Just as Well

It's just as well that I'm a week late posting this time...unless you want to hear all about my exciting weekend doing house work and yard work...no? Right - that's what I figured, so as I was saying...

Unlike this past weekend, last weekend was pretty exciting, if a tad painful. We went kayaking down the Potomac at Harper's Ferry. The scenery was gorgeous:

and I had a great time watching the SigO flex his biceps:

The only drawback to the whole day was the length of the trip. On the way down there, it began to dawn on me that 6hrs on the water in >90 degree heat might be a bit more than I could handle. Of course, I knew the heat would only be one factor - there would also be the 6hrs of paddling - so, like a smart girl, I called ahead and told them we would be changing our plans from full day to half day. No problem they said. But when we got there, they sold us a doozy: "Oh, don't worry - the river is so high the full day is only taking about 3-4 hrs - which is what the half day would normally take. The half day is only taking a few hours."

"Oh!" say gullible, silly us "well, in that case, yes, we'll stay on the full day!"

Here's a nice picture of a bridge over the Antietam river:

This is where we were at hour #3. This is when we were ready to get out. It's also somewhere a little past the halfway point. At hour #4.5, we were ready to get out and walk the rest of the way - screw the boats. At hour #5, we finally rowed into the home base with raw hands, sunburned shoulders and aching backs. Pure misery - let me tell you!

I can't wait to go back and do it again!

That was Saturday, last weekend. Sunday we decided to stay closer to home and hike Prince William Natl. Park - one of the most under-utilized parks around VA - which I'm not complaining about. It's a gorgeous park with tons of trails.

Even though I've hiked it regularly for the past five years, I never tire of its beauty.

I didn't just hike and kayak all weekend. I'm working on the Zephyr pattern Green Gable that I bought over a year ago (pics in the next post - honest!). I also spent a great deal of time putting all my books, magazines and yarn in the Ravelry post. With numbers like these:

And a stash like this:

only a crazy person would go out and buy more yarn anytime soon...right??!! Ermmmm....

That is the one fun thing I did this weekend. I picked up Ella Rae's Bamboo Soft in mocha. Very pretty, very soft yarn. No plans for it. Maybe I'll just roll around in it.

Back to the real world

Well, the vacation in Maine is over and it's back to work, but we had a great time and got some great pics. We had some perfect days, with clear weather and cool temperatures and some overcast days that shrouded the mountains in a wonderfully mysterious cloud.

This picture was taken from Otter Point on a great day when the waves were crashing gloriously against the rocks. We sat and watched until we got too hungry and had to leave. It's actually a little astonishing that we were able to ever get hungry, considering how often we ate on this trip. Amazing what bringing teenagers along will do.

One of my favorite hikes was around Jordan pond where we got this nice shot.

Those are the Bubbles in the background. The story, supposedly, is the man that donated this particular piece of Acadia named them for his girlfriend's nickname - because they reminded him of her. Not sure if that story was true or not. The character that relayed it told a few other whoppers so who knows. The character's name is Charlie and he was our carriage driver for our trip down memory lane on the old Carriage trail built by Rockefeller in the early 1900's

Another great hike was with just me and the SigO. We hiked along Jordan stream, which passes under this bridge.

The best part of the hike was when we unexpectedly came out on a beautiful meadow completely surrounded by trees and mountains and covered in Blueberry bushes. There was a single old tree smack in the middle of the meadow that stood sentinel over it all.

We started the 4th off with a parade in Bar Harbor. It was a funny little parade since it seemed it was open to anyone who owned a business on the island. So we had a truck full of lumberjacks, another full of firemen, one for a tree service, a local construction company, and most entertaining, one for a local go-kart business

They had tracks mounted over a yellow SUV and would zip up and over this truck. Definitely the most entertaining part of the parade. I'm not sure who these guys were supposed to be:

but they played some mean bagpipes. None of them lifted their kilt for me though - pretty rude of them, don't you agree?

Since the SigO broke my circular needles, I really only had the socks to work on while we were there. I admit, I got more knitting done during the driving than any other time. We spent most of our time there hiking, swimming, shopping and eating. I did manage to finish my March STR Sock of the month.

They look really great, and I'm excited to start on May's, but I've done so many socks lately I think I'm going to take a break and do a top or something for a while.

I also finished the July BOM from my Carol Doak quilting group.

