February 2026

March 15, 2026 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

I began February with a lighter heart, having reconnected with many family members in Eugene at the end of January. Cold weather, rain, not enough snow in the mountains, and a week-long interruption due to a (now resolved) medical emergency derailed some of our plans, but on we go…

Knitting and sewing

I spent several days in hospital rooms, keeping my husband company as he was treated for a sudden bad reaction to a medication he was taking. All is well now, and he is recovered, but I spent many hours sitting, and knitting serious/whimsical hats for sock monkeys, and other small creatures. These are in homage to the Resistance Hats that were worn by Norwegians during the Nazi invasion, and now are made by Minnesotans and other knitters, as anti-ICE symbols. I bought the pattern, with proceeds going to help people hurt by ICE. In the meantime, while I was distracted and worried, knitting these little hats kept my hands and part of my brain busy. We have a display of sock monkeys in our window, leftover from early pandemic solidarity, and now they have joined the resistance.

I began with a couple of the sock monkeys and the Emotional Support Chicken.

I found a small amount of green yarn, enough to make a couple of Portland Frog hats

And then added a few more, including a Pussy Hat for good measure.

I also finished a pair of socks.

And I actually sewed with my sewing machine for the first time in a while. I made a travel kimono robe.

Books

I finished five books in February, including three in the Jane Austen-esque category.

2-17– Museum Day – David Hockney Exhibit at the Portland Art Museum

I was not previously familiar with David Hockney, but now I am so impressed with his body of work! The exhibit follows his life, from British art school student to American icon. His art follows his curiosity, into new mediums and subject matter. The impact of anti-homosexual laws in England, the loss of many people to AIDS (bouquets and chairs); portrait, still life, abstract, and landscape images, including one of my favorite places – Yosemite. The work varies from traditional art materials to modern iPad drawings and videography.

David Hockney, Self Portrait, 2012, iPad on Paper

Below are some of my favorites of his earlier works, created with traditional media:

Later works used Photographs and iPad paintings

I really loved this Yosemite Series, 2010, iPad drawings printed on paper:

These two extremely large works, described as Photographic Drawings printed on paper, play with perspective:

25th June, 2022, Looking at the Flowers, 2022. In this case, the original flower paintings were mounted on the large wall on the other side of the gallery, as well as reproduced on this large image. The artist is sitting in the chairs.

The videography piece was created with multiple cameras mounted on a vehicle driving through a snowy forest. The perspective of each camera differs slightly, the effect is mesmerizing. Luckily there is a convenient bench to sit and watch.

The amount of work presented in this exhibit is overwhelming. I am showing just a few here. I hope to go back and look again.

Neighborhood

Crocuses and daffodils were blooming in February.

One day I walked to our newly reopened Hollywood Branch Library, and saw the early cherry trees beginning to bloom, along with this sign of the resistance.

This new mural in the entry to our remodeled library celebrates our local author, Beverly Cleary, who grew up here and set many of her beloved children’s books in this neighborhood.

New Beverly Cleary Mural in the Hollywood Library

Etc…

Internet meme of the month…

May 2024…

May 31, 2024 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

May was a busy month, with a visit from our daughter being the best part. We also planted our garden, and went on several hikes (next post). I cut out some new quilt block pieces and knit on several projects.

Sewing – Emily taught us to make her famous sock monkeys, and we got a good start. We will finish during her next visit.

Emily’s Sock Monkey

Other monkeys, in progress

Knitting – I finished a shawl and one sock, and started another scarf.

Modified Chloris Shawl

One sock done, one started.

Garter and Lace Scarf made from the Linello yarn I bought in Innsbruk last summer

Quilting – Friends All Around – I cut patches for quilt blocks from the leftover Transparency Quilt fabric.

Tentative patch placement – Modern Quilt Studio – Friends All Around blocks

Garden – We planted tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, marigolds, a few other flowers….

Neighborhood Rainbow – So many things blooming in our neighborhood! I collected a rainbow on my walk one day…

Art Experiences – Emily and I visited our friend Claire’s latest exhibit in a downtown hotel. I love her ability to capture the beauty I see all the time in our favorite natural places.

