Thursday, May 31, 2007

Ah! The Jacarandas Are In Bloom Agayne!

A little while ago I posted about the jacarandas coming into bloom every time this year. I'll take another picture in a week or so -- there is this one street near my house that is lined with these trees and when they simultaneously bloom it is really a sight to see. Here is a shot of a tree coming in to full bloom. Soon, the blossoms will float like little feathers to the ground and leave a beautiful periwinkle snowfall.




Here's a half of an FO: One seaweed sock -- finito! One to go!
I'm glad to say that I have cast on for the mate. These socks are fun. The 14 row repeat made the sock go faster. Here is a picture of the sock on my foot. You can click for big, but be warned -- you might want to wear your shades. The glare from my white legs is pretty blinding, especially up close.



In this photo you can kind of see the clog heel in action. I recruited Emi to be my photographer, who, after seeing this photo exclaimed, "Mom, we've GOT to crop your face out of this somehow! Um, thanks, thanks a lot. Now run along.

Monday, May 28, 2007

7 Random Facts

Niki over at KnitNik tagged me for this meme. Here's how it works:

Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag 7 others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

1) I once saved a person's life. My then-boyfriend and I randomly decided to stop by her house one evening while on a walk. We invited her to come walk with us and come over for a beer. Unbeknownst to us, she had just taken a huge overdose of pills. At my house, when she passed out, my boyfriend insisted she "had a couple too many" and had fallen asleep. Have you ever been unsure whether to call 911? I went back and forth, imagining in my head the paramedics saying, "Lady, you called us for this? She's just had a couple too many and needs to sleep it off!" Finally, when I pinched her on the leg as hard as I could and she didn't stir, I called them. BF was telling me he was going to laugh and tell me 'I told you so' and I was half convinced he was right. It turns out she likely could have died if I hadn't. She was in the hospital for a week afterward, then transferred to a home for suicidals. 3 or 4 years later, as part of her sobriety commitment, she came to me and apologized and also thanked me. I recently ran into her after 20 years. We didn't mention the incident. I wondered how I would have felt if I hadn't listened to my inner voice and called 911.

2) I am a late bloomer. I learned to drive at 24. I didn't marry until I was 32. Started having kids at 36. Finally coming into my own at 48. Never did figure out what I wanted to do when "I grew up." Let's just hope I live long enough to see it all work itself out.

3) I learned how to crochet when I was 9 one weekend while staying at my aunt's. She was making granny squares and I pestered her until she showed me how. I learned how to knit when I was 43. All that whole time between 9 and 43 I kept meaning to learn to knit (see #2)

4) Nine years ago this September, a dear friend of mine died of cancer. She was a committed Buddhist, a leader of very high repute within her community of buddhists. I was a recent born-again Christian. In her final days, the only people she would see were her then 15 yo son, her live-in S.O. of 15 years, a nurse-friend of hers (also a Buddhist) and me. There were literally hundreds of people whom she had counseled and led, clamoring to see her. It was one of the first times in my walk with the Lord that I felt a true sense of assignment. Not to preach, not to live in fear for her salvation, but to daily pray for her and walk as He walked, care for her, love her and bring His Love to her bedside. My Bible came with me every day. When she died, she named me as trustee to her son's trust. She also had me speak at her memorial.

5) Before I came to the Lord, I was a leftist, feminist, Liberal, raised in a staunchly Democrat family. I also explored Buddhism, Hinduism and all kind's of New Age rhetoric. I now eschew all labels: Liberal v. Conservative, Democrat v. Republican, leftist v. rightist, and especially follow-the-crowd politics. I pray before voting, refuse to enter in to arguments pertaining to politics and social issues and cannot stand the close-mindedness I see coming from both ends of the spectrum. Many think that I have become narrow-minded because I have dedicated my life to knowing Jesus more and spreading His gospel. I disagree and see that He has opened my heart to love, forgive and accept in ways I never could before. These days I pray that my example would precede my words - my walk is much more important to me than what I say.

6) I am quite a bit of a show-off and like being the center of attention (as long as you're laughing WITH me and not AT me).

7) My fingers are "double-jointed" (a misnomer). They bend in a strange way. When trying (unsuccessfully) to play volleyball in high school, I was assigned to be a "setter" rather than a "spiker" (the real athletes were the spikers -- they had to be able to jump high). But my fingers kept bending in that weird way which was very painful.


