Uncle Leona's Day Camp

I am a bum. The lawn can wait.

This just about sums up my enthusiasm level for the day:

It's sticky and gray outside. My stomach is recovering from what I believe was food poisoning late last night (I've narrowed it down to grapes or salsa--I think my body has started to rebel against my diet). I'm on call, so the beeper is at hand. Forget working in the yard; I'm knitting today!

As if I really need an excuse.

My niece turns 12 tomorrow, so I'm trying to spice up her wardrobe a bit. She will be getting a couple of scarves to start with:

First, the Potato Chip scarf from the latest KnitBits catalog:

This scarf turned out really cute, but it was a royal pain in the keester to knit. Unlike another pattern or two out there, this one is not worked as short rows. It is worked by knitting in the front and back of every stitch, every other row. I casted off over 1000 stitches. The pattern calls for a 32" needle--phooey on that! I think I had a good 50" going with the Denise needles, and it was still squished on there pretty good. It does smell nice though; it's from a mohair that I dyed with Kool-Aid and spun up. Very fruity. I cast off with some gold novelty stuff that was hanging around. She'll think it's bee-you-tee-full.

The other scarf is on the needles today:

It's a no-nonsense Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf. I've used this pattern a lot, and have never been disappointed. You really can see that diagonal pattern, right???

Yeah. I've been drinking. Diet Coke.

I figure I finish off the gift with a gift certificate to iTunes, and I retain my title as The World's Coolest Aunt.

Now, for the touching knitting saga of the year. As you may remember, I had no clue whatsoever what to do with that sorbet yarn. That didn't last long. I decided to use it as the contrast collar for this pattern that I had floating around here:

It's called the Kimono Vest. Pretty darn sharp, if you ask me. Well, I headed off to the LYS for some wool for the body of the vest, and settled on a nice deep blue. Dumbass me, though, didn't think about what was sitting in Ikealand already....

When I was over at my aunt and uncle's for Thanksgiving last year, my aunt got to talking to me about knitting. Turns out my grandmother, who lived in my aunt's house before she died, had left behand a truckload of yarn in the cedar cabinets in the basement. After a search, I came out of there with a lot of nice stuff. Some of it wound up on eBay (the hot pink alpaca just wasn't me, but someone could use it), but I hung onto some gold wool from New Brunswick. The stuff has to be over 20 years old, but it's in perfect shape.

Here's my progress on my Kimono Vest:

I think I'll wear it for Thanksgiving this year. Gram would be proud.

I may have green grass after all

As many of you are aware, this has been one toasty summer. Not that I'm complaining, mind you; last year sucked. Today, however, Mother Nature is having a little fun. In the past two hours, I think we've received over two inches of rain, not to mention a little bit of wind that has had its way with my back yard:

Thankfully, it looks like it's finally blowing over. Rain hasn't stopped, though. If I listen closely, I can hear the sound of my lawn sighing in soaked relief.

So, what does one do on a stormy Saturday when the Browns are playing? One finishes projects. The Giotto Shell is in need of crocheted edges, but it's essentially finished:

I doubt I'll wear it this year; it's going to be a little tight. However, I have started the diet of the century this week; by next summer, it should be perfect (I'm planning on losing a small adult by then--my body has gone to hell in a handbasket this year).

I also did a little spinning over this past week. I just got tired of looking at the box of sorbet roving in the kitchen. It spun up like a dream:

The colors are beautiful pinks, yellows, and oranges. There's about 225 yards of it, none of which I have any idea how to use. Off to Ikealand!

I also stumbled upon Secret Pal 6 this morning. I've been wanting to do this forever, but I always miss the signup. This time, I'm in, baby!! I even made my own little silly button for it:

Awwwwwww.....how autumnal....

Yep. I was bored.

Next week, expect a full report about this guy:

I'm heading off to see Body Worlds 2 at the Great Lakes Science Center on Tuesday. This exhibit has been receiving rave reviews by everyone I know who has seen it. I'm not sure how impressed I'll be, but I'm full well expecting to have some serious flashbacks to Anatomy Lab at Ohio State. Hopefully, that haunting scent of formaldehyde will be absent.

It's official; I need another vacation

It seems as though my patients missed me a bit. This week in the office bordered on the chaotic. The phones on Tuesday and Wednesday were non-stop, and the "I need this physical form filled out or else he/she can't go to practice!" panic was continual. There is an end in sight, however: school starts in less than two weeks. The transition from physicals (zzzzz....) to illnesses is in sight. There really is something to be said about those petri dishes with desks.

