Swedish Issaquah

I stopped off at Swedish Medical Center in Issaquah this afternoon, because there’s a gift shop there I wanted to browse.  Disappointing:  all the shops close at 4PM on Saturday (I got there at 5:15).  Even more disappointing:  the entire wing of the hospital was deserted!  Nobody at the info desk, Starbucks closed, nobody walking around…it was like a ghost town.  If we ever need medical care, I am demanding service at Evergreen Redmond!

A wooden sculpture hanging from the ceiling of the deserted atrium. (Looking up from below.)

September 18

Well?  I don’t know what else to call these entries!

Today I bring you three photographs from Molbak’s Nursery and Garden Center.

Giant metal flowers almost as tall as I am.

A very tall vase, perhaps to put the metal flowers inside?

A top-down view of some pink cacti in a tray.

Still working on some alternate-universe situations for these. Stay tuned.

Inspiration

I’ve been feeling a little low, lately.  Can’t get excited about anything; my knitting is going very poorly, and of course the rains have started.  Chris suggested that as an exercise in creativity/motivation, I get out and take an interesting photo every single day, and then blog about it.  So here is today’s.  This was taken with my phone camera, because I forgot to take the big camera with me.

A leaf closeup at Redmond Town Center.

What I may do on upcoming days is write a short blurb about a fantasy-world scenario that incorporates the picture.  For the moment I can’t come up with anything fantasy-world about this bush.  Sorry.

Edmonds

Since we’ve been stuck inside all weekend, due to rain and Chris’ health, when both of these things cleared up this morning we decided to get out and about for our last summer family event.  Our original plan was Ballard Locks, but the pubs we wanted to go to are closed on Mondays!  So we went to Edmonds.  I believe all our family members have been there with us (except possibly Diane), but the USPs haven’t been there for perhaps 5 years.  So we were all wondering how it might have changed.

Pfft.  It hasn’t.  The tea store was still there, the two fashion stores (one of which was closed for Labor Day, which really annoyed me), same restaurants.  Mu Shoe is gone, but there’s another shoe store there – but their brands are basics you can find easily on the internet, like Taos and Sacha London.  A bunch of “gift shoppe” shops.  We went to the beach and I took some pictures, and Chris walked with Alex out to the tip of the jetty, and then we had Mexican for lunch.  After this we came home because there was nothing else we wanted to do!

So, Edmonds is probably not going to factor into any future plans.

Purging the Knitting Archives

I love to knit.

During a recent analysis of my handknits, I have discovered lots and lots of items that I had great fun knitting, and then stuck in the closet.  I mean, shawls!  When do I wear shawls?  Answer, never.  (And I still have 2 on the needles at the moment, too, though they are going to be big enough to use as blankets.)  I am going to make these available to you.  Here’s a list of what I can remember off the top of my head.  Will get you pictures if you’re interested.  Email me; we’ll work out a price.  All of this is on my Ravelry account; if you’ve got a membership there, you can see the pics and yarns used by searching my projects.  My Rav username is also Kaleidocherry.

Shawls:

• Ocean Wave – Rectangular turquoise flecked lace shawl, quite thick and warm, cashmere and silk
• My Date with Roderich – rectangular purple/green/blue lace shawl, airy and beaded, cashmere and silk
• Tyrian Delight – half-circle lace shawl, deep plum, best worn as a scarf because it’s a little too short to wear as a shawl
• Black Water – 100% silk (some beaded), black rings alternating with rings of a plum/dusty teal variegation.  Split circle with a drawstring neck.
• Swedish Getaway – 100% cashmere, very short split circle shawl that would be best as a scarf/neckerchief
• Dusk on the Moors – 100% cashmere (some beaded), variegated purple/blue/green double-layered circular cape with a drawstring neckline
• Rings in the Arctic Ocean – qiviut, cashmere and silk, dark teal rings alternating with rings of a flecky green/dusty pink floral type variegation.  Same pattern as Black Water.
• Caribbean Vacation – Cashmere, silk, silver beads throughout, split circle cape (shawl) in shades of blue and green
• Effects of Sunlight in the Forest – 100% silk, gold beads throughout, stripes of brown, gold and green, 3/4-circle short shawl

Pullovers (all were knit to fit a 48″ chest):

• Hey, Dollface! – colorblocked short-sleeve A-line tee, cashmere/silk; bodice is cream, lower section teal, trimmed in brick red
• Enchanting Lucia – colorblocked yoked tee, cashmere/silk; bodice is mustard yellow, lower section and trim in navy blue
• Serenity – striped wool/angora in the colors of palest mint green alternating with bright turquoise; trims in royal blue
• Albert’s Bathing Top – striped 100% wool (somewhat rustic) alternating navy with wine; trims in wine cashmere/silk

Jackets, Cardigans and Capes:

• The Hughnon – 100% wool (rustic), more than a full circle closed cape in heathered bright purple, with a black collar and gold trim
• The General Froc – 100% wool (rustic), red heathered pirate-type coat with black and gold trim and gold buttons
• 95th Rifles – 100% wool (rustic), dark green heathered short jacket with black trim and silver buttons; intended for Chris, but apparently his arms are a lot longer than mine.  I knit it to my standard arm length, and his arms stuck out about 10″!  He looked like Col. Flagg.
• Plum Crazy – open-front jacket (designed to be closed with a shawl pin); a blend of camelhair and silk, hand-dyed by me in colors of purple, red-plum, and navy.
• Fleur de Lys – bright blue cashmere/silk shrug with long, drapey, beaded sleeve cuffs
• Italian Shrug – basic shrug with the right arm in brick red, center back in mocha, left arm in dark pine green
• Summer Frost – 100% silk (some beaded) short cardigan with a ribbon threaded at the neck to close, variegated pale blue/purple
• Eringyas’ Surprising Bouquet – cashmere/silk nubbly texture jacket in heathered dusty pink, with a cabled trim in greens
• Carnival in Lyon – this will fit a much larger person, perhaps up to a 56″ chest.  Bright turquoise cashmere/silk with hot pink accents at neck, opening, sleeve cuffs and hem

Some of these may be less than perfect, so I’m not going to gouge anyone on them.  Give me a poke if you’re interested.