Another Great Weekend. I spent all day Friday indulging in all things yarn: I started off at the library, checking out some knitting books and the latest copy of IK, which I hadn't seen yet. Then I got to meet my husband for lunch, by far the highlight of my day. After lunch I headed out to some yarn shops near his work, which I had never been to. The shop itself was ok, and the employees were really nice but they didn't have a huge variety of color. Lots of different materials, just not an abundance of what I was looking for. But I always love just looking and feeling the fibers, and letting myself be inspired--which I was. More on that later. Then I went to the bookstore and looked at MORE books about knitting and yarn. When I was finished with that I had about an hour and a half to kill so I picked up a peppermint mocha from the nearest coffeeshack and I sat in my car and sketched and knitted while I waited. It was such a great day, not being rushed through the bookstore or distracted while I'm counting stitches. I finally managed to make the armholes and bind off at the belly for the dog sweater I am making (sans pattern!) And just when I thought it couldn't get any better...get home, flip on the tube, and At Close Range is on. What an awesome movie, albeit a little more intense than I remembered. Christopher Walken rocks.

About that inspiration and sketching--Have you ever seen the show "Inside Passage"
that comes on PBS out here? It is about the coastal land that stretches from Seattle to Juneau and all the native people that inhabit it. The photography is incredible, and the subject matter is near and dear to me (I am a very proud member of a tribe native to south east Alaska). While I was watching the program (which I caught about half way through, unfortunately) it showed a shawl from my tribe which had been hand dyed, spun, and woven out of mountain goat hair. The designs were traditional Pacific Northwest Coast art, and the colors were white, red, turquoise, and black. It was absolutely beautiful, and one of the most amazing hand-crafted works I have ever seen. It made me so proud, and I began to wonder if any of those traits flow through me. Perhaps one of my ancestors was a great basket weaver. Or a wood carver. Anyway, I was thinking about all of these things on Friday, and thinking about future knitting projects (including the felted purse for my MIL) and inspiration struck me. I was thinking specifically of the shawl that my mother used to have which was sewn from black and red felt and embellished with small pieces of abalone shell, and I started sketching. I came up with a felted black messenger bag with a wide strap and fold-over flap. The flap will have a traditional design (from my tribe) on the front of the flap and maybe some beadwork on the strap. I don't anticipate starting this project (or the sweater I designed after looking at the Burke Museum's ethnology pages) for quite some time, as I just don't have the skill set needed. Oh well, I guess that gives me something to strive for. And a reason to get a design notebook!


Let me take this opportunity to express how much I adore the programming on PBS in the Puget Sound. Great cooking shows, documentaries like Inside Passage and Alone in the Wilderness, the Scandinavian cooking show which shows shots all over Sweden (more family ancestry), the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross, stained glass instructionals, etc. PBS rules out here and you may never fully appreciate how great it is until you live in a place that thinks PBS is public access and all they play is civil war recreations and gardening shows that don't apply to you because all flora melt in 102 degree heat combined with 98% humidity. So if you have the means, help them keep this great programming up!