max and "ken"

max and ken, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

Max had requested handknit gloves from me and since he is moving to Indiana, and he's probably going to need them this winter, I decided to get started on a pair. Inspired once again by BT who referred to the free pattern Ken, I cast on without a second thought. These babies are going fast! Knit on size 7 dpns in KP Swish Superwash, I'm already on finger four. I'll have one glove finished before Max flies off on Sunday and that will give me a template for knitting the second one. It's been 15 years since I knitted a pair of gloves and I'd forgotten how simple and straightforward they actually are.

Speaking of Swish Superwash, I finished the Cable Cushion and I'm also sending that off with Max as a housewarming gift. I hope I'm not overloading him and that they'll allow him on the plane without charging him extra. The gray yarn certainly matches the gray daze we've been experiencing lately. I'm sure the sun will come out...tomorrow.

back to square one

back to square one, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

Well the heatwave is over folks. It actually rained this morning – hard! The good news is that the chillier weather brings with it cooler temps and inspires me to finish projects and continue long forgotten ones such as the mitered square blanket you see pictured above. This afternoon I finished a sleeve on the Must-Have-Cardigan and predict I’ll have the other one finished before bedtime. That leaves the fronts to knit…I’m resisting the urge to start any new projects. I'm practicing a little project monogamy right now.

Enjoyed a lovely chili-cook-off-croquet party at Kimbyl and Marilyn's place last Sunday. Cindy who was knitting away in that great big chair reminded me of Lily Tomlin from "Laugh-In". Old people like me will understand. I heard a quote on the radio recently by Lily Tomlin (who will be in PDX next month by the way): "For fast acting relief, slow down".

Socks for Annie

Socks for Annie, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

I realized that I never shot a photo of the completed March socks (I’m way behind on socks, aren’t I?). The socks were gifted to my dear friend Annie on the occasion of her 70th birthday. Yes, 70! Can you believe it? I can’t. We celebrated on April 26th which is actually the date of Lynne’s birthday. Annie assures me that she absolutely loves her new socks and they felt so soft after having been washed.

So here's a shot of the birthday girls at Cha Cha Cha last Friday. Many more outdoor dining days to come - the weather is finally warming up!

Latest charcoal drawing

Drawing 051008, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

Back to knitting topics shortly. Hang in there!

Yet another non-knitting tangent

Union Station, Portland, Oregon, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

Patricia and I went out the other night to shoot some P-town landmarks at night and I have to confess, I had a good time. The evening was warm and (most importantly) dry. The lighting at Union Station reminded me of an Edward Hopper painting. I can’t decide if it’s better in color or B/W.

This photo of the Steel Bridge has a nostalgic feeling of industrial looking photos from the 30s. The bridge was also used recently in Gus Van Sant's latest movie “Paranoid Park” (which we saw on Easter Day). On the lower or river level is a pedestrian and bicycle walk way that connects the westside waterfront to the eastside. I think it might even be called an“esplanade” (Eastside Esplanade?). 

All in all it was a fun night out.

The Drawing Studio

Drawing 050308, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

I guess I forgot to tell you guys that I've been taking drawing classes at the Drawing Studio in Portland. Great fun. Intersting class. Phil has a unique method and he often just reads us quotes from Picasso and other artists while we work. Or he'll rant about Bush. It's hard to describe the drawing technique pictured but suffice to say that it didn't start out that way.It actually started out with a big tongue, remnants of which you can sort of see in the lower right corner. There were eyeglasses too...underneath the current eyes. 

Regardless - I'm quite pleased with the results. I love working with charcoal. And two hours flew by like two minutes.

Happy May Day

May Yarn stash, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

Well it’s the first of May reminding me that I should could be starting my May Socks but alas! I seem to have stalled on the April pair. Here’s a sneak peak of the intended sock yarn from the stash. Simply lovely isn’t it?

Here are the kids on the blue bridge holding Max’s award winning t-shirt design. Happy Renn Fayre guys!

[Hey this is post #50! Hooray for me!]