Quiddity

A Few Tidbits

Yesterday, Diana, Hali, Regan, and I took a road trip to Eat, Sleep, Knit in Smyrna.  It is about a 40 minute drive, but well worth the journey.  Holy Cow, I've never seen that much high end yarn in one place before!  It's a wonderful little shop, packed full of more wonderful yarn than you can imagine.  The people are super friendly and helpful, and they have lots of fun incentives to get you to buy more yarn - as if you needed anything other than the lure of what sits on the shelves!  Can you tell I'm a fan?  I tried to restrain myself, especially with Stitches South coming up in about a month, but couldn't drive all that way just to come home empty handed.

The first thing I picked up was three skeins of Fleece Artist "Lady Godiva" to make Ella, a shawl that's been in my queue since it came out.  

Next, I was taken in my a display of yarn choices for the Color Affection shawl pattern.  This is another one that caught my eye, so it was back to the shelves to pick my own colors of madelinetosh merino light.

Lastly, I grabbed a skein of madelinetosh lace, just because.  It will become a lovely shawl.

There was also a bottle of unscented Soak and a package of #5 double points in my bag.  After all that shopping, we were hungry, so off to the Mellow Mushroom.  Best. Pizza. Ever.  It was a wonderful day - I always enjoy being with my friends, and adding yarn to the mix just makes it that much more happy.

Of the seven projects I've finished so far this year, I managed to photograph two of them.  

This is Spectra, which I knit for my good friend, Doug's, birthday back in February.  I used madelinetosh merino light (the blue border and small dividing sections) and Noro Kureyon Sock for the middle parts.  

Only problem is, it's barely been cold enough between then and now for him to wear it.  Such a warm winter we've had!  I don't wish for a colder one next year, but maybe a few more cold days so he can get a chance to enjoy it.

My latest finish is the Foxy Loop Infinity Scarf.  I used all but three yards of a skein of Miss Babs "Windsor" sock yarn.  Such soft yarn!

 Now, I'm working on a pullover sweater, with just the sleeves to start and finish, and today I started the Winnowing Shawl, again using madelinetosh merino light (LOVE this yarn!)  It's supposed to be 79 on Wednesday, so I'm not too motivated to finish a wool sweater.  Looks like the shawl may get done first.  I might not be able to wear it for long, but at least it will work in a cool summer restaurant, unlike the sweater!

I have a stack of finished knitting sitting in front of me on the coffee table, so hopefully tomorrow I'll be motivated to steam block it.  The lace shawls upstairs will have to wait until the urge to use blocking board and pins strikes.  And yet, I keep knitting!  LOL

Catching Up. Again.

I had such good intentions to be a better blogger this year, and here it is, March 7, and I'm just making my first post of the year.  Ah well, better late than never.  My main excuse was that I was going to wait until I'd blocked the many pretty shawls that I've finished lately and then post them all to the blog. It now looks like if I wait for that to happen, it won't.  Seems like I'm not getting a lot accomplished lately, mostly due to being distracted by barn things.  Still, no excuses, I'll just press on.

Maybe a good place to start would be to give you my yearly list of all the knitting I finished in 2011.  Here goes:

• 1 afghan
• 2 baby hats
• 4 baby sweaters
• 1 cowl
• 3 hand towels
• 2 chemo caps
• 4 adult hats
• 12 lace shawls/shawlettes
• 5 lace scarves
• 12 scarves/shawlettes
• 4 pairs of socks (I know!!!)
• 1 pullover sweater
• 1 toy elephant
• 1 long vest
• 4 dish cloths

That should add up to 57 items, most of which have photos you can see in my Ravelry projects.  I have every intention of getting the rest of the photos up (I think there are five or six other things) soon.  But you know what they say about good intentions....  And I do not know what is up with the low number of socks knitted this year, except to say that I've fallen under the spell of the one skein of sock yarn shawlette.  I love knitting lace, and it's a great way to use the vast quantity of sock yarn in my stash.  

Turning to the philosophical, I've been thinking back over 2011.  It seems that every new year, I say, "This year HAS to be better than the last."  But you know what, odds are it won't.  Most likely, it will be the same - full of highs and lows; biths, deaths, and marriages; trips to new places and the same, boring old ones. And that's ok, because that's what life is all about  So, instead of regrets and sadness for much of what 2011 dealt me, I'm embracing the memories and looking forward to what lies ahead.  I can guess what a lot of it will be, but it's the unknown, good and bad, where the adventures and lessons bloom.  I'm ready to harvest them!

