Playing Tourist and New Yarn

My cousin and her family came to visit this weekend , so we all played tourist at the Smithsonian. And what did I see at the Air and Space Museum, apart from a ridiculously overpriced McDonald's (think $7-$9 "value" meals)? It's a membership card for the Interstellar Association of Turtles. I did a little googling and found that they're still around and still offer memberships (for a fee, of course) to "bright eyed, bushy tailed, fearless and unafraid folk with a fighter pilot attitude." Hmmm, it took me about half and hour to muster the courage to kill the spider in our kitchen this morning, so I guess I don't have the right stuff. We also met these guys, who my cousin's daughter so accurately dubbed "the silver dead people." Oh, from the mouths of babes... The museum wasn't nearly as crowded as I thought it would be. It's a good thing we went this weekend, instead of Labor Day.

Yes, I have been knitting. Here's Bert the Turtle sporting a finished Tychus.



It's 2 strands worked together over short rows and it moved along so quickly, I've started another one in black and red. My brother said the FO was "very Mongolian," not to mention oversized. So, does wearing it make me want to ride around Eurasia and sack a city or two? Sort of, but I pity the horse that has to carry me. I'm also trying to figure out one of the slipped rib patterns from Knitting on the Edge. That's not going so well. There is a pattern emerging, just not the pattern I was looking for (you know, like the one actually pictured in the book). Bummer. But wait, there's more:



A second One-Skein Wonder, with a more accurate gauge this time, and with only the seed stitch edging missing. Thanks again, SP5, for the great pattern. I'm hoping to finish this piece off by tonight. That's a good thing, because there are new additions to my stash:



I made a trip to the LYS on Friday after orientation . They were having a sale (50% off King Tut, plus 15% off Noro) and I couldn't resist (alright, so I would have bought them even without the sale). I've started on a Child's Rainbow Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts:



I've never used Noro before and I think it's interesting that Kureyon somehow manages to be a little rough and a little slick to the touch (is that the lanolin, maybe?). The colors are really nice, though. I'm sure this stuff would make a lovely sweater, though I personally won't be able to test that idea unless I win the lottery, get a bonus, or find some other way to increase my yarn budget!