tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270782992024-03-13T12:00:54.599-07:00Knitting to Distractiontheresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-67563136004028076242007-06-04T10:41:00.000-07:002007-06-04T20:20:00.313-07:00The mailman is my friendSee what he brought me on friday?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.aphrodite.com/~sylph/pictures/knitting/coffeeswap1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.aphrodite.com/~sylph/pictures/knitting/coffeeswap1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />My coffee swap partner, <a href="http://www.theloopyewe.com/sheri/">Sheri</a>, really outdid herself. On the edible side of things, there was two pounds of coffee, chocolate (dark and milk with hazelnuts), dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts (very yummy and very gone), and chocolate mint covered graham crackers (gone just as fast as the nuts). There was also a really pretty mug, and a funky lime green flower. I love that shade of green! The flower has now replaced the rather drab looking seed pods I had in a vase by my kitchen sink. It really was time for a change. <br /><br />Saving the best for last, the yarn. Let me tell you, I feel really, really spoiled. Not one, or even two, but three whole skeins of hand dyed sock yarn! The first is from <a href="http://spritelygoods.com/">Spritely Goods</a>, a pretty combo of greys and tans. The yarn is doubly appropriate, since the color name is Coffee Pot Rock, perfect for a coffee swap, and the yarn base used is Sylph, which has been my username for over a decade. It doesn't get more perfect than that.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.aphrodite.com/~sylph/pictures/knitting/coffeeswap2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.aphrodite.com/~sylph/pictures/knitting/coffeeswap2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />If that wasn't good enough, there also were two skeins of Apple Pie in Garden Party from <a href="http://www.applelaine.com/">Apple Laine</a>. It is a blend of superwash merino, silk, kid mohair, and nylon. The yarn just about glows, it's so lovely. And the colors... the camera just doesn't do justice to them. I just couldn't get a picture where they weren't over-saturated, but trust me, it's downright yummy. Kind of makes me think of a candy store explosion. I think I'm going to have to use a simple pattern for this one, let the colors do all the work.<br /><br />And no, the cat didn't come in the package. ;) Nigel just decided he absolutely had to be in the pictures. Either that or attacking the green flower. He was so excited about that flower that it took me a few minutes to get him calmed down and not in the middle of things. At least he wasn't trying to disembowel the yarn. That he left for Peri to do later that night.theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-66944545691386665382007-05-11T20:37:00.000-07:002007-06-04T20:20:13.760-07:00Above and beyondI've always heard of the amazing generosity of knitters. Hell, I'm a knitter and I'd like to think I'm at least fairly generous. I never truly expected to be on the receiving end of such generosity though. So needless to say, today's mail held quite the surprise for me.<br /><br />First off, a little background is needed. Earlier this week <a href="http://mousepotato.typepad.com/knittingdoctor/">Lorette</a> put out a call for help. She needed a bit of Kid Silk Haze to fix a hole in a shawl. I had a little ball of the right color languishing in my stash from a scarf I made a while back, so I decided to send it her way. She offered to dive into her stash for a bit of something to send my way in thanks. Granted, this was not really necessary, but I seem to be singularly incapable of saying no to yarn.<br /><br />When I opened the package I recieved today, my jaw nearly hit the floor. Here's what was inside:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.aphrodite.com/~sylph/pictures/knitting/IMG_3717.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.aphrodite.com/~sylph/pictures/knitting/IMG_3717.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Not only was there a good sized ball of Beaverslide, but two skeins of Shepherd Sock in Icehouse! Seriously, she had me with the Beaverslide, it's so soft and cushy. Those two extra skeins just make me feel like I won the yarn lotto.<br /><br />I already have plans for all of it. The pink will be perfect for a hat for the little miss, and the Lorna's is screaming out to become <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTpomatomus.html">Pomatomus</a>. I've been wanting to make those socks for a while, but none of the yarns in my stash seemed suitable. They are now third in line in my sock queue, after the purple and green yarn from <a href="http://www.scoutj.com/">Scout</a> and some gorgeous yarn I just got from <a href="http://www.helloyarn.com/shop.php">Hello Yarn</a>. I'll say more about that one when I get around to taking some pictures of it. <br /><br />Now I think I'll go squeeze that ball of Beaverslide again. It's just so squishy, I can't resist.theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-91150627568474922092007-05-09T22:05:00.000-07:002007-06-04T20:20:27.707-07:00Sleep is for the weakSick babies suck. Sick babies who don't want to sleep suck royally. And of course, all