We attended the STITCHES market on Friday and Saturday - and had a fantastic time!  As usual, booth after booth of glorious fiber goodies overwhelmed us, but this time, knowing that we had 2 days to explore, it was easier to scope the entire event first before consulting our project lists to find what we needed.  I know that there will be gads of blog posts detailing every booth and event surrounding STITCHES - here's my "short and sweet" recap!

At the end of the first day as we were talking with Michael Wade of Fiberbeat, Cookie A stopped me and John at the A Verb For Keeping Warm booth... snapped a photo... and tweeted us!  We were immediately thrust into fiber fame!  (what a treat - we met Cookie A... AND she loved our cardigans!!

The big news of the trip was our friend Kenny Chua being the designer for the ladies cardigan on the cover of the upcoming issue of Knitter's Magazine!  Immediately upon entering the STITCHES marketplace, we are welcomed by the Knitter's booth... where this giant poster of the magazine cover was featured, along with the actual sweater he knit!

Moving through the venue, we discovered a poster showing the companion vest.  Kenny and I posed here and we talked with the folks at  Bijou Basin Ranch who made the Bliss yarn that he used.  Both of these patterns are a gorgeous textural slip stitch and are sure to be treasured  classics for years to come!

We were lucky enough to see the fashion show on Friday night - and the grand reveal of the vest on the runway!  Kenny deserves big kudos for a job well done -- his was one of the 120 items shown in the show... and as if the Knitter's cover wasn't enough, it was also featured on the cover of the fashion show program!

We had a great time at the show... 2 days of yarn and fibery fun.  Even though there were thousands upon thousands of inspirational sights, my favorite sight of all of STITCHES was this tattoo that Tammy had - she can be found at http://punkrawkpurl.blogspot.com/ - click on the photo to be directed to her website!  It brought new meaning to the word "dedication" as it pertains to the fiber arts!   Love the sentiment and it makes me smile every time I see this photo.

On Saturday, I wore the now famous Seahorse Cardigan.  (photos of me wearing the cardigan are coming soon, I promise!)  I was really pleased with the response that I got from this finished object - I felt famous - with so many attendees commenting on the design!  My favorite compliment?  One lady stopped me and told me that I "win" for the best sweater of STITCHES!  THAT really meant a lot to me...especially since there were masterpieces parading up and down the aisles... gorgeous cabled sweaters, kauni wonders, lace shawls... I am always enamored with all the knit and crochet masterpieces on show when I go to STITCHES - and even though we just got home, I'm excited to start making notes for the things I might want to research, purchase or learn next time!

STITCHES rocks.  It's the BEST way to get inspired for those of us who love all things fiber.  It revitalizes me and reminds me of all the options I have for my fiber art.  I am working on projects already - and eager to share them with you when the time is right!

After a lot of research on Mary Maxim, I dove in and got a number of their vintage patterns, including the seahorse cardigan!  Using Paton’s Classic Wool Merino, I did a gauge swatch using Jade Hather (77208) for the body, Natural (00229) for the upper background, and Paprika (00238) for the seahorses and accent lines, I cast on in July, 2008!

Fast forward to late September, 2009... I finished the chart of one of the sleeves, going back and forth between whether it was all intarsia or if I could "fake" fair isle some of the patterning.  I wasn't sure, so I put it away for a while.  In mid October of 2010 (yes, a YEAR later) I picked it back up and took the sleeve with me to San Francisco and finished it on the 200 mile drive north to Weott for the Humboldt Redwoods Half Marathon.  That sleeve was finished, and I was able to start the back on that trip!

The back was finished in early January, 2011, and a week or two later, I finished the second sleeve.  Because all this intarsia and graph based knitting isn't torture enough, I decided to cast on the two fronts at the same time.

At this point I was really wanting to get the sweater completed in time for Stitches - and on January 13, 2011, it was finally completed! I assembled the sweater and found the perfect buttons to complete the piece.  All but one button came from Britex in downtown San Francisco. The antique seahorse button I used is from “Granny’s Thimble” - a pretty fun source for buttons! Check her out:  www.grannysthimble.etsy.com 

As soon as the weather cooperates I'll get photos of me wearing the cardigan --

I'm now tackling another Mary Maxim pattern... the buffalo sweater!!  (and I promise myself that I will not procrastinate as much this time!!)  Stay tuned!

Next we headed to Siem Reap, Cambodia.  I know a lot of people were a bit apprehensive about my traveling to Cambodia - mostly because of the problems they have had (they only recently ended a civil war and with the death of Pol Pot came freedom) - basically from 1976 - 1997 Cambodia was under the Khmer Rouge rule - and an estimated 1.7 - 2.5 million people were killed.

