Knitting Sutra

The Essential Guide To Moving Stash Overseas

And so it begins... 6 weeks of extreme minimalist living. It's more fun to sit on the floor and eat pizza when you're a kid. The novelty wears off pretty quickly as an adult.

I'm no stranger to moving. My dad was career military, and we moved around a lot when I was growing up. Of course we used to pack two cars to the gills with the items we'd need right away. But I remember agonizing over which toys I could and couldn't live out.

These days, my brain chews on slightly more important items like which clothes to bring. It's warm now, but it's usually cold on Halloween. Do we need to bring these old towels, or should we buy a new set that doesn't have bleach marks on them? Should we try to squeeze a fry pan in our luggage, or just buy one when we get there? Should we be keeping this scratched up Teflon anyway?

But the real question, as you all know, is what yarn to bring in your luggage and what yarn to ship on the boat. The following steps will ensure that your beloved stash rides along with you.

Step 1: Survey the goods by laying it all out on a flat surface.

Step 2: Commit to finishing WIPs. You'll get no sympathy from anyone if you leave good projects behind in favor of untouched yarn balls.

I held onto the yarn for B's sweater (I'll knit on the plane), the Belatrix Socks, and the Silk Daisy Scarf.

Step 3: Find out what knitted objects the husband wants this Autumn. Involving the husband in the insanity ensures minimal smirks and snarky comments when you get around to selecting items for yourself.

We went back and forth for awhile on this. He'd like a new scarf for crisp October evenings, but the yarn I have for that is a bit bulky and might take up too much room in the suitcase. I explained that I already wanted to knit him some hiking socks. Further, some of the sock books I bought awhile ago contain great, manly patterns. In the end we agreed on two skeins of sock yarn: Lana Grossa Mega Boots Stretch and Wollmeise.

Step 4: Think gift knits.

B found himself so wrapped up in Step 3 that without even realizing it, he reminded me that I shouldn't wait until December to start knitting for the holidays. (See how this works?) So, I stashed two skeins of secret surprise yarn to knit something for our moms.

Step 5: Buy more when you arrive.

I'm mad keen to knit Absorba, the bath mat from Mason-Dixon Knitting. I can't get Peaches and Creme here, so that's on my shopping list next week.

Step 6: Now think about you. By now, your husband thinks you're a saint for putting everyone else first.

I decided that I had one major project that I wanted to work on this Fall, stranded colorwork socks. So, I set aside the three skeins of the Lang Jawoll I picked up in Berlin.

Step 7: Lament aloud that you can't take more. Express particular concern for the fancy, hand dyed sock yarn that isn't as easy to replace. Segregate the fancy sock yarn from the average sock yarn. Declare desperately that if there's even a smidge worth of extra room in your luggage, you'll hit up the lux yarn first.

Step 8: After packing personal essentials and agreed upon project yarn, start cramming yarn in any nook and cranny you can find. Pout convincingly, but not too much, when husband suggests that you don't want to push it with the carry-on luggage. When he asks, "What if your bag doesn't fit into one of those thingies," say "nah, they won't care about that little bit." Then reluctantly start fishing it all back out, stating that five skeins of Claudia Hand Painted isn't going to make a big difference.

Step 9: Mission accomplished. Hug husband profusely when he offers to put the remaining skeins (Wollmeise, Colinette Jitterbug, TOFUtsies and Panda Cotton) in the extra space in his bag.

Voilà!

In truth, I'm not bringing all that much, though I did managed to pack all of my needles, plus essential notions. The odd thing is, though, I really didn't want to make a Fall knitting list like I did this Summer. It makes me feel too pressured. Yet in order to pack, I essentially made a list anyway.

Coming Soon

You may have noticed that I didn't list a certain project in my WIPs list above. Yes indeedy, I managed to finish and block my Ogee Skirt yesterday. Woohoo! Photos and details will be posted this weekend.

Road Trip 2007: Bavaria, Austria, Luxembourg (Part 1)

As promised, here's part one of my Bavaria (and then some) trip report. You can view all 100+ photos in my Flickr Photostream here if you're so inclined.

