Zip-a-di-do-dah and Splish Splash

Knitting took a back seat this weekend to outdoor adventure. The SigO and I went to West Virginia (Paddle Faster, I hear banjo's!) and spent the weekend at the Ace Adventure Resort (their idea for a name - not mine - don't get me wrong - I absolutely loved it there, but if there's not a manicure/pedicure and hot rocks massage center, then in my book, it ain't a resort - but that's just me). It's the "Grand Canyon of the East" (again - their billing, not mine - although it really is very lovely). The New River and the Gauley River cut through this area and provide for some pretty intense whitewater rafting, but before we shot the rapids, we first did some evening rappelling.The SigO accidentally got some video of me - which I would normally have deleted, but I actually like this one, so thought I'd share:

It was a great time - we went off the cliff five times each - we would have gone many more times, but to get back to the top was a slight climb and after five of those, my fun meter was pegged.

The next day we got up nice and early and headed out to the rapids. We shot the New River. The Gauley isn't at its peak until October when the Army Corps of Engineers releases the dams and floods the Gauley - so yes - we'll be back in October.

For this trip, we had, in my opinion, the best river guide out there. While other rafts were tipping over and spilling out their occupants, we maneuvered through class fours and class fives with great expertise - in my humble opinion. Whether we were expert or not, the simple truth is we never got tipped out of our boat - I'm just sayin'.

Of course, I didn't leave the knitting behind altogether. In fact, I got plenty done on the way down there and on the way back and got some done after the rafting trip. I got a few double takes whenever people who saw me out on the river saw me peacefully knitting away on my cardigan, but that's just because they don't understand the adventures of knitting!
Anyway, I've finished a sleeve on my cardigan, and just have the second sleeve (and a serious case of second sleeve syndrome) and the button band to knit.

A weekend of adventure - knitting, rafting and rappelling - what more can a girl ask for?

Notes from Down Under

Well, I'm back in the good ole USofA. Australia was pretty great - I could definitely envision retiring down there. It's a nice mix of US and European mentalities. They have the openess of the US, but the pace of Europe.

Traveling there and back was brutally long, but we flew business class, so the flights and the airport lounges definitely alleviated some of the travel pains. Business class on Cathay Pacific provided us with our very own cubicle to lounge in.
I'm wearing a top I finished the night before we left. Every time I've traveled in the past, I've been way too cold - in the airports and on the plane. On this trip, however, I thought I was going to die of heat in this sweater - which is made from Noro Silk Garden. By the time we got to Hong Kong (layover 2 of 4), I was drenched in sweat. Thankfully, the business class lounge in Hong Kong had showers.
Awesome showers.

We arrived in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and were given a quick tour of the area. We spent our week working in this building.
At the end of the week, Carmen - the best hostess you could ever hope for - took us to a local yarn shop where I bought a locally dyed Merino/Possum blend. She also took us to the Parliament building:
And then to the golf course to check out the roo's:
If you look at her pouch, you can see a slight bulge - that's her baby. I could totally see it moving around in there, but never actually saw the joey itself.

After she took us to see live roo's, she then took us to her house and fed us roo meat. Taste's like a cross between steak and deer meat, but not very gamey. Kinda sweet.

The next morning we headed to Namadgi National park which has some rock paintings presumably 3700 years old.
We saw lots more roo's out there - and some dingos - and the results when dingos and roo's meet:
Sunday, we headed up to Sydney.
Opera season was over and all ballets were completely sold out, but we did get a chance to hear Rita - Isreal's Diva.

Monday we headed across the harbor to the Taronga Zoo, which was definitely one of the best zoo experiences of my life. You know the typical zoo - if you see an animal at all, it's lying at the back of the cage looking bored. These animals were all quite active. The koala's were definitely the highlight. This young lady obviously has a thing for red heads.
Tuesday morning, I took a train out to the suburbs and met up with Jane Slicer-Smith. I took a Fair Isle class from her at Stitches East last year and was seriously in love with her designs, but when I tried to check anything out at the booth representing her, I could barely squeeze in. Going out to her studio was much nicer - I got to see all of her designs unencumbered by any other customers. It was also sheer luck that I got to hook up with her while I was in town as she had just gotten back from a show and was leaving for another the next day. The knitting gods must love me. They ought to - I sacrifice a great deal of my income on the knitting altar.