The people are amazing here.  Loving, smiling, and full of energy; working hard to re-capture their traditions.  The first night in Cambodia, we went to dinner where a children's troupe performed first a shadow puppet show, then a series of traditional dance.  The music is also performed by the children.  I made a small video of one of the dances to show everyone what the traditional Khmer dance is like.  The costumes were Thai in style, because traditional Khmer costumes would have been topless:  

To get prepared for the visit to this country, I read When Broken Glass Floats and learned the story of one family and their struggle during this time.    I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the human struggle and real life story of those who lived the horrors.  I finished the book while in Siem Reap, and felt quite connected to the culture. 

This is the first place I have ever traveled that the people literally thanked us for visiting.  They were genuinely grateful for our visit, our faith in their new freedoms and (let's be honest) our spending money there and investing in their economy.  I was thanked from every tour guide, shop keeper, hotel attendant, driver... it made me feel really wonderful and welcomed to their country!

While in Siem Reap, we visited around 10 of the thousands of ancient temples - places built around a thousand years ago with no cement or reinforcement; simply stone on top of stone.  These temples were by far the most amazing thing I have witnessed - their sheer size - the moats surrounding some of them... the carvings were beyond description.  I included a link to a youtube video showcasing the history of one of the temples, and it notes a few of the others as well.  The slideshow of the temples is not in any particular order (sorry) - but watching through all of them you might be able to discern one temple from another.  The original Hindu temples are multi-level, while the Buddhist temples are one level.  It was an honor to get to walk through these true wonders!

One day we took a hour-long ride in a tuk-tuk to the Cambodian Landmine Museum.  Created by Aki Ra, his mission has evolved from the de-mining of Cambodia to helping injured and orphaned youth with his school.  We watched a video about how he responds to calls by villages to deactivate mines they discover, and saw through the exhibit the terrors of these devastating weapons.  Thousands of deactivated mines are on display, and they even have some in a outdoor setting showing how hard it is to spot a mine.  Honestly, if I hadn't known to look for mines, and stood for a while to scan the ground, I would have never noticed them and it was at that moment I realized how impossible the efforts to clean up the millions of remaining mines seems.  I visited their gift shop and made a donation to the museum's relief fund. 

On the road to the landmine museum (and a few of the temples), we saw stand after stand of villagers with these large metal pots boiling something; the steam billowing off and up into the sky.  Upon closer inspection, we were educated on the process of creating my favorite Cambodian treat - palm sugar!  Basically, village men climb up the palm tree and squeeze the cut buds to massage the nectar out.  This drains into bamboo buckets that are then carefully carried down to be boiled in the metal pots.  After a long time cooking, the melted sugar is poured into small rings made out of palm fronds and left to cool.  The result is something similar to brown sugar, with caramel and butterscotch notes.  We bought some of this and I have to say it was one of my favorite guilty pleasures in Cambodia!  This sugar was unprocessed, chemical free, and seeing how it was made made it a real treat!

We took a boat adventure to Tonle Sap Lake's floating village.  Chong Kneas is a village at the edge of the lake, and its location changes based on the migration of the lake itself.  Around 20-30 minutes from Siem Reap, the trip took us past many houses on stilts, and white sheets that were hung out in the fields.  I thought that perhaps they were bleaching the sheets, but a quick answer from the driver corrected my assumption.  Crickets.  The sheets are lit up at night, and the crickets jump to the white sheet, then fall to a trough full of water below and are trapped.  These are a source of food for the villagers, or used as bait to catch fish.  

As soon as you enter the village, you’ll see rows of tourist boats docked closely together. You’ll also start smelling that fishy smell that seems to be present with river villages. One look at the water and you realize that it’s muddy muddy muddy. But such is life. People in the village still use it for cooking, drinking, washing and bathing. 

The floating village is rather small. After about 20 minutes of going slowly on the boat, you’ll reach the large Tonle Sap lake. On the way there, however, you’ll see many interesting sights.  As we were being informed about the village and the residents, one of the many boats approached the side of our boat, and a small (maybe 3 year old) boy popped his head up over the edge of our craft.  His mother begged for money while he smiled, then jumped back into his boat to get his pet.  Wrapping it around his neck, he assumed his position at the edge of our boat again.  All this time, my friend Chuck was sitting with his back to the experience - so I calmly told him...

