Guess what I found!

Yup... you guessed it... the directions to the Bubbly Curtain. Once I got through the mess in the bedroom upstairs, I found the lost photocopy. Here's my start.

I've been doing a little research for a road trip. We're heading down to the in-laws where my husband will meet us after his canoe trip. The weather is overcast and cool, so I thought we might leave early and take a little different route home and hit a series of yarn stores I've had my eye on for a few years now. If I can get the kids to cooperate... won't resort to bribery just yet, but we'll see what the day brings.

Home Alone

This is going to sound very weird, but I stayed in our lake home for the first time ever by myself. Hubby went on his annual canoe trip with a group of high school buddies, and the girls stayed at the neighbor's. I was home working on a presentation I'll give in a couple of weeks at the Laptop Institute in Memphis. Anyway, it was very strange being alone. Even if my husband has been away in the past, I've always had the kids around. I never slept well until I was married. Didn't sleep well last night. God forbid anything happens to my husband, I'll never have a good night of sleep again.

The other night, my husband was getting things ready for his trip, so he buzzed his hair and more. He came back with a totally clean-shaven face. I haven't seen him without a beard for fourteen years and the kids have NEVER seen him without it. Wish I had been there to see their reactions when they woke up in the morning (I was out kayaking). I guess they just freaked. He looks like a twelve-year-old boy (with Fred Flintstone five o'clock shadow). He went back to his parents' yesterday where he met up with his friends and when I talked to his mother that evening, she said she hadn't even noticed! I guess maybe she saw him for so many years without the beard, it wasn't strange for her. I'm secretly hoping he grows it back, but will let him make that decision.

Besides getting ready for the presentation, I'm also trying to get things put away. But found time this morning to go out kayaking again. I try to do it as many mornings as I can. I love how quiet it is during the week (rarely see another boat) and I get to see a lot of wildlife. Each summer I come back I worry that all the birds and animals will be gone and sometimes it takes me a day or two to see anything, but I'm never disappointed. Seems the deer population is down (which is good for my hostas), but in the past they've sort of hung out like the neighbor's dog and now they aren't to be found; however, I did scare one up today as I paddled over to see if the lady's slipper (Minnesota state flower) I know of had already bloomed for the summer. Saw a bald eagle diving into the water yesterday to catch a fish. The loons are out. And had a possible otter sighting this morning, but won't put it on my list until I get a better sighting. Water was like glass as you can see from the picture.

Went to the library in a neighboring town where I went for my annual boob-smashing, picture-taking session better known as a mammogram. Went in to see if they had Mason-Dixon Knitting so I could photocopy the lost page, but no luck. Have nothing to knit at the moment. May have to go into the LYS here in town. The women who work there are nice enough, but they smoke like chimneys and everything you buy smells like smoke. But I'm getting pretty desperate. If I can hold off another day, I'll make it to the big city with a better, less smoky selection.

Home Sweet Home

We made it back to the States and despite a summer cold that keeps hanging on, I'm getting over jet lag pretty quickly (thank goodness for melatonin) and getting things unpacked and organized... slowly, but it's all happening. The weather was sunny and warm today (80s, which is how I like it... or even hotter), so we were in the lake and despite a cold spring, the water wasn't too bad (and I'm pretty wimpy about cold water). Even managed to get a little color.

But before all that, I did get a little knitting done. Finished another Bubble Curtain from Mason*Dixon Knitting. Found the other panels that I finished last summer so I could gauge the size of the finished piece, then got out the starch, my trusty blocking board and my tacks and went to work. It's stretched to the hilt, but it ends up looking nice and the starch gives it a crisp look that I like. When we go back to town, I need to look for something to lace through the holes to join the panels. Not sure whether I'll look for a ribbon or something more rustic like a soft leather. I'll have to wait to see what I find. I've been trying to decide what to use as a curtain rod. In the book there's a stick and I like the look. It's not like there aren't tons of sticks here, but then it hit me... a beaver stick! I have one here already, and we have enough beaver on the lake, I'm sure I'll find another one the right size. I like them because they're so light and the texture is pretty cool and beaver sticks have been collected by the kids for years so it reminds me of them.

I started to cast on the next color for the next curtain and realized that I don't know how many to cast on. I photocopied two pages out of the book and sent it in the shipment to London. Now I've lost one of the pages... so if anyone knows how many stitches I cast on, I'd appreciate getting the word.

Ever have one of those days?

My day started horribly... really I should start with the day before. That day started horribly as well. Yesterday was my 13th wedding anniversary, which became only a passing mention (you'll see why later). Woke up with a sore throat. Everyone at work told me how sexy I sounded, but I sure didn't feel sexy. But the big stress was the kid's birthday party. My youngest had an early B-day/going away party. What was I thinking having a party the day before the movers come? On purpose we only made it an hour and a half so we would have time to pack, but I think the last kid left at least three, three and a half hours later. Needless to say, our whole family was tired and cranky as we desperately tried to separate the stuff to be shipped from the stuff that needs to go to the States. Kids had fun at the party, and it is important for closure for our daughter, but it was just too crazy.

Woke up at 4 a.m. this morning feeling really punk. I even resorted to taking cold medication, which I just don't do... ever. I then proceeded to feel the effects of some sort of stomach virus. The dog left at 7 a.m. for the kennel for the summer (so he doesn't have to be quarantined in the UK). That was sad. I was doing some last minute dishes before the movers came and water started pouring out onto the floor, flooding everything. My husband went to have a look and broke one of three Polish vases I bought for the women at work for going-away gifts. All day the packers were here. Packed my vacuum right off the bat so not sure how I'm supposed to clean the house. Now the oldest can't find something she set aside to bring to the States (sentimental jewelry), so we've had a tearful night and my husband spent half an hour looking through all the trash bags to see if it had been tossed. The little box will turn up, but once again, it's something to cry about.