this happens on my birthday. It's a damn good thing she's so cute. <br /><br />I think I'll just go fall over now.theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-90328684264243894432007-04-30T11:25:00.001-07:002007-06-04T20:20:46.211-07:00Knitting... what knitting?So any of you who know me probably have heard me talk about projects I'm working on, but rarely ever do you see an actual finished product. Hell, you rarely ever see works in progress. They exist, honest they do. To prove that I'm not all talk, here's what I'm spending most of my time on at the moment, <a href="http://www.camillavalleyfarm.com/mission/qs02kit.htm">Belle</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.aphrodite.com/~sylph/pictures/knitting/belle1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.aphrodite.com/~sylph/pictures/knitting/belle1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I already have the back and both fronts done. Actually, I think I finished those in 2003 or 2004. Yes, this has been on my needles for a long time. Some people suffer from the second sock syndrome. I, on the other hand, am one of those people who seem to be incapable of starting sleeves. At least I avoid issues with the second sleeve by knitting them both at once. It took me only one sweater to learn that lesson. Now I knit them both at the same time. If I didn't, I don't know if I would ever finish a sweater.<br /><br />I really like the pattern. It's got just enough going on to keep me interested, and isn't hard to keep track of, so I've found I don't need the chart any more. As I was telling <a href="http://purlofagirl.blogspot.com/">Kat</a> yesterday, I am very visual in how I learn and remember things. Charts are my friends, and even better is when the pattern is straightforward enough that I can just 'read' my knitting to know what to do next.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.aphrodite.com/~sylph/pictures/knitting/belle_close.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.aphrodite.com/~sylph/pictures/knitting/belle_close.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I have done a few little changes to the pattern. The main one is that I am using 1824 Cotton, instead of the wool. I live in tank tops all summer, so I really want a cardigan that I can toss on over them when it gets cooler. Hopefully, this summer will be the year I get to finally wear it. The other change is that I'm making it a bit longer. The pattern makes a cropped sweater, but I really don't like it when my tops hang way below the bottom of my sweaters. I <i>think</i> I made it two inches longer, but honestly I can't remember any more.<br /><br />Ohh... and remember how I mentioned that I got into <a href="http://scoutsindieswag.com/">Scout's Indie Swag Club</a>? Well, April's swag landed on my doorstep on Friday.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.aphrodite.com/~sylph/pictures/knitting/april_swag.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.aphrodite.com/~sylph/pictures/knitting/april_swag.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The colorway is called Lavender Mint. I had to laugh when I saw it, since I have a bit of a thing with combining green and purple at the moment. I'm not sure what pattern to use with it, but I'm thinking of something stranded to minimize any potential pooling. I really hate pooling. I'm up for suggestions on this one, as nothing has jumped out and screamed 'knit me' for this one.theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-18825573803084705352007-04-25T10:27:00.000-07:002007-06-04T20:21:34.119-07:00Caffeinated goodnessThe little bug was nice to her mommy this morning, so I actually managed to get my questions for the <a href="http://coffeeswap.blogspot.com">Knitters' Coffee Swap</a> answered. I've been dreadful about getting things done lately, so I was really afraid that I was going to leave my partner <a href="http://www.theloopyewe.com/sheri/">Sheri</a> hanging on this one. While you're at it, do go check out her <a href="http://www.theloopyewe.com/">shop</a>. She has a drool worthy selection of sock yarn there.<br /><br /><b>Questions:</b><br /><br />1. Whole bean or ground? <i>Whole bean, the fresher the better.</i><br /><br />2. Fully-loaded or decaf? <i>Fully-loaded of course. What's the point of decaf?</i><br /><br />3. Regular or flavored? <i>Regular. Great coffee doesn't need anything else, except maybe a little cream.</i><br /><br />4. How do you drink your coffee? <i>Drip I take with cream, espresso either straight or in a latte. Turkish coffee heavy on the sugar and cardamom is great too.</i><br /><br />5. Favorite coffee ever? <i>I am a die-hard Cafe Vita drinker. Their Cafe del Sol is the best coffee to have in the morning with cream. </i><br /><br />6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do? <i>I'm fairly fussy. I really don't like heavily roasted beans. I prefer to taste the bean, not the roast.</i><br /><br />7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee? <i>Good chocolate (the darker the better), shortbread, ginger cookies. Actually, just about anything heavy on the chocolate goes lovely with coffee.</i><br /><br />8. Anything else about your coffee preferences? <i>I do occasionally adulterate my coffee (beyond the cream, that is). Orange and chocolate are my favorite. On a random note, my husband considers this, and all other additions, polluting coffee, as he likes his black.