Crochet: I’ve decided I’d really like a new hat for pesach. I don’t really have enough yardage (or a colour I like) in the stash so today a $3 of Bernat Satin in Mocha followed me home and jumped onto a hook. I’m not sure it’s selection of my salmon pink H hook was right but I’ll let a few more rounds go before I jump in and intervene. Given time constraints I am not sure how smart this is, but since another pair of socks is misbehaving it might not be too bad.

Spin: I still haven’t taken it off the spindle. To ply or not to ply is the current dilemma.

Stash: I am very very slowly owning up to the full contents of my stash. Constant grey gloomy skies make for terrible photography, especially with my poor skills. So please, as I add to flickr don’t think I bought all of it recently. I try to put the date in the description. I recently rediscovered my cache of Berocco Love-it for example…

Knit: On Sunday I bound off for the main portion of the dragon wrap, mostly as per my goal. I still have an extensive punch list before this can be blocked and sent off to it’s growing recipient but I’ve accomplished the big part. Immediately upon snipping the thread for the dragon wrap, I cast on for Anouk. After dusting C’s blanket I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m not in a blanket mood. I’m knitting the 12mo size and hoping that C stays little like her mum and aunts. I’m stash busting so we’ll see how creative the pockets become, and when reality sets in and I remember that I have to knit both the front, AND the back. ;) Many many thanks to knitter-E for inspiring me to try an Anouk of my own. (ps a belated Happy Birthday! I’m a dork and forgot.) The simple socks are progressing as long as we ignore a little bit of oddness in one heel and that I am able to have a stern talking to them and successfully untangle the mess that occurred on the train this morning. It was so terrible that I didn’t knit on the way home. I outlined this post. I have another pesach deadline which may or may not involve this ball of yarn. I’ve had grand plans for it for a while. We’ll see what happens.

Sakura Matsuri

Last Sunday, we went to see the peak Cherry Blossoms. We had wanted to go the weekend before, right before peak, and hopefully avoid all the crowds, but I believe it poured. We had just picked up Nibbler and decided to let her get used to her cage without us doting over her. Parking was an adventure but we found a place, and there was a line (at 4pm) to get in. The crowds were amazing. We didn’t have as wonderful a chance to explore the cherry blossoms as we wanted because of the late hour and the crowds. Below are a two photo I enjoy.

Maryland’s Sheep and Wool Festival

Saturday night we loaded the car and began the drive to Baltimore. We found a nice hotel in Baltimore and in the morning drove to the Festival.

Wow.

The photographer at work. The sheep smiled nicely for him.

And sometimes they smiled nicely for me.

I really couldn’t get the shot I wanted, but I believe this is a shot of a spinning wheel waiting to be shown and judged. ;) I believe they are all winners!

And I bought 100 grams of Skacel Merino Lace (colourway 729) from Pleasant Woolen Company. It was so incredibly overwhelming all the yummy yarns and colours and wheels! I know nothing about spinning and E had to drag me away. I know I could probably buy this at home but E said it would be silly to walk away empty handed. I didn’t want to go too far over budget. E was very patient as we went back and forth and I pet and (a few times) sniffed [yes, I am a yarn sniffer] the yarns. I have yet to ever knit more than a few rows of lace so we’ll see. I really prefered the grey (#329) but this won. I’m debating exactly what to make with it. I have quite a few ideas but nothing has solidified. I did a bit of knitting (and frogging) in the car. I’ll try to post pictures later today.

B&O Rail Road Museum

E and I have decided that this was a great museum, but we’re jaded. There was a train trip we could have taken and the coordinator tried to impress us with “how often do you get to go through the main switch yard” (or something I really wasn’t paying attention). I looked at E and we left. I’m sure it was quite nice, but after Steam Town, Peru, and numerous other train wonders, riding on a commuter rail train just didn’t excite us enough. Finding a nice cold drink did.

B&O Logo

There is no way I can show the scale. We found these two in the shop and fell in love.

She arrived at B&O two days after Pearl Harbor. There is absolutely no way to capture the scale and beauty of this marvel. E had to pull me away.

The restoration of the beauty is magnificent… I stood drooling for a good 5 minutes. Then I sat down on one of the benches. ;)

The World to Come

I finally read Dara Horn‘s new masterpiece, The World to Come. I read In the Image several years ago and with her new work she has me won over. I don’t know what to say other than please, go read this.

This is a very different shop than Purl in which I acted like such a dorky awestuck fangirl last week (and didn’t purchase anything, but pet lots of yarn).

I also like The Yarn Connection as I can go there over lunch, but I end up just petting the yarn and it’s not good to spend lunch money on yarns…

And given my budget PS Yarns wins with nice affordable yarns. I try not to shop in Brooklyn, too large a temptation…

of course i should get through the current stashes first. :)