Kayak

When at the trailer, Fred is a marathoner. Don't get excited. You won't see him in Boston. He maraton fishes. Normally, I marathon knit.

But last year, I mentioned to Charlie that I would like a kayak. He happened to be at an outdoor show in February and spotted a beginner, not-too-expensive kayak. Perfect for Grandma.

And so, while Fred has been marathon fishing, I have been marathon kayaking. Kayak marathoning produces blisters in different places than marathon knitting. A change of pace for my thumbs.

Charlie in Grandma's kayak

Weather Dismal

Trailer knitting for me is not my normal knitting. At the trailer, I like non-thinking projects - projects that I can accomplish in a day or two that require no brain power.

Often I have the grandkids at the trailer, and they want to swim, boat, fish - all the exciting stuff. That means, Grandma's knitting happens in small snatches. And that means, the non-thinking projects work best for me.

But - you knew that was coming, didn't you? The weather has been - in a gross understatement - I would say, poor. Rain and cool since our arrival. Still, I knit a hat and finished, Abi's short summer sweater, and was wondering what to do next, when the the weather man announced the weather for next few days.

He used a meteorological term I hadn't heard before, He said the weather would be dismal. Dismal!

Not a problem for Fred. He remembered his jacket. He remembered his sweater. Me? I forgot both.

I suggested going to town to buy a jacket, but Fred asked if surely I didn't have enough wool to knit myself one. Why yes, indeed, I do.

I started this sweater - Top Down.

from this book

At the moment, I am about half finished. I suspect, it will be done, just at the minute the sun comes out.

Acrylic Smylic

I like natural fibres. Make that I like natural fibres!!!

For Christmas last year, both granddaughters gifted me with yarn. A wonderful, thoughful gift. And they both chose yarn that was very appealing to little girls. There were bright yarns and fussy yarns and colourfuul yarns but no natural fibre yarns.

One advantage of living far apart is not having to quickly account for gifts. But being at the trailer, I thought I should knit something for the girls with the yarn they purchased.

For Sarah, who chose bright red and contrasting black, I decided to make a hat. A fair isle hat. Have you ever tried fair isle with Acrylic? Not easy. Not fogiving. Not stretchy. Not fun.

But done. Sarah has been vacationing at her other granmothers. She comes home this weekend. I hope she likes the hat.

Initially, I had thought to make matching mittens. But that's not going to happen. Does anyone want some leftover red and balck acrylic?

Lofty Aspirations

Peter often says that our family aspires to mediocrity. As much as some families might be insulted by this comment, I laugh. For our family, he's hit the nail on the head.

But in organizing the trailer knitting, I counted that I have readied 25 individual patterns, 7 books ( four of them by EZ) 5 booklets, one magazine

and several pounds of yarn.

That's pretty lofty aspirations, I think.

School's Out

Hey, Teach! didn't get done. Not before leaving for the trailer, anyway.
Since discovering a few years back, that trailer knitting goes much better if it is not complicated, I have left Teach at home.

The sleeves are done and sewn in.

Needed only now, are the side seams and the trim.

I promise I will have it done before school starts. Promise.

Sample Pac

Recently, I came across another 'group' on ravelry that I wanted to join. The elann group. Why I hadn't discovered this group preciously, I can't tell you. I love elann. Whether it's an American company that has a Canadian outlet, or a Canadian company that has an American outlet, I'm not sure. But there is enough Canadian content to please this patriotic princess and to make make Elann my online yarn source of choice.

So why I wouldn't think of a 'ravelry 'group', I don't know. But last week I discovered the group and read a discussion about a 'sampler pac'.

Of course, I couldn't let that one pass me by. Especially, when I read that the packs are only available for a couple of days and I saw that the fall pack was up and ready.

Mine arrived in just a few days and includes six 50 gram balls of yarn. All elann dot com yarns, there is Peruvian Highland Donegal, Incense, Peruvian Pure Alpaca, Peruvian Highland Wool, Sierra Aran and Highland Chunky. There are colour-group choices to be had and I chose the rust and cream pack.

