For this particular project – geared to photographers and travelers – there is a weekly theme. A few weeks ago, I contributed some photos of DOORS for that week’s theme.  Today’s theme is SKYLINE.  The theme is usually pretty open to interpretation, so you can go the traditional route of cityscapes and twinkly lights or something more natural.  That’s what makes it fun! Here are some of my contributions this week from various travels over the years:

Chicago 2007

San Diego 2009

Juneau, Alaska 2010

Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite 2011

Hashtags are powerful little tools.  They can be quite useful metadata tools, but can be easily manipulated – like so many things on the web – by commercial interests and spambots.  If you do participate in social media circles, however, hashtags are a great way to meet new people with similar interests.  Using #FriFotos are an example again: I share a photograph from this year’s trip to Yosemite National Park.  When I tag it, everyone can see that.  PersonX just got back from Yosemite and has a photo to share that is very similar.  Shared interest and common bond.  Added bonus when I see that PersonX is also into the same kind of music as I am.  New acquaintance and new thread in the web of life – all because of a hashtag.  From there, it can just keep on going.

Another hashtag that I particularly enjoy and participate in each week is the #FridayReads group on Twitter.  While they have been mired in a bit of controversy lately, the fact remains that it is a community of readers who like to talk about books.  Each week, I report which book I am reading and attach the #FridayReads hashtag.  The moderator (@TheBookMaven) calculates how many people participate just for fun, and when you click on the hashtag, you can see what everyone else is reading.  Maybe that book that you have been meaning to pick up? something long forgotten? or an author that you like that has a new piece out?

While the concept sounds so elementary, social media really just comes back to community building and engagement. How do you meet new people? how do you interact? The hashtag for #Socktoberfest on Twitter was really fun this year with several updates and interactions.

As the tweet above suggests, I have been reading up a storm lately… I’m planning a little Reading Year in Review post soon. Stay tuned!

There are several different methods of preparing (just Google and you will find several) but the one that worked for me last time was to roast them in the oven. I poked holes in each shell for ventilation, and put them on a baking sheet. Set the oven for 425 degrees, and roast for about 25 minutes. Remove the HOT chestnuts from the baking sheet, and put them in a cotton dishtowel to cool for a few minutes. After they cool to the touch, wrap the towel into a ball with the chestnuts inside, and begin to crack the shells. When you open the towel, you can crack the shells more to extract the nut, but it should be easier to contain all the mess.

When you buy the chestnuts, it is inevitable that there will be some nuts that just don’t pass the test. You want them to be pliable; about the consistency of a dried apricot or a prune. Any harder and you could damage your teeth. There will be slight discolorations, but if the consistency is right, they nut should be perfectly edible. They make a great snack! However, if you have a recipe planned, you might want to save some for that…

I made a casserole-style baked dish from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz – it paired the chestnuts with caramelized onion, butternut squash, and white beans. Kris said it was amazingly delicious, and I really liked it too.  Only things that I did differently from the recipe (posted here) was add 1 tsp of Herbs de Provence and 1 tsp of nutritional yeast to the crumb topping.  I also used gluten-free breadcrumbs which I prefer to the “real” thing.  This is not a recipe for the faint hearted. With the chestnut roasting time, it is definitely a “slow food” – it took me over 2 hours from start to finish – but worth the time. Added bonus that your kitchen will smell of roasted chestnuts afterward!

The Knitter’s Book of Socks

The winner of this contest is Judy from Vermont, who had this to say:

I got the sock bug about three years ago and haven’t stopped since. I devour as many books as possible always trying to improve my technique or challenge myself with new patterns. I love Clara Parkes and have her first two books. This would be a nice addition to my collection especially during the long winter nights in Vermont where socks are required!

Judy, may you have lots of fun and very warm feet!

…and don’t forget to add this book to your holiday wishlist

Psssst… here’s a free pattern for this Stepping Stones pattern by Clara Parkes!

We had planned this trip for months – it was the first big “together” trip for my family since our family has grown by marriage and babies. Along with my youngest sister Sarah and her husband, Andrew, we decided to visit Yosemite National Park first, and then rendezvous with everyone several days later in Lake Tahoe. Extension to Yosemite was worth every second. As you know, Kris and I love hiking and photography, and Yosemite is a paradise for both.

We stayed outside the southern entrance to the Park; each day we drove in with plans to hike new trails.  We technically hit the Park in its off-season, so the crowds were down.  That was a nice perk on many of the trails and in-roads so we could take our time and stop whenever we pleased.  Kris and I should have made a sticker for the back of our rental car: Vehicle Makes Frequent Stops to Photograph.  Our feet were the best mode of transportation though – with the vast trail system, we were out and about every single day.

We hiked with all of our camera equipment, which made the hike a little heavier, but worth the effort after seeing the processed photos.  Long exposures, HDR, and macro photography – all things that I had the time to play with and the scenes to shoot.  If we had had more time and the appropriate gear, I would have jumped at the chance to do some back country camping and backpacking.  However, this trip focused on the highlights – Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, Mariposa (Giant Sequoia) Grove, the various falls, Tuolumne Meadows, and the glacial lakes.  Maybe next time on the backpacking?

[Full Set of Yosemite Photos on Flickr]

Since we took over 20 gigs of photos in the Park, I have many more to add to this photo set… it takes time to go through them all!  As you can see, we had beautiful weather and clear skies – a perfect combination for memorable hikes and photographs.

