Deb on the Web

A week in review

...without photos.  This has been a busy one so I haven't had time to take many or download what I have taken.

Finished the Spring Time in Paris socks.  Loved this pattern and I really like the Six socks along group.  Really a great group of ladies that are supportive and knowledgeable.  I highly recommend this Yahoo group.

I've been waiting to start my first Rockin Sock club project until I jump on the plane tomorrow.  It has been hard but I am going to wait.  I have the yarn wound and packed in my new Go Knit bag.  Also taking a couple other sock projects for the two 17 hr flights.  I doubt I'll be knitting once we land.

Went to the Modest Mouse concert Wednesday night.  Great Great band!  We were lucky enough to be guests of the band and stood right next to the stage for the whole show.  They really have great stage presence.  Isaac Brock and his fiance come to Nostrana when they are in town.  I was so proud of him.  He really sings to the audience!  Oh and Johnny Marr is now in the group and wrote some of the songs on the new album (out Tuesday).  He is, well...be still my beating heart.  I loved the Smiths!  And I'm now listening to him with the Healers. 
Okay enough of my groupiness....

Tomorrow--Thailand!!!!!
There will be lots of photos when I return.

I got nothing

A whole week and still I got nothing.  It was a heavy work week and I'm beat.  I sat like a lump yesterday--did go see Ghostrider.  That was fun.
Today I am off to a Chef Collaborative event.  The Farmer-Chef Connection.  This is a yearly event (I've been going for 5 years) that give farmers and chefs a chance to set up relationships and contacts for restaurant delivery or farm pick up.  We are on a mission to find local poultry this year.  Since I've been for so many years I have most of my relationships set with farmers for produce, meats, fish and fruit. 
There will also be a great speaker this year--Daniel Imhoff.  The 2007 Farm Bill is the subject and theme of the day.  Oh did I mention that this is a room of great cooks?  This is by far the best potluck I go to every year!  We were paired with a lamb producer this year and are bringing a lamb shank and black olive stew.

Other things--hopefully my Rockin Sock Club package will be on the table when I arrive home today.  There have been 2000 of these packages flying around the country (world) for the last few days.  I know it will be here soon....
--It seems my mom is getting married.  That was a bit of a surprise!  She seems very happy and he seems very nice.
--We are getting really excited about the Thailand trip!  Started making hotel reservations for both Bangkok and Chiang Mai yesterday.  We are just going to wing it from there.  We are planning to head to the coast, but if we love the jungle we may just cross over into Laos for a couple of days.  We decided on our way out to stay in Chinatown--Bangkok so that we see that culture for a couple of days as well.  Dim sum yummmmm!
--Six Sox socks will be finished by the day's end.  Photos tomorrow.  Plus some other sock news.  Let's just plan on a day of socks, well and work, tomorrow!

Here's a few things

--I sent out a square today in support of Project Compassion.  I forgot to take a photo, but it really is for the recipient more than me anyway.

--Went back to contacts today.  It has been over a year with my glasses.  I feel like I look older with the contacts.  go figure.  There will be no photo of that for a while.

--We got a wild hair this morning and purchased plane tickets to Thailand!!!!!!  Somewhere completely out of normal range of travel.  A great spot to do some "what are we doing" kind of thinking.  Nothing too serious, it's just needed every so often.

--I love knitting with the Austermann -Step- yarn.  But it feels rougher in the final product.  A little weird.  Here is one sock finished This is the Springtime in Paris pattern for the Sixsocks knitalong.  I love the toe up beginning.  I added a short row heel and made a shortee sock for a birthday girl that plays tennis.  Luckily she has very small feet.  I want to get these done quickly so that I'll be ready for...

--This is the week that the first BMF Rockin Sock club delivery will arrive!!  Nope not excited here.

--There will be a post soon on small companies dying sock yarn.  I have purchased a few both through esty and ladies with their own sites.  I definitely have my favorites.  Be thinking of yours.  I'd love to learn something new.

