At the Finish Line

After a jam-packed weekend, I'm actually looking forward to Monday and my crazy work schedule.  From Halloween to Day of the Dead, it was a party weekend.

Estrella was our official greeter on Halloween night.  That's not a
mask - it's all makeup.  We didn't have enough trick or treaters, or maybe we just bought too much candy.  Anyway now the kids are working through the leftovers.  

On Sunday we celebrated Day of the Dead with our traditional family meal.  From tacos to apple strudel we covered all the bases.  The conversation turned to family trees, and before long my son was poking around online . . . hours of entertainment digging up long lost relatives and piecing together bits and pieces of family history.

To add to the mix, Estrella also scheduled back-to-back half marathons on Saturday and Sunday.

That meant I had a lot of waiting knitting time on my hands.  

I crossed my own finish line with another project.

Leaving Cowl.

If you're looking ahead to the holidays, you might want to put this little number on your list of quick and easy gift ideas.

Stuck on Sport

This has turned out to be a crazy week - two steps forward, one step back.  Projects on several fronts have been stalled, but I have made progress on my knitting.  My Leaving Cowl is almost off the needles, so I took a few minutes to figure out my next project.  If I can't get anything else done, at least I can keep knitting.

This is Bertha Sport . . . again.  Sorry there isn't a link.  Coming soon to the website and available at shows.  I'm smitten with this yarn . . . just one more project.

Halloween is this weekend, and I'm scrambling to pull together a few things.  I miss the days when the kids were little.  There were all the hours of costume preparation, and then finally the day arrived.  We dressed up and walked around the neighborhood, frightened and delighted at the same time.  We saw everything from ghosts and skeletons to fairies and princesses.  Pure magic.  Now I'm on the front porch handing out candy and watching the parade of costumes. 

My color inspiration this week marks the holiday.

Wee pumpkins.

Do-Over

When I was at KnitEast over the weekend, there was a little time for knitting.  And then there was this.

Yes, I had to rip out.  I didn't like my gauge after a couple rounds, but I kept knitting - because you never know.  It didn't get any better with additional rounds.  No surprise there.  One look at the pattern picture gave me the nudge I needed to slide everything off the needles.

Once I ripped out, I didn't waste any time.  I cast on right away with smaller needles, and I'm happy I did.

Leaving Cowl.  This is so much better . . . it might be hard to put it down.

Snapshots from KnitEast

This week Tuesday is my Monday.  Yesterday was a travel day, so today it's time for most of my usual Monday things. 

After being gone for several days, it's hard to know where to start. This morning I took one look at the kitchen and decided to tackle my desk. Apparently my family thinks that cleaning the dishes means piling them all in the sink and walking away.  There were grumblings about the dishwasher not working, so the problem is probably bigger than just a sink full of dirty dishes.  You can understand why my desk is the first order of business.

I spent the weekend at KnitEast in picturesque St. Andrews, New Brunswick.  This event was held at The Algonquin Resort - a place full of charm and history.  KnitEast offered classes, a market, a fashion show.  Some people took a full load of classes, others had more downtime for relaxing and knitting with friends.  

A beautiful setting complete with gorgeous fall weather . . . the perfect ingredients for a fiber getaway.   Here's a glimpse into my weekend.

Seeing my Canadian friends, connecting and chatting with other knitters . . . thanks for a lovely working getaway.

Under Construction

Yesterday my booth and I navigated customs and made it across the border.  I was held up by a silly paperwork glitch.  When the numbers in the system don't match the numbers on your paper, you aren't going anywhere.  My broker sorted it all out while I waited in the customs office . . . without my knitting.  

Once I cleared customs, it was smooth sailing.  KnitEast is being held at a lovely venue, and I plan to get some pictures.  For today this is all I have.

The booth is a work in progress. The market opens at noon today, so I still have time to pull it all together.

Between Rhinebeck and KnitEast I've put on a lot of miles this week. All those hours behind the wheel I've been enjoying the fall colors.  I never know what spectacular display is waiting for me around the next bend.  My color inspiration this week is more of the same.

Rich red.

Quick Turnaround

I haven't really caught my breath from Rhinebeck, but I'm hitting the road again today.  This time I'm headed across the border to KnitEast. I seem to be stuck in a Groundhog Day loop.  The laundry gets me every time.  I'm packed and ready to go except for the clothes in the dryer.  The kids were doing laundry last night, and I was last in the queue.  Like a good mother I didn't complain, but it meant I had to finish mine this morning.  

Last weekend at Rhinebeck I didn't knit one single stitch.  I didn't really expect any knitting time, so it wasn't a big disappointment.  This weekend I would like to make up for lost time . . . or at least a little bit of it.

I'm heading out with two projects in tow - more than enough since I'm doing all the driving.  With that I'm off on another adventure.  Follow my updates on Instagram and Twitter .

Snapshots from Rhinebeck

WHOOSH!  That was the sound of Rhinebeck weekend coming and going.  I feel like I was picked up by a tornado, tossed around for three days and miraculously deposited at home.

Here's a glimpse into my weekend.

Qiviut from Windy Valley Muskox. 

Lace from Skaska Designs. 

In case you're curious, that's a red kangaroo.  When I walked by, there was a man from Australia watching the kangaroos with amusement.

We had a glorious fall weekend complete with crisp temps and a few snow flurries. 

Perfect wool weather for a remarkable Rhinebeck weekend.