Celebrations and Set Backs

This weekend I hosted D's family for his mom's birthday. She is very generous and loves her family. The problem is, she's a wonderful cook. It has led me to learning about all kinds of spices and techniques. We had a Greek dinner of sorts with rosemary rubbed pork loin, spanikopita, couscous salad (yum) and green beans in brown butter. Mr. Boo also BBQ's beef tri tips- very impressive from a 16 year old. #1 SIL brought an amazing double chocolate cheese cake, the recipe of which she attributes to me. And #2 SIL was neither insipid nor insulting. Great success all around.

But in knitting. The words inner edging brought horror to my face. I had to pick up many hundreds of stitches along my print o the waves. I don't know why I hate this so much. It's just another form of knitting. But the counting and the spacing and the juggling of needles just makes me so sad. It took a week, but I got the inner edging done.

Now the knitted on edging (which is what I had signed up for) was another challenge. Thank goodness, eventhough I was tired on Saturday from the birthday bash, there was lots of food and the house was clean. So I sat and conquered the spacial puzzle of right side, right stitch, right bind off.... All the variables. Now I'm trying to move along the first edge without too much ripping back.

Warning: there is a mistake in the Print O' the Waves edging pattern as posted on See Eunny Knit.

I had to search back to Knitters Review comments to find in her words that on rows 9, 11, 13,15, the second last stitch is K2tog. This makes sense because she's trying to decrease the number of stitches in that set. But it didn't make sense in my stupor and chagrin. When I found it, I wrote Eunny back to apologize for bothering her. She still replied with thanks that I had found what I need.

So I hope you can fix your pattern before you rip out all your own hair.

Joining

These are the buttons I have gathered and inherited. We did a lot with buttons when the kids were little. My mom used to let me go through her button jar on rainy afternoons when she was sewing clothes for her four daughters. I still remember a miniature ceramic purple flower. Some of these are from D's grandma. I collected some blue ones for a Haiku for her great grandson, a cousin's third boy. They satisfy the magpie in me.

I have been invited to Ravelry.

I think it's amazing. Just last week I was 3,499 in line. I know, I checked. Now I'm there, it's a bit overwhelming. I added my blog and my WIP. I set up a few FOs but it takes time and I've been so busy that I'm not happy.

Today I'm trying to take it slower. Walk the dog. Practice flute. Join my shawl and start the edging. I think it's a bit like pregnancy. The last trimester is only half-way. I am simultaneously proud of my being this far, and stunned at how far I have to go. I'm not sick of it. This is more like one of Li's long term relationships. I'm a bit annoyed. But I don't dispute her good qualities and the joy she will bring as a gift.

Small Pleasures

This little sweater will hopefully make a new baby feel welcome in our community and let his or her parents know how much we value their family.

Today I made a killer tomato sauce. The secret ingredient? Time. My kids are tired of me say ing that, but I am a slow food proponent. Not food that is slow enough for me to catch, but the opposite of fast food. Growing up on a farm gave me a good start.

The weather changed and it's cold with a bit of rain. I made it to the Y today and visited with my sisters.

Little things are OK. My world is made up of little things and small actions.

I have decided to add a baby blanket to my queue. One of the youngest nephews is being ostrasized because his very young and surly girlfriend is pregnant. This will be the first great-grandchild and I feel I have the right to rejoice in his or her own selfdom. One does not choose the situation one is born into. All we have is love.

Come Back Liza

The heavy pruning before our trip has paid off. These Queen Elizabeth roses are original to the house, so about 40 years old. I moved them from the front 10 years ago when we moved in. They are so very much like the one in front of our farm house where we took the special pictures, like me and D. going to the grad prom.

This is a beautiful, mild autumn. We have heavy dew, but it warms up by 9 am and we throw off our sweaters by 10:30.

I'm back to walking the dog every other day, but my ankle can only manage about 30 minutes. I lost another pound this week. Woo hoo! That makes 5. My clothes are looser. Redouble the efforts.

Noodle Pie's beloved lululemon hoodie has a broken zipper just at photo day. Disaster. They informed me they could repair but not replace it. We will go into the city on Saturday to sharpen her skates and continue on to one of the biggest malls, Metrotown to hand it in and buy another for the interim. These are the most valued items in the schools. I held off for almost a year before I let her buy one with her own money. I hope we don't have to drive the 1 1/2 hours to get it back.

