rays of sun</i></div>
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-75572048554940486302013-09-23T23:05:00.003-07:002013-09-23T23:05:34.957-07:00kayak/knitting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On our last Maine day, Mountain Man and I rented kayaks. We paddled all afternoon from Boothbay Harbor out to the Spectacle Islands and up to our friends' bed-and-breakfast on Hodgdon Island. It was a sparkling day -- clear light, blue sky, yellow kayaks. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cBdG5gScIsAB3AKBwN_WxaKkoF-HJs1QZ1cmpIa1QyBWzkDhlNgi-bY_ZDQuxDNIihiTiLtjPDXOAaYMPG5JAlOi20WSd8wZT8IcKNyKEB4T9j4h5aC9NYyp11DkmQx2T4gfYg/s1600/1309_yellowkayak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cBdG5gScIsAB3AKBwN_WxaKkoF-HJs1QZ1cmpIa1QyBWzkDhlNgi-bY_ZDQuxDNIihiTiLtjPDXOAaYMPG5JAlOi20WSd8wZT8IcKNyKEB4T9j4h5aC9NYyp11DkmQx2T4gfYg/s1600/1309_yellowkayak.jpg" /></a></div>
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Our lunch break on the Spectacle Islands was utterly charming. We pulled our kayaks up onto the pebble beach, went beach-combing around the island, watched a seagull eat a crab, spotted an osprey, and napped in the moss under the pines.<br />
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And ... of course ... pulled out wool and needles for a little peaceful knitting. Here's what I've been working on: a very simple sweater in rustic gray wool. It's knit from the bottom-up. No pattern. I'm just kinda/sorta making it up as I go along, with ribbing and waist shaping and rough plans for a wide button band and shawl collar.<br />
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<i>Blending in with the Maine pebbles </i></div>
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<i>Next to feet for scale </i></div>
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<i>What it looks like as the start of a sweater</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBFuHlRc7ve7L9MZLM-b5ojxwJvv6EmiIsmM-FjX_F8_OAqcnjY3B2h4EN25b0USEMuybP8KAlUpLVNxqZonHlkavpND_PM1gg4cUgSPuVV2m5mjpueoMCm-mK70ULTBXKuCSxA/s1600/1309_graysweater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBFuHlRc7ve7L9MZLM-b5ojxwJvv6EmiIsmM-FjX_F8_OAqcnjY3B2h4EN25b0USEMuybP8KAlUpLVNxqZonHlkavpND_PM1gg4cUgSPuVV2m5mjpueoMCm-mK70ULTBXKuCSxA/s1600/1309_graysweater.jpg" /></a></div>
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The yarn is sportweight Merino-Rambouillet yarn from <a href="http://www.marrhaven.com/yarn.html" target="_blank">Marr Haven</a>, which I bought in a cone a few years ago and am finally getting around to knitting. It's a wonderful yarn. It's mule spun, giving it bounce and elasticity. Minimally processed, giving it a soft hand and natural color and earthy aroma.<br />
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I really hope this off-the-cuff sweater works out. Not all my improvisations do ... and I could always unravel it if it doesn't ... but I love to think that the infusion of sunshine and saltwater will be part of this garment's story if it does work out.<br />
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Here's our last Maine experience. Kayaking up to a country store for lobster rolls! </div>
evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-4199577376957564682013-09-15T18:35:00.000-07:002013-09-15T18:35:03.295-07:00Back East<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Traveled back to New England for an end-of-the-summer extravaganza. Quick trip, actually, but I filled myself with the eastern moods and memories that I miss in California. Sunny mornings on the our little lake in the Vermont woods, after waking up to mist and loon calls ... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjB6hixUmdWSpjwYJkX-36Paul20K7DdvQyBvwqcDHasCNGe1oNZOcpUDwNUvcot4OuL-GmtnAE_BFNWDI4ydG3BtNB1eIN6_M_no0qCWqQiT4x9n0J_R5S3ZbHjZSwDg5RNZZIw/s1600/1309_ME_feet&lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjB6hixUmdWSpjwYJkX-36Paul20K7DdvQyBvwqcDHasCNGe1oNZOcpUDwNUvcot4OuL-GmtnAE_BFNWDI4ydG3BtNB1eIN6_M_no0qCWqQiT4x9n0J_R5S3ZbHjZSwDg5RNZZIw/s1600/1309_ME_feet&lake.jpg" /></a></div>
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Lobster. Lobster bakes with corn and beans. Lobster rolls. Lobster bibs. (I even got myself a lobster claw bracelet to bring home the Maine-ness.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mqcFJUz3XiwTUPG35_pyVAiUghKUXs8LCsaqrsaeL_5VprGXaXmebuuStcUSQv3ZGiS5xGjDAMCYk050FS47Ar7NGMi6GT0M7aYgEEwm7rV-2dv2FSsila8PzHOZ4tcr0AeHdQ/s1600/1309_ME_livelobsters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mqcFJUz3XiwTUPG35_pyVAiUghKUXs8LCsaqrsaeL_5VprGXaXmebuuStcUSQv3ZGiS5xGjDAMCYk050FS47Ar7NGMi6GT0M7aYgEEwm7rV-2dv2FSsila8PzHOZ4tcr0AeHdQ/s1600/1309_ME_livelobsters.jpg" /></a></div>
