Thursday, January 10, 2008

family travel adventures

Well, the family trip continues...we are now visiting my folks in Northern Virginia. We have consumed no less than 6 birthday and celebration dinners of one kind or another. What a week.

The big finale to my NYC experience (in terms of knitting) was visiting School Products on Monday. To hell with restraint! I managed to find the subway, to take it to the right stop, get up to the 3rd floor, and do damage to my credit card. Two hours and umm, 4 sweaters and a scarf's worth of yarn later, I struggled down the elevator, out to the street, and off to rest again that afternoon. It's hard work buying silk/cotton worsted weight, mercerized cotton, cashmere/merino blend, 100% cashmere yarns, and silk/rayon yarn for dyeing. I could barely manage to lug the bag back on the subway!


Obviously, the handdyed sock knitting and the never-ending Thermal sweater weren't enough yarn to carry around. (see bad photos in this post!) I had to have MORE.

The professor kindly popped loads of purchases into his suitcase. Hmm. Apparently, the gifts of homemade jam and syrup were not all distributed to relatives as we'd thought. One lone jar of blueberry syrup lingered, lost at the bottom of his suitcase. Yesterday, as he got dressed, the professor couldn't understand my cries. "So," he said, "my shirt is damp. And pretty darn purple. So what? I have a work deadline to meet, I've got to do some email!" He nearly marched off to the computer dressed in blueberry. That was when I washed half his clothes, handwashed my cream colored cabled handknitted sweater, and got rid of a very drippy bag of what was once a jar of syrup. The professor resurfaced late that afternoon from my father's den and said, "Wow, look at all these clean clothes! Thank you! I'll fold them! How did this happen?" (washed twice, by that point.) Gotta love an absentminded professor. :)

Good thing we were visiting my family and the guestroom is right by the laundry room.

I've been treated to many family delights while the professor was working:
1) rides in my father's 1965 Triumph Spitfire convertible and lunch at my favorite Lebanese restaurant
2) never ending requests to play Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder DVDs from my charming 2 year old nephew Nate, interspersed with story time, lots of hugs and playing
3) actual adult conversation with my sister-in-law
4) have I mentioned all the food? The 4th chocolate dessert this week?

It's really no wonder that I decided not to go to "tumbles" with Nate today (preschool gymnastics) or out for an Auntie Joanne lunch of bagels. Although I love going to museums while home, I'm not even going to attempt to manage it this time. Yes, it is roughly 12 miles from here to the Capitol building, just a short subway ride away, but I'm pretty tuckered out. I have glorious plans. It's pretty quiet here in the guestroom. I may hide and take a nap.

4 Comments:

Blogger Melissa said...

What a nice long birthday week! I only wish you weren't still so pooped or we could try to get together while you are in Virginia. Another time...

January 10, 2008 at 5:48 PM  
Blogger Deborah Robson said...

You got off easy at School Products. One time I left there with a Glimakra loom.

January 10, 2008 at 6:34 PM  
Blogger Vicki said...

Gorgeous sock yarn! What is it?
Oh what fun to visit a new yarn shop! I visited a LYS yesterday and spent way too much. See new stash pics on Ravelry if you don't believe me. :-)

January 11, 2008 at 12:49 PM  
Blogger e's knitting and spinning blog said...

So glad it is going well. I think you need a rest after the bleberry syrup incident. It makes me tired just thinking about it!!!

January 13, 2008 at 5:28 AM  

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