Monday Soundtrack

Another song I love, but I couldn't include the video (plus, the video isn't that great, but the song is). Click here for your Monday Sountrack!

In other news, summer has finally arrived in Boston! So the weekend was spent outside, riding my bike, vising Boston's SOWA market, and enjoying a delicious brunch at the Beehive. To continue the trend, we ate outside, but it looked like they had a fun bar/stage area inside.
Unfortunately, the weekend's activities left little time for knitting or sewing...maybe next time?

My Week in Pictures and Patterns

I'm living in a fantastic house for the month of July with my new pal Alice::


I'd like to say that I arrived just as Boston's rainy, foggy, wet, June ended, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I'm just taking the wet in stride and pretending that I've relocated to the Pacific northwest. BUT, lucky for me, I bike home along Boston's Emerald Necklace, so the fog doesn't look so bad when it's covering a picturesque pond::

Celebrations were in full swing last weekend as the fog cleared for few sunny days. This was the first time I've seen the city's spectacular fireworks over the river. If you're in Boston for the Fourth, I suggest you take a blanket - throw in your knitting or a kayak {your choice} - and find a cozy spot along the river::


Now that I'm only blocks from Harvard's Arnold Arboretum, regular walks are a required weekend activity. Plus, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to capture some more sun flares::
... after chasing the sun, I ran around after this guy::

So yeah, it's been a fun and busy first week back in the city, rain and all. I've even had some time to finish up one knitting project while making progress on another ~ that'll be my next update! Ooh! The patterns I mentioned in the subject?

I found some fireworks full of hearts::

And the arboretum's smoke bush can be made to look like... something... maybe the patterns in magnified insect wings?::

Happy 4th!

I hope you're enjoying some warm sunshine and sweet watermelon!

I've missed a few Soundtrack Mondays, so I thought I'd make up for it! Click here and enjoy*

Where was I? {Where I am?}

It's been a busy week since my last post. Let's see...

We saw Lance dominate the tour of Nevada City:: {he's the guy in front, always moving way too fast for a clear shot}

I finally got some shots of a long-overdue project::
This is the evening shrug pattern that was posted on Purlbee last year. It's a super easy and fast knit, and just perfect for wearing with tank tops on cool evenings. I wore it out to a noodle shop where I had this delicious Japanese beer::I'm not sure if it was the flavor or the label that I loved more.

I hung out with The Lady. Before you read any further, you might want to hop over to her blog and sign up for her contest! We did some yarn shopping where I picked up a fantabulous wool, silk, and bamboo yarn. On my long flight from CA to Philly I used the yarn to make this::It's the bulk of the Springtime Bandit Shawl... and if it weren't for a silly mistake near the end I'd have a finished product to share.

I spent a night at my parents house, where the moths are just hanging out waiting to get their picture taken {click on the picture to see it bigger and scarier}::

And now? Now I'm in Boston again, and now that I've finally landed I'm so exhausted that it's hard to stay awake for more than six hours, but I'm trying.

So let the posts resume!

Happy Summer Solstice!

My current knitting with its circular twirl is reminding me of an abstract sun::

It's an adult pinwheel sweater... and when held at the right angle, it's producing some great sun flares::


To celebrate this year's solstice I baked a Spice Nut Cake with Orange Frosting::I thought something citrusy with a bit of orange or yellow would be the perfect solstice cake. The cake and frosting recipe can be found here. I used candied orange slices to create the little sun decoration using these directions.

We decided that celebrating the solstice should become a regular event around here, included in the celebration is the making of Summer Resolutions and Goals for the season. What do you want to accomplish or do differently to make the most of your summer?

I hope you're enjoying the day and enjoying the sunshine*

some snippets::

a fun new yarn::

wearing-in the new sweater::

and a California Poppy::

Looking at the last picture, can't you imagine Georgia O'Keefe painting one? We went to the Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams exhibit at the SF MOMA. Two of my faves.

Change of Plans...

We interrupt today's issue of Soundtrack Monday to bring you the Weekend Recap::

On Saturday a tutu was made::

This was a simple, no-sew tutu, just requiring scissors, tulle, and ribbon. Anyone with some creative juices will understand how to get from the picture above to this, but if you need more details, let me know::

The tutu was required for a party on the beach, with a fantabulous view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I went as a mime {with a tutu}.The party required "Soundsuits" - your costume had to make noise ~ I was the Insurgent Mime, there to crash the party. Get it?? fun fun!

Knowing that the evening on the beach would end with a chill, I knit up a quick Foliage hat with my leftover Eco wool from the Vivian sweater {pictures of Vivian coming soon}. I'm loving Foliage in black, and it went so well with the mime outfit.

And finally, on Saturday, we didn't do much dressing up, but we did help out at a bike race. More fun in the sun, and plenty of time for knitting {there are some fun new projects in the works}!

Now, back to work:-)