This is the second one I've designed on QuiltPro before sewing it up. I'm starting to get limited by my diminishing supply of indigos, unfortunately. The Quilt Odyssey is only a few weeks away and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the guys that sold me these indigos are there again this year. I'd really like to do a sister quilt of this on, this time in Blue and White instead of Black and Blue.

Finally, for the "awwwwwww" factor, look what we found in a hanging plant in my back yard:

You'd think this less than a stable environment to start a family, but who am I to judge. Also, just because I really love my new weeping pine, I thought I'd include this picture of the right hand corner of my yard.

I used to have a big old pear tree in this corner, but it had been pecked so much by local woodpeckers that it was mostly dead by the time I moved in. Everytime a slight windstorm came through another piece of the old gal would blow off, so we cut it down several years ago and I just recently got around to replacing it with this pine. The plants around the pine are Patriot Hostas - really loving that something is finally blooming in my back yard. I wasn't sure that was possible.

So, it may be back to the real world for me, but with a life like this, who's complaining. Right?

Hazy, Lazy daze in Acadia

Today was the first pretty day we've had since we arrived, late Saturday evening, here in Maine. We've had lots of fog and rain since we got here, but today was gorgeous. So, we drove up to the top of Cadillac Mountain to see the sights. Even though it was pretty clear, you can see there was still some misty clouds hanging around the islands. After the drive we hiked up to the top of the Bubbles. That's a short little hike (.5miles) but a tad steep. It has a gorgeous view at the top, as usual.This particular picture was taken while I was looking for the trail down the other side of the hill to hike around the lake - no joy there. I never could find that trail, even though I got a few scrapes and bruises trying.

I've done a little knitting since we got here, but after starting a little cotton top, my SigO broke one of my needles, so that put an end to that project - for now - then I started on my second March Sock of the month Socks that Rock project, only to realize after finishing the cuff that I was using the wrong pattern...so, I need to rip that out and start again. As you can see, not much progress all in all, although, I did put a nice little short row heel on my traffic socks. I used a different pattern this time and it came out better than the last one.

Also, before I left for this trip, I managed to complete the June Block of the Month project for my Carol Doak challenge:

This was my first quilt block designed with Quilt Pro, then actually created. It looks a little different in real life because the batik doesn't stand out as much as I'd like. Still, I was pretty happy with myself for being able to put it together on the computer first. My next project to construct with the computer is a Storm at Sea in blues and yellows. Wish me luck.

As my last act of "catching up" on the blog, this is the only major cross stitch project I've completed since I fell so far behind on this blogging thing.

I've done four other really tiny little cross stitch projects - you know - the kind you can finish in a few hours...those are really rewarding, especially when you're working on a never ending afghan as a knitting project. Truth be told, I've put that aside and it may never be completed. Now I'm working on a different afghan. This is from the "Absolutely Fabulous Throw Kit" from Collinette, in the Ivory Colorway. It's not exactly at it's most photogenic phase right now, but the SigO has already claimed it for himself. Finally, speaking of the SigO, check out his shin:His daughter thought he might have leprosy or something - but I know better - he's just as big a clutz as I am - thank heavens we never procreated!

Mostly Eating

When I decided to write about the weekend, it seemed as if we spent the entire time eating. First, we went to the Manor House to celebrate my promotion. This is a really great place out in the foothills of the Shenandoah. The food is excellent and the location is quite gorgeous. We had a table right next to the french doors and after dinner we moved out to the balcony and drank 150 year old Grand Marnier. While the meal was quite spectacular, I enjoyed that last hour outside drinking a nice after-dinner drink and talking with my LOML and only the fireflies intruded on our conversation.
Saturday, we tried to make up for the decadence of Friday night with a bike ride down the W&OD, but since we ended the ride at Jimmy's Old Town Tavern in Herndon, eating burgers and fries and drinking beer and jaeger bombs, I'm not sure how much we really got ahead - or even caught up - with the damage done Friday night. So, Sunday, we went to the pool and did an hour of lap swimming - that will definitely burn some calories, right? Which we promptly replaced at Tim's Rivershore Restaurant and Crabhouse shown in this really grainy picture from above:

I wasn't a complete bum on the knitting front - but the throw I'm working on isn't exactly in its photogenic stage right now - so look at the cool blocks I've done for Carol Doak's Block of the Month (BOM) challenge instead:

I recently bought the latest Quilt Pro software and I was hoping to use it to figure out exactly which fabrics to use for the June block, but so far it's got me stymied on how to load my own fabrics in there without the software distorting the print on the fabrics completely. So, that puts me behind on the BOM challenge, but then, how would I recognize myself if I were ever caught up, or heaven forbid, ahead of the game?!

