Home Again

 My trip to California was great. How can it not be? We drove up to Mendocino, which is just gorgeous. I could listen to the surf hit the rocks all day. (Thinking of you, Kim!)

We stayed in a very vintage cottage. It was adorable, but we were afraid to use the stove, which had no pilot light. We just used the microwave and ate out.

The best part was hanging out with Joni.

We both enjoyed working on the embroidery kits I made up for us.

We were not amused by the antisemitic pamphlets that were placed at homes in Berkeley and six other cities. Scary stuff. 

Sadly, bad news dominates, doesn't it? You may remember that I went to Ukraine a few years ago when my daughter was a bridesmaid at a wedding outside Lviv. My heart bleeds for the country and the wonderful Ukranians I know.

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Hitting the Skies

I was supposed to fly to San Francisco today to visit my best friend from childhood. A couple days ago, I got a text from United advising me that Chicago was supposed to have a major snow storm today and urging me to change my ticket to Friday. I did so. It turns out that Chicago is having a little snow today. Grrr!

Still, I am going to California so I can't complain too much.

Of course, the important question is: What crafts to bring? I'm definitely bringing this one:

It's a design from a book on Kantha stitching. I've wanted to improve my free-style stitching, so I'm looking forward to working on it. 

I started a sock this morning because you can't travel without a sock project.

And, of course, I have my sketchbook. Which reminds me: here is the sketch from my January trip to Chicago. The temps were around 0, so I drew this from photos I took.

And here's a photo:

Now I just have to hope that no passenger attacks a flight attendant over mask regulations!

 

Greetings from Door County

Yes, we dared a get-away. For me it's a double get-away because I forgot my phone! And yet I am surviving.

We decided we would only come if we could stay in our usual cottage in Ephraim because we totally trust the owner to clean. And she didn't disappoint. It is spotless! She also keeps it empty for at least 24 hours between guests.

I did use Keith's phone to take a picture of my first drawing. This iconic old truck is permanently parked in Ellison Bay. I'm trying to learn to sketch more loosely and quickly, but I'm not sure I like this new style. 

People up here are wearing masks and socially distancing, just as they are in Madison.We either make our own meals or do take-out -- just like at home. (Kathy, Julie's is open! I had cherry crepes today. She has indoor seating, but we did carry-out.)

It is really nice to have a change of scene! And the mosquitos aren't out yet, so we are practically living outdoors. If you have a safe place to go, consider a trip!

Yarn and Knitting First!

My travels to Riga and Vilnius were amazing, and I will do a very short travel post (I hate long travelogues) about a few highlights, but let's get to the important thing first: yarn! These are cities where knitting is happening -- and with knitting history.

Wouldn't you know? There was a yarn store around the corner from my Air Bnb in Riga, Tines:

Mostly it has finished knitted sweaters, hats and mittens for sale, but I couldn't resist this colorful skein of Latvian yarn:

There was another store a block away, but I didn't even set foot in it!

If you follow knitting books at all, you've probably seen this very popular recent book about Lavian mitts and mittens:

Well, there is a store in Riga's Old Town that has dedicated a large section of the store to it, Hobbywool. This makes sense because owner is the author of the book! Hobbywool has the cutest facade ever, complete with yarn bombing!

The store is incredibly gorgeous.

 You can't stop looking at all the yarn and knitted items:

I was most taken with the small skeins made out of the very yarn used in the Knit Like a Latvian book. These 25-gram skeins cost about $2.30 each, and you only need three or four to make a pair of mitts or mittens. I came home with a few (arranged by intended project):

Don't worry, you don't need to travel to Riga. You can get these skeins from Hobbywool's Etsy store!  The owner assured me that shipping is very modest. I want to point out that you can buy mitts and mittens completed at Hobbywool -- for $35 and up! See, knitting is budget-friendly!

I had set up a sock project to travel with, but I made the same mistake I have for the last two summers: it was too complicated for travel knitting. Luckily, I only had to walk a few blocks to Midara in Vilnius, where I practically drowned in gorgeous yarn.

It's another gorgeous store in a charming old building:

I usually only buy souvenir yarn that isn't readily available to me in Madison, but I needed to be practical. She had an amazing selection of Opal sock yarn, which isn't sold here in Madison, and she had a line that I hadn't seen before: Impressionist. I picked up a skein from the Monet line and went home to relax and start some easy socks on my charming Air BnB balcony:

Before I went to Midara, I'd read online about a great book about knitting Lithuania, Lithuanian Knitting: Continuing Traditions by Donna Druchunas. Unfortunately, it isn't available in the States -- not even through Amazon. Imagine how happy I was to walk into Midara and find this:

Even though it is a large hardcover book, I had to haul it back home with me. I mean, how could I resist it when she covers Jews and knitting in Lithuania? This is not commonly addressed.

I am looking forward to catching up with you. I can't say that I'll read a lot of back posts, but I am going to jump back in today. I have missed my blog pals!

