It is funny how you can live in the same area as some of your favorite blog friends, and for one reason or another, you are never really able to get together for a face-to-face meeting.  Parikha and I have been trying to get together for a long while, and this past weekend, we finally did it.  And even better?  it corresponded with Rangsiwan’s visit to the East Coast.  SO, I got to meet two great blog friends in one day! (with the addition of R’s really sweet friend, Marissa). 

We started the day off with a great lunch at one of my favorite spots in DC: Teaism in Dupont Circle.

Veggie bento boxes for P and me – Udon needles for R and M

Over lunch, we discussed travels (Rangsiwan just returned from Brazil), photography (we were all outfitted with our Canons – but I think I am the only one who took photos?) and the yummy food.  And the best part?  It was so natural.  Meeting “old” friends for the first time.  Very nice. 

A freak monsoon-like rainstorm hit DC as we were leaving the cafe – we made a break for Marissa’s car to head to Silver Spring for the Crafty Bastards fair.  It is great to see that the fair has reached such popularity that they can now do it twice a year! 

The heat was the resounding topic of the day.  The sun was beating down, and while it was nice to have so much light, it was nasty hot.  Luckily, there was some shade to cool off, and even an indoor area with more vendor/artists.  And some Italian Ice. 

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet a Flickr friend who was showing at the fair – so cool to meet you, Tess! – and met the very talented Abby at Folktale Fibers.  I caught up with Paula at Woolarina - pulled up a chair and made in the shade for a short while.  What a fun time. 

After the fair, we said goodbye to Parikha, and headed into Silver Spring.  Even with the heat, there were a lot of people out and about.  We stopped off in Cake Love and R got a scrumptious cupcake, and then headed to the green. 

~Kids playing in the fountain~ (I was tempted myself)

After seeing the capoeiristas, I decided that I couldn’t complain about the heat anymore.  Amazing to see. Great music too!

Rangsiwan and I made plans for later this summer (when I will be in SF) and we parted ways.  I had a permagrin when I got home.  What a nice day! 

…and I even came home with a few goodies to remember it by…

Felted soap kits from Woolarina / Folktale Fibers Handspun
(and the pretty turquoise necklace in the shot above from Block Party Press)

I unpacked my new yarn from The Loop in Halifax, only to pack it up again to head to the beach for a long weekend. What can I say? (I will be staying put for awhile… well, a few weeks, at least). The Schulana Sojabama first caught my eye when I saw Mimi’s Wyvern Wrap (Ravelry link), and it didn’t take much for her to talk me into it when I visited her shop. I did go in with a plan, however… the yarn was perfect for the Pintuck Tee that I had added to my queue only a week before…

The bamboo/soy blend is going to be perfect for this summer tee. I am thinking about modifying the sleeves on this one, but it all depends on how much yarn I have left. The yarn appears to be a great gray, but if you look a little closer in natural light, it is actually quite multi-tonal: lavender, blue, and maybe a little pink too. Quite lovely.

(beaded stitch marker compliments of dear Coleen)

It’s a small gauge knit in the round – worked on size 3 needles with hundreds of stitches per round. Perfect kind of knitting for lazy days at the beach ~ well, at the beach house, as I only venture to the actual beach after the sun sets and there is smaller risk of my skin turning red

Every year, we head over to Assateague Island to see the wild ponies.

This year, we had a pretty close encounter.

Kris kind of surprised me with this. I guess you could say we are really into photography now that we are a two-Canon (well, three if you count the little point-and-shoot) household. This is a fancy cam – no way around it.

XTi / 40D

So, you may see a few shots here and there with the new one, but I am perfectly content to use the “old” one too… being that the old one is not really “old”. Plus, I am pretty sure that the lens is where it’s at. The lens on Kris’s camera (above) is my baby – the L-series 24-70mm/f 2.8. It is a sweet sweet lens.

A few of you asked in some of the comment fields about my photos and the processing tools I use. We got Adobe Photoshop Lightroom about a year ago, and I run all of my photos through it before I upload them to Flickr or the blog. I do minimal processing (white-balance control, some adjustments to vibrancy and contrast, and in some cases increasing exposure) for most photos. I have played around with some of the mock-HDR functions in Lightroom as well; they are definitely more art-y than informational photos. I have noticed that one of the real differences – especially for vibrancy of color – comes from the polarized filter that fits on the lenses. It brings out the colors (like the sky or water) much like polarized sunglasses do.