Paintings by Claire Christy-Tirado

Coyote Wall

View from Timberline

We also saw this nautilus when walking around downtown.

May 30th – We took a short hike at Brooks Memorial State Park outside of Goldendale, WA, then stopped to see the latest exhibit at Maryhill Museum.

The setting…

View from the museum plaza looking …east,

South,

And west.

I was particularly interested in seeing their new exhibit, a collection of historic and new paintings and photographs, arranged in geographic order from east to west along the Columbia River. I’ve shared a few of my favorites below.

The most impressive piece was a four panel journey along the Columbia River – beautiful!

And random extras – We were served by a “robot” waiter in a Burmese Restaurant.

Robot waiter

A lovely Mother’s Day card…

The rest of October, 2021: knitting, neighborhood, more hikes…

November 3, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

A transitional month – the last of the summer flowers, leaves turning and falling, more rain, an atmospheric river event. We got our Covid booster shots, are poised for reentry, again, again, again, again….

Knitting, etc:

I knitted some little creatures – a gnome, three cats and a witch, and finished a pair of socks. My collection of twelve hats and a cowl are blocked and ready for donation to a local women’s shelter. I sewed potholders and a door light curtain for my daughter.

Witch and Cat (Susan B Anderson)

Mystery gnome Gnorwen (Sarah Schira)

Twelve hats and a cowl for donation

Weaving Socks (verybusymonkey)

New potholders for a gift

Tiny Speckled Window Cat (Sara Elizabeth Kellner) for a gift

Another Tiny Window Cat for me

Around the neighborhood:

Colors of the season:

Sunflowers

Crabapples

Two more hikes, besides our Mt Adams and Eagle Creek adventures:

With more frequent rain in western Oregon, we go east of the mountains, beyond the rain shadow.

10/21/2021 Tom McCall Point, Oregon: Orange oak trees, views of Mt Adams and Mt Hood, and a surprise viewing of a buck near the top of the mountain.

Tom McCall Point

Parsley Alley

Oak leaves

Oak tree

Memaloose Hills

Mt Adams, Washington slopes

Mt Adams

Mt Hood

Buck

Dried balsam root and puffy clouds

Summit view

10/27/2021 The Labyrinth, Washington: A saunter with our son through some of my favorite basalt piles and oak groves on an overcast day with sun breaks.

Oak grove

Orchards of Mosier

Friendly tree

Columbia River Gorge

New Zealand Albatross update: The chick Tiaki that I watched in the webcam from the time it was laid as an egg last fall, to its fledging in September 2021, has flown across the South Pacific Ocean to the coast of South America.

Screenshot from the NZ/DOC tracking page.

And some inspiration for staying positive…

Internet meme – author unknown.

August 2021 – summer gardens, knitting an albatross, the wing and the wheel….

August 27, 2021September 20, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

August turned out a bit differently than planned, as we had to cancel travel due to the spread of the delta variant of Covid-19. I celebrated another birthday, walked the neighborhood, ate lots of fresh garden tomatoes, knitted, sewed masks, enjoyed my daughter’s visit, and went on a few hikes (next post).

Neighborhood and garden

Summer roses

Echinacea

Shadows

View to downtown from Alameda Ridge from the top of…

the 38th Avenue stairs.

Signs of support in the neighborhood…

Water splashing in the Beverly Cleary sculpture garden.

Harbinger…

Puffy clouds in the evening sky,

Half moon rising,

Alpenglow

Farmer’s market and garden bounty

Birthday cupcakes and books

Knitting and sewing

An Albatross –

I finished knitting an Albatross Chick, pattern by Rachel Borello Carroll. The face and legs are perfect, the body and wings a less accurate reproduction, but I love having the chick on my shelf.

During our travels in New Zealand in February of 2020, we saw albatross chicks in their nests at the Royal Albatross Center in Taiaroa.

