Thursday, September 27, 2007

VACATION -- OH HOW SWEET IT WAS.......


5 Glorious days on the coast of Maine!! What could be a better vacation? Hubby and I set off for some of our favorite places along the coast and had a wonderful time!
This is my favorite yarn store along the coast - Heavenly Socks Yarn in Belfast Maine. It is a small whole in the wall shop but it is just filled with the greatest yarns and the owner has this super energy that makes you want to stay forever! She knew most of the customers by name and there were people sitting and knitting everywhere. She also carries the most incredible yarns - just everything that you could possibly hope for in a yarn store!




Gorgeous yarns and plenty of knitted samples! I had never seen Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket but after this sample - it is definitely on my list of baby items to knit!





This is the sock corner! Glorious fist-fulls of the most gorgeous and unusual sock yarn you could hope for. Lots of patterns and knitted samples - I did help myself to quite a few of theses beauties!


The view from the porch of our little cabin on the sea in Belfast, Maine. The cabins are very rustic and have a little kitchenette to make coffee and breakfast in the morning. Oh, to sit on the porch and listen to the sound of the ocean with a great cup of coffee and my knitting is sheer NIRVANA!
The perfect sunsets too! A glass of wine, hubby, and my knitting make this one of my favorite places to wake up and go to sleep!




One of the famous lighthouses that you find on the coast of Maine. So many beautiful sights to see and the leaves were just starting to change - so beautiful golds and crimson leaves were everywhere.
We also did a lot of antiquing with our famous trip to the Chicken Barn. The Chicken Barn is simply that - a huge old chicken house that is filled to the rafters with old books and antiques - A place that you could spend a whole day exploring and find some great treasures.
Great seafood and lots of treats that are not on my usual low fat vegetable-laden diet but oh the lobster! So sweet you thought you were eating dessert! Hubby and I ate our way all the way up the coast and back down with local bakery goods, gallons of "chowda" and seafood!
And last but not least - a whale watch! One of my favorite things to do in the whole world! My kids always hated these boat trips because I was the crazy lady standing at the bow of the ship with my binoculars plastered to my face, yelling "Thar she blows" whenever a whale came into sight. The kids would always find the furthest spot on the boat from me and hide their faces in shame but I just couldn't have a better time. Here is a Finback whale that we saw this whale watch. It was okay but I love seeing the Humpback whales more - They like to play by the boats and usually put on quite a show for the passengers. They wave their tails at you and spend lots of time checking out the boat. Still to get the opportunity to see one of these splendid creatures is shear joy for me!

Thursday, September 06, 2007

FAVORITE SOCKS FROM INTERWEAVE.....YAHOO!!


I am just in love with my new sock book! Favorite Socks - 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave. What a great collection of socks - you just want to make them all. I also have gotten into a rut using the same sock yarn over and over again - of course, I could substitute but I need to get out of the everyday sock yarns that I use and try something new!
These are my Retro Rib Socks in Patons Kroy Sock Yarn. I had a hard time finding this yarn but ebay wins again for helping me find what my LYS does not carry.

I love the twisted stitches and what looks complicated is sooooo easy!

Next from this book is a textured pair of socks done in Cascade Fixation!



Fall is in the air and the flower gardens are starting to dwindle with blooms. This is the side yard to our home and every year I am amazed at how large the Hydrangea tree has gotten. The blooms are so white! They are so many blooms and they are so heavy that you wonder if the tree can hold them all up. Just a gorgeous end to summer!