You have arrived at your destination.

Just returned from our weeklong vacation in Ocean City, Maryland. We all - husband, R, Z and I - had a lovely time boogie boarding, building sand castles, eating crab cakes, and relaxing by the surf. It was an admittedly long drive to get there (about 8 hours), but that was made more tolerable by three things: the newly-purchased Fast Lane/EZPass transponder, so we didn't have to stop for tolls; the also newly-purchased GPS unit to guide us from Boston to the Delmarva peninsula; and miles of car-appropriate stockinette in the round for Hopeful. I'm nearly up to the armholes, see?



We became really enamored of the GPS device, a Tomtom Go. Not only does it count down the distance to your destination (thus enabling you to answer with authority when asked "when will we get there?" by a small person in the back seat "At 5:37 PM - and you can watch it yourself so you don't have to keep asking us.") - it also talks to you to tell you where and when to turn. My husband picked the female British voice, reasoning it would be like (the female) Holly from Red Dwarf. I think I would like a Tomtom for knitting. Can you imagine? You wouldn't have to look at the pattern! A friendly voice would prompt you : "In eight stitches, knit two together.......knit two together now. Continue to next marker." You could pretend the English voice was Debbie Bliss, or load the Australian voice for your Jo Sharp pattern. I think I need to get the MIT engineers on this idea immediately.

The day after we returned we went to our goddaughter Morgan's first birthday party. I made her a pink frosted cupcake hat:



The base (Tweedy Cotton Classic) is supposed to look like the muffin tin liner. The top (Knitpicks Crayon) is the icing.

Hopeful-ly I can finish these soon

I just joined the Hopeful knitalong. Such a pretty top, and a great cause. I went to Windsor Button yesterday at lunchtime to pick out yarn (and got a Chacarero sandwich around the corner after, yum). They did have the Rowan Wool Cotton, and I also liked the SWTC Bamboo (especially the deep red of the latter). But reason won out, and instead I bought some supersoft Sirdar Snuggly in a ferny green. Why? I finished the ribbon top last weekend, and after wearing it an hour at most Z squashed a grape tomato into my shoulder. So, it's machine washable stuff for my garments for a little while longer. Began swatching last night - hope to knit a lot on vacation next week.

I finally received my Interweave Knits subscription (took almost 8 weeks for first issue). I like the Blissful Jacket, might be just the thing for my bag of Takhi New Tweed. Also bought the Fall Vogue Knitting - the Annie Modesitt shrug/jacket on the cover is strangely compelling, but I think it would take me years. And I liked the Debbie Bliss shawl collar jacket too. Yes, I like that Debbie Bliss lady's designs. The cabled sweaters were cool but What Not To Wear says I have the wrong body shape for cables. And you know, it's hard to argue with Trinny and Susannah.

I took a lot of photos at the MIT S'n'B last week but haven't had time at home to download them, so no photos yet. I'm hiding so many finished objects from you! Another buttonhole bag (for Z's departing teacher), a potato chip scarf, Bob, and the ribbon top. Photos soon, I promise.

Currently on the needles (again proving why I am the Dilettante):
-Fair Isle pillow from Spring04 Interweave (about a third done)
-Yellow hoodie for Z; on last sleeve; will pay more attention once it's hoodie weather again
-Power Ranger socks for R; on ankle of first sock (toe-up, and slightly too big, wait for him to grow a little)
-Knitpicks Dancing socks for husband - almost to heel of first sock
-Pink frosted cupcake hat for goddaughter Morgan; a cross between a Baby Tart and a Coronet from Knitty
-Rosebud in Dale Svale (had picked this up again and set it aside when I saw Hopeful. Again, the long sleeves thing can wait.)
-have yarn for three novelty scarves to sell at school fundraiser in Sept - maybe for knitting in car on vacation.

Three socks and a ruffly thing

Et voila! My sparkly Fortissima Colori Disco socks:

A big *Mwah* again to Alasdair for giving me the yarn, although in truth Alasdair and I do not really have a Mwah kind of relationship, mainly a nod-hi-across-coffeeshop-table kind of relationship, but still, he's a cool guy and definitely worth sitting next to at a yarn swap. And want to know what's freaky about the socks? One was made cuff down (Yankee Knitter pattern), while the other was made trying Lucy from Mind's Eye's toe-up pattern. Yet...the socks match almost perfectly. I'm sure the yarn was designed that way, but somehow the whole thing is just a bit...spooky.

Cynthia from the MIT group must be giving me subliminal messages because, yep, here's another sock in progress. I call this the Power Ranger sock as the Trampoline yarn is of such bright primary colors I expect Dr. Tommy Oliver to appear at any moment. OK, maybe he's the wrong color - Kira, Connor and Ethan then. Yes, I watch Power Rangers with my son. It's quality knitting time!



Alert readers will also notice what appears to be a pastel pretzel in the above photo. In truth it is the beginning of a "Potato Chip Scarf" in KnitPicks Twist, Cotton Candy color. I like the yarn very much - it is less garish that I thought it might be based on the catalog photo. It's a nice muted lavender color. I'm making this and a few other scarves to sell at the next school fundraiser - last year they asked me to make furry scarves, and I'm hoping some non-fur but still novelty will also sell. Not liking the pattern though, kfb'ing in every stitch. I think there will be 720 stitches to bind off. The KnitPicks catalog made it sound cute and effortless - something about not being able to knit just one, in that chirpy tone they have. No, Kelley, I think it may just be one potato chip scarf for me, thanks all the same. I like your yarn though.

Oh, and Bob is done but I keep forgetting to photograph it - Z got a maple syrup and ketchup handprint on it so it's in the wash. And the ribbon pullover and I are in a standoff over the sleeves, so it is in timeout currently.