Rachael

I wrote a bunch of crap this morning that now I don’t feel like posting. I like my job, very much. It supports my writing and yarn habits, and that’s fabulous. But you know? It’s a job. And I have to go back to it tonight (and work a 7pm-5am shift after getting up at 8am this morning, sigh). Vacation is over. That blows. It was SUCH a good vacation.

Grrr.

So. Anyway. Here’s Bella.

Specs:
Bella, cardigan version (included in directions), size 45 finished bust
Yarn: 9 balls Rowan Calmer, color 479
Needles: 5US
Gauge: 5st/inch

I love this cardie. It’s light and so soft, and it just feels good to wear. I added some blue shell buttons I picked up at MDS&W. Do take Joan’s suggestion, though, and add a hook-and-eye at the closure, or you’ll be safety-pinning it, like me. I’ll get around to it. Someday.

Last night Bethany and I took sister Christy out for a celebratory dinner at Fog City Diner in San Francisco. Christy’s about a minute away from getting her master’s degree at Berkeley, and she deserved a break. We realized that it was the first real grown-up dinner we sisters have ever had together, just the three of us. We’ve eaten out a million times, but this was the real deal – cocktails to start, appetizers (truffle fries with aioli, and oysters on the side), full dinner, bottle of wine, dessert…. We had the best time. They wanted to walk back to BART, and I was pretty whiney about it, but they were right: it was a gorgeous walk, a clear night, no fog, not many people about, just walking along the embarcadero, watching the traffic on the sparkling Bay Bridge…. It’s putting me in a better mood just thinking about it. And these faces! Look what I looked at all night!

They slay me. I love them.

And now, because you’ve been so patient, I give you the spoils of war. This is the whole haul. It felt like more when I was lugging it home, but spread out on the floor, I’m not that embarrassed…. If I were a Very Good Blogger, I would catalog the yarns with their colors, vendors, and prices. I’m a Bad Blogger this week. If you MUST know, email me and I’ll look up the name for ya. All anyone really needs to know, however, is that the huge green cone is cashmere/merino from School Products. I haven’t slept with it yet, but I still might.

And off to relax. Maybe a nap before work? See yehs.

Ah…. I’m home. Bethany’s here, too, seeing my apartment for the first time. Actually, she’s a great person to have around, since she woke on east coast time and walked to the store while I was sleeping. At the moment, she’s making us ham and cheese croissants for breakfast while I type.

Hello, George! I love my huge aloe plant. He’s still here outside my window, no wild fencing having been erected while I was gone. I did come home to find that my house-sitters had put together the cheapo porch-glider-in-a-box that I had vaguely suggested they might find fun. It had been sitting in the rain and sun for weeks, staring at me. I hate putting things like Ikea furniture together, and this was Ikea times ten. I have a glider/swing thing now! Must start planning that party….

It’s nice to be home. But I have to say, this was one of my best vacations ever. EVER. One of my favorite things on getting home is thinking over the best parts of the trip, and I’ve been doing a lot of that. It’s a wee bit overwhelming, though. We did so much, and went so many places, and met so many people that I find it hard to remember them all…..

Photo Recap

I realize that I never really wrote about the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I won’t belabor the description, as my friends have already shown you things and told the tales, but I have to say: It’s the happiest place on earth. It’s WAY better than Disneyland (and I love me some Splash Mountain). I just couldn’t get over walking through the dirt, between barns FULL of gorgeous yarn, listening to people playing Celtic music, looking at lambs and ewes and rams and alpacas and bunnies and sheepdogs, running into friends and getting hugs. I mean it. I could NOT get over it. Bethany probably wanted to slap me over the head, because I must have been grinning idiotically, both days. (Although I must tell on her: She woke on Sunday telling me that we had to get there early, as soon as it opened, because we still had so much to see.)

The line of cars to get in (the festival is still about a mile away):

Macabre. But funny. I’m sorry.

Walking through a barn:

Lookee who I found!

And who else I found!

And more (Silvia, Theresa, and BonneMarie):

See how happy Tach is out in his field?

