randomness

1. Tt's 40 something degrees outside and the snow is melting

2. The snow melting means that my beautiful city has turned in to a drippy, slushy, dirty mess.

3. There are three (count them three!) tv shows out right now that take place in portland

- Portlandia being the most obvious (and best) stays the truest to the sites and feel of Portland

- Perfect Couples quietly takes place in Portland although you can tell their Portland is WAY too sunny to actually be filmed there

-Life Unexpected takes place in Portland but it's a bit too 90210/Dawson's Creek for me

4. Bonus! Leverage was also filmed in Portland! But I'm not sure if it still is or not

5. I love seeing Portland getting a little tv action. It's such a beautiful city that is under appreciated

6. I got my first skein of bugga! I have been wanting to get my hands on some of this yumminess for ages and boy was it worth the wait! SO SOFT! and the colors are so rich and have so much depth to them. Just beautiful

7. I have some more patterns a brewin in my head and on my needles so stay tuned!

Pendleton Blanket

Right after Thanksgiving I decided to finally check the mail... I wasn't expecting anything and who wants to get bills over a holiday weekend. Right?

But I was surprised when I went to my box and there was a note saying I had a package! OOOh the excitement! A surprise!!!

I ran to grab the package and found a HUGE box from my dad and step mom!

Once I got upstairs I ripped off the paper (Let's pretend that I waited patiently for the hubbs to get home... I tried. I really did. For like five whole minutes) I got all excited when I saw the logo on the box. Pendleton. It's a PENDLETON box!!! (I guess for anyone from the Pacific Northwest this is like a 6 year old girl getting a princess barbie) wrapped in sparkles. Pendleton Woolen Mills makes gorgeous woolen goods that will keep you warm through just about anything and are passed down through generations.

I had to catch my breath and regroup as remembered that sometimes my parents like to reuse boxes, and sometimes they put yarn in those boxes. So a list of possibilities ran through my head before I lifted the lid on the box. I found, to my excitement, a perfectly folded Pendleton blanket. Our very own (and very first) Pendleton blanket!

I unfolded it from the box and laid it out so I could see the beautiful images that the blankets are so well known for. As you can see the blanket my parents picked out has a compass with four moons. It's perfect.

It immediately found the perfect home on our couch where it's always just a reach away

And I love that it's reversible! (I'm thinking it's double knit then felted? hmm something to ponder)

But let's be honest, this is how it usually looks... Especially as the temperature out side creeps closer and closer to the single digits.

It's perfect for snuggling under while knitting and watching the snow fall outside.

I love it!

Springtime in Portland

Spring in Portland is beautiful. There is green grass, lush trees and blooming flowers everywhere. But this beauty (as all good things do) comes at a price. Rain. Lots and lots of rain. I'm sure you have gathered from previous posts that I love the rain and that was one of the things I missed most about living in Dubai. I love the sound of rain, the smell and the way is cleans the dust off of everything.

Of course in my memories of rain while sitting in the 100 degree weather in Dubai I had completely neglected to think about the down sides to rain. The traffic, the way it makes your car all dirty and the fact that there are so many things you cant do when it's raining (like go to the Zoo)...

Portland is known for their rainy days and I remember joking with people back in UAE about how we get rain in Portland the way they get sun in Dubai. hehehe. But we finally got a break in the rain and we were able to go for a walk around the neighborhood and enjoy some of the beauty that the rain brings us...

One Month

It has been one month since we left UAE, since we left our home. I find it a little odd that I keep referring to UAE as "home" especially because I never stopped referring to the US as "home" but here I am telling my husband that I miss the red orange juice from home, or that's not how they do it back home, or back home the guy would just come to your house and fix that for 100 AED.

Instead of converting Dirhams to Dollars to find out the "real" price of something like I did when I moved to UAE now I'm converting Dollars to Dirhams. Is $2 for a Coke a good deal? I dunno. But do I know 7 AED isn't!

For the most part our transition has been very smooth (except for the excessive travel) and we really haven't faced too many problems. We're now in Portland where it looks like we'll be based for a while. We have enjoyed spending time with family and the rain (MIXED WITH SNOW!!! Seriously!) We have also managed to get a bunch of the chores done like bank things, visits to the DMV and other oh so exciting stuff that I wouldn't bore you to tears with.

