Friday, January 2, 2009

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!

27 comments:

Sue said...

The vest does look so nice and bright. Perfect for the cold weather. Your gloves look great too. Your holiday place looks and sounds like a great place to be holidaying.

Anonymous said...

Your vest looks fantastic Claudia - especially with the blue roll-neck underneath! Wouldn't mind a latte in your coffee shop either!

CelticCastOn said...

yummm creps, alas there is no such thing around here. Now i'm hungry!!!
Your vest looks great, love the colourway you chose. SOooo what is the temp down there anyway????

Monika said...

Love the colorful, vibrant vest! San Clemente sounds like a heavenly place to live. My husband would love it there. :o)

t does wool said...

perfect knit...and mmmm...I probably wouldn't go in the ocean again for awhile,either.
Looks like you had a wonderful time of it.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE vests, and your is gorgeous. Your R&R in San Clemente sounds great. Thanks for the pictures!

Renee said...

Your vest looks fun and comfortable! The pictures are lovely. I especially like the one with the sun behind you! Sounds like you had a wonderful week.
Wishing you, Steve and MrPuffy all the very best in 2009.

Denise said...

Love the vest on you. I want to knit something with Noro this year- probably in Silk Garden. I've only used their Cash Iroha for the hand warmers but would like to try on of their striped yarns.
Looks like you had a wonderful time in San Clemente :-)

Bridget said...

What an aesthetically pleasing post! Looks like you had a nice time in a nice place. Always a good thing, but especially this time of year.

I've been intrigued by "The Reader," and may have to give it a try. We saw "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Revolutionary Road" over the holidays, both were good.

Bubblesknits said...

Beautiful vest! I think my next project is going to be something along those lines. :-)

jillian said...

Your vest is beautiful! Love all your pictures, San Clemente looks incredible.

Pat K said...

Vary, very nice vest. And lovely pictures. Enjoy the weekend!

amanda said...

Looks like you had a great week in San Clemente. The vest is the perfect layering piece for your weather out there in SoCal.

I read The Reader back in college and remember not liking it very much, but I am intrigued by the movie. Maybe the movie will be better than the book!

Tracy said...

Wonderful vest, Claudia! It is a brigh, cheerful piece for this time of year--love the bold stripes! San Clemente looks so pretty...a creperie..mmm.... ;o) We're hoping The Reader gets here soon. The book was good, interesting, so it would be great to see how it translates to film. Happy weekend, my friend ((HUGS))

SissySees said...

Love the photos. The vest is beautiful! I really do need to pick a mitt pattern...

Mugsy was MOST put-out last summer when our local drive-in stopped allowing dogs. He always stayed in the vehicle and was quiet as a mouse. So, the fur-girls won't get to see movies, except at home. (And they're both too young to appreciate a deep film. They'd sleep through it, I'm sure.)

Willow said...

I do love the yarn and it knit up very nicely into that vest!

I was on the Surfliner this morning and thought of you as I went through San Clemente.

Anonymous said...

Looks like a great place to be right now, and the vest is beautiful. Happy 2009!

Anonymous said...

I love this vest on you. The colors are spectacular!

A few years ago, we went to Disney two weeks before Christmas. It was wonderful. We were so relaxed and excited for Christmas when we came back home. Thank you for reminding me.

At Home Mommy Knits said...

Love the vest and the photos! What a beautiful place. Happy New Year to you.

raining sheep said...

The vest is great - I love the brightness of the colors. I am jealous of any place right now that has no snow, sunshine and warmth (i.e. no snow and -25 weather). Happy 2009 Claudia and the very best most wonderful moments in the new year.

Windyridge said...

The Reader sounds like something I'd like to see.
I love the vest with the jeans... great combination. The Booga Bag pattern is really cute.

Hilary said...

It sounds like you had a wonderful holiday season -- a belated happy new year to you! I LOVE your vest. It seems perfect for the coolness of a Southern California evening. And oh that Noro is just to die for...

Anonymous said...

As always, your photos are breathtaking. Your vest is very nice. You know how much I love Noro. The colors are what grabs me.

Thanks for the info on "The Reader". I'll make sure I see it, if not at the theater, then on DVD. I recently saw "Slumdog Millionaire". It's a good movie, but not what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be uplifting and well ... it wasn't.

Ally Jay said...

Beautiful top, it reminds me of sunsets for some reason. It looks very textures in the pictures and I can see why it would felt well.

Anonymous said...

That's a great vest! That place looks wonderful.

Murielle said...

You expanded to movie and restaurant reviews!!! Love it!

Firefly Nights said...

I always enjoy it when you show us more about the area where you live. And, the silhouette with the golden light is fantastic!

I always pass up the Noro. It never appeals to me in the stores and then I keep seeing beautiful things people like you make from it. How does what I consider to be an ugly duckling in the stores end up knitting itself into a real swan? I guess I'll have to pick out a pattern and go buy some and learn how it transforms itself.