After so many months...

I finally feel like I have enough spare time to start blogging again. Not that my schedule has kept me from knitting, quilting or cross-stitching, as the pictures will shortly show. But sitting in front of a computer all day, upwards of 12hrs and then coming home and sitting in front of a computer for ANYTHING at all...well, I'm sure you understand.

So, what have I been up to? Well, I made socks for my best friend-and here's the problem with having a best friend who lives thousands of miles away and whom you rarely get to see - you kind of forget her overall dimensions. I should have been a little more worried when everyone who saw me knitting the socks asked how many months old the baby I was knitting them for was...but I was certain Leila, whose nickname is Micro for crying out loud, was just as tiny as I was remembering. Unfortunately, she's going to have to have her heels amputated before she'll be able to wear her socks - maybe she can hang them from the mantel over the holidays.

I also made socks for my brother (twice - got his measurements whacked out too), my sister-in-law (hers were pretty perfect) and my Mother (also perfect). Mom's socks are the only ones I have a picture of, taken by a phone camera:

They're supposed to be a pattern of hearts - but while she swears she can totally see the hearts, I think it's just because she loves me and is ever so partial.

For his birthday, I knit my LOML a pair of gorgeous brown socks - softest sock yarn I've ever felt and not a single error in the pair - except for the one little glitch of not being able to find the first sock anywhere. ANYWHERE!! And we've looked, I'm telling you! So, there's been some serious sock drama this year.

But enough altruism! Christmas was over and it was time to be greedy. So, everything else I've done since is all for me, me, me. First there were the socks made in a cute little lace pattern from Socks that Rock (STR) silky in the Christmas Balls colorway. They knit up really fast and were extremely comfortable until my typically adorable, but a little less so this day, boyfriend decided to throw them in with the rest of the laundry.

But all was not lost. I joined the STR Sock of the Month (SOM) club this year and am totally loving it so far, even if I am behind. I did the January socks right away and I think they're gorgeous.

I wasn't quite as quick on the draw for the March SOM, so there's only one done so far. I like it even better than January's, but I'm also getting a little burned out on socks ( I mean after all, five for the family, one for KC and three for me - well - OK, two, as you'll see)

The leaf pattern blends in beautifully with the color of the yarn. It's a very lovely sock and I especially love the heel on this one - nice and cushy - but just the one so far.

Then there's the ever ongoing travel socks. These socks get knit 100% in traffic. OK, not completely true. I can't do a short row heel in traffic. I don't do enough of those to do it without looking at a pattern, so I do the heel at home and the rest in traffic. I've completed one and am ready to put the heel on the second - which means right now I have nothing to knit in traffic.

I had some issues with these. For one thing, I'm not totally thrilled with my short row heel - as I said, still working on that, plus I'm not real chuffed with the pattern I have. I'm in search of something better. Also, this yarn is Duets, colorway Brandied Autumn, and I really love the colors and the cute little stripes, etc, but the yarn was broken in the middle of the skein - so you're knitting along and splat - you have to start a new piece and weave in the ends - I just don't like doing that on socks if I can avoid it. But otherwise, I like these just fine.

And, for the finale - it wasn't all socks this year - I did finish my dolman tee. I tried to take a picture of me wearing it, but it's all blurry without the flash and obscured with the flash, so here it is laying on the floor:

It fits great and I wear it a lot - in fact, I'm wearing it today. My only complaint about it is since it's cotton, the neck starts to get a little too stretched out after a few wears and the sleeves start to slide down my arms.

Of course, we haven't just been sitting around knitting. We went to WVA again for President's day weekend. We were going X-Country skiing, since, of course, the Canaan valley gets TONS of snow for that weekend ... right???

yup - no snow. So, we went to a slope with man-made snow and went airboarding. What's airboarding you ask?

A total riot - like tubing, but much faster and you can steer.

