Is that the new thing? or I drove all night to get to you

There were three giddy girls. There was a train. There was a lot of yarn. There was a lot of giggling. There was a lot of chocolate. There was even a mascot. There wasn't much sleep. There isn't much cash leftover. There weren't many vegetables.

As you know, I finally left on the heralded Stitches 2006 Yarn and Yawn Tour. I'll get to the yarn later, but for now let's focus on what's making me yawn away my Monday morning.

I hit the road Friday morning, mixed CDs within reach. Along the way, I stopped to pick up my new best friend, Polly. Polly Pockets, that is. We met up at a McDonalds somewhere between here and there. She was sporting her very own knitted halter and had surprisingly little baggage, so she was welcomed on the trip with wide open arms.

We reached our next destination where Needlefingers tossed her travel bags in the trunk and we took another short trek to meet up with Jenny from the Blog. Jenny hopped a ride and the four of us headed for the train station, another hour or so away.

And the festivities began. I hadn't ever ridden a train, so I was all aghast at the prospect and giddy with anticipation. We sprung for business class, but unfortunately we didn't get to sit together, instead finding ourselves one behind another in the single seats along the right side. I pouted, but all-in-all it was a quick and peaceful trip filled with memorable fellow travelers including a young blonde child that had that "Children-of-the-Corn" gaze, note passing, boozing grannies and a cranky Aunt Rita.

We pulled safely into the station and hailed a cab and got tucked away into the hotel, complete with a complimentary cookie and the knowledge that the roll-away bed we'd been promised was not to be.

Chitting and chatting and chitting and chatting continued until bedtime. We awoke Saturday morning complete with cash and tickets in hand, ready to do our damage at the market. Traversing habitrail-type walk-ways we soon entered the Land of Knitting, where all of the inhabitants clicked away with needles, talked of silky yarns and consulted over Intarsia techniques.

We set about on what we thought was a methodical plan to see each and every single hank of yarn and knitting notion there. Soon, however, overwhelmed with the knitting happiness, we found ourselves wandering aimlessly. So aimlessly in fact that my first purchase was a potholder loom.

Soon enough, we came back to reality and our original plan thanks to the nourishment of pizza and fountain cokes. Refreshed and organized, we hit the market again and I soon found myself lugging quite a yarn haul including my very own ball winder. In the midst of the purchasing fury, we met up with Sherry, a fellow knitter and blogger.

Sherry was attending an entire bank of classes, but broke for a bit to shop along with and eventually joined us for some knitting back in the room, where we admired our stash and did a ritualistic dance to celebrate our bounty. Sherry had snagged a beautiful hank of sock yarn that I coveted so much that we scooted back to the market with minutes to spare before closing so I could own yardage of my very own.

I cracked open the new fancy ball winder and wound myself two skeins of sock yarn so that I could begin working with it immediately.

A Chicago-based friend soon joined us and we bored her to tears with knitting speak and tales of the perfect yarn. Scribe M and I eventually headed out the door in search of a celebratory dinner . She began a new job this week and we needed to mark the occasion. And that we did. Dining at Morton's on an incredible meal, we gabbed and visited and caught up with each other. We all met back up at the room and wasted away the late hours tellling stories, some of which are to be tucked away in the vault.

Sunday promised much of the same. As we entered the doors of the market, we were originally working under the notion that our shopping was done, we were just "browsing" (which apparently means purchasing). Our plan was foiled whenever we once again spied the Brooks Farm booth where I found the perfect yarn for a Clapotis. Surrounded by all of the beautiful yarns and textures, I couldn't resist and I joined our pack of knitters in purchasing a hank of my very own.

Eventually it was time to trek home. We headed back to Union Station where we devised a plan of attack for melding into the boarding line and landing seats together. (The plan even involved code phrases, but I think those areonly effective if you let everyone involved in on the code.) No sleeping on the way home because the a/c in our car was broken and at some point I think I could see my breath and feared if I fell asleep I'd suffer from frostbite and amnesia. We found ourselves back where we started. After stopping for probably the only real meal for the day, one that didn't involve chocolate or cheese crackers, we began our original journey in reverse.