It's great being back in Portland but it's also weird not knowing it as well as I use too - I know how to get to little shop that sells my favorite sandwich but I can't remember the back way I use to take when the traffic was bad. I know there's a Subway around here somewhere I just can't remember exactly where. And even more weird is that everyone expects me to remember things - you don't know how to get there? well you went there 4 years ago!

But over all we're having a blast and enjoying our time together. I'm not sure that it has sunk in that we have no return ticket yet as it still feels like a long vacation. But I'm really missing my friends and (I never thought I would say this but) I really miss the sun. I miss the malls too... in all their excessiveness.

So here's to one month! I know that we will get back in the groove with time and soon home will be a distant memory - but my friends never will be! Miss you guys!

At the airport….

…. Again.
This seems to be a running theme in our lives right now. I calculated and I think we have each flown over 15,000 miles (for a combined total of 30,000) in a month’s time. We are seriously tired of flying. Especially because we have to lug around all of our luggage with us as well. But that is the beauty of moving… remind me why I thought that was such a good idea?
The good part is we’re going home (well my home at least) and I am so looking forward to being in Portland again. Even if it will be for a short period of time before we board another flight on to a new adventure (more later – gotta save something to write about for another day).
The other upside is that we are getting way better at this flying stuff. We’re organized and prepared. Ready for whatever the airline can throw at us. Want more money for extra baggage? You got it. Where’s our ID’s? Right here buddy. Extra security check? Bring it on! We know who is in charge of what bags. The best restaurants in the airport and that we habitually plan for three hours in the airport even though it has never taken us more than a half hour to get from the curb to the gate. We are SET. Unless it snows can’t cope with the snow. NO MORE SNOW!
Another fun thing about the airport is the people watching. I tell you it’s about as entertaining as the Thursday Night Line Up back when Friends and Will & Grace were still on. People are so interesting! I saw one lady wearing all pink and with a pink suitcase and I thought to my self “Wow coordinating for the flight. Ummm ok?” But then I saw her in the rest room and she was re-packing her bag and I tell you EVERYTHING in her bag was pink too!!!!! Her husband was even wearing a pink shirt! Their whole lives are coordinated!
Another girl was walking around in her tank top with her scarf on even though it is FREEZING out side. Have I mentioned the snow?
Oh and we even saw a guy from Heat (the movie) I don’t know which one to be honest cause it was my husband that made the ID. But still!
I keep hoping to see a fellow knitter working on her ravelympic project waiting for a flight but I seem to be the only one. Sigh. It’s ok though I am not shy about KIP (kitting in public) or PDK (Public displays of knitting) as I prefer.


Yup. That’s a new secret project. Tell you about it when it’s done.

FO: baby three-fer

I really wanted to do something special for a good friend of mine who is having her first baby boy. I knew of the impending birth in June when I went home to the States so I went on a mission to find the perfect yarn.

I found Rowan Calmer in Portland. I had been wanting to use this for a while because I have heard only great things about it. When I went into the Knitting Bee and saw a whole pile of it, I just couldn't wait to get my hands on it and whoa, the stuff is SOFT! Fortunately the ladies at the Knitting Bee do not frown upon yarn cuddling because all that calmer was irresistible

I saw a beautiful silvery blue color and immediately thought that it would be perfect for a certain little baby boy on the way. They had four skeins left and I bought all of them.


I started pouring through all my pattern books and the patterns available on the internet for the perfect sweater or blanket to make but I just couldn't find anything that seemed right.

I finally decided to come up with my own pattern (if you can call it that) and got to work...

A made it with seed stitch boarder and a cool looking pin stripe


The blanket took just over three of the precious four balls i had...

Then I got started on the hat. I wanted it to have the same pattern as the blanket so I cast on 60 stitches and knit for about 5.5 inches when I realized that trying to figure out how to maintain the pattern but decrease at the same time was too much for my brain to take. So I added another half inch, did a three needle bind off and added the super cute pom-poms. Total used was probably about half a skein.


I was running out of time and yarn but felt I should make my friend matching booties to go with the blanket and hat especially since that was really the only thing she asked for!

I divided what little yarn I had left in half and started with the first bootie and just barely made it. But made it I DID! So the second bootie soon followed!