The camera came while I was at work, so Kris got some more time to play with it (hence his earlier blog post featuring the first photos with the 40D!) However, once I got home, I too went into the garden for my first shots. It is the perfect place to see something pretty.

The chamomile is coming up and these pretty little flowers caught my attention. I am hoping to make some chamomile tea very soon (maybe with some of the mint that is coming up beside it?) The lilies peaked while we were in Canada, but they are still lovely in their twilight days. Their blooming is one of the highlights of my “nature” year! And the grapes! we are going to have a lot this year – maybe enough to actually do something! I am thinking about jelly, and perhaps even more exciting to me? making my own dolmas with the grape leaves.

Regarding the camera and the photos: I don’t know if I see a quantifiable difference in the quality of these photos versus the previous camera, but I am sure that once I learn more about the 40D, there will be some cool stuff happening. Of course, cool stuff can definitely happen with low-tech equipment too… it’s all about the creativity!

Nova Scotia provided some great elemental inspiration. The first few days of our trip were before the color/elemental shift for Project Spectrum, between Earth and Air. It seemed like the perfect place to witness the effects of the elements, most specifically the tie between the two elements of AIR and WATER. Both have such strong powers of destruction, but also of great beauty.

The sun’s rays and the sting of the salty seaside air bleached and broke this tree.

Pebbles strewn along the beach.

Formed and smoothed by millenia of wind and water.

~The rustling of the grasses in the breeze ~

The crisp spring flowers: white and yellow blossoms.

The quiet whoosh of the windmills. Harnessing the power of the wind: sustainability. I hope to see more wind farms in my own country in the future.

~ Looking into the fog, rolling in from the bay ~

Enjoying the cool breeze off the lake, viewing the cirrus clouds above

Air may be the most difficult element to “see”, but it can definitely be experienced.

How are you feeling the AIR around you?

We traveled to Canada during the height of my recent cowl craze, so naturally, I made the very wearable neckwarmers. I had grand plans to knit many more cowls than I actually did… but I came away with two good ones that I knit, and one beautiful one that was given to me by Ingrid. Good thing too, because there were a few times when I was downright COLD!

I finished the first cowl a few days into our trip. I used two yarns that have lived in the stash for so long that I don’t remember when I get them! This cowl is called the “Keji” Cowl, because I finished it right before we explored the Kejimkujik Seaside Adjunct.

I just cast on with the Classic Elite Montera and the unlabeled mohair yarn and knit it right up, throwing in a few purl rows here and there to make the rolling less apparent. The cowl is warm and wispy, and kept me warm throughout the walk. A few times, when the wind was whipping up around us on the beach, I pulled her right over my ears and had a good bit of insulation. Cowls are so versatile!

After finishing this cowl, I had a few false starts – I wanted to try Nova’s new Birthday Cowl, and I am still planning to do so – but I couldn’t pay enough attention to the pattern… so I stuck with easy stockinette and ribbing. That seemed to work best, as I was already in a highly distracted state (ooh! look at that beach! look at that moose! etc.)

The cowl that Ingrid made for me is so pretty – I just love the muted colors. She gave it to me right before we went on the boat, so I was able to wear it all day! The cowl that I made for her ended up being too big, but she was able to loop it around to have a snuggly neckwarmer.

I started on the second cowl the night after we left Yarmouth, and I worked on it until I finished it toward the end of our trip. I took along several balls of yarn for knitting, among the mix was the Fibre Company Terra that I picked up at MDSW last month. This colorway was called “Green Tea”, and while there is a slight tinge of green, I see much more gray here. So, I found good inspiration for Project Spectrum’s AIR element. I played around with several stitch patterns, and decided on a twin rib variation, really showcasing the yarn. I had two hanks, so I wanted this to be a nice long cowl. By the time I bound off, in the small village of Sherbrooke on the eastern shore, north of Halifax, I knew I had a winner. The yarn was amazing to work with. I have some other Fibre Company yarns in my stash, and I look forward to working with them too.

A classic twin rib that showcases the unique blend of merino, alpaca, and silk. When I posted the first photographs of this cowl, I had interest in a pattern, so I present you with my second cowl “recipe”: Sherbrooke.

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