I'll be tagging:

My new blog-buddy, Have Yarn Will Travel
Skeins Her Way -- check out her summer knitting goals contest -- love her designs!
Rose Red Shoes -- so many fun projects, and food!
My Middle Name is Patience -- this woman can READ! But she is not one bit condescending about it.
Bananaknits -- a new cruise buddy! Ask her about her Hanne Falkenberg jacket, it is to die for! One day, I will make one!
String Theory -- again, with the fun ideas and funky finds!
She Seeketh Wool -- another new blog buddy from the cruise! Also? Cutest "About Me" picture ever!

I love blogging. So many interesting people. Plus, you guys understand me. I was at a Memorial Day BBQ today and they teased me about the Sea Sock Cruise! Yep, made fun of me (Not in a mean way, but still)! I told them that you guys understand! You understand the heartbreak of losing a bag with a project and a newly acquired skein of yarn. You guys understand the excitement of meeting a "knitting blog celebrity!" You guys understand what I mean when I say "knitting blog celebrity!"

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Happy Birthday, Emiko!

My baby turned eight today. We had a big to-do in the backyard -- the first in the 15-or so years we have lived here. We decided to do a "craft theme" party. We settled on four crafts -- pompoms or "puffles" as the girls called them, flowers made out of coffee filters, origami "balloons" and cranes and party bag decorating. I had three tables set up and they worked in rotations. I really think everyone had a fun time.

I made cucumber/cream cheese sandwiches and chicken salad sandwiches which went over like a lead balloon with the girls. Except Emi, of course. Those are her favorites. We had watermelon, pineapple and Asian pears and chips. My friend, aka "Auntie Sheila" brought an ice cream cake and there were a ton of presents. Right now I am so tired I can hardly move. My sister and her daughter came down to help, which was incredibly helpful, they were great. Sharon taught them how to trim their pompoms and Rosie taught the origami. I manned the bag deco table and taught them how to make coffee filter flowers. Emi's got some in the picture above.


Here are the girls posing for a group shot. That's my sister and her daughter Rosie in the background talking to my next door neighbor, Sue. Sue tells everyone she knows that my kids are "the greatest kids ever." Which I just love! I guess somehow she just seems to miss the times when they are fighting like cats and dogs (which I am pretty much sure is always). I keep thinking one day she'll catch them fighting, then have to go back to everyone she has ever said that to and take it back. Well, it's certainly a lot better than having a neighbor who complains about your kids all the time. It's just that whenever she says how great they are, I think I must have a stupefied, surprised and yet somehow pleased expression on my face. However that must look.
There's my baby, growing up faster than I can keep up with her.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Boo Hoo!

Royal Caribbean called me yesterday to inform me that my travel knitting bag never turned up. I am so sad. I guess I was expecting it to turn up. I went over to Kathy's blog and saw that her Koigu jacket was never turned in either. Now THAT is something to be heartbroken over! I guess I just have to move on. Not like there isn't plenty of yarn around here to be knit. I am particularly heartbroken over the loss of a skein of sock yarn called Driftwood by Mama-E that I bought at Marin Fiber Arts. Gorgeous colors. I also had 3/4 of a bucket hat knit up out of this really cool raffia. Best just to move on and not dwell...

Emi's big party is tomorrow. I will take pictures.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Cool Summer Contest!

I found a very cool contest to enter -- you post your summer knitting goals on your blog and get entered to win this! Cute, huh? If you enter the contest, please mention that you found it on my blog -- http://knitalife-laura.blogspot.com/!

Here are my summer knitting goals:

3 pairs of socks -- one for each month of summer
cotton scrap granny afghan (it's crochet, I hope it counts.)
No New Yarn (does that count as a knitting goal?)
Finish at least two UFO's
Sea Silk Wrap

Ambitious, I know. But hey, you gotta aim high.

And also to give her a plug, I found the contest via this new blog buddy.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Green, green, green

Have I mentioned that the kids and I started a garden patch? I have never grown anything in my life, other than two kids. And a dog. I come from people who grow plants. My paternal grandmother and grandfather were plant nurturers. Both my mom and dad are plant nurturers. My mom grows orchids and flowers, my dad has (and this is NOT and exaggeration) 2,000 bonsai trees in his backyard. There were so many of them that he had to build "plant bleachers" on the hill in the back to fit them all. Then he had a shade structure built. At some point, he actually connected a drip irrigation system to each plant that keeps them watered. It was a humongous job, but it freed them up to be able to do things like travel. Before the drip irrigation system, they'd always say things like, "well, we'd like to come visit for a few days, but, well, you know, the trees." Oh, and did I tell you that he actually made each bonsai himself? And that he is a published writer who is currently working on his memoirs? That he had a very successful career as a landscape architect? I KNOW I told you about his collection of Korean soaps. Have I mentioned that my dad is, for lack of a better word, driven?

