88 Stitches after hours

Snow Day Knitting

88stitchesafterhours — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:04:06 +0000

I enjoy a good snow day, especially when it happens to fall on a day off work. Snow seems to slow everything down just a notch. It makes me stop to take notice from my window. Suddenly I see the odd shape of a tree or a lone coyote stalking mice on a silvery-white field.

Monday is usually the day I tackle routine household chores and shopping duties, but a heavy snowfall kept me home in the late afternoon. It granted me the opportunity to curl up with a cup of Mango Madness tea and my knitting.

I recently discovered two new favorite things for the new year: DavidsTea and color work knitting. Right now I am appropriately working on a hat called the Winter Forest Tam, a free pattern on Ravelry. I am knitting mine in Rowan Fine Tweed.

Winter Forest Tam - beginnings

So far so good.

Happy Holidays

88stitchesafterhours — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 22:37:55 +0000

My favourite scene from the holiday movie classic ~ "A Christmas Story"

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good knit!

Pumpkin Patch

88stitchesafterhours — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:57:22 +0000

I didn’t even know there were giant pumpkins growing at the back of our acreage until they became impossible not to notice. I leave the gardening to those in our household who possess green thumbs.

There’s a baby coming in the family next month (for my niece and her husband) and so I’ve been slightly obsessed with baby knits. I will post photos of those knits once they have been gifted. The baby hat in the photo is a shop sample that I knit from one skein of Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend.

There’s something so delightful about a baby hat. I recently had a conversation about that with a young mother who visited the yarn shop. She remarked that although store-bought baby hats are cute and all, it’s the hand-knit ones that are the real treasures. I’d like to think that is because good wishes and love are looped into every tiny stitch.

Happy Halloween!

October Sunday

88stitchesafterhours — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 01:59:27 +0000

My husband used to go river fishing for salmon every fall, usually with a couple of friends in earlier years, and then in later years with our son. Unfortunately a recent back injury and chronic pain put an abrupt end to his beloved hobby. I can’t imagine how frustrating it would be for me if I suddenly couldn’t knit or read.

I feel bad for him because every year around this time he gets the itch to pull out his fishing gear, especially on clear, sunny October days like today. So this afternoon the two of us did the next best thing: we took a drive out to Chilliwack and then strolled the Vedder River Trail, which is very close to the areas where he used to hike in to his favourite fishing spots.

Vedder River Trail

While hubby chatted with the many fishermen and women who lined the Vedder River, I basked in the warm sunshine and took in the spectacular autumn foliage. It was the perfect October Sunday.

The bright afternoon sunshine also provided a photo op for one of my recent knits: a scarf to compliment my new jacket. So cozy and warm, just as every fall day should be.

Project Specs:

GAP-Tastic Cowl

a free online pattern via Ravelry

knit with 4 skeins of Debbie Bliss Paloma

(a lovely new fall yarn available at 88 Stitches)

Knit in the round on 8mm circualr needles

“The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly
changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools.”
- Henry Beston, Northern Farm

Vacation Knitting

88stitchesafterhours — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:47:58 +0000

I was recently gifted nine absolutely glorious days in Hawaii with my husband, and there begins the age-old question: what do I take along to knit? I decided my project needed to be something fresh and new, but not too large for the limited airplane room or too difficult to distract me from interesting sights. I finally chose sock knitting for the airport because it is portable, and a new shawl pattern for just about everywhere else.

Project specs:

Crocus Shawlette

knit in Sweet Fiber‘s Cashmerino Sock Yarn

in the lovely Moonstone colorway.

I didn’t get far in my knitting, as you can see. I will update with more photos once the project is completed.

There were a lot of busy activities to pack into nine days. One of the highlights was that we rented a car to go back to the North Shore of Oahu to try to find a special stretch of beach that we visited during an Island nature tour last year. It’s where the beautiful green sea turtles swim ashore to bask in the sun and sometimes lay their eggs. We found the beach! The green sea turtle was listed as an endangered species back in 1978, and so they are very much protected by the many volunteers on site. However, we were still able to get within six feet of them. Words cannot describe how thrilling it is to see them up close and personal in the wild.

Green Sea Turtle: Laniakea Beach aka "Turtle Beach".

Along the way we also rediscovered the best shrimp shack on the face of the earth. The garlic/butter with rice is always delicious. The side “salad” was a sad state of affairs, but then who visits a shrimp shack for the greens?

Fumi's Kahuka Shrimp

Bathed in sunburn and garlic/butter shrimp.

The weather was hot hot hot. Sizzling hot, to be exact. We took many long walks…so long, in fact, that I developed blisters on the sole of my foot on the very first day! I also developed a heat rash. (Apparently, I have turned into a bit of a delicate flower in my middle-age.) From then on, most of our long walks were reserved for sunset or later.

A walk at sunset is more romantic, anyway. Aloha.

(You may visit my flikr page for more vacation snapshots.)

Spring Socks

88stitchesafterhours — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:26:27 +0000

A few things happen in the spring: I become attracted to all shades of pink, I get the urge to knit socks, and the wide open road feels like the only way to go.

The tulip fields match the colors in my sock

Hubby and I recently celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary weekend with yet another road trip to Oregon. He enjoys driving and I enjoy knitting in the car. We often don’t agree on things, we don’t even like many of the same things, but we always seem to find a way to make time for each other.

A sock knitting break on the road to Cannon Beach, Oregon.

And if that time happens to involve sun, surf and a walk on the beach….

all the better.

Birthday Week

88stitchesafterhours — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:52:29 +0000

It takes a long time to become young.

~Pablo Picasso

Birthdays should be fun, no matter your age. They should be savored and enjoyed. In fact, I think the celebration should last an entire week.