From Potter Craft’s site:

To help put the principles into practice, The Knitter’s Book of Socks offers 20 fresh, original patterns from today’s sock-design luminaries, including Cookie A, Cat Bordhi, Ann Budd, Nancy Bush, Anne Hanson, and Melissa Morgan-Oakes. The socks presented here run the gamut from simple knit-and-purl combinations suitable for beginners to innovative designs with lush colorwork, swirling cables, and delicate lace.

Understanding the elements of yarn is the first step on every successful sock knitting journey. With this book as your guide, you’ll learn how to make any sock yarn shine and love every pair of socks you knit.

Hickory Socks

I wish I could show you all of the patterns because they are all fun – ideal for all knitting styles and skill levels.  You can see a small slideshow on the publisher’s website, but it doesn’t do the book justice!  It will keep you busy knitting for years to come.

Want to try knitting some of these patterns?  I’m doing a book giveaway for the finale of this year’s Socktoberfest!  All I need from you is a comment telling me how long you have been knitting socks.  Are you a brand new knitter wanting to try? Are you a seasoned pro who has seen it all?  Bring it on, and this lovely book could be yours!

I will choose the winner randomly on Wednesday, November 2nd and contact the winner and announce it here.  Stay tuned!

Two 12 x 12 squares, sewn together with arms and legs, eyes and mouth around a pillow form:  An anthropomorphic pillow doll!  Squarey is a gift for my niece V, who just celebrated her 2nd birthday.  V also just got a baby sister – Baby Lulu was born on Friday!  That means I am auntie 4x over, and I just love it!  Hopefully V will be willing to share Squarey doll with her sister when they cuddle up to read or watch a movie.

I used some sample yarns that I received from the good people at Red Heart -Debbie Stoller’s Stitch Nation Washable Ewe worsted weight wool, and a few worsted weight scraps of my own to make Squarey’s stripes.  Arms and legs are filled with bamboo polyfill.  Squarey is soft and comfy and after making him, I kind of want one of my own now. Would make a nice computer chair pillow!

Unlike the last two years, I actually was able to finish something – TWO things even! – within the confines of the month of October.  I can barely believe it myself.

My Almondine socks – a pretty pattern in an on-so-hard-to-photograph yarn!

Pattern is from Anne Hanson, and it is in the great new book Sock Knitters Master Class by Interweave Press.  My yarn was Malabrigo Sock in the Turner colorway.  It is more yellow and blue than the photo lets on.

…and my current obsession with traditional colorwork continues:

These are Ilga’s Socks from Favorite Socks, designed by Nancy Bush. I used several yarns including Schoeller + Stahl, Lana Grossa Meilenweit, and Tess Designer.  The original pattern did not have the extra colorwork on the toes, but I got the idea from a fellow knitter who posted on Ravelry.  I love the result!

You can see all the details aboutthese (and my other knits!) on my Ravelry Notebook!

(thanks to Ravelry user Natasha for the cute 2011 graphic!)

I’ve been enjoying a little vacation in the national parks and mountains of California – Yosemite and Lake Tahoe (and you better believe I have about a million photos to prove it!)  – but I knew that Socktoberfest was just around the corner.  The group on Ravelry is all ready to go with over 1600 participants, and this seems like the ideal place to share ideas and feedback  – go check out the group!

As I (so often) do when traveling, I stopped by a local yarn shop in South Lake Tahoe, The Wool Tree, and found a particularly fetching blue sock yarn – something so warm and saturated that I will always remember where I got it!  This particular photo, taken on the shore of Lake Tahoe, doesn’t show the deep colors of the lake, but this yarn is a good indicator of what it looks like at certain times of the day!  Amazing.

The yarn colorway is just a number, so I am (un)officially renaming this colorway “Keep Tahoe Blue” after the ubiquitous bumper stickers and the non-profit organization that draws attention to the environment, the beauty, and the fun, of this beautiful area.

Much more to come…

Another finished adult-sized garment for the year.  Grand total of 2.  Hmmm, need to up the ante.

This cardigan, Jingu from Berroco #308 collection (Ravelry notebook link), was a simple knit with a fun detail:  the drawstring neckline.  This is just the kind of knit I needed to get back into the groove – and it worked!  Because now I want to KNIT EVERYTHING.

Yarn was Berroco’s Vintage DK – a great acrylic/wool blend that has NO squeak or unnatural sheen. I’ll definitely keep this yarn in mind for future projects because it has a nice hand, drape, and even with the acrylic content, blocked well.

Beads for the drawstring were a little splurge – carved wooden beads and antler (gathered AFTER they are shed) beads from Beadazzled in downtown DC. My knit night friends helped me choose these, and they are what makes this one special. Now, just to make sure those special beads don’t get in the way when I am cooking…

Roxy Paine “Graft” – National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

Sol LeWitt “Four-Sided Pyramid” – National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

Blue skies over Washington, DC as Kris and I went to the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival (see photoset) last Friday. En route to the National Mall, we walked through the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden.  I hadn’t been in awhile, so the Paine piece above – installed in late 2009 – was a new sight for me.  It is a scene stealer: we had to wait in line to photograph it.  The sun was capture the glint on the steel just right at that time of day!

The last week of June was our annual trip to the beach.  We read lots of books, rode our bikes for several miles, and played miniature golf (twice in a week – which is more in one week than I have played in two decades…)  We had a nice time with the family and enjoyed the lazy days and sunny weather.

After the time away, today is the day back to our routine. Kris went back to work, and I went back to tracking the job boards. I remain optimistic that the right opportunity is out there; this experience is constantly teaching me patience.  In the meantime, I am using my time to be and explore.  The creativity is flowing and good things are on the horizon.