Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Catching up and Planning

Howdy, y'all!!

Seriously, where did that come from? I guess I'm just so happy to be blogging again, I couldn't help but let a little country girl exclamation escape.

2015 has been C.R.A.Z.Y. Work has been super busy, kids have been doing all kinds of stuff, hubby and I have been trying (pretty successfully) to do more things we enjoy together (like going to concerts!). Life has kind of gotten in the way of the blog. And that's okay!

But, through it all, I was definitely still knitting. During the winter, I couldn't get enough of Lea Viktoria's designs that feature fun directional knitting using short rows. Below, you'll see
Steilküste cowl,Waterkant socks, and the Strandwanderer scarf.  Yes, I knit the socks twice (once as the pattern is written and once toe-up). This technique is so fun, I couldn't stop doing it!



I also may have become a little obsessed with the Polos Headband, which appeared in the 2014 issue of KnitScene Accessories.  It's a perfect accessory for covering up those nasty roots when you desperately need a dye job! It's also darn cute.


I've also knit or finished a fair number of shawls and scarves this year. From the top, Diamenten (which I actually finished, even though this is an in-progress photo), Tibetan Clouds, Endsleigh, Sprig of Hope and Tubularity. I actually started several more than this, but these are the ones that I've actually finished this year.


So, yeah, I've been knitting a lot.

Right now, I'm planning travel knitting. We're going on another Disney Cruise in October. I can't even tell you how excited I am! The trip is less than 2 months away, and I am beginning to plan the knitting I will take along. It's a 7-night eastern Caribbean itinerary. 2 days at sea, 1 day in St. Maarten, 1 day in St. Thomas/St. John, another day at sea, then a day at Castaway Cay. We have port adventures (shore excursions) planned for port days, so I don't envision getting much knitting in on those days. BUT, the days at sea!!  Three days of relaxing, knitting, and reading. Maybe catching a movie or two at the on-board theater. Absolute heaven!

So, what kind of knitting do you take with you when you travel? I think I'll definitely need a mindless project for knitting during movies and stage shows. Something I don't have to look at.... On our last cruise, my mindless project was a moebius scarf. It was perfect, but I want something different this time.  I also want a more complicated project--like a lace shawl or fancy socks or something like that--for times when I want to be challenged. And, of course, I'll need in-between projects, right? Like some basic socks to put in my bag when we are on our port adventures because you never know when you'll have to wait on something.... Is it weird that I'm thinking more about my travel knitting than I am about what clothes I'll pack?