Other highlights of the trip include the Aquarium where I saw the biggest sting ray I've ever seen:
The Sydney Tower:
Hyde Park:
And a great treat, right at the end, totally unplanned, The Australian Museum. Lot's of aboriginal art:
And a quirky sense of humor. You can see he's reading a book, with his pet dog on a leash, a bird in the bird cage, and just behind him you can see a little of the cat
Which is chasing a mouse into a mouse hole.
Only in Australia!

Land Down Below

Well, here I am in the Australian Capital Territory and so far I haven't seen any women rolling nor have I witnessed any men thundering. I have seen some Vegemite, if not in the packaging of a sandwich though. I've not had the guts to taste it yet. Every non-Aussie (pronounced Ozzie - and don't you DARE forget it, let me tell you!) tells me Vegemite is disgusting and every Aussie I've spoken to thus far assures me it's quite tasty. So, you can see my reluctance.
Despite all the hype and hoopla, they are not a crazy, rowdy bunch of ruffians. In fact, most times I have to strain to hear them since with their accents and typical soft-spoken natures, it's not at all easy to understand them. They all keep assuring me it's because I haven't gotten them drunk enough. One man actually encouraged me to show him some jugs and he'd be more voluble. Since this was in front of everyone, and during work, I stood there and sputtered for a moment before he finished his sentence -he wanted me to show him some jugs of beer...that was his story anyway.
As I'm here on business and the days have been rather long, I've not had the chance to do much knitting, much less go shopping for yarn, but I do expect that to be remedied tomorrow or sometime this weekend.
I've not seen any kangaroos yet. Also to be remedied this weekend. I did see quite a lot of wild birds here - birds that many Americans pay a small fortune for - like cockatiels, parakeets, etc. The state bird is the Magpie that makes a nice trilling sound in the morning, but the crows here are very odd - they look the same, but they sound like an infant with an evil laugh. I assure you, if I can get a good recording of it, I'll post it here.
I've gotten a few good shots on my camera, but as I was too dimwitted to bring along the cord that connects it to the laptop, all pictoral proof that I'm alive and well down here will have to wait for a bit.
Anyway, that's my post from Down Under. To be continued later as the opportunity presents itself.
BTW, I LOVE morning and afternoon tea. Yes - we do breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner - I'm going to need two seats on the flight back home.
Until then, G'day mate!

Lovely DC

Trying to avoid traffic in the DC Metro area is a daily adventure. Which route will offer the least hideous commute today?

Yesterday, I decided on what is the longest commute in mileage, but frequently the shortest commute in time. This commute takes me right past the Lincoln Memorial. Off in the distance is the Capital and the National Memorial, and yesterday, the sky was incredible. So, check this picture out:

The funny thing about this picture is you have to try to imagine me fumbling to get the camera out of the purse, turn it on, and hold it up in the corner of the windshield - all this while driving around a curve in the road - I couldn't believe it when I got to work and could really look at the pic and see that it actually turned out nicely. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised - it's all the practice I get knitting and driving at the same time.

That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

Camping, Blisters and Ravelry

We had some unseasonably warm weather this past weekend, and I felt like it would be a good opportunity to get out of the house and do some camping.

As I was driving away, I did feel a slight pang of loss. I was leaving the SigO behind since his daughter was coming over for the weekend, which exempts him from outdoor excursions. I even considered turning back and telling him we'd wait until the next good weekend and go together. But first, let me go to Jiffy Lube and get my oil changed.

Oh, wait - huge line there - never mind. OK, let me go get some gas...

