Another weekend in Utopia

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Sorry for the blog silence. My mother has been visiting, and there hasn’t been much time to feed the blog.

Ready for another picture-heavy What We Did in Glorious Oregon post?

Sure you are.

But first, some yarn. I’m off to a great start with the indie sock yarn thing, thanks to Helen of Painted Skeins. I had the pleasure of meeting fellow writers Helen and Linera for some shop talk one evening last week, and Helen presented me with this beautiful yarn:

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She created the colorway in honor of my move to Portland. It’s called Autumn Welcome. I can’t begin to tell you how blown away I was that she would design something for me…and then to have it be so damn perfect… Can you imagine a more Cari colorway? I need to find just the right pattern for this stuff.

And now…this weekend’s adventures in utopia. We took my mother to the Columbia River Gorge, with stops at Bridal Veil Falls and Multnomah Falls. I don’t think much explanation is necessary for these photos. Oregon is ridiculously beautiful. Period.

The Gorge:
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Bridal Veil Falls:
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Multnomah Falls:
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And yes, we climbed to the top:
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Happy Oregonians:
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56 Comments on “Another weekend in Utopia

  1. Lovely photos!! And very pretty yarn as well. I’m so glad you are loving Oregon 🙂 Be sure to go to the falls in the spring when the snow melt really makes them full, it’s amazing!

    Posted by: Michele

  2. Wow. Gorgeous. And I love the photo of your little one holding that huge leaf!
    Posted by: AlisonH

  3. Beautiful yarn, and such beautiful scenery! So envious! Can’t wait to see what you will knit with your ‘sock club yarn’.
    Posted by: Sharon

  4. Lovely photos!! And very pretty yarn as well. I’m so glad you are loving Oregon 🙂 Be sure to go to the falls in the spring when the snow melt really makes them full, it’s amazing!

    Posted by: Michele

  5. Wow. Gorgeous. And I love the photo of your little one holding that huge leaf!
    Posted by: AlisonH

  6. Beautiful yarn, and such beautiful scenery! So envious! Can’t wait to see what you will knit with your ‘sock club yarn’.
    Posted by: Sharon

  7. Utopian yarn.
    You need hair to match now!!! (no pressure)
    The shot of the leaf is great too 🙂
    Posted by: Alison

  8. It truly does appear to be Utopia! Did you see the nice article on Portland in “Cooking Light” this month?
    Posted by: Kathy

  9. It’s just so different from your prior abode, it’s ridiculous.
    Posted by: Mary K. in Rockport

  10. It’s really gratifying to read about how happy you are. You clearly chose the ideal home for your family. Thumper is beyond cute (though you already know that). That yarn is just perfect. Sounds like you’re batting a thousand!
    Posted by: regina

  11. Breathtaking photos. Really get the feeling that the air, water, everything is so fresh and clean.
    Posted by: brooke

  12. oh, i love those hikes! looks like you guys had a beautiful weekend. not that i’m a little jealous or anything. 🙂 so glad to see you three looking so happy. yay utopia.
    Posted by: heather

  13. Utopian yarn.
    You need hair to match now!!! (no pressure)
    The shot of the leaf is great too 🙂
    Posted by: Alison

  14. It truly does appear to be Utopia! Did you see the nice article on Portland in “Cooking Light” this month?
    Posted by: Kathy

  15. It’s just so different from your prior abode, it’s ridiculous.
    Posted by: Mary K. in Rockport

  16. It’s really gratifying to read about how happy you are. You clearly chose the ideal home for your family. Thumper is beyond cute (though you already know that). That yarn is just perfect. Sounds like you’re batting a thousand!
    Posted by: regina

  17. Breathtaking photos. Really get the feeling that the air, water, everything is so fresh and clean.
    Posted by: brooke

  18. oh, i love those hikes! looks like you guys had a beautiful weekend. not that i’m a little jealous or anything. 🙂 so glad to see you three looking so happy. yay utopia.
    Posted by: heather

  19. I love driving through the gorge. It is so varied according to the time of the year that you go through it and it has to be one of the most beautiful areas of our country.

    It looks like y’all are settling in very well and enjoying the new digs.
    Posted by: Lynda

  20. Also try Silver Falls State Park. Really pretty waterfalls. And go early, it tends to get really really busy. The only downfall, they don’t allow dogs. Lisa
    Posted by: Lisa C

  21. waukena falls is beautiful, too. it’s a bit more up, though…

    oooh, and angel’s rest!! let me know when you want to hike, josie, kev and i loves to.
    Posted by: shannon in oregon

  22. Ok, quit telling everyone how great this place is :-)). I was out in the Gorge this weekend too. Took my two dogs hiking at Angel’s Rest.
    Posted by: LeAnne

  23. the walk to the top of multnomah is our favorite. once at the top there are even more trails to behold. yay for oregon’s beauty. we might make it up there in spring and we will have to seek you out if we do.
    Posted by: mamie

  24. I love driving through the gorge. It is so varied according to the time of the year that you go through it and it has to be one of the most beautiful areas of our country.

