The Long Way Home

Tomorrow we head for home.  I’m happy that we were here and that we did everything that we did, but I’m really looking forward to being home again.  I miss my cats, my bed, my stuff.

LouLa had many “firsts” during this trip.  She had her first S’more, watched her first episode of Sponge Bob Squarepants, and was caught her her first downpour.  They were all good things, except for the Sponge Bob thing, but she knows it’s a Grandma’s House only kind of thing, so I can deal.

My knitting has been pretty slow.  I didn’t do any knitting for the first week, but since then I’ve knit up a couple of washcloths and finished a pair of socks.  I’ve started on a baby sweater and another pair of socks.  I’ll post some pictures next week. 

We have stocked up on snacks and our hotel room reservation is set for tomorrow night.  It’s all downhill from here.

So long, farwell….

I’m going to be gone for about 2 1/2 weeks.  I’ll be doing some question writing for our state math assessment until Saturday, and then on Sunday (a mere 12 hours after I get home) we’re driving to South Dakota.  I’m exhausted just thinking about it all.  Josh doesn’t drive because of a vision impairment, so I’m going to be the lucky one who gets to drive.  Seven hours the first day, seven hours the second day, five hours the third day, and five hours the fourth day.  We’re first going to the west side of the state (days 1 and 2), then to the east side (day 3) and then back to the west side (day 4).  After that, we’re going to stay put until we leave, when we get to repeat days one and two.  I know I’ve mentioned that LouLa gets car sick.  I’m all stocked up on Dramamine.

Here’s what I’ve finished:

This is one of a pair done in Pagewood Farms socks.  I couldn’t tell you what the colorway is called, but the colors remind me of the fall with russets and golds and orangy colors.  I think this also is a mix of bamboo, merino, and nylon.  I’ve lost the ballband, as you can probably tell.  It’s great yarn though.  I really like the way that there’s lots of different colors, but there’s no pooling.

This is a 9 in. by 9 in. square done in Dream in Color Classy in Cool Fire.  The stitch pattern is one that I found at the back of Simply Knitting (an English knitting magazine).  It curled up pretty badly as I was knitting, but blocked out nicely.  I knit it up for Dame Wendy as part of a block blanket she is putting together for a dear friend of hers that has since passed away.  The finished blanket will be given to someone special in memory of that person.

Here’s what I will be working on during my time away:

-a baby sweater.  I think I’m going to use the Placket Sweater pattern from LMKG.  I’ll use KnitPicks Swish DK in storm and nutmeg (?-the tan color).  A teacher at LouLa’s daycare is having a baby in August.  If I like the pattern, I’ll probably use it again for a sweater for LouLa.

-socks.  I have a pair halfway done and I’m bringing enough yarn to make two more pairs. 

-the cluaranach stole.  I have the edging done and one repeat.  It’s a long-term project and I’m not expecting to get much done since it does require me to pay attention to it.

 

My hope is to see as much of the cheesy touristy things as we can while we’re in S.D.  And I’m going to try really hard not to complain about the heat and humidity, too.