Emma and I have been doing some spectacular knitting-walking amongst the wildflowers recently. It’s been a bit windy lately . . .
but thoroughly lovely this April !
Thought you might like to take a walk with us . . .
(click first image to go to slideshow)
Lupinus Albifrons. Known as just ‘ lupine ‘, it is one of the more populated native wildflowers of Northern California, and in April fills the mountain meadows, between grape vines in the rows, and trail-sides with deep blue & purple variegation. A small woody shrub when mature, however, where grass is mowed annually (as in the vineyard rows here on the mountain) and where seed is planted from the wind, you’ll see it popping up everywhere as young single stemmed flowers . . .
I luckily had just the perfect yarn handy when I became inspired from my walk of last week. I had a bunch of green which I over-dyed from grey wool which perfectly illustrates the ‘silvery’ grey-green leaves of the plant. The rich deep blue and purple played illusive games however with the camera, which wasn’t able to distinguish the two, and both came out as blue tones in most of the photos. But here it is , un chullo, for my brother’s birthday tomorrow!
I absolutely go wild photographing still-life knitteds ~~ its just one of the things I love doing, in every light possible , which enables me to make an assemblage of photos that catches different tones and characteristics of the yarns and knitted shapes . . .
The detail with which I experimented for the first time on this chullo hat, was to add a running crocheted chain just inside the typically chullo-esque double-crocheted edge, to neaten up the edge.
I love to make my chullo hats a bit of a hybrid with gnome hats by decreasing into a point, then finishing with a braid extending off of the top . . .
They blossom into a hat with a lot of character and playful whimsy . . .
The crocheted edges tame the curling tendency of the stockinette stitch. . .
Braid finishes being made on both ear flaps . . .
(the purple really pops in this photo below !)
Un chullo, inspired from the lupine flowers in the fields of Northern California. To be given to my brother tomorrow, and there could be nobody more appreciative than he, who wears them everyday , and who is also a botanical wizard !
NOTE : I have taken notes as I knit this one, so if anybody is interested, I could assemble a pattern of sorts from it.
Details on Ravelry HERE
Well, I’m off to walk the mountain with Emma, but I will leave you with a little slide show of the early morning walk of last weekend, from which this chullo’s lupine photos were taken . . .
I speedily uploaded photos from our walk up the ridge, and now I’m off to town !
It is one month into winter in Northern California.
The trees have been bare for only as long. This photo was taken weeks ago, but I was waiting for the right time to post it. It is a Blue Oak, there are many where we walk .
And walking is what Emma and I do a lot of these not-so-grey days of winter. Last few days have been fair and I got some pink on my cheeks today, as we walked some new terrains under the noon-time sun !
Of course, I brought my knitting . . .
Emma and I out exploring the mountain for a good long knit walk on Sunday morning . Observing moss dripping off of branches, devouring the old oaks. So much fog and moisture from the coastal weather pounding this inland ridge which divides Sonoma and Napa counties, before sinking finally into the Napa valley.
Close to the peak, we seek out our secret precipice . . .
Emma scouts the ridge along the peak, for her usual treats . . .
What is this bright blushing wooliness among the foggy forest ?
And the view , beyond the knitting, from the peak at 2600 feet !