"I don't want to alarm you but behind you is a baby with a snake!"

It was quite the surreal experience to say the least.  The villagers are poor, but seem pretty happy.  We saw a crocodile farm while there, and I got a few gifts for friends back in the states. 

We were lucky enough to spend an afternoon at the Angkor Pottery Center, managed by Hann Paruth - I tried my hand (foot) at a Khmer kick wheel and (thanks to Melody Cooper, my Woodland Hills, CA ceramics instructor) made a respectable bowl.  We heard her story and some of the history of the Khmer artists who were all but obliterated during the previous years.  I'd provide a website for her but alas, there is no website. 

I did take a lot of photos... what I didn't do was make any video during the visit to the pottery center.  I found this wonderful youtube video from another visitor earlier in 2010 and wanted to share it... Hann Paruth was a wonderful host - she goes into some detail about where the clay is from and through this video you'll see some of the in process works she is doing.  Pay attention to the Khmer kick wheel - it's not as difficult as you'd think.... If you ever find yourself in Siem Reap, it is imperative that you visit her pottery studio!

The silk farm was a wonderful educational experience that taught us the process of how silk is made.  From the life cycle of the silk worm to the reeling of silk, to the dyeing, and weaving, the process is labor intensive.  The most amazing style is ikat, where the weft (the fibers that go from right to left on the loom) are dyed in an intricate process.  Here is a video from youtube (not from the place we visited; note it's in Thailand!) that explains ikat silk weaving.  Spend the 5 minutes watching this video to have an idea of what the process is like:

OK, back to the silk farm!  We took a short ride to this place, part of the Artisans d'Angkor NGO - they are working to preserve and restore the arts and crafts of the Khmer people.  At the end of the tour, we were able to purchase items made by these artisans.  HERE you can see some of the items for sale - they were quite reasonable and every item was beautifully crafted.

I didn't do any filming at the silk factory - I was too enamored with the process and so busy taking photos I forgot!  Here's a video from youtube showing the actual farm we visited - witnesing the artistry and steps involves made me have a new appreciation for handwoven  silk!!

The same NGO that trains the weavers also trains sculpters, metalsmiths and painters.  The women who are taught silk painting are deaf and mute, and all the artist students come from villages where they would otherwise have no training (or future).  They are brought to the school where they apprentice and learn their specific craft.  After months of study, they eventually return to their village with materials to continue their work.  These items are sold by the NGO and the artist makes money... it's a wonderful arrangement saving a culture that would have otherwise disappeared.

The island is a true paradise.  There are only a handful of resorts in the area we stayed.  There are NO roads (OK, there are pathways) and no cars - no trucks.  The only real transportation is boat, tractor or golf cart.  People smile here, the air is soft and light and salty, and it's one of the few places in the world where I don't see a huge pidgeon infestation!

We slept pretty well, although the beds at each hotel were pretty darn firm - and each day it was a wonderful feeling to think the only thing I had to do was get up, brush my teeth, put on my swim trunks and go sit by the pool.  I have said before I loved this trip - but really - really - hear me when I say - I LOVED this trip!

OK.  Truth be told, I was very excited about snorkling.  The ocean was warm and clear, and despite my fear of stepping on glass or something else that would rip a crater in my foot, it was an adventure I was ready to experience.  We went on our first snorkling adventure one day near bamboo island and mosquito island; about 20 minutes by longtail boat away from Koh Phi Phi.  We climbed into the ocean carefully after putting on our snorkel goggles and fins.  For a few moments I was OK - looking around at the ocean floor, and immediately I saw schools of yellow fish!  Beautiful tropical fish that made me smile! 

It only took 2 minutes or less before I saw a jellyfish.  These things scare me because they sting (and some kinds can really injure a person, even kill them)!  I panicked because I couldn't get turned around and to the boat - and I was afraid that I was going to swim into another one... After taking a few breaths and talking myself out of the nervous breakdown I was having, I found my way to the boat, climbed in and realized that the temple on the left side of my head was STINGING.  I guess in my swim at some point, I had actually encountered a jellyfish - (the spot stung for a few days!)

John and Chuck spent a while snorkling and I watched from the boat.  We ended up snorkling one more time during our trip - in a small cove where I could stand on the reef if I needed to, and where it didn't feel like I was going to float away from the boat.  We spent an hour or so in this quiet little spot, feeding the fish, and marveling in the awesome beauty of the life in the water.  It was a real treat to get to snorkel and not be terrified. 

