Finished!

Hi Mom,

I can't believe you found another complete yarn kit for that Alice Starmore sweater - or a book of cowboy knitting from the 50's! My question is, though, who will these be knit for? Or will they be extra-special collector's items of sweaters that could be, to be admired just as they are?

On my end, after this weekend I have actual completed objects to show off - my Baudelaire socks are finished! I don't know why the lace drug me down so much at the end, but they are done and I think they look great. There is a really cute little cable twist in the upper leg dividing the back and front lace panels, which themselves look to me like falling leaves. Very fancy all around!














I also finished a book sent to me by Sarah (who is trying to get me addicted to Chick Lit) - it's also about knitting, so it counts! It's Knitting Under the Influence, all about a group of friends who are knitters in LA and going through all the trials and tribulations of the single life. (Do you see the title down in our links on the right? It's there thanks to librarything, a new online plaything to help me keep track of my books now that they are actually out of boxes and onto bookshelves) It was fluffy but still a lot of fun - it was actually hard to put it down once I got into it. Now I know why Sarah is so addicted to these books! There is another book out now, the Friday Night Knitting Club (already optioned into a movie by celebrity knitter Julia Roberts) that I just might have to pick up now too... Although I think I'm most attracted to the look of the yarn on the cover! First, though, I have to get through the book on Coxeter - really interesting, even though I am not a mathematician, to read about one man and his insights and how they inspired so many over almost a century of work. That one of the people he inspired was my father-in-law is just a bonus! (That Glenn is also quoted in the book talking about aliens and geometry as the universal language is a super-special bonus). I understand that Siobhan sent you a copy - Glenn is jealous as the Canadian version is supposed to have more photos. I think both you and Dad will find it interesting - have you had a chance to look at it yet?

With such a busy weekend, it was nice to have an extra day off - here in California everyone actually celebrates President's Day, a holiday that passes by all but unacknowledged in Illinois. To make the most of the day, Nathan and I headed towards Ocean Beach here in the city, then just kept driving down Highway One all the way to Half Moon Bay. It was a really beautiful drive - they have just reopened the highway recently after it was closed by rock slides last year. It was cold and windy by the beach - can you see how bundled up I am? - with choppy waves but the clear blue skies more than made up for it. It was calm enough at Half Moon Bay that surfers were in the water, and we managed to trek our way down to Maverick's to put our toes in the ocean and feel the sand on our feet. Topped off with oysters and clam chowder for lunch, it was definitely a nice way to spend a Monday afternoon.

This weekend coming up is Stitches West, aka the annual-yarn-buying-extravaganza. I am going down on Thursday to help set up the booth for Afghans for Afghans, staying overnight in Santa Clara to go shopping at the market Friday. Since I got to go to Stitches Midwest just last August, I don't really need much so I think a lot of it will be looking and thinking - checking out yarns in person that I normally get to see only online, and making note of what is worth ordering for later when I actually have a need. That's what I say now - you'll have to wait for my report to see how good I actually was!

Megan