I lied!

So, I lied on yesterday's post, here are a couple of pics of projects worked on this week.

It's all curled up on the edge (I haven't put the ribbing on the bottom yet) but this is the body of the sweater.

An unblocked Bartholomew's Tantalizing Sock. The linen stitch gives the yarn a stained glass effect.

It is a perfect souvenir sock for our Mackinac Island vacation. I'm starting on the second sock, but am pretty convinced I'm going to run out and will need to order more yarn.

quick post, no pics

I doubt I'll have time to snap a couple of pics in the morning, but you never know. In the meantime, here's a quick post before we head out to vacation to Drummond Island for a family Hummer Adventure weekend. We're so excited, don't worry, you're not required to be.

I've been knitting away, when I've had a chance, on the Henley Fair Isle yoke sweater and have the body completed. I've just cast on for the sleeves and have the cuffs done, hopefully I'll be able to get the sleeves done this weekend while driving up and back (although I wouldn't hold my breath).

I finished one of the Bartholmew's Tantalizing Socks in the Hand Maiden Casbah that I bought on our last vacation to Mackinac Island and realized that I'm going to need another skein. That's easier said than done as everybody seems to be sold out of the Nova Scotia colorway. But, I remain optimistic. The sock is gorgeous and my family is tired of my requesting that they watch me put it on and rattling on about what a knitting genius Cat Bordhi is. Again, pictures, would have been good here, but I'm sure you can imagine how beautiful they are.

I'm also waiting to hear if my yarn has come in for the New Zealand Sweater for the Ravelympics. I'm looking for 14 skeins of Jamieson's Spindrift in #187 Sunrise and can't seem to find them all in one colorway. I have other choices and back up plans, but again, hope springs eternal. (what exactly does that saying mean?)

More to follow on Monday, hopefully with lots of wonderful knitting to show you.

Team Knitting Camp - Knitting Athletes Required

All fellow Knitting Camp attendees. I've set up a Team on the Ravelympics for the Team Knitting Camp that start on August 8th and end August 24th. Please sign up, if your interested. I'm encouraging (not forcing, as Meg always says "Knitter's Choice") team mates to knit something inspired by camp, EZ, Meg, Joyce or Amy. Even better if we're authentic and use Schoolhouse products, but certainly not a requirement.

If the yarn comes in, Shetland Spindrift in Sunrise that I've ordered (it's annoyingly backordered right now) then I'm going to knit the New Zealand Sweater as my Ravelympic event, but haven't decided on a backup if that falls through. Although, the compass point sweater is calling me and tempting me to start yet another project, naughty thing.

Go to the groups tab on Ravelry and look for the Ravelympics 2008 group and sign on up. There is a thread that I've started for our team. Come, join one, join all and let's Knit Onward.

This one time at Knitting Camp ....

Meg showed us the wonderful new design for the 35th Anniversary of camp that is going to be in the next Wool Gathering. I want it. Bad.

Lots of gorgeous lace shawls were modeled for Show and Tell. ThereseS is here modeling hers. (I think she said that this was her first lace shawl that she knit. Her lacework is beautiful). I had the pleasure of driving ThereseS to camp from Wausau as she was in town visiting her daughter. She is lovely and was a delight to have in the car.
Meg modeled one of the designs coming in the new book published by Schoolhouse Press on Double Knitting. AHHHH! Sorry, I can appreciate the project, but I think I'd rather have a root canal without gas than double knit.

We watched campers model items they had made or wanted to. Now, I want to make them... ALL.

We acted a little goofy. AmyKnitsOn is wearing a hat made by a camper.

We shopped, and shopped, and shopped, and shopped, and thought about shopping, and shopped some more. Here is one of Earthtonesgirl's piles of purchases for consideration.

Meg cooed and ahhed in all the right places about our Show and Tells. Earthtonesgirl modeled her G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S. Aran Coat knit in Malabrigo.

Did I mention we shopped?? Here is a picture of the Henley Neck Fair Isle from Knitting Around that I fell in love with. I kept putting it on and didn't want to take it off. After a few tries I came up with a different color scheme that I wanted to do and cast on.

The Clique had their picture taken with Meg. (left to right: me (notice this is the only picture I got with the February Lady Sweater on, RoseKimKnits, Meg and Earthtonesgirl.

