OK, one more thing and then I swear I'm done with sock camp...

So, after charity knitting but before the sock puppet/talent show we had dinner...

The wine was fabulous...

The company divine... and then something really weird happened...

It snowed...

*sigh* Then it was time to go home...Saturday was only awesome because there were no hitches in my elaborate system of cars, ferries, busses, vans, planes and trucks needed to get me home. So, next year? I can't say no...

Ooga wants to see his friends again...

Sweet, sweet, bittersweet Friday...

The last day was a doozie... there was charity knitting...

Four of us around a blanket that will be finished and donated to the homeless shelters in the area...

A Sock Camp Sock Puppet Show and Talent Extravaganza...

...and the best part ever, the Sock Yarn Monkey Parade...this is Ooga Chaka...

And all his friends....

and yes, that green one up there is a boy, why do you ask...

...and then there was Thursday

Thursday was more classes and more yarn and some not photograph-able stuff involving water, knitting needles and possibly some SCUBA gear...

Then there was this, which I think qualifies as actual yarn pron because it's a photo shoot on a flakati rug (looks like a sheep skin but not a skin, just wool felted on one side)...

It is our Sock Camp yarn, especially dyed for us *sigh*

OK, I'm back. So, I must say I enjoyed every class I took. I enjoyed each of the teachers and all that they had to bring to the table. Being a teacher myself, I earnestly felt that each of them brought their best...that having been said, I learned so much in JC's class that my mind almost melted...face it, if the Yarn Harlot says that she wants to take your class, it's gotta be good :) It was all about casting-on. Any of this information can probably be found anywhere on the net or at your local yarn shop but collected all together with her fabulous, "assume the position" thing (it's hysterical, it involves giant knitting needles and 17 feet of wild acrylic i-chord in neon green and save-your-local-hunter-orange), was wonderful...it's possible then that this was a good thing because I was in a semi-exhausted state and may have been more open to new ideas. Therefore, my ability to grasp the wonderfully out-of-the-box ideas in Cat Bordhi's class must have been expanded and it all just made perfect sense. It was almost eerie...I totally made a tiny Coriolis sock and I felt like I just got the whole, thing...it was awesome--there maybe some recall issues though...hmmm, maybe I did melt something I might have needed :) And to prove it, I can't remember if the, "you can knit with anything" event was for sure Thursday but I'm pretty sure...maybe it was Wednesday, but since I couldn't take pictures of the swimming event, here ya go...I will tell you this, the gal in the black shirt is a vegetarian and yes, she's been asked to knit with a meat stick...mull that over for a minute and you'll know what the definition of 'good sport' means...

Now that I think about it, I'm sure that the knitting thing was Wednesday...and that's Hot Flash and the Stephanie trying to help Claire knit with a tiny plastic hanger that was all hook and no hanger...

But, there were no photographs allowed for the underwater knitting portion so you get this and my trying to help you create a picture in your head...several beautiful knitters, with excellent sportsmanship, taking to the water...wait, it's coming...to practice... the time honored art of ...underwater knitting. It was declared that mayhaps, we were privy to the only group (cluster? bevy? murder?) of underwater knitters, maybe anywhere.

Next: charity, yodeling, monkeys, and Dinginess crab...oh yeah, you know you're jealous...

And Wednesday was MONKEYS!!!!!

I'm a perfectionist. It's hard to tell because I deliberately muss things up so that no one can see that I haven't met my own expectations...elaborate subterfuge for an undetectable event, I know. My mom has said before when she has visited from out of town, "Honey, if you hadn't told me we were going the wrong way, I never would have known!" No need to rat myself out, I'm sure...but...I got all the way down my monkey and had to rip him all out because *drum roll* I thought I dropped a stitch. My very-best-new-friend-I-made-at-camp gave an eyebrow to note the event, but since she's a bit of a perfectionist about her knitting too, she didn't skip a beat...Anyway, Wednesday was Monkey Kaw Kaw day. We were treated to a wonderful new pattern by one of Blue Moon's own and the yarn to knit them with and we all immediately launched into a full scale trade the likes of which have only been recently seen in grade school lunch rooms:

"I'll trade you my Rooster Rocks for some Pond Scum."