</i><br /><br />9. Yarn/fiber you love? <i>I'm really a sucker for both Manos del Uruguay and Noro Silk Garden. A respectable portion of my stash is taken up by both of them. Currently though, I'm on a bit of a sock yarn kick. I really want to start getting yarn from all the great indie dyers out there.</i><br /><br />10. Yarn/fiber you hate? <i>Anything that comes close to being a novelty yarn. Glittery fluffy yarns really don't work for me. I also prefer to avoid manmade fibers. There are some exceptions, but usually I don't like the feel of them.</i><br /><br />11. What's on your needles? <i>Do I have to list them all? Let's see... a bright purple lace shawl, a cream cotton cardigan with cables and lace, an avocado green angora scarf with cables, another cardigan in Silk Garden, a little tiger for my daughter, and golf club covers for my uncle. I have a raspberry and lime green knee-high that needs a mate, but I really don't want to cast on for it right now. And then there's the stuff I need to make for the shop...</i><br /><br />12. Favorite colors? <i>I would have to say that red, purple and green are my three favorites. I'm starting to get rather fond of orange as well. I really prefer nice rich deep colors. Pastels just don't do much for me.</i> <br /><br />13. Allergies? <i>None fiber related, thankfully.</i> <br /><br />14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest? <i>I've stared at this question for a good five minutes and haven't thought of anything that seems to need mentioning. There are tons of things I love (like orchids), as well as things I hate (vegetables), but what they have to do with swapping coffee and yarn, I have no clue. Oddly enough, I have both orchids and vegetables growing in my basement right now.</i>theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-9258803815921812592007-04-23T16:43:00.000-07:002007-06-04T20:21:46.661-07:00Lessons learnedNever, ever leave a baby in close proximity to a kitty toy with only the supervision of a half-asleep adult. Especially if the toy has feathers... non-colorfast dyed feathers. This is the sight that my husband came fully awake to today:<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wHOvq5GoudQ/Ri1FuUuOVII/AAAAAAAAAAU/xIGVrvXMYz4/s1600-h/blue3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0 auto 10px; text-align:center; cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wHOvq5GoudQ/Ri1FuUuOVII/AAAAAAAAAAU/xIGVrvXMYz4/s320/blue3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056774618745820290" /></a><br />No picture really does justice to the state she was in. Every exposed part of the baby was blue. The inside of her mouth was blue. The comforter, her jammies... you name it, it was blue. She will undoubtedly be pooping blue feathers for days. *sigh*<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wHOvq5GoudQ/Ri1HPUuOVJI/AAAAAAAAAAc/JbVlagypOvY/s1600-h/blue4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wHOvq5GoudQ/Ri1HPUuOVJI/AAAAAAAAAAc/JbVlagypOvY/s200/blue4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056776285193131154" /></a>I did pass the uptight mommy test with flying colors though. My first response to the sight of her was to burst out laughing. Honestly, what else can you do when faced with a child who has essentially dyed herself, and everything around her, blue? A madly grinning child, no less. I can only hope that I react as well to everything else she has in store. It's bound to be interesting.theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-77247599101435647752007-03-18T17:32:00.000-07:002007-06-04T20:22:09.173-07:00Mama's been a bad, bad girlWhat have I done now, you ask? Oh, nothing... nothing except put my name in the lottery for round II of <a href=http://scoutsindieswag.com/>Scout's Indie Swag Club</a>... and get in!!! Yes, you heard right. I have six full months of gorgeous hand painted sock yarn coming my way. And then there's the super cool indie swag, like an exclusive pattern from <a href=http://www.knitanon.com/blog/>Cookie</a>. It doesn't get much better than that.<br /><br />*does a little dance of joy*<br /><br />I still can hardly believe it. There were only 34 six month spots, so I really didn't think I had a snowball's chance in hell of getting one of them. This completely and utterly makes up for spending my anniversary weekend home alone with a teething baby, while my husband was in Portland racing.<br /><br />Ok, enough blathering about that. I really did more than hover about the computer and sooth a cranky baby this weekend. Actually, I was rather productive today. The little bug was being fussy, so I decided the both of us needed some time out of the house. An hour or so at Swanson's later, I had enough plants to fill all the pots I got last fall. Paul was home by then, so I actually got some time to get them all planted. I now have a very welcoming front porch. See...<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wHOvq5GoudQ/Rf3h7IjJkoI/AAAAAAAAAAM/nc7dt1t91Io/s1600-h/front_porch.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wHOvq5GoudQ/Rf3h7IjJkoI/AAAAAAAAAAM/nc7dt1t91Io/s320/front_porch.