A Busy Time

Lately I have been extremely busy, so posting has been at a standstill. Something that has complicated that has been a lack of camera, as we can't find its battery charger. I have been knitting diligently, however, and soon will be able to show the fruits of my labors.

First, the Sockapaloooza socks are well and truly finished! At the last minute there was a slight change, and I'm happy to say that the recipient of my socks will definitely deserve them. The Conwy pattern is a lot of fun to knit (a good thing, because I've also started a pair for my mother!). This Koigu is very summery and bright, and reminds me of vacationing in the Mediterranean. I'll be mailing the socks out ASAP. Unfortunately I probably won't be able to get a picture of them before they go.

In other news, I have a flute recital and a thesis presentation coming up, and I've been working on the perfect project to accompany them--Clapotis. I'm probably the last person in the blogosphere to cast on for this wrap, but what the heck. I was able to get some Lorna's Laces in Motherlode on sale off Ebay, and am luxuriating in it. I've just started my last skein, and should be able to do 11 full repeats of the straight section. I can't wait to get a picture of this beautiful yarn. Unlike other motherlodes I've seen, this has some greeny turquoise along with the purple, rose and gold. I've christened her Scheherazade because of the richness of the colors and texture. We are working on the piece Scheherazade in both orchestra and my advanced conducting class, so strains of those gorgeous melodies are drifting through my head at all times, especially when I'm knitting.

My most exciting news is that my mother has joined our little online world and started a blog, as well as a hand-dyed yarn shop on Etsy. The address is www.rooskiedooskie.etsy.com, and her blog is in my sidebar. I hope you all check it out! She has beautiful sock yarn, some silk/wool, and a couple of her handmade Fortuny dresses up for sale. I'm probably going to give in and order some myself!

Sockapaloooza and other gems

Well, starting school put a bit of a damper on my progress, but I still managed to finish one of my sock pal's socks. The other one is well started, too!


I'm pleased with the sock. It fits me without being huge, but has plenty of room to stretch, which it needs to do just a wee bit to fit my pal. I really, really hope it fits ok and she likes it! I think the colors are great, even though I normally don't like blue that much, and the variegation works well with the colorway. Next week=finished!

Here's the first sock pictured with a beautiful bowl I bought in Ashland. I've been interested in pottery for quite some time, and luckily there are a lot of potters in the area. I may get a chance to try my hand with clay sometime while I'm there (it will be at least two years). I bought this bowl from Frank Philipps Pottery.

I love the robin's egg blue on the inside, and the detailing on the sides.

Of course, I didn't neglect my yarn habit on my recent trip. Here's the haul:

L to R: Socks that Rock in Autumn, soy silk roving, Koigu (yarn from Knit Purl in Portland, roving from Web-sters in Ashland). I can't wait to spin the roving, it is deliciously soft and shiny. However, I haven't decided what to do with it yet.

Four years ago, my mom made me a beautiful quilt for my high school graduation. It is in autumny colors and is used as my bedspread. Last winter, I picked out fabrics for another quilt and she made it for my birthday, which just passed.

I love the bright cheeriness of the patterns, the luster of the silks, and the workmanship of it. My cat Valentina thinks it is complemented well by my shawl, the Koigu sock, and herself, of course.

In my personal life, I finally managed to impress somebody at our school's auditions and made it into orchestra. I'm really excited about the literature we're playing, including Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. There's a super-secret project I have in the works that I may have to christen Scheherazade in honor of it. Keep watching to find out more :).

My Sojourn in Ashland

Warning, this post is full of pictures!

I took two trips over Spring Break, which was unusual for me. The first trip was obligatory and involved a fourteen hour bus ride to and from Reno, Nevada, that I would rather forget. The second was a lot more fun and exciting in many ways! My mom and I went down to Ashland, Oregon to see the place and check out the midwifery school there that I will be applying to.

The downtown area is rather touristy, with a lot of cute restaurants and expensive boutiques with artsy products. Rather our sort of thing!

The town's main attraction is the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. It features three theaters, including a replica of the Globe, and runs several Shakespearean and modern plays throughout its season. Some of the costumes were displayed in a window, and this was my favorite one:

Naturally we spent quite some time at the local yarn shop, Web-sters, which also had spinning and weaving supplies, and a lot of wearable art. Check out their shop window!

Another feature of the town is the huge, 90+acre Lithia Park. We spent some time there, enjoying the creek and a pond with ducks and a blue heron.

We also saw the famous Lithia water, which comes from a spring is very rich in minerals. Notice the rusty deposits under the stream of water!

On the drive down, we kept seeing a lot of sheep and sheep pastures, which were quite picturesque. So on the way back, I attempted to get some pictures from the moving car. I liked this one the best, as the sheep were lying down for a nap.

I loved the trip and hope to be living in that beautiful town sometime in the near future!