Quick post to let you know I'm still alive...

I haven't dropped off the edge of the earth or fallen into a big hole. I'm just busy at work and at home and haven't really had anything interesting to talk about (do I ever?). The most exciting thing to happen to me lately is that my hair stylist talked me into changing my hair color and I agreed! I've had dark auburn for over 20 years but she suggested that it's time to lighten up. I started going gray in college and have been coloring my hair since I was 29. I'm almost 51 now so I guess she's got a point. A lighter color will make those glowing silver roots blend in better between colorings. So Friday evening she stripped my hair of most of it's red (no way to get it all out, red is extremely hard to remove) and then dyed it with a complex combination of colors to counteract the remain red. It's now a honey brown or dark honey blonde color.

That's the old hair on the left and the new hair on the right. I've never had light hair before and I don't know myself when I look in the mirror. I like it though and we may add some highlights come summer.

In knitting news, there's not much to report. I still working on the Harebell Fichu from Victorian Lace Today to give as a gift. I dropped a stitch on Sunday and just put it away for a while. I'll have to rip out several rows to get that stitch back on the needles correctly and I just couldn't face it at the time. I'm also working on a pair of socks for a coworker and more baby socks as my most portable project.

I ordered more Moo MiniCards so I can put them with the baby socks when I give them away. I wish you could divide your order in half and have different text on 50 of the cards. I would have liked to put care instructions on some of the cards and my contact info on the other half. Have you seen the Moo cards? They're wonderful little creations that let you use your own photos. They work with Flickr and you can drag your pics straight into the Moo card window. I didn't have quite enough so I used some of their stock photos to fill out the order. I like having a nice picture on one side and my info on the other.

Doug and I got a Wii a couple weeks ago and have been having a blast playing Wii Play and Wii Sports. Doug pre-ordered Wii Fit. Who ever thought that two 50+ year olds would be buying a video game? Doug is anxious to get Guitar Hero so he can practice and beat the teenage nephews when next we see them. How mature is that?

Many Irons in the Fire

I know it's been a while since I posted. I just haven't been very talkative lately, I guess. So here's an update on what I've been doing.

I made a pair of socks with Trekking XXL Color 100 that I purchased at Y2Knit with Christmas money. It's my usual recipe based on Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Socks. Knitpicks Harmony size 0 circs.

Let me sing the praises of the Harmony needles. They have the smoothest joins - I mean that it's like there isn't a join at all. I didn't have any problem seeing this yarn on the stained wood. All in all, an A++ rating.

I also made a baby jacket using Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton. The pattern is Super Natural Stripes by Fawn Pea. Isn't it cute? I followed the directions without deviation and it turned out great. I still have to add a button and a loop.

The yarn has a tendency to fuzz up while you knit and I don't really like that look but I guess that's how it's supposed to be. If I make this again I may use a different yarn. The colors really speak to me though. I'm an earthy kind of girl and I really like this combination.

I also started a new lace project from Victorian Lace Today. It's the Harebell Fichu and I'm making it for a waitress at our local Waffle House who will be graduating from college in May and starting work for the federal government. She's been waiting on us for years and I wanted to give her something that she can use in her new job. This should ward off drafts quite nicely while staying in place. For a lace project, it's a little understated and therefore perfect for office use. She is a natural redhead and I think the emerald green should suit her perfectly. I'm halfway done and should have plenty of time to finish and block it before she leaves.

I'm still making baby cloths and socks. One recipient is due any day now, one in April, and two in mid summer. Doug has suggested that I carry socks with me at all times so I that I can give them out whenever we see a new born or an expectant mother. He calls them random acts of kindness. Whenever we're out he points out babies that I could give socks to if I had them with me. Do I have a great husband? Yes, indeed I do.

A Friend in the News

Susan Wolcott, the owner of my lys, Y2Knit, was recently contacted by a journalist from U.S. News and World Report about a story. It's a series their doing about people who have left successful careers to start a new career doing something they love. Susan has no idea how they found her but agreed to do the article. They even sent a photographer to Funkstown to take her photo (which doesn't appear in the on-line story).

Here's the link to the Story.

Susan has become a good friend since teaching me how to knit and since the shop is only an easy bike-ride from my house, I spend too much time (and money :^P) there. Here's a photo of Susan and I on the front porch of her shop/home knitting while we watch a street skirmish during the re-enactment of the Battle of Funkstown (Civil War).