Finished the little beige hat to match the booties that I knit for my colleague who's having a baby. Gave the blue booties and hat to the guy who's wife is due in July, and handed off the booties for hire. Couldn't come up with a price, so I told her to ask the teacher on staff who has sold stuff before what she thought was fair. I think my things aren't worth anything... I was willing to sell it for cost, but she looked me in the eyes and said, "You have to get used to doing this..." Made me feel good because maybe that means others think what I'm knitting has some value. All my must-finish projects are done so after working on the hat during the eighth grade moving up ceremony, I haven't been in the mood to knit quite yet. I'll try to remember to take a picture of the hat tomorrow.

Knitty.com's Everlasting Bagstopper

Finished the two sets of baby booties, gave them a wash and now they're drying. Cast on the baby hat. Decided on a different pattern... a little square number with double pompoms.

Also finished an Everlasting Bagstopper for my youngest daughter. She's not happy about the move and has taken to whining over everything. She wanted me to knit her a bag for the plane, so I let her pick the colors and pattern and made the thing. Of course, I love it and am very happy with the pattern, etc., however, she's whiny and is looking for things to complain about... it stretches too much, things might fall out of the holes, the strap isn't right... I know that it has nothing to do with the bag... that's just the easy target and she can articulate her displeasure about the bag, not about the move. If past experience serves, I know that once we're gone and she's at the lake, she will be fine.

Now the oldest wants a bag. I've started one in purples (her favorite color). Going between the bag and the hat while trying to get everything packed for the movers on Wednesday. Can't wait until that day's done.

Goodbye to Prague Knitters

My last day at the Prague Stitch & Bitch was this past Saturday. I will certainly miss this group of women. Wish I had found them earlier. I'm not the only one moving, but fear not, new and great people seem to come each week. Here's the lovely card I left with on Saturday. Can't seem to get a closeup that isn't blurry, but I wanted you to see the cute pin that Kamila made. Those are tiny little knitting needles there... so cute, and I know exactly the coat I'm going to wear it on.

Worked on my curtains the other day while we were at a science and math department BBQ. My daughter, designated photographer for the day, took a picture. Finally made it downtown to get some circular needles for the plane (which you can see in the picture). So much easier to knit with than the old metal straight needles I was using, which were just too long for this project and should have come with a warning label attached: Danger, don't sit too close to knitter using these needles... may cause puncture wounds or take out an eye.

Any knitter knows the danger of going to his/her LYS just to pick up a set of needles... of course I had to buy a few balls of yarn because they were on sale. They had more of the alpaca wool that I've used for baby things and some other great baby wool in super colors.

Last little note: the baby that I made the green and blue sweater and hat for was born on Sunday. Heard he's a cutie.

Surprise Trip... to Karlstejn Castle

There are three of us leaving work this year. One's going to Japan, one's going to have a baby, and of course, I'm going to London. So the three remaining colleagues got together and planned a surprise trip for us to Karlsteijn Castle.

They were great. They had tickets already purchased for the tour of the castle (the one that only happens during the summer months). The train doesn't say anything about Karlstejn and my sense of geography is a joke so they had me fooled until we stepped off the train. I really had no idea where we were going.

It was a great day and I realized how fortunate I am to work with such great people. Always so thoughtful. It was funny that they chose this place, because a few days earlier I was thinking to myself, "How lame are you? Three years in the Czech Republic and you haven't even made it to Karlstejn Castle!" They saved me! Many thanks to Linda, Sandra and Mirjana for planning everything.

I took the Hoover blanket on the trip. It was on this trip that I realized that I needed to start some summer knitting. It was soooo hot and the Hoover blanket is getting big enough that I was sweating with it on my lap. Decided to get out a smaller project and one out of cotton.

Hubby: "You haven't been knitting much lately!"

That's an understatement. I think the end-of-the-year chaos plus getting ready to move, all the kids' parties and concerts and our parties and obligations have kept me from getting much knitting done. I won't even go into the horrible nightmares I've had lately... (usually getting stuck somewhere like an elevator or having trouble getting off an escalator).

Started working on the Bubbly Curtains from Mason-Dixon Knitting. Started these last summer for a double-paned glass door in our upstairs bedroom that overlooks the lake. I have four squares finished in different colors that match the rug (Rowan Wool Cotton). Four more squares remaining for the other side of the door. Haven't figured out how I'll put them all together or what I'll hang them on, but I'm sure something will inspire me. Can't show you a picture of the finished product yet as those that are finished are in the States. The one I've started isn't complete and they look so different once they are heavily starched and blocked that they are pretty unrecognizable at the moment.

Still have one baby booty left. I've put it aside for a few days, but need to get back to it soon. Need to have those done before I go.

Wanted to get downtown today to get some needles that I can use on the plane home--my only US5s are straight, which I'm not going to risk taking, but needed to take care of a friend's daughter. She's moving as well and is feeling the pressure too. She has the added pressure of having her husband out of the country already as he's already started the new job. Seemed that going downtown wasn't an option--needed to help out (she's always great about helping us so time to pay her back). Might try to hit the needles tonight. Wish me luck. (Snuck in about 10 minutes at a meeting today!)