My birthday week began with a weekend getaway to Oregon, arranged by my thoughtful husband, a few days for just the two of us. Once again we drove the beautiful Oregon Coast, and the weather co-operated rather nicely this time.

Oregon Coast, near Manzanita

We stayed in Portland, but took a day trip to revisit Cannon Beach. One day I want to live near a beach just like this one….

Birthday roses are the best, especially when they look like they have been dipped in sunshine.

I woke up to snow one morning and tried to remember another birthday week with snow. I am sure there must have been a few since February weather is unpredictable, but I don’t remember any as pretty as this snow day.

Sunday snow day on the homestead.

In case you are wondering about the large clump of leaves contained by wire to the left of the apple tree, well, that is how we bed down the banana trees in winter. This past summer we were delighted to discover bunches of wee bananas for the very first time.

Summer 2010

Another year young.

This That and the Other Thing

88stitchesafterhours — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:37:28 +0000

It’s been awhile since I’ve had anything to say. Sometimes it goes that way. I’ve been writing since, well, probably for as long as I’ve known how to read and write. Before then I used to make up scenarios in my head that were so real in my imagination that I sometimes still have trouble separating fact from fiction when I remember my early childhood.

Later in childhood I came to the realization that most people don’t have strange scenarios and stories and conversations between “made-up” people playing like background music inside of their minds. I came to refer to all the inner noise crowding my small head as my visions, and by giving my creativity a name, I also empowered myself to share these visions with family, friends and classmates, which I continued to do so for years and years.

I am a born storyteller. I am a writer. Not so strange, after all, just wonderful.

Sometimes I lose the drive to write. Sometimes I tuck things inside of myself and have very little to say. I used to worry about it and try too hard and beat myself up over the fact that I couldn’t write and may never be able to again. With age comes the ability to appreciate moments of silence. So I have been silent.

What have I been doing? Oh, this that and the other thing, as my mother used to say.

This: the holidays came and went and we were crazy busy at the shop the month or so leading up to Christmas. Crazy in a good way. Knitters are usually very prepared and organized people, and so they sent their loved ones in to shop with detailed wish lists and ideas. Still, we put in long hours and put out lots of energy, and it was heaven to take a few days to enjoy family, good food and moments of quiet to catch up on my reading and knitting.

That: an x-ray, ultrasound, and blood tests. So far, everything has come out either fine or inconclusive. Those who know me well know that I have been plagued with digestive issues for most of my life. It was assumed early on that the intense pain I was experiencing is related to my gall bladder. An ultrasound determined there are no gall stones. The symptoms persist and sometimes they are unbearable. The good news is, I can mostly grin and bear it. There’s a CT scan scheduled for February and fingers are crossed that I finally get a diagnosis.

The other thing: taking more time for me! Resting as much as possible and eating more healthfully. That was my new year’s resolution for 2011. I work too hard sometimes, and I try to accomplish too much at one time. I am learning to slow down, to take a moment… like the heron we have seen enjoying the view from the roof of our barn.

October Weekend Getaway

88stitchesafterhours — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 03:05:56 +0000

We had such a great time in Portland last month that hubby and I decided to visit Oregon again. This time we spent a few days traveling the beautiful coastline. It was rainy and windy for most of our trip, which is exactly what you would expect in chilly October. However, there were moments between cloud breaks that (almost) made us want to kick off our shoes and run in the sand.

Oregon Coast

This is not one of those moments. It may look relatively calm on the beach, but you can tell by my pained expression that I’d rather be enjoying the view from the heated seat of the car. My new blue windbreaker, cute as it is, kept me dry but not very warm. I could have used one of my upteen knitted scarves…too bad I left them all at home. What was I thinking?

Ah, well, a lack of wool meant that an “emergency stop” at a local yarn shop was a must. Good thing we found a great one in Cannon Beach called Coastal Yarns. I bought a gorgeous skein of the famous Oregon company, Blue Moon Fiber Arts‘ Twisted yarn (hand-dyed Merino) in the “Boobie 2″ colorway, which the friendly shop clerk told me is almost the same spectacular colors seen in a typical Cannon Beach sunset. I will have to take her word for it since we only saw a rare peek or two of sunlight all weekend. Here’s a wee bit of sun on Cannon Beach.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

We stopped to do some shopping in Manzanita, where we also stumbled upon quite a sight. Wild elk had taken over the fairway of a golf course. No golfers were spotted, and for good reason. Some of the elk had the biggest horns I have seen outside of a zoo. Or as hubby exclaimed, “Wow! Nice racks!”

Here’s some more wet but wonderful Oregon Coast scenery.

Our son loves to surf the Oregon Coast, and now I can see why. We’ll be back to visit again….in the summer.

Falling Behind

88stitchesafterhours — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 01:39:08 +0000

Fall makes an early appearance at the yarn shop. We start welcoming all of our new yarn, patterns and book shipments around the end of August, just in time to get our shelves stocked and ready for the change in seasons. It’s a very busy busy time. Fun, but exhausting. Strangely, the feeling kind of takes me back to my school days when the final days of summer always evoked a sense of anticipation for new opportunities mixed with a little nervous energy.

I decided to revisit an old friend to help calm the nerves: my summer garter yoke cardigan, which I started waaay back in this old blog post

Even then I was complaining about being stranded on sleeve island (aka bored to death with knitting the sleeves). Sometimes a little mindless knitting goes a long way. Not to mention the realization that if I just applied myself to the task at hand I could have a snazzy new cardigan just in time for fall. So voila!

Project Specs:

Garter Yoke Cardigan

from Knit.1 Magazine (fall/winter 2008 edition)

Knit in Rowan Summer Tweed yarn:

Loganberry shade

3.75mm needle

Farewell summer. Welcome sweater weather.