And here's a photo of the shop that I took at Christmas two years ago. It's beautiful old home that used to be an antique shop before it was a yarn shop.



Congratulations to Susan for making a success of her new career. I know I'm certainly glad she made the decision to change her life and move to Funkstown. I would have never learned to knit and I wouldn't have all the friends I've made, both online and through the shop. Susan didn't just change her life for the better, she also changed mine.

The Gifts Keep Coming

I had a very good knitterly Christmas thanks mainly to my moms, my brother-in-law and his wife and my Hubby. My mother-in-law gave me a gift certificate to KnitPicks and I was able to get the set of Harmony needles that I had been craving for so long. I had enough to also buy the nickel plated tips in sizes 4-8US and a set of 40" cables. I also splurged and got two pair of size #0US 24" circs in the Harmony wood. I'll see how long they last.

My step-mother gave enough to get a swift. It's ordered and I am saving my skeins until it arrives.

I haven't used the KnitPicks yet, only petted them and shown them off to anyone who would stop long enough to look. They're so beautiful. I'm dying to put some lace on them but I have other things that need to be finished first.

The case is great too. I think I'll like this pouch much better than the binder. It holds both types of needles and all the parts with ease.

I'll gather additional sizes as I need them. I find I rarely ever use larger needles anymore. I prefer knitting more delicate things now. But it's certainly good to have them if you need them.

Not that I should ever need more needles. I counted the needles that I have inventoried on Ravelry yesterday and I had about 96 pair. I did count each of the tips pairs as a set of circs because that's what they are even though I don't have enough cables to use them all at once.

Aren't they pretty? I know I'm probably the last knitter to get some of these and you all are no doubt immune to their charms by now but let me enjoy my infatuation for a little while.

Those are the #4's and the #11's. Sigh...

The way I figure it, I've got enough left to buy the swift and Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters from Susan at Y2Knit. Life is Good.

Santa Fe

While we were in Santa Fe we took in a few galleries. I loved these sculptures but I can't remember the artist's name. I picked up a brochure but I haven't been able to locate it. It was quite cold that day but the sun was warm and it was calm. The temperature was only in the mid twenties but it felt quite nice. Maybe too nice, because we were tempted to dress lightly and I don't think that did my cold any good.

This sculpture was amazing in the sun. A big slab of rock with the glass set in to a rectangular slit cut in the slab. I'm a sucker for glass so this one really appealed to me. There was a glass blower across the street but the shop was closed.

Robin took us to one of the yarn shops in Santa Fe, Needle's Eye. They have a very nice selection of yarns, though not a big color selection in each brand. I'm sure space limitations were the cause and no doubt they could order the colors you need if you ask. The two ladies who were there that day were both very nice.

They had Koigu on sale for $9.00 a skein and since I'm on this baby sock binge right now and have used up all my sock yarn scraps, I bought four skein specifically for baby socks. I've already used up two of the four. I can get three pair of socks out of a skein.

I also bought a skein of Lane Borgosesia Baruffa Cashwool which is new to me. It's so soft. I was little disappointed that they only had three colors the day I was there but I've been wanting to make a shawl in off-white. Here's a photo of all the yarn I bought along with a crocheted bag I bought from a Mexican girl in the lobby of a restaurant. I couldn't resist the colors and it makes a great knitting bag. The clear object in the foreground is a Yarn Clam. Here's a better photo of it. It's made out of the same plastic they make take-out containers from. I'm sure it won't last very long but it was cheap and it works great for yarn cakes. The hole in the top has a metal grommet to protect the yarn. It comes in different sizes too.

When we left the yarn shop Robin took us by the Really, Really Big Cows and Geese. There are sculptures everywhere in Santa Fe especially of Elk.

We also went to the Silver Sun which is where Robin works. I didn't get any photo though because I was still pretty sick then. Please check out the website. They have a fabulous selection of Native American jewelry using American Turquoise from a variety of mines. She gave Joyce and I gift certificates for Christmas so we went there the day after and picked out our treasures. I selected a Zuni piece but I haven't photographed it yet.

We left Santa Fe on Friday, Dec. 28th around 11am and arrived home in Maryland on Sunday, Dec. 30th at 10pm. It was a quick trip back with good weather most of the way. We all had a great time but it's always good to get home to your own bed.

