I'm still plugging away on Malin and enjoying the Cascade 220. I may look into doing her Grapevine sweater from Stillwater with this yarn, perhaps in a dark red color. Lately all my sweaters seem to be either green or purple so red would be a nice change.



It looks like I'll have enough Santa Fe photos to get us through next week and by then I should have enough progress to show some new knitting photos. Sorry about the lack of fiber content but I have knitting ennui lately. There is actually fiber content in the first photo - there is a weaving gallery there. The second photo is a building near the railyard. There used to be a neat made in NM foods store there in conjunction with the farmer's market held nearby but it looks empty now.

I'm amazed to admit I like some of the sweaters in the fall issue of Knitters as shown online at the Knitting Universe web site - I'm fond of the Elsebeth Lavold vest of course along with Soft Shoulders. That sweater is done in a really gorgeous color.



I got both a Herrschner's Yarn Shoppe and a Webs yarn catalog today. I see that Webs has Cascade 220 for $7 a skein and you get 20% off if you order more than $60 worth. I will have to look at their colors again because I'd love to do another sweater in this yarn.



Santa Fe is a wealth of art galleries. Here's one with some outdoor sculptures for your perusal.

Check out the fun metal gates at this store.



Today I decided to discontinue most of my knitting mailing lists. They take up too much time and I'm sick of receiving emails that have attachments/viruses. The only list I hung onto was Knitting Beyond the Hebrides because the projects these knitters are working on interest me. In general these days I'd rather read blogs than mailing lists. That way I can pick and choose blogs by talented knitters that inspire me to get more knitting done.



With blogs you can really tailor your online time to reading only about knitting projects that interest you and you don't have to read the other stuff. Blogs are better also because you can see what the knitters are up to with photos rather than just reading about it. I'm always curious about what yarns and colors other knitters choose for their projects.



I'll be back Tuesday with more photos of Santa Fe and some actual knitting content. Perhaps the tagboards will be back by then also. I'm such a dreamer...

I ordered some more Norwegian sport weight superwash wool from Elann. I'm going to make THIS Dale of Norway baby cardigan for a pregnant friend along with the matching hat. The baby size uses about 12 different colors one skein each so I ordered all the other colors I didn't already have. I really like the colors this yarn comes in and I should be able to match the original Dale colors pretty well.



I seem to be blocked on the rabbit knitting. I'm going to send them what I have at the end of the month and then take some time off. Okay I'm already taking time off. I could keep pumping out the bunnies & carrots hats but I get the sense they want different stuff. I'll see what they say when I send the two more hats I have.



I've been trying to put it off but I have a serious and full-blown case of knitting ennui. I just can't stand hot weather (and I live in the desert!) and summer sucks the life out of me. It seems like it is getting a bit cooler but I cannot wait until fall is here and I get re-energized.











Santa Fe is full of fun little courtyards and tucked away shops. This courtyard is near the Shed, a very popular inexpensive lunch spot. Apparently our governor took some Korean diplomats there a few months ago for what the newspapers call "green chile diplomacy."

Here's a pretty building - not sure but we think it was possibly a restaurant on a side street off Guadalupe. Santa Fe is rich in some of the best restaurants in the world. I recommend Geronimo on Canyon Road which is mighty pricy but the food is world class. DH said it was the single best meal he ever had in his life.



Back to fiber, I've been really remiss in reading my usual blogs. I miss hearing about everyone else's knitting projects and I hope to get back to them later this week. And I've also been remiss in listing my weekly fiber goals.



My big three goals are - Malin, Trondheim, and CO HRS rabbit-themed knitting.



1. Malin is coming along actually. I probably did 3 inches in the past week on both front and back. Goal for this week - two more inches.



2. Trondheim - what Trondheim? Does anyone know what is going on with Trondheim? I actually touched it once in the knitting basket searching for something else. Does that count? Goal for this week - finish it up past the bottom patterning



3. Rabbit knitting - I have two hats finished and am contemplating starting some slippers. I finished one mitten but am not sure I like them. Goal for this week - another item of any kind.

Architecture and history are great, but let's face it. Santa Fe's raison d'etre is the amazing shopping. Here are some photos of fun places to lighten your wallet.











Once I get past the first pattern repeat on Malin it should speed things up considerably. I am greatly enjoying knitting this, both for the pattern and for the beautiful purple Cascade 220.



Today I received my most beautiful ever knitting gift. Jeanette the 16 year old knitting wunderkind made me a beautiful pair of Norwegian socks from the Folk Socks book in Nature Spun worsted. They are just so gorgeous. I'm very lucky! Thanks again Jeanette.

It's a miracle.



I actually went to the Herrschner's Thursday sale, saw Nature Spun sport weight on sale for $1.99 and didn't buy any. Amazing as that is probably my number 1 most used yarn. (I did buy a bunch there several weeks ago so it isn't like I'm lacking.) Anyway, I may have to see a physician to make sure I'm still normal. And for those of you who know me and my already questionable levels of normalness, stop laughing.



If they continue to have Nature Spun sport weight on sale I may just pick another Dale ski sweater and figure out yarn amounts and buy some. I've always wanted to do Lillehammer but Mt. Rose is another possibility.



Here's a photo of the skyline of Santa Fe so you can see the Sangre de Cristo mountains. And the large adobe building is the Eldorado hotel.