Home again, home again!

Whew! Where to begin? 2 weeks of vacation: gone like a drop in the bucket. 2 days back at work: hitting me like a bucket of bricks.  

There's much to cover.  The holidays were spent in three parts: A week at a cottage in Quebec with boyfriend and friends, followed by just shy of a week with fellow knitter Alison on a road trip to Newport, Rhode Island for the Newport Folk Festival.  Then, some time visiting friends and family in Northern Ontario.  Between the vacation adventures, shopping (yarn shopping included), knitting accomplishments, mail that's come in while I was away, and general fun updates, there's far too much for just one post.

First up, some stash enhancement and knitting updates.  On the first day of our Newport-bound road trip, Alison and I drove from Quebec through to Burlington, Vermont, and hit Kaleidoscope Yarns in Essex Junction, Vermont.  I'd spent a concern-worthy amount of time stalking their website before leaving on the trip, and was happily surprised by how great this store is.  It's a small store, but has great selection, and the staff are so helpful.  One of the staff taught me how to knit in the round with 2 circs, and how to do the magic loop, right there in the store.  I loved lots of the samples they have knit-up in the store, and I wanted to buy the yarn and patterns for most of what they had on display.  Great pattern and colour choices everywhere you look.  No frumpy sweaters here!

Surprisingly, my yarn expenses were moderate, nothing too overboard:

 
  
Vermont's Kaleidescope sells me on the Koigu and Cherry Tree Hill 

After admiring so much sock-knitting success, I took the plunge and bought some Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in Life's A Beach--appropriate for vacation yarn, n'est-ce-pas?  And, some Koigu Kersti merino that I couldn't resist for mittens.  Such soft yarn, and the colours are all superb...can't wait for winter.  Kind of ridiculous that I had to travel to the States to buy Canadian yarn though.  What gives Ottawa?  What's the deal on not selling Ontario-made yarn? 

I also enriched my yarn collection with some Lorna's Laces.  I've coveted this stuff for ages online, and having never seen any of it in person, it was a big moment.  After mauling every skein in the store, I left with 2 skeins of Lion and Lamb in a very Clickety Click colourway.  On the needles it went:

 Never thought I'd see the day--sock on the needles! 
Sock on the needles in Lorna's Laces, no less!   

The sweaters needn't worry too too much about being abandoned by a potential new-found sock obsession.  I put in some road trip hours on the front panels of the long-lost cotton ribby cardi, and am happy to report needing only to complete the sleeves.  Boredom has hit an all-time high though Ribby, it's going to take some work. 

 
Unpacking the knitting bag: the Ribby Cardi returns 2 panels the merrier

And, the piece that started it all, another pair of baby shower-destined boots, made at the cottage.  A quick knit, a much manlier pair than the last pair, I'd say.  Much more appropriate for a young gentlemen's toes.  I've made a few pairs of these, even a pair with the fair-isle pattern, and love the shape these boots come out.  I think grocery bags will do just fine for blocking.

 
Fini!

Pattern: Debbie Bliss Beaded Fair-Isle Shoes from The Baby Knits Book
Materials: Rowan Wool Cotton and Knitpicks Shine for the handsome stripe
Changes: Pretty obviously no fair-isle or beads.  Added a green stripe
and made the straps in stockinette, rather than in garter stitch.

Lots for one post, hey?  CD swappers, I'll get to you tomorrow!  I was pretty happy to come home to some packages, thanks for all the great CD mixes.  I'll thank you all properly once I get better settled and unpacked.  I've been enjoying the mixes!