Lookee, lookee.

I have 3 sisters. This is the handspun of sister #2 who is turning 50 next month.

My 3rd sister, the cowboy, is moving to a ranch in Kamloops soon and gave me her box of yarn and 2 boxes of fabric. This was worth all the acrylic and itty bitty remnants.

But I will probably make her and her husband hats. It will be enough to work with such a precious yarn. It was a gift from 2 to 3. They will need toques in that semi-arid climate.

It rarely gets cold enough here to wear ugly hats.

Inside, Outside

I spent most of the weekend indoors at a workshop for Sunday School teachers. I tell you, there is a radical, invigorating group, and there are new things exploding around us. I am so excited about Godly Play that I am off the deep end. I hope to get my act together enough to try it out with my lovely students.
On Saturday night, D. took the Youth Group to the Corn Maze. I was happy to be too late to be involved, but dropped by to say hi and offer some hostess help.
It was dusk and clear and they had a great time.
I went home and put my feet up after a long seminar and a long drive. I had to watch Josh Groban because our band is playing "You Raise Me Up" and I don't remember hearing it on CBC.
I enjoyed my quiet time.

On Sunday afternoon, our community band played for the parade to mark the Battle of Britain. It was a joy to have D. and Noodle Pie both playing with us. Must work on Mr. Boo and his trombone. He was out "quading" with my husband's brother. I was a bit of wreck. He's never driven one. Then, when he comes home, he has shot a grouse. Was there no room for discussion about this? It made me feel weird that all our pacifism had been vetoed. D. said he could never shoot an animal because he spends all his time trying to save their lives. Thanks for that.

I did finish the kimono. I decided I was far too stuperous to approach lace. Good plan. Picks to come.

Not My Car

I'm the geek taking pictures in the parking lot. This was too funny to pass up.

I have a 14 year old daughter and I am very much of the Reviving Ophelia school of raising girls. I'm a big girl and I would like someone to appreciate what I do for my community, not just the size of my thighs. My daughter intellectually knows that her musical and artistic talent are more valuable than looking anorexic, but it's tough out there in middle school.

Pretty soon it will be warm enough for those little stick insects to cover up. I will not have to fear for their mortal souls and their chance of making it to highschool without getting pregnant.

I seriously thought we were beyond the playboy bunny ideal.

But I have my knitting to console me.

The jacket is starting to morph and it's easy enough to bring along with me. I feel the pressure of finishing both projects. I hope to sit and knit a bit tonight. Last night I was on the deck until 8pm, dark, listening to an audio book. Very pleasant.

Stop the Frenzy

After the craziness of last week, I had a bit of a physical back lash and slept extra long Sunday night. Three hours in a freezing rink is not good for me, even if I'm selling baked goods the leadership skaters (Stars) made themselves.
Last week I also picked, cleaned and bagged 30 lbs of concord grapes for freezing. They are a gift from one of the ladies at church. I put them in the freezer at the church and the Amazing Brenda turns them into juice. There is something so "Sardis" about having our own juice for Communion. We're very homespun and live in such a bountiful paradise.
But in this paradise, it seems, my job is to sit on my keester.
I had a terrible nosebleed today after I walked the big black dog. I had to phone my dearest friend and cancel coffee before my flute lesson and cancel the lesson and sit quietly.
Thank-you Brenda Dayne. I can do a pattern repeat of the Print O the Waves during one podcast.

I have finished 14 of 17 repeats of the first side. The pressure is on. I have a dear little baby sweater to finish pronto and then it'll be October when our last babysitter is due. I want to make her a little jean jacket. I have the yarn and the pattern will be just a cardigan, but the embelishment will be fun.

So I feel a bit bad to be just sitting and knitting. I got my son to his first piano lesson of the year (Grade 10 Toronto Conservatory!) and my nephew to the doctor for the same cough that I am plagued with. One of our vets thinks its mycoplastic pneumonia. Maybe I should get in to the doctor, too. If I'm good now and rest, I may not have the serial nose bleeds of yore. Yuck.

At least my lace wasn't damaged.

It's actually dark, forest green. This green is not black. There is no trouble seeing it in the evenings, eventhough it's very dark. I want to get into the second side because I think the edging will be a big job.

After the baby sweaters? Miles of navy Phildar for a nephew.

What I Week!

