Flight of Fancy

I mean to write last night. By the time I remembered Larry told me to go to bed, it was late. He was right, as usual.

The flight to Chicago was fine. Everything went smoothly from packing,

to the airport taxi, to check-in, (I love love love curbside luggage check, I love printing my own boarding pass.) to a quick line through security. Even Larry didn't seem to suffer too much anxiety, though I know he had a few rough patches.

I started a project in the terminal while waiting for our boarding call, this is how much I got done during our travels:

It's a pair of socks for dad. I'm using KnitPicks 4" sock needles. Aren't they cute?? The yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy. It's just like the name says, smooshy. It's a superwash merino and is knitting up nicely on US#2's.

We landed on time, baggage came down the chute in one piece, the shuttle to the train arrived not three minutes from stepping outside the terminal, we waited about an hour for the train which was on time and Larry's folks were waiting for us with smiles on their faces. We had a lovely evening and dinner and relaxed and caught up with family news.

Tuesday we hijacked Larry's mom, Tanya, and took the car into Wisconsin to that cheese place we had visited when I visited last spring. Yay Mars Cheese Castle!

They had EVERYTHING Wisconsin.


They're calling me to dinner. More later.

Yakira

Chicago Blogging Take Two

That is a picture of an incredible package I won from posting a comment on another blog. Larkin of The Lady Knits held a contest last month and I won! Unfortunately I did not get a picture of everything in the package before my heathen children got hold of it. Aside from the three magazines and the orange Blue Sky Alpaca Melange and the cranberry Malabrigo Merino Lace, there were some candies and cookies, and a small candy corn candle and a pencil with an orange troll like thing at the top, some orange bath salts and some amazing orange stitch markers. The contest's theme was 'Orange and Other Fall Colors,' can you tell? Thank you Larkin!!

Tomorrow we fly out to Chicago for a whole week. I'm really excited. Larry is a nervous wreck. He doesn't fly well. It's endearing in an anxious kind of way. If that makes sense. Me, I like adventure, I like to travel, see new things and meet new people. Larry is a self proclaimed cave dweller. I think the only thing making this trip possible is the fact that we'll be staying with his folks where he already has built his pseudo cave. Meanwhile I'm doing my best to curb my enthusiasm and just do what he says and avoid conflict. The man does not need any more stress.

So we had already decided not to take Rachel with us, a week with absolutely no kids, bliss. Late last week he told me how worried he was about me being away from Rachel for 8 days, the longest I've ever been away from her. He was really concerned about how I would handle it. We both know that Rachel won't even know I'm gone, she'll be having way too much fun with Bubby and Zaidy. He was worried enough to actually check flight prices for her. You didn't hear it from me but I'm thinkin' it's he who is going to miss Rachel more.

We haven't hammered out our visiting agenda yet, we figure we'll play it by ear. But I have planned my own personal down time agenda, knitting and more knitting. I'm going to make Ysolda's Peaks Island Hood for Chana. She will love it and it is knit up in heavy worsted weight on fairly large needles so it should be a pretty quick knit. I'm also taking along yarn for a hat and mittens for Nachman. For the plane I'm taking another pair of socks. Why? Because I finished my Monkey Socks!

They're mine, all mine. And soooo comfey.

So what's left for holiday knitting? I have to finish Miriam's Snapdragon Mitts, the Tam is done. Chana gets the hood/scarf thing. Nachman gets a hat and mittens from yarn he picked out. Rachel has the Cupcake Purse filled with knitted foods that I have to work on when we get back. Nosson wants an earflap hat. I have some really nice charcoal gray yarn I just haven't found a pattern I like yet. I'll take ideas, I'm open to color work but he's a teenage boy and doesn't want anything 'fussy.' I was going to try this skull pattern that I thought was really cool. He looked at it and said no way. I may make it for myself. I'd use only one row of skulls though.

I'm not knitting for Larry. The man hates socks, doesn't wear hats or scarves and only sometimes wears a sweater. Forget about it.

I'm already planning knitting and crafts for after the holidays. I'm insane. Here's a hint at what I've got in store:

Can you guess??

