finally fiber!!...

While i was in Crete, i did do some knitting (very little spinning). I took with me some Falkland Islands wool yarn which i had dyed in bright primary colors. Finished 3 kids' hats... sent one to Zylie for her birthday, gave one to Socrates, the 3 year old son of a friend in Vamos, and one for Laura, the 1 year old daughter of our Danish semi-son, Soren. I still need to finish off the loose ends inside the hat and wash and block it, but here it is in its current state:

(modeling the hat is a bear which is a xmas gift for one of the dogs)

this is another shot of it which shows the top better:


and here's the shawl/stole i started way back when and thought would be finished by now -


and:
the color looks crappy on here. i'll try again later sometime and see if i can get truer color.

weather alert... and we made it home!!

we had a weather event yesterday!! it's been tres cold for a week, with below freezing at night, and yesterday was the turning back to warmer point, which often means that ugly transition when moisture coming down is warmer, then hits the surface temperature which is freezing and becomes freezing rain and slick roads. anyway, we picked up my dad at noon and went to
lunch at mcmenamins grand lodge in forest grove, and then to the matinee of Music Man at theater in the grove. the sky had been getting steadily grayer and the air smelled like snow... guess what, flurries started as we went into the theater and by intermission, snow was coming down like a sommonabeech and cars were sliding up to the stop light in front of the theater!! when i made the announcement to pop and jim that i wanted to go home, i was not met with any resistance! we had to slide to hillsboro first to take pop home (tried to get him a taxi, but none of 'em answered their phone!!), then slid out the sunset highway and made it home!! yippee and bravo!!! our little Ruby2 Prius did a marvelous job on slick streets and going up hills!

and now it is time to get serious about preparing for the holiday celebrating. as always, i've been waiting for cinderella
to show up and clean house for me, and she just never does, the bitch. so, today i'll finish unpacking my duffle and huge suitcase and finish putting away the recently washed contents. some of the stuff in the suitcase still smells like the cretan sun from hanging on the clothes line on the balcony. must say, i dont miss washing all my dirty clothes in the sink (Jim used the bathtub for his because he saved up til there was a bunch of 'em). then will bring the gift wrapping stuff up here
and set up a card table and get goin' on wrapping. Jim will get us a tree in the next day or so, and i'll do some minimal festivus decorating. must have candles and greens out before solstice!!! and so, this week i plan to just dink around my queendom, get organized maybe, do a little bit of cleaning up, wrap gifts, figure out what all i'm fixing for xmas dinner and the tribe. for sure, i'm going to try Charleen's cranberry relish with walnuts in it!! C&K and kids will come down in time for dinner on the 25th and stay for a few days. it will be lovely to spend some time with them and play with the kids. Jen and Maggie and their little girls will be here on christmas day, too, and that will add to the festivities!!

We're home again....

and i'm happy to be here, and trying to get settled back in. after the very simple and quiet village life in Crete, it's been almost culture shock going back to my "normal" life here... especially when i braved the cold and crowds, and went shopping at Nordstrom's Rack. .. eeeeekk. If it weren't for the grandkids and other relatives i'd be most tempted to let the holiday season just pass on by while i sit and spin and get back to dyeing some fiber. Other than xmas day dinner for the whole tribe here, i'll try to keep things pretty simple (no cookie baking, minimal decorating, no more shopping!!! I did some in Crete and most of the rest of it online)

I took a supply of yarn with me and made a couple of kid's hats, a treasure bag, and got the shawl/stole about half finished.

I am eternally grateful that i was able to live in Vamos for 3 months, and for the friendships there, and i miss them and know that we will go back.

a picture from Crete

This is the remains of an olive oil factory at the old monastery at Karides, Crete. You can see the huge round stones used for pressing the olives. This was a lovely place to visit, and is quiet and deserted except for the 2 or 3 monks who still live there and take care of the place.