We took these pictures on our vacation which ended October 4, but it's taken me this long to get the photos posted. The photos sure show our Alaskan bias. We felt like visitors from the moon!
We visited the Luther Burbank public gardens in Santa Rosa and spent a couple hours drooling over all the lush, fantastic plant, flowers, and unique trees. Locals strode by without so much as a second glance but for us, where most of these plants won't grow except perhaps in a greenhouse, they were worth viewing and smelling. Growing up in California, many of these plants were everyday sights so this was a nostalgic trip to the past for me. I didn't realize what a bias towards roses I have until I looked at all our garden photos.
Flying home the following day was a sudden change of season. California was still enjoying the end of summer, while Anchorage was enjoying the end of Autumn. We traveled from 80 degrees to 40 degrees in one day! All the leaves had already dropped from our trees, but I did manage to find one late fall tree still holding onto it's leaves. Red trees always catch my attention anyway because most of the native trees; cottonwoods, birches, and aspens turn yellow or gold. This one, a beautiful Mountain Ash, or Rowan is not native to this part of Alaska, although a shrub variety is.
Now... on to knitting. It was gloomy, cloudy, and dark this last week so I really made progress on my knitting projects. Last Sunday I finally finished Inishmaan. That gargantuan project that took an unbelievable four and a half months! Then I finished my lacy wool/silk blend socks today. Between those two projects, I began Henry VIII and made it through half a pattern repeat... I just need to take a picture of it.
Here are my new lace socks.
They are "posed" on our new snowfall.
I set Inishmaan outdoors to block to try to get better lighting after I washed it and it froze! No harm done though... it just got a little stiff.
Ooops... somehow this picture didn't load. I probably forgot to save it or something.
Oh wow, Inishmaan is beautiful! It's perfect for this time of year. Gee, 4 and half months?!!
Posted by: Brigitte | November 10, 2009 at 03:29 AM
Inishman is stunning! I'll have to look back to see what yarn you used, color etc. I am very impressed!
Posted by: Ruth | November 10, 2009 at 06:41 AM
When I was a child and we were homesteaders, my mom used to hang the wash out to freeze in winter, then bring it in to dry. The smell of those clothes was heavenly, and I think they dried wrinkle-free, too. Congrats of the Inishmaan, and the Henry VIII is sure to be beautiful.
Posted by: Sigrun | November 10, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Love Inishmaan & socks too.
Beautiful red tree!
You got snow?! Hope it's not my way!
Posted by: miyamojo | November 12, 2009 at 06:51 AM
Inishmaan is gorgeous!
Our weather swung about 30 degrees after you left too. It was pretty balmy, even for us but I'm glad it behaved for you! Roses are gorgeous.
Posted by: Carrie K | November 12, 2009 at 02:50 PM
Carolyn- Actually, that doesn't seem too long to finish Inishmann- after all, this is an heirloom, and you did a great job.
Mountain Ash is very prolific in Ontario- I love the orange berries at the end of summer.
Posted by: Lorraine | November 13, 2009 at 05:33 AM
That's a gorgeous tree! Not as pretty as Inishmaan though.
Posted by: Sonya | November 19, 2009 at 06:28 AM