Thoughts on Santa Fe

Joyce said that Robin once said to her that we in Maryland don't know what blue sky is. I think she may be on to something. The sky in Santa Fe is definitely a different kind of blue. I think it may be because of all the light on the ground. It was snowy and a lot of the trees have light or white bark. All of that contributes to the blue of the sky.
Orion gently explained to Doug that he is Alpha Dog by putting his paw on Doug's arm. If you pushed it off and put your hand on his shoulder you would end up in an arm wrestling match to see who could end up with their paw/hand on whom. He (Orion, not Doug) was very persistent. All in all, Orion is a very good dog. He goes to his kennel when told, isn't terribly destructive, and doesn't bark much. But he really has a hangup about this Alpha Dog stuff.

Here's a photo of him on reclining on Robin after a hard day. I like the way his right leg is sticking straight out. He thinks he's Alpha Dog because he's laying on Robin and that's made him very contented. He kept us all entertained while we were visiting.
Here's the gift that we hauled all the way to Santa Fe for Robin. It's a dress that Robin's grandmother (Joyce's mother) crocheted for Joyce when she was a little girl. Joyce had it framed along with a photo of herself in the dress when she was 5 or 6 years old.

Here's a photo of daughter and mother with the dress made by grandmother. The dress was stored in a trunk wrapped in paper and was in excellent condition. It looks like it was made from cotton crochet thread in a peach color. The framer put matching matting inside the dress so that the back didn't show and carefully arranged each row of stitches.
Here's a slightly better angle. Click on the photo to see a larger version.

The kids have a Wii so Doug and I got to try it out. I've been telling Doug we need one of these and he's been resistant. Now he sees how much fun they are and we're trying to find one. They're still very thin on the ground.

Here's a photo of Joe and Doug bowling on the Wii. They also have an XBox 360 and maybe a PS3 (I'm not sure about that one). We played Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution. I totally suck at those games because I have ZERO hand/eye coordination but it was fun to try.

We ate authentic New Mexican food while we were there and we both thought it was great. I learned that "chili" in New Mexico isn't a soup with beans and hamburger. I learned to order green chili ( not quite as hot as the red) and have them put it one the side. We ate posole
(yum!) and sopapilla with honey. More about the Santa Fe later

The Journey Ends - Day Four

If you read the last post you'll recall that we were in Amarillo, TX and it was 60 degrees but they were calling for bad weather. When we awoke the next morning it was 24 degrees, the wind was blowing 40 MPH and it was snowing hard.

All I had taken into the motel was a hoodie. I took the first load of bags out to the car so I could get my coat, scarf, hat and gloves. I couldn't feel my fingers by the time I got back inside. We loaded the car and Doug went to check us out while I warmed the car up. That's when we realized that we had forgotten the ice scraper. The car was completely coated with about an 1/8th inch of ice. The defroster was slow to make any headway against the wind but finally it melted enough that I could get out and scrap the windows and clean off the wiper with my gloved hands.

I drove us to a gas station where we bought a scraper and filled up the tank. The wind was blowing so hard and the road was so icy that the car was being pushed sideways across the road. We went back to the Cracker Barrel beside the motel and ate a good hot breakfast and waited for it to let up some. It was supposed to end at noon. We left the restaurant and Doug drove a few miles up I40 where we decided to get off and reevaluate just how badly we wanted to get to Santa Fe that day. While we were setting in the parking lot of a Barnes and Nobel it stopped snowing. We decided try it again.
The roads were icy and the bridges were treacherous but we crept along at 40MPH. Gradually conditions improved and by the time we got to NM we were back up to 70MPH.
We passed another wind farm before we left Texas and this one went on for miles. It was well off the road and I couldn't get a good photo but I could tell that the blades were turning - fast in the 40 mph winds. If you click on the photo at right and view the larger size you can make out the turbines against the cloudy sky.

Gradually the sun came out and the icy roads melted and dried. We headed into New Mexico in the bright sunshine.

We saw several wrecks including a few that had obviously rolled at least once. Most were trucks including this one. I just hope no one was injured in these accidents. One was an SUV loaded down with stuff just like we were. You can't see something like that and not think how lucky you are. We stopped in Tucumcari at McDonald's to get drinks and use the facilities because all the New Mexico rest areas were closed.

That's Tucumcari Mountain on the left. It was smooth sailing into Santa Fe and we pulled into Robin's at about 2:30 local (mountain) time. We were certainly glad to arrive safely after seeing so much carnage on the highway and now we can rest and enjoy our stay in this beautiful city. More about Santa Fe later.