As Kathleen says, deep fried twinkies are dangerous. You can choke on the powdered sugar, and watch out for the sticks. But damn, are they good.

Sheep shearing.

Sheepdog working.

Look, Mama! South Downs. (The kind of sheep she raised in New Zealand as a child….)

(While at the festival I remembered one of my all time favorite memories: Being in New Zealand, on Uncle Jim’s farm, playing in the shearing shed. There was a long wool chute where the fleece was thrown, and we kids could slide down the chute into the piles of soft, lanoliney wool. I was telling Bethany about this and she said, “well, that explains a lot.”)

Then on to Richmond, where being with darling Maggi was only enhanced by hangin’ with the smartest cutest almost-3-year-old I’ve ever met, Wee C:

Driving more, driving north, and we drove through Mystic, a gorgeous little town. It was weird, but we were thrilled to see this:

We both really like old graveyards (like the magnificent Hollywood in Virginia), and this was the Mystic one, right on the water. I liked this photo best, though.

[Total odd aside: Does anyone know anything about a church in a city just east of Mystic, CT on Rte. 1? It’s gorgeous, and huge, and is on the right while headed east, fronting a large graveyard. Bethany and I want the name of it……]

A co-worker (#85) told me about this hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Providence, an Italian joint he worked in as a busboy fifteen-plus years ago. We went through Providence just for dinner, and man, it was worth it. It was tiny, with maybe ten tables, no alcohol (but you could walk it in from the bar across the street), and a chef that Bethany thought was really good eye-candy.

We drove hell-for-leather that night to make Hyannis after Providence. We wanted to be near the ferry boat to Nantucket the next morning. We got a little lost, and had no place to stay, but had seen a hotel listed in one of those discount hotel books you pick up in Denny’s lobbies. We were sure we wouldn’t be able to find it, but driving down Main Street, Tach turned into a parking lot. Bethany thought we were thinking about options, but we looked up and we were IN the parking lot of the hotel we wanted. They had forty-dollar rooms, and we got room number eleven (!). I asked the clerk where the ferry left, and he pointed down the street. He told us we could walk, and we could even leave Tach in the lot if we didn’t want to pay the $20 parking fee the ferry would charge us. AND there was a pub attached to the hotel, the Duck Inn, where we had a nice lil nightcap.

Next day, on to Nantucket. It was WINDY on that high-speed ferry:

Do you know how much I love Nantucket?

And they love me:

We met darlin’ MJ in the Even Keel at noon. She was on her lunch break. We had never met, but we hugged, chatted a bit, and then she said, “Here are the keys to the car. Want to take me back to work? And meet back at the house tonight for dinner?”

She let us have the car! It was awesome! (I guess we couldn’t have stolen it, though. It is an island, after all.) We drove to have lunch on the water at a little local place she told us about, went to the yarn store (Sheep to Shore), bought this local MA yarn:

Then we drove to the Surfside beach and took a nap here in the sun:

Oh, nap photo:

Am I killing you with photos? Oh, well. I cain’t help it.

This is how cool MJ and Steve were. We had been sitting around her kitchen, watching her do this graceful dinner-making dance in front of us, talking of cabbages and kings, when Steve came home. He asked if we wanted to go driving on the beach . MJ took the food off the stove and wiped her hands on her apron. We piled into the jeep and headed out.

It was two days before the real season started, so a lot of the shops were still closed for winter and there was still no one on the beaches. Well, almost no one. There were several of these guys. Say hi:

We *heart* MJ and Steve (and cool cat Jake). The next morning, we still had their car (which we left in a downtown lot with the keys on the running board, doors unlocked — it’s that kind of town), so we headed out again. Did you know Bethany swings?

Went to the airport. Come on, you knew we would. Hello, Wings….. We walked through but saw no one we recognized.

Not shown: We also went to the dump, on MJ’s recommendation. They had a terrific Take It or Leave It (she showed me the cones of yarn she got there once) and we found a nice little wool coat that Bethany’s wearing to the wedding tonight. Heh. Don’t tell the girls…..