Since I was here last, I celebrated my 60th birthday with a lovely dinner with friends on September 19.  I spent a wonderful four days with my dear friend Katie in Kansas City in September, as well, and then lost her only a few weeks later.  I still miss her terribly, but am so happy that she is no longer suffering. I have nothing but happy memories of her, and that's really what is most important.  In October, I went to SAFF with friends and had a lovely time, except for getting really, really sick that Sunday.  We had gone into Asheville to attend the big craft show, and I spent the them there huddled in a corner.  I guess it was something sinus related, but I was in pain and just miserable.  My friends were so supportive, and got me home with only one quick stop by the side of the road needed, ifyouknowwhatImean.  Urp.   At the end of October, I went up to Alexandria to see Jim and attend the Washington International Horse Show.  It was awesome!  We saw a horse and rider jump a 7 foot wall!!!  Thanksgiving and Christmas were both the usual fairly small family affairs, and Santa was very good to me.  The yearly Knitters Holiday Party at my house in early December was the best, as always, and I also had the opportunity that month to ride in my very first Mounted Quadrille performance with the team at our barn (here's a link to my flickr site - you can see photos and short videos of the performance.)  Like last year, I went up to Alexandria to spend New Year's with Jim.  We didn't do anything particularly exciting, but it was a nice visit and we had a lovely New Year's Eve with dinner at a fun restaurant and then a laser show at the Washington Masonic Memorial, which is just two blocks from his apartment.  Now I just need to buckle down and get photos of all these trips onto Flickr.  So much to do - so little time!

2012 has starated out with lots of barn activities revolving around my post as membership director for the Conservancy, and being on a committee to draft new barn regulations and operating procedures.  I'm there riding every day but Sunday, too.  Just last weekend, I rode in my first clinic.  A visiting trainer came to the barn and gave individiual critiques and help for the seven of us who signed up.  I wasn't going to do it, but a friend had to have surgery and she talked me into taking her place.  It was a fabulous experience.  I learned so much from my many mistakes, and am already looking forward to being able to do it again next year, if not before, should the opportunity present itself.  I always say the only thing I'm perfect at is imperfection, and I embrace learning from my mistakes - it's the only way to grow!  Here's a photo of my clinic partner, Silverado, rockin' his braided mane.  His tail was very cool, too.  Thanks to Julie and Katrina for making him look so handsome!

Of course, I'm still knitting, but not completing as much as I would like.  Currently, I'm working on a pullover, using some wonderful yarn spun from some fleeces I bought at SAFF a few years ago.  It's a combination of corriedale and alpaca, but with the weather as it is, I'm betting it will be too hot to wear by the time I complete it.  I only have the sleeves to do, so I'll try to finish in the next week or so and hope for a brief cold snap. I do have a sock on the needles, but I'm not happy with it, so it's been sitting in limbo for a couple of months.  Once I finish the little scarf I'm also knitting, maybe I'll get back to it, unless the call of the shawlettes is too strong!

Ok, so I think I'm all caught up here.  Now we can start a pool to bet on whether I will or will not be a more consistent blogger.  All I can say is, I'll do my best.  And since a blog is not a blog without photos, here are a couple more for you.

Another favorite horse, Chino.

And of course, Mittens and Socks, checking out the neighbor's cat.

 

 

Another Drive By Blog Post!

Well, that was a while.  First of all, I'm doing fine.  I really don't know where the time flies to these days, but whatever is going on, it's obvious blogging isn't a priority.  So, sit down with your favorite beverage and let's see if we can figure out what has been going on since the last time I posted (June 24th!!!!)

July

One of July's highlights is the local fireworks show, which this year was, sadly, rained out.  I did finish quite a few knitting projects, though. Oh, and all links go to my Ravelry project pages, so you can connect from there to the patterns and/or yarns.

First, an online, local knitalong that I suspect I'm the only one that has completed so far (hope I'm wrong about that!)

