Wonderland...

We spent a few days at Crystal Mountain, WA, in a snowstorm, in a cabin, with great friends: it was magical!

Here only a few impressions (more than 500 photos were taken!), I'm sure more will follow...

What a great way to end one year and start another one afresh!

Reunited...

Our family is reunited again, we hope yours is too...

Textures...

(Click! to enlarge...)

Oh how I do love me some photo editing! To me it is definitely a creative outlet. Miss M. prefers the purer picture style, I like to go a bit over the top, both options are just fine...

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One more week to go before the Holidays are here. First both kids have to endure their finals/ exams though and then they will be ready for some hanging out time, as are we.

Master C. signed his first rental lease yesterday starting in the summer of 2015, what a big step, for both him and us: it is all good!

Miss M. is in the middle of her university applications and she will be leaving our household also in the summer of 2015, what a year it will be!

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If you follow me on Instagram (see link in the side bar) you will have seen me attempting some more runs and even a bike ride! I'm still enjoying my weekly yoga class as well, better even than I had thought I would. This class is not focused as much on the spiritual side which was exactly the part I was dreading the most...

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Otherwise I have started another knit project, a simple raglan sweater. I had two skeins of yarn in my stash and thought I would just buy some more as the sweater came along, but only yesterday I found out that this particular colorway was discontinued! A color-block project it will then... <wink>

That is about it for now. I will leave you with a few more textures I've been playing around with. (all pictures were edited in 'Be Funky')

(Light at the neighbors' house...)

More Snowy Pics And A Few More Knitted Items...

I just had a few more snowy pics to show you, but didn't want to stuff them all together in one post...

Same picture as above, just different editing...

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In the mean time I'm attempting to knit up my first ever  pair of socks! I'm taking yet again a class at Cratsy and love the first one I've made already. Number two is almost done...

Made in 100% acrylic Lion Brand Homeland yarn, just to try it out...

I also made this little ornament below as a 'thank you' for my aunt who hosted a most wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at her house last week...

And today I received word that my nephew's hat had arrived in The Netherlands so now I can finally show it to you...

Design inspired by my nephew's lovely red cat called Binky,
better known as 'Da Bink'!
(yarn used is 'Wool-ease' by Lion Brand, 80% acrylic, 20% wool)

Happy nephew in Amersfoort!

It is still pretty darn cold over here so my class at Little Bit was cancelled once again yesterday. Hopefully better luck this Friday with my two classes. That was it for now. See you soon!  {smile}

A Wintry Wonderland...

Oh boy, I do love me some snow! It doesn't need to be much, a little goes a long way...

Last Saturday, right after the snow stopped falling, we went out to chop down our Christmas tree. It was mighty cold out, especially after having enjoyed several days with temperatures around 60F (approx. 16C). No matter, we decided quickly and the boys started chopping.

The tree farm got partially flooded, see all the water on the right...

That would have been a fine size for me! <wink>

Cows on the hill trying to stay clear of the rising flood waters...

Barn roof top on the way...

The valley (despite all the flooded roads over the past week) was at its prettiest. A lovely day...

Since Master C. was home for a few days we had to take the Christmas Tree Cutting picture of course:

He took the bus back to Spokane again yesterday and will be back around the 20th, for three weeks that time...

Right after he left, our Christmas tree fell down once again. (twice last year!) This time Mr. G. went out to buy a bigger base and now the tree is still standing. Thank goodness we have no breakables in the tree!

Overall we had a wonderful five day break. My personal highlight was the first evening that Master C. was home and I heard him and Miss M. chat away together on the other side of our bedroom wall.: Family Time!  {smile}

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PS And oh yes, I shot some pretty birdie pics as well...

Let It Snow!

Oh yes, it snowed overnight, are we lucky or what?  {smile}

And while I was taking these photographs, all these geese came flying over: so magical...

A Visit To Poulsbo...

Poulsbo, WA...

Because of all my knitting adventures,  I was not able to post these pics of our visit to Poulsbo a couple of weeks ago...

Our main goal was to buy Dutch Sinterklaas candy, but their shipment hadn't come in yet and so we traveled three hours (one way) for nothing. Well not quite for nothing: 1. we bought lots of other Dutch goodies anyway of course and 2. look at this sunset on the way back on the ferry to Seattle!  (click! to enlarge)

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Tomorrow Master C. will arrive home on the Greyhound bus to celebrate Thanksgiving. Can't wait! {smile}

So Much Fun!

