Detour To New Zealand

OK, before you get your panties in a twist...I didn't go to New Zealand.

Someday....

But New Zealand came to me via the US postal service shortly before I left home.

So a friend in New Zealand (hello, Allyn!) told her friend about this crazy knitting friend Allyn has back in the States. This friend told her friend - who happens to have her own farm and her own sheep and spins her own yarn (squee!). She is living the life I would like to live.

Of course, my dream life is the sanitized Hollywood version where the landscape is always bucolic, the sheep tend themselves (including shearing), and one can spin and ply 3000 yards of yarn in a few hours.

And, of course, there are at least 4 farmhands - one who looks like Paul Newman (circa Cat On A Hot Tin Roof), one like Harrison Ford (circa 1992), one like Colin Firth (circa anytime, baby), and one like Ciaran Hinds (circa Persuasion).

Hey, a girl can dream...

Anyway, back to yarn.

So Ms Raising My Own Sheep In New Zealand gives Allyn yarn to send to her crazy knitter friend in the US. How incredible is that?

Look at this stuff!


Allyn also slid a few extra goodies into the box. The book has gorgeous photos of New Zealand. As if the yarn wasn't a good enough reason to want to visit New Zealand.


Allyn, I left the card at home, so I don't have the names of those responsible for the yarn. Give a shout out in the comments.

I'll leave you with the guy's socks that I kinneared in the business lounge at the airport. (Click to see the stripes.)

Bruges Pictorial

Scenes near my B&B -










What amazes me is how old buildings are still in current use.
Click to enlarge and see the detail.

Anno




1676


A small church that also has a lace museum on the grounds.









Wednesdays are market days in the square by the bell tower.











A Bruges LYS.








This is a sweater - being knitted in the round on four of the longest double pointed needles I've ever seen. A local knitter brought her project into the store for some assistance and kindly let me take a photo of her needles. I was told that they are taught using these long needles and the ends are held under the arms.



And, of course, they have their own way of keeping the stitches on the needles.



In vino veritas knitting?

I See London, I see Belgium

My first stop was in London, going from Heathrow to St. Pancras station to take the Eurostar to Brussels, then a train to Bruges.

Lucy met me at the station and we had lunch and a good gab.



It was so lovely to see her again. I hope I wasn't too crazy - as by this point, I had been going on 30 hours of no deep, good sleep - not counting the couple of naps snatched on the plane.

All too soon, our time was up and it was time to get on to the train and start towards Bruges. After leaving home at noon on Saturday, I arrived in Bruges around 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Monday was a holiday - for Ascension - and I spent the day wandering around town.

The famous bell tower.


Everywhere you look, the architecture is interesting.






The small detailing in everyday buildings was astounding.


I had fun tasting local cuisine -

A cheap lunch in the shadow of the bell tower with the famous Belgian fries (you can tell I'm a tourist as I have ketchup and not mayonnaise on them).


and a waffle with strawberries.


I have to admit, I didn't try the other local delicacies like mussels and eel.

Next time - more architecture and I even found a yarn shop in Bruges.

Random, Snarky Thoughts from the Business Class Lounge

That's right - I'm in the business class lounge in terminal 5 at O'Hare.

A secret land that most never see - with an always pleasant receptionist - a lovely "pre-flight" buffet - and as much Diet Coke (and water, and alcohol, and snacks) as one can handle unless one wishes to actually sleep on the overnight flight.

I'd like to take a bunch of photos - but I've already kinneared one guy today. Maybe as everyone is leaving to board the flight I can lag behind...

Let me tell you...money does not equate class.

To the guy with the IPad and the earphones - it is not fun for the rest of us to hear you break into uncontrollable laughter at something you're watching. Your laugh is taking the paint off the walls.

I don't know about you, but I don't think that was the best name for that product. Really, it sounds like a high tech feminine product.

To the majority of the people in this lounge - the waitstaff are people who have probably spent a lot of time on public transportation to get to this job so they can feed and cloth their families. Would it hurt you to actually look at them and thank them when they clean up after you?

OK, snark over.

Watch this space. I kinneared a guy who is wearing some fun sock - and isn't ashamed to display them to all.

Also - you'll get to see what arrived at the Haus all the way from New Zealand!

My journey begins!

Let's hope I've got wi-fi tomorrow.

Block(ing) Party, Day Three

Another Noro Striped Scarf by Jared Flood. This is made from Plymouth Boku. Not quite as bright as the colors in Noro and one skein had a couple of knots in it. But, at least the price of the yarn didn't make me resent the knots all the more.