Albatross, taken from the bird blind at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head, February, 2020

After we returned home, almost immediately into pandemic lockdown, I discovered the albatross chick Atawhai, who we probably saw on our visit, was live on camera 24/7 on the Albatross Webcam: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds…

I spent many a moment of zen during this pandemic, watching Atawhai sitting in the beautiful landscape that we visited, the beaches we walked upon beyond. Atawhai fledged in September of 2020.

This year I have been watching the new season of albatross on the webcam. There is a new fluffy chick named Tiaki, who will also fledge soon. She is down to only a few fluffy feathers, and spends lots of time stretching her wings in the wind (wingspan about 3 meters!) One day in the next month, the wind and wings will catch together successfully, and she will fly off for a few years, somehow knowing how to dive into the water to get food, having never touched it before. And new chicks will be hatched in January. The photos here are screenshots from the Webcam.

Other knitting and sewing: I finished two more hats for donation, and made new masks for my daughter.

Not traveling

Our travel destination turned from orange to red the week before departure, so we will not be walking through the Mid Atlantic Ridge, not watching an active volcano in the twilight, not walking along the shores of a glacial lake with floating icebergs, or seeing the birds and marine life of the North Atlantic ocean. We thought we would be too early for northern lights, but I was looking forward to seeing the lopi yarn, the black sand beaches, all the recent volcanic features, and the many waterfalls…. I heard an interesting discussion about the ethics of making the choice to not get vaccinated, and whether people making that choice (excepting those with true medical reasons) should have consequences. I fall squarely on the side of yes they should, and not because my travel plans are delayed. People are dying, people are surviving with long term consequences. Everyone’s life has been interrupted, and will continue to be until herd immunity can be achieved. So yes, I think that those selfishly ignoring the science, unwilling or unable to evaluate all the misinformation out there for what it is (more divisive rhetoric from the right wing patriarchy), should be restricted in their ability to move through public spaces freely, especially when they won’t offer the courtesy of at least wearing a frigging mask! It is a public health emergency!

RIP Nanci Griffith –

We lost one of my favorite singer songwriters this month. I have been listening to her beautiful voice and poetry for more than 40 years, and will continue to listen.

There’s a pale sky in the east, all the stars are in the west
Oh, here’s to all the dreamers, may our open hearts find rest
The wing and the wheel are gonna carry us along
And we’ll have memories for company, long after the songs are gone.

Nanci Griffith – Wing and the Wheel

May 2021, part 2: Garden, Knitting, Sewing

June 4, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

My garden:

Native irises

First roses

Our tomato plants are doing well – next we will add a few basil plants.

Walking in Portland:

California poppies

Same poppies on a cloudy day.

Meadow rue and allium

Colorful landscaping

And in the “weird” Portland spirit:

Fairy garden

Sidewalk interactive music box display

Mannequin arms on Yogurt Shop bench

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First local Hood strawberries! (Not weird)

Knitting and sewing:

I am making progress on my bamboo Em Dash cardigan.

I’ve finished all of the parts of the albatross – assembly next.

I finished another hat for the guild charity project. Pattern is Jason’s Cashmere Hat, yarn is Knit Picks Hawthorne in the Compass color.

I am close to finished with the red/brown socks.

I started these green socks for travel knitting, made good progress on our DC trip. But I lost at yarn chicken.

The pinwheel quilt for a new baby in the family is basted and ready for quilting:

I used this opportunity to knit Egg to Turtle for the big sister. I have had my eye on this Susan B Anderson pattern for a while, and enjoyed the opportunity to make it for someone.

I refreshed my mask supply for our flight to DC and travels there:

I have some garment sewing patterns queued up for stitching. I’ve been using my Jane Austen pattern weights:

And in other crafty news, my knitting group is planning a Big Hug-Show and Tell Back Yard Party later this month, after we are all fully vaccinated. It will be great to share all our knitting projects that we have only seen over ZOOM.

Skiing in Portland, February 2021

February 14, 2021February 16, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

February 14th – When it snows in Portland, our city mostly shuts down. This only happens every few years. We don’t have enough plows to keep side streets clear, and often get sheets and layers of ice with the snow, so best to stay in if possible. This year, we were ready, having practiced pandemic life for eleven months. We have apocalyptic quantities of nonperishable food in our pantry, and can resupply for a week or more with each grocery shop. So no panic, just sit and watch the winter wonderland form, and hope the power stays on.