Realizing that I missed my dear Cynical and wanted to head home, I decided to make the drive south Sunday evening. More tired than I realized, I had to sing my way back home in order to stay awake. I got home, dropped my luggage and yarn at the door, slipped off my shoes and went to bed. Cynical was sleeping soundly and only said upon my tugging of the covers, "Are you home?"

Luckily I took Monday off from work, as today I have attempted to sleep, but to no avail. I have yawned away my day photographing my finds, eating tomatoes and channel surfing.

In the event that you love yarn and associated items as much as I do, I have saved the best for last. My haul: (sans a pattern, set of needles and a little bag I just couldn't get a good photo of. Apparently I will only be knitting socks for the rest of my life. . . oh and a beautiful Clapotis scarf/wrap with my incredible Brooks Farm yarn.)

Fly Super Sport 3-ply Hand-dyed Merino Wool (Ruby Redmond, which I renamed Chocolate Covered Cherries)

Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Superwash Merino Fingering Weight Wool (I am calling this Baby Greens)

Opal Sock Yarn (Lady Bug)

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Superwshed Merino Wood Medium Weight (Rock My World)

Notable Yarns by Brooks Farms Harmony Mohair/Wool/Silk Blend

Trekking XXL 75% Wool/25% Nylon Sock Yarn

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Superwash Merino Lightweight (Spring Fling)

Chunky Misti Alpaca (The caked yarn came in a scarf kit; the cream will be used for a Christmas gift.)

My very own metal potholder loom. I couldn't resist. I even created one while gabbing in our hotel room Saturday night.

And gotta love the new ball winder.

All I want is a couple days off

The problem with planning something you are really looking forward to is that, if you are like me, you are worthless until then. Tomorrow is my last day at the office this week and then I am off to Chicago, leaving out on Friday.

So, now I am acting like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa to bring me everything I ever wanted and more including a metal detector, Fashion Plates and my own copy of "The Outsiders". Thing is, I am not a kid, I am an adult with work obligations, with cat hair issues and laundry to do all before I even hit the road.

Like Jennifer and Needlefingers, I too am wondering why we didn't just leave today and get this party started.

I have done a lot of flying, a lot of driving and a lot of traveling in general, but this is actually my first train ride. That fact is only adding to my excitement.

In the meantime I am occupying myself with the logistics of trip preparation. I have my list of yarn desires, I packed my knitting projects for the train, the house is clean and the laundry is drying. Now, I just gotta get through Thursday.

I must tell you that even though I completely love traveling. Even though my bags are packed and my car is gassed, I will miss my dear Cynical. I so love sleeping with him near.

PS: Still time to enter the contest. I'll announce the winner when I return.

A shot from the orchard I visited on Saturday.

Four days and counting

The weekend may be over, but that doesn't mean I am dreading the week ahead of me. Each day brings me one step closer to boarding a train and heading to Chicago with knit buddies for my first ever Stitches Conference. I am looking forward to heading to the "big city" with Needlefingers and Jenny. So much so that I even started packing last night. You may call this obsessive-compulsive. I call it enthusiasm (and lack of time this week to do so.)

The deal gets even sweeter as I will get a little time with my best friend, Scribe M. She started a new job this week, has done major renovations to her apartment and even purchased a new car. . . so we have plenty to talk about: trashing her previous boss, commiserating over bathroom gutting agony and sitting in her sparkly new car.

In other news, the weekend was good. The weekend was peaceful. The weekend was ended much too quickly.

Here's a quick summary:
-Finished one sock, started its mate. I am so sad when I finish the first sock, because there it sits, all alone without its partner, waiting, wanting a mate to call her own. (Cue any song you listened to alone in your bedroom as a teenager.)

-Finished (sans seaming) a baby kimono. It's so tiny and sweet that for a moment I thought I felt my ovary ache and then I realized it was a mosquito bite. (PS: I hate seaming and if there is a way around it next time, I will find it.)

-Learned once again that Cynical is not allowed to go to the video store unattended. Do not rent "Stillwater" no matter how bad you want to see the "Slingblade" kid all grown up. Don't do it.

-I sat enthralled as I watched this on VH1. Genius, I tell you. Genius. (Madretz had the same reaction it seems.)