Who knows if I'l ever be over my small fear of the ocean and snorkeling - but the second snorkel adventure on this trip definately gave me some good memories of the sport, and might even be enough to talk me into trying it again sometime!

There was a Christmas tree farm on Koh Phi Phi!  (OK, it wasn't a tree farm - it was more like the landscape area for the resort we were staying in, but Chuck and I decided to make the best of it - and found a plant there and brought it to our room).  We decorated the tree and surrounding area with shells and flowers, cut a paper snowflake for the top of the tree out of the coasters in the room, and wrapped up some small gifts we had gotten for each other using whatever we could find.  It was a "figure it out" kind of holiday, and it made me think of those who get creative using what they have to be festive instead of buying all the decorations and other things that make the holiday commercial. 

It was one of the best holidays I have ever had - spending time with my wonderful friends, and being allowed the opportunity to sit back and really spend time to think of how very very lucky I am to have amazing people in my life.  I have been fortunate (even though sometimes it didn't feel like it) and never went a day without eating, have always had a soft place to sleep, and have been brought up in a country where for the most part I can be whatever I want...

Christmas was different than usual for me this year, for many reasons.  It was a different season than I expect for the holiday, I was in Southeast Asia, and I had recently made some big changes in my life.  The trip allowed me to reflect on what I had been doing and where I was going... and what I realized is that we are alive for a relatively short time - the days are numbered, and if you are interested in doing something, you should just dive in and do it.  That being said, since our return, I have designed 3 hat patterns, I have completed a number of knit items, and I am working on a few writing projects as well.  I have registered for classes at the local city college, discovered (and signed up for) a free tapestry class, and even been accepted into the HIV counselor training program by AIDS Health Project!  Things are moving along these first few weeks of 2011 - and I am certain that the year will be full of good things!

To get off the island, we chartered a speedboat to take us the 45km to Phuket, where we were to take a taxi to the airport.  John did the arrangements, and had us leave the island 30 minutes or so earlier than the hotel recommended, so that we would have plenty of time at the airport before our flight to Bangkok later that day.  We boarded our boat 45 minutes or so before the hotel suggested time, and bid farewell to our island home.

Or so we thought.

The driver brought us to the other side of the island (the more commercial side that reminded me a lot of what it might be like if it were spring break) and parked the boat... they told us that they needed to get something and they'd only be a moment.  About 20 minutes later we were trying to figure out what the captain of the boat needed (he had brought a jug from the boat with him) - and it turns out that he RAN OUT OF GAS! - lucky for us we weren't in the middle of the ocean, right?!  About 30 minutes later the other escort who was accompanying us to our destination finally reached another boat and we changed from one boat to another and started our trip to Phuket.  This should be the end of the frustrations, right? 

As we are speeding along, we hear some sputtering and choking of the engine - we have been boating right along at a good pace - and we are within site of Phuket and the bay where we are to dock and get our taxi when the engine shuts off.  The captain and the escort talk to each other, hop back and forth and fiddle with the engine - guess what?

We are out of gas.  Again.  (Seriously?  twice in one day?  On the way to the airport?  Is this really how our amazing vacation is going to end?!) -

Anyway, the captain nurses the boat to a dock (not the right dock) and we do get to a taxi who tells us we are about 40 minutes away from the airport.  We are also exactly 40 minutes from the cutoff time to check our bags for the flight to Bangkok!  The driver does his best to get us to the airport (slowing down the 3 times he answers his cell phone while driving) - and in the end, we arrived at the ticket counter to find out our flight had been delayed.  We made it just fine to Bangkok, where we stayed the night at an airport hotel.  The next morning, we got up WAY too early, trodded through the security and found our way to our flight home to Tokyo then San Francisco.  The flights were uneventful and long.

I am now happy to be home, settled into the start of my new life here in San Francisco, and looking forward to the adventures I will have here in this amazing city!

Thank you for taking time to read about the trip - I hope that it was as fun for you as it was for me to share!

Finally finished!  The Mitered Square Blanket - I started it way back in July, 2007, thinking that this "long term" project would be a beautiful queen sized blanket. Using Noro Silk Garden as the yarn, I created a worksheet for the pattern that helped me keep track of the knitting.  It worked well and as time went by I just got bored knitting square after square.  For those of you who may not know me that well, I sometimes am a little distracted when it comes to creative things.  I like to dive headfirst into many projects, and always am planning something else while knitting or making whatever the current project might be.