I took my usual walks around the neighborhood on cross country skis for three days. The streets are flat, with very few cars out. Traffic is mainly dog walkers, families going to the park with sledding accoutrement, other skiers and fat tire bikers. A few skate skiers whizz by, but I am happy to kick glide along, probably slower than I walk, enjoying the novelty of skiing through my snowy neighborhood.

Traffic on Tillamook Street

I always notice these opposing statues on Thompson Street:

Dogs staring at Lions.

Lions staring at dogs.

Tonite the ice storm cometh. So far we still have power, but parts of the city have had outages. Eventually we will thaw and the slush will melt away, and I will be back to walking, but I have enjoyed a few days of skiing. Today was a bit icier on the road, unlike the first day when the surface was fluffy. Today I had to focus, keep my weight over my knees, and stay aware of icy tire tracks diverting my ski path. I was reminded of myself, in my early 30’s, when I attended an annual party at a park with a high dive on the swimming pool. Every year I would make my way to the platform and leap off, feet first, trusting the water to break my fall, just to see if I could still bring myself to do it. Today I trusted my knees and balance to keep me upright on an icy road, sliding along on my 30 year old skis. Check.

Crafting:

Sewing: I finally collected 200 pennies! No one uses pennies anymore, yet they are the perfect filling for a set of pattern weights, pattern from an old Elizabeth Hartman blog post. I used some of my Jane Austen fabric.

A side

B side

Knitting: I finished my Artists Garden Socks. I have made a goal to knit at least one item per month for the Puddletown Knitting Guild project to supply a woman’s shelter with warm items next winter. I obtained a pile of donated yarn from the guild, and have finished two hats so far, and started a cowl.

Artists Garden Socks

Quick Ombre Hat

Barley Light Hat

Blooming:

Meanwhile, around the yard and neighborhood, before the snow, I saw crocuses, one daffodil, and a cherry tree. Hopefully they will all survive the freeze we are in now.

September – wildfires and smoke

September 19, 2020 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

September began with a heat wave, too hot for hiking. I went on my usual walks through the neighborhood, noting the late summer flowers and early signs of fall.

And I finished sewing my summer kimono robe.

We were planning some adventures after the Labor Day weekend, when the trails would be quieter. Instead, quite literally, all hell broke loose. In my last post, I expressed my “hope for a late summer without a local fire season.” I could never have predicted the late summer snowstorm in the Rockies that created an ‘unprecedented’ giant windstorm that swept westward across the continent, fanning the flames of wildfires in every combustible forest on the west coast of North America. We were safe at home, watching in horror, as the news kept getting worse.

September 8th: Wildfire smoke wafting into our neighborhood as we watched swifts fly down our neighbor’s chimney.

September 9th: Last appearance of the sun for a week.

Sept 9th: Aerial view of the fires and the smoke.

Satellite photos from September 11th show the smoke being pulled far out to sea:

After the winds died down, the heavy smoke settled in, limiting visibility, and making breathing painful. We learned how to use the AirNow app to monitor our air quality, constantly refreshing the page, hoping for better results.

For six days I did not go out of doors at all – grateful to have a safe home to harbor in, knowing there were so many families evacuated, and many with their homes burned. Many have still not been able to return; meanwhile the firefighters, Red Cross, and all the social support services have stepped up to aid those in need. I have only gone out once, so far, to pick up a prescription and some groceries. Nobody is walking our neighborhood streets – the air has been too bad. Today it finally shows signs of improvement, and we may be able to step out in the next day or two.

September 16th – our first glimpse of the sun in more than a week.