    It looks like y’all are settling in very well and enjoying the new digs.
    Posted by: Lynda

  25. Also try Silver Falls State Park. Really pretty waterfalls. And go early, it tends to get really really busy. The only downfall, they don’t allow dogs. Lisa
    Posted by: Lisa C

  26. waukena falls is beautiful, too. it’s a bit more up, though…

    oooh, and angel’s rest!! let me know when you want to hike, josie, kev and i loves to.
    Posted by: shannon in oregon

  27. Ok, quit telling everyone how great this place is :-)). I was out in the Gorge this weekend too. Took my two dogs hiking at Angel’s Rest.
    Posted by: LeAnne

  28. the walk to the top of multnomah is our favorite. once at the top there are even more trails to behold. yay for oregon’s beauty. we might make it up there in spring and we will have to seek you out if we do.
    Posted by: mamie

  29. We have a similar autumn here on the West Coast of Canada. Hope you don’t miss the red maples from the east like my Mom still does.
    Posted by: Angie

  30. Man, that is some gorgeous yarn! Maybe we don’t have so much of the brilliant fall colors out here, but you can make up for it with brilliant sock yarn, at least.

    Beautiful pix of the Gorge, too. Perfect place to take your mom. And you guys are looking like natives already! [g] (Plus I had to laugh when I read this. My current wallpaper is a close-up pic of Multnomah Falls and the bridge…)
    Posted by: MonicaPDX

  31. Wow, are those ever pacific northwest clouds!! Beautiful! And I love that yarn.
    Posted by: susan

  32. Isn’t the gorge just amazing? I’ve only been a few times but oh I love it so!
    Posted by: Rebecca

  33. Holy MONKEY, that leaf is LARRRRRRRGE (said in the Olive Oyl voice about Bluto or Blotto or whatever his name is…)

    I can’t stop giggling at that photo.
    Posted by: Norma

  34. Aaaaah, Columbia Gorgeous. Wait til you see it in the spring when all of the spring wildflowers are blooming.
    Posted by: Shelley

  35. I thought I told you to stop that?

    I don’t even like to hike and I want to go there.
    Posted by: juno

  36. We have a similar autumn here on the West Coast of Canada. Hope you don’t miss the red maples from the east like my Mom still does.
    Posted by: Angie

  37. Man, that is some gorgeous yarn! Maybe we don’t have so much of the brilliant fall colors out here, but you can make up for it with brilliant sock yarn, at least.

    Beautiful pix of the Gorge, too. Perfect place to take your mom. And you guys are looking like natives already! [g] (Plus I had to laugh when I read this. My current wallpaper is a close-up pic of Multnomah Falls and the bridge…)
    Posted by: MonicaPDX

  38. Wow, are those ever pacific northwest clouds!! Beautiful! And I love that yarn.
    Posted by: susan

  39. Isn’t the gorge just amazing? I’ve only been a few times but oh I love it so!
    Posted by: Rebecca

  40. Holy MONKEY, that leaf is LARRRRRRRGE (said in the Olive Oyl voice about Bluto or Blotto or whatever his name is…)

    I can’t stop giggling at that photo.
    Posted by: Norma

  41. Aaaaah, Columbia Gorgeous. Wait til you see it in the spring when all of the spring wildflowers are blooming.
    Posted by: Shelley

  42. I thought I told you to stop that?

    I don’t even like to hike and I want to go there.
    Posted by: juno

  43. Insanely jealous and incredibly homesick.
    Posted by: Missplaced Oregon Native

  44. that was the first place my husband took me several years ago when he was trying to woo me to portland (i wasn’t sold then! can you believe it? i’ve lived in some beautiful places,so…). we’ve done most of the hikes around that area–angel’s rest is nice because you get away from the crowds.
    Posted by: k

  45. Cari, I am so glad you had a good visit with your mom and that she was impressed with Oregon. Great pics of the Gorge. I love that place! See you soon.
    Posted by: Tereza

  46. ONLY thing missing from your pics is the sound – just gorgeous. Baby/Leaf pic is just too cute!!
    Posted by: robin

  47. Insanely jealous and incredibly homesick.
    Posted by: Missplaced Oregon Native

  48. that was the first place my husband took me several years ago when he was trying to woo me to portland (i wasn’t sold then! can you believe it? i’ve lived in some beautiful places,so…). we’ve done most of the hikes around that area–angel’s rest is nice because you get away from the crowds.
    Posted by: k

  49. Cari, I am so glad you had a good visit with your mom and that she was impressed with Oregon. Great pics of the Gorge. I love that place! See you soon.
    Posted by: Tereza

  50. ONLY thing missing from your pics is the sound – just gorgeous. Baby/Leaf pic is just too cute!!
    Posted by: robin

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