Catching up (posted by Lani)

Now for a real (and long) catching-you-up-on-my life post, with some knitting thrown in. Yes, I know, I'm on a posting binge! Don't get used to it though, I can't promise it'll continue.

So! What have I been up to. Let's see! First of all, back at the end of April Fabulous Neighbor Margie taught a week-long deep editing immersion seminar at her home. Steve was out of town, so on Sunday night I went over and we spent the evening cooking up a storm in preparation. We stayed up late and talked and giggled and had fun -- like a sleepover, only without the sleep! Later in the week I joined Margie and the fun and fascinating authors taking her course for dinner several nights at various local landmarks, and had an utter blast doing it. What fascinating people, and what fun! I'd drop a name or two here but I'm not sure that'd be considered kosher ... suffice it to say there was one current bestselling author in the group, and some others who I look forward to seeing on that august list in the near future.

Steve came home for a bit in early May, and then back on the road he went. His trip to DC was extended and they put him up in a hotel that was actually in DC. On Embassy Row in DC, to be precise. I was jealous. REALLY jealous. So jealous I couldn't stand it. I grabbed a cheap plane ticket at the last minute on a Friday afternoon, threw some clothes into the nearest suitcase, and on Saturday I was off to visit our nation's capitol. I dragged Steve with me to the Natural History Museum at the Smithsonian; we ate lunch in the National Gallery's Sculpture Garden and then visited the National Gallery itself; and when poor Steve had to go back to work on Monday, I visited the Corcoran. It was a wonderful trip, and I wish some of the pictures that had us actually IN them had turned out decently. We ate at several great places, but I have to say my absolute unqualified favorite was Kramerbooks & Afterwords. We ate good food, we drank good beer, and we bought books. What a winning combination.

I managed to almost restrain myself in the Washington yarn shops, although I did buy something called Poems Sock, from Wisdom Yarns. It's a dead ringer for Noro (well, except for the twigs and branches and other assorted veggie matter, and super thick and so-thin-and-overspun-I-want-to-scream sections, I always associate with Noro). I can't wait to actually knit with it and see how I like it; it's a single which worries me a little, but those Noro-esque colors, ahhh. I told myself I deserved this small stash enhancement because lo! I have finished two new pairs of socks: first, the original green pair (Austermann Step yarn) which I thought I'd love but which now make me feel like I need to go buy a camo outfit and go hunting, and also they are fraternal rather than identical twins and I've discovered that I'm just anal enough to really prefer identically striped socks; and second, a very different and yes, identically striped green pair (Red Heart Heart & Sole) that remind me of spring and easter eggs hiding in that bright green fake grass stuff, and make me smile every time I look at them. Both of these yarns have aloe in them, so I'll be looking forward to wearing them and seeing if that really makes any difference in how they feel.

Also in exciting knitting news, I am probably the last sock knitter in America to knit Cookie A.'s Monkeys (I am lazy, so I'm doing the no-purl variation). I'm now on the toe decreases on the first sock, and let me just say I completely understand the popularity of the pattern and I'll be making more. My First Monkeys are from some Lisa Souza sock yarn that I got in a trade, in a completely frilly and girly color called Violet's Pink Ribbon. I'm LOVING this yarn, seriously loving. Can't wait to finish and block and wear them -- I'd give them to the Girl Who Loves Pink, but she's not so much for homemade knitted goods so I can keep these right here with no guilt whatsoever.

This weekend is our neighborhood's annual Memorial Day Woohoo It's Spring and Summer and Don't Turn Around Or It'll Be Fall Again And Then The Snow Comes Back party. Since we're isolated enough that we depend heavily on our neighbors up here, we all really enjoy getting together a couple of times a year just for fun (as opposed to getting together to help each other dig out and cut down fallen trees across our drives and such). I'll take pictures!