Link to the pattern on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ramona-falls

Main Color: In the Deep Hue Sea – Bali – Turn The Radio On – 1 skein 438 yrds

Contrasting Color: The Dye Project – Silk Fingering Celilo Merino – Mercury – 1 skein 420 yrds

Needles size: US 4

Well here I go again! Rose City Yarn Crawl MKAL number 3. This year I don’t have plans to do the crawl with a group like I did last year. Lately, I have been feeling extremely introverted. I am an introvert naturally, but this year I have been feeling it deeply. Being with other people, even friends, just brings more anxiety than comfort. In fact, I am not sure if I will be able to even attend the crawl. However, I certainly want to participate in the MKAL.

The Main Color was a choice from my stash. I picked it up at Oregon Flock and Fiber last year from the In The Deep Hue Sea vendor. I got the Dye Project skein from a trip to Starlight. I always go the shop when I have a project idea and I’m missing a skein. It has been a while since I have been to Starlight for a knitting night. Like I said, I have been really feeling reclusive. I mostly work and stay at home. I can say that I am unhappy at my job and that might be playing into these feelings. It isn’t the work, but the environment. I am actually starting to look for a new clinic space. I think I am ready to expand, but I kind of feel like I don’t have a choice. It seems fitting that this year’s theme is about the rainy nature of Portland. While I do LOVE the rain, it fits with my mood lately.

I really love the look of the beginning here. The curve of the end is super clean. I hope it makes another appearance at the other end.

I have spent so much of this KAL while also working on my inner self. This has been a great time of contemplation and inner reflection. While I won’t say that I’m not lonely, I will say that it feels good to really spend the time to myself. It is something that comes up every other year or so. I will need a lot of time to myself and I avoid being in situations with people, or making any plans. This, of course, also leads to a lot of television time. While this is something that I wish I would do less of…it is a chance to watch a lot of my favorites.

Finished with Clue #1, the garter stitch is so squishy! I really love how the colors are knitting up together! I have planned another trip to Colorado. I am going to visit for my Grandma and I’s Birthday again. This time I am planning to get together with my friend Joaquin and get a tattoo from him. It will be the beginning of a sleeve that I want to work on for my right arm. I have an idea of getting a traveler’s wagon. I have sent him so images of what I’m looking for. I am, of course going to let him make all the creative decisions. I am excited to see what he has come up with!

I love how Clue #2 looks. This is a combo of stockinette and garter stitch, with some slip-stitch thrown in. It has the feel of bridges over water. The yarns that I have chosen are really bringing some life to this idea. I chose In The Deep Hue Sea specifically because it is a water themed yarn. Since this year’s Yarn Crawl theme is Waterways, I felt that it was appropriate. I will be taking off for my trip to CO soon, and this project is absolutely coming with me!

I made it to Colorado safely! This time I am going to be celebrating my birthday at one of my favorite restaurants in Pueblo, Do Drop Inn. This is a pizza joint and my husband, who is from Chicago loves to make fun of me about it. He is kind of a pizza snob. We like to blame it on Chicago style pizza, which is delicious, but I think I might love this place out of nostalgia. Anyway, I will also getting that tattoo during this trip as well. Probably after my birthday.

It was super snowy when I got to my sister’s place! It was awesome. We don’t get a lot of snow in Oregon. Dinner was good, I got my pizza! The pizza here has a sweet flavor that is baked in the crust itself! I love it. The combination of salty and savory is just one of my absolute favorites. I also made a trip to this wonderful little candy shop that is around the corner from Joaquin’s shop. This place is called Taffy’s, it is a classic Pueblo institution. They make these amazing cinnamon suckers that they sell at the high school football games…yes…my home town is like this. Either way, the suckers are my weakness. I honestly think I may try to make them myself.

It was absolutely amazing to see Joaquin again after so many years. It has been like 11 years since I had seen him. His shop is amazing! It is everything I expected from him. Clever, creative and completely covered in conspiracy theory. We had a wonderful conversation and his work is amazing as always. If you ever are in Pueblo Colorado, you should definitely get a tat from Arcanum Electric Tattoo! I found out my old friend Lisa from High School works there doing tattoo work as well. She is really talented too.

Clue #3 was a series of yarn over lacework known as Bubble Lace that was done in what I have called my Water color. It is like looking into a rolling river.

Speaking of rivers, it occurs to me that I have always lived in a city that has a river that runs through it. I guess I may be drawn to water! In Pueblo the Arkansas river ran through the main part of town, and after a huge flood in 1921 that almost took out the whole town, The Pueblo Conservancy District rerouted the river further south to prevent such disasters from happening again. There was a lot of history in that old river location so in the 80’s and 90’s they reclaimed the original river channel to revive, as well as beautify, the historic tract. They called this little project The Riverwalk. There is a lot of beautiful art included in this little park, honoring all the people of the past that would use the river for everyday life. I used to visit the Riverwalk frequently when I still lived in Pueblo. Again that draw to water. Before I left, my folks took me to a new restaurant on the Riverwalk that is in a building that used to be a jail. Yup, you read that right.

Getting back to Oregon, I only have Clue #4 left. Clue #4 is some more little lacework with both colors that reminds me of a structured waterway. Kind of like the Riverwalk, or Portland’s Waterfront Park.

Clue #4 Finished on 2-22-18! At that I have completed the 2018 MKAL! Now to do some blocking and get the wrap ready for the Crawl. I will be doing it alone this year so I have planned to just go to the stores I absolutely want to visit. Looking forward to increasing my stash a bit!