But I digress. I was telling you about how I have never planted anything in my life. So a few weeks ago, I read up online (don't you just LOVE the Internet?) went to Home Depot and bought soil, a few gardening tools, lumber and seeds, cleared out some of the weeds and planted. I decided to try out this square foot gardening technique. It just seemed to make sense space-wise. In the upper right is the green beans. They seem very happy. To the left of them is the cucumbers and below them is the carrots, which also seem to be doing pretty well. On the lower right is the beets and they just don't seem happy at all. I don't know if they are not getting enough sun or water or what, but they just aren't taking. I'm not really sure if they are getting enough sun, the website says 6-8 hours minimum and I think they only get 4-6. I'm not really sure what I am doing, just watering and looking. Hopefully we'll get something from it. I'll post updates. The jacarandas are coming in to bloom around here. I love how they almost always seem to bloom around the time of Emi's birthday. Have you ever seen a jacaranda tree? They bloom flowers in the most beautiful shade of lavender -- almost a periwinkle blue, but lavender. Then the blooms fall to the ground and leave a lavendar snow fall all over the ground. I'll try and snap a picture of the jacaranda trees down the street. Give it a little time, they are not quite in full bloom yet.

Here is my sock-in-progress. I decided to go for the clog heel. I like the way the pattern repeats seem to make the time go faster. Each repeat is 12 rows. I feel like I am knitting like the wind. Knitting like the wind is a good thing. I wish I really could knit like the wind. You'd see a lot more FO's around this place if I did.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Don't Let the Comments Go Away

Hi all. Does anybody know why the little "comment" thingy in the lower right hand corner has disappeared? I have no recollection of doing anything to make it go away but it is gone. I thought everyone left me or hated me or something because no one has commented on the past couple posts. I'm hoping it is because you couldn't, not because you wouldn't!

I guess you'll have to email me to let me know "what have I done now?!" It's knitalife@yahoo.com. I wlll checking hourly. Minutely. Please. Don't let the comments go away. I live for the comments.

Updated to add: Okay, the little comment thingy has mysteriously reappeared! But I don't know why it does not appear on the last two posts. Suggestions? Solutions? The only thing I did was check on the tab for "moderating comments" and resaved it without changing anything. But how can I get it to reappear on those past two posts? I'm open to your sage advice.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Late Night Knitting and More Socks

I did a bad thing last night. I stayed up until 3:30 am KNITTING! Well, knitting and rolling my Seaweed silk into a ball. It got a mongo tangle at the end there and I spent two hours carefully undoing it, not wanting to waste one precious inch of the delicious fiber.

If I didn't work and didn't have kids, that's how I'd live. I'd probably stay up until 1:00 or 2:00 every night, then wake up at 9:00 or 10:00. I know you early birds frown on and even sometimes silently disdain such behavior, but in the words of one of my first true heroes, Popeye, "I yam what I yam" (insert distinct Popeye cackle here).

Here is a pic of the seaweed sock I began fashioning in the wee hours:
If you click on it, you can probably see the texture a bit better. By the way, does anyone besides me LOVE the Britanny 5" dpns? OK, so they are not much more than cocktail toothpicks, but I adore them.

This was my inspiration for the sock. Love you, Barbara Walker! See how she shows both sides so you can choose which side you want for the "public" side? She's cool like that! Anyway, knowing that great minds think alike, I searched the Internet to see if someone had already done the footwork (har har)for this pattern. Turns out, someone had -- at one time, Nancy McGlynn, at a site called Knitting Now had designed a pair of socks using this pattern. The links now give a no access message, so I'm not sure what happened. In any case, I found this great tutorial that built on Nancy's pattern for how to convert them into clog socks here at Fiber Fool. It is a great tutorial and I think that I shall make them clog socks! Thanks, Kristi!