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Also: knitting!! I was a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding in Maine, and one of the delights of the event was that another bridesmaid was also a serious knitter. I was so very happy to meet her after reading about her exploits for years on her blog, <a href="http://www.neoc.com/blog/" target="_blank">The Howl</a>. Check it out! Her last post is an awesome exploration of the commonalities between <a href="http://www.neoc.com/blog/?p=691" target="_blank">knitting and mountaineering</a>. I love it. </div>
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And I loved sitting on the porch of the B&B, knitting and drinking mimosas while we had our hair done up for the wedding. (Actually, I'd like to sit on a sunny porch and drink champagne and knit ALL the time. Why not?)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoqJ17-cVXAmtGKYKP3sMIYDqvONoKvLS3z_LNyLCPV8zLG1QKVV0A6mVkKc1LC5tDkwtMGujNejO9IuayGZ-Ka1BvGtazEyeLUbGJALbH8enc9JsANEqjB3qXCrGpz1G-HbpNQ/s1600/1309_ME_knitting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoqJ17-cVXAmtGKYKP3sMIYDqvONoKvLS3z_LNyLCPV8zLG1QKVV0A6mVkKc1LC5tDkwtMGujNejO9IuayGZ-Ka1BvGtazEyeLUbGJALbH8enc9JsANEqjB3qXCrGpz1G-HbpNQ/s1600/1309_ME_knitting.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here's what she was working on. Socks in a gorgeous deep blue, knit in a fine ribbed pattern with a twisted rib cable. They were beautiful. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-9KjYPcKZ8AQZvqMMo2c0X_nfrqV-JFhTFRU2Oh9xEOlHdvKaYDPT74jStHuzp9mNCa8iJrIA9J7G7LRhHhyHFVYDs_aByiWhJMdfcDaHL-0xW6k_Lv-4fRLMTh8MnxP9DnF6w/s1600/1309_ME_sarahssocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-9KjYPcKZ8AQZvqMMo2c0X_nfrqV-JFhTFRU2Oh9xEOlHdvKaYDPT74jStHuzp9mNCa8iJrIA9J7G7LRhHhyHFVYDs_aByiWhJMdfcDaHL-0xW6k_Lv-4fRLMTh8MnxP9DnF6w/s1600/1309_ME_sarahssocks.jpg" /></a></div>
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To see what I was knitting ... stay tuned! </div>
evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-18561457885599557142013-08-31T21:44:00.003-07:002013-08-31T21:44:28.932-07:00round white blanket <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Knitting projects are of utmost importance when packing for a journey. </i>In fact, I used to keep a category on my blog ("travelogue") devoted to travel knitting. I knit <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2010/01/india-with-side-of-knitting.html" target="_blank">socks in India</a>, a <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2009/03/travelogue-knitting-in-bhutan.html" target="_blank">shawl in Bhutan</a>, <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2008/06/roadtrip-part-i-taos.html" target="_blank">socks in Taos</a>, a <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2007/04/travelogue.html" target="_blank">scarf in Nepal</a>. For our <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2013/08/summer-roadtrip-to-remember.html" target="_blank">southwestern road trip</a> this summer, it was a circular blanket in cream Malabrigo. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfivfcCTMuiWATN20L1DAxuaIrRDmAgMDjxxfIfcEp9c5ULXp-JOH4oyQHaxnCA2BukMQ0pYHnYhMm6LTkClgOoSZSJ1KUwpo-mXArvS_Z-9Ah2y_mQU0pOD9UCR41Tb7z2Bny8g/s1600/1308_moonbeamsblanket1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfivfcCTMuiWATN20L1DAxuaIrRDmAgMDjxxfIfcEp9c5ULXp-JOH4oyQHaxnCA2BukMQ0pYHnYhMm6LTkClgOoSZSJ1KUwpo-mXArvS_Z-9Ah2y_mQU0pOD9UCR41Tb7z2Bny8g/s1600/1308_moonbeamsblanket1.jpg" /></a></div>
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This blanket -- which is of my own design -- starts in the center with eight stitches and increases as you knit outwards. The center stockinette body is knit in the round. The outer lace edging is knit back and forth and then sewn together. This seam is what makes it look "seamless," actually, in the sense that there's no jog in the lace fabric. So this is what it looks like when it comes off the needles ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0IAeX6OKW2ikqbdrUrvTxsN4zCviAxF7oMe9uYxmSYNOiBJwlpgxskTDsCp1WzePak4rH7UX3DR8gvKo9x-835RpJ0xKAHpJB2wYTg5kVZduZpeJXmeDZvCrIvl7xHmveyv46A/s1600/1308_moonbeams2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0IAeX6OKW2ikqbdrUrvTxsN4zCviAxF7oMe9uYxmSYNOiBJwlpgxskTDsCp1WzePak4rH7UX3DR8gvKo9x-835RpJ0xKAHpJB2wYTg5kVZduZpeJXmeDZvCrIvl7xHmveyv46A/s1600/1308_moonbeams2.jpg" /></a></div>
