Good Morning, All!
If you're here because you followed a link via the kerfuffle over at the St. Louis Forum in Ravelry, welcome! Get a cup of coffee and stay awhile. I said what I meant over there. We forget, I think, when we are online and alone in our jammies, that we are discussing real people who get up in the morning and want to run a top notch business. I've been guilty of just that amnesia several times and I've been called on it too. Really, people, civility please. Yes you have the right to talk about a bad experience, but with that right comes a responsibility. Help make it right. Talk to management. We are a relatively small knitting community here in St. Louis, even though we'd like to think we're all that and a box of chocolates.
Enough about that! On to the important stuff. The Date.
And now that I've said the D word, you are to cock your head slightly, maintain a deadpan look, blink your eyes medium fast, and say, "Motheerrr. We are friends." You can cross your arms for emphasis if you like. And to that I say, "Yes and that's just the way your father likes it.... Friends."
They had so much fun. They ate together at a restaurant, they danced ("Only to the fast songs! Gosh!") and it was loud. She got home at 11:15 and Dad was waiting at the door. There was a kind of "Aw shucks" kicking the dirt "Goodbye" and a "See you next weekend" because they are going to the Fall Ball at her school this weekend. At least I'll get to be here to hover over them for this one. Ask Bridgett if my hovering 800 miles away was a pleasant experience... ***grin*** Turns out Dad is perfectly capable of getting Dear Daughter off to a Homecoming dance -- makeup, hair, dress, jewelry, flowers and all. Especially when he has help from the local salon. Thanks, Nina!
Oh, right. And something else went on this weekend. In case you live under a rock.
I got to go to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival at Rhinebeck again this year. Yay, me. Loved it. Bridgett and I stayed in Saugerties which is a little north of the festival as we fly into Albany. Great restaurants each night! But first things first.
We sit down in the St. Louis Airport to wait for our flight out of town on Friday and we look over and this gal is knitting a Norwegian mitten. Really. Of all the gin joints! It's Marji, of Fiber Arts Afloat here with Bridgett! She getting ready to teach a class on these beauties at Kirkwood Knittery (oops -- sorry about that!). Good start to our weekend, no?
Saturday morning, we arrived bright and early and joined the mob at Briar Rose where I got the yarn I've been coveting, and sure enough, it was gone by afternoon. Grandma's Blessing in a brown with olive hits and a barn red with rust hits. Gorgeous stuff. Yay me again. Oh, and buttons to put on whatever I make. (scroll down for the picture) You read that right. Purely stash enhancement ... with colorwork in mind, though. Then we ran into Ruth and Lucia and WoolyBabe, but alas, we didn't get to spend much time with them as we were all intent on shopping.
We hit the blogger round up and ran into Kelly and these lovely ladies whom I hope someone can identify... I'm bad with names and notetaking.
Carole ran out of beer. And she was sad. But I was glad to finally meet her!
I chatted with Joe and Thaddeus, Marilyn, Norma, Dani, Carla, Zarzuela ... and who else?
I got Bingo.
I got some yarn and roving....
My sweater got to meet Stephanie's sweater.
It was really too hot to wear it, but also... none of the pictures of me in it make me happy. The arms are just too long. I have to rip them back. Maybe next week. Ah me. (My hair was having a lovely moment, wasn't it?!) I also had my "All your yarn are belong to us" shirt with me, wore it on the plane on Friday ... I guess I could have worn that too ... how sycophantic of me.
Yes. It was a just right weekend. And we are home now, safe and sound. And the house was cleaner when I got home than it was when I left it.
You can't ask for more than that in this world, I don't think.
I'm so glad we got to meet this time! And in that picture with Kelly, the woman next to Bridgett is Katy of knitterpated.
Posted by: Carole | October 23, 2007 at 09:39 AM
Kerfuffle - oh, yeah, baby. Bring. It. On. hee-hee. I'm loyal to my friends is all I can say.
Date - She looks maaavalous and her date is a huge improvement over the guy who called me freshman year. He's taller than her for a start. :) I wonder if she'd ask mom to knit some anklets to match her dress for the next one, since she now knows that all the girls take their shoes off by the 6th song.
Rhinebeck! Can I be your date in 2009? I think that's my next opportunity to go. So jealous. But then, since I've only touched one skein of the Stitches Midwest 2006 haul, I really shouldn't be that upset. And Carole looks like my kind of girl. How does the book signing thing work if you've already bought all their books?
Glad your home! See you Wednesday??
Posted by: Jenn | October 23, 2007 at 09:40 AM
It does look like you had a fabulous time!
Posted by: margene | October 23, 2007 at 09:41 AM
OOOOOH, look at all that roving! What a stash builder you've got there. Note to self: when I get to Rhinebeck one of these days, must pack large extra duffle bag for loot.
Posted by: Pat K | October 23, 2007 at 10:55 AM
House cleaner than when you left it? Someone must've called in the house elves!
Posted by: trek | October 23, 2007 at 12:00 PM
Just friends, is just right!
It looks like a good time was had by all at Rhinebeck.
Posted by: Jennifer | October 23, 2007 at 03:54 PM
Looks like you had a great time!
I might go next year!!!
Posted by: scout | October 23, 2007 at 04:10 PM
Glad all went well on your daughter's date!
It was great to see you again! It was a great day but little freaky with the summer like weather we had.
Posted by: Kelly | October 23, 2007 at 04:26 PM
Sounds like a great weekend!!
Posted by: Kim | October 23, 2007 at 05:17 PM
The ABC is up. It took some doing!
http://south-city-musings.blogspot.com/2007/10/rhinebeck-b-c.html
Posted by: Bridgett | October 23, 2007 at 05:21 PM
Nice to see you again this weekend! Your Kauni was really lovely. Must. Resist. ;)
Posted by: Jessica | October 23, 2007 at 06:02 PM
Daughter looks just lovely, and her date seems a decent sort of boy ... well done, DH, for getting the girl glamed up and ready to go. I'm not sure B could do that.
It was wonderful to see you (too briefly) last weekend. I kept hoping to run into you again, but either didn't have my cell phone on me, or had to feed the baby, or ....
there's always next year!
Posted by: Ruth | October 23, 2007 at 10:20 PM
It was so nice meeting you once again and I thought you looked great in your Kauni Cardigan. Thanks for cheering us on during the sheep to shawl competition. I still can't believe we won. All those nerves for nothing :)
Posted by: michelle | October 23, 2007 at 11:48 PM
So glad the "not a date, date" went well and that you get to be there for another one soon. It's those Rites of Passage that you don't want to miss.
next item up (please change the blog post if you can), the class I'll be teaching that I was knitting the sample for is at Kirkwood Knittery. I'm sure Nancy is scratching her head going Huh? and Brooke and Susie are scratching theirs saying What!?
Rhinebeck sounds like it was a hoot. I'm dying to see your Kauani IRL. Will you be taking it to the shop or to a knitting group anytime soon for show and tell?
Posted by: Marji | October 24, 2007 at 07:55 AM
What Ruth said. Great to see you, way too short. The same goes for just about everyone I saw there.
Posted by: Lucia | October 25, 2007 at 10:12 AM
I also stayed in Saugerties, at the Comfort Inn. I have been wrestling with getting my pictures off my camera, so haven't yet blogged about it. However, I think I am about to go write a pictureless post and put pictures in later when I get them into the computer. It was wonderful, and totally overwhelming.
Posted by: Kit | October 27, 2007 at 08:13 PM