Sunday, May 26, 2013

Rekjavik socks

I finished another pair! Another Cookie A pattern that I hesitated because of the large chart. Well, thanks to the ipad and the goodreader app, I can keep track of my row etc.

Now I need some mindless knitting to go along with my Mona socks in progress.

But here are the pics of Reykjavik socks in pink.

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Very pretty socks and I think I will add them to my gift pile for later this year.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Look, I'm snowboarding!!

I used my iphone to record the kids snowboarding and here they are...








Mammoth trip: Instagram version

I love taking pictures...

Lately I've been simplifying my gear to keep it as easy as possible for me. I do love my DSLR but lugging it around with all the lenses can be tiresome so I switch it up with my film Canon and iPhone.

We took a sort of impromptu trip to Mammoth one last time before the snow completely melted. Their last day of the snow season is Memorial Day weekend. Hector was able to take Monday off so we quickly planned a long weekend with the kids.

I took the kids out of school early Friday and we drove up that day while Hector took a flight to Mammoth the next morning. It worked out nicely. We got in 3 days of snowboarding in absolutely gorgeous weather. It was so warm we dressed as light as possible.

On this trip, the snowboarding lessons really clicked with both boys. We knew it would eventually but boy there were lots of complaining, whining and tears and all of a sudden, they're snowboarding. :)

Hector was able to get Tyler a board/bindings so we could just rent Tyler boots until his monster feet stop growing. :) Tyler admitted to me that having his own board really helped and he even said he had fun. It was nice to hear since T is that half sullen teen that doesn't get enthusiastic about practically anything but he acknowledged it  so I'm happy. :) Tyler was able to do the beginner runs without falling he will be set for next season and the intermediate runs.

Joshua did great as well even though he fell a couple times each run. He would get discouraged since he is such a perfectionist. I was surprised that Tyler mastered the snowboarding thing before Josh although Josh is better technique-wise.

On Mother's day the boys were super sweet with cards and gifts. The kids happily took a break mid-day at McCoy station so Hector and I could take a couple of runs on Stump Alley. The mountain was glorious and empty. I wore a long sleeve T and vest which was perfect. Hector wore a Tshirt and his arm got sunburned which quickly turned into a tan by next morning.

Overall, we had a wonderful time. Looking forward to next season. :)

Highway 395. #blue #skies #clouds #highway
Hwy 395. Pic taken by Tyler.
More clouds.
Pretty clouds.
Waiting for Hectors flight. #airport #mammoth
Airport

Happy Mothers Day! Having a wonderful time snowboarding with my guys. #mammothmountain
On the Stump Alley lift.
Gorgeous day. #mammothmountain
This was the most crowded time of the day. :)
Josh and Hector strapping in for another run
Hector helping Josh.
My wonderful family! #mammothmountain
Ready for their last run!!

Friday, May 10, 2013

yippee



I'm trying to get normal things done, but this 1st round playoff series between LA and St. Louis has my stomach in knots. Maybe because the Kings are the defending champs so they have something to prove & the Blues want to redeem their last season sweep.

Super tight play and each game has only been won by one goal. We also have a house guest so he gets to experience Kings playoff hockey in our household. He & Hector had to suffer through OT to be over so they could get ramen noodles. Ha!

I like how Voynov gets dog-piled somewhat by his teammates. He is Russian and doesn't speak a lot of English but those guys speak the language of hockey. He is also not a flashy guy which I really like too. He is bent over like he's gonna be sick but he was probably overwhelmed a bit. :)

Game 6 is Friday and in a way, I'm happy that I will not be at Staples Center because my anxiety level goes up a bit with each game. Yes, it's only the first round! Playoff hockey is the best and the worst time of year!

Going to my happy place...



Okay, this just goes to show you how nervous I get. I was at this game and don't even remember this playing at the opening of the game. Uff...

Friday, May 03, 2013

Canon A-1: Mammoth and Bishop

I had a couple of rolls developed from our trip to Mammoth during spring break.

I'm enjoying the process of taking my time, composing and focusing. It is very different than a digital camera, oranges and bananas. :)

I shot a roll at Fossil Falls but figured out that I didn't load the film correctly so those shots are non-existent. I have to make sure the film loads properly and that solves that.

I even learned by Googling how to retrieve the film leader from the rolled up film so I can use it and not have it wasted. I realized the film wasn't used after I rolled it up or at least I think so. We'll see because that roll is in the camera now so I either have pictures on there or some double exposures. Oh well, that's half the fun.



Mid-air
At the train depot.


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Bishop

I challenged myself and brought on the film camera too. The weather was gorgeous and mild weather during the day & chilly temps at night.

Tanks

Some the photos are from Laws Museum just outside of Bishop, CA. There is a railroad station, little town and mining area.



Clouds over mountains


Crowley Lake
Lake Crowley


Bear Statue
Bear Statue at Canyon
View from Canyon Lodge

The weather was so nice and no crowds.

Train Depot

Blacksmith Shop

Thursday, May 02, 2013

Tiptoe thru the Tulips

I have some sock knitting mojo going on lately which is really fun for me.

I really challenging myself with sock patterns by Cookie A this year. They are so well written and beautiful when knit up. She is also a featured designer with SKA this month so I'm challenging myself with another one so I'll have to scour my resources.

Meanwhile I finished her Tulips socks which is really nice pattern. Cookie A must have close to 100 sock patterns and each one I complete, that's my favorite. It is just a way to keep going. I can't just stop at one...

The yarn that came with the pattern is a pretty lilac/lavender color but as many people noted there is no nylon in this yarn (100% wool) so durability is a concern. So I will save that for another project and used another club yarn for the Tulips.

The yarn is Enchanted Knoll Farm in Genmaicha. It relates to the green tea (matcha) sugar cookies that was featured that particular month. Lately, we've been obsessed with a green tea salt we had at Gen, a fantastic Korean BBQ restaurant. It really gives grilled meat a great flavor so we hunted down the green tea powder and add it to some sea salt. Luckily, we live in a community where major Asian companies are located so we have lots of Asian markets/restaurants.

My socks look like green tea but much more vibrant, almost electric. :)

Tulip Socks

Tulips: overhead view

Tulips: toes
Such a pretty green.
Tulips: side view
Great design.
This was a fun knit and definitely will knit again but so many more Cookies to knit. :)

Wednesday, May 01, 2013

San Gabriel mountains

I posted this way back in November, and today I got some film back from that time. Note: that is a definite drawback to film. Also this is using the Minolta Hi-matic that was discovered in my MIL' s things when she passed. It is very nice to open that envelope  and see what is inside!

I do enjoy the rangefinder but I have fallen in love with the Canon A-1 (to be posted later). The Hi-matic is limited in what it can do plus the battery drainage is another issue. The pictures here are okay for the most part and I scanned what I liked the best.

Hazy LA Basin

There's this nice dreamy quality to my first pic and the Los Angeles haze/smog also helps. :) I just noticed that there is a couple of dust flecks in the far left middle. I'll have to see if that's something I can clean off.

Tree overlooking LA Basin

Here the light is totally different and I'm slightly off on the scan.

Binoculars

Tower
I really love the blue sky.


Radio towers
radio towers
More mountains in LA

Pretty amazing for a 40 year old camera. I'm more amazed that the photos are level. When I shoot digital, I'm usually tilted in one direction or another that I have to correct. :)