I may not have any kids of my own, but this time of year, I am just as bad as a parent.

My parents made it home safe and sound, and the truck was unloaded of all of my other stuff. As mentioned, there was a nice bag of wool boucle:

The actual yarn is a little more lavendery, but my camera has issues with purple. It is now in the Ikea cabinet awaiting its turn.

I also forgot to mention that I picked up a mitten kit from the Lismore Sheep Farm. These were blown through in two days (it rained one day, so I had to do something):

That now gives me....let me think about it....about 1000 pair of mittens. I may keep my hands warm this winter yet.

I did finish up the top-down pullover in Nova Scotia as well. It was the perfect project for the hours of driving: just knit, knit, knit until you're long enough, then rib away. I wore it yesterday to the office--it may be one of the most comfy summer sweaters I have EVER made:

The next item on the needles has already been frogged once. I'm working on a shell made from Colinette Giotto (the yarn was on sale; like I was going to pass up on 20% off? Surely you jest.). I'm using a pattern from Knitting With Novelty Yarns by Laura Bryant and Barry Klein, but have made a few little changes.

The Shell:

The Changes:

I am not generally a shell person, but this may change my mind. Or not.

Are you ready for some football???!!!??

Yep. I'm going to the first preseason game tonight for my beloved, hapless Browns. It's supposed to be in the 90's with storms. Guess that's better than this:

Yeah, it's better.

I'm baaaaaacccckkkkk!!!!

Vacation came to an end last night. I am now sitting at home enjoying one recovery day before I go back to work tomorrow. As much as I enjoy not working, I'm thinking that a week and a half off is just too long for me. Especially when a good part of that time is spent running around from one sightseeing expedition to the next. My feet were KILLING me by the time I sat my butt down on the plane in Portland.

The vacation was a giant family extravaganza with my parents, brother, and his family. We started in Bar Harbor, Maine, then took the ferry to Nova Scotia. We spent six days in Canada, then headed back to Maine for lobster and shopping. I just went through the photos; it's amazing how one can forget what you did when you do so much.

Here's a good look at the views in Nova Scotia:

The Peggy's Cove Lighthouse

My niece in the rocks

My obligate wacky street sign photo

My new favorite shopping center

Utility Studs for $1.99? Canadian?? Sold.

My niece looking either somber or bored at the Flight 111 Memorial

Personally, I found this memorial to be very moving. The three slashes in the stone on the left are sightlines to the crash site. I couldn't get over the silence personally.

Of course, what would a vacation be without a little golf (and the way I played, the word, "little," may be a bit generous). My brother and I played 18 at Northumberland Links in Pugwash, Nova Scotia. On a clear day, one can see all three maritime provinces (N.S., New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island) as you play these holes:

Unfortunately, this photo was taken after the round, when the wind finally blew the clouds away. Still cool, though. I did learn a valuable lesson at the Links: never leave your clubs at home again, even if your return flight is Portland to LaGuardia to Cincinnati to Cleveland. The rental clubs felt like lead sticks, and the grips were so worn down that I need to hang on like grim death or else my follow-through would send them flying into the ocean. my hands still ache, and that was 5 days ago!

Yes, I yarn shopped. As if you had any doubts. Our house in Canada was five minutes from the Lismore Sheep Farm, where I put the Canadian exchange rate to good use. This is the start of a cabled pullover using their wool:

OK, so it's only a sleeve. You get the point. When one knits for hours in the back seat of a SportTrac, one must keep complexity to a minimum. My nephew also got some yarn at the farm (and finished up a scarf in two nights!), but he made a new friend in the process:

This is Walter, who wouldn't shut up unless Jon was feeding him. Jon even tried moving across the barn, but this sheep just started screaming at him until he came back. You had to be there, I guess.

On the way home, we also stopped off in Bath, Maine to visit Halcyon Yarns. Whoa. I could have gotten into some serious trouble there, but with my Dad and brother circling us, and my niece on my case about whether this hat pattern and that yarn would work, my concentration was off a bit. I did get a nice boucle for a sweater, but the yarn itself is still in the back seat of the truck, which is en route to New York today. That's OK. I still have a little yarn around this place.

And as an FYI: Canadians don't have to subject themselves to malt beverages (beer excluded from the conversation, of course). Their "coolers" are chock full of real, honest-to-goodness booze. Smirnoff Ice is made with vodka; Bacardi Breezers are made with rum. Yet one more reason to like it in Canada, eh?

Yep. I bought some Smirnoff Ice. It's in the back of the truck.