I managed to get through the first week of school, Sunday School registation and Skating Club open house. Ouch! I barely played my flute. I was too tired to go to band on Thursday night, but I'm glad I went because it meant all I had to worry about was whether or not we were playing in E flat. I am so proud that I finished another music theory book. It's a great system that really takes you through step by step and uses Canadian folk songs as examples. I knew most of this stuff long ago and my kids used these books when they were much younger. So far I haven't had to ask them for help.

On Friday night, I played truant, dropped the kids with their friends at a coffee house and went to a book club/knit in to watch "North and South". We just finished this old book by Elizabeth Gaskell and the BBC production was lovely.

I managed to squeeze in the Golden Compass before just beginning Gaskell's "Wives and Daughters". It's so charming already and I've only just read one hour on the stationary bike.

I have two podcasts lined up for some desperate knitting. But first I have to live through the first day of skating and sneaking out to a Weight Watchers meeting. Tonight I hope to lie on the couch with my Noodle Pie daughter and knit while we continue Middle March. I am so antiquated, but it balances all the new technology in my life.

I still use a fountain pen and journal in a note book. I don't apologize.

This week already seems more in order and I look forward to the knit and sit at my LYS on Friday morning.

What Are You Knitting?

I changed to my summer bag which freed this up for knitting. I bought it in Glasgow at 50% off from a store called Fat Head. It's been fun to stuff with travel needs, but not that easy to get things out of. Now I have two clear plastic zipped bags with my projects that I don't want out of my reach.

This is Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Kimono. I love knitting little wrap sweaters. This cotton is so fresh and I thought the variegation would highlight the decreases.And here's the Print O' the Waves. I'm finding it pretty straight forward. I think I found out how I get a favourite row: it's the one I learn the first. The one which has logic like my own. I have found my favourite row. Not to deprecate the others. And no, it's not the purl back row.A closer look of the deep green merino goodness. You can start to see the pattern, but the magic will come out in the blocking.I keep waiting for this knitting mania to peak. I include more blogs and podcasts and knitting friends and plans. It can almost consume one's life. This morning I watched the Yarn Harlot on You Tube with breakfast. That's pretty rabid. But I'm enjoying riding this wave of many years.

I found the You Tube sites from the new Vogue Knitting Anniversary edition. It's wonderful, but it's cutting into real knitting time.

FO's

It is the first day of school and I am happy to have closed the book on a few things.

1. The book. Yesterday afternoon, my daughter and I finished Harry Potter. Reading out loud made it much slower, but it was worth it to share.

2.Jazz. D. and I have been picking through the 10 DVD series from Ken Burns that originally played on PBS. It was marvelous (again). I have learned so much about American history and music history that I never would have guessed from my farm in the Fraser Valley. Noodle Pie and I watched Dream Girls on Thursday night when the boys were out. It was also a slice of American music from the MoTown view. I really liked it. Noodle Pie preferred it to Hairspray which is parallel from the sixties. I loved the way Hairspray made me feel. It took me back to the one movie my second sister took me to: Grease. I was going into grade 11, I think, and we really enjoyed the summer feel. It was a rare non-cynical, non-artist response from her.

3. Ian Rankin Mortal Causes. This was a great mystery novel set in the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. I'm glad I was home before I started to read about the bomb threats. Bomb threats in Glasgow are no longer taken seriously because "terrorist attack" now means that the local blokes kick the crap out of the terrorists.

Clean slate. Golden Compass- this time not aloud. Looking forward to the movie.

PrintO' the Waves: 80 stitches seems like such a short row. I'm starting to "understand" the pattern and read it off the needles.

Baby Surprise Kimono. So pretty in variegated cotton.

Big project: stripping the walls in D's "theatre". The TV room in the basement is getting a facelift. I hope to have it painted by Xmas.

Good-bye to the kiddies. Sniff (not).

An Exciting Week

Kiri #3 is done and off the needles. One week exactly and finished before the recipient gets home from holidays or even has a clue that I'm making her October 50th birthday gift.

This is what she looked like after one hour.

This is at the end of day one. The rows are the spectacular thing here. Later, it's the width, which doesn't translate as well since I don't love you enough to take her off the needles. I do have a much longer needle, but my oldest sister is using it for her attempt to make a poncho that she has no interest in. I should get my needle back. It an addi turbo and gift from sister #2 on Saltspring Island. I cast on the Print O' the Waves for her today, too.Yesterday I started with everything but the edging. It has really grown, but still a surprise when it comes of the needles. Last night was another movie with the kids (Friday vids at our house). Kiri is actually TV knitting. Because I know Print O' the Waves won't start that way, I've picked up some cute variegated cotton limone to do an Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise. I can't say how many of those I've knit. But like Kiri, there is a comfort in the familiar. I am always surprised when I find out I've knit both sleeves and the front.

