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!

Another Birthday Zooms Past...

But certainly not un-celebrated! This year was a "big" birthday for me and my family had a wonderful party at ICE.

There were just 15 of us, mostly my family. We selected the menu and (with the help of several professionals) made dinner! Some of us also wore chef hats...

Here is my sister texting, not cooking...

Here is my brother and my mother making pasta...
Peter wielding a sharp knife...
My sweetie and brother browning butter...

My sister, Jeri and Bob working the pasta...

And here is BadKitten, flipping crepes! And then we sat down and ate it all.

A birthday never passes without dear friends giving me lovely and thoughtful gifts, and Sandra got me the English version of this gorgeous Estonian lace book. I have the Estonian version and love the charts and photos but always wanted to really read the text. It is the most charming book. She also got me a set of Blackthorn needles, which I have resisted up until now. I can't wait to cast-on with them. And some Optim fiber, which is merino that has been stretched to make it finer. Again, something I have never tried but always wanted to.

Some of my Thursday evening knitting friends gifted my with yarn. Clearly they know I like purple. Top right is plum Zephyr from Margret, bottom right is Lineapiu Camelot Melange and purple beads to match from Cara and bottom left is Phoebe/Mocha's Fiber, from Dawn. Three shawls waiting to be born!

Jeri got me blocking tiles!! She knows I have been using my old rug. And she made a gorgeous bag for me to store them in. These will be used in a few hours...

Several of us went on a little shopping trip and I managed to collect a few beads for my stash. Seriously, each tube was selected to match yarn that I have for a project. Really!

And to top it all off, The Metamorphosis Group had a virtual birthday party for me and Karen collected the posts and gave me this journal and a CD of matching music! It was really wonderful and I can't thank everyone enough. THANK YOU!

Next week I will be back to the business at hand, and that would be Metamorphosis. We have several finished objects to share and I hope to have all the project samples ready (with cheesecake shots) for that post. Until then, keep knitting!

Please meet my friend...

Jeri Riggs! We knit together most Thursday evenings. Actually Jeri not only knits. She is an amazing art quilter too. But today I want to share her newest contribution to our craft, The Ingrid Cardigan. Jeri has been knitting these amazing, intricately cabled, top down sweaters. She just starts at the top and when she is done it fits her like a glove. The problem has been that she never writes down what she does. All that has changed with this new design, which is why I am so excitedSo Ingrid is worked from the top down and is carefully shaped to flatter.
The cables are charted and the instructions are very detailed, well illustrated and clear.
Her attention to detail is really amazing.
You can appreciate the wonderful shaping detail in the back.
I just have to show you another version...
Jeri loves zippers, and the two versions I am sharing have zippers in them. The pattern allows for buttons too, if that is more your style.
If you look on Ravelry you will see two other versions. One with buttons and one without anything. They all look great.
I am usually making something with holes in it, but I adore texture and cables too. Jeri is selling her pattern for Ingrid on Ravelry and I would go check it out! A spectacular design and a very wearable sweater. I have such cool friends!

I posted the final chart for Snow Queen at our Yahoogroup today, so we should be wrapping that project up very soon. I will be back next week with blocking directions for Snow Queen and some photos of the finished piece. Until then, knit, knit, knit...