Okay. Now tired of blogging and want to get some knitting done (and catching up on blogs and emails will take DAYS). Hurrying: We left Nantucket regretfully. On through Cape Cod, which was gerjess, and into Boston where we hung with Maryse and Amber (thanks for putting us up, cutie!) for a short time.

Had to split WAY early and get to the airport which was REALLY difficult from downtown. Luckily we had left in plenty of time to get lost and still park in economy. And we flew home! Bethany’s back in the City she loves! And I’m home. No matter what, there’s nothing like everything being in place, including yourself.

To all those I met and hugged and loved up, thank you, for everything you gave us. To those I missed, next time? Yes?

Coming up in the next post (someday): Stash brought home (OMG) and the finished Bella cardie (turns out I had plenty of time, finished it in Richmond, watching Sopranos with Maggi). Ciao.

Only a minute or two (really) in this Nantucket library — but let me say quickly that Delaware is beautiful. I take it back. We loved it. And then we drove through SIX states in one day, all New England, all beautiful. Had dinner in Providence, saw Yale and Princeton, saw rivers and trees and the town of Mystic. Ended up Wednesday night in Hyannis, Cape Cod, where we left the truck the next morning. We took the ferry to Nantucket, which is impossible to describe. Really. MJ and Steve put us up, met through this blog, and last night we sat knitting in a farm house in Nantucket with a 13th-generation Nantucketer. I found the yarn store. MJ met us, hugged us, had to get back to work, so she gave us her car, which is at this moment parked on Main Street.

I love it here. It’s sunny, and the boats and water are magical.

Boston tonight, and home tomorrow. Oh, it’s sad to leave all this. But I’ll be happy to show Bethany my new home!

Besos.

Damn, that takes a long time. I’m on dial-up in a hotel, and I’m sorry to say you’ll be gettin’ no more pics. This was a very cute yarn shop in Williamsburg, however.

Cari’s comment about me surfing the blog-ring in person cracked me up. It’s true, I’ve totally been doing that. But I wish I had MORE time. I want to hook up with Maryse and Amber in Boston and Christy in Philly and about ten others I can’t remember. I swear I need another trip. Or y’all need to come out west. Yeah, I like that one. And Joanna, geography was never my strong point. Heh. Is it that obvious? I’ve seen a LOT of the east this last week…..

We drove today. We drove a LOT. We’re in Delaware right now, and I can honestly say this is the first time for me. So far, no offense to Delawarians, but I’m not very impressed. Of course, we’re on the interstate, and that’s something I should remember. I’m sure Delaware isn’t all Arbys and Exxons. We haven’t even made it to Dover yet. We’re in a smoking-room (sigh) Super 8 and Bathany’s in the bath, as per usual.

Today we left Richmond and went deep into tobacco country. We actually saw tobacco growing, something I didn’t even really know still occurred. Isn’t that stupid? Maggi said something humorous about us being so easily awed, but really, I am. I don’t know anything about these areas, and they’re so new and exciting! And the brick of the buildings is the most perfect red I’ve ever seen.

We went south to Jamestown and east over to Hampton and then up across the Chesapeake. I put my toes into the Chesapeake waters! And that’s technically the Atlantic, so I killed two bodies of water with one foot. It was cool. And actually, pretty damn cold, too. We crossed on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which is 17 MILES of bridge and tunnel, up and down. Friends, that’s not a joy ride to me. Give me a nice easy plane ride. I hate tunnels. Especially deep ones where the traffic is oncoming, and there’s a person who slows suddenly coming at you in the other direction, and the traffic behind her has to brake so quickly that the semi four back is suddenly in your lane, and your sister is braking and doing an absolutely beautiful job fitting her little pickup truck body between the walls of the tunnel and semi’s wheels, and you look in the rear-view mirror to see another big-rig barreling down, trying to brake to accommodate your sister’s necessary slow-down.

I was so shaken I cried. Bethany was reassuring and cool, and I loved her. She said, “I knew I could handle my truck and that I would do the best I could do, and the rest wasn’t up to me.” She rocks.