Here is Kiri resting after her exciting week. I really only had a few moments of boredom as I was always looking forward to the next row, the next repeat, the next step. She is in her bath now relaxing and getting ready to lie in the sun on the carpet in the living room, displacing the dog.

I have 2 month to make my sister's shawl and I think I can do that. Thank goodness my third sister is closer to my age and years from 50. She'll probably get a blanket anyway. Mission Falls 1824? I have time to decide. And many nephew sweater and don't forget the babies.

A Walk at Home

This was my first walk since about April. I figured if I could walk all over London and Glasgow, I could at least go out my front door. New bark mulch in the driveway, nice.
My ever-docile walking partner, Carly. I think she was excited.
We only went to the end of the street, about 15 down. I loved the smell of the ripe corn. I had missed most of the garden displays. I am usually very in touch with the black berries on the hegerows and the roses and vines. I have missed it all this year. As well, it was getting dark at 8:30 p.m. Definitely late summer. But it was great to be a part of it.
Kiri is ticking along. Pictures next time. I just about had an hour at the rink this morning, but poor coach has my cold and is off to the doctor. Perhaps I should seize the time on my deck?

Just a Start

Yesterday I went back to Weight Watchers. I know. I won't get all obsessive here every day, but it was time. After my long sleepless night in the dorm next to the seedy, noisy Glasgow pub, I made my decision.
I used to be a leader. I really liked it. I lost 40lbs for my 40th birthday and kept it off until I had surgery and complications and a new life with a new disabling syndrome.
Now that I feel that I have that under control, and 30lbs!!! later, I'm back on the writing things down life.
It took so long to lose my weight, this is just about normal. But apparently I couldn't do it on my own, no matter what measures I took.
So I have a new beginning.
Not new pencils and books, but lessons and tests.
Wish me luck.

A Walk Through the Park

This is the beauty that was always available to me in Glasgow. The Kelvingrove Museum. Free and every bit as interesting as the British Museum without the crush of tourists and the exhaustive displays.
The Partick River.
The University.
More hallowed halls of learning from the school that brought us most of the inventors of our age.

The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of

This is something special.
While shopping at K1 in Glasgow, I met the owner, Kathering Walker, who happens to be the loveliest of Canadians. She's from Toronto.
Her Dream was to offer the local and special yarns that were not available in the Scottish department stores (read Rowan).
Her tiny hallway of a shop has become an entire community of knitters. Check out the K1Yarns website to see the purple walls lined with white pails of skeins.
She's also a designer. She knows the designer of my Kiri shawl.
This japanese linen tape feels like paper. But she was wearing a neat lacey sweater of it and the drape is marvelous. I bought a pattern from Habu Textiles for the Shosenshi Linen Jacket and also a pattern of Katherines with a criss cross back/front. She thinks there's enough in the 1500m to make both. But she was a bit of a tiny thing herself.
What a treat to talk knitting and purpose and how similar are the cultures of Canada and Scotland. It was my last day in Glasgow and worth the sore ankle to walk through the beautiful gardens and university.

These are some of our tickets and pamphlets. We had to go with a French guide to Edinburgh, but that doesn't bother us. The train ticket taker knew I was Canadian immediately when I said the word "out". I don't think it sounds funny, but everyone else does. There's about .69 pounds left on my Oyster card for the London transit system. I certainly prefer the bus, but to get across town, especially during a rush, you have to use the tube. Will this skill come in handy again? I did get to the Sherlock Holmes museum and took my eight year old self around. It was a special treat.

Kiri number three is coming along. I'm feeling better. Sang with a Blue Grass trio yesterday to great reception. Good thing I had the low part with this cold. But nasty cold is receding and I took the kids to the Y this morning to pretend that that's my normal way to spend a morning instead of gathering yucky kleenex.

We have to finish organising for school. Noodle starts skating tomorrow. It looks like the careless, long, warm days of summer are passing. We'll probably get even better weather in September, but that will only make her grumpy because she can't wear her new fall clothes.

