Back Again

by Caroline

Where to begin.....I'm so behind I'm forgeting things. I'll start here:

The Cruise

My knit group has already seen the pictures back in March but here are a few for Kathleen and the rest of you. I loved the cruise! I did try the parasailing in Grand Cayman and it was awesome! I don't think I could use enough exclamation points. I swam with the dolphins, I snuba-ed, and best of all, I spa-ed! I loved the ocean; I loved it in the sunlight, the moonlight, when it was calm, and when it was choppy (boy did it get choppy). And, as I stood on the balcony of my private room, I thought a lot about my father and his years at sea in the Navy. I don't think they'll ever be comparing carrier life to cruise ship life, but I felt oddly close to him that week.

I'm marinating in a seaweed wrap right now



hanging out on my balcony



I could stare at this view for hours



how awesome is this?

The Yarn Harlot

Let's see, she was back in April. I drove to WEBS with Heather, Chris, and Erica to listen to her talk and get her new book. We got off to a good start by digging through Heather's (then) recent dying efforts and I promptly reserved several skeins (4 or 5) for our return. The Harlot, speaking first at the Calvin Theater, was great. She sets what appears to be a killing pace on book tour but I don't think she ever holds back. At one point she stopped to ask for water and didn't mention till later how faint she felt at that point. At WEBS for the book signing, I was brave enough to ask if I could get a picture with her and she suggested we hold each others' socks. What a thrill; I am such a groupie! Erica got to tell her about her walking team, "Team Cumulative Action" and Heather gave her a skein of her new color, "Eye of Jupiter", inspired by Battlestar Galactica. Then I bought yarn...YAY! A big thanks to Erica for leading me to the best deal of the night: Jaeger DK silk, 10 balls. If I am remembering correctly, Jaeger is being shut down and brought back out by...Nashua? The balls that I bought for about $9.00 each will be something like $30.00 each! I hope I remembered that right, a deal like that should be remembered.

Edit: (for those who don't read the comments) Jaeger Pure Silk is now a Rowan Classic Yarn. Sorry for the mix-up.

I can't believe I'm holding the traveling sock! I can't believe Stephanie is holding my mini sock!



Erica tells Stephanie about Team Cumulative Action



Stephanie loves the Eye of Jupiter




yarn! yarn! yarn!

I've been finishing projects and I promise to get those up. Are you preparing for June 14th, Worldwide Knit in Public Day?

A Weekend with Yarn...

by Kathleen

I mean with DH and friends! And maybe a little yarn.

Last weekend we went to a northerly section of the North Carolina Outer Banks. We left after work on Thursday and got in a little before midnight. Although the drive was a bit of a drag, I'm glad we did it that way as we got to enjoy all of the incredibly beautiful Friday. Followed by a chillier but still sunny Saturday, and finishing up with a big chunk of the cold and windy, but still gorgeous, Sunday.
The best day... Friday.

And I may have brought a little bit of fiber works with me.
Friday all day ... socks. (finished by Sunday)

Friday evening... spinning.

Saturday morning... afghan square. (still working on this one)

Saturday afternoon... baby hat. (finished by Sunday)


Saturday evening... spinning. (look how full the bobbin's getting!)

And Sunday, on the way home...

Finally... One of my favorite photos from the weekend. Partly because I don't take good photos and this is pretty good... and because I love the juxtaposition of knitting bag, parasol and fishing pole.
What a great time. Can't wait to go back. Must bring more knitting!

MDS&W08

By Kathleen

This past Sunday I went to my second ever sheep and wool festival.
My first one was last October; Caroline and I went to the more local Fall Fiber Festival in Montpelier. This time I went with the local fiber guild to a biggie... The Maryland Sheep and Wool festival bills itself as the largest one in the states.
Could be... it was pretty dang big. But we deliberately went on Sunday to avoid what we've heard is a madhouse on Saturday, and I found it very pleasant and easily doable.

I saw some sheepdog demonstrations, caught the end of the sheep to shawl, and of course... I saw lots of wooly creatures...



Looks like he/she's smirking doesn't it?...
Scottish Blackface. Beautiful sheep, very rough wool.
These are Wensleydales. Yes, like the cheese. Yes, they've heard the Wallace and Grommit reference. Yes, about a million times.
Some very cute coated lambs (Black merino, I think)...
And... oooh... a bad haircut day. Bet she wishes she could borrow one of those coats.


So, you ask... where's the loot? Where's the haul? What did I buy?

Uhm...
Two pair of lantern Moon in size 6 and 8 (I have a seven already).
And a book (the Yarn Harlots first... The Secret Life of a Knitter. Hadn't seen it anywhere else).

That's it.

Really.

No, I mean it.

I have such a lot of yarn already (no snickering out there) and nothing I saw was prettier than what I own. I was looking a little bit for fiber, but I wanted bold colors and handpainting... and I didn't see any. It was all either natural or muted and heathery.
So I got the needles as planned, and a book. Done deal.
I think my fair lunch cost more.

Feelin' Dauncey

DH and I first met one Saturday afternoon when he stopped into the Virginia Quilt Museum where I just happened to be docenting. He was new in town and thought the museum might be of interest when his Mother visited, as she quilted.
Recently he turned 50. And when his mother asked if he wanted anything special for his birthday he said yes... he'd like one of her quilts.


"Spring Daunce"
Daunce is a term I'd not heard before. If you look it up it means ill, but to her (and her Mother who used to say it) it means dizzy, crazy like... a version of Spring fever.
The colors are mostly pastel spring-like, but with shots of darker richer tones. And the blocks are all mixed up... curves, triangles and squares, all set in here and there. Hand pieced and hand quilted.
It's truly lovely. DH calls it her masterpiece. And we are honored to be the caretakers of it.