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5043435563748266626" /></a><br /><br />I always forget how satisfying playing in the dirt is. Just a few minutes with my plants does more for my mood than anything else, even knitting. Yes, plants trump yarn, but then I'm a botanist, at least by education.<br /><br />So I have Paul home, new plants, yarn, and a sleeping baby. The only thing that will make this even better is a nice cup of tea.theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-1161658826544613782006-10-23T19:57:00.000-07:002006-10-23T20:00:26.553-07:00Tres AmigosThey say a picture is worth a thousand words...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5128/2843/1600/tresamigos.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5128/2843/400/tresamigos.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-1160699177898057582006-10-12T16:40:00.000-07:002006-10-12T17:36:34.920-07:00Tea, tea and more tea<div style="text-align: justify;">No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, no matter what it looks like. Motherhood is just very time consuming, especially when you have a demanding baby like Gloria. I have been knitting, but talking much about that requires pictures, which just isn't going to happen today. I do have a bit of something to hold you over, though. The 'coming home' sweater finally got finished, and as you can see, still fits her, despite not getting done until she was about 8 weeks old!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.aphrodite.com/wordpress/paultheresaandgloria/wp-gallery/2006/october/IMG_3125.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.aphrodite.com/wordpress/paultheresaandgloria/wp-gallery/2006/october/IMG_3125.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Along with parenting, comes a great need for tasty relaxing beverages, at least if you are me. Last week I discovered myself in a bad state when I opened my tea drawer and saw that I was out of both of my favorite teas. Granted I wasn't completely out of tea, far from it, but I was really craving a cup of Keemun Hao Ya A. This called for immediate action, in the form of an order from one of my favorite tea shops, <a href="http://www.teasource.com/">TeaSource</a>. I don't think I'm capable of buying just one tea. Even though I knew exactly what I needed, I still had to browse thorough their selection to see what else I wanted.<br /><br />My kitchen counter is now covered in bags of new teas to try, and needless to say, I am in heaven. Here's what I just couldn't say no to:<br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Keemun Hao Ya A</li><li>Chocolate Cream</li><li>Longevity Oolong</li><li>Big Red Robe Oolong</li><li>Golden Downey Tip</li><li>Mauritius</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"> There was also a sample of Green Serenity, which was actually one I was interested in but passed on.<br /><br />The Keemun and Chocolate Cream are the only ones I am already familiar with. Now I just have to choose which of the new ones to try first. Decisions, decisions...</div>theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-1151990460967229962006-07-03T22:04:00.000-07:002006-07-03T22:21:00.980-07:00And the verdict is...Well, the braces seem to have stabilized my wrists. The only lingering effects are a light numbness in the tips of my first two fingers and a bit in my thumbs. And yes, I can knit again. Slowly, and not for long, but it's better than nothing. So now I have four weeks or less to finish the sweater I want this little girl to come home in. I only have a few dozen rows left, so it is possible, even with me only able to knit two in any one sitting. I <span style="font-style: italic;">will</span> get this done!<br /><br />Of course, I get one issue dealt with and manage to create a new one at the same time. I was down at Pacific Raceways this weekend for the vintage races, and both Paul and I forgot the sunblock. He only got a little burnt (mostly brown actually), but I ended up with a nasty burn across my chest. The comical part is that you can tell I got most of it on the way home since I have a white line bisecting the red where the seatbelt was. That's the only problem with convertibles, you need to wear sunblock everywhere you go. On the bright side, now I've got tons of sympathy from Paul, since he feels terrible about forgetting the sunblock and letting his pregnant wife get burnt. I tried pointing out that I forgot it too, but that seems to be beside the point to him.<br /><br />Now it is time to make some chocolate pudding. I've got some to die for Belgian chocolate that is destined for this.theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-1150838951373119202006-06-20T14:15:00.000-07:002006-06-20T14:29:11.383-07:00So far, so goodWell, I now have braces on both my wrists. The good bit is that my hands didn't fall asleep last night. The bad bit is that it takes me twice as long to do anything now, since I can't bend my wrists. The real test will be if I can knit. I'm going to give it another day or so before I try, since the longer my wrists have been stable the better the chances are that the inflammation will have gone down. Cross your fingers for me that all is good.