Me, I'm trying to keep up with my improved health, my healing heels and slowly decreasing swelling of my Left ankle. If I work hard, I can get this birthday Kiri done before she gets back from her trip to the Okanagan.

How to Block a Shawl

Step one: put the dog outside.

Step two: Replace vacuum bag with fresh one

Step three: vacuum the living room within in inch of its pile

Step four:Scour basement for blocking wires as marked by hockey skate laces.

Step five: Hunt for blocking pins which haven't been required since the last FO several blue moons ago.

Step six: soak Rowan KSH in Eucalan until it resembles a wet cat and makes all your effort seem pointless.

Step seven: rinse gently

Step eight: squeeze out excess water in a very big but not fluffy towel

Step nine: Finally lay her out on the largest towels.

Step ten: thread wires through straight edge. These are cheap TIG wires from Al's Supply House.

Step eleven: try to evenly and gently stretch each point from each side.

And then there's more patience.

I loved knitting this enough to persevere after a most stupid mistake and Glasgow frogging.

I'm already well on my way to number 3.

Perhaps I shall make the birthday deadlines afterall.

My summer of lace just came up on me unawares.

Blues

This is one of the modern stained glass windows at the Glasgow Cathedral, St. Mungo's. I was so taken by the colours and the words which are printed on each pane. They read the first lines of Genesis.
Exciting to have modern influence with ancient wisdom.
I am having a difficult time connecting with my new Adobe Photoshop because I haven't been well enough to take the time to find my path. These two photos represent about 6 times the effort I used to take. In time all will be smooth.
Like my Kiri. All finished. Yay. In time to block and send to Vancouver Island for Aunt's 70th birthday. Keep her in your prayers as Uncle has been taken off experimental chemo. It was just a matter of time. But it is now and we are sad to be heading on that path, even if the route is clearer.
My third Kiri on the needles. What is wrong? Why don't I love it? It's Jean green and variegated. I thought it looked like, well, what do you think it looks like? Big sis said, "Camoflage". Darn, that's what I thought.
So at the sit and knit I traded it for non-variegated and will whip up another shawl with the clock ticking.
I licked my wounds by winding my forest green laceweight and finishing (finally) my Mountian Colors sock in Nancy Bush's Ribs and Cable from Interweave Fall 2005. It fits my foot so well. I was a good knitter and cast on the second sock immediately. But on to Kiri.

These are a few of the souvenirs we bought. The mug is from D. He took the kids up the Wallace Monument in Stirling when we were at the Bridge of Allen games. I didn't see the point because the rain was so heavy we could hardly see it or the castle. I wasn't up for the walk either and I'd climbed it at least two times when we were here before. He brought me back a lovely mug with sheep! Inside it says, "Isle of Ewe". Sweet.
I took myself to the Sherlock Holmes museum and enjoyed it thoroughly.
No pictures.
Don't even try to open the picture file below. I don't know what I did.

In the Pink

I'm feeling a little better. The sun is out but it's not too hot. Just the barking dog next door.
Still, I can sit and knit Kiri and listen to my ipod. I've caught up to the ripping and already I'm on the edging. I had hoped to be here weeks ago, but for some reason I was able to persevere and get on with the lovely fuscia softness.
The blurry shot reflects how I feel. I'm in the old conundrum of dizzy from sore ears and throat or groggy from cough syrup. I'm trying to balance these and still get my paperwork done, doing errands and setting out another nice dinner. BBQ Farmer sausage and a lovely pasta salad with fresh mozzerella and tomatoes from (I blush) Martha Stewart.
I stopped buying her magazines ages ago when I couldn't get over how much advertising there was. But I was feeling poorly and wanted an easy glance of pretty pictures and new ideas. I do like the recipe on p94 and the family even ate it. I would have preferred chicken breast or even pork chops, but c'est la.
More resting now. Finish Kiri and cast on another one stealthily while my friend goes on holiday. How much can I get done before she returns? Don't worry about me faking missing her.

Too Thick to Knit

I landed with a cold that is now full-blown tonsillitis. Yuck. Yesterday I was too scared to knit lace after frogging Kiri back so far.

