Self-styled Retreat

Rose the Gypsy and I put together our own annual autumn retreat this month (we did it last year too).  

We had a number of activities during our week ...

History of Minneapolis walking tour with food.   I learned things about the Guthrie Theater which make me dislike the new building less.  But the old building was better.  One of my favorite local beers was featured at one of the stops too :)

We went to see great art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, including an exhibit of 18th century Instagram paintings :)

 We went on a Knitting Cruise sponsored by Darn Knit {Anyway}

And we went to an author talk and signing at The Workshop.  (Clara Parkes is awesome).

Yarn was acquired.  Rose the Gypsy was introduced to two more LYS: Amazing Threads and Linden Yarn.  

This is the super-special-edition Knit the River skein from the cruise:

Other shopping was done too, including another book of photos from a museum shop.

And shoes.  Quite a few pairs, as a matter of fact, including these special-edition Minneapolis Toms from the Mall of America ...

... as well as suede Toms in a favorite color.  Seriously, I needed teal shoes and Rose the Gypsy had to get Toms because believe it or not, she did not own a pair before.

I also found a new dishtowel.  I have to set a good example for my grandchildren, after all, by keeping a tidy kitchen.

We had special foods galore including (but not limited to) Murray's, Birchwood Cafe, Tavern on Grand and The Oasis.   

Oh, and we knit too.  I'll post about that later.

Knitting Update

I volunteered for the Knitters' Guild at Shepherd's Harvest over Mothers' Day weekend. I kind of fell of the wagon but not too much ... I purchased $1 mini-skeins of sock yarn in colors that I am short of for the blankie because I never seem to have enough light colors or browns/beiges/yellows:

I also stoped at Sun Valley Fibers to pick up colors I can use for a color work hat and mitts.  I love their yarn and I don't want the leftovers to be wasted.   I also got on the mailing list and am on the waitlist for the January Thaw retreat in Madison.  Hard to believe so many people would want to go to Madison in January but there you go - Midwesterners and knitters are unique types of people:

I picked up Lamb's Pride seconds at a really good price ... this was justified by the fact I have had requests (so far) for four pair of felted slippers.  I find this is the best yarn at the best price for the slippers and who cares about seconds for felted stuff?  (Thanks again, Mary Lou, for teaching me how to make these slippers.  I have no idea how many I have made now but it's a lot).

I've also started the Goldfish Memory shawl using two luxury yarns (Shalimar and Anzula) and a skein of Jitterbug that I will never use for socks because it pools terribly (not just around the ankles).   Since I already have two Color Affections I was looking for another productive use of sock yarns.  I'm on section 5 of 12.

I basically knit a pair of socks whilst in Guatemala and started another pair as soon as I got home, which means I'm on pair #6 for the year ...  I have to branch out.  It's only May.

D.C.

I went to DC to see Boy-child Saturday.  Actually, I went Friday night because they don't have the Saturday morning flight to National any more :(

Of course I had to take advantage of the trip to pop into Fibre Space.  Such a fabulous store.

We had lunch at Lyon Hall in Arlington.  It was yummy.

Boy-child humored me and we went to the Folger Shakespeare Library which was FABULOUS.

I don't know why I'd never been before.

It's cherry blossom time right now.

Now I'm back home with my newly acquired Miss Babs Yowza in Zinfandel.   

 

I would say I wish we had Miss Babs available here in Minnesota, but I think it's a good thing we don't.  The sock yarns are wonderful.  I have high hopes for the Yowza.

CatchUp

Girl-child mentioned to me, possibly a bit accusatorially, that I haven't posted in a long time.

So here's an update.


I totally fell off the wagon and bought some linen yarn which I hope will become either a tank or a summer cardigan:

#Resist activities continue.  I asked The Girls to design a stamp with a "pussy bites back" theme.  They came up with a great one.  For the record, Zazzle wouldn't print it.  We purchased them through Shutterfly.

I also went to my first postcard-signing open house.  A knitting buddy has them regularly.  It was fun; made me feel good too.

I got my resist pin but am disappointed by how many people think it's a cute kitty pin.  I may have to get the tattoo, if nothing else to let people know that I'm serious.

I hosted a slumber party recently with The Girls and the grandkids.  Soon there will be another with just the kids.

We always have fun either way.  OK, maybe a little more fun when The Girls are away because we are a little lax when Nana is the only adult >:)

I was recently in Atlanta for work.  It went well.  Tonight I'm hoping to make it to D.C. so I can have lunch with Boy-child tomorrow.  I used to go and return in one day but they don't have the 7am departure any more...

Whilst in Atlanta I went to the High Museum.  They had this buggy textile piece which I liked a lot.

Also in art, we have a fabulous Guillermo del Toro exhibit at MIA right now.  I highly recommend it.

Poe is there, and Lovecraft too.

I discovered the Goldfish Memory shawl and have added it to my list of projects I want to knit.  Right now I'm favoring this color combo.

I finished the first of a pair of Phalangees but I'm not sure if I'll make the second one.  I'm afraid it's kind of big (I have very small wrists) and a sproingy yarn would have been better for the pattern.  This is one of my knitting goals for the year: matching up yarns to patterns.  Alas, good matches are still sometimes elusive.

I do like the pattern; it's very clever.  

NYC Other Stuff

Other things I did in NYC .... I met Rose the Gypsy and went to the Isaac Mizrahi exhibit at the Jewish Museum, saw some of the permanent collection and had lunch.

I wasn't sure what I liked best about this woman's style - the hair, the shoes or the fact that she had a pet carrier along with her other bags:

I love trains but the NY subway is hard to navigate :(

I do just love the city.  I went to the Tenement Museum too, but no photos are allowed.  You'll have to take my word for it - it's worth the visit.

I got a hank of souvenir yarn at Purl Soho (they have nice yarn but remember liking Knitty City more).

I also squeezed in the show Beautiful.  Unfortunately, I was forced to check my weapons (aka knitting needles) so I didn't get to finish my sock that night.

I thought about telling the kid I knit so I don't kill people in the hope that he wouldn't make me check them, but then I thought better of it.  Seriously, does he think a 55 year old woman seeing a Broadway show about Carole King's life is a threat to someone or something?

D.C. (Kind of)

I was in Alexandria, Virginia for work last week.

Old Town is an interesting place.  I found this along King Street.  Non-sequitur does not even begin to describe it, I think:

I got to see Boy-child and meet his girlfriend.  (Yes, I like her very much!):

It was peak cherry blossom time but since I wasn't actually in D.C. and I was working, I had to make do with the available blossoms:

One thing I did discover that I want to go back to check out (I found it 1/2 hour before closing) is the Torpedo Factory:

The work part went well and I was glad I got to explore a bit.  Also, need I mention I went to my favorite Alexandria yarn shop?  They didn't have the Miss Babs I was looking for but I managed to find a few thinks I liked:

iKnit London

No matter where a knitter is in the world, s/he can find her people somewhere.

I went to iKnit London for knit night.

It's a tiny shop, full of colorful shelves and colorful personalities.

There is beer and wine available.

I helped someone learn how to kitchner a toe closed on a sock.

They thought some of my ways quirky (picking, using two circs to make a sock).

I was mistaken for another American who was there a couple of weeks ago.  Apparently we all sound alike.

And I was told to say hi to Franklin Habit because he came up in conversation and I mentioned I'd met him.   Apparently we all are neighbors too :D

It was tons of fun.  I stayed longer than I'd planned.

And I picked up some locally sourced/dyed yarn.