And then, finally, for Memorial Day weekend, we fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine - we went backpacking.

funny story. The plan was, since this was my first time ever, to do a nice simple excursion. There's a great little park called Sky Meadows right at the edge of the Piedmont - right at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains. So, not a far drive, and more importantly, the campsite was only one mile away from the parking lot. So, if anything went wrong, we could easily get back out to the car. And really, who would have thought you'd need reservations for the kind of camping where you have to pack in? Well, this is the Northeast - land of too many people. So we got to the park and they were completely full. Don't worry, says the ranger, you can go to the Shenandoah River state park - they have primitive camping too and they're never full - never until Memorial Day weekend apparently. So, as a last resort, we hit the Appalacian trail in the Shenandoah National Forest. But of course, we're talking serious backcountry packing now. Miles away from the car. And Bear country. We had to hang our food - or rather KC did. Since we weren't really prepared for this, all we had were my bungy cords that I always keep in the car. Ever tried swinging a bag attached to a bungy cord over a tree branch? Even if you haven't, it doesn't take much to imagine the results. So KC had to climb a tree and wiggle out far enough to loop the bag over the branch - ah, if I weren't so stressed, I would have thought to take a picture. The most fun part of the trip came at meal times. The guy at REI apprently thought little niceties like the ability to cook food was a luxury that real backpackers didn't need. When I described what I planned for dinner, he got all snotty and basically informed me real backpackers rough it out more than that. I guess that's why he left out the integral piece of our stove that would have made it possible to heat our food. So, since absolutely everything we needed required boiling water at a minimum, we enjoyed the wonders of freeze-dried food reconstituted with lukewarm water. Ever had crunchy eggs? Well, let me tell you, you haven't lived until you do!

Regardless, it was one of the best weekends I've ever had and the views in the Shenandoah never fail to impress.

Plans for this weekend is dinner at the Manor House followed by a movie on their lawn tomorrow night. This in celebration of my recent promotion, graduation, etc. Then this weekend we're going back up to Delaware - ostensibly to go to Longwood gardens, but no one's fooled. One of my favorite yarn shops is up that way.

Pictures of recent quilts and cross stitch still to come.

Still Waiting

That's right. I blame my family for my lack of posts since I'm still waiting for the pictures of the socks on their feet.
What's that you say? Yes, I've knit a few things since then. What's your point? Oh, yeah, and I've been working 12 hour days and haven't felt like sitting in front of a computer for one more second, even if it is to post a blog. But all of that is irrelevant. I haven't posted and it's all my family's fault. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

You've GOT to be kidding!

I know it's been forever since I've posted. I'm waiting on pictures of the last four pairs of socks I knit for the family. But, until then, you won't believe this!
I'm replacing all the windows and doors in my 40 year old house. And so the adventure begins:

1. Workers arrive Saturday, 1/12/2008 with the windows and the front door. They're not putting in the back door yet, they inform me. No reason given.
2. They're one window short
3. They've brought the wrong door.
4. They install all the windows they have and leave the current door.
5. Friday, 1/25/08: a phone call from the company to ask if they can come out to install the correct door on Wednesday 1/30/08.
a. Me: What about the missing window?
b. Them: There's a window missing?
c. Me: yes, not to mention the back door.
d. Them: Well, we're waiting til the deck is finished for that
e. Me: Why? The deck is being installed upstairs. The back door is downstairs.
f. Them: Oh! OK. Well, how about that front door though? Can we install it on Wednesday
g. Me: OK, but I absolutely can't take time off work right now. I'm too swamped to take time. How about if I put the key to the front door under the mat, you guys come out first thing in the morning so it's not like that all day. When you're finished, put the keys to the new lock through the mail slot in the door and I'll come and go via the old back door.
h. Them: Good Idea.

So, last night, I arrive home at 7:30PM, after working 11 hours, see my nice new door. Think "what a nice job", trip around to the back, with a load of groceries in hand, to discover...wait for it....
yep, you guessed it! They'd replaced the back door as well. And then, in their infinite stupidity, put the keys to both doors through the mail slot.
And of course, the locks are unpickable...that was one of the selling points. So, an hour later, with the new lock completely drilled out by the electrician, I'm finally in my house!
Whew, you say! How awful.
Ah, if only that were the end.
nope
So, downstairs I go to make sure the keys work for the back door. I unlock the door, open it and try the key from the outside. Yep. No problem. Works fine. Except now the door won't relock. I call the locksmith down, who had just finished replacing my front deadbolt. He unscrews it, looks at it and tries to get it to lock. No luck. Faulty bolt he tells me.
So, now, I'm home. Alone. In a house with a back door that won't lock. All night. By myself.
Hey, but no worries. I only have a big presentation at work tomorrow...not like I need a good night's sleep, right?