• Ene's Scarf.  This was the first item I ever entered into my Ravelry queue, and I'm glad I finally got around to knitting it.  Such a fun pattern!

The next finish is a pretty spectacular one.  My cousin's daughter is pregnant with a little girl, and I thought it would be nice to knit a Christening blanket for her.  This is the same young woman I knit a wedding shawl for just last November.  Since I still had a LOT of that white Zephyr left over, it seemed the perfect choice.  I chose a shawl pattern with a big garter stitch center, suurounded by a pretty lace border.

• Bridgewater, by Jared Flood.  All that garter stitch was, well, garter stitch, but the border was very interesting to knit.  She was thrilled, and so was I.  Can't wait to meet the little one it is intended for  - she's due in December.

Next up, a quick shawlette made from some yarn I bought to make socks, only to realize that it wasn't superwash.  I don't know why I thought alpaca yarn would be superwash, but there you go.  However, it was perfect for this project.

• Maluka.  The lace edge is knit first and then the stockinette portion is added.  It's very easy to make this as long or as short as you wish.  I will definitely be making this again.

Of course, my cousin's soon to be born granddaughter is on my mind, so baby projects were definitely on the list.

• Flower Power Elephant.  Such a silly little guy.  I love making these, and they always bring a smile.

• Baby Surprise Jacket.  Doesn't every baby need one?  I think so.  

August

At the end of July and into August, I went on a vacation with my cousin, Gayle (she of coming grandmotherhood.)  We are both having our 60th birthdays this year, and the original plan was to go to Norway.  But when her daughter became pregnant, and the father of that baby was stationed in Afghanistan, she decided it was better to stay nearby.  So, we took our vacation nearer to her home.  First, we spent one night and day in Stockbridge, Mass.  Home to Alice's Restaurant and Norman Rockwell.  We visited the museum of the latter, but only passed by the former (which is no longer Alice's, but still...)  Then we headed out for two days in Boothbay, Maine.  We had a great time in both places, and since she did all the driving, I held up my end and did all the knitting.

My first plan was to make cotton sun hats for us, so we could be two old lady goofballs in hats on vacation.  Well, I didn't finish in time, so we had to content ourselves to be two old lady goofballs without hats on vacation.  We had some really great meals, took a boat ride and saw whales, and did all those other things old ladies do on vacation - by which I mean shopping.  Anyway, here's the knitting.

• Sun Hat(s).  Fun pattern, easy, but suffice it to say that I did NOT look as cute in mine as did the woman in the pattern photo.  Sigh.

The next two projects were a lot better - and I know the intended recipient will look extremely cute in them.

• Milk Infant Top.  Oh my gosh, this si TOO CUTE!  The photo really doesn't do it justice.  I loved the whole thing, even the crocheted edging.  And the little button is an antique one from my cousin's mother's button box.  Jessica, the pregnant mom, played with them when she was a child.  I love things like that! 

 

• Sprout Hat.  This pattern came from a little kit I bought at Sock Summit in 2009.  I used the leftover yarn from the sweater.  

I have a few more finishes that should go in here, but they are still sitting on my table, waiting to be blocked or washed.  The middle of August, Jim, my son and his wife, and I went to Estes Park, Colorado for a week.  We hiked, drove around, ate, and I even took a horse ride.  It was lovely!  If it turns out that I can't continue to live in Atlanta because of my asthma, Estes Park is number one on the list of places to move!  One of the things I finished on vacation was something for me.

• Well, of course, socks!  Charade Socks, to be precise.  I love this pattern.

Two of my August finishes were sad ones - chemo caps for my all time best friend, Katie.  While she is not taking any more chemo or radiation, her thinning and falling hair had her asking me for caps.  Of course, I obliged, and I was even able to deliver them in person when I visited her the beginning of this week.  She looked FABULOUS in them!

• Shedir.  My go-to pattern for chemo caps.  Pretty, fun to knit, and in Rowan Calmer, very soft.

I had one more small finish before going to visit Katie (a baby item,) but I was also working on a sweater for myself.  While sitting on her couch, I finished this.

• Split Neck T Shirt.  I changed the pattern a little, making long sleeves instead of 3/4, and adjusting where the side shaping occurred.  Best of all, IT FITS!!!  LOL  I can't wait for it to be cool enough to wear.