The Plan

Day 1: Drive to Würzburg
Day 2: Tool around the "Romantic Road" down to Füssen, then cut over to Mittenwald (near Garmisch) to set up camp.
Days 3-7: Hiking in the Altspitz Mountains and Castle Gawking
Days 7-11: Camping in Austria, hiking in Berechtesgaden (Germany), Salzberg
Day 12: Drive home

Alas, it rained a lot. As in most of the time. Still, we managed to get in an afternoon wander through a gorge near Mittenwald and a big hike down an Alp. Austria ended up being a bit of a bust, especially since we took our one really nice day to hang out at the camp. So, we decided to head home a bit early and add a day at Luxembourg instead.

So our real itinerary went something like this:

The Romantic Road

We made it to Würzburg on time. According to plan, we spent the first part of the day checking out the local "schloss" or castle. In the case of Würzburg, the palace is actually an old Bishop's residence, but don't let that fool you. The Residenz rivals most fancy chateaux you'll ever see.

From there, we meandered (read: got lost a lot) South on the Romantic Road to Rothenburg ob de Tauber, which is possibly Germany's most famous town. Rothenburg is to Germany as Brugge is to Belgium or Dinan is to France. It's pretty good as far as medieval towns go.

After spending too much time in Rothenburg, we decided to ditch the slow Romantic Road for the highway. We made it to Füssen around sunset, when we realized that there's no way we were making it to Mittenwald that night AND set up camp.

After unsuccessfully finding a place to sleep around Füssen (and getting lost some more), we headed on to Mittenwald, hoping to find a guest house along the way. We found one near Lermoos, Austria. Horray for random guest houses!

Mittenwald: Hiking, Castles, Bozners. Oh My!

I highly recommend Mittenwald as a base around the Garmisch area. The little resort town, while catering to tourists, manages not to be touristy. I think it helps that most of the visitors are German and are there for the hiking or mountain biking.

We happened to be in Mittenwald for the last weekend of their Bozner Markt, a festival hosted only once every five years. The original market dates back to the 1400s, and was a place for local Mittenwalders to sell their wares. Today's festival showcases a more traditional way of life.

Highlights include a spinner and hand felting (old and new skool) as well as lots of drinking.

I also picked up some yarn in a local woolen goods store. You knew I would! Though I swear I didn't intentionally go looking for it. In fact the only reason we went there was to get B a felt hat.

What you see is Frankengarn Merino, a German brand that specializes in natural products. I picked up some worsted weight to make a matching hat and scarf set as well as some sock yarn. Expect to catch me trying to knit up some traditional-style German socks sometime in the future.

After our brief run through the Bozner Markt, we hit the trail for a short walk through the Leutasch Gorge. The trail meanders 800 meters along the edge of the gorge, literally, on man-made walkways. The remaining bits of trail wander through cool, alpine forest.

A key feature of hiking in Germany, and Europe in general, is that you often find huts or guesthouses along the trails. I'd like to go back someday and do some through-walks, stopping in different villages along the way.

Of course the next day was castle gawking day. In the vicinity of Oberammergau is Schloss Linderhof, one of Ludwig II's mountain get-aways. If you don't know much about King Ludwig II of Bavaria, I highly recommend that you look him up. He's famous for his spending sprees, but erecting ridiculous castles seems to have been his particular passion.

Linderhof, interestingly, is the only castle that was finished (you'd die young if you lived a life of excess too), and is Ludwig's homage to Versailles. Unfortunately, you can't photograph the interior, but honestly I think it might actually rival Versailles in shear over-the-topness and absence of taste. I mean that in the best possible and most entertaining way. The Venus Grotto (where none of my photos turned out) is worth the admission fee alone.

The grounds are free and photographable, so I give you a montage of German Tax Euros at work.

The last two shots are of Oberammergau. We pretty much nipped in to see what all the fuss was about. It's traditional house paintings are some of the best in Bavaria, especially if you're into scary religious art. I don't have anything against religious art, but wait until I show you what looked upon us while we ate a snack in Weis a few days later.