Tomorrow I'll blog from Chicago!

Yakira

Time

I have to tell you this whole time changing thing knocked me flat on my arse. It's been about three weeks and I still can't fathom why it's dark at supper time. Okay, I KNOW why, I just can't convince my brain to process it. Whatever, I'll get over it, or not.

Holiday knitting is taking over my world right now. I've got something for each of the kids with two mostly finished and one going on the needles to knit while in Chicago. You've all seen the Snapdragon Tam and the Mitts to go with it. I just have to knit up the second mitt and get the finger flaps on both of them. There's also the Cupcake Purse which I'm filling with knitted and crocheted foods.

One mini cupcake down.

Meanwhile in a fit of whimsy I made this:

No, it's not a salad, it's a scarf.Yes, I have nothing better to do with my time so stop asking. I'll sell it to the highest bidder. It's 100% wool, hand wash, hand knit/crocheted, about 5' long and 6" wide and some of the yarns I dyed myself. Bidding ends December 15.

On another note, I've got three close friends who have been trying to conceive for a while now. One has had two misses. I would like to make them a 'Mommy Blanket.' I am collecting 8"x8" knit or crocheted squares from mommys and grandmothers to seam together to send to my friends. Hopefully the love and prayers from other mothers all knit into a blanket will bring them comfort and, G-d, willing their own little soul to take care of and love. If you would like to participate please email me.

We're off to Chicago next week!

Yakira

Chicago Again

My four older children will be with their father this year for Thanksgiving. For a while it looked like it was just going to be Rachel, Larry and I at mom's for turkey. Until Larry's brother called. He's got the whole week off and invited us to come to Chicago. So after much discussion, about five minutes, and much angst, more than five minutes, for my mother who won't have her kids or grandkids this year we decided to go to Chicago and gift my mother with Rachel for the week.

Clever solution no? I love my mom.

While the prospect of November in Chicago does not really appeal to me, I am excited to go and see the Windy City again and visit my brother. Larry's family is very nice and his brother is pretty cool. We should have a grand time. We're going for 8 days, not the 4 we had last time. Plenty of time to visit family, friends and yarn shops. Plus I've got a little over a month to plan as opposed to two weeks like last spring.

What am I knitting you ask? Tons of stuff. I'm on a Ysolda Teague kick right now spurred on by one of the ladies I talk with in a Ravelry group I belong to. Last week I knitted up her Snapdragon Tam in a yarn I dyed myself.


I love the way the cables wander over the hat and the flames just shoot out of the junction of crossing cables. It is a very well written and designed pattern.


I started on the flip top mitts that go with the tam this week. These will be a Channuka gift for someone who likes orange. I also started another pattern of hers, Ishbel. It's a lovely little shawl that I'm knitting with the yarn leftover from my 'Those Purple Socks.'


It's a quick knit, or would be if I hadn't made a counting mistake causing much cursing and frogging. I had to rip back to where the lace begins. It's irritating because the lace is an easy pattern and it's organic, it grows in an obvious way from each row. I wouldn't have made the mistake if I'd been paying attention to the previous row.

I'm almost done with my Monkey Socks. Just the foot and toe of the second sock to go. These will also be a Channuka gift.

Yakira

June was a Wash

To my faithful followers, all two of you, I'm sorry.

Chicago was awesome. I wish that there had been more time to see more of the city. I finished my purple socks the evening before we left. I'm positive Larry's parents think I'm nuts. I knitted in the car, I knitted while watching TV, I knitted while visiting with them, I knitted while waiting to be served at the restaurant. Whatever, the fact is I finished THOSE purple socks and wore them home! Yay me!Remember that second skein of yarn that I had whined about? It turns out that I only needed enough to finish the toe on the second sock. I ran out of yarn about three rows before the toe decreases began. I have almost a full skein of this yarn. Unbelievable.

Tons more to write about but I'm pooped from spending way too much time trying to get this new blog theme to work properly. Don't get too attached to it folks. If I can't get it to behave it's gone.

Yakira