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And this is what it looks like when it's sewn together and given a sturdy wet blocking. It's on the floor with my toes for scale ... though the photo at the top really shows it much better. It's a generous lap blanket<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqkiuQiutiVRsRb1DZlQ4ogHVt6AT2Y_ERZhyTW1_KLud3VJl3TAslmPeBIgvZ7RAAxRqUYobTTU__3RjkODUFtpiYRTahNpSFVFiCgOhK5XVu1cMTgwcuUa9VcomZKm3pYfErQ/s1600/1308_moonbeams3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqkiuQiutiVRsRb1DZlQ4ogHVt6AT2Y_ERZhyTW1_KLud3VJl3TAslmPeBIgvZ7RAAxRqUYobTTU__3RjkODUFtpiYRTahNpSFVFiCgOhK5XVu1cMTgwcuUa9VcomZKm3pYfErQ/s1600/1308_moonbeams3.jpg" /></a></div>
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This blanket may look familiar if you're a long-time reader of my blog with an abnormally keen memory. Back in 2010, I knit the <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2010/07/muslin-lace.html" target="_blank">first version of this blanket</a> in sportweight cotton. That took me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to knit. Truth be told, I knit it as a baby blanket for a friend of mine and then kept it because I'd spent so many hours on it. I thought I wanted to wrap my own baby in it someday. Nevermind that my dissertation turned out to be the only baby on the way! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjg8vhyH1wEhGcl8SbT4AlzDoz1DybtFy3D370YNYcXybEKbeZBQgEMfXnlITvsQ9ya-Hnf520sDJGRPYbjkClMN50Z-hmcduJ0HI8hygDkUJ083V5056uT2miW7bf2LaZ0VU8_g/s1600/1308_moonbeams4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjg8vhyH1wEhGcl8SbT4AlzDoz1DybtFy3D370YNYcXybEKbeZBQgEMfXnlITvsQ9ya-Hnf520sDJGRPYbjkClMN50Z-hmcduJ0HI8hygDkUJ083V5056uT2miW7bf2LaZ0VU8_g/s1600/1308_moonbeams4.jpg" /></a></div>
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Anyways, that's the sportweight cotton one on the right and the worsted wool one on the left. Both beautiful. The sportweight one is crisp and fine, the worsted one is lush and warm and quicker to knit. I love them both. </div>
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I still dream of getting the pattern out someday ... but apparently I've been thinking of that since 2010 so don't hold your breath! If anyone wants to test knit something, let me know. Might help me get it out faster. </div>
evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-27467426609704369592013-08-08T22:01:00.002-07:002013-08-08T22:01:35.837-07:00summer roadtrip to remember<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
How fast the summer is slipping past. It seems like just last week that I was beginning my exhausted, <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2013/05/exhale.html" target="_blank">end-of-the-semester exhale</a> and looking forward to recuperation. But in fact that was a couple of months ago. Where have the summer months gone? Disappeared in the blink of an eye. <br />
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It hasn't been nearly as relaxing as I'd hoped. But one thing I <i>do </i>want to remember is the June roadtrip that Mountain Man and I took through the four corners area. We headed north out of Phoenix, up past Flagstaff ....<br />
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Watched the late afternoon light play across Monument Valley. Sun-baked. Surreally beautiful. </div>
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And camped that first night in the Goosenecks State Park in Utah. As the sun went down, the desert cooled off. It was a glorious place to sit with a glass of wine, letting the relaxation of vacation sink in.<br />
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From there we headed further north in Utah for a brief bit of climbing in Indian Creek and camping outside of Canyonlands state park. But it was HOT. Too hot to enjoy ourselves. So we tossed our plans aside and headed east into Colorado. Stopped en route to see Mesa Verde, which was absolutely incredible ...<br />
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And then wound our way up to Telluride. We spent almost a week there, rejoicing in the cool mountain air and spending our days on the hiking trails. I really fell for Telluride.<br />
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So did Isis. She was in heaven, really. Rolling in the snow, chasing marmots, and curling up in camp at night.<br />