So, that's my summer in a nutshell. I've also been busy riding every morning except Sunday, watching tv, eating too much junk food, and just generally hanging out.  Life is basically very good, with the exception of the fact that my best friend will be leaving the planet some time in the not so distant future.  But before that happens, we had a really nice visit this week, and hopefully I'll be going back sometime in early November.  Her husband has promised to cook a turkey so we can celebrate an early Thanksgiving.  And despite it all, we'll have something to celebrate - our love for each other, our families, and our friends.  Big hugs all around - virtual and otherwise!   And I also promise to be back soon.  Really!

 

 

Fini! Or At Least Until the Next Batch

Blocking marathon finished!  And just in time for Jim to come home for the weekend, so the dining room looks like it should, instead of a mess of pins, blocking boards, and wadded up lace projects waiting to be stretched.  And actually, this first project didn't even get blocked, because I thought it looked just fine as is.

• Ulmus Rectangle.  I knit the triangular version of this last year, and enjoyed it so much that I had to do the rectangle.  
• The greenish yarn is The Sanguine Gryphon Bugga! "Dainty Sulphur" and the black Dragonfly Fibers Dijinni Sock "Midnight at the Oasis."  

• Celes Lace Stole.  Another lovely Jared Flood design.
• Isager Alpaca 2 - 50% merino/50% alpaca.  It's a bit more green than the photos, but still fairly muted.

• Icelandic Lace Shawl/Thordis.  As you can tell by all the photos, I'm quite taken with this shawl.  It was fun to knit, and it really is lovely.  I can't wait for it to cool off so I can start wearing it.
• Jaggerspun Maine Line 2/9 wool, fingering weight.  Not smooth and squishy soft, but "rustically" just right for this shawl.

And finally...

• Traveling Woman Shawl.  A nice pattern, easy to knit.  It was free when I got it, but it looks like there is a new, improved pay version now.  Mine is not as big as the ones shown on the pattern page, more like a shawlette than a full shawl.
• The yarn is Lollipop Cabin Original/Rustic Organic Sock "Columbine at Haywood Brook."  I bought this skein at Sock Summit in 2009.  Rustic is the right word, as it is rather coarse, but again, fine for this shawl.  It looks (and may be) handspun, and not being superwash, and being somewhat scratchy, I never considered making socks with it.

Thus ends the current cavalcade of lace projects.  With two more in the wings, I guess you could say I'm on a lace kick.  Now I need to settle back down into lace knitting mode and finish that christening blanket!

Surprise!

I'm back, and not just with words, but also pictures.  Of finished knitting!  I have been, as usual, knitting like a fiend.  Between horseback riding and knitting, not much else gets done around here, but that's ok because it's too darn hot.  It's way too early for this even if it is the South, believe me.  Anyway, I finally pulled myself away from knitting long enough to block some of the shawls I've finished this year.  I've been on a lace kick lately, and while I love the knitting, I hate the blocking.  But since one of them was a birthday present, and I didn't want to give her a bag of boiled ass, it had to happen.  While all the stuff was out, I bit the bullet and kept right on.  Even now, a shawl is stretched and drying on the dining room table, while THREE more wait in the wings.  Here, with a quick digression into a pair of socks, are a few of my finished projects, with more to come.

Actually the last thing I finished knitting, back on June 6.  The pattern is something I either made up or came across I don't know where, but I call it Pebble Rib.  The yarn is Spud & Chloe 'Fine' in "Lizard."  I love this sock yarn. Sturdy, not splitty, shows off the pattern well, and affordable.  The colors are great, too.

I think I showed this scarf a while ago, but after looking at it for a while, I decided it needed more than a steaming, so onto the blocking mats it went.

It's actually a gift for someone, and needs to go in the mail asap.  The pattern, Bias Shawl, is from Rowan.  I used less stitches to make a scarf.  The yarn is Isager 'Alpaca 2', color #24.  Mmmm, alpaca!  It's a very long scarf, with dimensions of 7"x96".  Looped around and around, it should be very warm when it finally gets cold again.

