At 2.75

we had 4 minutes each for show and tell this year. Partially this was because the camps and the retreats were one half day shorter than the last few years. Everyone was very good in their time allowance. The timer didn't go off once, that I remember! I'm going to show just a representation of the projects. This will be more than one post!


First up, is Amy's show and tell being held by Greg and Michael. Granted, this is not knitted. It's a kitty quilt Amy had started years ago and had completed only one square (and maybe not the entire square...she wasn't quite sure since it had been so long.) Her sister, who visited camp this weekend, finished the quilt and presented to her as a birthday celebration gift! Makes me wish I had a sister!




Next is Lois' beautiful Knit/Purl sweater designed by Joyce Williams, knit in the Armenian technique. Here, Lois is giving the knitter's salute, as we asked, so we can see the pattern up the side and the sleeve. I had not seen the sweater attempted in variegated yarn before, which gives the design an entirely different 'feel'. Although from my distance from the sweater, it did not appear to really be in the Armenian technique, when I enlarged my photo I could see that it is, indeed, Armenian. This is part of the same pattern I used on my Armenian hat last Spring. I did take the hat to show Meg and Joyce. Meg was, of course, pleased to see Armenian work at retreat and Joyce was quite pleased that I had used her patterning.



Didn't Sharon knit Meg's Rose Tunic beautifully? This pattern is in the Land's End special booklet of several years ago. At this time it is no longer available at the retail level. I'd found my copy online several years ago after it was mentioned at Camp 1. Sharon used the same 'cranberry' unspun Icelandic that Meg used on hers in the booklet.





Gwen looks so very happy here in her shawl! It actually isn't blocked yet, but you wouldn't have known. Last year Gwen showed her finally finished sweater that she had been working on for several years because when she ran into a place she wasn't sure of, would stop and bring the sweater back to camp the next year for Amy's assistance! This year she was so pleased to have brought the completed shawl that she had started as a 2.75 project last year.



Today's last example of show and tell is M'Lou's amazing coat and hat set modeled by Maggie. I absolutely love this set. It's just my colors, as I imagine them. But this pattern 'speaks' to me from somewhere in my soul. There's a knowledge of place and time I feel when I see both the set in person and in the picture. M'Lou is the 'queen' of double knitting and her book is due to be published by SHP later this year. It is on M'Lou's book that Joyce was working feverishly during daytime hours, so was available for us only during the evenings. Joyce missed the show and tell, but can see the shots Al took which will be on the CD's he'll be sending us soon.


After the regular daytime sessions, everyone joins in smaller, constantly changing groups to knit and socialize, to knit and learn, to knit and imbibe in favorite snacks and drink. Here is one group of Janine (the Feralknitter), Jaya (Knitsarina), Poppy, Gayle and Greg.

As always, please click on any photograph to enlarge it for more careful viewing.

The Lakeshore

is where we spent our next traveling day.


After the MDOT memorial, we continued up north to experience the Mackinac Bridge. It is the most magnificent structure I've ever crossed, all 4.9 miles of it! This first shot is just starting up on the bridge, viewing where the land meets Lake Huron. The bridge has four lanes, the outside ones are paved while the inside ones are grate. As long as I'm on the inside lanes, I'm fine. It is amazing to conceive of the building of this structure dividing Lake Huron and Lake Michigan and connecting the Upper Peninsula to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The specials shown recently on The History Channel on the bridge are truly riveting (pun intended!)




Being in the front passenger seat, I could leisurely show you the bridge from my viewpoint... and with traffic facing us so s sense of perspective might be gained on the bridge's grandeur.

That evening was spent at a comfortable motel in Manistique. We had dinner at the local country club, and this was our fairway/lake view as we partook of the Cajun chef's specialty. On the way back to the motel, we checked out a section of the local lake walk.


There was a steady moderate headwind that day, so the insects weren't dive bombing us as we followed others close to Lake Michigan. Since I've never been exposed to the water other than to swimming pools, each visit to the Great Lakes is experiencing a miracle to me. The colors, smells, flora and fauna have been out of my life experience, so I am intrigued here to discover a few of the nuances.