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When the vacation days were winding down, we got back on the road. Spent a couple of days exploring Ouray and Silverton, then kept on southward into New Mexico. Our last real destination was Chaco Canyon. <br />
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What a long, dusty, dirt road to reach it. We arrived in the late afternoon feeling parched and tired. Pitched our tent in the campground, filled our water jugs at the visitor center, and went off to explore the ruins. We were not disappointed! It was magical. The drive through the canyon was beautiful, with the afternoon light casting long, warm shadows, and the ruins were stunning against the rock cliffs.<br />
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The next day was our last day, with a long drive back into the Arizona low desert. We made one stop along the way at Shiprock -- which I'd seen from an airplane several years earlier and had been wanting to see in person -- but didn't stick around long. It was thoroughly unhospitable. Beating sun. Broken glass everywhere. Only sound was an old beer can being blown across the sandy earth. We clambered up to the dike for a better view and then hightailed it out of there.<br />
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-54443955154381064292013-07-14T18:52:00.000-07:002013-07-14T18:52:09.399-07:00Big Little Davy Sweater, Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I bet you'd like to see how the real baby "Davy" liked his sweater ... </div>
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Hurrah!! Success!! Happy baby in a handknit! </div>
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When I visited them in Chicago back in April (which should give you a sense of what a backlog of posts I have, sheesh) the sweater fit little Davy perfectly. It was soft and stretchy, just right for this wiggly 6 month stage. </div>
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Best of all, his parents <i>really</i> do use the sweater. It became the go-to cardigan to grab when buckling him into the stroller/carseat thing. The wide sleeves made it easy to put on, and it was still big enough to fit over a couple layers of pj's, shirts, etc. I snapped this with my iPhone the first night I got there -- I was so tickled to see them using the sweater that I wanted to send Mountain Man a photo. </div>
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As for the vintage book that was the inspiration for the sweater (see the <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2013/07/big-little-davy-sweater-part-1.html" target="_blank">last post</a> for that story), little Davy liked that, too. See him happy in his mama's lap as she reads him the story ... </div>
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<i>so happy he wants to get a little closer ... </i></div>
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<i>a little closer ... </i></div>
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<i>CHOMP</i>!! </div>
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heh heh. Maybe asking too much for him to like it just yet, but we had a good laugh about it. </div>
evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-22825771528012608402013-07-02T22:21:00.003-07:002013-07-02T22:21:26.646-07:00Big Little Davy Sweater, Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been (yikes) two months since I've posted here. I never meant to be gone so long. But I come back to you with knitting and a good story to share.<br />
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This spring, I finally put the finishing touches on a baby sweater for a friend's little boy. It's a simple top-down raglan with stripes -- <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/little-coffee-bean-cardigan" target="_blank">the Little Coffee Bean Cardigan</a> -- knit in worsted weight yarn. Simple, I say, though goodness knows that it took me months to finish!<br />
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I bought the yarn back in November from <a href="http://jpknitandstitch.com/" target="_blank">JP Knit & Stitch</a> when I was still living in Boston. It's Spud & Chloe 'Sweater,' which is a cushiony, machine-washable organic cotton and wool blend. It's the same yarn I used in my <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2009/09/sprout.html" target="_blank">Sprout Blanket</a>. <br />
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I love everything about this cardigan. The yarn. The stripes. The thick ribbing. The buttons.<br />