I had to overcome my fear of the Knitted Gimp masks that were scattered around the room, that remind me of Pulp Fiction. So, how do I overcome that fear, by modeling them with Earthtonesgirl (for the record: RoseKimKnits drew the line with sticking a funky gimp mask on her head that probably numerous campers have worn.) Note: I was so sleep deprived at this time that I actually smiled behind the mask while posing for the picture. Ditsy or what?

Amy D. and I pose a shot together. The queen of all things purple!

Jessica and I mime our dinner at Royal Tokyo Restaurant, when we forgot that we shouldn't talk about politics in public. Jessica is channeling Rosemary's Baby or Satan Reincarnated and I'm ... well, I'm in need of a diaper change.

The girls. Nuff said. xx

Chat with Meg

Me (calling Schoolhouse Press): Hello, this is Kim DeMille and I just returned from Camp 2 and, in reviewing my knitting bag contents, discovered that I had a couple of items that I had purchased that were not on my Brown Book Invoice and I wanted to make sure that I paid for them.

Meg Swansen: Hello Kim. This is Meg Swansen. Weren't you the camper with the February Lady Sweater?

Me: Yes, that was me (note: I'm sure that I was supposed to say, That was I, but I was a little shocked that it was Meg on the phone).


Meg and I then discuss the items that I needed to add to my purchase. Then ...


Meg: Oh, Kim, I heard all about you from Amy D. and Michelle that you were doing the most wonderful impressions of accents from the British Isles. Apparently you had them rolling on the floor. I was so disappointed that I missed it. It won't be the same over the phone. If you ever come to Camp again please make sure that I get to hear you.

We finish the call with some chit chat about how she thinks that I do a wonderful American accent now, but that sometimes I sound Canadian.

I hang up the phone, and mumble to myself that I'm so glad that she remembers me for the funny accents and not for how RoseKimKnits, Earthtonegirl and I goofed around in the knitted GIMP masks or how we got into a heated conversation at the local restaurant while at dinner with Amy and her daughter-in-law Michelle.

No Time to Say Hello, Goodbye!

I'm just about to leave to pick up earthtonesgirl from the airport and meet Therese (another camper) and head to Marshfield for Knitting Camp. I'm ridiculously excited and don't feel as prepared as I'd like to be. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. Oh well, I'm sure I'll survive.

I'll seriously miss the little munchkins, but from past experience I recall that their was practically no free time to miss anyone.

Will report when I return.

Meme from Marji

What was I doing ten years ago? I was on bed rest with my second son and attempting to keep up with my job in Human Resources for Sears at their corporate headquarters in Hoffman Estates. I was fiesty and tired of Chicago's notorious power outages when it gets too hot and having to go and stay in a hotel to cool down. DH was in dental school at Northwestern University.
2. What are five things on my to-do list today? Finish sleeve on Lady Sweater, Take DS#2 to ortho appointment, Arrange service for DH's hummer, Meet friends daugther at airport, and attend golf lesson.
3. Snacks I enjoy. Chocolate (english candy bars are, of course, my favorite). Twix is my all time favorite candy bar. Cereal (I could eat it 24-7, of course, only once it's been nuked for one minute in the microwave) Honey Smacks and Special K are my favorites. Oatmeal, but I like that served cold. Licorice Allsorts. Pear Drops. Hum Bugs and Chocolate limess.

4. Things I would do if I were a billioniare? Okay, I'm with Marji on this one ... I'd buy a house in the UP (Northern Michigan Peninsula). Buy homes for my parents in both AZ and WI so that they could visit both kids and get them checked out and health taken care of by REAL (non-national health uk drs) doctors and provide them with all the medical care they would need. Buy a lot of land suitable for lots of off-road vehicle driving for DH to play with his hummer and his new fleet of hummers. Set up trust funds for kids, nephews and nieces. Donate to my church. Donate money to find a cure for Celiac Disease and Trigeminal Neuralgia. Get the parts of my body put back in the same place they were before having four children. Enjoy treating friends and helping them fulfill their dreams. Build a new home.

5. Places I have lived? Torquay, Devon, England; Las Vegas, NV (2 different addresses); Salt Lake City, UT (four different addresses); Buffalo Grove, IL; Schaumburg, IL; Wausau, WI (2 different addresses).

6. Peeps I want to know more about. Is there anyone anywhere that hasn’t already done this? Denise, Jessica, Charity, Sue, ??