Saturday Sky

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Wordless Wednesday

What I Learned at Summer Camp

The thing about being a self-taught knitter, no matter how long I've been knitting is that old news is new news to me! This summer, I took my first knitting class ever! Although the class was entrelac, I learned a little trick from another lady in the class. Spit-splicing! Who knew? I mean, I don't splice at all...even. Yesterday whilst knitting my Bistro shirt, I came to a point where I could apply my new skill.

It was my first attempt since the lady who demonstrated spit-splicing actually did splice the yarn as part of my mini-lesson. I must 'fess up, however. Being the girly-girl that I am, I was completely grossed out when she noisily spit on each of her hands, then placed MY yarn in it!! Yuck!!

She rubbed her hands together, back and forth and not too gently, while I was thinking "I'm not touching that yarn!" She opened her hand to show a continuous thread of yarn. Being polite and thankful and not wanting to disappoint her and her self-satisfied smile, I knit.

After a slight smoothing, this was promptly knit into the Bistro shirt. Me? I licked each hand. That is more lady-like, isn't it?!

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We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down. ---Kurt Vonnegut

Saturday Sky

Escape to Asilomar

Camp Stitches was in the beautiful, natural setting of Asilomar Resort in Monterey, CA. Nature embraced us, wildlife mingled with us, and the fresh sweet-smelling air soothed us as we knitted, laughed, and listened to fantastic instructors. This view shows an access road and a path leading to a building.

This view from the porch of the lodge illustrates the natural setting where the buildings blend beautifully with the work of God's hand.

Still on the porch and looking to the left one sees the dining hall where three executive chefs oversee the most delicious meals! I never expected that level of tasty, artful, and varied meals at a resort camp! No slapped-together sandwiches here!! :)

The meandering boardwalk leads to the beach of silky sand shown in yesterday's post.

With admirable skill and knowledge as well as a good portion of patience, Gwen Bortner taught the entrelac class that I took for three mornings. Can we all say CHALLENGE??!! The light interferes with a good sighting of Ted who is the model for her first creation of her designs. Something about squaring numbers, adding, subtracting, square root--you know, all the number stuff. Numbers! Yikes! However, since I'm not into designing, the numbers slid right off me---well, practically drowned me but I survived! If you ever have an opportunity to take a class with Gwen---sign right up! She is nothing short of superior! You can check out her sites http://www.knitability.com/ and http://tankhouse.knitability.com/prof_gwen.html

Back at home on our deck, my itty-bitty start for an entrelac felted scarf will wait until cooler weather for any more knitting! (Though not necessarily on the deck table!) You have NO IDEA how challenging this has been for me!! I have been knitting for many-many-many years and --WOW--do I ever have to concentrate on this!! It is mindless knitting for Gwen, but it boggles my mind! I downloaded this pattern and tutorial for the scarf at http://knittyotter.typepad.com/otterknits/patterns/index.html

My only yarn purchase! It's Rowan Summer Tweed and is 70% silk and 30% cotton. Do I love it? Yes, I do! My plan is to make this vest http://www.oatcouture.com/patternpages/401entrelacvest.html without the points. I want it to be straight across the front, bottom edge.

This yarn will be dreamy to work with---not McDreamy, but dreamy nonetheless.

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Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean.

---Christopher Reeve

Wordless Wednesday

Giving the World to DGS

After 18 months, the World Afghan is trimmed and ready for DGS!! Admittedly, I periodically took time off from the miles of stockinette to do other knitting. This is the view from the eastern side (Hope you can identify continents there! Yikes!)

This is the view from the east....bet you knew that!! :)

Here are the eastern continents. Yep! See that line running through it. After due consideration, I decided not to rip and redo that seam with the matching colors. This is a BIG step for me! I'm becoming less of a perfectionist, or is that like being pregnant--either you are or you aren't??!!

You guessed it---the western continents. This ghan was knit in four sections, then seamed and edged.

The edging took quite a bit of thinking and searching because the pattern has huge tassels on each point. While it looks terrific, it is so not comfy when you try to cover yourself and have big, bulky tassels tickling your nose! I finally located this crocheted "Biscuit Edging" at this site: http://www.halfknits.com/biscuit-edge-pattern.htm I haven't used it on other projects and I like the little "pillows" that are formed by the triple crochet.

I didn't use the colors exactly as DGS colored on this map for me. As I stated previously, I didn't want to establish a new world order by carving up Asia and was limited by the amount of yarn I had ordered. It's done in Plymouth Encore which always knits up so pretty!

In other news: I am off for Denver in a few minutes. I'll catch my flight in the AM for Camp Stitches in Monterey-Hurray! http://www.knittinguniverse.com/flash/events/html/campgateway/campgateway.htm

 

Only knitters understand it. My non-knitting friends and family find it quite humorous--knitting camp!! So, I'm off to summer camp! Hope I see you there!

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A lot of parents pack up their troubles and send them to summer camp.

---Raymond Duncan

Wordless Wednesday

Lazy River in Hannibal

The Mark Twain paddle wheel boat at the dock ready for us to board for dinner and a cruise on the Mississippi. We especially enjoyed being back on the river because we lived in WI for four years and spent a lot of time on the river---boating, ice skating, swimming.


We could watch the barges move along the river from our house and would go to the locks to watch the magnificent Delta Queen come through it.

A lonely barge awaits a pilot boat to power it along the river.

Although we hoped to go through the railroad draw bridge, the boat turned and moved back through the waters that had brought us to this point.

~~ The banks of the mighty Mississippi ~~

Knitting did occur during the cruise. Alas, it was not photographed.

The giant twirling mug was our view from our room at the Clemmons Hotel. A person could get dizzy watching this thing! I couldn't believe how quickly it was whirling around!!

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Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside. -

--Mark Twain

Saturday Sky

The Fiber Femmes have posted a calendar of summer fiber festivals. Check it out! http://www.localendar.com/public/fiberfem

This is a fantastic site for those of us who love books: http://www.librarything.com/

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Is it possible to be totally partial?

Getting Ready for Summer Camp

While reading Terri Lynne at http://larkspur-studio.blogspot.com/, I suddenly realized that I will miss the Estes Park Wool Market while I am at California Camp Stitches http://www.knittinguniverse.com/flash/events/html/campgateway/campgateway.htm


I am registered for three mornings doing entrelac with Gwen Bortner so I bought my yarn last Monday.

I was drawn to the Bunny Print first, then added in the second and third colors with the help of the LYS lady at Wild-n-Woolie. (They don't have a website.) I intend to make a scarf, but--who knows?--I may be drawn to something else. I am so anticipating the other events at camp and the Monterey atmosphere---love it there!

Here's a fun site to browse! http://www.wonderwho.dk/Sider/galleri.html Lots of eye candy!

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It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.

---A. N. Whitehead

Wordless Wednesday

Dulaan and Bistro

Here are a few items I made for the Dulaan Project http://www.fireprojects.org/dulaan.htm and mailed yesterday. There is a shipment that will go out in July, however you can send items at any time to be held for the next shipping date.

I spent considerable time with a bistro while DH and I were travelling! With not in, that is! The back of the Bistro sweater is almost finished.
You can see the colorful stranding in the yarn here in this close-up. Stockinette is the perfect mindless knitting! I do have to actually think---but only a little---when it comes to armhole shaping. I had posted this yarn in blue to show how it looks. I am actually using this color which is dark red---definitely not fuchsia!

A few notes:

To Allena, Tracey, & Teabird: The Wordless Wednesday pic which I have personally named Brushtache is displayed in an outdoor gallery in Denver. I know you'll be thrilled that it is for sale, so I can get more specific info if you rilly-rilly want it!!

To Tracey and Terri Lynn: I dearly wish I could handle all the stairs to get to the upper deck for stitch and pitch!! DH and I sit in club seats because we can use the elevator and get around easier in the enclosed part that is air conditioned and much-much less crowded. We're so disappointed that we couldn't get seats there for the Yankees-Rockies games. wah!

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Good friends are like stars...You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Saturday Sky

Heartland

We're home from our travels to the Heartland where, among other places, DH and I enjoyed St. Louis, MO and Springfield, IL where we went to the http://www.lincolnlibraryandmuseum.com/ This is absolutely the most technologically advanced museum in the US. If you ever have a chance to visit it, DO!

Our visit to Hannibal, MO http://www.visithannibal.com/ was truly a step or three back in time! I spent an hour or so at http://www.ayerspottery.com/storeindex.php and bought several irresistable pieces. DH and I spent our last night there on a most relaxing, beautiful, and delicious dinner cruise via the mighty, muddy Mississippi River. http://www.marktwainriverboat.com/cruise.html

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Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today. ---Mark Twain