Today, with antibiotics and more sleep, I can stay up enough to get a few things done. Those include listening to my back podcasts and catching up on my lace. If my hands start to hurt, I'll pick up the lovely novel I bought at the Oxfam store on Byres Rd, Laurie R. King's "Grave Talent"

I've read all her Bee Keeper's Apprentice books and loved them. I'm a big Sherlock Holmes fan, since I graduated from Winnie the Pooh, and I visited 221B Baker St. this time in London. Just a little city house, but full of memorabilia and fans. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

That made up for the cold and polite reception I got at Loop. I wish I had been able to travel all the way to Vauxhall for iknit, but I barely had time to walk all the way up the high street from angel station. They had mainly Rowan. Liberty's had Rowan. John Lewis has Rowan. Like the Borg. I stood around the tiny hallway of a shop before she looked up from her desk. "Do you have Briar Rose?"

I caused her confusion. She did not know it. She does not listen to Cast On, She is not my friend.

I had the opposite in Glasgow. I'll share that later.

The night before, I fell down these steps.

Want to know how to relieve the pain of plantar fasciaitis? Sprain your ankle. Such colours! We adapted pretty well to the lovely home so generously given over to us by a cousin who was away on Vancouver Island. But we couldn't get all the lightswitches to work and I missed a step in the dark. Screaming like a girl!! The kids ran to get me ice and ibuprofen. I just stayed on the bottom with my foot elevated up the stairs for about an hour. Sad, old mummy.

The back garden was a delight. Especially since we weren't gadding about too much.

And now I can sit on my chaise in the cloudy but warm light of my own back garden and Luckakuck River.

I am reluctant to re-enter the race of family and volunteering. I have lots of projects that are self-imposed: music theory (going well), sewing knitting bags (not going at all), flute and piano (I barely know where I left them), Blue Grass (I'll pick it up on Monday) writing (no, but thanks for this outlet), house work( I made pancakes for breakfast and I bathed the dog ).

I can read my novel. In Scotland I read North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. It is a great old novel that was a gift of my best friend in aniticipation of a movie night. BBC has just done a great version. I look forward to that.

I may have jammed out of a wedding. The youngest daughter of one of D's dairy clients is getting married and wanted a piper like her sister. I don't know them, but they were tiny little girls when he started doing their herd work. I bought her a beautiful picture frame that is both traditional and modern. Did I say I don't know her? I need to rest. Sleep even.

I also need to get something done.

Focus on using up that KSH and catching up on Brenda Dayne.

Jet Lagging

We're back!

What a great 2 weeks in Glasgow and London. That's me knitting (the same) sock on the train from Edinburgh on Monday. I took the kids while D. went to Isaly. He had plans of checking out his family's former farm, but really it was Scotch tasting.

You've never been to Scotland if you haven't been with your own pipe band.

They worked really hard and the scuttlebut on the field is they should have placed higher than eighth. Still that's pretty good in grade 3A out of 37 bands.

Last Saturday, on Glasgow Green, the rain came in torrents. We may get to see a recast on BBC on Sunday. Chilliwack & District marched in the massed bands. They really played the best I've ever heard them!

On Monday, I took the kids to Edinburgh and Boo climbed Arthur's Seat while Noodle Pie and I went to Hollyrood Palace. This is his picture.

We were a bit rushed to get back on the train before rush hour. That's the Sir Walter Scott Memorial on Princes St. One of my favourite things in the world, but this is as close as I got.

So pleased to bump into another band mom from my past on the Royal Mile. We had a great visit. Except she has a flat on Rose St. for a month, so her visit is better. Best of luck to her amazingly talented daughter in the Fraser 78ths.

I'm a bit groggy from flying backwards through time yesterday. I picked up the big black dog and bathed her right away. Our house was clean when we left, but is scattered with suitcases and laundry now.

I didn't risk taking my knitting through British security. They're famously strict. So no knitting yesterday.

I had to frog back Kiri to an inch of her existence because, somehow, the center line faded out of consciousness. Fooey!

So I knit her back almost but did not get the third one started. I have till September, but I want to have 2 done for October. The sock was my way of sulking. I'm almost done the toe. I'll take it in and show my LYS the chimney grafting from Lucy Neatby.

I did visit a very disappointing shop in London. A very long trek on my injured and newly sprained foot. Rowan is like the Borg. They totally take over a shop. Well, I'm sorry, I can get Rowan at home. Don't you have anything else? Oh and by the way, I'm from Canada and I'm a knitter. Why won't you talk to me?

The K1 store in Glasgow made up for that in spades. More to come. Home safe. Hope you are all safe and knitting forwards instead of backwards like me.