Thank You Secret Pal!

Thanks SP! I love me some yarn and peach gummies!

Hockey in July

My package for Round 1 of the Ravelry Hockey Swap arrived while we were away on vacation. I couldn't wait to tear into it as soon as we got home (which I did, at around 2 in the morning!) I received all sorts of treats from Jacqui (blogless, but you'll find her on Ravelry here), including a funny Ovie postcard:and lots of yummy candy:

She knit me an intriguing 3-D turtle warshcloth, whose shell sticks up (sorry, you only sort of see it from this angle)
There were also two awesome blood-and-gore zombie stitch markers:
I'll have to find something scary to knit so I can use these!

Jacqui even sent something for my dear doggie:
It was greatly appreciated.

Thank you Jacqui for all the great gifts!

Wales at Folklife 2009

My thoughts exactly.

There was, not surprisingly, no shortage of fibery things on diplay:They really ought to have put a heel on this sock already, though I guess you could always use it as a scarf, or maybe stuff it and use it to stop up a drafty door.

Of course, there was the usual Old School yarn making
and even Older School yarn making
Sit while wheel spinning? Those youngsters don't know how good they have it!

I also learned that a sailing half hitch isn't the same as the one I use on my bottom whorl spindle.Nope, this one's an actual knot. The spinning one is more of a loop, presumably since you don't really have an end to work with while you're in the middle of spinning your single.

And what's this?
I would say it was my next hobby, but for the messy muddiness. Do they make a no-mess clay?

Recent Events

We're back from vacation and I'm scurrying around trying to catch up on, well, just about everything, including blogging. It's not for lack of stuff to right about. I just haven't buckled down and done the actual writing. I guess there's no time like right this very minute to fix that. Here's a quick rundown:

• It's summer choir time! We're singing Purcell and Mozart and we would love a big audience, so if you're in the College Park area tomorrow, come to the free concert. The program will be Welcome to All Pleasures, Exultate Jubilate, and the Coronation Mass.
• The Smithsonian Folklife Festival was a bit of mixed bag. I loved all the signs in Welsh, but $3.50 for a pupusa seemed excessive. More on that in the next post.
  
• We went northward for a multifamily vacation this year. There was much wandering around New York, Vermont and even a bit of Canada. Details and pictures in the post after the next post.
• I received an awesome Ravelry Hockey Swap package from Jacqui (link required Rav login). I'll post the pictures for that later too.
  

In knitting news, I finished a couple of socks:

I also finished the blue Scruchable Scarf I started when I was sick.
It was a shortish scarf, leaving enough yarn for a wee hat as well.
The Brooks Farm Four Play was very yummy and a joy to knit with. I didn't want to waste a bit. So I didn't!

SP14

Dear SP,

I've finally updated my questionnaire. It's mostly the same as last time. Thanks for your patience!