Picture by Anna Dianich

Oh boy, the last couple of weeks have been filled with knitted-bliss for me! Last Saturday Anna Dianich celebrated the one year anniversary of Tolt Yarn & Wool. The first 50 visitors would receive a gift so there I found myself 25 minutes before the official opening, shivering in line with a lot (!) of other knitters; so much fun!  

Click! to enlarge...

I ended up finding a great knitting chair and spend 7 (!) hours in the shop, chatting to everybody and receiving tons of compliments on my Maren cardigan,  Gudrun Johnston was there to sign her books (which all ran out!) and in the afternoon she gave a lovely presentation about the Shetland Isles and their knitting traditions. What a great, great day it was! {smile}

I must admit that after knitting such a fabulous garment I fell a bit into a hole, some kind of knitter's block. I'm trying to snap out of it by knitting a lot of hats. Here is the first one for Mr. G., made out of that lovely YOTH yarn (pattern also by Veronica Jobe):

And then I just made one up for myself:

(Bernat Softee Chunky on US13 needles)

Right now i'm in the middle of yet another hat, but that one is a surprise for my nephew so I can't show it quite yet...

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The cold snap is finally over and we're back to rain once again. Had a lovely walk with my friend and her two Labradors a couple of days ago. We always take the Tolt River trail which suits us all just fine! {smile}

Click! to enlarge...

Have a wonderful weekend everybody!

Knit, Knit, Purl...

Twins!!!

Wow, lots of knitting experiences happening these days! I don't only mean the knitting itself, but meeting so many well-known and lesser- known knitters in the knitting community in person!

Last night I attended the meet & greet with Karen Templer from  the blog Fringe Association. The event started at 6pm so I thought I'd get there a bit early to get a good seat: the place  (Tolt Yarn & Wool) was packed already!

Click! to enlarge...

I ran into my 'twin' (see very first picture above) with the same Maren Cardigan only in a different color way. (also very pretty!) Later that evening we found out that our kids actually know each other so that was an extra fun event in itself...

Not only was Karen there but also Gudrun Johnston from Shetland Trader Designs (she will be book-signing and speaking tomorrow at Tolt Yarn & Wool), Kathy Cadigan photographer extraordinaire of knitted items, Dianna Walla of the blog Paper Tiger, Tif Fussell of the blog Dottie Angel and of course Anna Dianich, owner of Tolt Yarn & Wool and our wonderful hostess! 

I chatted with a lot of different people and was quite exhausted after.. (I usually spend my days home alone, not a complaint, just an observation) What fun to meet so many like-minded people and tomorrow I get to do it again!  {smile}

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Of course during this week I finished my Maren Cardigan and I've been wearing it just about every day: it is so comfy! (and I am so proud of course) The steeking worked out quite nice if I say so myself, but it was rather nerve wracking... I liked working on this sweater so much that I'm even considering knitting another one in a different colorway, but that will have to wait for a bit since I have several other projects lined up first...

Right now I'm knitting a beautiful hat for Mr. G. out of Big Sister Yoth yarn, designed by Veronica Jobe (who was also there last night of course) We visited her stand at Knitfit last weekend in Ballard, (Seattle); the place was packed and it was a really fun event. Veronica's booth was just spectacular. All the displays were build by her dad (and other family members?) and had a great industrial and vintage vibe. It was so busy that I couldn't take proper pictures of the displays unfortunately, but I snapped a few little corners...

I also visited the Tin Can Knits booth and purchased their latest 'Road Trip' pattern book. I fell in love with their 'Clayoquot' pattern (it also comes with a hat pattern!), but their other patterns are also beautiful so I will have a hard time choosing...

Oh boy oh boy, who would have thought all this would happen within a year of the opening of Tolt Yarn & Wool? I love knitting and I love the knitting community!  {smile}

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Off I go now to Little Bit. It is still absolutely freezing outside (both literally and figuratively speaking) and all classes before noon have been cancelled because of the cold and the frozen footing: that is just fine with me!  <wink>

Have a wonderful weekend everybody!