OR and SoCal Revisited

Yeah, I finally uploaded the rest of my pics from January so there are several new pics from Oregon and a few from SoCal on my flickr pages (the links will take you there). =) Here are few highlights...

My last weekend in Portland, we not only hit the falls that I posted previously, but we also went off in search of Pittock Mansion which we'd heard provided a gorgeous view of downtown PDX and Mt Hood. We were not disappointed...

even if there was a pesky cloud hovering over Mt Hood. haha Being winter, the grounds were not at their best, but I can't wait to see this place in the Spring/Summer! It promises to be absolutely beautiful.

Even in winter though, I love the PNW. I love how everything is covered in a blanket of cushy, vibrant moss and ivy, making everything seem so soft and inviting.

I really can't wait until I can call this are "home" permanently. It's just a matter of time...

With the pouring rain nearly every day the first week I was there, I didn't do a lot of shooting in SoCal. It figures I'd get there just in time for the ONE rainy week of the whole year! heh Though, when it wasn't pouring down rain with solid grey skies, the passing storms did make for dramatic skies.

It was a week before I knew these snow-capped mountains were even there!

What a nice surprise! It really is a pretty area, but definitely not somewhere I could live.

At times, I take for granted the places I get to go, the things I get to see with my current job. I feel my time on the road is coming to an end. I'm not sure I'm truly ready to put down firm roots anywhere quite yet (will I ever grow up?), but having a bit more control over where I am is sounding better and better lately. Having a life/friends I see on a regular basis. It all sounds so good. And I feel a pull toward school again. It's time to move forward...

Finally joined the 21st century

Friday, I finally got a phone that does more than just make calls... oh, so much more! I didn't order any of the cases available so I pulled out some cotton and a crochet hook and went to work...

Not too bad. I used a simple single crochet stitch and added a foldover, overlapping flap so I wouldn't need a button. Does the job.

The phone itself is awesome. I went with the Moto Droid and I'm already hooked on one of the games I downloaded. haha And my nook is supposed to be delivered on Tuesday...

Double Blooms with a Single Leaf

I'm liking this whole crochet thing. It's fun learning new skills and I'm having a blast looking for new patterns to try. I found a great pattern for a flower bath puff and added a knitted leaf (Ravelry link), knit in the round so there's no wrong side. The yarn is Lily Sugar'n Cream cotton in Violet Stripes - nice long color changes. Here's my first attempt at following a crochet pattern:

And the finished product:

Quick, fun and easy. Now... on to the next project! =)

Crochet 101 - Results

Finished my first crochet item! Here's the result of 5 skeins of Lion Suede - 3 in eggplant and 2 in vineyard.

I worked the majority in double crochet, changing colors as each skein ran out and finished with a row of single crochet on the edges. Finished size is 50" x 17", total cost = well under $10. heh This was a nice, easy first crochet project - great for practicing but simple enough for my brain to check out after a long day of work. =) I'd originally thought I'd use this yarn for a blanket, but this was all I had. I do have more of some other colors that will go nicely together so a cozy blanket may yet be in my future...

A slightly damp weekend...

We decided to hit a few of the local falls this past weekend. Of course, we started with Multnomah Falls! Gorgeous, as always!

Then we headed down the road to Latourell and Wahkeena Falls.

After the Fall tour, we headed for the Vista House to check out the view (and nearly be blown off the ridge!). Beautiful view!

Is there anywhere in Oregon that isn't beautiful? I'm sad to be leaving tomorrow. Can't wait until I can once again call this part of the country "home."

As always, more pics posted here.