In other knitting news, I don't know if you remember this particular evening when I had so much fun knitting with my friend, Victoria. (Hi Victoria!) But I just could not hang with the two socks at one time on two circs. Too fiddly. Too much navigation and time spent circumnavigating the inevitable tangle of balls and cords. I attempted to reduce this inevitability by transferring it to the magic loop method, a 47" Addi Turbo size 1. This is better, still not ideal. The fiddling has been transferred to constant cord-watching and maneuvering, because if you forget to keep the cords "just so", with ample cordage sticking out at both sides of the "sock clothesline" (that's how I think of it), you end up with one sock that has wandered over to the "danger zone" and gets itself "wound around the bend." This I'm sure makes Absolutely No Sense to one who has not yet traveled the way of the Magic Loop. However, you Magic Loopers probably know what I'm talking about. Tips? Pointers? (Har har, again! What is up with me and the puns today?!)
So there you have it. The eternal dilemma of socks, as I see it. You are either faced with the dreaded second sock syndrome, which does not bode well for us ADD types. Though I am sure that it is somehow a wonderful lesson in follow-through (Baby Steps! Baby Steps! -- who remembers that hilarious movie, What About Bob with Bill Murray?) Do I really want to have to learn the harsh lesson of self-discipline and follow-through in my knitting? Sadly, the alternative is circumnavigating the inevitable resultant tangles and what I am positive is intentional with malice aforethought non-cooperation of the needles and yarn. I'll finish this one out, but I think I'm going to go back to practicing self-discipline (dpns) for the time being.

To top it all off, the way it is pooling is not to my liking.

Son's comment when he saw these socks: "So....why would anyone put THOSE colors together?"

Me: (all defensive) Well, it looked like it would look good knitted up at the time I bought it.

Son: (inspecting ball of yarn) Umm...Mom? This is just a bunch of colors all mixed together. They don't GO together."

I have to say I actually kind of agree with him.Close up of the sock-in-progress.
Close-up of the yarn ball. Since the colors are separated by lengths of blue/purple, the only way I can see that you could really mix them is by interchanging balls. That or make a really fat sock. Not going to happen.

Friday, May 18, 2007

An FO!


You may be saying to yourself, "Socks? So what's the big deal about finishing a pair of socks?" I think of these as the "ball and chain" socks. Finally, I am free. Last fall I promised myself and you, my dear devoted reader, that I would not knit anything else until I finished the second of a pair of socks. Ahem. I seem to have gotten a little...sidetracked. In any case, better late than never! It was not a simple as it may appear. I wandered so far from these socks that when I finally cast on for the second, I had forgotten how many stitches it was, then, MADE THE WHOLE SECOND SOCK FOUR STITCHES SMALLER THAN THE FIRST. Now these babies are snug, so that second one barely made it over my big toe. Why I didn't see it on the needles, I will never know. What do you call that anyway? I know I'm not the only one -- that weird knitting blindness that causes two socks to come out so wildly mismatched even though they look identical when you hold them up to each other? Same thing with sleeves. And cardigan sides. Do you know how many times I mis-eyeballed before I finally got with the program and started counting? In the case of this lame sock, I was SO CONFIDENT about the number of stitches, that I ONLY counted rows! It then took TWO MORE TRIES. One was about four inches into it when I realized I couldn't live with the different shape of the toe, then I started over AGAIN and was about FIVE inches into it. The whole time I was knitting it, I was saying to myself like a little mantra, "It's just the stinkin' toe, it doesn't have to match perfectly, it's just the stinkin toe, it doesn't have to match perfectly." At the fifth inch, about 1 am on a weeknight, stopped, pulled the needles from the stitches and started ripping. As I did, I'm quite sure I must have screamed it out aloud, "IT MATTERS! IT MATTERS! THE TOES MUST MATCH!!!" So, you see, me and these socks, we' been around the block a few times.

The yarn is Artyarns Ultramerino 4, which I liked so much, I got this:

I was flipping through my Barbara Walker 2 and found a cool stitch called "seaweed." In honor of the cruise and the color of this yarn, I thought I'd try my hand at incorporating this stitch into the socks. I googled it to see if it already existed and, apparently it once did, but seems to have been removed. So I guess I've got to try it on my own.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Emi spent the afternoon playing with mud in the yard and snapping some pictures. Digital cameras are so cool because kids can explore with them and you don't have to worry about all the wasted film and developing costs.