The ground rock is 'dimpled' (from a post card it appears this is PetoskeyRock, the state rock of Michigan. should I be incorrect, please let me know.)No sand here, just the rock. Does it not seem as though we're looking at a closeup of the moon in shadow? And the grass growing seemingly out of the rock... I'd guess just enough sand was deposited to sprout the wayward seed. On our travels, I'm always watching for plants/trees/cactus growing in unexpected environments.

The next morning we continued in the UP (Upper Peninsula) to find not just 'sea grass' but even nearly wild roses and other wildflowers interspersed with the grass. Lake Michigan was beckoning, but we had to continue onward to Wisconsin.

At the same pull-off, I turned to the left for this shot of the morning sun sparkling on the lake. Sigh. From here we continued on to Escanaba for breakfast at the Swedish Pantry mentioned in an earlier post, the yarn shop in Menominee, and to Merrill, WI.

In Merrill,we checked into our rooms, called "little brother" and Sarah and I were privy to the brothers' verbal jousting. Then on to dinner and more knitting with Sarah, as we had also had our own private knit-in on the lake shore the prior evening. After Russ had his yearly coffee clatch with one of the local coffee groups and we all had brekky in Skipper's patio downtown, and more of a tour of Merrill with stops at two of DH's childhood friends, it was off to Marshfield for a 3 p.m. rendezvous.



This greeted us in the lobby.


(Click to embiggen!)

On the road

to Wisconsin we made several stops in Michigan.




Russ' cousins, Bruce and Bill, work a family farm. Bill works it full time while Bruce works it part-time and Bruce's son Geoff helps out also.

(Every time Russ says he's going to call Cousin Bruce, I just cannot help thinking of the radio dj, Cousin Brucie!)

Here are Bruce and Russ in one of Bill's seed corn fields. Bruce said that the farm is one of the smaller ones around, which doesn't mean tiny, just smaller in comparison. Peaceful, quiet and level with sandy loam soil, the farm is a pleasure to visit.




What an intriguing barn this is on the part of the farm Geoff lives on. It was his great grandmother's homesite, and this is one of the original barns.



The barn isn't quite empty! Here is a Ford 8N, the same style as Russ renovated back in Arizona as his final tractor there. We spent the night in Union City, then had brunch with the brothers the next day before going to Sarah's at a Mexican restaurant in Grand Rapids that has fabulous Mexican cuisine. I'd definitely rank it as in my top 5 Mexican restaurants.




Sarah had promised the reindeer pants on her blog....sure enough, here they are! She's in a whirlwind here, trying to coordinate pets and kids and schedules and packing and getting ready for the knit-in and baking and cooking (here with the Swiss chard potato soup) and phone calls.... She really knows how to put on a party!



And the feast that went with the Knit-In! Sarah outdid herself. There are two cakes on the counter from other knitters, as well, but you can't see the additional two soups on the cooktop she made that afternoon. The bread on the cutting board is freshly baked that afternoon as well. Much of the menu was organic from the local cooperative. We're honored to have a knit-in thrown for us. Thank-you so very much, Sarah (AKA Sarry June, as Russ nicknamed her).




The next morning we three were on our way to 2.75! We stopped at this amazing rest area which honored each job the MDOT workers perform. It is especially touching to us as Russ is a retired ADOT employee. Well-kept, clean, plantings with keys to identify each flower or herb, this rest area will be revisited!

Next up: The Bridge and the lake shore.

(Click any photo to embiggen!)

Road Trip Wearables

And from the "Men's Mall" as Sharon calls it, we have a present for me, a Farmall tshirt. When Russ was shopping at Fleet Farm in Marshfield, he found this tshirt, a bird bell treat, bird food, doggie cookies and assorted other items. "I always remember my Honey," he says :-) And we know how much RUss loves Fleet Farm. He was really pleased when "Nancy knitting by the fireside in Northern Wisconsin" remembered his penchant for FF shopping.















The camp shirt this year comes in various colors (as it has been), but new this year are sweatshirts! I got a brown hooded sweatshirt and a teal tshirt. I love both!





We even have finished items this year! The Solstice socks (so named because they were started on the Summer solstice) are fini and now blocking. Sock #1 of the socks started back in May pictured against the peach tree blossoms is finished and Sock#2 (it's mate) is begun.