This is the shawl that started the blocking frenzy - "Sea & Shells Stole" a freebie you can find on Ravelry.  I made it as a 50th birthday present for my friend Diana.  It's just her color, and I had such fun making it for her.  The yarn is Classic Elite 'Silky Alpaca Lace', color #2477.  Such a pretty shawl, and really fun to knit.  It turned out to be 19"x72" blocked, although I think I could have stretched it a bit bigger.

This is Jared Flood's "Rock Island Shawl."  Oh. My.  So interesting to knit, and really amazing when blocked.  I used Miss Babs 'Yet', a heavy laceweight, in "Flax".  Try as I might, and with two different cameras, I could not get close to the hue and depth of color.  It's actually a deep, rich purple, with bits of blues.  Blocked, it's 36"x72" and is extremely open and airy.  Here's a few more photos.

Of all the photos, the next to last is closest in color.  I highly recommend both pattern and yarn.

On the needles now - two lace projects.  The first is "Bridgewater" by Jared Flood.  I just finished the big garter stitch square that is the center, and this evening will sit down to pick up 612 stitches around the border for the lace edging.  Instead of a shawl, this piece is to be given as a gift to my cousin's daughter, to be a christening blanket for her first child.  This mom is the recipient of the Estonian lace wedding shawl I knit last year, and the blanket is made from the same cone of yarn.  A certain symmetry there, I think.

The other project is "Ene's Scarf," that I'm doing as a knit-a-long with some friends.  No deadline for this one, and although I've already made good progress, I am putting it aside for a while to concentrate on finishing the christening blanket.  I have until the end of July to complete it, but all those edge stitches are making me nervous!

So, you see I've been keeping busy.  By the middle of this week, I should have two more shawls blocked, so you may very well be hearing from me again.  Imagine that, two posts in the same month.  Heh.

Wet Around the Edges

My friend, Diana, won a nice Braves baseball package at her company's Christmas party.  Four tickets in row 22 directly behind home plate, valet parking pass, and four $10 food vouchers.  This afternoon, I went with her, Pat, and Meagan to enjoy the game.  Of course, on the way it started raining, and then it never really stopped.  It wasn't a little tiny rain either, but a big deluge complete with thunder and lightning.  We had high hopes though, as the weatherman had assured us that the rain would end at 6:00.  We parked (valet!!), and then had a lovely dinner.  The rain slowed a bit during dinner, but as we made our way to the seats, it picked up again in earnest.  We walked around the covered concourse for a while, and then settled on a picnic bench with our knitting.  Finally, about 8:45, they called the game.  Up until then, we had stayed dry, if not exactly warm (the temperature had dropped to around 53 degrees,) but we had to go out into the heavy rain and wind to get to the car, thereby getting wet to the knees.  The only upside was someone else had to retrieve the car for us (valet!!!)  Despite the rain, we had a nice time together, and we are looking forward to doing it again with our rain checks - hopefully on a sunny, warm day.

I'm off to Kansas City, MO next week to visit my friend.  She has just finished her second round of chemo, and she and her husband have gone to KC from Minneapolis so he can start his new job.  She seems to be having few side effects so far, but enough that he doesn't want to leave her alone.  Since he has to be out of town for a week for training, I'm going to help keep an eye on her.  I think what is really going to happen is that we are going to have lots of fun and laughing, even if we don't get out too much.  At least, that's what I'm hoping for.  Because I know that it can sometimes be cold during those chemo treatments, I knit a vest for her to wear at the hospital, or any time she feels a bit of a chill.  

• Suki.  I saw the model and bought the pattern at Stitches South last month.  It has an interesting construction.  The back is knit, and then each front side is picked up and knit.  Short rows form the sleeves and shawl collar, and the only seam is at the center back of the neck.  
• The yarn is Berroco Vintage, 50% acrylic, 40% wool, 10%nylon.  A very soft machine washable blend, it created a lightweight drapey fabric that should be the right weight for almost any time of year, except the hottest of days.  

I also finally finished a pair of socks I started at the end of February.  

I can't remember where I found the pattern, but do know that I messed it up enough that it became more something from my own head than the original.  It has alternating two stitch left and right cables, separated by two purl stitches (I should have gotten a closeup.)  If you look closely, I think you can tell how different in size the two socks are.  The first one is a bit large on me, while the second fits perfectly.  That's what I get for taking so long to finish them - my gauge obviously changed a lot.  Oh well.