The One Big Hike

The following are a few shots of our hike down the Alpsptize. We took a cable car from Garmisch to the Höllentorköpf station. From there we hiked down into the Höllentorlanger (Hell's Valley), stopping for a bite at the climber's hut. Then we headed into the Höllenterklamm (Hell's Valley Gorge), where the trail follows old routes used by workers on a now-defunct hydroelectric project. In fact, some of the trail dates back to the turn of the last century. The route finishes up in Hammersbach, where you can either walk back to the cable car parking lot or take the train. We found out the hard way that the last train runs around 5pm.

Gone Walkin'

So a couple months ago I mentioned that we might be going to the Baltics for our Summer vacation. Turns out that you have to book kennels far, far in advance of August to secure spots for your pooches and kitties. So, instead we're going camping and hiking in the Bavarian Alps. We'll be sure to catch a few castles here and there, and you can bet we'll log more than a few hours in some beer gardens. But, mainly we're going to relax, breathe fresh air, and get some much needed exercise.

I've spent the better part of the past couple of days organizing our neglected camping gear. Sleeping bags, Thermarests, cook stove, all of it is lying all over our floor waiting to go in the rental car. Clumps of dirt are falling off my trail shoes, dirt that probably comes from West Virginia. Poor, old forgotten hiking shoes.

I can't WAIT to see hills and mountains again. Streams, lakes, gorges and waterfalls will be icing on the cake, Black Forest cake of course. Euro camping isn't anything like what we're used to in the US - we'll be sharing our vistas with lots and lots of RVs - but it'll do. I love sleeping outside, and that's all that matters. Nigel especially loves snuggling with us in the tent.

I'm bringing my WIPs with me, but we're not going to go out of our way to visit any yarn shops. The last thing I need is more yarn anyway. I think I'm in much more danger of taking home some useless lederhosen. I do hope to be inspired, though. Bavaria is Sock Country after all. If I don't see at least a few knobby knees poking out of elaborate knee highs I will be disappointed.

See ya'll in a week or so.

Jemima, Mon Petit Chou

Jemima, my dear, you are officially a finished object. How does it feel? You look great. You feel great! Now all we need is a cold spell.

Yarn: Rowan Cashsoft DK Savannah and Cream
Pattern: Jemima by Anna Bell
Modifications: I didn't make any modifications intentionally, and I even used the suggested needle size. However, my collar was worked on fewer stitches as I couldn't find enough stitches to pick up what the pattern said. I don't think it matters.

I dunno how Anna Bell did it, but this sweater hits my waist exactly, which is unusual because I'm short-waisted. The only down side is that I find the circumference of the sleeves to be a bit too generous for me.

I found the raglan seaming to be a bit of a nightmare. The pattern didn't say to work the increases one or two stitches in from the edge. I don't think these things should be treated as a given. However, it is possible that you might want the shaping to be on the edge, so I don't think that's the only reason my raglan sleeves aren't super polished.

The gauge for the knitted fabric is intentionally looser than what the ball band recommends. This creates a light and drapey fabric that is the essence of the pattern. However, I think the loose stitches don't seam as well. They didn't bounce back into shape after I tightened the mattress stitch, even on the side seams. So, I adjusted most of the stitches in and around the edges manually with a needle.

Another problem was that I kept ending up with an extra inch or so on the body pieces, even though the row count for the raglan shaping on each piece is the same. I think this is because some of the decreases on the body are worked every other fourth row as opposed to every other row on the sleeves. At least that is my guess, but it made it a challenge to keep the seams from being lumpy in spots.

In the end I think it all came together, and I'm very pleased. I've learned some lessons for my next project. What else can you hope for?