For this I followed the pattern Saartje's Bootees by Saartje de Bruijn. The little criss-cross straps were too cute and picked out some black mother of pearl buttons for them!! I was unable to maintain the cute pin stripe pattern from before but I think they still came out fabulous!

Seriously are these not the cutest little booties ever!

I think these will be perfect for little baby to cuddle in

Randomness

1. My husband is making his special onion soup and it smells so good. I'm so glad he likes to share.

2. A very good friend of mine decided to take up knitting again. i knew there was a reason we always got a long so well

3. The universe has a funny way of showing you you made the right choice when you have doubts. This I KNOW

4. Not celebrating christmas isn't as hard as I thought it might be.... and way cheaper

5. It's 18 degrees back home in Portland right now. Mid 70's here. Makes me feel like a pansy for needing a sweater.

6. I rediscovered Subway's Spicy Italian sandwich. Something about salami and pepperoni makes any day better. yum.

7, I think I'm going to cast on some mittens. After all it is in the mid-70's

8. They they voice-over spanish soaps in arabic over here. This took me quite a while to figure out.

9. I have another FO. I'm excited to share it when the light is good enough to take a decent picture.

10. These pics of Multnomah Falls are amazing!
(pic from kgw.com)

Pink Glove Dance

Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland Oregon (A hospital I am particularly fond of) put together this video dubbed the Pink Glove Dance to raise awareness for breast cancer.



Isn't it fantastic?!!?! I love Portland!!!


Oh and on a side note - The University of Oregon Ducks have a very important Civil War game against the Beavers this weekend. The Pasadena Rose Bowel is the prize for which ever team wins this game.

Here's rooting for the Ducks!!!!!

FO: knotted hat

I managed to knit this hat while I was on vacation in the States over the summer.... (don't ask why you're not seeing it until now - I'm just lazy)

My mom and I were shopping at Knit Purl in downtown Portland Oregon when she found this amazing yarn. It was so soft with a slight halo and ivory white. If you know my mom than you aren't surprised by her purchase. I asked what she would like me to make with this yarn she loves so much. A hat. A plain stockinette hat. This yarn requires size 2 needles(!) and knitting a whole stockinette just did NOT sound like fun. So I logged on to Ravelry and set out find the perfect hat pattern.... After much searching and narrowed it down to the Knot Hat by Bobbi Intveld. My mom loved it so I got started...





I really enjoyed knitting this hat. The stockinette was relaxing but the knots gave me something to keep my interest and I'm really happy with the way it came out.

So here are the pattern details:

Pattern: Knot Hat by Bobbi Intveld
Yarn: The Fibre Company Canopy Fingering in Orchid
Needles: size US 2's
Mods: None this pattern is great the way it is... If I made it again I might make it a tish longer.


And because they were feeling neglected I thought I would update you on Princess and Jerry.

Princess has learned that she really likes boxes...


The one she loves most is the one my mom sent just for her


Husband also found this DVD for her that has kittens playing... Princess was trying to figure out how to join the fun


Jerry also found a new favorite sleeping spot just outside our bedroom window


Doesn't she look comfortable?

FO: First socks!

I finished my very first pair of socks. I started them while I was in the States because I got the pattern book Sock From the Toe Up by Wendy D. Johnson aka Wendy Knits and then I got this lovely Dream In Color Smooshy and I just couldn't wait any more!


Don't you just love that color?
this pic is the closest to actual color


Socks From the Toe Up is a lovely book and it's fantastic for a first time sock knitter. Wendy walks through all the different ways to cast on, all the different heel types and all the ways to cast off. It was so helpful! And by her showing step by step all the different methods you can in turn customize any of her patterns (or any toe up pattern for that matter) to your liking.

So here are the much awaited details:
Pattern: Van Dyke Socks from Socks From the Toe Up by Wendy D. Johnson
Size: 8
Needles: #2 Addis in a magic loop (Love the magic loop!)
Yarn: DIC Smooshy in Pansy Golightly from The Knitting Bee in Portland Oregon
Mods: I didn't make any modifications to the pattern. I used Judy's Magic Cast-on and this video helped immensely in figuring that out. I also used the sewn bind-off. Ohh and I'm not sure how I managed this but I only used half the skein of Smooshy so I can make a whole other pair of socks! woot woot!