Not Your Usual Summer Reading

That's not totally accurate. I did read a couple summer-type books so far. I enjoyed this one:

 It's not great literature, but it is well-written and it kept me reading. Then I dove into this one:

Once again, I hate a book that almost everyone else liked -- or even loved! I thought the plot was dull, the main character was dull, the whole thing was dull. Worse, I felt it was quite a white-washing of daily life in the Soviet Union. Only highly placed party officials lived and ate like the main character.

And I am all about history. Next, I tried these two:

I am completely baffled by the success of The Friend. Boring! I didn't get very far. But I did like 1917, which looked at that era through the lens of Lenin and President Wilson. The author is clearly a Republican and made some opinionated remarks I disagreed with, but I'm OK with that as long as the facts are straight and the author is honest about their politics.

I recently finished Stranger From Abroad, which is about philosopher Hannah Arendt, who is one of my idols. Unlike the books she writes, it is very readable.

Secondhand Time and Between East and West are about Eastern Europe. (Note: Hannah Arendt grew up in the Eastern European city of Konigsberg, now Kaliningrad, which is part of Russia.) Why this fixation on Eastern Europe?

I'm going back! A week from today I fly to Riga, Latvia. I'll be splitting my time between Riga and Vilnius, which is in Lithuania. My grandfather had some memories of the Old Country -- Lithuania -- so I've always wanted to visit. He was from Taurage, but I'm not going there. It's off the beaten trail -- and there is nothing left of the Jewish shtetl. There is little enough in Vilnius, but at least there is something. 

Riga and Vilnius are incredibly gorgeous, so I'm excited about seeing them and drawing them! I am going alone so I can geek out on art and history without worrying about inconveniencing anyone else.

Kitten, Kids & Mitts

So, where I have I been for the last month? Well, here is one of the highlights:

Mostly I've been working, practically drowning in paperwork and testing. And there was the matter of the lab stool that came crashing down on my foot in biology class, prompting weeks of light-duty. I still can't wear most of my shoes.

But spring break was pretty amazing -- as well as insanely busy. I started by flying to Miami, where I got to have dinner with my photo-shy son. Seth is working 20-hour days, six days a week, so I was thrilled that he was able to get away for dinner.

I had a wonderful time hanging out with Rachel and my grand-kitty, Delilah. Rachel is a true minimalist --except when it comes to her kitty. Delilah is one spoiled kitty.  

This is probably the special ed teacher in me, but I could swear that kitty has an attention deficit disorder. No matter, I fell in love with her. I think Rachel would have disowned me if I hadn't.

Miami is a great town for coffee shops, restaurants and bookstores. This coffee art came to me at Brewing Buddha, where the coffee was velvety and rich.

We spent a morning wandering around Wynwood, the artsy part of Miami. The murals there are phenomenal.

And we found these amazing gourmet donuts:

Then it was off to Seattle. Take my word for this: Flying from Miami to Seattle is a very long trip. But my aunt was celebrating her 90th birthday, so Rachel and I spent 12 hours getting out there.

We didn't have much time for sight-seeing (although we did walk past the original Starbucks), which was just fine. Many of my favorite people were there, so it was a wonderful weekend.

Rachel, left, with two of her cousins, Robbie and Jennifer. I wish
they could spend more time together!

Of course, I had to have some good travel knitting with me, and I was very pleased with my choice:

These fingerless mitts are based on a recipe by Kirsten Kapur. I grabbed a skein of Crazy Zauberball from my stash, and I love the results.

I'm going to get two pairs out of one skein, so I'm quite pleased with that. It's a mindless pattern that was perfect for travel. 

I hadn't knit with this yarn before, and I found it to be a fun yarn to work with. It's hard to stop because you want to see what color is going to come up next. It's a bit scratchy, but I think it will soften with a good soak and some wear. I definitely want to keep one pair for myself.

Keith met us in Seattle, and then he and I took a red-eye back to O'Hare. I actually made it to work that day! 

Winter Weekends

Yarn and winter just go together. There are a lot more opportunities to wear wool in Wisconsin than in points south. And there is something extra cozy about knitting when it's cold outside.

I spent a chunk of this weekend at my Knitters Guild winter retreat, held in the cute little town of New Glarus. My husband can't believe this events exists. 

"So you just sit around all day and knit?" he asks disbelievingly.
"Yep."
"That's all?"
"Yep."
At this point he just shakes his head.

I knit quite a bit on a new pair of socks:

These are the Go With the Flow Socks from Interweave's Favorite Socks  book.  I wanted a simple pattern that would show off this gorgeous yarn from Ewetopia, one of my favorite Wisconsin dyers. 

And I'm close to finishing my Soundwaves shawl.

It's hard to get a feeling for what this shawl is like because it's large -- two skeins of sock-weight yarn -- and very scrunched up on the needles. But I think it's going to be very cozy and pretty.