Crochet 101

I want to learn to crochet this year, so I'm teaching myself via books and YouTube videos. =) I have 5 skeins of Lion Suede I'd bought with a blanket in mind. This is the result of one skein.heh So... looking more like a wrap is in order here. haha I'm working this in double crochet and started with a chain about 5' long. Worked up fairly quickly on the first leg of my flight back to Oregon Sunday. Unfortunately, the purple ran out just 4 stitches shy of the end and I didn't have another skein of purple in my carryon so I had to put it away and read the rest of the way. Not sure this yarn was a good choice to learn on though. It's fuzzy nature makes it difficult to see the stitches. Of course, it also makes it nearly impossible to see mistakes either... =)

Looking back

So, last January, I made a few resolutions... along with the standard "eat better and exercise more" (neither of which I've done overwhelmingly well with this year), I vowed to keep a handle on my stash and contain it to what would fit into my unused (large) suitcase. Well, that didn't go so well either. heh I moved on from the suitcase to more use-friendly shallow bins that would slide under my bed. Here are the contents of one bin:The bins are great since they are only about two skeins deep (or one sock skein on end), thereby eliminating the need to dig to see what I have - I hate digging. So... I bought a few of these bins... then a couple more. Darn DBNY deals! BTW - they're having a good January sale on Cherry Tree Hill yarn. Supposed to start at midnight EST for New Year's but they apparently jumped the gun and it's on now. An no, before you ask... I did NOT buy anything. heh I wanted to but the one yarn that tempted me got sniped by an early shopper catching DBNY's goof of starting the sale hours ahead of schedule meaning I'm sure to not be the only disappointed potential customer. Maybe it's the universe's way of telling me I didn't need that yarn... would have made a gorgeous sweater-jacket though! Ah, well, maybe next year when the stash has been depleted a bit...

I did do well with some of my other resolutions however. I wanted to knit my 2nd pair of socks this year... and I did. My second, third and fourth! All of which I love. =) I also wanted to knit a sweater for myself (my first). That almost made it to completion. It was all finished other than the button bands when I finally admitted that it just wasn't right and decided to frog it. I learned a lot in the process though! Throw in a couple hats, a couple scarves, a couple pairs of fingerless gloves, a few bags and a few small gift items and you have my year of knitting. Not a huge number of FOs, but I'm happy with most of them so it's all good. =) I also did well with my savings goal and even purchased a newer car (yeah, I got a loan, but I put down a good down payment, but dang, haven't had to make a car pmnt in YEARS!) and have enough in the bank to easily move on. That brings me to this coming year...

So, what are my plans for 2010?

1. Same as last year, I plan to knit only things I want to knit and not what people expect (unless they're the same of course, heh). Makes my knitting time so much more enjoyable!


2. I've been knitting the past several years now and thoroughly enjoy it, but lately I've been getting an urge to learn to crochet... so this year, I want to learn to crochet, or at least try enough to decide if I like it or not. heh I haven't really crocheted (much more than a chain anyway) since I was maybe 7 or 8. I vaguely remember it being sort of flat and oval-ish. So many knitting patterns have lovely crochet edgings and I've always steered clear of those... until now. =) Plus, it's rumored to be quicker and use more yarn than knitting. haha Good way to make my way through some of my stash???


3. Stash. Yeah, I need to get a handle on this. I used the excel spreadsheet download on Ravelry and added a couple columns to figure total weight in my stash as well as total yardage. Wow. That's an eye-opener! I knew it was a lot, but dang. I have a several skeins that I have no weight or yardage entered since they were grab bag deals with no info, but most of the stash has info entered into Ravelry so the insane totals are close, just a bit lower than reality. I currently have 104.2 pounds of yarn!! Geez, that's almost as embarrassing as posting MY weight! Adding up the yardage, that's 57.5 miles of yarn!! Yeah, I have issues. Hard to pass up a good deal! Okay, I know I can't/won't go cold-turkey... at least not for long, so my plan is to be sure the yardage/weight IN is no more than half the yardage/weight OUT so my stash will have to shrink. I better get knitting/crocheting!


4. *sigh* Still trying to clean up my diet and get back on track with regular exercise. I've decided I need to start working out at least 3 days a week (to begin with). I'm also going to really try out a vegan diet finally. I've been wanting to do this for awhile and just haven't made the leap. It's time. And just in time for my birthday!
5. I'll also be making another big move this year! Back across the country, back where I love to be, back to having my own space. =)

Happy New Year! May yours be filled with fun times andbe better than the last. =)