A gift from my Grandma

While I was home in Portland I decided to go through a trunk of stuff my Grandmother had left my dad when she passed away some 20 years ago (yeesh I can't believe it's been that long). I did this because when I got into knitting my dad had found a skein of yarn that my grandmother had and gave it to me. It's 500 yards of Royal Society Ever Sheen in a gorgeous cream color (I also think it must be a lace weight but I'm not positive). So in my mind I thought it would be perfect to make some heirloom lace shawl that could passed down from generation to generation. I wanted to make sure I had all of it as I thought it would be fantastic to make something like the Pi Shawl. But 500 yds isn't enough for something that big. So on 4th of July evening, before the fireworks, I went on a hunt through the trunk.

Can I just say how nice it was to be home for a holiday. Especially a holiday that is purely American. Having a barbeque with my family then watching the fireworks together was so much fun. It's great to not be the only one in a room celebrating a holiday.

Ok back on topic.

So we opened the trunk and found that my Grandmother really liked table cloths with matching napkins. There were seriously like 15 sets in there. Some of them even hand embroidered. There were some dresses and an old cub scouts uniform, a wallet and a kimono (very interesting) and some fabric just waiting to be made into a quilt. But no yarn.

Then my step-mom said "There's a smaller trunk that matches this one we should check that as well" So my dad found it and brought it over. Again no yarn but here is what I did find inside...

Knitting magazines!! From the 1950's! and two old crochet hooks.

In the pile are two magazines with baby patterns (they are adorable), one with sock patterns (even hunting socks!), one with women's clothes and one with men's sweaters. All the magazines are from Handknits by Beehive.

I was so excited! This was as good as finding yarn if not better! Old pattern books that my grandmother worked from and now I have them. I never knew that she was knitter before then. I knew she liked to crochet but the knitting was a surprise. Also I was quite young when she passed away and I just seems really special that we had this one thing in common and that some how, after all this time, she was able to give me something that I will always value and cherish.

My family on my dad's side has always been known for their ability to keep things long past their need. We're a family of stashers (In fact I'll remind my husband of that next time I buy more yarn)! But this is one time I will be forever grateful that we keep everything. Even if at one point it seemed to have no value it sure does have a lot of value to someone today.

Portland, Oregon

ok ok sorry i have been so lazy but this whole working-5-days-a-week thing is hard to get use to again.... oh and BTW this will be a bit picture heavy

so after having a fantastic time in Texas and a spectacular experience in the Dallas Airport we headed off to my home town. PORTLAND!!! Woot woot!

I was so excited to get home and even better was that my dad was waiting for us as we walked out of the airport. I turned into a little kid again as I ran up to him to get a big bear hug. We arrived pretty late at night so he took us straight home where we promptly fell asleep after exciting hello's to my mom.

The day after our arrival we did something so exciting. Something that I took for granted when I was younger and living in the States. We went to Safeway and Costco! I know!!! It was so much fun.

In Safeway we went up and down every isle and oooed and awwed over all the exciting things like red onions that are bigger than a golf ball and darker in color than watered down pink lemonade. There we giant cucumbers and rice mixes in al flavors. There was an entire isle dedicated to cereal and another to salad dressings. There was all kinds of milk and sour cream. You should have seen all the yogurt flavors. They even had blackberry my very favorite!!! It was fantastic!!

Then in Costco we wandered around looking at the bargain packaging of dish soap and tortilla chips then looked at all the reduced price books (that would make them nearly half the price of the same book here) and oooh the packages of socks!!! We even got a jumbo size bottle of vitamins. Then on our way out I got a hotdog and a coke for a dollar fifty! $1.50!!! Why cant we get hotdogs made with beef out here that are that good. Seriously. I know they exist and I want them. Now! So tasty.

The next day we headed over to my dad's where a bunch of family had come over and we had a proper barbeque. We had barbecued chicken with pasta salad and fruit. YUM! It was great to see all the family as it's been sooooo long! All the kids grew loads while I have been away.... Apparently kids grow whether you are there or not. Go figure.

Monday was Knitting Bee Day! My all time favorite LYS... Need I say more?
Dream in Color Smooshy in Pansy Golightly - Used this for my very first pair of socks (stay tuned)

Plymouth Yarn Dye For Me Happy Feet will be for my first Kool-Aid dyeing attempt. And my brother came to town from Oakland to hang out with us while we were in town

Tuesday it was off to the Oregon Coast where we had lunch watching the surf break and then headed to the Tillamook Cheese Factory . Then we headed over to one of my favorite places, the outlet mall! Oh that was good times... although for some reason my husband wasn't as excited as I by this last stop.