The Journey Continues - Day Three

Oklahoma and Texas made up Day Three of the trip. We left Conway, Arkansas and headed for Oklahoma City. All the way from Maryland we had been meeting bucket trucks for utility companys from all over the eastern US. They were all headed home from Oklahoma where they had been assisting with repair from the ice storm the week before. Convoys of utility trucks. Hundreds of them traveling north and east from OK. When we got near Oklahoma City we started see why they were there. Of course, I could only snap pics from the moving car but I think you can make out some of the damage. The photo at left is of a playground covered with debris. Not many trees were spared some sort of damage.

I've seen my share of ice storms but this one must have been a doosy. We passed neighborhoods where the broken trunks and branches had been neatly sawed up and stacked along the curb (for pick-up I guess) sometimes 4 or 5 feet high. They'll have a lot less shade come summer.

I took some pics of downtown Oklahoma City. We discussed taking the time to see the memorial site for the bombing but decided we should press on instead.
Here's the skyline of the city. We passed some wind farms in Oklahoma and Texas. This one is in OK. I don't know why but they weren't turning. They were HUGE though and I was disappointed that they were still because I wanted to hear them. Surely they make noise?

We stopped for the night in Amarillo, Texas. We had a great dinner and stayed at a nice motel. It was 60 degrees when we went to bed but they were calling for bad weather. But that's another story. Here's the sunset.

Day Two (a day late)

Sorry for the delayed entry but there was no wireless internet in the dump we stayed in last night. We got to Conway, Arkansas and couldn't find a good motel. We ended up staying in a pretty bad one without internet access.

Anyway, on Day Two we passed through Nashville, seen at left in the fog. From there we continued on to Memphis where we took a side trip to see the house I lived in when I was in Junior High. It wasn't hard to find thanks to Google Maps. I remembered nothing except the house itself which hadn't really changed at all.

The trees were bigger and prettier but the house and the street looked the same. The biggest difference was the character of the neighborhood itself. It's completely black now where it was mostly white in 1971. The houses all looked older since it was a brand new development when we moved in. But it still looked like a nice neighborhood. It was great to know that it's still there and still being taken care of.

Then we headed out of Memphis. We went by downtown and by this pyramid thing. I just looked it up on Google and Found out that it's a sports and entertainment arena. Then we crossed the Mississippi and headed into Arkansas.

Don't you just love the photos taken from the window of a speeding car? My entire childhood was photographed like this. My dad didn't believe in stopping to take pictures.

The river was lovely.

Arkansas was flat and wet for the most part. Nothing much to photograph. Stay tuned for my report on Day Three coming soon.

Trip to Santa Fe - Day 1

Be sure to click on that photo to the left to see the larger version. This was the only thing worth photographing on the trip today. I love the fact that this guy had the guts to name his company "Turdbusters". Can you imagine working for this company?

Phone: "Ring, ring"
Employee: "Turdbusters. May I help you?"

How great is that? We made it to Cooksville, Tenn. today after a later start than I had hoped. That's about 600 miles and we didn't push it. We kept to the speed limit or just a little over (5mph). We stopped in Winchester, VA at the Cracker Barrel and had a big breakfast. We skipped lunch and had a nice supper. Tomorrow, Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock and maybe Oklahoma City (mighty pretty).

I'm Back

Sorry for the long absence from blogland. I've been swamped the last few weeks and just couldn't muster the energy to create a post. My step-mother fell and broke her left hip in August and came to live with us for a few weeks after her rehab was over. She kept me busy, so busy I didn't even have time to knit much. We took her back to her home on Saturday and got her settled in so now we're back to our normal life.

It's amazing how something as simple as an unassuming house guest can turn your life upside down. Anyway, here's one of the projects I've tried to work on over the last month. It's the Bear Claw Scarfette by Olga Buraya-Kefelian in Socks That Rock Oregon Red Clover Honey Medium-weight. I was not sure the needles were large enough to give me the kind of fabric I had in mind so I wet-blocked it on the needles. I think it's going to be ok.

We Rouges of Wool, a knitting shanty

I've mentioned it here before, but one of my favorite comics is Little Dee. It's about a little girl who's lost in the woods and is adopted by a bear named Ted. They live in a cave with a dog named Blake and vulture named Vachel. Vachel is a knitter. He prefers to knit straight from the sheep and has made several sweaters for Dee. Recently, Chris did a series of strips about Vachel knitting (straight from the sheep again) and singing a sea shanty. Chris and his brother decided to put it to music and create a video.

