sshhhhhhh..... silent sundays: Orcas Island

off island adventures: orcas island

I've said it before (I think) I love San Juan Island but getting off island is a breathe of fresh air.  This time Claire, Noah, & I escaped to another island, Orcas.  So, I guess this was an off island island adventure... hee.  

Coming into the ferry landing at Orcas. 

Crow Valley Pottery Cabin always has loads of treasures. 

CVP Cabin has all of its wears around the garden as well as in the cabin.

Claire & Noah snooping around for a special piece to take home.  

Only in the San Juan's will you find an Episcopal Church with a labyrinth. 

The garden in front of Tres Fabu boutique

Tres Fabu's Hydrangea's are stunning! These are my favorite flowers!

Art work in the center of Eastsound.

A wonderful view from Mt. Constitution! Looking over Bellingham and Mt. Baker. 

Warm Valley Orchard. I love stopping here to get yarn!

Oh, the fun things I found! Cards from Darvill's Bookstore. T-shirts, earrings, a scarf from Two Drews.  Chocolates & Yarn!

Kathryn Taylor Chocolates are divine. 

My beautiful autumnal colored yarns from Warm Valley Orchard &
a new felted jelly bean shaped pincushion! 

This was last years fun finds. Yes, I love KT chocolates!

crafty shtuff: fisherman's hat mishap

A lot of firsts this summer for my knitting skills.  First a sweater now.... A hat!  Yup, knitting in the round.  All was going swimmingly I even got connected with out getting twisted!  But 3" in to my stockinette I realized I have skipped a line of my pattern, poop!  I have missed 4" of Fisherman's Rib to start the hat once I connected my first row.  I have mentioned I'm horrible at following patterns, seriously it was one little sentence I scooted over, ugh.  

Unwilling to rip out what I had already accomplished I decided to finish the pattern from where I was and pick up stitches around the brim to add my elusive Fisherman's Rib.  Next problem... How do you do a Fisherman's Rib?! Enter YouTube search...  Result: was this wonderful tutorial & a new stitch under my knitting belt. 

    

    

Once the hat is finished & the mishap is unseen in the final product I hope to give it to Che who was one of our adorable seafaring guides on the Spike Africa.  We had great wind that evening that swooped his hat right off his head. 
I will post the final project once finished... keep your fingers crossed this knitting mishap becomes wearable for Mr. Che.

sshhhhhhh..... silent sundays: fond fair moments

steady as she goes...

 I have made a BIG decision this month.  I have decided to stay the winter here on San Juan Island.  Which is exciting & scary all at once.  

This is the "off season" for our little Roche Harbor Resort so business for me at the spa will be slower.  Which will require some budgeting & maybe a few side jobs around the island or resort. 

The silver lining to less work is more time for crafty shtuff & reading.  There will be fewer tourists roaming the island so I can enjoy the tranquility of island life more, like having the beach to myself & shorter lines at my favorite lunch spots.  Yay!

My calendar was telling me something...

I'm excited for this new adventure of being "Steady" in one place. I've been a bit of a nomad lately and I'm tired of moving.  Although... one more move will have to happen for me to be comfortable through the colder months here.  My current flat is not very economical when it comes to heating, ancient baseboard heaters and single-pane windows will suck my wallet dry.  So, I am hunting for a new place to share with my friend & colleague Sydney.  We are hoping for a great deal on rent after Labor Day!  Keep your fingers crossed for us! 

allium free fresh salsa

I have an annoying intolerance/allergy to the allium family.  Allium family encompasses all garlic & onions.  This makes eating out difficult.  I usually end up with a horrible belly-ache even though the meal was divine.  So, I have become very creative in my own kitchen to make my favorite meals allium free.  This has made me a fly by the seat of my pants kinda cook as I need to get creative with recipes.  I don't measure out anything, which totally freaks out my Mother.  Ha.  So I apologize now for no exact recipes for ya.

Dinner is served!! Ole! 

Since the fresh ingredients were at my finger tips at the farmer's market, I made salsa!  I gathered up the following:

Cilantro

Green Zebra Tomatoes

Radishes

Tomatillos

Zucchini

& from the kitchen I had limes, kosher salt, and a smidgen of cumin.

Freshest of the fresh from my favorite farms.

First I roasted the tomatillo's for maximum flavor.  Intense flavors are needed when life is sans onion & garlic.  

While those roast... time to chop up everything else!  I like my salsa semi-chunky. 

Put all chopped ingredients into bowl add lime salt & cumin to your taste.  

Then either use a hand chopper or blender to mash up the roasted tomatillo's.  

Add to bowl & grab the chips!

Belly-ache free salsa = Heaven to me!

seeing blue...

Well, it was a most sucessful year for my enteries at the fair!  I won 2 Blue First Place ribbons!

My sweater "Punk Be A Lady" 

My skirt "The Rain In Spain"

I used Amy Butler's Barcelona skirt pattern.  It is an easy fun pattern to use & it fits wonerfully.