"Naah, got any Hot Flash, I'd trade for that!?"

"Uh uh, but I do have some lime colored stuff..."

"Man, what I wouldn't give for little taste of Dragon Dance for my Monkey's hiney..."

I was so looking forward to what I fully expected to be the creative equivalent to our homework. And I was not disappointed...

But first, a trip to our local yarn shop, and dinner on beeeeuuutiful Orcas Island...I bought one little harmless flat of yarn (that's this really cool thing where the yarn is machine knit in stockinette stitch and then dyed...so cool!) and we saw this in the corner...

Then we had a lovely dinner at the, "Thai Sisters" restaurant and then came 'home' for the evenings festivities...It was a relay race that involved knitting for speed, and then for some real fun, a TP relay course...and that ended up looking something like this... And this...

Who says that knitters don't know how to have fun :)

April 15, 2008, or, "And I thought I was talented..."

So, Tuesday...classes all day. First, was Cookie A....beautiful, funny, talented and yet so self-deprecating...what a treat! --No, I'm not in love-shut up, I'm saving that for JC:) We launched into traveling stitches and how and when to use them and Einstein was again proved to be correct in that time flew (relatively, of course). Naturally, I couldn't follow directions...I decided I wanted to make an actual sock out of my lesson, as a memento, since the color yarn I bought matched my camp t-shirt--just sayin'. So, I start in right away with the whole, 'can I do this and change that?' and whatnot...lets just say she was a very gracious teacher. Lunch was next and fabulous and so was my class with Tina (who by her own proclamation is only one of the brains and talents behind Blue Moon Fiber Arts) and Stephanie (aka the Yarn Harlot) which was a life altering experience for many and especially one gal who had her whole gauge altered by one bit of advice from TYH. The day was over in the blink of an eye and the tiny break between classes and dinner time was barely a breath...taken with the denizens of the resort... Not shy...especially noting that NONE of us had anything even remotely resembling food...I hung with my homies at the bar and enjoyed walking among the Greeks ...(aaaand I may have resorted to eating a wrapped up sandwich and half a bag of chips which I ferreted away at lunch because I miiiiiiight have spent a tiiiiiiiny bit too much on yarn--unless you're my husband and then it was JUST ONE SKEIN!!!!!)

Then, there was homework. Cat and Stephanie didn't do their homework again but made up for it...again...

I'm going to go ahead and say this; I thought I was talented and I thought my shit was cool...until I got to see the rest of the homework...

Stunning...dudes...

...I don't even rank.

Warning to my Mom: This is testament that ours was a 'y-chromosome free' reproductive event, because if you were 25 years younger, and wearing a rooster on your head...this would totally be what you would look like...And I mean that as a compliment :)

April 14, 2008

There was so much fun I'm going to break it down by day, hope ya don't mind :)

So the flight to Seattle went like this:


(two seconds before the flight is supposed to leave)

Gate Agent: Mr. Soandso?


(wait two seconds) GA: Mrs. Soandso?


GA: Mr. and Mrs. Wubbity?


GA: How about Blugga, Fuzzbut or Jangle?


GA: ANY other standbys?


Frantic Knitter: How about ME?


GA: Uh, ok, yeah! Just grab a seat!


FK: Howly F*c Nails!!! (says I as I run sideways whilst simultaneously trying to stuff away knitting projects and with class homework dangling by a piece of toilet paper from my bag and me all ass-akimbo skittering toward the door)


Seriously, the flight was OVER SOLD and the gate agent had CALLED for people willing to GIVE UP SEATS and I GOT ON!!!!!!! Dudes.


