Sunset Stories

Loom hats

A clever suggestion-turned gift by a friend over lunch last month introduced me to the world of knitting looms.

Easy to pick up (after an initial stall following the enclosed instructions printed backwards!) and several immediate projects were completed in time to be last-minute Christmas gifts-- not to mention an excellent solution to use the beautiful but trouble silky tweed yarn, brought home from the Chicks with Sticks holiday yarn swap. Even had enough to make a smaller version for me (much softer than the first knit hat), and churned out four hats over a few weekend movies. 

Project details, photos and more on my new Ravelry profile: http://www.ravelry.com/people/SunsetGem.

Departing from these easy side projects, and back to knitting my way through Stitch n Bitch.

Next up: socks!

Holiday weekend

Icicle lights, candlesticks, homemade egg nog, sirloin beef, extra chairs, board games, cold outdoors, warm home, phone calls, department store sales, long walks, dinner out, sleeping in... lovely holiday weekend.

Oh, woes! A tow!

My driveway is blocked, oh-- woes me, what to do! More than halfway across the narrow passage: disgraceful [photo right: note distance from the tire to the between-asphalt weeds].

Bulky silver mustang, dent on passenger side. Left a back-of-the-envelope note. Knocked on it's side, no alarm. Scanned the street up and down.

On the line with 311-- DPT will send someone down.

Yellow-jacketed brunette arrives and asks me to open the garage to ensure I'm the driveway owner. Then calls in the license, to see if it might be an absent-minded neighbor.

Well Mr. Riverside County-- you'll be arriving back to a surprise this evening.

Knit wrist-cuff variations

Working my way through Stitch 'n Bitch, been trying out several versions of the Powerful Wrist Protection pattern. First using the recommended double-strand method size small with 50g weight yarn (white with blue star), then switching to single strand using yarn twice as heavy on the lavender and purple cuffs, in size medium and large.

Getting a hang of intarsia sacrificed a few star-points, but somewhat fixed later using a clever suggestion to go back over with the right color, by one of the Chicks with Sticks.

Shipped out the white double-strand and the large purple set as a holiday gift, and may make another set of turquoise and yellow, and another of rainbow stripping.

Sunset socks, loosened pedal, and other cycling stories

Wool blend socks and liners for windy-weather riding.

Loosened petal for clipping lead foot in and out.

Counter-clockwise adjusted right cleat, to compensate for right knee cork-screw.

And another gorgeous practice ride around Lake Merced and GGPark.

Thanks, Roaring Mouse!

A little art and culture

Last night I sat among German-Americans on the Steinway / Sherman Clay showroom floor in Santa Clara, as a world-class pianist created raw human emotion on the keys of a magnificent handmade stacked maple masterpiece in front of us.

And last month, I sat among Italian-Americans in front of a VIP art panel in a VIP after-hours at the de Young, listening in fascination to an award-winning architect describe the creation of a computer program to translate countless photos of trees in the park onto the random, continuous copper embossing of the museum's skin.

Art that moves us, removes us from our everyday to inspire us to look at the world anew,ignite profound discovery, and touch us deeply... with sadness, beauty, innovation -- movingly human.

Fall cycling

Pushed off from Funston Avenue at ten this morning in the chilly morning haze to enter the Velo SF GGPark Loop route at about mile 6, and followed the route around Lake Merced, falling upon bike route 85 as I pieced my way from the bike path to busy Sunset Blvd, and up a rolling 20 blocks to the park, then back home via JFK Blvd.

A decent return to the 20 miles/week schedule, after temporary diversions from an injury after the October Bike Skills workshop, stomach flu, and odd irregularities with my right cleat.

Bike Skills 101 photo courtesy of Chris E.