Chinook Bend...

Snoqualmie River...

The struggle between life and death...

So clear...

Can you spot them? Female and male Silver Salmon...

5pm...

The struggle is real...

At the end of a very pleasant weekend (some shopping, some beer drinking in a local brewery, some gardening, some reading, some listening to our new loudspeakers and some knitting of course), we took our electrical car (Nissan Leaf) and drove over to see what the salmon were up to. It's migrating season. What a beautiful afternoon! Warm with a breeze, smells of late summer and early fall at the same time and even some smells of a Christmas to come when we walked through a patch of pine trees...

I wore my new Lemongrass sweater for a little while Saturday morning, but it truly was too warm... <wink>

Click! to enlarge...

Lemongrass...

Not everybody checks my facebook or instagram pages so here we go: My Lemongrass sweater/ poncho designed by Joji Locatelli is finished! 

I decided to skip on the cable design in the front and added Krebinette's leaf lace panel instead, plus I added one of the faux cables from the front panel to the back panel for more interest. Can I just say that I have been totally in love with this project from beginning to end...  {smile}

The yarn used was the Drops Nepal that was given to me by my mother earlier this summer. It was absolutely wonderful to work with: it has a high 'squishyness' factor! <wink>

Here is the sweater in all its glory.
Not blocked yet mind you, I want to wear it first!

While I was knitting this sweater, I was also working on a hat for Mr. G. and a shawl for myself, but I will show you those projects some another time. First I'm busy doing several happy dances in my new sweater! (hot!!!)

A Little Adventure...

Last Saturday, when the skies were blue and the waters were calm, Mr. G. and I went on a little adventure of sorts. We went to see the 'Vashon Sheepdog Classic, the trials at Misty Isle'.

We left our house at 8am in a thick mist. There were at least two running races going on in our little town and I was happily surprised to see a lot of people around that early in the morning. We parked our vehicle on the street in Fauntleroy (West Seattle) and walked onto the ferry. (a first for both of us) By that time all the mist/ fog had disappeared and it had become a gloriously calm and warm day!

Upon crossing the Sound we took a shuttle to Misty Isle Farms and spent the whole day in the field enjoying the competitions, the dogs and the sheep (one escaped into the audience!) and some lovely food. And yes, I might have bought a lovely skein of wool for the mister...

Here is a little description of the competition:  "During these competitions, the mission of these highly trained dogs is, at the  signal from the handler, to run to the top of the field, gather the sheep  and move them in a quiet workman-like manner through a series of tasks that could be encountered on the farm. The sheep are to be guided with kindness and patience throughout the run. A “grip” or bite is cause for immediate disqualification (unless the dog is defending him-/herself). All along, the handler guides the dog with whistles or voice commands. The entire run must be completed within an allotted number of minutes."

We had a wonderful day and to top it all off, a beautiful view of Mount Rainier on the ferry ride back... (click to enlarge!)

--  **  --  **  --

A few have asked me privately how Miss M. is doing all the way down in L.A.: I won't lie, it was darn hot (several heatwaves came through), but she has managed to get a different room in a dorm with air-conditioning so she is now a very happy camper. Today especially when she received her first test grade back which made her top of the Chemistry class! (sorry, had to brag a little a lot there...) She'll be coming home for four days in October and we can't wait to see her again in person! {smile}

Ramblings...

Wow, we went from tropical Summer to full on Fall overnight! Saturday a rather large storm swept through the area and a ton of rain came down. A lot of wind also (although not in our area) and at one point 450.000 people were without power. But rain: Yay! I think the last time we had a proper amount of rain was last May!

(Click! to enlarge...)

Darker days call for more knitting! I'm still working on the Estuary shawl but the knitting is just plain not enjoyable. So I decided to start a project on the side with yarn that was given to me by my mother earlier this summer. (Drops Nepal, 65% wool & 35% alpaca, aran weight) The color is not quite my favorite (it leans towards oatmeal but with a bit more grey in it), but it is so soft and squishy. I bought the pattern called 'Lemongrass' by Joji Locatelli, but decided to add Krebinette's lace pattern to the front. I also added a vertical cable on the back, just for interest. The tall collar will be added later. Once blocked this pattern will look lovely and the sweater/ poncho will certainly become one of my favorites to wear...