On the following day Mom, husband and I headed downtown to my all time favorite bookstore, Powells and we roamed around there. All I can say is that it's a good thing we had luggage that was already full otherwise I could have bought hundreds of books. Hundreds I tell you! Then we headed over to Knit Purl.
Fleece Artist Woolie Silk. I just couldn't resist these colors! The pic doesn't do them justice

Artyarns Regal Silk

The Fibre Company Canopy Fingering which I used for the Knot Hat - more on that later

My sister came to town as well! It was so much fun to see everyone and hang out. We (sis, brother, hubby & I) went and wandered all around downtown again. I just can't get enough of that place. We ended up at a little cafe that has fantasic juices and get this: Sheesha! Hahaha!

Finally after more days of lounging around, eating and chatting with all my family ooooh and there was shopping. Lots and lots of shopping we headed over to (drum roll please) Twisted!!!! They carry Blue Moon Fiber Arts and I had been itching to get there the entire trip.

Look at all that yarny goodness!!! I got four skeins of BMFA Socks That Rock in different weights (if you are interested in colors and weights you can check out my stash on Ravelry) and I got another skein of Smooshy and the Monarch on the end in Green & Yellow.... My schools colors. How could I pass that up!?!? I'm going to knit socks that represent the Ducks! Woot woot!

Overall the trip was great. I got to see everyone. The weather was fantastic and I went to all my favorite hangouts. It was just so nice to be home. It made me realize just how much I miss my family. I think it's a feeling I try to surpress a lot because when you live on the other side of the world there isn't a whole lot you can do about home sickness so you just try not to think about it. But to be home, seeing everyone, talking to everyone whenever we wanted, just made me realize how much I miss everyone... How much I miss home.

I think I'll go cuddle some of my new yarn to cheer my self up now....

200 POSTS!!!

This is so exciting for me! I can't believe I have hit the 200 post mark and my blog is just months shy of being 2 whole years old!

I can't believe I have been able to stick with it this long and I can't believe I actually have that much to talk about.

But I do have something to talk about today! I am just days away from vacation. A much needed vacation home for 3 weeks! I feel like a seven year old waiting for her put-put golf birthday party. I am so excited to go to a land of normal heat where people can complain about it being 85 degrees out and my husband and I can scoff at their inability to handle real heat (lets not talk about when we went there in the winter and nearly froze to death in 50 degree weather). We will see green grass and green trees and real flowers that don't stay alive through artificial watering systems that stretch for miles and miles on end. We can see our families and spend quality time with those we love. We can go to "the lake" or go sailing on "the river". We can eat yummy food like Spaghetti Factory, PF Changs, In-n-Out Burger, NY Pizza (Hey! Don't laugh just cause I plan out what restaurants I'm going to visit and diet for 2 months before hand so I can stuff my face and not feel guilty. You know you do it too).

Anyhoo I'm sure you have gotten the idea that I am quite excited for my trip. But I don't want to leave you with out anything to read for 3 weeks so I came up with a plan. As the time unfolds I will reveal all my secret knitting projects because they will all have been giving to their new owners with in the first couple days of my trip. I'm excited to share them because it has been so hard not to post each and every FO I have completed in the past few weeks.

So stay tuned!

Home Sweet Home

I'm a little reminiscent of home today. The weather was beautiful in Dubai today and the air smelled like home, like Portland.

So I thought I would share a little of home with you. Just a peek because I know I will want to share more in the future.

These two pictures are from a Washington Park which sits in the middle or Portland City. It's the biggest national park that sits inside city limits in the nation. Yes I'm proud of that. Anyhow just a drive up a hill in the city will bring you smack dab into the middle of a dense forest with trails winding all through the park. This is something I completely took for granted living so close to it all the time. I should have spent more time there wandering around and enjoying the natural beauty of the forest.



This is the Portland Rose Garden. It's huge and has thousands of types of roses. I love it there. Totally worth the allergy attack. In fact the purple rose that I keep to the right here is my very favorite of them all.



This is the Oregon Coast. Cannon Beach to be precise. It's seriously gorgeous. And if your a fan of Goonies then you'll recogize Haystack rock.