And so, without further ado, I present "We Rouges of Wool"...

Serpentine Mitts at the Mummers Parade

Saturday night was the annual Mummer's Parade in Hagerstown. This is the biggest parade of the year in this area and usually has well over 100 units and lasts about 3 hours. Our Farm Toy Collectors Club has had a float in the parade for the last 7 years and this one was no different. The weather was clear, cool and windy with highs in the upper 50's. There were nine of us on the float this year and I knitted right up until the time that we started down the route. I can't wave and knit.

It was pretty cool so the the Serpentine Mitts by Miriam Felton came in very handy. I took my heavy gloves to put on over the mitts but I didn't need them, the mitts kept me warm enough. I had them on this morning when I stopped at McDonald's to get my ice tea and the lady who always takes my money said she could really use something like that so I had her try one on (there was no one behind me) and told her I'd make her a pair. I plan to start them tonight.

The thing on my left shoulder in the photo is a gryphon puppet by A Midsummer Knights Dream. He's my constant companion at events like this where he attracts quite a lot of attention. His name is Andy Gryphon and we adopted him at the MD Renn Fest about 6 or 7 years ago. I take him when we go to shows to sell pedal tractor tickets and he really draws a crowd. I'm sorry that's such a bad pic of him, he's got his head hanging down so that you can't see his face or his glowing orange eyes.

I think we all had a great time at the parade but I for one am glad it's over for this year. Now if we can just get through our toy show in November without any major hiccups I'll be able to relax until it's time to get ready for the spring show in April.

Serpentine Mitts Finished, Beginning Cascading Diamonds

Miriam Felton has done it again. She's created another beautiful pattern and given it to us for free. Here are my version of her Serpentine Mitts.

Pattern: Serpentine Mitts by Miriam Felton
Yarn: Jojoland Melody Superwash
Needles: Size 1.5 dpns
Modifications: none

This yarn works great with this pattern because of the very long color changes. The subtle color shifts add interest without distraction. They even match despite no effort on my part. I made them on Friday and Saturday while sitting at a steam and craft show in McConnellsburg, PA. I will be making more of these as gifts for friends and family. I used less than half a skein of yarn and I bought 4 total at Stitches East so I have plenty of yarn. I may vary the cable pattern on some of them so they're not all alike. I hope Miriam doesn't mind.

I also started Cascading Diamonds Scarf by Deborah Miller on Saturday night while my hubby was watching the tractor pull. I didn't relish sitting on a bleacher in the cold night air getting my ear drums pounded by roaring engines so I opted to sit in the car with my knitting and iPod. I moved the car under a street light and opened the moon roof and got a good start on the scarf. I worked more on it Sunday. It's beautiful and easy to follow but I'm a slow knitter so my progress is a little disappointing.

This will be an incredibly soft scarf and I may have to snag it for myself because it will match my barn coat. Here's the stats:

Pattern: Cascading Diamonds by Deborah Miller
Yarn: Malabrigo Lace Weight Applewood
Needle: Size 4 Addi Turbo Lace circ

I know its nuts to use a circular needle on something that's only 6" wide but I wanted the sharp points of the Addis. I've be practicing knitting backwards on the wrong-side row just so I don't forget what I learned from Candace Strick at Stitches. It goes a little slower than turning and purling but it's really giving me a good opportunity to imprint that technique into my gray matter.

In between I continue to knit baby socks for the ever increasing number of babies that will be entering my life in the next nine months.

We're discussing the possibility of driving to Santa Fe for Christmas this year. We'd be renting a van and there would be six of us. I should get lots of knitting done. Lord knows I'll need something to keep me sane.

Just a "Smidge" of Silk, Wool & Pearl

I don't know how many of you are aware but there's a tempest in a teacup going on on Ravelry about something called a Pidge. If you click that link you'll see a completely redesigned website. The company changed everything after the tempest began in an effort to save face. Their original site made all sorts of ridiculous claims about their product and how it's produced in an attempt (in my opinion) to justify the outrageous price. The prices for this bit of cashmere and wood ranged from $275 to $425. Read Quenouille's blog post about the company's claims for more information.

A group was started on Ravelry and everyone was encouraged to come up with their own "smidge" designs. The photo above is my first attempt. It's just a simple seed stitch but the beautiful silk/wool yarn and the antique pearl buttons really make it special. It's light weigh so it can be worn indoors to protect from drafts or just as a fashion accessory. My friend Jennifer modeled it for me and I think it looks great on her.

