Vladivostock Stole

Vladivostock is the name of the Rosie's Knits pattern I started after I completed my beginner knitting class. Let's just say that, as usual, Robin was a little ambitious with her first "real" project. It took me about 4-5 months to complete it in Koigu. My mom really liked it and wanted it, but I refused to give it up. Sad thing is, I have yet to wear it, but that's another story.

B/c my mom loved my first one, I decided to make her one for Hannukkah in sea silk, a yarn that I just love. Just like the other one, it took me about 4 months to complete, partly b/c of the intricacy of the pattern and partly b/c I needed to add in some no-brainer projects as well. Although Hannukkah was several months ago, I finally finished the Vladivostock Stole and blocked it this weekend. I took it to Rosie's to photograph it and here it is:

I love it! I kind of want to give my mom the purple one now and keep this one. This is what the purple one looks like.

It's beautiful, I'll give you that, but it is not as light and shimmery as the sea silk and definitely doesn't drape as well. My sister is now hinting that she wants one too. Someday . . .

And now for something completely different

Since I last blogged, I have been making progress on lots of projects. After I made the baby bunting for Leah, I couldn't help myself and had to make something else for her. I ended up making the Koko Kimono from Minnies and a pair of matching booties. My sister loved it so much, she put Leah in it right away for her first walk.



Here's a closer picture of them.




I also finished (finally) the lace stole I was making for my mom for Hanukkah. I know I'm late, but I know she won't mind when I bring it next week.



My sister is already asking for me to make her one now. I think she's going to have to get a new project b/c I am sick of that pattern! I think two of them is enough!

I also started working a cute summer sweater for Alex. It will have a ruffled bottom and ruffled cuffs. It's a quick knit so I may even finish it before her birthday party next week.



Finally, I have started working a large throw made out of Manos del Uruguay. The colors should go pretty well w/ the colors in my living room. I don't have a picture now, but I'll post one as I make more progress. I have a bunch of tanks and shells to make, but I am waiting to do so until I take a class in mid-April on fitting your projects to fit your unique body type. Since I am the epitome of a pear shape, the shoulders always come out too big. I'm hoping this class will help me fit my tiny top w/ my rounder bottom.

Hope you've enjoyed show and tell for the day.

Camp

I went to camp for 10 years. Ok, 11, if you count the summer I went to girl scout camp. I loved camp. Camp allowed me to venture out and learn how to be my own person. I was no longer sheltered by my family, but instead made a whole new family. I went to Pinemere Camp in the Poconos. It was not your typical camp. It was quite rustic. My first year there in 1980, they had just opened the pool. Before that, all swims were in the lake. We still used that lake for paddleboards, swamping canoes, disrobing (a life-saving technique - don't let your mind get dirty), polar bear swims, etc. This camp was great b/c it wasn't a sports camp and for me, that made all the difference. My days were spent figuring out how to spend more time flirting w/ the boys. We went on day-long and overnight canoe trips along the Delaware, had Friday hikes down the street or up the side of Camelback Mountain. It was a Jewish camp; we kept kosher, said prayers before before meals, the sh'ma at flag raisings, and had Friday night and Saturday morning services where we wore whites.

One of my favorite camp memories was Saturday morning sing. After services we all gathered around the lower maple tree and sang folks songs. I can sing these songs in my sleep. As I got older, a few Grateful Dead songs made their way into the song list, but certain songs remained. Hey Lolly, The Cat Came Back, This Little Light of Mine, Rattlin Bog, Frankie and Johnny, Mountain Dew, the list goes on and on.

Camp was not about the accommodations or the equipment or sports. Camp was about friendship and to this day I can get together with my camp friends and it is as if no time ever passed.

I write this b/c Pinemere lost a very dear friend last week and his funeral was today. Bob Miner was Pinemere in my mind. He had been a figure there since 1958. It was Bob's values and traditions that really made Pinemere what it was and still is today. A testament to how much Bob touched our lives are the number of friends and family that gathered today to remember him. One of the most touching parts of the service was when his son played the first parts of a CD that Bob recorded; camp songs that I hadn't heard in years. As the song, Freedom/Come & Go With Me played, soft mumblings were heard until the whole room was singing, "Come and go w/ me to this land/ Come and go w/ me to this land." It was a fitting was to pay tribute a man that made a lasting impression on generations, including me.

Bob w/ members of my CIT year at our 20th reunion - August 2007.

Leah Reese

My second niece, Leah Reese was born today at 8:14 am. She weighed in at 7 pounds and 20 inches long. Mom, dad, and daughters are all doing great. Leah was content to sleep the day away. Isn't she precious?

Alex, Leah's big sister, was so excited to meet her.

She even held her a couple times. I'm not sure if she was more excited by her little sister or the Aladdin DVD her sister "gave" her. ;-)

Busy bee

Aside from the fact that I have been a slug due to this cold, I have been very busy on the knitting front. My mom put it in my head to make a baby bunting for my sister's new baby (arriving on Tuesday!) to come home from the hospital in. I found a cute pattern that converts from a sack to pants so you can use the car seat. I had originally bought a cute pastel yarn, but it striped and didn't look so good. So then I settled for a more neutral cream. I got the cutest ladybug buttons, but they appear to be too small. Here are pics of the bunting w/ the small buttons.

I went to Rosie's to get bigger buttons and all I could find were these clear pink ones. Not as cute as the ladybugs, but at least my little niece won't pop the buttons off!
Of course, my new little niece needs a matching hat to wear home from the hospital . . .

And booties for her feet . . .
I was going to also make little mitts to match, but decided not to. Let's just say I went a little crazy outfitting the little bugger. Of course I won't be there when they bring her home from the hospital in it, but my brother has promised to be the photographer that day.

National Geographic Photo Awards

My friend Lynn just emailed me these photos that won National Geographic photo awards. These are a few that I think are just fantastic. I'd like to take pictures like these some day . . .

I love the reflection in this photo:


They almost look like giants . . .



And my favorite is . . . .

I think this one is just amazing. I love how at first glance it looks like a herd of dark horses. Then, upon further examination, you realize that the photo is actually of a herd of zebras and what you thought were the animals is actually their shadow. Fabulous!

Someday when I decide to explore my love of nature photography I could hope to produce something like this . . . Someday . . .