Knitting

Once again, knitting to the rescue. I have had time to finish a few projects:

**Rafa Hat for my brother – Malabrigo Arroyo, pattern by Joji Locatelli**

**Dog Sweater for a donation toy – Pattern by Jeslane on Ravelry.**

**Ridge Washcloths, Lily Sugar’n Cream cotton, pattern by Hannah Maier.**

And make progress on other projects:

**Rio Calina cowl, Malabrigo Rios, pattern by Cat Bordhi**

**Farallon cardigan, Classic Elite Song yarn, pattern by Elizabeth Doherty.**

Awake and say
“What time is it?
What day is it? What season?”
No sun,
but not dark,
so…
daytime…

End of summer in a strange year
when all the cues are gone,
and now gone again.
Most things closed down again.
Wildfire smoke blankets our part of the planet.
Fall approaches, but is it the fall of our civilization? Or autumn?
Invisible viruses still pervade the air.
Not quite invisible smoke particles dim our sight, harm our lungs.

A metaphor for the insidious gloom covering our entire nation in an unprecedented election year, the outcome to determine how we will breathe going forward.

9/12/2020

Peninsula Park Rose Garden

April 28, 2020April 29, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

April 23, 2020 – Another urban hike-

We walked to the Peninsula Park Rose Garden through northeast Portland. Neighborhood gardens are bursting with flowers, but it was much too early for the rose garden.

It is pink snow season in Portland! (cherry blossoms)

These red and white camellias reminded me of the “Painting the roses red!” scene from Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There.

saxifrage

azalea

phlox

apple

dogwood and maple

Our route took us through the Alberta Arts neighborhood where personal artistic expression is abundant!

Even the tiny horses are prepared for pandemic

Mt Hood

We finally reached the Peninsula Park Rose Garden after walking about 4 miles.

The rose garden was built in 1913.

The rose beds are sunken below street level.

Peonies near the entrance were the brightest color there today.

Brickwork paths.

The gazebo

The only blooming roses.

Looking west across the rose garden.

Hike #37, 8.4 miles, 200 feet. We are hoping to find a dirt trail nearby to walk next week – the cement is very hard on my poor arthritic feet, as I am trying to keep my fitness levels up for the duration…

Knitting

I finished the ‘eggs’ and the ‘chicken feet’ on the Which Came First shawl. On to the ‘chicken wire’!

PS. Happy 3rd Blogiversary to me – I published my first post in April of 2017!

Rocky Butte

April 23, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Another week of Pandemic, another urban volcano hike, new spring blooms, a bit of crafting, and some good advice from George Washington.

April 16, 2020 – Hike of the Week

Rocky Butte is another Boring Volcanic Field volcano in Portland. We walked there from the Rose City Golf course, and had a great view of the High Cascades Peaks, with a coyote sighting along the way.

After walking flat city streets, we began the uphill climb on Rocky Butte Road.

A coyote, crossing the road ahead.

The coyote continued up into the forest.

Meanwhile, we walked up the road and through the tunnel.

The road, tunnel, and stone walls were built in the 1930’s as part of a WPA post-depression infrastructure project.

Eventually, we reached the park on the summit.

Views in all directions:

East to Mt Hood

North to Mt St Helens

Columbia River, Mt St Helens

Mt St Helens

Northwest, down the Columbia River

West to the Fremont Bridge, Portland

West to downtown Portland

Southeast to Mt Jefferson

Mt Jefferson

Mt Hood again

And a last look at Mt St Helens before heading down.

I always love a Peak Finder!

Hike#36, 6.5 miles, 420 feet.

New blooms in the neighborhood and garden this week:

dogwood

apple

peonies leafing out

camus

fothergilla

California poppy

Crafting:

I made forward and reverse progress on my Meris sweater. While playing yarn chicken, I made the sleeves too short. I have knit just about every part of this sweater three times, so now I will reknit the lower sleeves. I sewed more masks, started sewing a new bathrobe to replace the one I left behind in Queenstown, and continued knitting Emily’s shawl, and the purple socks.

Meanwhile in Portland:

Physical distancing demonstrated by our founding father!

Back to the sky/some sewing

September 5, 2019 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

8/31/2019 Cloud Cap/Timberline Trail High Point

We returned with friends to this same trail near Cooper Spur on Mt Hood that we hiked in July. Fewer flowers, less snow, still the sky, the swirling cloud cap, the views afar, the plans formulating to complete the Timberline Trail loop someday. Hike #42, 6 miles, 1650 feet.