Bathing Beauty

I mentioned to some people that the Hitchhiker was on the small side. Um. . . . then I gave it a bath. Here's the scarf drying stretched out on a king-size bed. (You can't see from the photo, but one end drapes down the side of the bed.)



I didn't measure it pre-bath, but judging from this photo, it's longer.
Compare to this.



Sorry if I mislead anybody into thinking the scarf is on the smallish side.

Meanwhile, Stephen West and I have some decisions to make.

Finished!

The Hitchhiker is finished! Just in time for the cold and snow.

Rhinebeck 2011 Report

I have Rhinebeck hangover! How can one come back to the everyday after experiencing so much yarn, color, stunning knits and fried foods?

My one regret is that I didn’t take enough photos. But here’s a sampling.

Since I wanted to avoid the crowds on Saturday, the hubster and I went up to the Rhinebeck area that afternoon. Relaxed in the hotel, ordered in dinner and then I knit in the lobby for several hours.

When I first went downstairs, I met two lovely knitters—a mother and daughter from Connecticut –who warmly welcomed me and told me the highs and lows of their day at the fairground.

People then began arriving back to the hotel and soon the lobby was full of knitters!



The Hitchhiker Scarf especially enjoyed the fireplace.



We got up early on Sunday and arrived at the fairground about a half hour before the gates opened.

This gave me time to admire the trees that are just beginning to turn.



I also gawked at some gorgeous knits.



And it's not surprising how some people spent their time waiting.



Gates opened and here's some of the sights.

Felted food art



The colors!



Look at that sweet face!



Stunning Orenburg shawls for sale



The wearer’s grandmother made this fun sweater.



I didn’t have any—but the idea of fried pickles is both intriguing and nauseating



Ann Hanson (carrying the green bag.) I wonder what yummy yarns she has in those bags?



Queen Bee Clara Parkes who was there to sign her wonderful new book.



OK, the main event. What did I buy? Not much. I didn't intend to buy any yarn. I was there more for the ambiance and the inspiration. But, some did follow me home.



Sanguine Gryphon Zaftig Bugga (No! I didn’t wait two hours in line.), a couple of Christmas ornaments, a needle case, a little bit of 3ply cashmere, fingerless gloves and a new old-fashioned knitting bag.



The hubster and I were on the road by early afternoon. Whew! I really zipped through those barns. But I feel I saw everything and am very pleased with my purchases. It was a wonderful, wonderful day! And I'm already looking forward to Rhinebeck 2012!

Rhinebeck Bound

Off to Rhinebeck tomorrow.

Unfortunately, the Hitchhiker Scarf won't enjoy all the fibery goodness, the llamas and alpacas, the sheep, the sheepdog trials, the Punkin' Chuckin', the fried whatevers--that's going to be Revontuli's job.



Between it being a busy week and untangling those 24 grams of horror, I just couldn't finish the Hitchhiker in time. Since this was to be my "Rhinebeck knit," I guess I'll just have to wear it next year!

Hitching and &%$#-ing!

Will the Hitchhiker Scarf be finished in time to wear this weekend to Rhinebeck? 34 teeth done. I thought I would have enough yarn for 40 pointy-ended "teeth." (The pattern calls for 42.) But with only 18 grams left of the yarn, I won't.



But. . . . remember way back in February? I had started another scarf with this yarn and encountered a tangle?

I ended up cutting the tangle out. As I was knitting the Hitchhiker, I thought the tangle was only a couple of grams and wouldn't make a big difference.

WRONG!

It's 25 grams. That's enough for a few teeth. For some crazy reason, I didn't toss the tangle. So today. . . here's my project.



AAAAARGH! I'm not a person known for her patience!

October Frenzy

Two weeks from Rhinebeck and I plan to wear the Hitchhiker Scarf there.



So far, I have 26 "teeth" and the scarf calls for 42. The rows are getting longer. Life is crazy busy during the next two weeks. My fingers ache. I hate knitting on deadline. There's another project that needs my attention. And what about that sweater I thought I'd finish this fall?

But, oh, it's Rhinebeck! The lure of wearing something newly knit there. The finishing of it in the car on the way. The blocking of the item on the bed in the hotel the night before. This is a challenge I can't resist.

The race is on!

A Little Bit of Knitting

I packed three knitting projects and, yesterday, worked a bit on two of them.

The Hitchhiker Scarf. I think I'm at the half-way point--though, the scarf never seems to change. Despite that, it's a very soothing garter stitch scarf with "teeth."



And I finally finished the first chart on Wendy's Mystery Shawlette. This was a Knit-Along project that most people finished in early June. It's an easy lace--a good beginner's project. I'll finish it . . whenever.



Later this afternoon, I'll dig out the third project--what I want to be the main project-- and try to make sense of my notes. I'll blog about it in a day or two--but the entry probably won't be all that different from what I wrote last year.

Amtrak Knitting

I do like to plug in my ipod, listen to an audiobook and knit on train trips. The trip from Philadelphia is only 90 minutes--but--I did at least an hour of knitting. Started something new:



So far, the yarn is happy!