Oh man, huge line there - OK, I gotta get outta here, I think to myself - get some solitude.

I get to the highway and, you guessed it - it was a parking lot.

So, an 1.5hrs on back roads and I was finally there. Ah! Peace and Quiet out in the woods of Massanutten Mountain. Ah! Listen to those birds, the crickets, the....

masses of screaming kids, screeching teenagers and thumping subwoofers.

There is no escaping the crowds of the mid-atlantic coastal area, obviously. I mean, come on, it's the first weekend in March - you're all supposed to be at home getting your lawns ready for spring, not camping out here with me!

Still, I wasn't about to head home, so I set about putting the campsite together. This would be the first time I'd used my new tent - a gift from the SigO - and I was completely unprepared for how massive it really was. These things don't look that big in the store, surrounded by even bigger tents. At 6', I was still barely tall enough to get the rain canvas over the top of the tent.

In case it doesn't really look all that big from the outside, here's the inside.

That's 1/2 of the inside - and that's a queen size inflatable mattress on the ground - yes, with plenty of room to spare all around it. I could have set up headquarters in that thing and led battle drills or something.

Anyroad, after getting the campsite all set up - time to go for a hike. In my new boots. Stupid, I know, but how else do you break them in, right? Vasque boots and my feet DO NOT get along. My toes were bleeding after less than 5 miles. My toes, for crying out loud. And my legs were screaming at me too. Why? you may ask. Well, I'll tell you. You try walking without putting any pressure on your feet at all. It's no easy trick, I can assure you and it makes for some sore muscles at the end of the day. Since it's still early in the year, the scenery was pretty bleak, but I did think the way the light fell on these mossy rocks was pretty incredible.

So, the camp thing was only OK. The highlight was my new popcorn popper - for camping. Very fun popping corn over a fire.

Other recent events: The SigO celebrated his half century mark. I use the term "celebrate" very loosely. He did get some good Steelers toys, so he did have some happy moments.

And finally, the big news. I got a message from Ravelry asking permission to use one of my photos on the Sideways Striped Pullover pattern page.

Notice the copyright under the photo! Woo Hoo!! I'm famous.

Catching up - again

There are times when I think I should hang up this blogging thing, considering how frequently I fall behind - but I kind of like having it at the end of the year to remember some of the fun things we did - and some of the less than fun - a 6hr kayak trip that was only supposed to be 3 comes to mind. The SigO still cringes when I mention Potomac and Kayak in the same sentence.

So, let's see, since last we spoke the SigO and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary. Once again, we spent the evening at Foti's enjoying a fabulous meal. But first, we started off the day at the Manassass battle field. For some odd reason, the SigO had never been to that particular battlefield - odd since he's a civil war buff and had been to several others, but not the one closest to us. We didn't have time to do the entire loop, so ended up crossing the field and startling a young doe. I would very much like to go back when we have more time and do the entire loop.

After the battlefield, we went to Rappahanock Cellars for a barrel tasting. What was supposed to be a one, maybe 1.5 hr wine tasting event was still going strong after 3hrs when we had to leave in order to make it in time to check in at the B&B and change for our evening at Foti's.

It was a very nice meal

Since then, I've been concentrating a great deal on getting some of the rooms in my house the way I want them - including finishing the storeroom downstairs and turning the spare room into a nicely laid out office and bedroom.

Of course, I've been doing some knitting. The berocco grid is hibernating right now - mostly because I still don't know if I'm going to like it or not. The beach tunic is definitely in a waiting pattern - I'm not sure what I'm going to do with that thing. I thought I had a handle on the crochet stitch needed, but somehow I've increased with every row such that the bottom looks like it's turning into a skirt, instead of a top. And if I rip it back, I know that dang yarn is going to start breaking. So, I've broken my "fast" and have started a new top from RYC called Wildflower. I'm knitting it in RYC Bamboo Soft (100% bamboo) and so far I've already decided to rip it back once and start again. I seem to do that a great deal these days.

