Whole Ecosystems

I’ve noticed lately that I seem to have developed a breeding population of free-range needles. I cannot clean up, reorganize or even tidy any area of my house or shop without coming up with a fistful of feral needles. They’re everywhere and in the craziest places like my kitchen cabinets, bureau drawers and the bathroom.

Here we see a small pod of double points foraging among the culch at my computer.
No matter how much I pick them up, sort them out and put them away, there are always more. Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon? I can’t possibly own the number of needles that are kicking around this place! On the other hand, the population of free-range stitch markers seems to have dropped dramatically, perhaps from predation by the needles.

Vacation Wrap-up Day 3
We started out Day 3 at a wonderful little coffee shop called Beantown in sprawling (not) downtown Sierra Madre. Here we found KNITTERS!

This is the Beantown Knitting Group. They are a lovely bunch of ladies who knit at Beantown Coffee every Monday and Wednesday. I just think it is so funny, being from the Boston area, to run into any group called the Beantown Knitters when I’m thousands of miles from home.

After walking around town a bit, we headed to Hacienda Heights to see the Hsi Lai Chinese Buddhist Temple. It was really beautiful

and it had a couple of lovely gardens.

They had a room where a number of beautiful statues of Buddha and the Bodhisattvas were set up with mirrors so that they were reflected to infinity. That was extremely cool (no pictures allowed). I found the rest of the place very moving though somewhat intimidating. I can’t imagine why…

Tomorrow, Sierra Madre's Fourth of July Parade. That is if I can get out from under all of these.

Still working my way through all of the sock yarn orders. If you are one of the people who ordered yarn this week, your yarn should be showing up soon! Enjoy!