tangerine cats

puerto rico

2007-08-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

hello all,
just came back from a short trip to puerto rico. didn't do any knitting, but did get some inspiration. old san juan is so full of color. every combination you can imagine. just a few examples here. maybe i'll knit a bikini in yellow orange and blue and call it "old san juan"

the fort didn't have much color

hannah and her friend from london, josie enjoying the waterfall in the rain forest

we dutyfully tried "mofongo", the traditional puertorican dish. it's made with plantains and meat or fish. it got 2 thumbs down.

we spent most of our time at the beach. it was really the best part, beautiful, clean and warm, lovely...

just an artsy-fartsy shot

sock it to me

2007-07-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

the "spiders" got me obsessed with socks! when i saw marie, katy, and virginia turning them out within days, i was hooked. i ended up buying 2 books, various patterns, and yarn for 3 pairs. here's my progress. the one yet untouched is "socks that rock" which i got in portland, oregon. it's "fire in the mountain" colorway, i can't wait to start working with it.

my furry kids

2007-07-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

thank you everyone for your comments, it feels great to get some feedback.

these cute creatures are new at our house. they are turkish angoras (ta's). they come from a very nice lady, meg shortrige in connecticut. originally they come from turkey, of course, and are bred for their sweet disposition, intelligence, and playfulness, so far they've lived up to their rep. they are also extremely soft and fluffy. when we first got them i secretly hoped to give them lots of brushing and collect the hair to spin yarn. but these guys don't shed! good for our furniture, bad for my dreams of a cat hair sweater!

a few projects from last year...

2007-07-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

hat is mohair and sparkle, sara loves sparkle. i knitted the flowers and added sequins in the middle.
scarf is mohair as well, feather and fan pattern, it was a gift for a 15 year girl whose favorite colors are green and yellow. modeled by hannah.

2007-07-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

hannah and i worked on this purse for her school craft sale. we added hems from an old pair of jeans. the purse went for $24!

five stars

2007-07-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

last friday, after 3 hours of knitting and chatting with the lovely "spiders" at "the point", i met up with hubby for dinner. after walking around to check out a few possibilities, we ended up at "jean claude" in soho (friends recommendation.) it was old fashioned and non trendy, all male staff had french accents. the food turned out to be fantastic. the flavors were just right. we had salad, duck and steak frittes, and lots of very good red wine. the place is a must try. they are so old fashioned, they don't have a website. here's a listing from a restaurant guide:
Jean Claude: Cozy, reminiscent bistro offering Parisian dining experience.
Can be very crowded so you may want to call ahead to reserve a table.
137 Sullivan St., Soho (betw. Houston & Prince Sts.)........Tel: 212-475-9232
Daily 18:30-23; cash; Spring St (AveAmer(6th Av):C,E,A);

a few finished projects

2007-07-09T10:45:00.001-07:00

baby blanket for baby matias, knitty pattern. i love using noro kureyon, i hope it gets softer as they wash it.

2007-07-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

my cute little girl, wearing my first sweater, she chose the colors. the buttonhole instructions really confused me.

2007-07-09T10:06:00.001-07:00

baby blanket for baby sophie, log cabin design (thanks spiders for suggesting it) i am happy with the way it came out

2007-07-09T09:32:00.001-07:00

my lovely big girl, "the knit outfit". top is made with cascade fixation, i sort of made it up as i went along. skirt is cotton, boy is it heavy!

while in oregon...

2007-07-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

we visited an alpaca farm. their coat is so soft, it's like touching air. each alpaca has an individual color - all shades between white and dark brown. this place keeps the natural colors, how cool is that? i bought white and cream for a hat.