Thursday, May 21, 2015

Summer Time


Let the summer break begin!  Here are my Friday Faves for this first week of My Summer!


Flags on Ventura Pier

1.  Last Friday evening, we met up with friends who live in Los Angeles.  Usually, they drive up here (to do things like help us move!), but this time we met in the middle, in Calabasas, where there is one of our favorite restaurants--Sharky's!  They have The. Best. Burritos!

2.  The Topanga Banjo and Fiddle (Contest) Festival was awesome!  I spun yarn and demonstrated spinning techniques for hours and hours.  My favorite part is talking to the kids and explaining how long it takes to clean the wool, spin it and then knit it in to ONE pair of socks.  And I produced more than one full bobbin of Cowichan wool yarn.  (The link can give you some information on the kind of wool I was spinning--if you care.)

3.  Safe trip to Santa Monica.  I needed to act as chauffeur for a friend who was having a day surgery in Santa Monica.  Although the occasion wasn't great fun, we both enjoyed our drive through the Santa Monica Mountains and along the beach on Pacific Coast Highway.  After all, how many people can state that they drove to the hospital on PCH?  The extra part of the fave was, yes, safety in Los Angeles traffic.

4.  I've been knitting a small shawl using some handspun silk yarn dyed with indigo and a natural white llama and silk yarn, also handspun, one strand of each.  Finally, I got the hang of the pattern and am almost finished with it.  Every once in a while I enjoy a knitting challenge.  [Once it is finished and blocked, I'll post a photo of it.]

5.  The Professor posted his grades, and now he's on summer break!


Happy Memorial Day!

11 comments:

nikkipolani said...

Oh, delicious words, Willow! Summer break has started off with a bang for you, I see :-) Teaching's in your blood and it shows in your enjoyment in sharing with those kids at the festival.

Ah, yes, LA traffic survival is definitely a fave (PCH or no!).

Melanie said...

I've seen the Pacific Ocean once (off the Oregon coast). It sounds like you are quite near. Enjoy your summer break!

Gattina said...

Must be nice spinning yarn ! I should learn that as one of my cats is a big hair producer, she must have been a sheep in her former life !

Faith said...

the festival sounds fun! yay for the prof being do e with his teaching! i have to work until June 24! how neat to have that drive time with your friend and so nice of you to be her chauffer. happy long weekend!,

Jerralea said...

Love that photo of the flag by the sparkling sea!

What patience you must have to do your spinning and knitting!

Glad you enjoyed the festival. I love events like that.

ellen b said...

Happy summer break to you and a hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Susanne said...

I totally thought of you when we watched a group of ladies in the mall spinning wool! Quite a craft to watch! One lady had a spinning wheel which almost looked like a recumbant exercise bike. I thought that was quite the multi tasking.

I would love the drive the PCH one day. I'm sure the views are spectacular! Enjoy the long weekend.

Barbara H. said...

Hurray for summer break!

The festival sounds so fun. I'm sure it's quite a wake-up call to realize just what goes into making products out of yarn.

It was nice of you to drive your friend to his/her procedure - and nice to have safety and lovely views in doing so.

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Happy Memorial Day to you too, Willow! I hope you and the Professor have a lovely weekend. Knowing what an excellent knitter you are, I can hardly imagine what complicated pattern would give you a challenge! I'm sure it is beautiful and I look forward to the photo. Hooray for summer breaks - I know you will enjoy yours to the fullest.

Mereknits said...

My two younger kids are almost ready for summer, I will be working right through the summer months, oh well!@
Happy Summer,
Meredith

Deb J. in Utah said...

Looks like your summer is off to a beautiful start! Enjoy!