Summer in Paris

You can probably tell that I nipped off to Paris for the day. B had a work thing (read: room paid for plus per diem), so I tagged along. While he worked, I took the RER train out to Versaille, a place I always wanted to check out but never got around to visiting. I'll post some more photos later, but I will mention that while Versaille is certainly a fine display of ridiculous opulence and wealth, I think Schönbrunn Palace outside of Vienna puts on a better show. Schönbrunn, the childhood home of Marie-Antoinette, has a couple of Asian-inspired rooms that will blow you away.

I was lucky to beat the really long lines at Versaille, so I was back in the city for lunch. I've been to Paris a few times before, so I decide to spend the rest of the day shopping around St. Suplice and St. Germain instead of cramming in more sight-seeing. Europe goes on sale in July and there were major bargains to be had, as much as 70% off in some shops. I made out like a bandit.

Socken in Berlin

Hey Gang! So sorry I dropped off the planet for a bit. Once B got into town, the vacation portion of my week in Berlin kicked in. I'd have been pretty unpopular with the husband if I blogged on holiday.

The socks really got around, and they especially liked the local Berliner Weisse beer.

This young wheat beer is a bit raw without the help of green or red syrup. The green tasted a bit like sour apple lip gloss, and yes it came with a straw. You can see from my (lack of) progress that beer drinking interferes with sock knitting.

I'm going to hold on to the rest of my socks in Berlin photos so they're still a surprise for the Summer of Socks vacation photo contest. I know I'm allowed to post photos on my blog, but I'd rather not give anyone any good ideas. There's real sock yarn at stake here, people. ;)

I'll give you a teeny, tiny hint. Mad props to anyone who can guess where the socks went.

Coming up later this week, Ogee swatches and the final Jemima sleeve. Maybe I'll even turn a sock heel or two.

When it Rains, It's Purple

Progress continues on Jemima. I finished knitting and blocking the front. It looks the same as the back, so I didn't bother to take any photos. Yesterday, while we sat around waiting for the electricians to fix the power in the bathroom, I managed to knit about half of a sleeve only to discover that I'd somehow knit the wrong way on one row. I must have put it down mid-row or something and forgot if I was knitting or purling. Interestingly, I only realized it from the one weird stitch. When I frogged it back, one side was two rows longer than the other. It's all better now, and there's still a chance I could finish Jemima before I head off next weekend.

Purple People Eater

Late last week, I finally received the Panda Cotton I ordered for my mom's socks. They ran out of the powder blue color (my mom's favorite), so I opted for the periwinkle. As Heather mentioned a while back, these are teeny balls of yarn. I'm skeptical that I'l get a pair of socks out of them.

Here's a shot of both skeins next to B's Winnie the Pooh tea cup. I'm not kidding, that is B's mug. That his mom gave him. I assure you that I tease him about his muggy wuggy. ;)

I cast on on Friday thinking I'd follow the Laburnum pattern (see the 4 stitch patterns) from Sensational Knitted Socks, only to discover that it's this close to impossible to k3tog in cotton. It can be done, but it slows the flow of knitting down so much as to not be enjoyable. Plus, I don't think the pattern and the yarn, which is a bit splitty, went well together. I frogged it after one pattern repeat, and am looking around for something else. I'm not going to cast on again until Thursday when Summer of Socks 2007 begins.

The Berlaine also turned up.

Unfortunately, it's as I feared: itchy scratchy. No wonder Frenchie turned up her nose up at the mention of 100% wool yarn. This is old school wool - more torture than luxury. I'm going to wash a few swatches to see if it softens up, but at the moment things aren't looking good for the Cabled V.

Next Stop: Berlin

I mentioned in passing the other day that I'm going to Berlin next weekend. I'm enrolled in a week-long yoga teacher training course with Manju Jois. For those of you who practice Ashtanga yoga, you'll recognize the name. Manju is the son of Sri Pattabhi Jois, the famous Indian yogi that developed the Ashtanga series of yoga postures. I don't exclusively practice Ashtanga yoga, but I do enjoy it. And, this is a great opportunity for me to work with an Indian master, of which there are surprisingly few.

