This site started out as a knitting blog, turned into a knitting-nerd-travel blog for a hot minute, and has been dormant for years. Maybe you stumbled over here curious about my email address domain. There’s not much to see unless you love puffins or puffy knits. I have another semi-dormant and semi-professional site over at channotate.com if you’re curious. Thanks for visiting!
Puerperium (The Period, Not the Pattern)
The urge returns. So much to knit. So little time.
Iceland, the Last Leg… with Puffins!
Gallery from Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Laugar
Icelandic landscapes from our journey from Southeast to Northeast Iceland these past few days.
We’ve been traveling while Mercury has been in Retrograde. I don’t really know what that means, but I have learned over the years to pay attention to when this happens. Needless to say, I’ve had my share of amusing stories to share. However, it is past midnight at the moment (not that you’d know it looking out our window) and I need to strap on my eye mask and catch some Zs! How’s that for a tease? 😉 I promise to follow up if I can catch up with myself.
Return to Iceland
My brand new friend Inga took us to her hometown wool shop near Sellfoss where they had this beautiful bowl of fruit.
Wool slippers at Thingborg
Door hardware at the village chapel where Inga was married.
Coast at Stokkseyri
Lettlopi yarn at the Hagkaup grocery store
Cairn field en route to Thingvellir… we’re on the right track!
Revisiting my old friends at Geysir
another…
Great Geysir, the grandfather.
Strokkur, the grandson geysir
Geothermal field
Rock formations at Dyrholaey
Black sand and wave at Dyrholaey
Sheep!
Sheep at Skogar
The waterfall above The waterfall at Skogarfoss
ANOTHER waterfall above Skogarfoss
Skogarfoss
Lavafield on the way to Kirkjubæjarklaustur
I’m back in Iceland! Arrived on Sunday and have been in Reykjavik, Selfoss, the Golden Circle, and the South Coast. My friend Ivy is traveling with me and we are awestruck by the beauty we see everywhere.
Many of the places we’ve been so far are places I visited on my first visit earlier this year in March. It’s certainly warmer this time of year and there is plenty of daylight (the sun never sets all the way). What was brown and icy is now lush and green.
Today is the start of new landscapes and terrain… places I’ve never seen before. I can’t wait!
South Shore Adventure Gallery
Top of Skógafoss
Rocks Climbing at Skógafoss
Mountainside and Hillside at Skógafoss
Combs and Cop at Skógar Museum
Spindles and Whorls at Skógar Museum
Fish Skin Shoes with Knitted Liners at Skógar Museum
Spinning Wheel Bonanza at Skógar Museum
Skein it Up at Skógar Museum!
Skógar Turf Houses
Turn it Up! Bring the Noise!
Reconstructed Buildings at Skógar
Chapel at Skógar Museum
Chapel Interior at Skógar Museum
Reynisdrangar Morphosis
Basalt Columns at Reynisdrangar
Sea Basalt at Reynisdrangar
Reynisdrangar
Dyrhólaey from Reynisdrangar
Beach Grasses at Vik
Black Sand at Vik
Beach Grass at Vik
High Contrasts at Mýrdalsjökull
Icy at Mýrdalsjökull
Cloud Wave
Vestmannaeyjar from Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss
Ölfusá from Ring Road
Snow Covered Sunset South of Reykjavik
Dramatic Frozen Tjörnin
Tjörnin Looks Electric
Golden Circle Gallery
Behold the splendor of a few Golden Circle sights from today:
Roadside View
Roadside Wapors
Strokkur’s Admirers
Wapor
Chroma at Geysir
Geothermal Pool at Geysir
Strokkur Wapor
Gullfoss Overview
Gullfoss First Cascade
Icy Gullfoss Upper Banks
Gullfoss River Rift
Þingvallavyn Light
Þingvellir Rift Walls
Mountains at Þingvallavatn
Þingvallavatn
Lopi Love, As Promised
We rode the #15 bus out to Mosfellsbær to go to the Álafoss Wool Store. Compared to Central Reykjavik, this area is on the rural end of a suburban spectrum. That is, there’s not a lot going on out there in terms of commercial development or housing. Here’s the view from the bus:
Once we got off the bus, there was an over the river-and-through-the-woods walk to Álafoss.
The Álafoss wool factory was founded at the same spot in 1896. There were displays of old knitting and spinning equipment, knit garments for sale, and of course… yarn!
I indulged in a few yarn cakes. Yummy!
In the Land of Lopi
To date, my understanding of Iceland has been limited. In the late 1980s, I associated Reykjavik with a key geographical location in the educational video game Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. The 1990s brought Björk and her icy Icelandic voice into my consciousness. That’s about it.
Then last year, I started knitting a Lopapeysa sweater because of a class I took on Craftsy.com. I also started seeing images from this Pinterest feed. Bam! Icelandic intrigue!
I applied for a travel scholarship thru my employer. Here’s the proposal that won me the opportunity: Resilience: Lessons from Iceland.
Fast forward… now I’m in Iceland! This trip will be a quick one; I’m scouting for the real deal and a chance to get the first impressions/gotta-see Reykjavik-area sights seen. I plan on returning later this year to hopefully expand beyond Reykjavik and dig deeper.
Our first day has been about getting our bearings. We arrived in Reykjavik very early this morning and explored in a travel-weary daze after flying all day/night from San Francisco. We made our way to Hallgrímskirkja, “The Church” in Reykjavik with an observation tower, to get a tall perspective. Everyone is bundled up because it is COLD! Perhaps it isn’t as cold as other places, but when the wind whips through, it feels like it breaks the skin. Good thing there are wooly wares to wear available everywhere… even convenience stores sell hand knit hats and sweaters! Every interior space we’ve been in is cozy and warm. Lovin’ geothermal energy!
We walked to Harpa at sunset. The colors, light, reflection, texture and contrasts are magnificent!
Perhaps tomorrow I will collect myself when I get encounter wool and actually photograph some of the lopi love to share.
Knock-Off Needles
Woolenwarrior just got home and found a little package waiting for her… from China!? Oh yeah! She totally forgot that she ordered some knock-off needles after hearing a tip and review from Paula of the Knitting Pipeline podcast. Here they are all bundled up:
The knock-off Skacel Addi-esque packaging is especially amusing.
Here’s the verbiage and links that Paula shared in her Episode 142 Product Notes:
Jin Que Circular Needles from China: These are similar to ChiaoGoo or maybe the same. Cable is a bit thicker and not quite as flexible.
32” Circulars Price for 11 needles is now $5.99. Shipping now $.99.
Bargain!
Woolenwarrior is looking forward to giving them a try. Stay tuned for a review!
WOOLENWARRIOR 