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Saturday, April 24, 2010

Campy

I'm sitting here drinking my coffee from my new Starbucks Seattle mug, getting all moony for the Pacific Northwest. (I love the Starbucks city mugs, by the way. They are the perfectly sized cup of coffee for me. I prefer my Jennie the Potter mugs for tea, however. Don't know why I make this distinction.) It's cool and rainy outside, very Seattle-like, though the weather we experienced there last week was unusually spectacular up until departure day.


Of all the things I am missing (the bacon, the bacon, and the bacon), I am missing my camp friends most of all. I have been extremely fortunate to attend lots of fiber events all over the country during the past several years, and I have made friends at all of them. At Sock Camp this year, I saw previous years' camp friends, friends from other events, and new friends who I look forward to seeing again. It was great. (I just found out yesterday that I will likely be travelling to San Francisco in August, so I hope to see some of the SF girls then--what a treat!)

The husband is returning from a business trip this evening. I came home late Tuesday, and he left really early Wednesday morning, so I hadn't even unpacked before he left. There's a little bit of new yarn to put away before I pick him up at the airport tonight ;) We haven't seen each other very much lately, but he did the funniest, sweetest thing while I was in Port Ludlow: he wrote me a camp-themed poem. Camp had a Seussian bent this year (along with the b00bies), and the poem was in reference to a series of really silly Seuss-themed skits produced by the four "tribes" at camp. Enjoy, especially the knitting curse at the end (not that ANY OF US would EVER wish evil on another knitter. Not EVER. No, NEVER!) Anyway, it was a cute and campy thing for him to do, and he clearly has the lingo down.


I hope the knitters liked your skit;
(I hope the skitters like your knit.)
Did it go well, was it a hit?
Did they stand and clap and clap, or sit?
Did people gush, and, then, get lit?
(Was the liquor bill a massive chit?)
Did the sketchers 'gainst whom you were pit
Match up, and give as good as git,
See you pun for pun, and tat for tit?
Did all lap up the crafty wit --
Like cream is lapped up by a kit --
or did some sneeralate and crit,
And pick a nit with ev'ry bit,
And snarkelfize, and give you shit,
Like some insipid royal twit,
whose festering gob just will not quit?

Upon those churls, I lay this curse:

May Quiviut cause you a rash;
May moths invade your treasured stash;

May all your patterns each omit
Important rows you should have knit;

May airlines ban the knitting needle,
No matter how you beg and wheedle;

May yarn crawls all be heavy slogging,
And ev'ry sock require frogging.

No, no, I do not doubt a bit
That all the knitters liked your skit.


PS The Yarn Harlot proclaimed him "sexy" for writing a sock camp-themed poem. Perhaps he should add that honor to his resume.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Come for the B00bs, Stay for the Bacon, Pt. 2

So, the mascot for camp was a Blue Footed B00bie, and from there, it's not hard to see where things spiralled out of control. Homework has always been slapped with the silly stick, and this year was no exception. Our assignment: knit b00bs.

There were big ones, little ones, shy ones, saggy ones, misbehaving ones, Wicked ones, glistening ones, and there were even some manb00bs. There were b00b cupcakes, b00b egg cozies, b00b socks and b00b hats. The most important thing, as Mary pointed out, was that we do our (ahem) level breast. (So clever and funny, that one. I must go buy her book, pronto!)


All-in-all, it was a great time seeing old friends and making new.

In Tina's class, this old friend became......this new one:And this...
...left camp as this:
And these were two new friends who have joined a large family of skeins here at home:
Chalk another year up in the books. Wonder what they'll have in store for 2011...

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Come for the B00bs, Stay for the Bacon





I am a couple of days out from my return after Sock Camp, and I am two days into bacon detox. Sock Camp is about many things, not the least of which is food. But I get ahead of myself.


I flew into Seattle a day early for some fun and frivolity with Ana and Leslie, friends from two previous retreats with Cat Bordhi in Friday Harbor. I also know Ana from the Alaska Sea Socks cruise a few years ago. Leslie picked me and Ana up at the airport and we were off, with stops at three yarn shops, a conveyor belt sushi lunch, ice cream at Molly Moon's (I cheated), and a delish coffee at Fuel. Then it was back to the hotel for a break before heading out for more food later. I spent my afternoon walking around the Pike Place Market, with pit stops at the John Fluevog store (it's so itty bitty compared to Chicago), and a lovely wine shop near the market. Then it was back to the Hotel Max. (It was a great deal and perfect for a one-night stay when I wasn't planning on being in the room very much. The hotel is stylish, but the rooms and bathrooms are small, but for the price, it was great.) Japanese was the theme for the day, and that night we dined at Maneki which was simply fantastic and incredibly reasonable. Three of us ate quite well for $40!


The next morning we headed down to The Hangar Cafe by Boeing Field for breakfast crepes. (This trip was rife with cheats for me!) From there, we headed to the ferry and toward Bainbridge Island, home of my absolutely favorite yarn store ever, Churchmouse. Their selection, display, friendliness, and helpfulness never wavers. Some loveliness, including a Habu tunic kit made their way home with me. I also picked up the folio of Churchmouse Classics--gorgeous! From there, it was off to Port Ludlow.



Camp, as ever, defies accurate description. It's silly, inspiring, touching, educational, gut-bustingly funny, exhausting, and fulfilling. I got to have classes with two new (to me) teachers who I would be happy to take class with again in the future. Both Anne Hanson and Sivia Harding were wonderful. Because of Sivia, I am going to be seeking out projects in need of a beaded cast-on, and Anne actually made me want to swatch! A dyeing class with the Depraved Dyer, Tina Newton, and a sock anatomy lesson with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee rounded out the classes.


Part Two to follow, but to tide you over...



...this is the dog who delivers coffee to the Inn.