Acquirements

from the Road Trip returned from at 5:40 p.m. yesterday we'll show first from some of the digital photos I snapped this morning.


Perfect travel weather both directions pleased us no end. Oh, there was wind. And evening lightning displays as a bonus during camp. But that area of the midwest has needed rain desperately. The corn was very sad-looking on the way to camp. After the storms, on our return, the fields were much healthier.

Although I did have the digital with us, I took only 35mm photos which have been developed just this afternoon. The first digital pic shows the lovely present from "Sarry June", as Russ has named her, a handpainted yarn of merino superwash from Woven Art.

As we headed off from her abode in Michigan, we stopped crossed the Mackinac Bridge and stayed in Manistique by Lake Michigan. Now we have enjoyed a brunch there two years ago and this year a comfortable evening's rest. The is a special touch to this place and will need to have further investigation foisted upon it.

In the morning, we were trekking along when Sarah said there'd been a yarn store in Menominee, MI two years ago by the harbor but the woman said she was moving the shop down the road. Oh, yes. Down the same street to her 9000 square ft. home right on the lake with her own piece of private beach, 11+ ft. ceilings and glass-faced leaded glass bookcases. Sarah pick up this skein of Cascade yarn and handed it to me. I proceeded to carry it around and buy it! Darn she's good :-)
Breakfast was at the Swedish Pantry in Escanaba, MI. We knew about it from the billboards. A place for my Swedish heritage where they had wonderful economic breakfasts, could improve upon the strength of the coffee and had fun Scandinavian gifts. Pictured are my purchases...you must notice the "Perfect" mug which Russ insisted I buy.(Combine being Swedish with being a Virgo and this mug is especially appropriate!) I used it throughout camp.




Jennie the Potter was at camp as both a camper and merchant on Market Day. I bought the wonderful sheep mug, just my size for coffee (grin). At the raffle I won one of Jennie's bowls and a fridge magnet. Thank you, Jennie! I love them.


For Squonk, my contest entry, I won a Yarn Barn packet with Patsy Z's Spinning DVD. It will be fun to watch it for additional spinning tips. It might just get me back to my wheels.




And for the SHP stash I brought home! The books in the back are Alice Starmore's Celtic Knits, Lizbeth Upitis' Latvian Mittens from which came the SHP KAL and this year's nametag, Barbara Walker's Third Treasury, Cheryl Burnet's Sweaters 101, Lloie's Kitchen Table Cookbook, and Mary Wright's Cornish Guernseys & Knit-Frocks. Then underneath all us this year's cream and dark green snap tote and there's a SHP pencil case for knitting notions. There are 3 of the skeins of Ultra Alpaca by Berrocco for the Round-the-Bend jacket in celery, moss green and ocean plus the matching DVD. Last in front are 5 balls of J&S shetland 2 ply jumperweight in black, 2 oranges, wheat and red/blue mix.

(Since blogger ate the first three tries on this, I'd better get this posted quick like a bunny! And, click on any picture for more detail, as always!)

Tomorrow

we leave on our road trip to here.

Yes, the car is all packed except for items to be used tonight and in the morning.

2.75, here we come!

Clever, William Tell

Some people took a nap this afternoon instead of getting ready for The Trek.

Another person saw a picture in a handyman project magazine and created his own bird feeder!

I'm proud of my Honey!

One down...

...one to go!

The first Solstice Sock is complete with the mate progressing on the ribbing.

I really like how the foot striped, but ambiguous about pooling on the leg. They are the exact same number of stitches and the same patterning. There's no tellin' about handpainted yarn and why it does what it does.




Today's Saturday sky is three layer clouds scooter-poopin' through the atmosphere. Predicted storms later on today had Russ getting the hill mowed as early as possible.

Two weeks

until 2.75, counting the buffet and reunion with friends and scouring the SHP marketplace.

This shot I took at camp two years ago, depicting just some of the wonderful garments we've read about in Meg's columns and publications. All are displayed at camp for us to touch, try on and borrow for part of the day to wear, if we like.

