Time For Another Road Trip

I know I just went out-of-town 2 weeks ago, but now it is time for the real vacation. No work (that I get paid for) for 3 weeks!!! On Saturday, we are going to visit my in-laws and my oldest son that lives with them, sort of. We are taking back his and his fiance's furniture in a U-Haul truck, so that my son can get everything setup in an apartment for them before they get married in September. Oh my, it is a strange feeling when your oldest son is getting married. It sure makes me feel old! I was having a small anxiety attack about it today, and the wedding is still a couple of months away.

Anyhoo, since I haven't even started packing yet, there won't be any new pics tonight. I did get the top of the hood for Arwen grafted together and now need to block it. I didn't feel ready for undertaking that task this week and will tackle it when we get back from vacation.

I have been planning what I am going to take with me so that I can get something done during our long road trip. I'm trying to take a variety of levels of projects, and not too many of them. I have the blue trekking socks to finish (I am almost ready to do the heel). When those socks are done, I can use the needles to cast-on for the Knee High to a Grasshopper -Rockin' Sock Club socks. I'm also going to take a Feather and Fan Shawl to work on. The yarn I'm using is 8-ply Rayon and Flax from Interlacements that I got the yarn for it last year at the Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene last June.

Sooo, I should have some pics of knitting progress to show when I get back from vacation.
Toodles!!

20th Anniversary Fun

My Hubby and I just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary last week. We drove up to Bend, Oregon. We were going to go to look at Crater Lake but there was a blizzard, and the ranger at the gate to the park told us we wouldn't be able to see anything if we went all the way up there. So went to the High Dessert Museum just outside of Bend and had a good time there looking at the exhibits.

We were in Bend for 2 days, and my hubby is sooo sweet. He knows the way to my heart is to take me shoppinig. I visited 2 yarn stores in Bend. The only yarn I bought was from this Kid Merino from Crystal Palace Yarns. The color reminds me of strawberries, but it is called "roses". I haven't knit with real mohair yet and am anxious to see how this turns out.

The drive from Bend to Sisters Oregon was beautiful. This picture doesn't even do it justice.

The best place to go near Bend for yarn/fabric shopping is in Sisters, Oregon at the Stitchin Post

This place has a HUGE selection of fabric, and added yarn a few years ago. I bought fabric and a pattern for this mandarin style jacket. The instructions looked very easy and quick.

Then I finally decided on some sock yarn (although I was drooling over alot of other yarn!).

And I bought a Punchneedle Embroidery Kit. I love these cute little pictures.

Sisters also has an Outdoor Quilt show on the second weekend in July every year. If you ever get a chance to go - do it!! Just make sure that you wear very comfortable walking shoes and cool clothing - and bring water, it get very hot. They hang hundreds of quilts on the outside of the building all over this little town, and the quilts are beautiful. Another suggestion if you decide to go - make your hotel reservations well in advance. Alot of people go to see these quilts and the hotels book up quickly. We have been about 3 different times, and it is a fun way to spend the day.
After spending 1/2 the day in Sisters, we drove over to Springfield, Oregon and had to stop at another quilt shop called "Something to Crow About". This is another fun place to go fabric shopping, but with more of a primitive and country flavor to their selections of fabrics, whereas the Stitchin Post has alot of the more modern retro fabrics and bright colors.

Anyhow, I found this material....

yo make this quilt as you go table runner.

Don't worry, the trip wasn't all about me, hubby went to a few Harley shops also and bought some more accesories for his bike!!

Hooray, A FO

I finished my Inside Out socks!!! Yeah! I guess I'll have to find some other pair of socks to take with me for a travelling project!

I was soo close to finishing this sweater. Do you see how close??

I was finishing up the hood section of the Arwen Cardigan, and did my famous trick of running out of yarn. I'm sure I purchased what they called for, and didn't make any modifications. The measurements seem to be right on track and yet.... The replacement troops are in the mail and should be here in the next few days. I ordered 2 more skeins of yarn to make SURE that I have enough to finish the hood and stitch all the seams together. I'm sure there is a lesson here, hmm, I believe I bought at least one ball extra. I'd hate to buy 2-3 balls extra every time I make a sweater. Any suggestions? Anybody??

My life is a little busier than usual right now. It seems to go in cycles. God gives you time to catch your breath, and then things seem to pile up again. Last week I worked an extra 12-hour shift, then had an 8-hour class on Friday. So Thursday was spent at 2 Dr. appointments, running errands and paying bills. Somehow I even made dinner for the family. Tomorrow I am having a procedure done - It will just mean a few hours at the hospital, but since I will have to have general anesthesia, I don't expect to be good for much of anything tomorrow.

Wednesday, 6-6-07, is our 20th wedding anniversary, so my husband and I are going away for a few days. We have alot to discuss and catch up on. So of course I have to make sure I have something to work on during the road trip. The last 2 days I have been working on the RSC Inside Out socks. Today I started the heel, so I'm hoping these will be done in the next week, or the next few days. This is the yarn for my other take-along project---

I have used this yarn for baby hats and socks in the past. This time I am going to make a hat/cloche for a friend of mine who has cancer. I thought that I would use the Rivendell pattern in the May 2007 issue of Mag Knits. You know me, I love cables. The yarn should be nice for a hat, it is very soft and is 100% cotton. I hope she likes it.

Well, I believe my time on the computer is up. We have all been competing for time on the computer lately, what with end of the year school projects and online Driver's Ed classes to take. It might be about time to get another computer!!