No quilting for a while - the sewing machine is in the shop right now having her innards cleaned from a chinese food spillage incident. Keep your fingers crossed for her. Her name is Faith in case you want to include her in your prayers (yes! I'm still talking about my sewing machine).

That's it for now. Not much excitement here. Maybe in six more weeks when I head down to Australia on business. But we don't discuss that much. Makes the SigO grouchy.

Any suggestions for a title would be welcome

Where to begin, where to begin...

Well, I guess I could begin with the Dr. Fish pedicure I got this weekend. More and more, spas are getting away from "shaving" your feet and instead they scrub at them with a pumice. Now, I don't know about your feet, but even if they spent the entire day scrubbing away, they ain't gonna make a dent on mine. I've been going barefoot at every opportunity since I came out of the womb and my feet are living proof of that lifestyle. So, if I can't find a place that shaves the calluses off, well then...I'll just have to get some fish to nibble the calluses off.

Yes - it's very weird. Yes - it tickles like hell. But my feet were pretty smooth at the end of the appointment. But if you think I'm weird - apparently when the fish get too mature, it's too uncomfortable for the average person to sit there while they dine on your piggies - so the owner of the spa takes the more mature fish home, puts them in a tub - and - you guessed it - immerses her entire body in the tub. Puts a whole new spin on "I'll have the fish, please" doesn't it?

In addition to feeding the fish, I've been very productive lately. Not only am I sticking to my self-enforced yarn diet, I've decided I won't start anything new until I've finished at least 4 UFO's.

The first thing I finished is the Jester Sweater made with Fiesta Ballet in Onyx colorway. It was a LOT of stockinette stitch (yawn), but at least that's easy to knit while watching TV.

In fact, the only interesting part was the edging.I'm pretty pleased with it. The neck is a little higher than I'm used to and the sleeves have some seaming flaws, but otherwise, it seamed up easily and fits nicely.

The next thing I FINALLY seamed up is the Sideways Striped Pullover - knit in various colors of Filatura Di Crosa Print.

I wan't in a huge hurry to seam this up since I deliberately made it a size too small in order to try to force myself to lose weight to get into it - and I still haven't lost enough. At least I'm on a downward pattern now - instead of the steady plateau I've been on for the past year, but I digress. I did try this on, and it definitely needs to wait til I've lost 10lbs, but other than the neck, which I would have made deeper, I'm really happy with the way this turned out - and the sleeves went in great - in fact, the entire seaming went well.

So, now I'm trying to finish up the Berocco Suede jacket - a process slowed by the fact that I completely ripped it and started it again. In this blog post, I mentioned that I was a little worried about how this would look finished, since it knits up striped - and sure enough, I realized very shortly after I started the right front panel that it was going to look crappy. So, I ripped out the back and changed the pattern so that I could at least knit the body all in one piece. I'm at the sleeve opening right now - which means working three balls of yarn at once - and trying to keep them somewhat on the same color - but the sleeve will disrupt that ever so slightly anyway. It will be interesting to see how this jacket finishes. It may go to charity shortly after setting in the sleeves.

That just leaves the Beachcomber Tunic as my fourth UFO - I've crocheted about two inches and then set it aside - I have to pay attention too much when I crochet - which is hard to do while watching Lost - or whatever. And the yarn is very splitty -not the best kind of yarn to learn a new technique on.

So, yeah, I'm doing really well at this whole "finish 4 UFO's" resolution...for now. I just got my Socks That Rock sock of the month yarn (No, that DOESN'T count as breaking the yarn diet, thank you very much!) and it's a beaded sock project - how am I supposed to resist starting that right away, I ask you?!

So, that's how I've been spending my time lately.

A few more fun notes - it's snowing right now! Woo Hoo!! We've already got about an inch and it's still coming down. I'm voting for 12" and no relief so we can chill in the house all week long.

And finally, the SigO saw this while out running errands and thought we'd all get a kick out of it.