Since moving to San Francisco, I have discovered (even though EVERYONE told me) space is a premium.  My projects in progress used to sit in the studio in clear plastic bins - and hibernating projects had room to rest.  Here, it's a different story.  The works in progress are constantly calling to me, asking (pleading) for attention.  I decided to tackle them and get things done.  That's how this was completed... I only needed to finish assembling ths squares and then put on a border!

At first I thought I was going to crochet a border on the blanket.  I had completed one round on the piece and looked critically at it, then decided that a knitted mitered blanket deserved a knitted mitered border.  I ripped out the crocheted attempt and began to pick up stitches around the entire piece, placing markers at each corner.  using a random point on one of the sides as the beginning of my round, I reversed the "miter" on each of the corners, and did increases to create the border.  It seemed to work pretty well, and overall I'm pleased. 

I recommend tackling a project such as a blanket or throw - using random colorways of one yarn is a good way to "buy as you go" which is a good option for those on a budget.  I decided on using this yarn because I kept finding Noro Silk Garden for sale at yarn shops, and when Bishops Yarns closed in Chatsworth, CA, I was able to buy a LOT of this kind of yarn for a steep discount.  After that initial purchase, I started finding sales on this yarn and bought it when I saw it; helping out the LYS by purchasing their odd balls of yarn, and enhancing the collection of yarn to use in the project. 

I suggest that after making the squares, you select a neutral yarn to sew the squares together (I used mattress stitch) and for the border (I used a neutral then did a few rounds of the yarn I used for squares to create a small stripe in the border.) 

The sock for my self-imposed sock club is moving forward, slower than I want, but at least it's progressing.  I am working on a few designs currently and that mindwork is taking some of my free knitting time.  What a luxury; to get to knit as fun, and when it's time to work, to get to knit some more!  Speaking of which, time to get back to my pattern design knitting... (which I will talk about just as soon as I'm allowed!)

Happy Knitting,

Kyle

OK, let's talk... obsessed knitter to obsessed knitter.  I have an overwhelming stash of sock yarn, and I'm not even a compulsive sock knitter like some people I know!  I'm sure that almost every knitter has a stash that is out of control (even if we don't see it that way!)... and other projects and shiny things distract us from our goals... so, at the suggestion of a friend, I have created a
self-imposed sock club! 

I decided this year that I'll knit at least 6 pairs of socks; one pair every other month, in addition to my other knitting and designing.  One sock a month; that's not too difficult, right?  Right!  Time to get organized!  While noone was home, (important because as a fiber artist I can't reveal the actual amount of yarn in my stash... also important because non-fiber people don't understand and I have to begin dispensing anti-anxiety medication!), I hauled out my ENTIRE yarn stash, and all the patterns of socks that I have been intending to make... After I selected patterns (I chose 7 so that there's one extra just in case something goes awry) I went through my sock yarns and matched fiber to pattern and bagged each project up in 1 gallon ziplock baggies.  These are stored in a plastic storage tub and are all ready to be cast on!  In Ravelry, I spent some time queuing each of the projects up, and attaching the yarns to each of the projects.

It's the morning of February 1, 2011.  The sun is bright and the sky is clear in San Francisco.  I got my bucket of projects out and wrote each project name on a piece of paper, and put them in a dish for the drawing.  (The dish happens to be one of my own wheel thrown and altered ceramic pieces, featuring the image of none other than Elizabeth Zimmerman!)

Take a deep breath, and select the lucky first project for the self-imposed sock club!

The winner is:  Sideways Socks by Lanna Grossa!  I am happy that this is the first pair of socks.  Most of the sock is knit flat on circular needles, then grafted up the back.  The toe allows for a few minutes of work on double pointed needles... I recommend it for knitters who say they don't love knitting socks - I expect they will move quickly once I get going on them, and I'm already feeling good about using what I already own!

If you are on Ravelry, you will be able to see my up-to-date progress on this project by clicking HERE
(My Ravelry ID is kylewilliam)

If you'd like to join me knitting this pattern, it can be downloaded for FREE by clicking HERE.  If a pattern is posted by the publisher online, I'm able to provide the link.  Many of the patterns I selected for my self-imposed sock club are from books I own or patterns I already purchased.  I will be sure let you know where you can go to get the pattern with each installment.

Hopefully this is inspiring for you and it helps you to create a self-imposed club of your own!  Make a club with sweater patterns... scarves... hats... mittens... whatever you are obsessed with for 2011.  Create some order in your craft and help yourself justify the ginormous quantity of fiber and goodness that is surely sitting ready to go in your own stash!

Happy Knitting!