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I especially love the story that goes with it. Two years ago, I went to a friend's wedding in Washington, DC (posted about it <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2011/05/little-black-shrug.html" target="_blank">here</a> since I knit a shrug to wear). We had to walk from the ceremony to the reception, and of course Mountain Man and I got there early because we're fast walkers. So we passed some time in a used bookstore around the corner. </div>
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I found a wee book there. It was a children's book from the 1940s, <i>Big Little Davy</i>, with a linen cover and a darling story about a boy growing up<i>. </i>I had no need for such a book, but I was really taken with it. I told Mountain Man that someday I'd have a friend who would have a baby boy and would appreciate this book. So I bought it, put it in my purse, and carried it through the rest of the evening's festivities. </div>
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In a poetic turn, that friend turned out to be my first good friend to have a baby boy. I knit this sweater for her son with colors to match the book. Isn't that lovely?<br />
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As you can see, the whole book is in colors of sepia and teal. It's utterly charming. On each page you see Davy growing bigger and doing more things: bringing in the milk bottles, taking care of the pets, helping his father in the garden, and so on. I love to imagine a mother in the 1940s reading this to her son, and I was so happy to share it with my friend.<br />
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I wrapped up the book and the sweater in paper, tied with a bow of the blue yarn. Mailed them off to my friend ... who you shall meet in Part 2 of this post!<br />
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-52386251415211290062013-05-06T00:06:00.004-07:002013-05-06T00:08:17.658-07:00exhale<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's the end of the semester now, and I'm finally getting a chance to exhale.<br />
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It's been a tough few months with very little time to relax and reflect, which is why I've been scarce here. Working hard. Shoulder to the wheel.<br />
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Don't have much more to say about it except to say that even in the midst of the strain there were moments of beauty. I'm surrounded by a spectacular landscape. When I've taken the time to open my eyes, as I did when Mountain Man visited here, it's gone straight to the soul ...<br />
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with wonders small (<i>seafoam and sand dollars</i>) and large (<i>sunsets</i>). And now that I'm through the trial-by-fire of my first semester of teaching, I'm hoping to be able to open my eyes to these wonders a little more.<br />
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I haven't been knitting much, by the way, but I do have one sweet project to share with you. Next post ... coming soon ...</div>
evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-70756897023068726102013-04-07T21:25:00.004-07:002013-04-07T21:25:52.482-07:00Big Sur to Joshua Tree<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A couple of weeks ago, it was my birthday -- a lovely spring birthday if I do say so myself. To celebrate, Mountain Man drove up from Arizona on his magnificent new motorcycle, and we took the weekend to drive back down the California coast. I thought I'd take you along on our adventure. <div>
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We set out on Friday night, taking off from Berkeley, having a nice dinner in Palo Alto, and then heading down to Monterey. No pictures of that, I'm afraid, as it's hard to take snapshots when you're speeding down the freeway in the dark of night! But this enabled us to get a good start on Saturday morning. As the morning fog rolled out, we were cruising down Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast. It was BREATHTAKING</div>
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We had great fun stopping along the way to see the Elephant Seals. What comical creatures they are, conked out about the beach, snoozing in the sunshine, tossing sand on themselves now and then. </div>
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When we got down to Morro Bay, I had a good time watching the sea gulls, too. I know they're noisy, bothersome jabberers, but I like 'em. </div>