--Live in Portland?  Go eat at Yakuza.  The freshest sushi/sashimi I've had in Portland for a long time. Yummmmmm and the sake...mmmmm.  Did I mention the 7 hr layover in Tokyo on our way home:)

A busy week but a lovely lazy Sunday

We are now full into pre-Valentine's dining.  It was a busy, hectic weekend.  So I was quite happy to find this in the mail to play with yesterday. Oiled wool from Iriss for the DH aran.  I sat down with a bit of peppermint , some paper, Ann Budd's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns and began to plan.  My brain hurts when the numbers get involved, but this book makes it all so easy.  There is a specific aran that DH wants, but as it is a photo of a sweater with only patterns for two parts of the cables I am adding in an additional cable and some moss stitches along the sides.  I did some swatching to get the feel of the fabric he wanted and then talked him into a more reasonable idea of what it should be;).  I decided on a Saddle shoulder and turtle neck as pulling sagging down was a problem with the last aran I knit for him.  I also think the cable I chose to go up the saddle will look great.  Casting on starts this morning at Knit/Bowl! 
That's right I did say knitting and bowling together.  I have a couple of friends I've been trying to knit with for a while and we have wanted to bowl again after the fun we had a couple of weeks ago.  So why not?
Last night was a movie night at home.  Something I haven't done for months.  I worked on the Six Socks project You may notice that this no longer Knit Picks yarn.  As I worked above the toe I realized that I would never wear such scratchy/rough socks and that I wouldn't feel good about giving them as a gift.  So I went to the opposite extreme and pulled out the Austermann Step (mit Aloe Vera und Jojoba ol).  It feels goooooood, it is stretchy and I love the pink splotches with the green.  This pattern is Spring Time in Paris so why not have some cherry blossoms falling as well.

Here is a beautiful sky photo from this last week.  I didn't even get weird looks from the customers when I ran out with my camera.  We all enjoyed it together. I couldn't get outside so this is a bit washed out but it was amazing!
Hey need some Valentine's ideas check out what we are cooking up at Nostrana (the menu is in the events area).  We are booked for the evening, but will take any walkins if you don't mind waiting a little bit.

Here we go again

I spent a lovely 45 min on Sunday creating a very long post about what's up.  However, typepad had a proxy error.  I have been both too frustrated and too busy to repost until now.

Before I do tell you all what's up I'd like to share with you that Debby has a very important fundraiser she needs help with. As my cousin is a local organizer (and sufferer) here I was very happy to donate.  I hope you'll check it out!

As to what is up--socks that are finished.  Gold Digger from Sweet Georgia yarns by way of The Sweet Sheep by way of me winning a contest at Wendy Knits.  These were a present for a friend that spent his month vacation away from his home in Italy--with us to practice his english.  He worked for socks!  Next time he has requested a raise to a scarf.
A only one sock This footie is a gift I promised several months ago.  It was a second short row heel, but stalled as I don't like the short row on the toe.  For some reason it took me a while to decide I could use a different toe-duh!  On to the second as soon as I remember where I put the white Cascade Fixation.
The beginnings of another sock. My first toe up!  I was excited to see that the first Six Sox knitalong that I was to be part of would teach me a new skill.  I have tried this a couple of times but haven't liked the results or the broken needles.  This icord beginning I love!
I realize I am obsessed right now.  I do have other projects in the wings, but I am either waiting for the yarn to dry (notes from my dye class in another post) or waiting for the sweater yarn for DH's aran to arrive (more on that project as it starts).

I would like to talk about the podcast I slightly started.  I am trying to decide if I want to continue it right now.  Mainly I am trying to decide if the subjects can't just be blogged to a better degree.  I love the podcasts I listen to, but when I started looking at my notes for my next cast I realized it would all be more interesting with photos or links and definitely without my boring voice.  So there we are.  Decisions to be made.

Remember to go visit Debby (I love that she has that" y "as well).