Friends

Hee. I was looking at yesterday's post with all the pretty pictures of yarny goodness and I must admit that Sz is right. I have a thing for blue. And why not? It's a gorgeous shade. For those who are interested in more details click through this picture to Flickr for details in the notes:



I focused on pretty variegated yarns that I can't get around here. And I couldn't resist the bison yarn : ) On my trip I knit up some more of the gorgeous Skein Queen lavish that my sister has given me. It is so incredibly soft and gorgeous. This colorway is aquamarine and it is so peaceful and calm - I love it. I think I'd love to have a bedroom in all of these cool and calming shades. I made a forest canopy shawl and finished in over the weekend. All that airplane knitting time! It's a very simple quick pattern and I'm very happy with the results.



I finally blocked it last night (using a free sample of Soak I got at the Ravelry party!) and am looking forward to feeling the smooshy goodness against my neck. Though we had record high temperatures here yesterday so not feeling the need for a shawly-scarf right now! Then again, it is the coast so the cool will be back soon enough. Yesterday was seriously hot! It never gets hot around here - it was very weird. Don't get me wrong - I loved it : )

I also blocked my anthropologie-style capelet last night. Really less of a capelet and more of a mini-cardi. I had ripped out a shirt a made with delicious Malabrigo back in Tahoe days (Alpine Pearl colorway). That shirt was a disaster and I never wore it - truely hideous use of beautiful yarn. This pattern was so much better. And it was so nice to use the Malabrigo again - love that yarn. Super soft. Definitely wear against your skin soft. I did have to fiddle with the numbers a bit because it's worsted and the pattern called for chunky yarn, but it's such a straightforward pattern that it was super easy. I also lengthened it quite a bit to make it more flattering on my figure. Pictures soon.

The other project I'm working on right now is a Montego Bay Scarf. It's nice open easy lace and is going quickly. Good thing because I get bored of scarves easily. I'm using a yarn we bought in Florence last summer in beautiful aquamarine and white with metallic silver shot through. It's a cotton and nylon blend and the super drapeyness of the yarn is working great with the pattern. I'd been thinking an argosy scarf because I thought the variegation in the yarn would look nice in that pattern but luckily I came to my senses and realized argosy needs a more structured yarn.

Soooo, I'm slow! But I did have a great trip to DC and I want to tell you about it! Got there Thursday night after waiting in Denver for a while while they de-iced my place. It was pretty cool to watch the de-icing because I'd never seen it before.

Friday morning Sz went to work. I had her call me around 9 to make sure I wouldn't sleep all morning (three hours earlier there and all). I used Sz's excellent directions and wandered downtown to the Library of Congress. It was highly recommended by E's grandma so I though I'd check it out. I did a tour and it was very cool. I didn't have much time to explore the exhibits, but I would totally go back some day. There is a lot to see there! Much more than a morning, but I had to go because I was meeting Sz for lunch.

At a marvelous little Japanese place where I got a delicious bento box. Yummers! After lunch we headed over to the National Aquarium and watch the alligators get lunch. Wee little alligators get fish for lunch that they have to jump up for. Good exercise. The aquarium is kind of small, but I loved that the exhibits are centered around Wildlife Refuges and Parks and places you might actually go someday. Loved the fishies and froggies.

We then decided to get more frog action at the National Geographic exhibit. But I must admit we didn't make it there. Instead we were pulled into the Corcoran to see an exhibit about the evolution of America. Interesting. Though downstairs there was an extremely disturbing photo exhibit that appeared to be re-enactments of Abu Graib. Depressing. So we needed and antidote and after wandering down the street for a while we were waylayed by a giant sign for an avant-garde jewelry exhibit. Very cool and interesting. Though not what you'd call wearable...

By then is was after 5. We had set up a date with Ch in Georgetown for Ethiopian food for dinner. So we took the bus to Georgetown and went to inspect Sephora first. We spitzed every flavor of perfume and declared them all mostly nasty. Then we played with the make-ups downstairs. We both ended up with lovely Clinique lipsticks. Sz laughed at me because at one point I had a different lipstick on each quadrant of my mouth but she said they all looked the same. Hee. We must have been a stinky colorful picture for poor Ch when we showed up for dinner. Dinner was delicious! Love the Ethiopian food - Ch and I shared the veggie sampler and I liked all the different samples. After dinner we had a few drinks and chatted away. So fun to hang out with both Sz and Ch again.

Saturday was the big fair day! I was so happy that Sz agreed to go to Maryland Sheep and Wool with me. It was a pretty easy drive, though some traffic closer to the fair. Sz was pretty amazed by how big the fair was. I knew it would be big, but it was still exciting to see how huge it was. We checked out the ravelry get together, but it was kind of a mob. So instead we just settled into a nice day of browsing and noshing. We slowly cruised all the barns and checked out fibers, yarns, and sheep to our heart's content. Sz is not a fibery person, but she found some pretty beads and learned kumihemo Japanese braiding. I touched and petted a bazillion yarns and fibers and bought my very favorites. I even bought some fiber! For what, I don't know. But I couldn't leave it behind. I guess that some day I'll learn to spin... Overall, the fair was a huge success - I loved it!



That night we checked out the Ravelry party and met some fun knitters. I must admit I was a total wimp and didn't approach hardly anyone. I recognized tons of people from their blogs and Ravelry though so that was very cool. And there were free drinks and a giant raffle.

Sunday we met Ch for brunch. First we got to see her brand spaking new awesome condo and then she took us to a fun place where I had the best sandwich. Simply have to make one at home. It was: raisin-walnut bread with gorgonzola, fig preserves, and thinly sliced fuji apples. Toasted. So good!

Then Sz and I went and stimulated the economy. Apparently that is what shopping is called these days. We went to a humongous four story ritzy shopping mall next to the Pentagon. I think the Macy's shoe department was bigger than the entire Gottshalks at the mall here. Ha! I needed bras and no one locally stocks them in my size. It was great to actually be able to try on a whole selection in my size. Good thing because some of the ones I'd considered ordering online did not fit well at all. Happily I had quite a bit of success.

After we got back to Sz's place we walked over to eastern Market where there was a huge street fair going on. It was a beautiful day, so it was very fun to be walking around outside. We looked around a bit and then went to a Thai place for dinner. Yum. Followed by a Ben and Jerry's dessert eaten in the park watching doggies frolic.

It was an awesome weekend!

I had a wonderful weekend trip! I just had the best time, hanging out, site-seeing, eating yummy food, Maryland Sheep and Wool, Ravelry party, shopping, street fair... I will blog about it in more details when I download my pictures. And take more pictures of my yarn!!!! But here's my new blue suede shoes: