Picture, as promised. I am loving the knitting of this cardigan! Not only is Dream in Color Classy one of my very favorite yarns to knit, the striping means I am never more than six rows from the next color change. That makes for exciting knitting, wondering how the next stripe is going to look. I'm about halfway through the body, racing to get as much as I can done before the end of vacation.
It's no great secret that I have a very full and busy life. As Ellie has gotten bigger and more mobile - running, to be exact - I have taken less and less time to blog. I have recently, however, acquired an iPhone, allowing me to take my digital life with me wherever my crazy life takes me. I am hoping that this means you'll hear from me a little more often.
Meanwhile, here's a brief update. Ellie is just shy of 18 months. She is a constant joy and challenge. Her vocabulary is enormous and she solves problems we didn't even know we had.
The big girls will have a new horse as of tomorrow, a horse capable of the kind of jumping Kaelyn wants to do. Robbie will be a school horse at the stable, and Rory will go into a training program until she develops as a more mature jumper.
Kevin begins teaching Lego Camp next week. Play is his work this summer.
I am enjoying my vacation week, cooking, knitting, dyeing, doing lots of yoga. Hope your summer is going as swimmingly as ours!
Today is the day we set to honor our mothers. For me this means honoring not just my own mother, but the generations of mothers who came before to bring me into existence, and the many, many women who have mothered me in one way or another along the way to becoming a mother myself.
I am very lucky to have a wonderful, accepting, loving mother who has always given me the space to be myself, to make my own decisions, and occasionally make my own mistakes. I recognize that others of you have challenging relationships with your mothers. On this day I put forth this for thought and reflection: whatever difficulties exist between you and your mother, however she failed you (and all of us mothers, being human, fail our children in a variety of ways), whether or not you agree with her, or even speak to her, she did the most important part of her job right. You are here, reading this. You survived to become the person you are today. Wish her a happy Mother's Day even if it's just to pause for a moment to acknowledge that you were once fostered in her womb.
Happy Mother's Day.
I am sitting in my beautiful, quiet, little room, watching the puddle ducks dive below the rippling waters of the lagoon at the Inn at Port Ludlow. This is the second full day of Camp Knitty Haha and already it seems like I've been here for a week. Part of that is that Camp is chock full of activities, friends, and beautiful yarns. Part of it is that I'm a little bit homesick and missing my sweet Ellie, her big sisters, and Kevin, as well as the shop, Sandi, and my wonderful customers.
Travels to Seattle went off without a hitch and I was met at the airport by Mya, Marcy, and Celia. We drove to Acorn Street Yarns for a quick LYS fix, then ate a glorious dinner at Icon Grill, where we had the most decadent hot fugdge sundae I've ever seen. Given wireless speeds here, I'm posting a limited number of photos. There will be more in my Flickr stream when I get home.
Monday morning we took the ferry to Bainbridge Island and met a bunch of other campers at Churchmouse. I found an old Rowan magazine, some buttons, and a selection of delicious loose leaf teas.
Yesterday I tagged along with the Fiddler Crab tribe and dyed yarn with Tina. Above, she shows us all how it's done. I produced three beautiful skeins that I am terribly proud of.
Last night Marcy and I hung out with Carrie (aka IrishGirlieKnits), Terry (aka Cupcakefaerie), and their roommates, as well as Leslie (tapmouse2) and Celia (Nartian). We ate brownies, drank wine and chatted. I finished the neckband of The De-Vine Miss N, and wove in all the ends. Hurray for a FO at Camp!
More fun awaits this evening. I'm bringing my spinning wheel to fun and games tonight, and casting on a new sweater and a pair of socks, too. The best thing about Camp is that I actually have time to knit!
Aptly named, this Blue Moon Fiber Arts superwash merino is truly De-vine. It's a cabled yarn, full of squishy softness. It knits to a true Aran gauge, and flows over the needles like water. When I saw this at Stitches I knew that it had to be mine, and that it had to be a sweater to wear to Sock Camp at the end of the month. I drew up the pattern yesterday evening - I'm calling it The De-Vine Miss N - and cast on this morning. Already I'm nearly through the waist decreases. This is going to be a body-hugging dream of a sweater and it's going to work up so quickly. I can't wait to wear it next to my skin.
More Stitches haul to show you soon. For now I'm going to go fall down and dream of beautiful De-vine.
My hands are not cooperating. A pinched nerve in my neck (C5) has been
causing me pain in my right arm, so I'm not knitting at all for a
couple of weeks. With the recent cold weather, though, my hands have
been freezing, and would you believe that I don't own a single pair of
handknit mitts? I implored my beloved husband to knit me a pair. I
chose some lovely Shibui Merino Alpaca in a color that matches my life.
He finished the first yesterday and the second today. They're a
modified version of the Glen Fingerless Mitt, but knit in 2x2 rib. They fit like, um, a glove and are keeping my hands nice and warm. Thank you so much, sweetheart!
I finished the first of my Leyburn Socks yesterday evening, just before we closed the shop. This is remarkable, since all my other socks on needles are languishing. This pattern knits up quite quickly. I'm working over 72 stitches, cuff down. It fits beautifully and I love it. The second one is cast on and growing. I'll have new socks for Sock Camp this year!
Also, Alison appears to be doing better. She even blogged herself a couple of times, so hope is renewed. Your continued thoughts and prayers are appreciated.
Tonight I learned that my dear friend Alison Hyde is in the hospital. She's suffered a serious flare up of her Crohn's Disease in recent weeks, and when she could no longer eat or drink, they admitted her. I am at a loss for what to do. I desperately want to help my friend, this generous, kind, loving woman who has brought so much joy to so many. I am crushed under the weight of my worry for her and her family.
Whenever Alison is troubled, she picks up her needles and knits for others. There is always someone in need of comfort, and her knitting always finds its way into the hands of the person who needs it most. I would knit a shawl for Alison, but I know that she wouldn't want me to. She'd tell me that there was someone who needs it more than she. So tonight as I take up my needles and cast on a shawl it won't be for Alison to wear, but it will be for Alison. While she is too weak to carry on in her ministry, I will knit on her behalf, and a fitting recipient will appear. I am certain of it.
I'm knitting for you, Alison, with love. Know that my prayers are with you and Richard and all of your beloved family.
Yessir, that's my baby. Today marks her first full circuit around the sun. Happy birthday, my sweet Ellie girl. I love you so.
(Photo copyright 2009 Meg Lauber)