For those who are curious, I teach an interdisciplinary style of yoga with a slight preference for vinyasa flow. That is to say, that I teach a little bit of everything, but I like to keep things moving in the class. I don't believe that one size fits all, and I think there's a lot to learn and take away from all kinds of yoga. However, there are two "foundational" styles, and Jois' Ashtanga is one of them. This is me getting back to the basics. I'm really, really, really excited about this class.

I'm also really, really, really keen to go to Berlin. It's meant to be one of the most dynamic cities in Europe, and also home to this little guy. Not to worry, I believe the apartment I rented has wireless Internet, so I will be blogging. There will also be knitting. And yarn shopping.

Remember

B, Nigel and I are back from Normandy, and overall it was a good trip.  I've been to this Northwest corner of France three times now, and you can only appreciate Mont St. Michel and the Bayeux Tapestry so many times before you're wishing for a bit of Provence. 

We rented a small house in the country, about an hour inland from Cherbourg.  The setting was exactly as you'd imagine a French country cottage:  dairy cows munching on grass, roosters crowing, and wild flowers.  So many foxgloves, poppies and daisies.  Just so many.  Breakfast in the garden was the best part of the whole trip.

Coincidentally, we were in Normandy in time for this year's annual D-Day festivities.  All weekend long were ceremonies, parades and general merriment as the citizens of the region remembered the sacrifices that American, British and Canadian forces made in liberating France from Nazi occupation.  Today is the anniversary of D-Day, and before I get to the knitting, I want to take a moment to remember those men and women who gave their lives so that we may be free.  My own grandfather earned a Purple Heart on June 6th, 1944 while coming ashore on Omaha Beach.  Had he not survived (and he only barely did), I wouldn't be typing this message today.

Back to the Regularly Scheduled Knitting

I tried to track down the Berlaine yarn that I need for my Cable V Neck Sweater pattern.  I hit up the Bergere de France retailer in Bayeux, only minutes before she closed for lunch.  Unluckily, they didn't stock the Berlaine, and it had something to do with it being 100% wool. 

Me:  Avez-vous Berlaine?  (Do you have Berlaine?)

Shopkeeper:  Non. (nose scrunched)

Me:  (Not sure if I pronounced Berlaine well enough, though I have to say that's not a difficult thing to say.)  C'est de Bergere de France.  (It's from Bergere de France)

Shopkeeper:  Je n'ais pas Berlaine.  C'est 100% laine.  (I don't have Berlaine.  It's 100% wool.)

I have no clue if wool isn't appreciated as much in France or if it's just because summer is coming, but I swear she turned her nose up at the mere idea of 100% wool yarn.  She showed me another wool/acrylic blend, but then she admitted that it wasn't the same weight.  When I showed her my pattern, she said something about it being from last year, again with the nose.  I refrained from upping her snottiness with my own thinking, "Lady, you are running a rinky dink store in a run-down shopping center, and I'll probably be your only customer all day."  I was planning on maybe stocking up on another sweater's worth of yarn because I quite like a lot of Bergere de France patterns, but I couldn't wait to run away from her nose.

Oh well.  Guess I'll order a skein online and see how it goes.

Booga Bag 80% Done

You read that right.  80% done.  Owing to a ton of traffic on the highways, I logged many, many hours of car knitting.  Don't believe anyone who tells you that Europeans don't drive.  We sat in Jersey Turnpike-type traffic that stretched for kilometers through Belgium and France.  It took us at least three hours longer to get to our destination than it did back in January. 

Still, the Booga Bag is almost insultingly easy.  It is literally just yards and yards of knit stitches.  Even the i-chord is technically just knits.  I dropped not a single stitch, and I could stop mid-row whenever I wanted.  I highly recommend this for car knitting, but it might bore you to tears in any other situation.  I think the only thing that will help me finish it up is the excitement of throwing it in the wash to see what happens.  Otherwise, I'm not sure I could handle it outside of the car.

BTW, I ended up going with the larger needles on the advice of some felting article I found just before we hit the road.  I'm even a tad worried that it's still not loose enough.  Guess we'll find out.