I've started another pair of socks to take along on my trip, and am contemplating a new lace project.  I also have an idea in mind for at least one of my "Pay It Forward" projects, but that will have to wait until I get back.  All I can say is its not knitting!

Busy Bee

I've been hard at work on projects that, except for one, can't be shown on the blog yet.  So many secrets!  But one was revealed yesterday, as the Sunday knitters group came to my house to sit, knit, and celebrate Steve's 5oth birthday.  There were snacks, birthday cake, and presents.  I gave Steve a selection of soaps (mango, hemp, cedar, and sea salt,) as well as a few knitted items - specifically kitchen towels and dishcloths.  I made that choice because I saw him knitting some Mason-Dixon Ball Band Dishcloths for himself, and thought it would be fun to add to his collection.

The orange one is the Moss Grid Hand Towel from Mason-Dixon Knitting, and the others are the same with pattern variations.  The brown is stockinette/reverse stockinette and the green is a pattern called "Sugar Cube" from the Vogue Stitchionary Knit & Purl book.  The dish cloths below correspond to the towels, with the exception of the green/brown Ball Band Dishcloth from the Mason-Dixon Knitting book.

The yarn for all is Knit Picks CotLin, a blend of 70%cotton/30% linen.  I used a size 4 needle, which produced a firm, yet drapey fabric.  The colors are Cashew, Cedar, and Clementine.

Last weekend was Stitches South, and as usual I had a fabulous time.  Shopping, sitting and knitting, and a lovely dinner at Scalini's.   I didn't win any of the prizes, but the wonderful food more than made up for that.  As did being with my friends all day.  I was fairly restrained in my purchases this year.  I bought enough yarn and a pattern to make a vest for my friend in Minneapolis, as well as two skeins of Miss Bab's sock yarn in French Marigold for a shawl, four skeins of Isagar Alpaca 2 in a light blue, two skeins of Sanguine Gryphon sock yarn in an unnamed colorway (pinks and purples) to do the Weekend Shawl, and one skein of Lisa Souza Silk Lace in a glowing green.  Sorry, no pictures, too lazy.  I also bought a new Trindle - I just can't resist them.  As it turns out, this was a fortuitous purchase.  Look what the Easter Bunny (otherwise known as my cousin, Gayle) sent me from Alaska....qiviuq!!!

Oh. MY!!!!  Isn't she the best!

I don't think I've shown off the gift I made for my daughter-in-law's birthday, either.  She loves to cook, so I sewed an apron for her.  It's the Amy Butler Domestic Goddess Apron.  Very cute, and not at all hard to do.  I especially like that Amy Butler uses regular tissue for her patterns - so much easier than heavy paper.

That's about it for now.  By next week, I'll be able to show off my latest finished project, and then there is still one waiting in the wings, along with several shawls I could show, if only I'd get on the ball and block them.  Sigh.

 

Hey, Claudia ---- LOOK!!

So, sometime back in 2007, I started a little project.  It was meant to be a Christmas gift for my son, who loves penguins.  Knowing me, I probably started it a few weeks before the big day, but since I didn't write it down, I'm only guessing.  Using the darling pattern "Southern Exposure" in the book, "Family Circle Easy Toys," I made my way blindly into what would soon become one of the outer circles of Hell.  Oh, it all started innocently enough.  The two body pieces were finished quickly and easily, and after deciphering the "reverse shaping" for two of the four flipper parts, I felt like I had the project well in hand.  Cory would soon have a penguin peeking out of his stocking.  Um, yeah, well....then came the feet.  Followed by much swearing.  I finally stuffed all the components, including the much unraveled yarn from foot #1, into a ziplock bag and stuffed it deep into my knitting bag.  I tried giving it a time out, but after another failed attempt, I made the decision to set the whole project on fire.  I mean, really, flames seemed the only thing good enough for it, and I was ready to light the match.  But, even unassembled, I could tell that if only I could conquer the feet, it would be a really, really cute toy.  However, it stayed in the bottom of the bag until sometime last year, when I gave it another try, and finally - feet!!  You would think that victory would have spurred me to finish, but it did not.  Back into the recesses of the bag it went until yesterday, when all of a sudden a whim struck me and I took it out and FINISHED!!  I have to say, I really amaze myself sometimes.  So, without further ado, I give you the long suffering penguin.....

And his infamous feet.

Believe me when I say that it will be a long, long time before I knit another stuffed toy.  Whew!  Oh, and now Cory can have it for his birthday next week.  I'm not taking a chance on anything happening to it between now and this Christmas.



 

Cherry Blossoms

Last weekend, I went to DC to visit Jim and to see the famous cherry trees.  While the weather didn't cooperate for the first two days of my visit, we managed to get a window of opportunity on Sunday morning.  Although we didn't get as early a start as we hoped (wanting to avoid the majority of the crowds) it was still an awesome experience.  And I think we were very lucky to have gone this weekend, because the majority of the trees seemed to be at or just past their prime.

The first buds and blooms are very pink.

But as the days go by, they lose their color and become pure white, which is what the majority of those we saw were.

This is a grove of some of the oldest trees.  If you look closely you can see how twisted their trunks become.  It's such a lovely place to be, and even the crowds couldn't diminish the tranquility of the experience.  This is the first time I've been to see the trees, but hopefully, it won't be the last.  If you'd like to see more of my cherry blossom photos, click this link.

The day before was very cold with intermittent rain, but we ventured out to walk through Alexandria in the afternoon.  Fibre Space was having a Miss Babs trunk show, complete with Miss Babs herself, so of course I had to stop in.  I had a chance to chat with that talented fiber artist, and then bought a few souvenirs.

First, a Jordana Paige bag in my favorite color.

Then, of course, the yarn! And believe me, with all the goodies there, it was hard to choose.

Yowza - Whatta Skein!  "Black Conch Shell"

Yet laceweight "Flax" colorway

Yummy hand-painted  superwash sock & baby yarn in the dyed special for the shop colorway - "Fibre Space"

There are a few "must do" projects right now, but as soon as they are done, I'm going to grab one of these and cast on!

I also want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers for my friend.  She now has an answer to her tests - lung cancer, which may or may not have spread to liver and ribs.  She'll be starting chemo tomorrow (Wednesday, April 6) and although there is never any guarantee, we both know this is her best shot at regaining her good health.  On top of having to deal with all this diagnosis and treatment entails, her husband has taken a job in another state, so she also has to figure out how to work moving into the mix.  I anticipate going up to Minneapolis be with her sometime next month while her husband begins the transition and she continues her treatment.  Keep those good vibes coming - she really needs them.  Our new mantra is "Kick Cancer's ASS!" and we really, really mean it!

Yarn

We've had a nice spell of early Summer weather here lately, with daytime temps in the mid-80's.  The next few days will be 20 degrees cooler, which compared with the cold and snow some of you are having, is still pretty darn good.  Of course, along with the nice temps and sunny blue skies, we are also getting tons of pollen, thanks to everything blooming.  The dogwoods are starting to come out, as are the peach, apple, and cherry trees.  Azaleas are in various stages of bloom around town, and the Bradford pears have already dropped their flowers and have their best bright green leaves on show.  I love all the new life around me, and suppose I'm willing to take the pollen along with it, even though my eyes would definitely disagree.

So, here's a shot of the lovely yarn Jen spun in her mill for me.  Again, this is a blend of Corriedale sheep and alpaca, probably about a 60/40 split.  It's my favorite DK weight, and is fluffy and bouncy.

I think it needs to be a pullover with cables, but I'd love to know what patterns you might recommend.  

On a sad note, in the midst of all the abundant Spring flourishing, I received very bad news about a friend's health.  Although the final diagnosis has yet to be made (that should happen sometime after her biopsy next Wednesday,) it is not looking good.  She is the sister I never had, the one who knows all my fears, joys, and secrets, the person who is always and forever there for me no matter what.  She and I are both living on the edge of Denial right now, and I firmly believe that where there is life, there is hope, but it looks to be a rocky time ahead and I'm struggling to find the right words to comfort and support her.  I cannot get this wrong.  Right now, I'm her cheerleader, heading the charge against the enemy.  I know that as this progresses, my role will change and change again, and I'm doing my best to be able to anticipate her needs.  Please, hold her in your thoughts and send all the good energy you can out to her and her family.  Above all, I believe in the power of love, and mine is turned to full power right now, blazing out to light the way.