Holidays in San Clemente

We always spend a quiet week after Christmas in San Clemente which is a great way for us to relax and recover from the busy period leading up to holidays.

For a change in scenery we shot these pictures overlooking North Beach which is where we have a house. It's a nice neighborhood and I'm standing on the Ole Hanson Beach Club property which has a public pool which is where Steve and I will swim from time to time. I haven't been in the ocean since the shark attack in Solana beach last Summer. I'm still waiting for the "all clear" signal before I go back in the water.



The vest I'm wearing is knit in Noro's Kureyon wool which makes a really great layering piece. It's definitely not next to skin soft, but it has wonderful memory and the colors are fun and vibrant.
Lots of people use this wool for felting projects. If you are a newer knitter, felting projects are a fun introduction to knitting as any uneven or even, gasp, a dropped stitch, are all forgiven in the felting process. You might want to check out the Booga Bag which is a popular free pattern that comes to mind.



Particulars: Noro Kureyon Wool (5 skeins); The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns (basic vest); I knit the body in the round on US 7 circular needles. I used a k4/p4 (8 stitch rib) for a couple of inches then switched to stockinette. The body is 14" from bottom to armhole shaping. The neckline and shoulder edging is knit in a K2/P2 rib using US 6 needles.



I thought you might like to see a little more of San Clemente. These pictures are taken of my favorite coffee spot, La Galette, which is a small creperie across from the pier. They make a fresh Italian roast which is heavenly and if you have time to sit in their cafe they will keep refilling your cup until you float away! On the mornings that we don't jog we will walk along the pathway that connects North Beach to the pier which has a number of fun small cafes.

Notice that I'm wearing my lace-up gloves. I love wearing these and I'm thinking that I need a few more pairs in different colors!



The Reader, Movie Review.

I'm going to conclude with a movie review. This past week Steve and I saw the movie, The Reader. It's an extremely well acted and edited movie and profound on a number of levels. To be sure it is not a comedy, mystery, or action movie. Moreover, if you are offended by nudity in films this is not the movie for you. It is decidedly an adult film, but not in the conventional sense. It's a adult film because it raises complex questions of law intersecting with morality; the human capacity (or incapacity) to be introspective; and societal accountability. The reviews of this movie are quite mixed but if you are looking for a movie that has substance I do not think you will be disappointed. Mr Puffy did not see this movie and therefore can not offer his opinion. If there isn't a dog in the movie, he simply won't go to see it.

Have a great week everyone ~ and go see this or any movie!