Eric and I trekked over to
No angle effects were used for this photo. Bristlecones can be found at rather high elevations (we’re at 11,000+ ft) where extremely harsh weather conditions promote the development of dense sap. The dense resinous wood, in turn, contributes to the species’ longevity by increasing its resistance to decay.
To stand in the company of these ancients was very humbling for us. Imagine what they’ve witnesed in thousands of years’ time, beginning in B.C. The enormity of time living is almost unimaginable.
During our wonderful nine days of much-needed vacation, we also trotted eastward to visit
According to a Paiute Indian legend, the spires or hoodoos of Bryce Canyon were once beings who now are punished for bad behavior. Try telling that story to your kid next time she/he won’t listen!
Capitol Reef National Park protects the Waterpocket Fold and gets its name from two parts: “capitol” because the sandstone domes resemble capitol rotundas and “reef” for the nautical term sailors use to define a barrier.
We felt very lucky to have had the chance to visit three national parks in one short vacation.
Usually our vacations consist primarily of camping or backpacking at national & state parks with an ending night at a wonderful bed&breakfast. With that said, we generally pack well, bringing plenty of clothes and gear for all seasons (just in case).
The weather for
A few days before we were to leave, Eric reminded me to pack enough warm clothing, just in case. Well, I did, I think.
Hmmm. Well, better safe than sorry. So I knitted up some really warm items. Gotta tell ya. There’s nothing like frigid air to get your knitting fingers moving!
I’ve had ideas for this neckwarmer for quite a while. Because I had a skein of Eco Wool I needed to use (no, not the one that used to be sweater vest), I figured, why not?
The eco wool, for me, at least, worn against the skin is a bit itchy so I resolved it by lining the interior with venezia. It worked beautifully because the silk/merino blend of the venezia was extremely soft and even added a splash of color against the grey of the eco wool.
The exterior also has a pretty semi-lace pattern (picture to be added later) while the venezia, serving a more functional purpose, was knitted in plain stockinette.
The second piece are my Eco socks. Because I’m frugile, I knit my socks toe-up so that nearly every inch of the yarn is used. Hence, knee-high (sometimes, very high) socks.
These socks were casted on about a day before our trip, partially because I couldn’t decide what pattern to use. I knitted as fast as I could once I started, but curse the knee-highs, it’s like knitting two pairs of socks.
I thought maybe I would have enough yarn left to make a warm cap, but I didn’t. …..So I kept with the socks and when finished, I had about three inches of yarn left, and very BIG socks!
I learned at the Ranger’s Program that you always take a picture of your object with something else (e.g., chapstick) for size referencing.
6 Comments
i’m glad you got to have such a fabulous vacation. we spent 9 days in southern utah, hopping from park to park. it was absolutely incredible–one of the most beautiful places ever. i knit on the trip, but not for the trip. next time i’ll follow your example–it can get cold! i love your socks, and the venezia is beautiful.
My husband and I both agree that Utah is very beautiful. The variety of landscape one sees in just a few hours’ drive is incredible. Our initial plan was to stay at Great Basin for the entire trip, but at the last minute, decided to hop over to the other national parks. I’m glad we did because the drive around was wonderful.
I love those socks did you edge them in blue too?
No, but that’s a wonderful idea! I knitted the eco socks a bit bigger than usual so that I could wear a regular pair of socks underneath, hence, the white lining on the top. As for using the venezia, I hadn’t thought to do that, but it would make sense to. I’ll have to do that next time another sock idea comes to mind.
Ti, I love the neck warmer! How did you line it? Did you just create the Venezie stockinette lining and seam it together with the neck warmer top and bottom?
I used a provisional cast-on for the Eco wool and completed the exterior lace pattern. Then I switched yarns and began knitting in stockinette with venezia. Actually, I may have purled a row or two to facilitate the folding and then moved to stockinette. Because the two yarns were of different weights, I had to make increases at the beginning and end of the interior. Once finished, I kitchener stitched the ends so that the seam was looked nice.