Here's the stats:
Yarn: Glenfiddich Wool in silk/wool
Pattern: Row 1 - S1,*k1, p1, repeat from * for 21 stitches. Row 2 - S1,*p1, k1, repeat from * across. Repeat rows 1 and 2 to desired length minus 1.5". Make two button holes. Repeat rows 1 and 2 for 1.5 inches. Bind off. Sew on buttons. Different yarns will require different tactics as far as the number of stitches cast on, stitch pattern, etc.

This was a quick knit that required less than 110yds of yarn and I plan to make more for Christmas from a variety of yarns.

Stitches East 2007

My friends Terry and Janis and I had a great time at Stitches East. Everything seemed to go really well. We left right on time and got there in 1 hour and 15 minutes. We all took way too much stuff as you can see.

Hotel: The Days Inn Inner Harbor was easy to get to and turned out to be a great place to stay. It's got to be less than 100yds from the front door of the convention center. The staff was very kind and professional, the room was more than adequate with a frig, microwave, coffee maker, iron and ironing board, hair dryer. We'll be staying there again next year.

Classes: My Thursday afternoon class was "The Art of Knitting Backward" taught by Candace Strick. I loved it! She's a wonderful teacher who really knows her subject and was extremely well prepared. You could tell she's taught the class many times but still has a wealth of enthusiasm for the subject. She was patient, funny and kind. I highly recommend the class.

My Friday morning class was "A Sampling of Stitches" with Margaret Fisher. Just like Candace she was well prepared and experienced with the subject. She had swatches of each stitch pattern as well as variations and she also had garments made using the stitches that we could look at. We covered Brioche, Twisted Traveling Stitch, Smocking, and Elongated Stitches (Indian Cross and Seafoam). I also highly recommend this class.


The Market: What can I say? After we left I said that I felt the need to stare at a white wall for a while to try to calm my senses. There was yarn made from yak, musk ox, suri alpaca, cashmere, camel, merino, cotton, alpaca, organic wool/cotton/alpaca, corn, soy, silk, stainless steel, plastic, paper, hemp, sterling silver, seaweed, and others that I missed or can't remember. There was every brand under the sun. The most expense yarn I saw was Tilli Thomas silk with Swarovski crytals for $132 a skein. Next would be the Qiviut for $60. These things were not to be mine however. I was interested in sock yarn and lace.

My Purchases: I bought two skeins of Graceful Lace Yarn from the Skaska booth. Each is 903 yds. This is the Summer Dusk Colorway. It has long repeats and I'm looking forward to finding the perfect pattern to show it off at it's best.


I bought 4 skeins of Jojoland Melody Superwash Sock. This yarn and the Graceful Lace were both new to me. I had never seen either one before. The Melody also has a long repeat and the sample socks shown in the booth have an ombre effect.
Probably for socks though I wouldn't rule out some sort of baby item. I don't know if this yarn would be suitable for a BSJ but I might just swatch for it to see how in looks.

Of course, I had to get a skein of Socks that Rock so I chose the Oregon Red Clover Honey skein in mediumweight. Later I picked up 2 skeins of Koigu KPPPM for socks but back at the room I noticed how well they compliment the STR so those may wind up being used together, perhaps for a Chevron Scarf. It's hard to tell from these pics but they really do go well together and they both match my barn coat.

I found some lovely antique pearl buttons for my smidge, a set of Addi 4" size 0 dpns, and a pattern for Malabrigo Lace. I don't have a full skein of that right now but I can get it at my LYS. The owners of Malabrigo were there handing out little skeins of laceweight. The tag says 470 yds. but I don't know whether that's right or not. It wound up into a 2" ball. If it is 470 yds. that's enough to make some of the scarves in Victorian Lace Today.

What do you think? Is that little ball really 470 yds.?

Summing up, I would have to say that our trip was a great success. We had a great room, great parking, great food, great beer, great coffee, great weather, and great shopping.

We met old friends and made new friends including a lot of the ladies that we've been gabbing with on Ravelry. I found myself with the almost uncontrollable urge to stand up in class and ask how many of my fellow students were on Ravelry and what their user names are.

Amazingly, I talked to some people who have never heard of it. Those poor souls who don't use the internet, they give me pain when I think of all they're missing out on.