The Weekly Dozen Vol.2

It's week 2 of The Weekly Dozen and this week I have included a few of my Instagram and iPhone5 photos.  Mainly because I didn't get to go out with my Nikon D80 as much this week, therefore it's more of a 'my week in photos' post :)

I have a friend in town from the UK staying with us this week which has been awesome.  It's always so great seeing friends from back home.  He brought us a lovely egg cup each from Liberty, which is one of my favourite stores in London!  I bought the little woven matt from my favourite thrift store here. {Taken with Nikon D80}

In an effort to use my 'big' camera I headed out into Culver to do a bit of exploring.  Whilst on route I spotted this super bright green door.  This photo is by no means earth shatteringly good but I just liked the colour. One thing I will note about this pic is that having shot most of my pics last week indoors, outdoor photography is WAY harder! I'm hoping to head out this weekend to the beach to get more practise in. {Taken with Nikon D80}

This tower is part of the Kirk Douglas Theatre building in Downtown Culver. {Taken with Nikon D80}

On my adventure I stopped off at the Farmers' Market.  I only really got a few pics that were decent enough to pop up here (and I know it's a stretch at that but this is a learning challenge after all) {Taken with Nikon D80}

I also managed to fit in a bit of thrifting again this week and stumbled across this cute kid's wicker chair.  I almost got it for Mr Theo Curran but I decided against that one... I did however buy the floral glass.  I love it because it's pretty tacky but also has gold on it and I love pretty much most things that are gold.  It has now quickly become my new favourite water glass.  {Taken with iPhone5}

I realise that I'm clutching at straws with this one but it was breakfast time and I like the look of the beans so what the heck here is No.9 of The Weekly Dozen.  {Taken with Nikon D80}

These two were taken today on a fabric shopping trip for The Fig House with Emily. The flamingo fabric didn't make the shortlist but I just had to take a pic of it.  I'd love to use it somewhere someday.  And the other fabrics did make it into the shortlist.  It's pretty evident that we are hooked on velvet. {Taken with iPhone5}

I couldn't do this challenge without getting at least one pic of these two knuckleheads in here... Mr Theo Curran and Mr Laertes von Vonderson Stinky Banana aka Bubba  {Taken with Nikon D80}

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Yarn spinning / Knitting project update

I decided it was time for me to sort out my yarn basket, as I realised I'd totally lost track with what projects I'm working on.  Turns out that I'm part way though eight projects!

Projects on the go!

- Grey and pink yarn basket  

- Striped coloured blanket 

- Granny square crochet blanket   

- Leg warmer

- Surprise present for Patrick

- Surprise present for Mum

- Damask shawl from a pattern on Ravelry that I'm working on at a knit-along at GatherDTLA

- My newest challenge: yarn spinning!

I bought some hot pink roving wool and a drop spindle from Wildfiber to have a go at spinning my own yarn.  Eager to start, I used a video on YouTube (recommended to me by one of the girls at the knitting store) to help get me started.  The lady in the video, as with most things, made it look easier than it actually is.  Without considering any further research and not realising that the roving needed to be drafted out first, I impatiently steamed ahead.  I began by spinning the yarn relatively thin, which worked for me to start, but the yarn gradually grew tighter and became more difficult to separate.  Small strands of wool started to fall off and other bits began to tangle.  The yarn then began to get thicker and harder to wind.  Eventually, I gave up and decided that it would be best to take it into the yarn store to get some expert help.  The advice I got was to make sure I drafted the wool before I attempted to spin it!  If only I'd read a bit further into it, or watched a few more demonstration videos. 

I'm no Sleeping Beauty, but as a first attempt I was pretty pleased with my work.  And despite it's flaws and changes in thickness, I'll still be able to make something eclectic out of it when I've finished spinning what's left of the roving.  It'll be really fun to wear something that I've spun and knit myself.  Next step: shearing my own sheep! :)           

  

'Little bo Bubba' helping me sort out my projects...

Hot pink yarn and drop spindle

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30th Birthday Poster

The boy turned 30 on Tuesday!  So as a homage to him I created a very silly poster to put up on his Facebook page.  He has this obsession with pulling funny faces, especially showing his teeth (or 'teef' as we call it), so I just had to use this as ammo.  When I started out the project I was concerned that I wouldn't have enough photographs to use.  I mean, how many 'teef' photos can there actually be in the world??  A lot in fact!  The ones shown below are the the best, (ahem...most ridiculous looking) of the bunch. Enjoy...  

