notes | current | older | archive mail

01.23.05 | 8:51 pm
Knitting in New Mexico

Now that I have time, internet, and content, Diaryland is not loading, so this entry has been written and posted when they get the server back up and running.

I have taken up the Yarn Diet for the World . This is because I have way too much yarn, came home with more yarn � I called it a "souvenir" � and feel a little indulgent, and I like to start things and move on to start other new things. (Warren is also too indulgent � "accidentally" ordering the new iPod). I can also easily finish 20 projects with what I have on hand. Since I started, I have finished my first pair of socks, Pasha the Penguin, and a pair of felted clogs for mom.

Coming up on the list of things to finish is the Dacapo (which will be finished before I graduate), another pooling colors scarf, the flower basket shawl, and koigu socks.

On my list of projects to start there is a beaded black mohair scarf, more felted clogs, more koigu socks, a Charlotte's Web shawl, a purse made from recycled silk, a green and brown scarf, and a sweater for Warren (he picked out the yarn and pattern). I have grey and black alpaca to find a sweater pattern for and tan and cream Nature Spun for a sweater. I also found a Loch Ness monster pattern and need to match yarn to it. I think I will make the felted tea set for the coffee shop I work at with the leftovers from the felted clogs.

While I will donate money for each month it takes me to complete 20 projects, I hope to work quickly because there is a yarn shop opening across the street from where I live. I also promise that it will not be 20 little projects, but at least one sweater will be started and finished in this time as will the Dacapo.

On our trip to New Mexico we went to Taos, and I got to see the Weaving Store (no idea what it was really called), and admired all the weaving. About all we could afford were the coasters, but we had a good time.

We also went to LaLana and Warren was very patient and even liked looking at all the different types of fleece they had. We were both a little confused by the giant ropes of yarn that put about 10 ounces of fleece in a yard. I thought it looked a bit like what would happen to a scarf if badly felted and then shredded.

I did like all the supplies for dyeing that they had. I saw a very interesting shadow-box type thing at the Santa Fe School of Weaving that had a number of different plants used for dyeing, with bits of yarn that went from the respective plants into a small weaving that had all the colors. The plants used there are very different from what is used in the Midwest for dyes, but made some spectacular colors. I have lots of fleece to spin, but none to dye right now.

All that I bought at LaLana was 1.5 ounces of silver and grey roving that will nicely complement the half pound of brown roving from the Yarn Barn sale. Most of the yarns were hundreds of dollars a pound for handspun, naturally dyed wool. Very pretty, but not very feasible.

That was all the knitting content that came from the trip since the rest of our time was spent out hiking.

We went to Los Alamos and Bandelier one day and hiked around the ruins. Warren didn't like driving along the edge of cliffs, but we got there and had the usually busy park nearly all to ourselves.

The south side was very sunny and we walked around the tyuoni (chew-YO-nyi) and up to the caves in the face of the cliff.

Another day we went to a section of Bandelier set off by itself that was absolutely incredible, in fact so incredible we went back. There was never more than one other person/ couple there, and the ruins were amazing. You climbed to the top of a mesa where there were unexcavated ruins, and then down the side to walk along the tuff, rock from volcanic ash, where all the caves were dug. The rock was so soft that a scrape from your boot left a gash, so we walked carefully. Paths had been worn into the rock and you could see where people would step as they moved about between the caves.

As you are getting back to the starting end of the mesa it becomes a sharp, but not long, drop-off. Part of why we went back is so we could see that part since Warren freaked out the first time and I was not allowed to stop and look at the petroglyphs because that would keep him on the rocks longer.

The second time around we went backwards around the loop and saw things from another angle, and Warren knew what to expect and didn't feak out so much.

We spent a day at Chaco Canyon, which is definitely worth the long drive and the bad road, and the middle of nothing part. We almost turned back a few times, but spent too much time trying to get there to turn back, and kept going even though things looked bleak.

Once we were there is was warm and sunny, a change from the dark and snowy weather we had coming in. Again we had it all to ourselves and walked into the canyon to see the pueblo ruins.

At Pueblo Bonita you could take a trail up the side of a cliff, directly up and through a crack. We didn't go very high, but high enough to see the entire structure.


We kept walking along the canyon to Pueblo Chiquita when it looked like it was starting to get stormy. Walking through this huge canyon I could only imagine what the system of roads must have been like � 30 feet wide and straight between places following the seven year lunar cycle. When they came to cliffs they made ramps of carved stairs.

The Pueblo Arroyo was really spectacular. About the size of a city block, this building had perfectly round kivas, very thick walls, multiple stories, and engineered without written language. Trade extended into Mexico and macaw feathers and bones were found.


previous | next



Most recent entries

I made it! - 02.26.06

Heel Turned! - 02.19.06

First day of the Olympics - 02.11.06

It stripes! - 02.03.06

Kiri, Glen Orchy, and Olympics - 01.20.06






Frequent Reads


Yarn Harlot

Wendy Knits

And she knits, too!

Fillyjonk

Poor Miss Finch

Naive Knitting

Mason - Dixon Knitting

Keyboard Biologist

The Blue Blog

Mag Knits







Subscribe in NewsGator Online
Diaryland