I have been working hard to complete lots of projects that have been lingering on my knitting needles.  Fellow knitters, you know what it's like to have a bunch of projects incomplete and in various stages of frustratingness.  Since my move to San Francisco, I have become quite focused on completing the projects I started, and being well-planned when it comes to starting new ones.  That being said, I am happy to share with you, Carlito; a recently-completed cabled cardigan, and Cure; the hat pattern I designed for HIV/AIDS awareness!

Carlito Cardigan by Matthew Gnagy
Yarn: Berroco Peruvia
Began: May, 2010
Completed: December, 2010
Visit this finished object on Ravelry: http://ravel.me/kylewilliam/cc

I bought the yarn for this project at WEBS during our real life visit May, 2010 , and cast on at the Men's Spring Knitting Retreat 2010 in Easton, NY. The project is rewarding, interesting and beautiful... My only notes are:

1. Be sure to center the pattern when picking up the stitches on the back panel - it’s important to divide the cable panel in half then half again (use safety pins or something to divide) and evenly distribute the stitches - otherwise you’ll end up with an uneven back and it’ll look icky… like mine did… and I had to rip it out and re-do it!

2. The length to the waist is shorter than I thought it would be.  Because of all the ribbing and traveling angled details, it could stand to be a touch longer.  If I were to re-knit this again I'd probably either knit it a little longer or not bind off at the bottom (leave those stitches live until it's assembled to ensure proper length.

Contrary to popular belief, cables are not difficult.  The only issue I find with this style of knitting is that it takes concentration and moves more slowly than other pieces I like to knit.  That being said, the reward of completing something such as the Carlito Cardigan makes the hours of knitting invested quite worthwhile! 

A portion of the proceeds from sales of this pattern will be donated to help fund HIV/AIDS Research.

$4.00 (.pdf pattern download)

Have life saving information to share with someone the next time they ask about the hat you’re wearing. Using this pattern, it’s easy to create a custom hat supporting HIV/AIDS awareness! Check out the fact sheet at the end of the pattern to learn more about this disease and what you can do to help reduce your risk.

Knit in the round, this hat features two motifs - the virus and the ribbon.  As the artist, you get to select the quantity and order of these motifs! 

Today is a good day.  I have been working very hard on this project for a number of weeks.  Designed, knitted, redesigned and knitted again, I finally got the hat pattern correct, and sent it out for test knitting.  A few friends responded and one expert wrote back, advising that there were no problems!  Hooray!

It is with great pride and honor that I present:  CAUSE -

Here's the pattern description:

Make a bold move to show which cause is dear to you. Using this pattern, it’s easy to create a custom hat supporting awareness of breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, or any other cause you choose! Change the color of the ribbons at will; knit one for yourself, make another for a friend or charity!

Knit in the round with 12 ribbons, this hat is designed with “floats” (carried yarn) across the back of the work. Be sure to secure any floats that travel more than 5 stitches, and to leave enough slack in each float so that the hat will fit comfortably around the head.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of this pattern will be donated to help fund Breast Cancer Research.

I have more designs in the works and look forward to releasing more as they are ready.  THANK YOU to my friends who have been so supportive, and the test knitters who were the brave first souls to be the first to try it out!

Happy New Year everyone!

I apologize for the big lapse between posts - but the latest delay comes with good reason.  Before I begin I want to note that I do have some knitting content to share but needs its own posts.  Those will come shortly after the trip recap is published.  I was out of town from December 9 - 30, 2010 traveling Southeast Asia with 2 of my good friends!  We visited Thailand and Cambodia over the almost 3 week trip and I came back with literally thousands of photographs, more inspiration than I can explain, and a refreshed outlook on life, seeing how others live firsthand in other parts of the world.  Because of the sheer volume of photos from this trip I decided instead of showing each individual photos from the trip that I would just speak in general about some highlights.  This will also be a two-part post because it's just so much information to read and share, I think giving you a break in reading might make it easier to digest.  (I also want to get part 1 out ASAP so that people can relish in the warm heat of Southeast Asia while it's chilly and wintery at home!)  Enjoy the trip! 