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By early evening we'd made it down to Santa Barbara. We were staying with friends up in the hills, and there we could stretch our legs, recover from the road, and watch the sunset with a drink in hand. </div>
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Sunday, we turned east. Inland. Past the wind farms on the flanks of Mount San Jacinto. Then turning north towards Joshua Tree. </div>
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We ended the evening -- and the weekend really -- in Pioneertown. It's an old movie set built in the 1940s for Westerns, now sorta revived with a roadhouse that was bringing in one of our favorite indie singers that night. We camped beneath a Joshua Tree ... </div>
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with tumbleweeds blowing through. BIG tumbleweeds. Big, scratchy brambles they are.</div>
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We had a good night indeed, capped off by champagne in mason jars. Love it. </div>
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And thanks for coming along on the adventure with us!</div>
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-65960127192241768192013-03-09T12:17:00.001-08:002013-03-09T12:18:44.850-08:00blocking for good or evil <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is the story of how a hat evolved through blocking. Everyone -- myself included -- has waxed poetic about the magical powers of blocking. What I forget sometimes is that those powers can be used for good or for ill! Let's start with the hat: </div>
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Fresh off the needles, it's a big, juicy berry. Looks like I plucked it off a tree! The yarn is a gorgeous, artisanal, naturally-dyed, aran-weight, thick and thin wool that I splurged on <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2007/10/taos-magic.html" target="_blank">five years ago</a> at the Taos Wool Festival. It was called "Como Boucle" from La Lana (which I'm sad to say has now closed its doors). <br />
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The pattern is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/picholine-hat" target="_blank">Picholine Hat</a> from the Tunney Wool Company, with a few modifications in stitch count based on the needles I had on hand. Now, at the end of the pattern you're supposed to block the hat over a plate. I soaked the hat in warm water, stuck a dinner plate in the middle of it, and then balanced it on top of a tall glass so that the ribbed brim wouldn't be smooshed.<br />
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It took two days to dry like this. And it looked strange, very strange indeed. Not unlike a UFO, especially with the trippy tree shadows stretching and waving across the backyard. <br />
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And the result? Dreadful. I may look happy, but that's only because I'm laughing at its absurdity. It was like having a dense pancake attached to my head (and, yes, I did remember to take out the plate). </div>
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I had to re-block it. I'd just seen a blog post from Stephanie Japel where she <a href="http://www.stefaniejapel.com/blog/2013/02/23/inspired-to-knit-a-cabled-hat/" target="_blank">blocked a hat over a bowl</a>, and I decided to give that a whirl. This time the set-up involved an upside-down bowl balanced over a very tall glass bottle, and I pinched the spiraling lines to help them "pop" a bit. </div>
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Still looked strange, strange enough that the neighbor's cat came over to investigate it ... </div>
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But it did the trick. Brought it back to a rounded, casual, slouchy shape. </div>
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It's easy to wear and will be a nice splash of color and warmth for my sister, who's enduring a dreary late winter in DC. </div>
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-81986141367720872192013-02-19T21:23:00.002-08:002013-02-19T21:24:48.145-08:00steamed coasters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last time I was at <a href="http://www.averbforkeepingwarm.com/" target="_blank">A Verb for Keeping Warm</a>, I picked up a remnant of yarn. They sell these little bags of remnants so you can take a taste of them. I went for a rustic silk yarn, <a href="http://www.shibuiknits.com/Yarn/Colorways.php?Yarn=Heichi" target="_blank">Shibui Knits "Heichi,"</a> in a beautiful, tweedy persimmon.<br />