Of course our dogs had to feature somewhere.  So I took what is a well known photograph (amongst family and friends) of Mr Bubba and Mr Theo and made them into 'birthday celebration dogs'.  A little extra fun for the day.

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Leg Warmer

I thought it was about time for me to start the second of my pair of leg warmers seeing as I finished the first before Christmas.  I've been putting it off because I have to knit it on double pointed needles, which I'm not a huge fan of.  However, when I started it again it actually wasn't so bad. The yarn is a Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds Chunky Undyed and the colour is Steel Grey Suffolk 954.  

My good friend Adam got me the first ball as a present from Baa Ram Ewe, a lovely yarn shop in Leeds, Yorkshire in the North of England.  It is run by the wife of my friend Chris who I used to work with at an interior design agency in Manchester.  I have yet to visit the shop, but I can imagine it to be well designed and beautifully laid out.  To my luck, I found the second ball in Los Angeles at the store Wildfiber in Santa Monica.  One thing I love about this yarn is that it is 100% British and has the most wonderful, natural smell, which reminds me of the farms at home in England.

The pattern:  I was inspired by the Luxy Leg Warmer from the Pickles website. I have adapted the pattern slightly and in order to suit my chosen yarn.

Progress so far:

Leg warmer part 1

Rowan Purelife wool . . . smells like farms :)

Double pointed needles size 7mm

Bubba helping me out with my yarn organising

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New Bike Accessory

Since the new year has begun I've been hopping out on my bike a lot more. I'm getting used to the roads now (although Patrick would beg to differ saying I'm still too slow) and enjoying discovering new places in the sunshine.  On a visit to the yarn store in Santa Monica, we stopped off at the Linus bike shop in Abbott Kinney.  I treated my bike to a new accessory: a lovely wicker basket to hang from the handle bars on the front.  I am not sure that Bubba or Theo would fit into it but you can be damn sure I'm gonna try :)

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Purl Bee Garter Cowl

Whilst in New York for my birthday, we visited a store called Purl Soho.  I've been following their blog for a good while and once I realised they had a store I was dying to go.  I purchased the bag with the hot neon pink lettering (pictured below) and some yarn for Patrick's Mom, who I refreshed on how to knit over Christmas.  I also bought a ball of hot pink yarn for me, as well as a blue and red merino yarn to make the Purl Bee Garter Gaiter pattern.

It took me a while to get this project started.  I attempted it using the magic loop method but realised that wasn't going to work so had to buy more knitting needles.  I could open a shop with the amount of needles I now have! It's a beautiful pattern and the yarn was $20 a ball, so there was no way I was going to mess this up.  I got Theo to model the working progress, and I think he quite liked it.

I have yet to finish it.  I have a habit of starting a project and moving onto another before finishing.  Currently I have four projects on the go including this one, and a list as long as my arm of things I'd like to knit :)

Garter gaiter so far . . .

Diva!

"We'll help out in a minute, honest"

"Its my wool, not yours!"

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Hiking in Runyon Canyon

New year, new work out: For the dogs...

With the pooches gaining a combined four lbs. over the last year, it's time for them to get their LA workout on.  So, on this sunny Thursday morning, we set out for a hike up to the summit of Runyon Canyon.  

Lovely weather, great views, ideal workout and perfect for people watching!  

   

As rituals go, a trip to Runyon is usually followed by a stop off at Canter's Deli for a quart of matzo ball soup and pastrami on rye with a pickle.  Not really in the New Years resolutions (trying to cut down on the meat), but try to come between me and my pastrami and you're a dead person! :) The girl loves her pastrami!  Plus, I've been trying to shake off a cold since before Christmas and matzo ball soup is the perfect elixir.

Hopefully see you next week Runyon.  We're aiming to make this a weekly venture to keep the boys young and fit.

Nice day for a hike!

View over the city

View of the Hollywood Hills

The Hollywood sign

View of Downtown LA

Super Theeeeeeeeeee!!!

Matzo ball soup, pastrami on rye and pickle:
The ultimate cure for a cold!

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