Malabrigo So Soft

I'm really not sure I have adequately expressed how soft this yarn is.  It's almost obscene.  All the while I'm knitting away on the Booga Bag, I'm dreaming of all the other projects the Malabrigo Worsted Merino would be perfect for: hats, scarves, and chunky pullovers.  I will definitely work with this again.  I don't even mind the uneven nature of the kettle dye.  It has character. 

Holiday Road

Last Thursday was a public holiday here in the Netherlands.  I have no idea why, but who can complain about a day off?  B took Friday off instead, and  we caught the train down to Brugge (Bruges en Français), Belgium to see the "best preserved medieval city in Europe," or something like that. 

Anyone who's taken a trip to the low countries will gush over Brugge.   It does have a huge number of old buildings in its endless historic center.  I think if you were only traveling around Holland and Belgium, then maybe your perspective on Brugge would be pretty great.  However, we've seen some damn, quaint shit here in Europe, and we're not convinced that Brugge deserves all its superlatives.  I mean, the bar is set really high with Dinan, France where we spent New Year's Eve this past season.

Nevertheless we had a nice time, and the weather couldn't have been nicer.  Whenever we go to Belgium, we obligate ourselves to do three things:  eat great food, buy lots of chocolate from indie shops, and stock up on obscure, Belgian beers.  Brugge did not disappoint on all three fronts, especially the chocolate.

Yes, those are stacks of 2" thick bricks of chocolate from around the world.   See the flags?

Brugge's connection with yarn and knitting these days is pretty slim.  However, it was once a bustling hub of the textile trade.  British wool was once shipped to Brugge to be spun and woven into high-quality cloth.   These days, you mainly find kitschy lace shops along with other tourist traps.  Brugge is really just Medieval Disneyland, a sentiment reinforced by the nagging feeling that no one actually lives there.  It's a bit weird.

Almost There; Stay on Target

I knit like crazy each way on the train, and have made mad progress on B's socks.  I'm almost done, so I'll hold off on showing you anymore photos until I can drag him off somewhere for a photo shoot.  We've been pleasantly surprised at how far we're stretching this skein - it will produce proper-sized socks.  Woohoo!

Meanwhile, I placed an order at Woollyworkshop in the UK for some Crystal Palace Panda Cotton for socks for my mom.  Turns out she's got a mighty wool allergy (no wonder she only ever knit acrylic sweaters for me when I was a kid!), so none of the skeins in my stash would work for her.  I hear good things about this cotton/bamboo blend, so it's all good.  Of course I picked up other goodies, but you'll just have to wait and see.

Do it Myself?

We were at the American Book Center on Saturday (after we popped into the M.C. Escher museum, which was as you would expect), where I discovered that they stock the Vogue Stitchionary series.  I've had my eye on the first two (Knit & Purl and Cables) for some time, but didn't want to throw down real cash sight unseen.  In my meager opinion, these books are amazing!  I want.  Could I perhaps design my own socks and sweaters?  I could at least design some fab scarves.  What are the ethics of designing your own garments when you get the stitch pattern from a dictionary?

Anyway, I stuck to my no-book-buying rule until we move back to the States.  Like we need any more big, hardback volumes to amp up the weight of our household goods.  Amazon.com has them for a fraction of the list price anyway.

Last Thing I Swear

B and I are trying to hit up a bunch of European destinations before we leave.  We've decided to go off the beaten path a bit and check out the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) in July.   I know very little about traditional knits, but a voice in the back of my head says that at least one or two of these countries should prove interesting from a knitterly perspective.  If you have any info, let me know.

Deutschland, Deutschland über alles

I know it's been awhile; I hope you're all still there.  I got back from Germany on Monday only to discover that the building manager neglected to pay the cable/Internet bill.  Fun times.

Germany, in a word, was lovely.  Even though I was born there, Germany never called me.  When it comes to Europe, I'm much more of a France/Portugal kinda girl.  I was pleasantly surprised at how warm and friendly most people were, funny even - not at all dour or stuffy.  They paint their buildings in bright, cheery colors giving the mostly landlocked country a Mediterranean flavor.  I kept feeling like I would turn a corner and end up at the beach, which is funny since I live five minutes from the beach and you'd never know it.

