We have been camping at my favourite campground in the High Sierra mountains for many years now because of the cooler temperatures.  Every year, I think about painting the beautiful mountains that surround the campground.  However, we always end up walking the mountain trails, playing board games, reading and perusing the night sky with my telescope instead.

Last time I was feeling too sick to paint en plein air.  So I made a quick sketch in my logbook noting down the colours.  As soon as I felt a little better at home, I finished the painting.

Since I was at home, I was tempted to use a wider palette for the painting, but I decided to stick to my travelling paintbox instead.  I wanted to familiarize myself a lot more with my travel palette and switch out colours if needed.

I removed the clips that holds the pans in place to be able to fit in 4 more half pans in the middle of the 8-half-pan Fome palette, making it a 12-pan palette.  With the clips missing, the pans were loose.  I glued magnets to the bottom of the pans to keep them in place.  The box is tiny, smaller than a pack of playing cards.  I love that size so much that I have 2 of them.  I got mine at Jerry’s Artarama. 

Since I usually travel during colder times, my palette is a bit on the broody side.  However, if needed,  I can easily mix warm, sunny colours with them as I did for this painting.  I will write a full post on my travel palette one day.

Painting the mountains was a wonderful way to be transported there all over again.

Nights are getting cooler around here and I have been knitting again.  I realised that I never showed the hat I had already made before going to Scotland earlier this year. 

I used a pattern called Winter Wish.  It includes both a chart and written instructions, which I prefer.  I added one extra pattern repeat to fit my large head (I am not joking) and a few more rows of the garter stitch rib.  I learned Brioche stitch for this hat; it turned out to be simpler than I had imagined. 

Youtube tutorial by Very Pink Knits for Brioche Stitch.

Youtube tutorial by The Unapologetic Knitter for Brioche In the Round.

The hat kept me toasty warm on the cold and windy days in Scotland.  I even lent it to my husband as he got sick half-way through our visit.  He liked it so much that he requested I make one for him as well.  The hat I had made for him was not quite as warm as this one.

You have heard me say, warm knits always make me think of faraway places.  Can’t wait to cast one for him.

I made progress with the alphabet series painting.  B took a long time to think of all the details I wanted to include.  My sketchbook travels with me and I within it.  I am now ready to ink and watercolour it.  Can you guess what it is?

Until next time,
-Soma

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