My family and I are at the beach this week, feeling very relaxed. Almost as relaxed as the internet connection here. Almost.
Also relaxing is my progress on
Color Affection. It is still as much a delight to knit as it was at the beginning. I'm tempted to start planning my next one in a different batch of colors. It is all knit, with a choice of three colors, and I'm a total sucker for anything that changes colors. To see stripes of color building up, especially on this knit, where it...oh my gosh...
curves...due to increasing stitches cleverly here and there, well, that just pushes my happy button.
I'm on the last pattern repeat before I slap a border on it, and the rows are getting very looooooong, but it is wonderful vacation knitting. I can't wait to see it off the needle.
Another thing that's fun about vacation is deciding what projects/yarns/winders/needles/notions/wool wash/neuroses/phobias/blocking pins/etc to pack. I am in fear of being without exactly what I need, needles, yarn, or both. To run out of things to knit while on vacation would provoke a total "Home Alone" reaction from me.
I also get plagued by the "mights". I might decide I need a different size needle for the casting off of my project. I might need more yarn for what I'm working on. If so, then I might need to either wind yarn before I leave, or pack the swift and yarn winder. I might decide to start a whole new project, seeing as I'm on vacation and all, and since I'm going to splurge, why not cast on something new, too? I just might, you know. Don't fence me in. I might could, just would, mighty mighty scmighty tighty whitey flighty mighty might....
And, dear God, I might run out, not have enough, not the right kind, better pack more, including that acrylic/nylon blend you bought by accident three years ago...never know if I might need it.
Oy vey.
This is how I ended up packing my two children's clothing into one suitcase, and my husband got the equivalent of a plastic grocery store bag, while I went whole hog and used the grand dame super sized wheeled suitcase that doubles as a rolling casket should anyone expire whilst on vacay. It could happen. It might.
I brought a little light reading with me on vacation, too.
Behold
The Principles of Knitting, by June Hemmons Hiatt. A very, veeeery informative book about any and every aspect of knitting. It boggled my mind, and I think that, so far, the only words I can throw at this book (professional book review that it is) are things like, "holy crap, I didn't know about
that", and "Geez, this sucker is heavy", and "Huh, I didn't know you could do that either". Seriously, this book has got Food-For-Thought-And-Knitting written all over it. It is the long awaited, much anticipated second edition. The first edition went out of print in the 90s, I believe, and copies of it became as valued as Grandma's fine crystal goblets. I have long wondered what was between the covers of this fabled book, and now I'm very glad it is in my possession. You might like to explore it, too. Undoubtedly it will teach you many things you didn't know about our favorite craft.
As it might rain today (thank you Beryl), we might go to the aquarium, and I might curl up with this book later. Although the concept of curling up with a textbook of this magnitude is right up there with getting a mohawk for your new job as a banker, I just might try it anyway.