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What was I to do with this taste of yarn? Well, what I really needed in my new cottage was a set of coasters. I wanted something clean and minimalistic, and this is what I improvised. I cast on 17 stitches and knit 24 rows of stockinette. Can't remember the needle size -- maybe a 7 or 8? Enough to make a square roughly 4.5" wide and tall. And then I knit another one, and another one.<br />
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They rolled up, of course. Stockinette does that. I tamed them with a quick steam blocking, following the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QsOD56-HN4" target="_blank">sensible guidance</a> of Annie Modesitt. I only have a tiny travel iron, not a steamer like she has, but it worked just fine. I steamed one side, gave it a stretch, steamed the other side, gave it a stretch, and steamed the front side again. It went from lumpy and stubborn to satisfyingly flat and limp.<br />
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The textural effects of the steam blocking are even more apparent when you put an unblocked coaster next to a blocked one. I can't believe I've been spending all this time wet blocking things over the last decade when I could've been giving things a quick steam instead.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37vH20rrGQR1jql0exDD5T7hGF5bJgetob21bSq5NH8vchQ0dZOQRBrnSkuSq9FJJglyaAPoTUlNM8dlj4uSWtXWSIVEWinLVbJvCJFn3ekHHYQPDPfMyYuEI7gLx4HkJ-xe7aw/s1600/1302_steamblockingbeforeafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37vH20rrGQR1jql0exDD5T7hGF5bJgetob21bSq5NH8vchQ0dZOQRBrnSkuSq9FJJglyaAPoTUlNM8dlj4uSWtXWSIVEWinLVbJvCJFn3ekHHYQPDPfMyYuEI7gLx4HkJ-xe7aw/s1600/1302_steamblockingbeforeafter.jpg" /></a></div>
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I've been using the coasters every day. They're cheery and serviceable, and they make this cottage feel more "mine."<br />
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Little things, big difference!</div>
evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-25597073826518798632013-02-09T10:28:00.002-08:002013-02-09T10:28:20.868-08:00sunset in my new stomping grounds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Life keeps moving on. This is where I live now. A land of hills and bay views and glorious Pacific sunsets. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQrTaCBwRqD-C5kVXcNC0F8R5towHjpkEBPZoTzAyT30AgyW7zhiQkM8izRaQ6KoS4YtH13oWZlhCklzhQK3DSWV2-4bVjBWZuI6fRADeGZlq2d22UfyuzBrQfi6LZ8s1UbUcrA/s1600/1302_goldengatesunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQrTaCBwRqD-C5kVXcNC0F8R5towHjpkEBPZoTzAyT30AgyW7zhiQkM8izRaQ6KoS4YtH13oWZlhCklzhQK3DSWV2-4bVjBWZuI6fRADeGZlq2d22UfyuzBrQfi6LZ8s1UbUcrA/s1600/1302_goldengatesunset.jpg" /></a></div>
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Over the past month and a half, I moved from Boston back home to Arizona and then onto California to start a post-doc. It's been a whirlwind transition. Good thing I have the beauty here to sustain me. </div>
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Above shows the sunset one evening from Cesar Chavez Park, looking over the San Francisco Bay to the Golden Gate bridge. I'd gone on a run, exploring my new neighborhood, and happened on the sunset. Below is the sunset from another evening, when Mountain Man was visiting and took me up to Tilden Park for a walk. The soft glow of the sunset over the bay was breathtaking. </div>
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And here's the citylights on our drive back down into Berkeley. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; color: #0000ee;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfr1eAkzDeQRUkECWrZ2vt7GFwXBVnewHQ4FydVhpOAc8WtkAZRhwCFR1xmVLmhWwAe4P6TjOhbQrwNUCOxPuMIubn3ldfr5ZWWECSAbL56iTSBSONISaSOdz1O2Whp690w4nJPg/s1600/1302_bayareacitylights.jpg" /></span></div>
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Another upshot of this move is that it brings me close to a yarn store that for years, literally years, I've been wanting to visit. <a href="http://www.averbforkeepingwarm.com/" target="_blank">A Verb for Keeping Warm</a>. I've admired their natural dyeing and read their blog for ages. What a treat to finally visit and have this be my local yarn store.<br />
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I picked up a remnant of yarn in rustic textures and earthy orange tones. New little project to come soon ...</div>
evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-49991656251753148912013-01-27T14:33:00.004-08:002013-01-27T14:33:40.124-08:00bonnet-making<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last time I showed you a snippet of <a href="http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/2013/01/primary-color.html" target="_blank">red ribbing</a>. This time I thought it'd be fun to show you how it turned into a baby bonnet. It's a simple and clever pattern -- <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pixie-hat-in-bunny-hop" target="_blank">Pixie Hat</a> -- that I knit up in superwash worsted wool. You start by knitting a rectangle that has vertical ribs transitioning into horizontal ribs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFJ1eVmkv1cCW9WqT8sAuA_kpTG6USUkuxe-WWFoAHduVPUJHlwbtNvagWB33XEr_qtycKvh-Hidm3d0kAUDkb-hXnor99Vv9k0NvhRHFpSsQX70MZM9Ngo0BwyA3XiDrQIEhuA/s1600/1301_redbonnet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFJ1eVmkv1cCW9WqT8sAuA_kpTG6USUkuxe-WWFoAHduVPUJHlwbtNvagWB33XEr_qtycKvh-Hidm3d0kAUDkb-hXnor99Vv9k0NvhRHFpSsQX70MZM9Ngo0BwyA3XiDrQIEhuA/s1600/1301_redbonnet1.jpg" /></a></div>
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(Here's the behind-the-scenes staging, by the way. It was on a short circular needle that wanted to curl in. I was holding it down with whatever was sitting on the patio table, which happened to be hand-clippers and a ramekin dish of cat kibbles. Cracked me up.)<br />
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Once you have the rectangle done, you're supposed to bind off, fold it in half, and sew it up the back. Some people have instead done a three-needle bind-off. I did one better, I think, by NOT binding off and instead grafting the back seam together. I put the stitches on two dpns and folded the rectangle in half:<br />
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Here's what the bottom tips of the dpns look like at this point:<br />
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You start grafting those lines of stitches:<br />
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Here's what it looks like if you were to spread the back flat. You can see how the grafting blends in to make it look like continuous ribbing:<br />
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Once it's done, you have a very stretchy and hilariously pointy bonnet. The pattern ends there -- without any ties. Some folks have added a garter band that buttons under the chin. I decided to do an attached I-cord band along the bottom. It looks so streamlined and ties easily (though perhaps a stretch garter band would be more functional?). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_E7q-Zq3ygTnscLAdTGSohn7a27e_zujA36gjaKzsQDKnqNXi9tibAShw8OhzIhOG0Bnh_WpNaXhYXomfAm6O-CLzSHdl-Kp6SpkYBAFjFN448OfrAGDrYuBrJ6CkBijuAgaagw/s1600/1301_redbonnet8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_E7q-Zq3ygTnscLAdTGSohn7a27e_zujA36gjaKzsQDKnqNXi9tibAShw8OhzIhOG0Bnh_WpNaXhYXomfAm6O-CLzSHdl-Kp6SpkYBAFjFN448OfrAGDrYuBrJ6CkBijuAgaagw/s1600/1301_redbonnet8.jpg" /></a></div>
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Since it's hard to see it when it's flat, I grabbed the only live "model" I had hanging around. She was too wiggly and had inconveniently pointy ears. Did not work out so well.<br />
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But here you can see it on a very, very large ball of bulky yarn. Turned out adorable! <br />
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22837789.post-36822353273405251322013-01-03T12:31:00.001-08:002013-01-03T12:31:36.817-08:00primary color<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm back in Phoenix now. After a dark, damp, and stressful fall, it's time to recharge on sunshine and vivid color -- all from the comfort of my backyard. <div>
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<b><i>blue sky</i></b></div>
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<b><i>yellow grapefruit</i></b></div>
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<b><i>red knitting</i></b></div>
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I can't tell you how much I needed this recharge. That last semester in Cambridge was triumphant at the end -- I'm now Dr. Evergreenknits, thank you very much -- but it drained every last drop of energy out of me. Happy to be home and resting up before the next big move. </div>
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evergreenknitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494346036433878698noreply@blogger.com8