Cashmere Mittens, Ellen!

I thought yesterday was going to be a sleepy kind of day - until John asked if Ellen and I would like to go out somewhere. Of course we did! He never has to ask twice!

We decided to go to Port de Grave. We go out there for a look around every few months. In Newfoundland I find that one can go to the same places over and over and you'll always find something different than last time you were there. Besides, the weather is so changeable that every day looks different anyway.

I brought along the cashmere mittens that I knit last week. Yes, I know it's summer, but I came across a pattern for mittens and thought I'd give them a try. They turned out very nice and even in summer you still want to try them on or pet them! They are hand knit with Mongolian cashmere. Enough said.  :-)

While in Port de Grave we went looking for the miniature pony we met there last Fall. To our surprise and delight we found that she has a little one! Their pen is near the road and they are super friendly. We stopped to say hello and after a little coaxing, they both came to the fence to allow us to pet them and take their pictures. The little one kept wanting to bite the lens of the camera. John even got a kiss from him/her. We don't know if it's male or female. They are both adorable. We think their owner lives across the street because that's where the barn and other outbuildings are and there's sheep there also.

Then a little further down the road, we found a slipway next door to the Fishermen's Museum. Great place for Ellen's photo shoot. It's a small area, but proved to be very interesting. Lots of pictures this time. Everywhere I turned something caught my eye.

Momma

Closer view looking left

Closer view looking right

Fishermen's Museum in the background

Mmmmmm..... cashmere

Seagull paparazzi

If you look closely you can see the seagull nest at the top of the
tallest part of the rock.

Newfoundland flag

Hardy flowers will grow anywhere!

This greenery is actually under water! The ocean is so clear here.

Parts of the slipway - also under water.

Graffiti - how did it get here?
Did someone paint it while standing in a boat?  Hmmm?

I took this picture because I liked the colour of the kelp against the bright green grass and wood.

Wild roses spilling all over the road

Knitting on the Go, Ellen!

You know how knitters want to take their knitting "everywhere"? Well, I'm no different. I took it on the plane when we went on vacation. I take it our our excursions around the bay when we take Ellen out. So, I have to have something real easy so I can pick up where I leave off without any confusion. Enter garter stitch shawl! I started it at Toronto airport when we went away. Now I knit a couple of rows every now and again - usually before bed. It is a bit boring, but someone will be delighted with it. It's a little cool in Ellen's apartment this evening (because it was too warm the other day and I turned the heat down!) I offered to wrap Ellen in the partially completed shawl because I'm working on something else tonight. She's very happy about that and I'm forgiven for turning down the heat. 

I did work on this shawl when we went out to Conception Bay North a couple of weekends ago, so I thought I'd post those pictures with a few of the shawl.  The shawl is being knit with two kinds of yarn: Patons Silk Bamboo (left over from the sweater I knit for Mom) and a Berlini angora blend. It's super soft and has lovely drape.

After we visited Mad Rock, we went to Port de Grave. A beautiful town with a rich history. The industry there is mostly fishing (as you will see). And, seeing that the Bog Boots have arrived at Wescals, I needed a few pictures of bogs to show those of you who don't live near bogs, why one would need boots in the first place. We'd had a sprinkle of snow the night before and it was still hanging around that day even though the sun was warm.  I love the look of a bit of snow mixed in with the Fall colours of the bogs. (You can click on the coloured word "bogs" above to get the Wiki definition.)

Even the animals in Port de Grave are friendly. The goats came to the fence to say hello and the Newfoundland Pony practically carried on a conversation with us.

Oh! The first picture is a Doggie Paparazzi picture! We spotted this handsome dude/dudette waiting for his/her people on our way to Mad Rock.

Rock wall in someone's back yard

Historic school house

Bog