--  **  --  **  --

In other news, Miss M. is starting to settle in L.A., although the heat wave last week didn't help. At one point the temperatures went all the way up to 104 F / 40C! Remember, no a/c in her dorm... We did realize very early on that Thanksgiving is way to far away, so we booked her some tickets for her October break, only 6 more weeks to go before we see each other again! {smile}

Master C. is starting his junior year at Gonzaga today. He moved into his first apartment in the middle of August and seems to be quite happy over there. He is getting cooking lessons from his girlfriend so I think he'll be just fine. Last night we did a family Skype session which was a lot of fun!

Well, that was it for now. Just a short little update!  <wink>

PS: It is so dark outside, I've got my favorite candles on!

Hooray For Hollywood!

Miss M. overlooking her new surroundings from the hills of Occidental College
on our first evening there...

(click! to enlarge all the following photo's)

Well, it has finally happened: we are now officially 'empty-nesters'!

Last week we escorted our youngest to Occidental College in Los Angeles, a 2 hour 15 minute flight from here. For the Europeans among you, that is a distance equivalent from Amsterdam to beyond Madrid! 

We flew in Wednesday evening and made sure to visit campus before the sun set. We had never been there before (I had never been to California period) and this was only Miss M.s second visit. What a fabulous place!

A huge campus with lots of beautiful buildings, wide pathways, gorgeous views and yes, wait for it, palm trees!  <wink>

Moving in day wasn't until Friday, so on Thursday, after a big shopping spree at both Target and Ikea, we drove down to Santa Monica beach to get some of that true California feeling. It was there alright! I loved seeing the 'Baywatch' lifeguard huts lined up along the waterline and of course the palm trees in the back ground. What a glorious place to visit!

"Beverly Hills, that's where I want to be, yeah!"

On the way back we decided to drive back via Beverly Hills and Hollywood. A major mistake because the traffic was just crazy (all traffic in the L.A. area is crazy by the way), but it was fun to have at least have seen the famous sights...

Move in day went very smoothly. Thank goodness it was cloudy that morning, because it is rather hot down there. We found out that Miss M.'s roommate is straight from Beijing, China, so that will be interesting. The room is old but big with plenty of storage space. No a/c I'm afraid, so we made sure we left them with a standing oscillating fan to keep them somewhat cool. That afternoon the Orientation program kicked in so we went off and did our own thing, while Miss M. started making new friends and get to know the campus better. When we met her again shortly before bedtime, she was a changed person already: so Happy with life!  {smile}

Saturday morning we picked her up early from campus and had breakfast at Auntie Em's, just off of campus. We drove up to the Griffith Observatory just in time (major crowds upon leaving). We walked up and when we looked back we saw the Hollywood sign right there! (fun!)  Unfortunately the marine layer that drifts in from the Pacific Ocean was still going strong that morning and so we couldn't see downtown L.A. very well, but it was still a great view from way high.

Squinting, since the sun was just starting to break through...

But then yes, it was time to say our adieu's... We made it short & sweet, no lingering. We ended up meeting each other twice more on campus which was rather funny, but then it was really time to go! We did drive up into the Angeles National Forest for an hour so before our flight left and it was spectacular:

All in all we had a wonderful time together and I can only smile when I look back on it all...

This girl fills my heart! 

Summer Makings...

All this hot weather is both a curse and a blessing. It is (once again) way too hot to be outside too long, but that also means that it is actually quite nice to be inside and make something!  {smile}

Pocket and fabric details...

Last week I made Tif's 'DottieAngelFrock' and I love it so much that I'm already planning another version with fabric that I bought from her last Friday at her yard sale.
I made the version above a little bit shorter than the original pattern and that was a mistake. I haven't finished the hem yet and am now thinking of adding some lace for lengthening... I also added 1 1/2 inches to the neckline and 3 inches to the back neckline and the ric-rac between the two fabrics. Love it!

