A Trip to Florence ~

A trip to Florence street in Sebastopol, California that is!  This Thanksgiving we were fortunate to visit Steve's family who live in this quirky little town in Northern California and whilst there happened upon this residential street filled with whimsical sculptures.  Come stroll along Florence Street with me in my new Asking For Roses wrap and imagine living on a street where an artist in residence has made the neighborhood his gallery with sculptures scattered throughout.

Northern California and the Sonoma/Napa region in particular is a very progressive area where green living and recycling have long been the norm.  This artist (Renga Arts) makes all his sculptures from products that are reclaimed and reused materials and has the motto Reuse Reclaim and Reimagine as his inspiration.  Which reminds me I need to do better about recycling.

We had a lot of fun playing on this street and Steve (an artist himself) enjoyed talking with the sister of the sculptor who was in the midst of painting a newly commissioned piece.  For those interested there are additional photos of his sculptures on my flickr page here.

Did I mention that I really love my new wrap?  It's actually too small to call a wrap.  Instead it's more a scwrappy wappy wrap which means it's more than a scarf too.  Whatever it is I loved wearing it because it's just right for our climate and worked perfectly with this outfit.

Particulars:  Asking for Roses by Amy Swenson (Blogs as Indigirl); 2 skeins Hedgehog Fibers Blue Faced Leciester Wool (colorway Rusty Nail); US 8 needles.  No modifications (other than yarn and needle size).  I knit this very loosely and hardly blocked it at all.  Post "blocking" dimensions: 64" x 12" (at widest point).  The wrap is crescent shaped.


Cashew Shortbread

Rustic food is at no time more appealing to me than than around the fall harvest and Thanksgiving.  This simple cashew shortbread cookie is a favorite of mine for its simple but rich buttery flavor.  Recipe from Moosewood Cookbook found here (I often half the recipe for myself).

This Misadventures of Simcha

Simcha loves to work and I've discovered that it really doesn't matter the nature of the job.  Here we are working on the commands "show me some intensity" and "hold that pose."

He's beautiful isn't he?  When I walk him and men call out "hey gorgeous" they aren't talking about me.  Really, it's okay.  I'm completely over it.  Sorta.

Simcha is modeling the Annie Wrap from Queensland Collection by knitwear designer Jane Ellison.  I love this over sized wrap even though it's simple because it has great texture using a basket weave stitch and a mohair trim (2 colors held together). Dimensions: 70" x 20" (excluding fringe).  Knit using Rowan Felted Tweed and US 8 needles.


Until next time, be well and love well and may this holiday season be a special time for family, reflection, and sharing.