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A Newfoundland Photography and Knitting Blog by Betty Nolan

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

You're Gonna Need That Wrap, Ellen!

Christmas time is always a great time to be out and about taking pictures. Lots of sights and if there's snow on the ground it really changes how everything looks - everything that's not buried that is! 

It's Ellen's first winter in Newfoundland and even though she's lovin' it, she finds it kind of cold. On Boxing Day (Dec 26) we decided to take a run to Portugal Cove-St. Philips and Bauline, two towns that are very pretty and unique. 

In Portugal Cove, we hung around the public wharf for a while, but we couldn't decide if we'd be allowed to store our fishing gear on the wharf or not!  :-) There was lots of ice around and I found it interesting how the buoys were caught in the ice but still able to float around pretty freely.  

When we were on our way to Bauline, we noticed that the Belle Island Ferry was leaving for a crossing to Bell Island so we stopped and watched for a while. There are always a few sea birds around no matter how cold it gets.  They're a pretty resilient bunch!  When I turned round to leave I saw the shed in amongst the bare trees.

On the way to Bauline, we found a nice pond that looked like a summertime picnic spot so we stopped for Ellen to model her wrap (to-be). It's being hand knit with Knit Picks sugarbunny. It was intended to be a Christmas present but we had to make the cowl in the last post instead, as this one is still not finished.

We found some interesting things in Bauline. Lots of boats up for the season, rusty anchors and the like. Rust is kind of neat in it's own way. By the time we reached Bauline, Ellen decided that staying in the truck would be the better thing for her. She was nearly frozen after being out by the side of that pond.

Ellen will be delighted with that wrap when it's finished!




































Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas Ellen!

Finally! It's Christmas! Ellen's first Christmas in Newfoundland and she's lovin' it! All the knitting, wrapping and preparations have kept Ellen quite busy over the last few months.  Today she can take a well deserved rest.

Yesterday I finished the last Christmas present, then took Ellen to Bowring Park for her last modelling session before the big day. We waited until almost dark so we'd get a few pictures of the lights in the Park so this post could look more Christmassy. The Park is pretty on an ordinary day, but at Christmas time the City strings lights all over the place, puts stars in trees and wreaths on lamp posts. It's a wonderful quiet spot in the midst of a city. We even got an NL Doggie Paparazzi picture!

Also, it snowed the night before last (commonly referred to as Tib's Eve, you know, the eve of Christmas Eve and supposedly named after a non-existant Saint). I don't really get that, but, when I went for a walk around Power's Pond yesterday I took the camera and got a few shots.  Kind of Christmassy  (without the lights). Of course the geese and ducks are delighted with the snacks I bring for them. They get presents too!  :-)

The piece Ellen is wearing is made with Paton's Stretch Sock yarn and Knit Picks Aloft, machine knit using the thread lace pattern card. I really like the effect even though it's not actually lacy. And, the stretch sock yarn gives it extra springiness. It's cozy. Just right for winter!

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you all have a happy holiday.