-Took a nap. I know I said that I hated them and I still do, but two nights of poor sleep drove me to it. That and the fan gently blowing on me. I couldn't help myself. I woke up groggy, cranky and disoriented, but I did recover.

-Ate sweet corn. Once again, is there anything better about living in the Midwest than sweet corn? No, there isn't. So quit pondering and accept the fact.

-Realized that I don't like Tori Amos. I tried, I really did, but I just don't like her or her whiney music. I know I am probably going to be kicked out of the Moody Woman's Club, but darnit, give me some Sarah McLachlan or Fiona Apple for those down days any time. Just keep Tori away from me.

-Considered another online contest for you guys. More to follow.

Looking for my knitting mojo

I'm sure I put it somewhere. I have looked under the couch cushions, under the seats of my car and even in all three of our junk drawers, all to no avail. I think it will turn up eventually, but for now, I will just have to keep my eyes open for it.

You see, I have lost my knitting mojo. That's the bad news. The good news is that this weekend I am joining Needlefingers and Jenny from the Blog and heading to a Stitches Conference and yarn market in Chicago. And I am hopeful that this event and the company will help restore my zest for knitting.

There has been knitting going on, just not satisfying knitting. You see, today I completed the baby kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting, but got a little hung up whenever it came to the seaming. Darnit, I just don't like seaming.

Then I cast on and have nearly completed a sock using the yarn Brando generously sent to me. Problem is that even though I have made several pair of socks, even though I am no longer intimidated by the Kitchner stitch or short row heels, I still have that little hole that occurs whenver you pick up stitches at the ankle.

I have heard that others suffer from the same angst and I thought I had figured out a way to get it all tight enough to assure I wouldn't have a repeat of this irksome error, but the gap appeared again out of nowhere. So, I cheated yet again and kept tugging until I managed to fool myself into thinking that it was all ok.

And then there is the question of a larger project. You see, I want to do a sweater. As you know I have had a hard time lately when it comes to selecting and fnding appropriate clothing. So, that only complicates the matter. I have found several patterns I like. I am just completely intimidated by starting one. Why? . . . I am not sure. My goal at Stitches is to find a yarn I love that will fit one of several patterns I have considered.

The nojo mojo problem doesn't end there. I want to cable darnit. I've seen it demonstrated and I have found a few possible projects. My One Skein Exchange Secret Pal even sent me all of the fixin's for some cabled socks. Problem is that whenever I get ready to start, well, I feel unprepared, so I go onto something else.

Then I visit blog after blog and see the incredible work of some very talented knitters and I am inspired. I am also in awe of how easy it seems to come to some of them. They aren't intimidated by complicated patterns, thrown off by construction or deflated by seaming issues.

You know, I feel that I can handle just about anything I want to tackle. I think it's just that I worry I will either be disappointed in the end product or come to a point where I am just stuck. Neither issue is lethal, but darnit, it sure deflates my mojo.

In the meantime, I still have the hope of Stitches and a second sock.

Family, friends and fiber

Seems I have been so busy lately that I forgot to share two pieces of news with you. No, I am not with child and no we aren't engaged as a result.

We are, however, making the trip to Illinois this weekend to visit with family and friends in celebration not only of the long weekend and Independence Day, but also the birthday of two friends/family/fellow bloggers: Pilot and Rudy. I will spare you the singing and wish you the happiest of days full of uneventful and speedy work hours, perfect weather, good food, birthday surprises and cake.

We'll be leaving on Saturday morning and returning Sunday night, and I am excited about going, now if we can just get through Friday!

And in other news, I am planning to attend a Stitches Conference/Yarn Market event (heavy on the yarn market part) in Chicago with fellow knitters, friends and bloggers Needlefingers and Jenny from the Blog. Much excitement surrounding this trip as it promises nearly every mode of transportation, lots of knitting time, much yarn consideration, good company and of course Chicago. As an added bonus I may be able to visit briefly with my best friend, Scribe M.

Oh and as for knitting, I finished the third spiral rib bag. It's posted rather poorly in the finished objects section. The bath mitt is complete, save the seaming and I am so very intimidated by seaming.