Friday favorites April 10, 2015 13:55

I listen to a lot of podcasts while I dye, and one feature I always look forward to is the Pop Culture Happy Hour's "what's making us happy this week" segment. I love hearing about what other people are enthusiastic about, so I thought it would be fun to do something similar with the blog on my new site.

Here's what's making me happy this week:

The Methow Valley. We spent a couple of days here on our way home from seeing family in eastern Washington over Easter. I love this beautiful valley, tucked into the eastern slope of the Cascades. And on this visit, I finally managed to visit the Mazama Store. This is an upscale country store that features a variety of local products, plus everything that your inner yuppie could desire. I can't help myself, I liked it.

Especially the locally crafted things. I was drawn to the upcycled wool skirts made by Neve Wear, and the hand-dyed yarn made with local Romney fleece.

Sorry about the blurriness of the photos. I feel like a conspicuous weirdo pulling out my phone to snap photos, so I try to keep it on the down low. I need to just own that I'm part of the Instagram age.

Reading. After several months of barely doing any reading, either print or audio, with an attention span that couldn't get me through a magazine article or short story in a single sitting, I knocked out three books this week. I feel more like myself again. This week's reads were Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan, The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin, and Old Man's War by John Scalzi. Zealot was probably my favorite--the best written, the most informative, and the one that made me think the most. I jot down thoughts on most of the books I read over at Goodreads, if you want more.

Fiber. I overdid it while getting ready for Stitches West, trying to finish just one more sample, and my hands have been hurting ever since. So no knitting has been happening around these parts. But it turns that I can still spin, if I'm careful to keep my hands relaxed (which is better for spinning anyway) and if I take lots of breaks. Like while I'm playing a board game.

I spun up some of my Targhee/silk on my Tracey Eichheim spindle, while my party got devoured in a game of Eldritch Horror. 

What's making YOU happy this week?