Knitting update

In December I found myself on a sheep farm! My friend Chloe's aunt and uncle are living on Dancing Lamb Farm in NY state and we got to tour the farm, meet the sheep, and take home some raw wool. I'm hoping to process the wool like I did the last time I got my hand on some raw wool, but I don't have the resources I did back then (tools to borrow and a spinning class to take at the Craft Center at UC Davis). So we'll see how long the wool stays nice and stinky in its bag, it may be a while.









I'm currently working on another Baby Surprise Jacket, for my new baby cousin, Ezra. I made him this little blanket from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop when he was born in August, but I'm excited to be making another BSJ, and this time creating stripes as I go. I'll post when that's done, hopefully in the next month or so.

Finally, M and I were visiting Jaja in NYC last weekend and I dragged M into The Yarn Company on the Upper West Side. It's a great little store that felt nice and welcoming, and I picked up this cute book. West Knits, Book Two by Stephen West. It has lots of cute patterns that are unique and actually wearable, I can't wait to start the Splitbark mittens or Loxley hat/scarf!

Morning :: breakfast reading

Morning :: lunch cart

15th St. Philly

Morning :: Love Park fountain, Philadelphia

Morning :: Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Looking northwest from the tenth floor of my office building.

Morning :: plastic bags

Morning :: Organ

A Walk in the Wissahickon

M and I did a little hometown exploring this weekend. We joined a hike in Wissahickon Valley Park led by a volunteer Trail Ambassador from the Friends of the Wissahickon, a non profit that works to improve the park. We learned about the history of usage in the park - the mills that used to line the creek, the geology and quarrying, and the amazing structures that were built by the WPA during the Depression.

The Wissahickon is one of five watershed parks in Philly, and we've spent some time exploring it in the past. This time we drove to the far northwestern edge to walk along Forbidden Drive, so named because at the turn of the century they decided not to allow cars on it.

The Wissahickon is home to some incredible features, including this covered bridge, the only one left in a major American city.

There are also two statues set into the hillsides along the creek - this is the "Indian" statue, sculpted out of marble in 1902 and meant to depict a member of the Native American tribe the Lenape, looking westward at the departing members of his tribe as they are pushed out of the area by the colonists. He has a feather "war bonnet" on, which is historically inaccurate for the Lenape.

After being locked up in my office in front of the computer for the winter, it's nice to actually be out in the park exploring and learning about it!

Morning :: Love Park

Morning :: 47th Street