I love the colours and what a great way - for $27.00 (Can) including all taxes and shipping - to try new yarns. Hurry on over to the elann site if you are interested and look under 'What's New'.

Car Knitting

Very early tomorrow morning, we will pile into the van for the trip to Hearst. The grand kids are heading home and we are heading to the trailer for the rest of the summer.

A twelve hour drive means lots of DS games for the kids and lots of knitting for Grandma.

I started a little cardi for Abigail. The vision is a short-sleeved, buttons-only-at-the-top, summer cardi, knit with stash yarn. Specifically, Cottonella by Novita.

A 50/50 cotton-acrylic split, long discontinued, I'm sure. The purple, I purchased on sale, years ago, and the white I came across in a yarn swap just this past year. There is enough white to do some decorative striping at the yoke, the rest of the cardi will be purple. (This project should be a hit with Abi's Dad as the colours are UWO colours- his Alma Matre.)

The yarn, being rationed by it's discontined-ness, means the length of the sweater is up in the air. I will knit the sleeves first. The body will be as long as the yarn holds out. I am racing to get to the separation of body and sleeves to make the car knitting easier.

Our drives are usually boring enough that lots of knitting gets done. With a 7 and 9 year old in the back seat, I'm expecting interruptions. How much knitting can get done in public washrooms? In a couple of days, I'll know.

Opposites Attract

It may not be true for every married couple, but in our case, opposites did attract.

For proof positive, take a look at the picture below. Fred, son Peter and I took two grand kids and niece Christie to Ontario Place. Not normally ride lovers, the kids convinced Fred and I that we could handle the logging-display, boat ride. Of course there is a ginormous drop as you near the end of the ride, and Peter, sitting in front of us, turned part way through that drop and captured our feelings in a great photo.

The fun-filled moment left both Fred and I simultaneously terrified but thrilled. The expression of that thrilling terror is a great example of our 'opposite-ness'.

Nimbus Had A Date

The house was full this past weekend. Besides the grand kids, my sister, B-I-L, Dad and niece Christie were here.

Saturday morning, our plan had been to walk downtown to shop, as Sis always tries her best to inject capital into the Thornbury economy when she visits. But the weather almost kept us home.

"I need a sweater", she complained as we stepped out of the house.

"I've got just the thing" I replied, and out came Nimbus.

(The price of borrowing was a photo for the blog.)

We shopped for a couple of hours then met up with the rest of the family for lunch at a local restaurant and during that time, Nimbus received three compliments!!!

I was a very proud mama!

Gone Fishin' - Almost

While we're still at home until mid-July, we do have a house full of kids. I expect there will be little time energy to post regularly.

Once at the trailer, I am web-free. How will I manage? My coping method last year was to take a note book and write out posts the old fashioned way - with pen and ink. When a rainy day occurred I went to town to son Charlie's house and transferred the posts from page to 'net'.

And, that is what I will do this summer, as well. But it does mean that posts will not be daily.

SO, I want to say, thanks for your faithful readership and all your comments. I will post as often as energy and weather permit. In the meantime,
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER EVERYONE.

Thursdays Are For Knit Group

Today was my last Thursday knit group until I return from the trailer in late summer. Next Thursday, we will be frolicking at Ontario Place with four kids and by the following week we will be at the trailer. So I won't see the Meaford knitters until late August.

The rest of the group obviously weren't too concerned by my ominous threat tone last week as most were again today, involved in non-knitting, summer activities. Sandy B was back ,though, with the delightful little bolero

(See pattern photo here - scroll down)

she knit for her grand daughter. Just as Sharon's knitting was the primary photo focus last week, today, it's Sandy's.

Here she is, in total concentration, finishing up the seaming. (If you get a kick out of seeing knitters sputter in frustration, ask Sandy B how she likes seaming.)

And here she is,

with the help of the other Sandy, deciding on a button.

Sandy B came across a great sale and purchased LOTS and LOTS of buttons. Her button box puts mine to shame.

Have a great summer, Meaford knitters. See you in late August.

We're Ready

We're ready. Let the national anthem begin.

Happy Canada Day, everyone.