Knucks

Sometimes ideas for projects are so easy. I had seen the pattern for Knucks just before Katherine came home from Turkey. It didn't occur to me to make some until I was watching a slideshow that the exchange students had compiled to document their year together in Istanbul. One of the photos was a pair of hands with an ink stained knuckle tattoo. Bing! Before the next picture flashed, I had a project added to my list.

So this pair is really just a prototype. I wanted to surprise Katherine with the finished gloves but I have zero confidence in picking out colors she would choose herself. She liked these well enough, but there will be another pair with her input.

Project details: Well, I changed everything about the pattern, except the idea of embroidery on the knuckles. I used Lamb's Pride Worsted Yarn, US 5 needles and my generic glove pattern for the stitch count and the gauge.

Eye Candy

Bloggers participate in various group activities, and I haven't been much of a joiner. But Eye Candy Friday appeals to me. Juneau is such a pretty place and one reason I have the blog is to try to improve my photography.

This is a picture of the Mendenhall Glacier and the valley where our house is. This is a classic photo spot in this town, especially when the fireweed are in bloom in the foreground. There are usually busloads of tourists here from the cruise ships but this morning there were only locals with their cameras. The clouds finally lifted.

The bait...

The catch

Fishing with Grandpa

Dave's dad loves to fish and he has been taking Ray out on his boat this summer. Yesterday they caught three salmon and today I went along to take pictures. Three more salmon in the boat! Fresh fish for dinner is hard to beat.

Alaskan Heat Wave

We were up at the cabin for 9 days, sheltered from the summer sun by fog and clouds. The lower part of the continent may be scorching but things are still cool up here.

No complaints, though. We had all that warm weather last winter in Mexico and Alaskans can only take so much heat.

Girlfriend's Swing Coat

Pattern: Girlfriend's Swing Coat

here

Yarn: Rowan Cashsoft DK

Needles: US 6

Moose Pictures

The first two photos are of a moose walking by the cabin. We saw it from inside and went out on the deck to take pictures. It probably heard us and certainly saw us but it wasn't alarmed. Just munched on some foliage and ambled away. See ya.

Often we see moose swimming. Since they are such leggy creatures, they seem like land animals, but either they need to cross the lake frequently or they just make good mileage in the water. The first time I saw a swimming moose, it was from way up the lake. It looked like the wind was blowing some branches toward our beach but then as it got closer, I saw that the branches were moose ears, flapping around listening. I watched that one swim at least two miles.

The mama moose below had a very young babe with her and she led the little one into the water right below our cabin. Our neighbor had his float plane at our dock and the calf swam between the floats. Too cute.

Fetching?

Patterns have names nowadays. These fingerless gloves made the "cover" (home page) of knitty, the best online knitting magazine. Are they fetching? I suppose. Quick and easy, definitely.

I used Rowan Cashsoft DK yarn and US 4 needles. The gauge was tighter than the pattern but they fit just fine.

The Daughter is Home

Katherine arrived home today after spending eleven months in Turkey as an exchange student. She was full of stories and laden with gifts and we are so happy to see her again. Wow.

Electric Fence

When we land the plane at the Chilkat Lake airstrip, we gather our things and go off to the cabin. We may not see the plane for days. It really isn't too far from the lake where people live and there is boat traffic nearby but the plane is virtually unattended. It is not at all like leaving it tied down at an airport surrounded by chainlink or putting it in a hangar.

Bears are curious and strong. Moose are really big and rather clumsy and dumb. And porcupines can't be trusted. They like to eat rubber. We don't want any curious, stupid or hungry animals anywhere near the plane. Damage to a tire, a wing or the tail in a place like this would lead to expensive and logistically complicated repairs.

So Dave has devised a corral with an electric fence that seems to do the trick. We don't worry too much about the plane even though it is miles away. Better safe than sorry.

Komi Patterns

A lot of hats, mittens, socks and gloves have been inspired by this book by Charlene Schurch. Many have already been given away but I have a few pictures of recent projects. Six hats have just tumbled off the needles.

The geometry of these traditional designs is very simple. Every third row is usually three dark stitches alternating with three light stitches. They are very easy to do and quite effective. In addition to making the mitten patterns as written, I use the charts in the book to design my own pieces.

Access, Part Two

Landing at the runway at the lake has its own challenges. The airstrip is long enough and plenty wide and has lots of clearance and a firm surface. As the summer months progress, however, the weeds and bushes that want to become trees grow like crazy and it takes some effort to keep the brush back. Dave is the main person using the strip right now. It was originally put in by a lake lodge owner on state land. The lodge isn't flying people in these days and the state never was interested in maintaining it. So Dave spent a day with a chain saw and weed whacker, knocking down some greenery on the landing strip itself and the half mile trail that leads from the runway to the lake.

You can walk the trail, of course, but carrying supplies is a factor coming and going. Anyway, the boys prefer to ride.