Before I went to Bangkok, all I knew about it was the sont "One Night In Bangkok" - I thought it was seedy, racy, and full of bars with back rooms that featured strippers or worse... When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful bustling city full of culture and history!  We stayed on the river in a beautiful hotel, and took a water taxi almost everywhere we went!  I have lots of favorite things to mention about Bangkok, but one of my favorites would be the wats - or Buddhist temples.  We went to a lot of them, including Wat Pho, the home of the huge reclining Buddha.  We saw the Emerald Buddha as well (it's one of the most important Buddhas in the history of the religion).   I also really appreciated that the wats were almost all being renovated or restored... go through a doorway and there's an artist lacquering a giant centuries old Buddha image - through another doorway or around a corner in a different wat and someone is restoring a mural... the preservation efforts made me smile.  I like when people do their best to preserve amazing spaces such as these!  Enjoy a few of the photos I took while visiting these amazing spaces:

We had a wonderful adventure at Jim Thompson's House - after the adventure trying to find it, we were led on a tour of what was his home (he took a number of traditional Thai houses and reassembled them to make one large home with two outbuildings - one for his gardener and the other was for his housekeeper. 

Jim went on an excursion in the Cameron highlandsin Malaysia in 1967 and never returned - his house is now a museum showcasing this brilliant businessman and his passion for the silk industry.  He's the guy who revitalized the Thai silk world, and his name still hangs on shops around the world.  I thought about buying a bag from the Jim Thompson shop, but decided that I have many bags as it is, and that the photographs and experience of being in this place were enough souveniers.  There was also a small museum at the property, and theyon exhibit some of the silk items from one of Jim's collections.  I really liked some of the fashions, but have no idea where I'd wear a fancy silk long coat like the one in the show... We were not allowed to photograph inside the home (except in certain areas) so I can only offer you these peeks into the world of Jim Thompson:

Bangkok is a land full of sights and smells - there are markets everywhere you turn (but no yarn shops that we could find!) and commodities are divided into areas... if you want car parts, you head to that area of town.  Need a new rubber stamp or embosser for your business?  There's probably a street for that as well... 

Everywhere you go in Thailand (and Cambodia) in the big cities, the way to get around quickly is by a little two stroke engine motorcycle with a cart behind it - they call this a Tuk-Tuk.  They are cheap and they are everywhere!  On one of the days, Chuck and I took a field trip to try to find a certain area of town, and while searching came across the flower market - this is where they make the floral adornments for the temples and Buddha's.  Here are some of my favorite photos showing daily life in Bangkok, Thailand:

After our long walking journey through the city, we were starting to get a little frustrated.  When visiting a country, it's good to have a guide or someone who can read the language.  I'm not ashamed to say that Thai (and other languages like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.) when written, make absolutely no sense to me!  This can be problematic when you're looking for a place and the only way to find it is to follow Thai street signs.  Chuck and I were really at the end of our rope, and stopped at a corner to examine our tourist map to see if we could figure out which direction was which... when a lady approached Chuck and asked where we were trying to go... (most people there are eager to help you find your way, which is nice) - we explained we were looking for a certain Wat that sells Monk Bowls.  Monk bowls are used by Thai monks to collect alms in town each morning--being pounded into shape out of eight strips of steel, one for each stage of the Buddhists' eightfold path.  She told us that the village was just down the street we had stopped at - and pointed the way to where we really wanted to go; monk bowl village!  

As we got closer, we were greeted by the ambassador of Monk Bowl Village - one of the residents who speaks great English - he showed us to the "store" (it was no more than a pile of bowls and a glass case) - We pondered the bowls, but I wanted to see where they were made.  He obliged, and took us on a tour of their village - and eveywhere we went, we heard "tap tap tap"... That metallic tap you hear is the sound of the bowls being smashed into shape by the artists.  The village was cute, and everyone seemed happy there... they are very poor people, but they do good work making something that they love - we were impressed by their work - it would take an artist one full day to make a bowl.  Chuck and I each bought one bowl (about U.S. $30) and they are proudly displayed on a shelf at home in San Francisco now.  When I brought my bowl back to the hotel, one of the hotel porters warned me that it was more than a souvenier.  The bowls are sacred, and should never be put on the ground.  I promised him I'd safeguard this bowl, and I'm honored to have it as a momento from this amazing adventure.  Here are photos from Monk Bowl Village:

Are you hanging in there with me?  I told you - it's a long trip!  I hope you're enjoying the 5 day adventure in Bangkok, Thailand.  Stay tuned; I will be posting a part 2 to this trip, featuring 7 days in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and 7 more on the beautiful island of Koh Phi Phi, Thailand!

November has been a month full of changes.  I made many life altering choices, including the one to say farewell to my home in Los Angeles and head north to San Francisco!  Change is not always easy, but often these differences in location and change of scenery offer more good than we can imagine!  On Sunday November 20, 2010 I headed north with a friend after loading my (cute) little 10' Uhaul truck.  As we drove it rained softly and we were presented with rainbow after rainbow after rainbow...

