The Yarn Equivalent of a Sugar High

I'm tired this morning.  I got back last night from TNNA, the big yarn show and I feel like a five-year-old crashing from a sugar high.  I touched yarn. I looked at new patterns.  I learned new techniques.  In the words of my eight-year-old "Mommy met a celebrity!"

I'm pawing the yarn at Southwest Trading Company (the Tofutsies people), when I bump into someone behind me.  I turn to say "Excuse me" and who do I see, but Vicki Howell.  Vicki is the reason my older daughter knits.  She thinks Vicki is a rock star.  It's because of Knitty Gritty that she knits.  I mention this to Vicki who tells me about a book signing later in the day and says I should stop by so she can sign a copy of Knit Aid to my daughter.  I get the book and autograph.  I call home to tell Daughter 1 I met Vicki Howell.  She promptly drops the phone and yells, "Mommy met a celebrity".  

After my somewhat surreal Yarn Harlot experience on Thursday night, I find myself chatting with Cat Bordhi on Sunday afternoon at one of the booths for a product we both like.   Very weird for me.

I got books signed by the Big Girls of More Big Girls Knit.  I took classes with Lucy Neatby and Lilly Chin.  

And even though they are all knitting celebrities, the knit and purl one stitch at a time just like the rest of us.  

How totally cool!

Going Up with the Harlot

OK.  My flight gets into Columbus 20 minutes early.  I catch a cab to the hotel and check in.  The cabbie had the windows in the cab open, because its 90+ degrees here.  I look like Medusa on a bad hair day.  Who gets onto the elevator with me?  The Yarn Harlot.  Oh. My. God.  We start to chat and that's when I realized -- I have lost my opportunity to Kinnear her.  We're both grumbling about flying when it dawns on me that I cannot possible pull out a cell phone camera and click a photo without being noticed. 

But it's too cool.  I'm at the Harlot's hotel.  This yarn store thing is getting very real now.  I'm ready to have some serious yarn fun.

Off to Columbus

When I was practicing law, I tried cases in some odd places.  Hattiesburg, Miss.  Des Moines, IA. Fort Wayne, IN. Abingdon, Va. just to name a few.  Generally, I would not get excited for traveling to these spots.  Excitement was reserved for places like Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and Miami.  Well, my days of trying cases on the road are over.  I have a trip in the works and I'm excited.  

I'm going to Columbus, Ohio!  Yep.  Columbus.  Why?  TNNA,  the National Needle Arts Associations big show where all the fall yarns will be out, other shop owners will be there and a chance to take classes on running your shop and sharpening your knitting technique.  I have signed up for three classes and have completed my homework for each.  

Hotel -- check.

Plane ticket -- check.

Extra bag to bring home yarn samples and goodies -- check.

The family thinks I'm nuts, but I can't wait to get on that plane tonight.  A full day of toe-up socks is a dream come true for me (maybe I'll finally find a toe-up toe who's look I like!)

Off to the big city!

The First Broken Bone

Always said it would be daughter number 2. Fell off the monkey bars on the swingset in the back yard Sunday evening. I spent Sunday night in the ER getting a cast on her right forearm. Nice clean break. Not near the growth plate.

Going to see a friend this week to have it set -- he's the dad of a pre-K classmate.

Funny thing is -- on Friday we almost joined a swim club, but I forgot the check book. So, I brought the paperwork home. Now, I'm wondering if it's worth it to join with the five year old in a cast for six weeks.

Perfect start to summer, don'tcha think?

Brownie Camporee

So, here we are.  Getting ready for the big Brownie Camporee.  Two nights and two days in the wilds of Pennsylvania.  Parents were made to read and discuss with their girls "Living with Pennsylvania's Brown Bears".  Rumor has it that a brownie broke the rules last year, had candy wrappers in her sleeping bag in her tent and the bear made off with only the sleeping bag once she grabbed onto a tree.  (The tents are open on both ends.)  

My idea of camping is a hotel without room service.  Daughter No. 1 can't wait to go on this adventure.  I mentioned the pit latrines outlined in the memo.  I mentioned the bears and the bugs.  She still wants to go.  So now I'm packing what seems like enough stuff for an army for one eight year old girl for two nights.  

Of course, during the same weekend as the Camporee, the Little One has birthday parties on Saturday and Sunday for friends.  I have my niece's wedding shower on Sunday (see wedding shawl post above) and the usual weekend stuff.

The wedding shawl is coming along.  I have ripped it twice now.  I have one and a half repeats done at this point and I like how it looks now.  However, I need to speed up the knitting.  Problem is I can't do lace while I'm at the shop -- too many interruptions.  

Let's hope the bears stay in the woods this weekend.

A Wedding Shawl in Progress

Now that I'm done with the shrug phase, I have cast on a wedding shawl.  My only niece is getting married in August and I have offered to knit her a light as air, rectangular stole for the wedding.  Picking the lace weight yarn and pattern were the toughest part.  I wanted something delicate, yet durable.  (I hope that one day she can pass the stole down to her own daughter.)  The pattern couldn't be too fussy, because she's not a fussy type.  Her gown is a simple, ivory strapless gown and she is going to be married outside.  

My choices -- Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace in Natural.  It is 50% silk, 50% wool and knits like air.  The pattern -- the Kimono Shawl from Folk Shawls.  It will knit up in a more airy fashion as my lace weight is different than what is called for.  So far, I've cast on, done the 20 row garter stitch border and I am about half way through the first pattern repeat.  No big problems to date, but this is a new project.  

On other fronts, the dogs have taken to their spring digging.  Who needs a rototiller when you have two greyhounds aerating the back yard!  

I have until the beginning of August to finish this shawl.  Plenty of time (I think.)  Keep your fingers crossed.  

Yet Another Shrug (No Photo)

There has been knitting in the house! Much jubilation. I cast on the Baby Alpaca Grande Shrug from Plymouth in a varigated colorway which the color card does not do justice to, for my mom on Easter night. I finished over the weekend and mailed it to her today. It is such an easy and addicting knit. It's amazing what you can do with ribbing and chunky yarn. Mom picked out the pattern and the yarn during the grand opening of the store.

I've come to consider this shrug knitting crack. It goes very fast and when you get done, you want more. After knitting socks and mittens and other things on nothing thicker than sport weight yarn, having a project finish this quickly is very gratifying.

Next quick knit up -- worsted weight socks for the 8 year old to sleep in. She grabbed something unlabeled from the stash. Other than the fact that it's 100% wool and varigated blue, not much I can say about the yarn. I love kid socks -- they go fast. More knitting crack.