What I Did on Spring Break...

First I want to say hello and apologize for the long lag-time between posts. Life just gets in the way sometimes! Before you look at my travel pictures, please take a moment to answer my poll questions. I am pondering my next group project (summer 2011) and would love your input. Thanks so much! Warning. There is no knitting at all in this post. I took knitting away with me and I knit, but I can't show it to you. This sign caught my eye in the NYC airport after we got through security. I couldn't help myself...and I had a spindle in my shoulder bag. So we went away for 10 days to Florida. We have been to Florida before, but never to the Keys and never to the Everglades, so we set off to see stuff we had not previously seen.

Moonrise in Key Largo A sleeping gator at a stop along the road to Flamingo.

One of many sunsets in Key Largo.

A Strangler Fig up near Everglade City.

A Snowy Egret on the way to Key West.

Another sunset in Key Largo...

Yet another sunset in Key Largo...

And yet another sunset...in Key Largo...

I think this is a young Red Shouldered Hawk, but I could be wrong so feel free to set me straight.

Ah yes. Another sunset in Key Largo...

Tiger Key, a bit off Everglade City by small motor boat. No one else was there!

Tarpons smiling.

The super moon (next to a radio tower.)

Nest Key, close to Key Largo by sail boat. No one else was here either!

Local veggies for dinner (from a farm stand in Key Largo we found biking around.)

The wonderful Key Largo Tuesday evening knitting group, at DJ's Diner.

Back row from left to right: Ginny, Suzette, Marcia

Front row from left to right: Linda, Norine, Bridget These are the nicest women! They just made me feel right at home. If you are ever in Key Largo on a Tuesday evening go and say hello!

Janet from Maine, who also knits! We talked about the Webs sale...

Ibis at a stop along the road to Flamingo.

Hiding Gators in Shark Valley.

Hen and chick in Key Key West.

Relaxing in Key Largo.

Great Egret at a stop on the road to Flamingo.

Great Blue Heron near Everglade City.

Giant lobster on Overseas Highway south of Key Largo.

Female Anhinga at a stop along the road to Flamingo.

Everglade City...

Catalina 22 in Key Largo.

Key Largo!

BK paddles through the Mangroves near Key Largo.

Brown Pelican south of Key Largo.

BK on a Sunfish off Key Largo.

Awake Gator near Everglade City.

OK, I think this a another Red Shouldered Hawk but tell me if I am wrong!

Thanks for looking! I will be back in a week or so with more about the Metamorphosis wrap up and thoughts about Summer 2011. Until then, knit on!

What I did on my summer vacation...

Consider this post a postcard...and start with "Wish you were here."

We went to visit family in Greece. We have been there before, but this time we decided to take in some of the sites. BadKitten is all about ancient Greece and loves languages (especially the ones people don't speak anymore...) We flew into Athens, rented a car and hit the road.

Because I have some serious jet lag going on, I have been up since 4am getting all sorts of things done. I already got the next chart for Dark Star posted at the Summer Squares group, I have a new piece I knit (a traveling project) blocking, and I am on my fourth load of laundry! The sunset is from a ferry traveling from the mainland to Lefkimi, on the island of Corfu.

Here is a darling hummingbird who visited my father-in-law's yard in Lefkimi every day we were there.

And here I am, knitting in Athens. As long as I have the correct projects with me I can knit any time and any place...

The food is very good in Greece. Did you know that? Here you can see a lovely salad (that Kitten and I made...)
Here are some lovely lentils that Aunt Lenio made. She gave us a cooking lesson, so now we can cook like her at home. We wrote her technique down plus took some pictures, because she never measures anything...

Here is a very pretty shop in the old part of Corfu Town. I didn't get anything, but I love how all of it looks.

We got these funky little shrimp (if you look closely you can see fingers in the picture for a size check) at a Taverna on a bluff not far from Lefkimi. The food is great but the view is better.

Like I said, the view is better...

We took a ride on a small motor boat from near Lefkimi to a pretty harbor on the mainland.

We drove all over and visited Delphi to check in with the Oracle. It was very cool. Hot, but cool.

We also visited the Oracle of the Dead, which is also very interesting and cool. Again, hot but cool...

And we went to the Acropolis. It was hot, cool and crowded! The new museum opened and it is amazing. I suggest you check it out if you are in Athens. And so you don't think I neglected my stash, let us start with yarn...and there was not too much to be had. I know there is a yarn shop (one) in Athens. I didn't have time to go there. I heard rumor there was one yarn shop in Corfu Town. I tried to find it, but could not...and guess what? I found yarn around the corner from my father-in-law's house in Lefkimi!

So if you are in Lefkimi, stand on the bridge in the center of the old part of town and look down the river toward the sea. Turn right and cross the street, walking straight down the only road you see. In one block you will see this:

This shop has fabric, "dry goods" and YARN! They had some Italian acrylic that BadKitten just loves. She got a bunch and has been crocheting hats and fingerless gloves. They had an excellent selection of fine cottons, but only in white and ecru. I got some nice cotton.

A German family who vacations every year at Aunt Lenio's beach cottages knew we were coming and brought me two balls of this very nice cotton. They know me...
And this is the cotton I bought at the little store in Lefkimi.

At the Acropolis Museum they had the most lovely display of spindle whorls. They were gorgeous and so well preserved! As I looked at them I plotted how I might have one for myself. Surely they have many more than they need, as you can see in the postcard...
And would you believe it!? At the gift shop they had handmade reproductions. The reproductions were each unique and I picked one out for myself! Above is the top view and below is the side view.

And finally, everyone knows you can find beads in Athens, but did you know there is a nice, little bead shop in Corfu Town? Neither did I. Here is the address (in English and also in Greek below.)

I bought some vintage seed beads (European) in something about a 10/0 (green luster) and something like a 6/0 (mat blue.) I also got some little eyes and some shell beads that are hard to see.

Now I have to finish my laundry and take a nap. I will be back soon with cheesecake pictures of Dark Star. Until then, knit on!