After that little three second scare, the rest of the day was charmed. We drove north from the bridge, all the way up Virginia’s east shore. We left the regular small road and drove up the unlined road that went through old fields and past houses that haven’t been rebuilt after falling down and just rest there, in the middle of their overgrown trees, brick and wood sagging into the greenery. We saw almost no one else all the way up. At one point, we looked right and a little old lady was sitting on the tailgate of a pickup truck, swinging her legs, her hair in a pink net. She waved. We waved back.

We went out to Chinkateague and saw the lighthouse and the NASA station. We tuned to their AM station and listened to their public service announcements about “Puppets in Space.” We ate a lot of Zingers bought in a rest-stop where they sold fruit and tee-shirts with pirates on them. (Shhh. I bought Bethany one.)

Tomorrow we’re booking up to Rhode Island and Providence. We’re realizing that we have almost no time left, and we really want to see Nantucket. Man, remember Wings? I loved that show. Can’t wait.

We’re at the fabulous Maggi’s house, and I just read Wee C my favorite book ever, Bread and Jam for Frances. This is my first time in the South, and I’m in love. (You might notice a trend. It’s like with people. I fall fast and hard. And often.) Richmond is the ideal city. (Don’t burst my bubble. I like my romances to be sweet for a while….) And who wouldn’t love it? Red brick everywhere, the azaleas blooming, a hot tub and wine and knitting? Sigh. If only Greta had made it to our slumber party, as had been originally planned. But life gets in the way sometimes, and there will be other trips.

Bethany and I had a great drive down from DC. She had a little black cloud hanging over her head while we fought the 95 traffic, and as soon as we hit the blue highway again, she became yellow and sunny. One should never tell a sister really good news at a confusing intersection, though. We saw way more of Fredericksburg than we ever planned because I told her that our friends Kira and Rachel (getting married on Sunday) are flying her out with ME on Saturday! She’s going home for six days! Wheeeee! I suppose a wrong turn was inevitable. I had totally been convinced she already knew, that someone had spilled the beans (everyone knew but her), but she was overwhelmed with surprise. It was fabulous.

Maryland? Sheep and Wool? I’ll show you my haul when I get home, and pictures, too, but suffice it to say that I don’t have enough arms to carry it all. That’s the real reason I’m bringing Bethany home with me. And I met (let me see if I can remember): Bonne Marie, Carolyn, Theresa, Froggy, Anna, Christy, Jodi, Stella, Christina, Silvia, Claudia….. It’s late and I think I’m leaving about four others out. Remind me in comments. I’ll add links later. Want to get downstairs and knit more with darlin’ Maggi. We called Threadbear Rob earlier and he just told me to go home. “No one is allowed to have that much fun.” I know it.

We’re hitting the highway tomorrow, heading up and out to Boston. We have a Nantucket stop on the way, which we’re really looking forward to, and a lot of good snacks in between here and points north. Absolutely no time (or really, inclination) to check email (or even to proof this post), but know that I love y’all (see? Southern!) and kisses are sent your way. Mwah!

Our first meeting with Em!

In’int she gorgeous?

At the March!

The Cutest Marcher:

The next day, lunch with Wendy!

Our lovely Lady:

And how she sometimes appears:

Don’t tell his mom, but Scout sometimes sleeps on sock yarn.

Knit NY!

Cashmere at School Products….. I love Michelle.

I love Cari.

And I love Alison, too.

Bethany found that Central Park has good swings!

Up in the castle:

Cherry blossoms are in season:

Tulips are, too.

In front of the Chelsea Hotel, the home of poets, writers, and artists of all sorts. Bethany’s trying to look inscrutable. I think she succeeds:

Very happy:

Cari is proof that yes, knitting IS sexy.

A goodbye kiss (note that gorgeous Rosedale….)

Whew. Deep breath. Now the post. But all I have to do is pretty much cut and paste, so here y’are, m’dears.

Friday, April 30th

We just left New York. I’m on a bus that runs between the New York and DC Chinatowns. Beth’s sitting across the aisle from me, knitting, and I’ve decided to hope that I’ll be able to download this post from my very own computer when we hit the hotel in Maryland later today. So far, carrying the computer hasn’t been the best choice. I’m still hoping it’ll pay off, though….