<br /><br />On a completely different subject, I spent way too much on my fish tank yesterday. It's a freshwater planted tank, and for the longest time I've had this hunk of bogwood with Java Fern growing on it that has started to look like hell. I finally got fed up with all the brown algae I couldn't clean off of it yesterday and went to get a new piece of wood from the Fish Store. I was only intending to buy one piece, but of course I found a second smaller one that was perfect. $50 later, I have two great knobby pieces of wood, a few more plants, and a tank I actually love. An added bonus is that the fish seem to love it just as much. They now swim everywhere, rather than sticking to the most heavily planted parts, and the pair of Siamese Algae Eaters I have were either chasing each other around and around the tank or resting on the big piece of wood. I've still got some bare spaces that need plants, so as soon as I get those filled in, I'll post some pictures.theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-1150326630247316732006-06-14T14:55:00.000-07:002006-06-14T17:30:30.213-07:00Ugh!It figures. I've been breezing through this pregnancy so far, I knew I couldn't make it all nine months like that. Why oh why did it have to be carpal tunnel? I can't even begin to say how annoying it is to have my fingers tingling for most of the day, let alone my hands falling asleep at night. And you know what the worst part of it is? I can't knit!!! I have yet to find a way to hold my work where I don't start losing circulation in my hands.<br /><br />So here I am, just under two months to go and my hands are in a state where I can barely spend any time at the computer or knitting. I bloody well hope that my doctor has something I can do for this when I see her on Monday or I may go insane before the baby gets here.theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-1146293256054288752006-04-28T22:22:00.000-07:002006-04-29T10:19:27.340-07:00Field Trip!Today, Karen and I ventured across the Sound to Bainbridge Island to partake of all the great shopping there. For once, everything actually went as planned. It was perfect convertible weather (well, I didn't actually plan that, but I'm not complaining), we didn't miss a single ferry and parking was a cinch. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.churchmouseyarns.com">Churchmouse</a> was, of course, our first stop. I easily resisted the lure of the Koigu for once, drooled over the Mountain Colors for a fair bit and finally gave in when I spotted the most gorgeous color of Manos. It's a combination of fuchsia, burgundy, plum and golden red. It is destined to become a pair of the lace up fingerless gloves from Alterknits. I even found some Hanah Silk ribbon there in deep purple and green, which may or may not end up as the laces. Karen managed to escape with only buying a skein of handpainted alpaca and some Arauncania Patagonia. <br /><br />I also found a new yarn to fall in love with. It's called <a href="https://www.shop.thefibreco.com/categoryNavigationDocument.hg?categoryId=5">Terra</a> from The Fibre Company. The colors are inspired by natural dyes, though I'm not sure if it is actually dyed with them. I loved the way little slubs of contrasting color would pop out all over the strand. It felt wonderful too, but that's not surprising considering it's a blend of merino, alpaca and silk. I may just have to go back when I have a plan on something to make with it.<br /><br />Next stop was lunch at a mexican restaurant down the street. They had really good salsa and the fastest service I've ever had. I swear less than five minutes had passed between when we order our food and its arrival! After this, we hit the bead store Karen had spotted when we first arrived. Now, I am not a beader, so I wasn't expecting to find anything there. Of course, I walk out with a strand of multi-colored pearls in olive, peridot, rose and amber. I was meaning to learn how to knit with wire...<br /><br />The only disappointment of the day was the ice cream shop being closed. It really would have hit the spot, but it just wasn't to be. Rather than trying to race for the ferry we stopped in Esther's Fabric, which now rates as one of the better fabric stores in the area. Everyone there was really nice and the selection was great, with a respectable selection of vintage prints. I found the perfect fabric for a crib sheet, but just like the last time I found a great print, they were half a yard short of what I needed. I consoled myself with some cute fabric to give to my mother-in-law for little girl's sundress. I think Karen actually managed to get out of there without buying anything, but I'm not positive on that.<br /><br />All in all, I think this ranks as one of my better trips to the island. Good company, shopping and weather is always a winning combination. Oh yeah, I can't forget the obligatory pic of my loot for the day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5128/2843/1600/fun_stuff.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5128/2843/400/fun_stuff.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078299.post-1146122402017161232006-04-26T22:00:00.000-07:002006-04-27T00:20:02.026-07:00And so it beginsYes, I too have been sucked into the world of blogs. I blame it all on the other Hilltop bloggers. If I hadn't started reading them... well, it's too late now. For now, I'd better just leave it at this. It's getting a bit late for a pregnant lady to be sitting up messing with her computer... like that ever stopped me before.theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209276757351446602noreply@blogger.com3