away we go

I have spent the last three days getting ready to get the heck out of here. Supplies purchased, house cleaned, vet check (for the sheep shows taking place shortly after we return), laundry conquered, arrangements made, mail stopped, bags packed... The list, as usual, goes on and on.

But at the end, I had the sweetest part of all: deciding what yarn gets to come along with me for the projet(s) du vacation. (If you say the latter in a french accent it sounds even more vacation-y.)

I already knew that I had to bring along a lacy scarf project. I had the perfect (I hope) handspun to use, a single-ply spun two (or more? really need to start keeping better notes) years ago from a batt of Lincoln cross purchased from Barneswallow at Rhinebeck.

The socks that I have been working on, from my sock-of-the-month club; they are a very different construction, but almost at the point where I pick up the stitches and knit down the heel.

In case I get bored, more sock yarn: Plymouth Yarn's Happy Feet. This yarn was chosen for our wonderful, awesome vet; her visit this morning reminded me that this project has been aging for a bit, but that's OK because it really isn't needed until Christmas.

I don't have a pattern chosen for this yarn, so I'd better bring my best resource book for sock patterns, plus another book to help me remember how to kitchener the toes (because of course I will get to the toes in at least one pair! plus I need to kitchener together the body of the first pair).

I need a little mindless knitting, so that baby blanket from the ball field is coming along; only three balls of yarn to go, so I should easily finish that up on the 8 hour car ride. (In case you are worried that I am going to blind the baby it's intended for, let me assure you that it isn't really that neon orange, more of a fall russet. Which isn't really a baby color, I know, but what can I say, they live in New York City.)

And I had better bring along a little charity knitting, because I am behind on my projects for that particular cause.

Plus all the little supplies that I might need...

Et voila! (One might think that I am going to France, what with all this francais, but one would be wrong.) I manage to jam all the projects neatly into one bag, but no room for all the novels I am going to read as well.

I am sure I will get through all this, and probably have need to visit the local yarn and book store to tide me over until I return in one week.

What's that you say? What happened to the sweater I intended to knit to keep me warm while there? La la la, can't hear you right now, too busy humming with the joy of getting away for a bit. I'll have to fill you in on that particular disaster when I return, but one thing's for sure: it's not coming with me.