I’m semi-heartbroken to leave New York. It’s not a full heartbreak, though, because I know I’ll be back. When I leave a city like Prague or Paris, I have a vague hope that I’ll return. But cities like Venice and New York, my return is assured. Completely.

The best part of the trip so far? Being with my Brooklyn girls. I already loved them, you knew that. But actually being with Em and Cari, in the flesh, was a different and wonderful thing. I think I was only able to articulate it when I met Cari’s dogs for the first time. I had heard stories about them and seen pictures of them for so long, but when they were before me, in three dimensions, I finally met them. I finally knew them.

Actually, that’s how this whole trip has been so far. The flat, two-dimensional New York of books and movies became fleshed out in front of me. I understood the spatial relations of sidewalks against walls. I discovered how long it took my particular feet to cross Central Park. I tasted that knish, bought from a street vendor, that every newcomer has to taste. (Actually, I was way cool when I ordered our snack. “Two knishes.” “Mustard inside?” “Yeah.” Took the knish. Nodded at the vendor. Then turned back into Rachael and leaned in and told him, “This is our very first knish ever! We’ve never had one! I’m so excited!” And man, was it worth it.

Yesterday Bethany and I had the most marvelous New York kind of day. We took the subway in from Brooklyn and went to the Chelsea Hotel. We goggled a little. Then we ate Krispy Kremes across the street. I believe I inhaled three of them without exhaling once. Then uptown to the Park. Well, we thought we were going uptown, but by then we were both getting cocky. Yeah, this subway system is easy. We got it. We know it. Uh-huh. Oh, shit, we’re across the river and not in Manhattan anymore. We really did go uptown via Queens (which is kinda like going from Fisherman’s Wharf to North Beach via Oakland), but the subways are so damn fast and efficient that we were back uptown in a flash.

Central Park was insanely beautiful. The sun was shining, and the cherry blossoms were in bloom. We climbed the castle and rambled the Rambles (I know, but it was daylight – we saw no illicit sex going on, darn it). For Christy, we found the Dakota and went to Strawberry Fields and watched the nations throw flowers at John Lennon’s circle. We kept passing places that rang those 2D bells. Oh! What show were these benches in? (Sex and the City.) Where have we seen this bandstand before? (Breakfast at Tiffany’s.)

Bethany travels at the same pace I do. Lots of walking followed by prolonged periods of eating, resting, and people watching. After a quick tour of Madison Avenue, we went back to the East Village, which is by far my favorite section of New York. We drank beer on the sidewalk in the sun and watched the clothing/hair go by. I have now realized that Californians really don’t know crap about dressing. They think they do, but New Yorkers have that confidence that just makes ‘em look GOOD, no matter what they’re wearing.

I was just talking to Bethany and realized we really hadn’t bought any souvenirs. We didn’t shop at all, actually (you leave that cashmere outta this). I did buy a crappy NY tee shirt that I plan to sleep in, and yesterday, after our day out, I took Bethany back to Knit NY to have a cup of coffee and to knit for a little while. I bought one of their shirts, and I’m glad. After my all-day yarn excursion on Wednesday, and our knit-night at Cari’s, I can now say, Yes. I did Knit New York.

** Friday night: Now at the high-speed internet connection at the Sheraton, I’m glad I brought the computer. Still no time to catch up on blogs or email, I’m sorry, but I’ll do that when I get home. The bus ride was uneventful, but rather miserable. They put on a Chinese kung-fu romance at an amazing volume, and I couldn’t stop watching it. I was also pretty stoned on Aleve because in the subway in Chinatown NY, I pulled a muscle in my back. I was trying to go through the turnstile while reaching for my heavy suitcase on the other side. I scared poor Bethany to death because I found myself still leaning over the turnstile, only able to say, “Stuck. Stuck. STUCK!” She ran all around me, trying to get me unstuck from the mechanics, but it was just my body that wouldn’t move. She carried my suitcase the six blocks to the bus, and I tried to keep still for the rest of the ride. Ever tried to do that for four hours on a swaying bus? Oy. But the drugs helped, and I’m in the hotel now, and I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be good as gold tomorrow for the Sheep and Wool Festival! I can’t stand it! See you there?