--  **  --  **  --

In between I'm still knitting of course, but I must admit; this TinCanKnits pattern is tres tricky!  I have to concentrate so hard on every single stitch that I can only do a few rows at a time...

I love seeing the waves pattern emerge...

--  **  --  **  --

Sometimes you just want to do some 'simple' knitting, so I've started another pair of socks with self-striping yarn designed by Arne & Carlos. This is what I've done so far:

And this is what it is supposed to look like in the end:

Can't wait to see the finished results. I'm going to try a new heel pattern for this one called the Fish Lips Kiss Heel. Hopefully I like it better than the previous one I've tried...

That's it for now. Enjoy all the sunshine! (if you have any that is...)

PS: I totally forgot to add this fabulous dress designed by Marcy Tilton for Vogue! All the fabrics are stretchy and this dress is just soooo comfy and stylin, I think... <wink> I bought a couple more of her patterns so you should see some of them all sewn up sometime in the Fall I expect...

The picture was taken last weekend when it was somewhat chilly,
hence the homemade socks...

Let The Happiness In...

After almost two months of no rain and way above average temperatures, we are finally experiencing a cool, cloudy, and more importantly  a wet weekend: bliss!

We've been busy getting both kids ready for college. Master C. is moving into an apartment with two other roommates, so he needed a bed, cooking utensils and more of such items. (a trip to Ikea was involved) We will move him in in three weeks time. (it's a 4+ hour drive one way) A few days after that we will be flying Miss M. to Los Angeles where she will start her higher education career. And after that we will suddenly have become 'empty nesters'.

Yes, I will leave it at that...

--  **  --  **  --

Slowly but surely we're also de-cluttering the house and several trips to both the dump and goodwill have been made. We've had guests in the beginning of July, we've been out to lunch, we've done little shopping trips, we've attended our annual Timber music festival here in town. All in all, we've been relaxing and enjoying a non-scheduled life. Slow living I think they call it... 

Not everything has been fun and daisies however. A very close family member suffered a heart attack last week, but after a very short hospital stay (and surgery) he is now home and recovering nicely.
Our dog Olive is slowly becoming a very old lady (14 1/2 now), so we're treasuring every single moment with her. Very difficult to see the decline though...

She is fast asleep here. She has become so deaf,
that she didn't even hear me approach this close...

I will leave you with the picture below, captured by Miss M.: a grasshopper on the screen door...

--  **  --  **  --

PS You can find all my other summertime pictures on my Instagram page. You don't need an account to visit...

Ramblings...

I was squinting at the photographer,
very happy to be afloat in the cold pool... <wink>

First of all can I just mention that it is still hot over here in the Pacific Northwest! Weeks and weeks and weeks already... It is just a little bit too much really...

Anyway, onward to some ramblings. Last weekend we had the opportunity to do some dog sitting for friends who also happen to be living right on Lake Washington: we didn't say no! What a day!

--  **  --  **  --

Then a few days later we had visitors from The Netherlands. My old neighbor from my elementary school days (= buurjongen) and his wife and daughter were close to the end of their RV road trip and they spent a night here. I couldn't even remember the last time we had seen each other and it was so much fun to chat and catch up. We took them Blueberry picking and we also showed them the Snoqualmie Falls, where now a very small stream of water is coming down because of the constant heat and no rain routine...

--  **  --  **  --

Yesterday the hubbie and myself wanted to leave the house for a while so we spend the afternoon in Ballard/ Seattle. Most of the time was spent at the Ballard Locks, always a favorite of mine. The smell of salt water and the hussle and bustle around the locks always brings me back to our summer holidays sailing across the channel to England. 

Two big tug boats on their way to Alaska...

There is also a big Salmon fish ladder there which brings lots of Harbor Seals to the area as well....

You can spot a seal on the right...

On our way back we stopped by a new favorite brewery called Stoup where we had a fabulous glass of Bavarian Hefeweizen. Our kids were born in Bavaria so it always holds a dear place in our hearts...

All this was already a great day, but then I managed to buy 8 yards of fabric along the way and 6 more today so you know what I'll be doing the next few months... (8 new patterns also!)

Only 5 of the new 8 fabrics shown here. They are all shades of gray, not blue...

{smile}