Already In The System

So yesterday, DH and I closed on the new house in Smalltown, USA. We received a warm welcome from everyone we met.

The woman at the title company who handled the closing lives a few doors down from the new Stash Haus. At the closing, we were given a plant from the local florist congratulating us on our new house,

a pen and coffee mug from the title company, and a small bag full of "swag" - brochures about the recreation trails in the county, about the fishing areas in the county, about the local cheese producer (well, this is Wisconsin), brochures from local churches, a pencil from the local heating contractor (again, this is Wisconsin - cold winters), and information on the local businesses.

I had to share these with you - a pocket calendar, a wall calendar, and a plastic drinking cup. (Click on each to enlarge.)





I guess time passes before you know it when you live in a small town. It's always nice to know our lack of Swiss heritage will not be held against us.

After the closing we went to the new Stash Haus to pick up the keys.

Yes, these are the actual keys to the house.

We also found out that news of our moving to town had preceded us. We met the next door neighbor - we didn't really have to introduce ourselves - he already knew our occupations and why we're moving to town.

I had to see a client while we were in town, so DH used the time to go to the post office where the clerk welcomed us to town. DH also called the local water company and the clerk said to him, "oh, you're the ones buying [husband's first name] & [wife's first name] house - yes, we've already got you in our system."

Welcome to Mayberry.

Arm Chair Athlete

Are you watching the Summer Olympics? I have to be honest - in past Olympic years, I barely watched any of the Summer Games. (Now, the Winter Games I always enjoy. I think it's the combination of not being at home during daylight hours, the nasty, cold weather outdoors, and cozy chairs and knitting available in a centrally heated indoors that makes for prime knitting opportunity.) Some of the events have kept me on the edge of my seat, like Michael Phelps and the rest of the mens' swim team, the gymnastic teams, and Benjamin Boukpeti winning Togo's first Olympic medal, to name just a few. With the selling of the house, moving, etc., I didn't join the Ravelympics, but I'm making great progress on some WIPs while watching the athletes. (Oh, digital video recording -how I love you and your fast forward button that we use for every commercial break.)

Which WIPs am I working on?

Hazel Carter's Violets By The River made with Jamieson & Smith 2 ply jumper-weight in color 1295.



Wavy by Sarah Smith made from Blackberry Ridge Mer-Made.



Lace Ribbon made from Ocean from Creatively Dyed Yarn.



If you haven't been over to Twist Collective, I hope you'll visit soon. I think this is a great online knitting mag. I love how easily you can navigate the site. The first time I went through it, I used the arrows to "page" through it like a magazine - not wanting to miss anything. Even the ads are interesting. I don't mind paying for the patterns - I appreciate that designers want to be paid for their efforts and the price is about the cost of most individual patterns you find at your LYS. Kudos to the team that pulled this together.

A Camp Pictorial

Good Morning, Campers!


The Knitted Camp








Double Knitting


The Letter Sweater


Franklin reading one of his essays from his book. (See the woman next to him? Yes, it is that funny.)


Bicycle Memories.


The Busy Knitter.


Say Cheese!


If Gathering of Lace had a centerfold...


Good Libations!


Finished at Camp.

Knitting Camp

Knitting Camp - how to describe to the uninitiated?

Well, the agenda for each day is pretty self-explanatory. Get up and get ready for the day, eat breakkfast (which may include fried food) knit, learn, gab, laugh, attempt to master the bavarian twisted stitch at Meg's feet, knit, knit, knit, eat fried food, knit, knit, laugh at something Amy said, talk, knit, gab, rip back beginnings of Bavarian Twisted Stitch Hat for the upteenth time, eat chocolate, take pictures, knit, gab, marvel at Joyce's knitting, knit, block item for "show and tell", eat more fried food, drink beverage (preferably with some percentage of alcoholic content), knit, gab, take pictures, eat chocolate/ice cream/combination of each, fall into bed exhausted, being careful not to collapse on the bed full of sharp pins where your "show and tell" item is stretched out.

It's an exhausting, exhilerating, inspiring, stash-enhancing time with a heaping helping of fried food on the side. Here we find fried pickles (yes, you read that correctly - pickles) in their natural habitat.


The usual suspects - Meg, Amy, and Joyce, who's latest kick is knitting garments from tablecloth patterns. That woman can make anything look spectacular.





This is the Knitting Camp Doomsday Book. O, thou evil instrument of temptation - how cannst one resist thee?

I don't know of many that are able to resist. Many times each day, campers walk through a part of the ballroom set up with yarn, yarn, and more yarn, books, and needles. You get to pick out your purchase(s), then write it on your page in the brown book. (Some people, who shall remain unnamed, leave camp after filling more than one page.) You then live with your purchase(s) during the rest of camp, fondling it during the infrequent non-knitting times, dreaming of what it will become, until Reckoning With Eleanor on Monday Morning.


I made it through camp with only a few purchases.

This will be the Faux Russian Stole from Gathering of Lace.


And more shawl yarn.


I also bought some lovely smelling soap - always a great stocking stuffer and it keeps your sock drawer fragrant until the holidays.


More pictures to follow.

Why Can't Everything Be This Fun?

Surrounded by fiber and sipping frozen hot chocolate at Late Night Knitting. Are there better ways to spend a Friday night? Not so many, in my book. Look what my friend gave me.



While I was at the there, a couple of skeins unaccountably fell into my knitting bag. Whoops! My only excuse is that a person has to give into temptation on one's birthday in order to counterbalance the depressing effects of realizing one's age.



I can't believe you people didn't tell me Misty Alpaca now has sock yarn! This stuff is scrumptious.



Friday night was just the prelude.

Saturday I headed to Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair. Such lovely stuff.






MMmmmm, yarn.



I was surprisingly restrained, considering all the fine fiber that was on display.

First, we've got Ocean (70% wool, 30% seacell) from Creatively Dyed Yarn located in South Carolina.


I don't know what it is about Tennessee, but there are some wonderful yarns dyed in that state.

From Knitting Notions we have 100% merino. The color is Stormy Seas.


And then there's Miss Babs. This is "Yen" laceweight merino and silk


and "Yummy" monochrome superwash 4 ply


and "Bamboo Baby"


Finally, we have yarn from a favorite vendor - Briar Rose Fibers.

This is Celebration - 600 yards of 60% merino and 40% bamboo


and Wistful - 500 yards of 50% alpaca, 30% merino and 20% silk.


Next time I go to this fair, I'll be bringing my knitting and spending the whole day. There was art, fiber on the hoof...




and musicians scheduled throughout the day.


This is the Barehand Jugband. I didn't realize anyone played a washboard nowadays.

Camp is this weekend. I'm determined to be ruthlessly restrained when it comes to yarn purchases. (Ha! Famous last words!)

This is what I'll be doing this weekend.



Hope you have some fondling in your weekend, too.