Germany has interesting art, great musical traditions, nice architecture, castles at every turn, great wine and beautiful countryside.  Germany is also very dog friendly.  Several restaurants had "dog stations" set up with fresh water and treats.  Shop keepers had treats on hand!  On hand!  Seriously, they'd go into a back room or rummage through a desk and reveal dog snacks.  Nigel loves Germany.  What more could you want?

Yarn?  What about the yarn, Jen?  What?  Oh that.

First thing's first:  Sock Yarn

In Cologne, Nigel and I stopped and lingered in Maschenkunst, a shop run by Daniella Johannsenova, creator of the Secret Knitting Podcast.  Daniella has a big selection of sock yarn including these pretties: 

Colinette Jitterbug in the Marble 88 and Bright Charcoal 87 colorways.

Can I just tell you that this sock yarn means bidness.  Seriously.  It's soft and silky.  Merino.  Yum.  The darker color is for B and I'm not sure what I'll do with the lighter one.  I'm thinking: Mother's Day present.  A little late, I know, but I need her measurements first.

Zitron's Trekking Pro Natura in Silver 1511 and Light Blue 1510. 

Pro Natura contains 75% new wool and 25% bamboo fiber, which Daniela said was stronger than the bamboo material used in other yarns. 

I love the very idea of bamboo yarn because the stuff grows like weeds, eminently sustainable.   I deliberately selected solid colors that I could use for more intricate, interesting patterns.

Not Just Any Other 

I didn't just want to buy sock yarn, but without a big project in mind I was reluctant to buy anything else.  Yet I asked Daniella what other tempting treats she had around, and this is when she pointed me to the Malabrigo Worsted Merino.   I bought two skeins in the Tuareg 98 colorway.

Wow.  When I touched it, I thought I'd died (dyed?) and gone to merino heaven.   Man, this stuff is soft, soft, soft AND the kettle dyed color is so rich.  My point and shoot digicam does not do it justice.  If you can imagine, the color is more like a deep-sea blue - the fashion industry would call it "petrol blue." 

Malabrigo, btw, comes from Uruguay and is hand dyed by a women's cooperative.  It's not even expensive.  This yarn should be high on your tick list if it isn't already.

What am I going to do with it? you ask.   Daniella suggested a felted bag.  What?  Felt this awesome stuff?  Shouldn't I just roll around in it instead?  Then she brought out a bag that had been felted in just the same yarn.  It was exquisite; the softest bag I'd ever touched.

So add "felted Malabrigo bag" to my list of projects.   

I also picked up a couple pairs of Addi circular needles, so I'm not as restricted to one sock project at a time you see.  ;)  I try not to buy metal needles because mining is so awful for the environment, but she only had metal ones in 2.5mm.  I cast on my May Socktopia socks yesterday, and I have to say that these metal circs are like butter.  So smoof.  When it comes to magic loop knitting, metal is the way.  It makes a huge difference.

Wineland

After B's conference ended in Cologne, we headed down to Koblenz - a town where the Rhine and Mosel rivers meet.  From there we drove the winding road along the Mosel to the Roman city of Trier.  This is German wine country, and it's nothing less than stunning especially this time of year.  Word to the wise:  take several days to make the journey so that you can stop off in quaint little towns for wine tastings (the Germans call it weinprobe, not kidding) and castle touring.  It's so worth it.

We wrapped up our tour in Bonn, where B had another conference to attend.  Don't let anyone tell you that Bonn is dull.  It's a vibrant, beautiful, tree-lined city, definitely worth a visit.

I leave you with a few more photos.

Funky house in Trier:

Gladiator prison beneath Trier's Roman Amphitheater:

Bonner Markt, Bonn:

In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle

So, OK I've been back from Costa Rica for almost a week.  Unfortunately, I returned to the pressure of not one, but two freelance deadlines stacked on top of each other.   Still, I have so much to tell you.