I had a lovely flight. I caught the shuttle in plenty of time. I met some very nice people and then, while waiting for the Ferry, I met some lovely knitters who just happened to be from my neck of the woods and who kindly offerend me a ride to the resort...on the way we saw an Alpaca farm (which I took to be an excellent and yarny good sign:). We arrived (slightly askew) at the front desk to check in--my roommate whom I hadn't even exchanged numbers with before hand (knitters don't default- we're very trust worthy) found me in the lobby. We gleefully tromped upstairs with stuff to get our class assignments and a goodie bag (squeeeeee) and made it up to the room and back down just in time for the dinner banquet and...oh-yes-sweet-alpaca....SHOPPING...these here were those charged with guarding the yarn so that no one snuck in before they were supposed to :) I was a very good girl and barely bought anything (snark). And then we all went back to our rooms...the view from my balcony...drunk on the fumes of wool and giddy with the days travels and the prospect of tomorrows classes...it was a miracle we slept at all but sleep we did, the sleep of little kids on their first night at camp, dreaming of wool, and socks and fun and ... (snoooooorrre)

Aaaand I'm off...or not so much

So, I started my journey to sock camp last night because I knew today's flights would be full all day. I was willing to take a shot even though I was going to get to Seattle at 11pm and then have to hang there until the 6am shuttle to Anacortes. It would have been worth it because I would have been to sock camp before noon, but no such luck. See, I'm non-revving and for those of you unfamiliar, that means that I'm a non-revenue passenger begging for a ride. I bet the Yarn Harlot doesn't have to park her can on the airport carpet, hoping that a large portion of passengers don't get going on time :)
Since I'm still sitting on the floor here in lovely Phoenix International, you can gather that I didn't make it yesterday. The only upshot to that is that I didn't have to sleep in the SeaTac Airport last night, not that it was much of a bonus because I got home at 9pm and was up again at 3am. To add to the fun, it doesn't look like I'm going to make it this first flight either (number one rule of non-revving-always try the first flight of the day...you never know-you may make it and odds of the sh*t hitting the fan increase as the day goes on). The upshot is that I'm getting a heavy dose of 'airport appreciation' time...that would be sarcasm. Furthermore, I'm not sure where my luggage is. So, if you happen to be a knitterly person, are going to sock camp and see a haggard looking lady wearing the same clothes every day--hi!

His Royal Majesty...

...while mostly finished still needs a name...

Anyone this fluffy needs a name...

Here he is in his native grass...

Checking around for chicks...

Contemplating his special purpose...

And in case you were wondering, yes, he is wearing socks :0)

So, progress has been made on the Rooster...wings have been knitted and fulled a bit...


I'm crying 'artistic freedom' on them because they don't match...sue me :)

I got the comb knit on and his waddle and that thingy that falls over the beak...that's on there now too...

Then on to the "feathers" with the color progression going like this...

I decided to do a little test full before throwing the whole thing in the washer and I'm glad I did...

Then I went to work putting on the feathers...I'm having waaaaaay too much fun....

Life interrupts blog...

So, here we are again...me and my loyal readers (hi, Mom and Aunt Pat!). I've been knitting up a storm here...no really :) Did I show you my homework Rooster? Naturally when I think toilet paper cover, I think land fowl...don't you? Well. He started out like this...

and now he has a butt...

The educated among you may have noticed that I haven't used any of the yarn from the homework kit yet, but...that's part of the coo-dee-graw.

Most of my other knitting has been the immediate gratification kind...

This little guy is 'Grass' from Mochimochi Land, a shop I frequent...uh, frequently :) The Grass pattern is toward the bottom of the free pattern page but she has some great patterns for sale too! He's made of some left over sock yarn I bought at Blue Moon. It's undertow~I think...anyway, I added some details to give him some extra personality (not that he didn't have plenty already...the gal I gave it to has nick named him Mochimochi :)

Then I made a couple of these little socky things I got at the Loopy Ewe (it's the one in red)...

And of course the lovely green back ground is the progress I've made on the Leafling sock...The pattern is really pretty and of course the yarn is awesome...I was really hoping for green...Now if I could just convince Tine at BMFA to make me some really obnoxius off-the-charts yellow to feed my odd spring craving, I'd be set :)

I've got one more thing on the needles but I think I'll save that for next time!