An Almost Perfect Life

While Looking at Mommabear Knits' Thanksgiving photographs on her blog today (http://mommabearknits2.blogspot.com/) I was reminded of the thoughts I had earlier today that I voiced to Darling.

"You know, Sweetheart," I said. "If I could get caught up with the production of Knit Together my life would be just about perfect." And, it's true!

Oh, sure, there are the everyday hassles, many of which belong to my 9-5 world, but when I roll in this driveway, and see the beautiful things -- and I'm talking about the trees and river and wildlife, here, not the yarn stash and the furniture -- around me, I feel very, very fortunate indeed. (The yarn stash gives me a sense of fortunate, too, you understand, but I'm holding out on the furniture...)

As a result of a long morning's chat over two cups of coffee, today got off to a bit of a late start, but more things have been accomplished: I've input a couple more bits into the August issue, plus the editorial and a news story for the November issue. I've got a couple of greeting cards ready to post, and finally taken steps to get my 'charity hats' off to the Warm Hands Network. Puttering. It's a good thing.

Three of the hats on the right were made from the pattern on the Warm Hands Network website. The light green one has a hemmed up brim. The dark green ones would look great on twins -- the one on the left has a moss stitch brim, and the one on the right a seed stitch brim. The other hat? It's just a plain-old stocking stitch hat made from Lion Brand wool yarn.

After dinner tonight we're going to Newton Robinson to celebrate the birthday of a friend. Zoey's going to the 'sitter's' so we can admire Patti and Peter's newest brood of yellow lab puppies, the issue of their yellow lab Ninka, who is the issue of their yellow lab Gala.

Something else I got done today was some photography... over 60 pictures' worth, mostly of a technique for the Knitting Accreditation Program. I was hoping to get the accompanying write-up done with that, but it's getting late...

It's been nice weather, but still, it's not nice to be under it!

One of the problems with air travel is the closed air systems on aircraft. Sure, airport security is a pain, too, but it doesn't usually make you physically ill. I managed to stave off illness while I was in the UK (Darling didn't -- he got a head cold soon after we arrived in Cornwall), but it seems as soon as I got through customs, I began to feel worse and worse.

At first I thought it was just the same minor head cold that Darling had, but I haven't heard him barking, hacking and sniffling like this. Apparently something similar was flying through the office while I was away, but I must have picked it up from somewhere else. Ten days later, I'm breathing like Darth Vader and the voice someone described as a 'sexy radio voice' on Tuesday has gone to a deep-throated chicken squawk, with a cough that barks worse than the average German Shepherd in attack mode.

Still, a cold is temporary (unless it becomes a sinus infection, then some intervention is needed), and I will be right as rain in a few more days, I'm sure.

As a result, I haven't got my 'head' around a few things I had planned to in the past week. However, I did get some memberships processed, and -- and this is the big news -- I got two more Level 1 submissions evaluated and put into the return post.

Additionally, I received samples of the new yarn by Briggs and Little, (haven't had a chance or the inclination to play with it yet), and I've got some more testing done on the mini project for the August issue. Without going into detail, it's one that's got me 'on a roll.'

Once I'm feeling better and have a chance to go through some photos, I'll get some vacation pics loaded up here on the blog. The scenery was too beautiful to keep to myself!

Some raid!!

Penzance is now a distant memory and a fleeting one... The town was 'too busy' for Darling, so we just drove right on through. So, good people at Iriss, I'm sorry, but I won't be stopping by. Sigh. I tried!

I did get to Artycrafts today. It is a small all-around craft shop that had a knitting corner. So, I'm holding out hope for Truro.

In the meantime, I finally started the Orkney Pi, so I'm going to head on over to Ravelry to post a couple of early pics. On Ravelry I'm theloveofknit -- see you there!

We are the Pirates

The famous Pirates of Penzance! I have no idea why that obscure line from the Gilbert and Sullivan musical has stayed with me the past week, other than there is a local yarn shop in Penzance, and perchance, I feel a raid coming on. Not that I have a lot of luggage room left for yarn: I pretty well maxed out on the first four days of the journey.

Perhaps I'll get a chance to tease with a few pictures on my next post!

The 'Fab Four' Days

Well. I always said I wanted to go to a place with more sheep than people. Whenever I said that I was referencing New Zealand. I never thought it would happen here. But, here I am. There is still a week and a half to go of vacation, and we must travel on, but I'm so glad to have had the last four days. I've enough information for Knit Together for three issues!

I must sign off as internet here is 'by-the-minute' but when I can get to a full computer, I'll offer a more complete report. Stay tuned to Knit Together for further information of my Fab Four Days.

Cynthia

Knit Together update

We're on the presses! The next issue of Knit Together will be in the mail before I go on vacation. Before I go on vacation, Bonnie, Karen and I will make our sixth annual journey to Kitchener-Waterloo Knitter's Fair this coming weekend. This is always a fun event that we simply didn't want to miss. In fact, originally Darling and I had planned a late-Friday departure, but had to re-think it when we discovered it was KW fair weekend. Here's a photo of Karen at our booth in 2006. Projects from that year included the Chapeau Moncton, (the blue hat) and Hey Blondie! (the yellow cardigan). I still get compliments when I wear that sweater!

If you live in Southern Ontario and plan to be at KW, stop by the booth. We're planning to have Knit Together available for members to pick up!

And now, to bed! Darling is advocating that, since we'll have to travel across a few time zones, we adjust our bedtime by 1/2 hour per night... Well, it's working for him, he's been gone nigh on an hour now. Me? Well, I'm going to be hammered next Tuesday. Our destination is a surprise...but I've already arranged a visit to a LYS that will be written up in a future issue.

A Sneak Peek at the latest issue

The next issue of Knit Together is going to the printer's today. Hudson here is giving a preview of two of the features in this issue. The mini project will be Izzy Comfort Dolls, the four little fellows smiling with Hudson. We will also tell the story of how the Izzy Doll Program got started.

The designer in this issue is Lori Law, a musical knitter who created Oceanwind Knits. Our knitter is Katherine Tamminen, a university student in Alberta.

Cynthia's Fibre Week adventure is also relayed in this issue, and our Local Yarn Shop visit is to Gaspereau Valley Fibres in Nova Scotia.

To subscribe to Knit Together, visit our website, www.cgknitters.ca . We now have Pay Pal available.