Yes, it's almost like a shrine for many, especially first time campers. And Camp 1 begins one week from today. Remember the excitement of getting everything ready for the first day of school? Remember the joy and awe of School Day #1? That's Camp, too.
Remember the freshly sharpened pencils and new pens and notebooks and everything together in a book bag or back pack or clutched tightly in your little sweaty hand? Maybe an audible gasp as the classroom door is opened? It's part of the yearly camp experience.

Monday Meanderings

It's not even noon and there's a lot going on!

We left early this morning for Russ' yearly PET scan in New Kensington.
Then brekky.

A garter snake glided across my path by the pond this morning. Of course, I didn't have the camera with me at that moment.

Now onward for some things accomplished before the spotty showers return this afternoon. Last night's spotty showers were a two and a half hour downpour with frequent crashing and lighting up of the dusky landscape.
In the meantime...



Here is the other clematis blooming. It is the older of the two and obviously a later bloomer!





The very first day lily flower greets the morning sunshine.




The very first daisy is also greeting the day by the pond.




And the newest sock project joins the brigade by the Asiatic lilies that are blooming by the driveway. (Click on any picture to enlarge, as always.)

This is STR lightweight in the Tatania colorway. Not summer like colors, but bright! (And a bit too much purple, but I like the colorway, anyway!) Sock is a combination of patterns and being knitted on "0" DPN's.

Non-Knitting

Looking forward to summer and the hot temps we have only seen four days of so far, has meant that there's more than enough time to come up with projects we want to accomplish. Since the neck scarf, I've been reading and thinking and planning and getting some chores accomplished.

Russ has been even busier.

But here's a bit of nature around the hacienda.



Walls of volunteer honeysuckle braced by the state cyclone fence.




Volunteer ferns 'neath the lilacs.




And the result of the barberry bush (which Russ hated 'cause it would jump out and scratch him like jumping cholla) not wintering over well...

Three weeks till the beginning of 2.75.

Can h-a-r-d-l-y wait!

Neck to Neck

Meg Swansen's Faroese Shawl Neck Scarf from her DVD is a finished object! Actually, she was finished about 5:45 last night, then blocked on a super-size bath towel.



I had been concerned that the sock yarn, Fiesta Baby Boom, being such a sproingy yarn, wouldn't hold a blocking. There was no cause for concern. She blocked at 42 1/2". I didn't put pins in her, just had her on the towel. By this morning she was dry and had gone to 38 1/2". Still, she fits on the shoulders nicely. For a more shawl-like length, probably adding two diamond repeats would do it.

Here, we see the neck scarf enjoying June late afternoon sun perched on ever-entwining wisteria with wonderful mock orange in the background. Click to embiggen, as always.

Knit on a 10 1/2 24" Susan Bates circular needle
Yarn is Fiesta Baby Boom, colorway "Sedona" (a wonderful surprise from Linda)
Begun June 7, 2008
Finished June 12, 2008
Pattern from "Knitting Lace with Meg Swansen" DVD (copyright 2007, available from Schoolhouse Press.

Faroese shawl Neck-scarf

Last year at Retreat 2.75, Meg's DVD "Knitting Lace with Meg Swansen" was due momentarily and Meg gave us a handout for this neckscarf. (See it in this picture, which you can 'embiggen', as always.) Many at 2.75 tried it.


I didn't attempt it at that time, but I was able to get the DVD at camp, as it arrived during our session. I admit I've been looking at the DVD more lately, and as getting my notebook ready for camp and reviewing last year, I pulled out this handout. I've also watched this section of the DVD twice. There will be a third viewing for the row that includes Amy's centered eyelet.

There are times when I wished I'd knitted a shawl in 'my' colors since I have knitted the pi shawl in neutrals and the pi are square shawl in blue and white. I'd been looking for a project for the Joslyn's alpaca I won at Camp 1. Hmmm. Fairly typical to form, I chose another yarn.

This time I chose the Sedona Fiesta Baby Boom that Linda sent me not long ago. I'm still not sure if it will work in lace and the Susan Bates size 10 1/2 circular needle that I've had "forever" is very clunky since I'm used to 0-6's. Truthfully, I did Google and check Ravelry for the possibilities of using this yarn in lace. I did find one Forest Canopy shawl that looked pretty good; so, I'm hoping this will be a 'winner'.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Oh. My. Goodness. but the postal person deserved a hug yesterday!