Last weekend, I was up in Door County (the "thumb" of Wisconsin) with some friends. Luckily my friend Lisa knew a place to go to see ice formations, which were awesome:

Lisa is a serious photographer, so we were out for every sunset:

The only bad part is that today I have a stomach bug, so I went to bed as soon as I got home from New Glarus. I have had good company; Kola enjoyed exploring my knitting bag before settling down to nap by my side.

I hope that I feel better in the morning. We are a week away from finals, so I can't miss work next week!

The End of Summer

Although we don't get paid until next week, I am one of many teachers who have been showing up at school. For me, it is worthwhile to start on the paperwork and make get-acquainted calls to my new students and parents.

So, now it seems like ages since my wonderful week Up North with Joni, shown here with her quilt:

I can't say enough good things about Judy Coates Perez, our teacher, or Chris Daly, owner of Woodland Ridge Retreat. It was a week of being pampered in a beautiful setting, learning and exploring, and making new friends. I can't think of anything more wonderful!

Judy and Chris

There are trails right outside the retreat, which is nestled in the woods. One morning, I snapped this photo of a swallowtail:

Before we went to Woodland Ridge, Joni and I had a few days in Minneapolis. Right in the middle of the city is a park with the Minihaha Falls.

My favorite clothing designer, Gudrun Sjoden, just happened to be featured at the Swedish American Institute.

I loved the exhibit because it showed her process:

Most of all, I loved having a week with my best friend!

On Travel Knitting

I didn't get a lot of knitting done on this trip, partly because I had my daughter to hang out with and partly because I didn't make good choices in travel knitting.

I chose two sock projects, starting with Bonnie Sennott's Plumtree. This is a darling and well-written pattern.

But it has two 32-stitch repeats per round, so you really need to follow the pattern. It also takes more concentration than I wanted to spend on vacation

The second project is one I'd knit before, Helen Stewart's Winter Rose Socks, which I knit once last winter.

This one has a pattern that is easy to remember, but there are three plain rounds. I'm not good at reading my knitting, so I need to have a counter handy to keep me from knitting too many rounds. 

I will finish both pairs eventually, but it would have been nice to have come home with at least one finished sock, if not a pair. Next time, I'm packing some mindless knitting!

The MOST Amazing Wedding

As you may have noticed, I am back and catching up on my blog reading. If you haven't heard from me, you will soon.

I do have to share the wedding experience because it was so unexpected and spectacular.

This Ukranian wedding started at 11:30 a.m. on a Saturday and went until 4 a.m. on Sunday. Then it continued from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Rachel was a bridesmaid, so we were in the center of the whirlwind. Fitting her hand-made dress was one of the first things we did in Lviv.

This wedding took place in three cities, so the bride hired two buses to drive us around.

We started with a ceremony at the bride's childhood home where the groom bargained for the bride. He began by offering a bag of potatoes. The bridesmaids bargained on behalf of the bride, and they turned down this offer. At one point, the groom did not fall for the offer of this fake bride:

Once the bargain was struck, we were bused to a beautiful old church, Ukrainian Orthodox. The service was in English, which is the couple's shared language. Stacy is from Ukraine, while Robin is from the Netherlands.

Stacy lives in Miami, where she attends the University of Miami with Rachel. They are both earning Ph. D.s in sociology. Robin lives in Amsterdam. They have been on different continents for four years, so you know this couple is devoted.

Then we were bused to a bar for snacks and drinks before getting back on the bus to head to the Rixos Hotel, where the formal reception was held.

At this point, I cannot remember the order because this was more than a wedding. There was an excellent live band and lots of dancing. I'd forgotten  how much fun it is to dance like that. There were games and toasts and shows. Professional dance shows.

And I can't leave out the couple's amazing first dance.

At about 11 p.m., where were ushered outside for a second ceremony where the couple exchanged vows they had written. The entire group teared up when Robin did part of his vow in Ukrainian.

Did you notice that Stacy has a second dress for the reception? Yes, she is just gorgeous!

And while we were outside, there was a second dance performance and a fire show!

I headed up to bed at midnight, which meant I missed a performance by a famous Ukrainian rapper and a crazy machine that spewed out so much confetti that people were rolling around in it.

We had to be ready to get back on the bus at 2 the next afternoon to attend a traditional Ukrainian party at an outdoor setting. Halfway back to Lviv, a thunderstorm sent buckets of water down. Stacy and some of the four wedding planners immediately got on their phones and rearranged the entire party to an indoor location!

There was more food and drink, as well as a traditional band:

The party wound down around 6 p.m., and I have to say that I was ready to crash!

Stacy and Robin met as grad students at the University of Minnesota at Mankato, so there were many Minnesotans at the wedding. I can tell you that Minnesota Nice is a real thing. Everyone I met was so gracious and interesting. 

Of course, I am thrilled that my daughter invited me to share this amazing  experience with her.