Projects

As I might have mentioned in the last post, I went to a knitting retreat last weekend. :) A 9-hour trip (each way) and two whole days of knitting. Heaven! I've shared the goodies I brought back with me, now I'll tell you about the knitting I did.

On the way down, I spent a few hours working on these:


Spring Fern Socks in Knit Picks Stroll Tonal, Springtime

I posted a picture of these on Facebook and got some interesting comments. One friend said it looked like the socks have piercings, and another friend's boyfriend thought they were a bikini top.

When we got to Blowing Rock, we checked into the hotel, then went to dinner at the Six Pence Pub. The food was good, and we each got a free glass of champagne in honor of the Royal Wedding. We went back to the hotel and got our goodie bags and I worked on homework for one of my classes.

Saturday morning I took a Beads and Cables class with Antje Gillingham. She wrote the books I use for knitting two socks at a time on two circular needles, so I was very excited to take the class. I'm sorry to say that the class project is already frogged. It was a headband, and I don't really wear headbands, but mostly the yarn I got in class wasn't speaking to me. I took a picture of it before I ripped it out.


See what I mean? Who put these colors together?

Colorblind yarn designers aside, I enjoyed the class. I learned a new provisional cast-on that is a lot easier than trying to knit into the bump on the back of a crochet chain. I also just really liked Antje. She was a lot of fun.


She signed my books for me

She also designed the mystery socks I've been working on, so I took them with me for show and tell. I only had the beads and cables part done with I got there, but I since I got back, I added the first repeat of the latest clue.


Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in Golden Glow

After a delicious lunch, I had an entrelac class with Miss Babs and started this little hat for a friend who has a baby due in September. I worked on it on the trip home and finished it Thursday. Can you tell my friend's DH is an Ohio State fan?


Simplified Ashlar Cap in Miss Babs sport wt, Sandi's Red and Luna Granite

Sunday morning's class was Fair Isle with Nancy Shroyer. I was a little nervous about this one, because it required holding one yarn in my right hand as usual, and another yarn in my left hand. I had tried holding my yarn in my left hand before and failed miserably. This time, it worked!! I started this headband, which I finished on Tuesday. I'm still not much of a headband wearer, but this one I decided to keep, even if I don't wear it.


Pattern by Nancy Shroyer, Mission Falls DK superwash yarn

When I wasn't working on class projects, and when my brain needed some rest, I worked on my CHRISTMAS! socks.


They scream Christmas, don't they?

In keeping with my lucky streak this year, I won the Pamper Me basket at work on Friday! This is just a sampling of what was in it.


Wow!

There were also two more pairs of flip-flops, four washcloths, more Mary Kay products, a book, a bamboo beach mat, and probably some other things I've forgotten. I shared the spoils with my coworkers and gave the Satin Hands kit to my mom for Mother's Day.

Friday evening I did some shopping after work. While I was in the store there was a torrential downpour, so bad I couldn't see the cars in the parking lot. When I got out to my car, I found this:


Yep, hail

Emma says:


"I'm glad I was safe inside. Princesses don't like water."