She waited very patiently for this one. I could hear her calling the kitty and coaxing her and trying to get the kitty's attention. Her patience paid off.

That's our Figgykitty. You can really see the butchering job they did on poor little Figgy's ear.

But such a sweet kitty.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Back in Bid'ness

I very carefully read Leslie and Lisa's comments regarding the supposedly simple task of removing the cover of my computer to fish out the errant memory card. I say supposedly simple task because the thought of getting down on the ground and scrutinizing that mysterious black box made my head hurt. Thank goodness for 12 year old sons! On Mother's Day no less!

He had a bout with some bad clam chowder the other night, poor thing. (I just can't help but thank goodness it ended up on ex's pillow and not mine. Hee-hee!) He looked all pale and peaked this morning, not up for church. As I was leaving I asked if he could puh-lease help a poor mom out and try and figure out how to get the cover off and fish out the pesky memory card. Came home two hours later and was greeted at the door with pale but grinning son, memory card in hand. Yahoo! Hooray for sons!

It's been like this ever since he was five. I clearly remember the moment it happened. It was either Christmas or his birthday and he had just received his favorite gift -- a Lego. It was labeled as being for 8 years and older and it was quite an honor to have received such an advanced Lego for a gift. A little unsure of his ability to build a Lego that required such advanced qualifications, he asked if I could help him build it. Sure, no problem. A little Mommy/son time. So we set out. About four steps into it, as I am happily bonding with my son and building the Lego one step at a time, just like the pictures in the little instruction booklet, he interrupts my happy moment.

"No, Mom. You're doing it wrong."
"What? Of course it's not wrong!"
"Mom, you're putting that piece on the bottom. It goes on the top."
"Wha...?"
"Oh Mom, never mind, you're messing it up. Here, let me."

It was a painful moment. The day that Mom-The-All-Knowing tumbled from her Throne of Omniscience. My son took it in stride. I, however have never really quite recovered.

In any case, I have pics.

First up, I wanted to show you the wonderful yarn that was gifted to my by the wonderful Sea Sock crew. On the right is the hand-dyed yarn from Mama-E. There were three beautiful colorways. I liked this one. It's called Sea Sick. Love it. I'm all about the socks these days. And you know what? That is not all we got. No sirree! They had these adorable knitting bags chock full of goodies! An adorable notebook with a ziplock pouch attached! A pen! Sock patterns! Yarn! A little canvas knitting bag to carry our sock projects! Let me tell you we were pammmmm-purred!

At Marin Fiber Arts I also picked up a beautiful skein of Mama-E's sock yarn in a colorway called Driftwood. Gorgeous. It was my travel knitting. That and some raffia I had picked up at A Mano in LA before I left. I hate to tell you what happened. Left. It. On. The. Ship. I KNOW! Shoot me! Put me out of my misery! I called the ship's Lost and Found first thing on Monday. Haven't heard anything. I refuse to give up hope. I am praying that it returns to me.



I also picked this up at Marin Fiber Arts. It's a skein of Claudia Handpaints Laceweight Silk. I believe the colorway is called "Pistachio." It is luminous. As per usual, the pics do not do it justice. I LOOOOOVE it! I saw this beautiful shawl on the cruise and I was told the pattern is called "Wing of the Moth." Someday, my friend, someday. But first I need to build up my lace chops.


Next up, my goodies from Beehive Wool in Victoria. That shop is a veritable Fleece Artist extravaganza, let me tell you. This is a skein of Peter Rabbit angora that I am making into a simple scarf in a 1 x 1 rib. The halo is extraordinary.


This is another skein of Peter Rabbit that I fell in love with. I know it looks a little like baby yarn, but I simply could not resist. It is not a blurry photo. That is the halo, I tell you.

Sadly, I forgot to photograph a skein of Sea wool Bordello Sock yarn that I brought back for my sister. Beautiful stuff. I have got to get my hands on some more.

And here is my crowning glory. A big o' skein of sea silk in a beautiful shade of blue/green. Enough to make the Storm Water Shawl. From the picture on the label I was pretty much unimpressed with this shawl. It just looked sort of ho-hum to me. But they had it made up at Beehive Wool and let me tell you, I was smitten. It is GOR-GEOUS! The movement! The Drape! Seriously. Had. To. Have It! Then That Eunny totally enabled me and told me I had to have it. So then of course, I did. Seriously-- if Eunny Jang told you that you just had to have that yarn and make that shawl, wouldn't you? You would, trust me.