In four words, the trip was: Exactly What I Needed.

This was the view from my mat for two hours each morning and afternoon.

The yoga retreat was held in a small, rural surfing village on the Pacific Coast.  It was hot and humid, and my body loved it.  My skin cleared and softened, shedding years off my apparent age. My joints started moving again after a year and a half in a cold, dank climate.  I sweat quite a lot of toxins out of my pores and received the best massages in my life.  I connected with wonderful people, started the long road to getting back in shape and gave my life a lot of thought.  In the end, I came to one very clear conclusion:

I do not want to work in an office ever again.

Not ever.  Never.

In Costa Rica, I was inspired by the power of yoga to heal, something I knew academically as a yoga teacher but not experientially. I arrived a broken and disgruntled person after a rough year and a half in Holland.  The stress has manifested in my body the kinds of aches and pains usually reserved for people at least 10-15 years older than me including:  digestive issues and heart burn, a near constant pain in my left hip, a weird knot under my left shoulder blade, and lower back pain that surfaces after shockingly short amounts of time walking around in decent shoes.

After just one day in Costa Rica I was literally glowing.  Everyone said so.  I was naturally smiling, not forcing it.  When I saw myself in the mirror that first night, I didn't recognize myself.  Seriously.  I looked at least 5 years younger and happy.  I was happy.  I was doing what I really wanted to do.  I was particularly inspired by the massage therapist, an older Japanese American guy named Kenny.  After a session with Kenny, people were so blissed out that we took to saying that someone had been Kenneyed.  I would do anything to help someone feel even half as good as I did.  Get your mind out of the gutter!

I want to make a difference, but by now I know I'm not going to be one of those people that changes the world in a grandiose way.  But I can help one person at a time feel better.  When we return to DC later this year, I've decided to have a go at teaching yoga as my primary profession. 

I'm changing course.  No more DC rat race.  No more fighting to be taken seriously as a woman in a predominantly male profession.  This is good.   

About the Socks

Man, I knit my little heart out, and the darn things still aren't finished!  So much for finishing three pair in a week.  I can't believe I traveled half-way around the world with enough yarn for three whole pairs of socks.  I'm so delusional.  Here's where I'm at so far:

Astute readers will notice that I now have two socks on one circular needle as opposed to the single sock I was originally working on.  The night before I left, I misunderstood a set of directions detailing the short-row heel technique, and I knit myself an irreparable mess.  My stitch count was way off.  When I studied the sock it became clear that my problems started well before the heel. 

So I ripped it all out and started over on the plane, much to the astonishment of the man sitting next to me.  He marveled through the whole flight about how impossibly small my yarn and needles are.  At least I got to cast on both socks and fix the funky toe. 

Things went OK at first.  I knit by the pool, hopping from deck chair to deck chair to keep from frying in the sun.  I knit in shade of the open-air restaurant.  I knit in bed at night while I caught up on American TV piped in over satellite.  I was a hit with my fellow yogis, who wondered about a person who knits wool socks in the tropics.

Funny thing about knitting two socks at once.  If you find a problem and you have to unknit, you have to unknit twice as much as you really need to.  It was a devastating blow to sock progress when I realized that I'd dropped a stitch a while back, far enough back that I couldn't fix it.  I might have been able to figure out a way to pull one sock off the needles if I had stitch holders.  Note to self:  carry stitch holders wherever you go.

It took a surprisingly long time to unknit back to my error, sucking away about two days worth of time that I could have been making progress.  I thought for sure I'd finish on the 15 hour journey back to Holland, but unfortunately I fell asleep on the long haul.  I managed to finish the heel on the flight, but the cuff is being worked on borrowed time as I finish my freelance projects.

Lucky for me, my feet are small and my legs are short.  I'm almost finished.  They're turning out OK, though a bit wonky.  I wasn't planning on blocking my socks, but the uneven stitching is bugging me and the short rows are holey.  Next I'll be ironing my pajamas. 

I'm so weird.