There and back again....

Since last I posted, we have been:

Here and back again.  "Here" is a cabin at Blue Bell Lodge in South Dakota - smack dab in the middle of Custer State Park.  Yep, that's where you could find us this same week last year too.  Good things deserve to be repeated sometimes. All the "good" photos are in the hubb's camera, so I'll get more posted soon.  Just thought I'd let you know why I've been MIA for the last couple of weeks.

We are home now, and back to real life.  I managed to get lots of knitting done while riding in the car, and setting on that front porch up there.  Ahhh......  total relaxation.  Some of these projects may have been viewed on Ravelry, so sorry for the redundancy if that is the case.
 
Fist up is the pair of mittens inspired by the photo I took of Bergen, Norway.  When I saw the pattern, it reminded me so of the photo I had taken from our room balcony.....I knew I would eventually knit a pair for myself.

 This will be the back or public side of the mittens.  I really like this building design!

 

I chose to make this the palm side of the mittens.

The pattern was basically just a chart, so I chose to do a hem bottom with the braid detail.  I really like that touch on the bottom of mittens.

Next up is a simple shawl - great car knitting on large needles. 

This is the pattern "Faraway, so Close".  The yarn is handspun, 2 4oz braids spun into a 2-ply worsted weight yarn.  It was really fun and quick.  I made the larger size, and I really like how it comes way down on my arms.  I may well make another of these.  Perhaps for my mom. 

Next is a pair of plain jane socks knit out of Knitpicks Stroll Tonal in the "Parchement" colorway.  They were originally going to be for me, but they may be gifted at Christmas.  I think they came out very nice, and the intended recipient is very much into similar colors as I like.  I think they will be well received.  Yikes.....there's that "C" word again!! 

Lastly, and currently, I am working on a new sweater for one little doggie!

She was not thrilled with her fitting session, as I had to wake her from a deep sleep.  But she went back to snoozing immediately, so worry not!  She wore the makeshift long sleeved sweater (from the previous post) while we were on vacation.......she deserves a nice new pretty one - in colors more complimentary to her coloring.  This will be long sleeved and long bodied. 

So - that's got things caught back up.  BG's preschool class is walking to the local fire station this Friday.  It's a couple of blocks, and crossing a busy street, so guess who's going along as a volunteer???  LOL - yep, you betcha!  They asked for enough adults to go so that they had one adult for every 2 preschoolers - one on each hand.  I'm for that system!  Call me overprotective.......

More on the vacation later.  It was kind of a strange blend of bliss and adrenaline runs.  We had phantom idiot lights going off on our dash, a flat tire, and then there was a little "run in" with a big buck deer.  Sigh..... but all's well that ends well, and it did. 

DH has surgery scheduled for next week.  Shoulder surgery.  He received his cardiac clearance, so I guess it's a "go".  We expect things to go well. 

Keep on aknittin......  later - k