Monday, May 07, 2007

the song from Rocky Horror

tallgrass
Have you ever had an incredibly great meal, with every bite delicious from the first appetizer nibble on? And you sit there wishing you could spread the great food over two weeks of your usual boring meals, instead of having them all happen in 2 hours? Yeah. That's how I feel about life the last six weeks. So many interesting people, so many stunning views, new tastes, interesting conversations, revelations, challenges. I want to grab a clock and pull back the hands like a super hero so it all goes more slowly and I can spread the goodness over a year or two.

The Shear Spirit Oregon to San Francisco photo shoot road trip tour was just such a feast.
cali
1200 + miles, two farms, cashmere goats, chubby woolly sheep, one sheep herding dog bite, many losses of bearing on remote dirt roads, great hosts on each farm who let us bust into their lives and then fed us well and told us stories, nightly digital slide shows with people who actually enjoy looking at 500 more images of fiber related subjects you shot that day because they raised or spun or knit or dyed it, a hike and wade through icy water, redwoods, espresso huts (seriously why do we not have these on the east coast? are we not civilized???) , one little earthquake just so we knew we were in California, a charming off-the-grid cabin with woodstove, and much more.

One police stop for speeding . My lame-o excuse "oh I'm so sorry officer but the Oregon coast is so FABULOUS and I've never been here before and no I didn't see you trying to pull me over for two miles because, well, I was looking for a........sandwich. "

I wouldn't admit I said that if I were alone but once again my 16 year old son was riding shotgun, on his spring break. Like any good teenager he zoomed in on it as hilarious, and it probably was the funniest thing I said that day, because the rest of our conversations were
"Oh. Wow. Look. Wow. Whoa. Don't look while you're driving. Wow that's beautiful. Whoa thats the Pacific and a....CLIFF!"

We stayed at a cashmere farm in Oregon where I sat in the evening test knitting some sturdy New England botanically dyed wool/hemp until the cashmere farmer/fiber artist could stand it no longer and inisted I cast on a cashmere lace scarf with her delicate, glimmering, natural colored yarn. Oh..OK!. Force me.
cashmere
Here's cashmere lace from its true start start to finish. Mine didn't advance so smoothly, until days later in Mendocino I got my lace groove.

Its hard not to share more from the trip . Not just because the best stuff has to be saved but I'm only half edited and I need to leave again, destination on Wednesday is Montana. I don't know much about Montana except for what I read in novels or blogs or learned in my youth. What I can count on: sheep, yarn, beauty, surprises.

calisigns

9 comments:

Carole Knits said...

I am so excited for this book to come out. These sneak peeks are wonderful! Have fun in Montana, Gale.

pacalaga said...

Man. If you're in Missoula, go to the mall at eat at the Mustard Seed for me. Dragon #3 if you can stand it.

Baycolonyfarm said...

I love the picture of the goat and the shawl! Beautiful!

Anonymous said...

What a sumptuous post! I cannot wait for this book.

Wishing you safe and happy travels, and looking forward to the next installment.

Cookie said...

What kind of sammich and did you get the ticket? ;^)

I'm so glad that you're having a good time and that you were able to find the time to check in here. We worry, ya know.

Have a lovely and safe trip to Montana and back. *hugs*

kt said...

The cashmere shot is just plain

Awwwwwwwwwww!

And i must be daft, but which song from Rocky Horror? (I was Janet when I was in college...)

Ramona said...

You really do have the best job!

Melissa said...

Love the goat picture!

Anonymous said...

Hey, when you get back from Montana try Ivan Doig's Montana trilogy:
English Creek,Dancing at the Rascal Fair, and Ride With Me, Mariah Montana. In your copious free time, of course!