We drove about halfway and stopped near Fresno for the night, and woke up the next morning to a clear, crisp day... clean roads and postcard-perfect views all the way into the bay area...

We kept getting closer and closer to HOME - and I finally decided to post on Facebook that I was making the move - messages from all over poured in congratulating me on the decision - it wasn't easy - we often face crossroads in our lives (insert violin music here) and the opportunities we have should be seized!  I am moving to this wonderful new city, leaving my previous job (and career) with the goal of entering into the non profit sector.  Initially I will be seeking work as a voulenteer as an HIV counselor - administering tests and offering information to clients.  In time I will find the right job for me... one that makes a difference in the lives of those in my community.

I thought for a while if I might want to work in a fiber-related field, and I am still undecided about that - I think that I prefer doing something else that I love, and leaving the knitting and fiber fun as a passion - I may change my mind at some point, but for now, that's the road I chose.

We arrived safe and sound around lunchtime - John parked the Uhaul carefully and it only took around 10 minutes to unload into the lobby of the condo.  As the Uhaul was returned I hauled as much as I could up the stairs.  a few days have passed now and almost everything is put away, and the kitties are acclimating to their new home.  They have discovered the wall heaters, and the pidgeons outside the windows.  I think they like both.

Here's Willow sharing Dewey's bed in front of the wall heater - they love the heaters early in the morning, but really prefer the sunbeams... San Francisco is a gorgeous town full of character and interesting people.  I look forward to the adventure here and learning as much as I can about this glorious city!

p.s. Winky is safe in SF too but didn't want to be photographed :)

I was lucky enough to get to go to Imagiknit's 8th anniversary sale in San Francisco back on September 11, 2010 - and that's where I picked up 3 skeins of yummy Punta Yarns Mericash Thousand Colors in an amazing pumpkin orange.  I mixed it with a natural undyed yarn in my stash and started knitting away on Jared Flood's Alberta vest.  It didn't take that long to work my way up to the very top of the vest.  I ended up binding off the shoulders and seaming them together.  Then, it was time to steek.

I started by sewing a white yarn up the center of the steek, then I used a different colored yarn to crochet the anchors at the armholes and the v-neck. 

Then, after a long day at work, I gatherd my knitting, picked up my reproduction vintage looking super pretty sissors from Laci's Needlework, took a deep breath, then did what most knitters fear... I cut my knitting!

slowly, stitch  by stitch, the arm holes opened up, the v neck opened up and the blob in the round funny looking piece I had made blossomed into a vest!  I PROMISE that steeking is not hard.  It will not kill you.  With patience and planning, it can turn your knitting projects in a whole new direction.  I am excited about my next steeking project now!

Here's the vest with its arm and neck edging - freshly finished - the steeked bits are carefully tacked down on the inside - and I'm pretty happy with this finished object!

On October 17, 2010, my friend John and I set off to run the Humboldt Redwoods Half Marathon!  We had been running and training for months to get to this day - and John was a trooper; his knee was hurting a bit the week before, and seemed to be better as the day approached.  We talked about the realities of a half marathon and decided that we'd work together to get him through the race.  John's husband Chuck joined us for the trip and was so kind with his cooking and hosting.  We stayed at a friend's house the night before, and got to spend the night in front of the fire.  The morning of the run, we got dressed, headed out and felt pretty good.  The first 6.5 miles were pretty easy, running through the most amazing scenery!  As the miles increased, so did the pain, and it went from running to walking, to limping... and while the finish may not have been the most spectacular in history, John and I finished the run - 13.1 miles - VERY proud of the hard work we both put in... the best part?  We are already making plans for our next runs!!

That night, John couldn't really walk on his own - I remember feeling this way after the L.A. Marathon - the next day we got him some crutches, and on the way home, Chuck brought John, me and their adorable Boston Terrier Dewey to the Chandelier Tree in Leggett, CA!  It's thousands of years old and in the 1930's the "drive thru" was carved... What a fun adventure the weekend was - I am very lucky to have such incredible friends in my life!

And of course, I spent a few minutes under the Chandelier Tree knitting... yes - knitting under a @2,400 year old tree... why not!

We did other fun outings as well, including the spaghetti dinner in Weott and just up the road the amazing rock shop - which was also a museum - and INCREDIBLE!  It's probably the main reason I want to go back to this run - next year I want to do the full marathon - and go back to the rock shop and YES take photos of the rock shop so I can share it's wonders with all my friends!