Friday, May 11, 2007

The Dog Ate My Homework

This is a terribly embarrassing post. I feel a need to tell you why I haven't posted lately. The other night I set out to post some pictures of all the yarn and goodies I picked up on the cruise. Sounds like a good idea, right? OK, so when it came time to plug the memory card into my computer, I accidentally slipped it into the wrong slot. A bigger slot. It sat, suspended loosely in that wafer thin opening, the little card mere millimeters thinner, I immediately realized what I had done. I swore and grabbed something to try and coax it out. A paper clip. Doing my best Maguyver imitation, I deftly unfolded the paper clip and set to carefully fish it out. I instead managed to push it in further and then heard the telltale clinking sound as it dropped to the bottom of the inside of my computer. Sigh. So there it sits until I figure out how to somehow open up my computer and fish it out.

Does that sound any better than "the dog ate my homework?" It's the truth. Sorry. I'll get pics up as soon as I can.

Meanwhile, I am keeping busy preparing for Emi's 8th birthday party. We are having a "craft" party in the backyard. We are going to do different crafts in rotations. Macrame bracelets, pompom animals, cards with pretty paper and stickers, and I think decorated cookies. She and I are so excited we can hardly stand it. When I get the memory card fished out of the computer, I'll post a picture of the invitations we made that I decided would be a fun craft for the girls to make at the party.

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Saturday, May 05, 2007

Cruised Out

Hi all. Sorry for the long absence. I am now back from my cruise. You'd think I'd be all rested and relaxed. Not! I am exhausted. Remember the 7th grade slumber parties? Like that. Only imagine that it goes on for a week. The fun, the food, the people, the knitting. Paradise. I guess in paradise, there is not much time for sleeping.

Where do I begin? I had the most wonderful roomates, Mary Jane (MJ) and Rose. We were all squished together in a little closet of a room, but they couldn't have been nicer. Patricia, the cruise planner did such a wonderful job. We had goody bags waiting for us upon our arrival -- tote bags filled with patterns, tchotchkes, and of course, yarn! We each got a skein of Meilenweit in shades of red, and a hand dyed skein from Mama E of C*eye*ber Fibers. She's got some beautiful stuff, let me tell you.

We had a wonderful time with classes taught by Amie of Rose by Any, Mama E, and of course the legendary but charmingly unassuming Eunny. By the way, knitsters, her name is pronounced "Ooony," (more like the sea urchin egg sushi), not "You-nee."
So here we are on this cruise and everyone is saying Oony this and Oony that. I'm thinking don't these bozos know how to read?! They're saying her name wrong for God's sake! I started catching a clue right about the time I realized her buddies were pronouncing her name the same way. Doh! Like an old dog, this here girl don't learn me so fast. Eunny however, was kind enough to overlook my mispronounciations.
In some ways, being on a cruise was hard for me. I wore a patch and still got seasick on the third day. Many of us did. It was rather rough. By the fourth day, when we stopped in Victoria, all the sickness was gone and the sailin' was smooth.

But the people were wonderful and there was always a place to plop down, knit and share, laugh and knit some more. On day two we stopped in San Francisco and hopped a bus to Marin Fiber Arts. We were welcomed with more goodies and even a snack bag filled with fruit, nuts, water and the like. So thoughtful! We shopped till we dropped then boarded the ship again. In Victoria, some of us took the Butchart Garden tour. In a word, breathtaking. The tulips were in bloom in what seemed to be every shade possible. Then it was on to Beehive Wool Shop. Can you say Fleece Artist? It was a dream come true!

In my classes, I learned how to make a reverse heel flap which is perfect because I prefer going toe-up and only know the short-row heel. Amie later taught me the turkish cast-on and Eunny then taught me the magic cast-on. The classes were wonderful, Mama E taught color theory and Eunny expanded on custom sock design.

I'm going to have to cut this post short. My daughter is pulling the guilt card out (rightfully so) accusing me of spending more time updating my blog than spending "quality time" with her. When a kid plays the "quality time" card on you, you know that they know too much and that they are probably right. I am off to ride a bike with her.

I will leave you with some pictures. Being a Flickr newbie, I am flummoxed as to why the pictures loaded up in the exact reverse order than I wanted.

One other thing I just HAVE to leave you with: That Eunny is ONE FAST KNITTER!!

Up Next: yarn pics

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