This first picture shows my winnings for a blog contest from Bobbi at Krafty1. I first met Bobbi at Meg's Camp 1 in 2005, so this was especially fun!

A few weeks ago she had a contest to guess the closest date of when she would have her first daffodil blooming in her Midwest area home. I was closest by one day.

My winnings include a skein of Meilenweit Magic sock yarn, a packet of sheepy cards she made, a cute beaded and charmed "Bloomin'Beader"--great for attaching to bags of all sorts fibery, and a Hershey's 5 candy sheepy egg! Thank you Krafty1 !





I was expecting Bobbi's package, but this next one included a double surprise.

An envelope from Gwen (and Cathy), Knitting camp mates,discovered some prezzies for Russ and me!

The first one with the white peony is grey and black Lorna's Laces millend sock yarn in grey and black. Especially chosen by Gwen for a pair of socks for Russ, he said, "Just my colors! Knit them thin enough and I'll wear them!" He encourages my fiber pursuits, but doesn't wear any of them.



Then these two skeins with the pink peony are Gypsy Girl Creations yarn in Watermelon Tourmaline that Gwen and Cathy found at The Fold in Marengo, Illinois.

Thank you, Guys, big, big hugs at camp in the next few weeks.

I am bowled over speechless with the generosity of knitting friends. (Of all the women Russ has met, and they are many, he thinks knitters are the best! And male knitters are pretty cool, too.)

Now Blocking

We have a 2008 2.75 name tag!



Before the sun wilts the Nearly Wild roses and volunteer buttercups in the predicted record-tieing 93 degree, 70% humidity afternoon, the Latvian mitten wanted to make its appearance as a FO!


Just in case the name tag should flip over, as name tags on lanyiers are wont to do, here is the back of the mitten with my initials.




The statistics:

*Mitten is from the SHP KAL with Lizbeth Upitis, May 2008. The pattern is from the SHP website (Graph 19, District of Vidzeme from Lizzie's book "Latvian Mittens"), except for the lettering which is based upon a Celtic alphabet. Mitten is shortened for its purpose as a name tag. It also does not have a thumb because of its purpose.
*Knit on size 0 DPNs (I did use bamboo, but metal is suggested since a tight grip on the needles has a tendency to snap bamboo.)
*KnitPicks Palette yarn
* Started 5/30/08, Finished 6/6/08 as last ends woven in at 12:15 AM

*Caution: Latvian mitten knitting is addictive.

Mitten along

See, I promised...



Here is mitten as of today...a 'far cry' from its appearance Sunday morning. I just could hardly put it down!



Except for the name panel, it is the same pattern as Lizbeth Upitis and Schoolhouse Press chose for the KAL. I had thought that it was not my colors, then I realized that it's the same colors I was swatching with in J&S 2 ply Shetland yarn last summer when I was working on my fair isle pattern. The pattern hasn't gotten past inordinate swatching. It's now in hibernation.



For the lettering ("nancy" on the front, "nj" on the back) my trusty celtic lettering was utilized, then tweeked with trusty pencil and graph paper.

Today's predicted storminess may provide more mitten moments.

Latvian June the First

And the newest project is (pregnant pause for envelope opening)...



A Latvian mitten from the Schoolhouse Press KAL with Lizbeth Upitis! Although the KAL is 'officially' complete, it is still available on the website as well as previous KAL's, which are archived.

As per suggested, I am using size 0 doublepoints. For yarn, KnitPicks Palette makes its debut here. In 2005 Knitpicks was still a new-ish company and was giving away $100. gift certificates to be used on their site. I couldn't believe it, but I won one month! That kept me looking at their site and when the beautiful sampler came out, I had to order it for dreaming.

On this mitten I learned how to accomplish the fringe and the braid. The fringe wasn't really difficult at all, just time consuming, more so at beginning. It actually looks pretty good!

The next mitten row introduces color number 3, but only 2 colors per row.

Enjoy the clematis!