Sunshine, Sea and Wild Air

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air. --Ralph Waldo Emerson

We're on the southern tip of Vancouver Island this weekend, staying near the town of Sooke, BC. We booked a place a couple of months back in an effort to make use of the many travel and accommodation credits we've racked up over the past year. We got super duper lucky because we seem to have picked the only sunny weekend we're going to have in October and November.

I often think that I've seen everything this island has to offer, but when we switch coasts, the scenery always surprises me. This coast is rougher and more rugged than the eastern part of the island where we live. It's wilder and more invigorating... and often way windier than I think it's going to be:

Luckily, the place we're staying at is warm and bright and cozy and is well-stocked with cups for all of the tea and coffee I've been drinking since Friday:

It also has a bit of a sun trap on the deck which Mr. Seymour has been taking advantage of during his stay:

It was sunny but quite windy yesterday, but that didn't stop us from going down to have a look at the Lighthouse Trail:

It was so windy that I was a bit nervous about my phone getting blown out into the sea. This is certainly not a place I'd bring a boat:

Later that day, I saw this sign in the town:

I won't lie: I knew I'd find Sooke Yarn and Fibre there, and I was hoping to pop in to see if I could find a skein to go with another project that's been brewing in my mind. I walked into the shop and was faced with the wonderful sight of scads of yarn everywhere. Weirdly, my eyes dropped down and to the right as soon as I walked in and I was instantly entranced by these two skeins of laceweight. It's HiKoo Merino Lace Light. I reached down to pick one up and swooned: soft and cushy and bouncy as a cloud. And it was a bargain for 1571 yards per skein. I simply could not walk away:

And I was also very pleased to find a skein to go with the project I've been imagining for a while. That pleased me greatly. I can't wait to try it out with the skeins that I have waiting at home:

We celebrated by getting treats at the bakery and then wandering down the Whiffin Spit for a walk. It was a good day for enjoying the autumn sunshine:

I also schemed to meet up with another Island maker during my trip down here: Feral Forest Designs. She makes necklaces out of plants, mushrooms, flower petals, feathers... all sorts of found items from the forest. I could have ordered them online, but honestly, I've had a few disappointing experiences recently with online jewelry shopping that I much prefer now to look at them in person. She agreed to meet me, and it was so lovely to chat with someone who is so passionate about her work. And her work did not disappoint at all. I am thrilled to bring these home with me:

Meanwhile, I have finished one section of my current sweater/stripe experiment, and I am very pleased with the result. The only thing is that it's a bit short for my liking, so my brain is busy with ideas of adding a panel along the top for a boatneck line and shoulders, as well as adding either a ribbed or garter stitch panel along the bottom. I haven't decided yet, but we'll see how it goes:

I am really liking how the subtleties of the blue mixed in with the brown are coming out. It's hard to photograph, but it's a delight to watch as I knit:

I was all gung ho to start the second side last night, but I looked at my leftover ball of variegated yarn and started to wonder how much I had left. After all, it's a one-of-a-kind skein that I dyed over ten years ago. What will I do if I run out? 

I was quite sure the original skein was about 100 grams, but I had no way of weighing it here. I thought about waiting until I get home tomorrow to start the second side, but then I started obsessing wondering how I might weigh the rest of the ball... 

And that's how I ended up at the grocery store in town weighing my ball in the produce section this morning. Yes, that's how I roll. You're just mad you didn't think of it.

Seymour was embarrassed, but we made up for it by going for a wee wander on the beach:

 I've been feeling so very tired and run down over the past couple of weeks, but I'm feeling better today. Maybe it's the sunshine, maybe it's the change of scenery, maybe it's all the tea I'm drinking... but whatever it is, I feel somewhat rejuvenated. This is just as well because the forecast is calling for rain for the rest of this week. Ah well.

Time for more tea. Have a great week!