Parties and projects

First, a work/public service announcement:

Project Linus Blanket Party at Bernina Northwest:

Can you sew, serge, or cut (or are you willing to learn)? Using fleece fabric donated by Brewer Sewing Supply, we'll stitch and serge fleece blankets that will be donated to our local Project Linus chapter to comfort traumatized and seriously ill children.

Bernina Northwest will provide the sergers, sewing machines, and thread. We just need you to volunteer 1 hour (or more) on October 4th from 10am to 5pm. Call 206-523-4739 to sign up.

Bring your friends and let's make a difference!

And speaking of events...

I'm scheduled to teach a fair isle hat class at Pacific Fabrics Northgate store starting Sunday. We're using the Fiber Trends Swirls hat pattern. I don't have a picture of my (very cute) sample because it's at the store. Only two people are signed up right now, and the class won't go with less than three. So pleeeeeeease, if you or anyone you know wants to learn to do color work, sign up.

Project Pictures

I recently finished a baby quilt for a friend.


I've also been knitting up a storm of project samples for the KAL at Pacific Fabrics. Here's the December project, the garter stitch loop-through scarf. Because I am cruel and heartless, I forced the dogs to model.



The misery! The disapproval!

I've got yet more projects to show you, but I think the dogs are plotting against me, so I'd best wrap it up for today.

There and back again

So, I went to Switzerland.





It's a very pretty country. I have no real idea what it's like to travel there, because I spent all my time in a large tour group. I don't know how the herd all those Swiss dairy cows, but for us they had guides clad in matching blazers with jaunty scarves and signs with our group number. If I never, ever ride another tour bus again, it will be too soon. I was there for 6 days, and I selected exactly one meal for myself (I don't count the breakfast buffet at the hotel). My favorite bits were a hike above Interlaken (the last two pictures above) and the trip to St. Gallen, with its textile museum and Abbey library (the link is to a .pdf file about the library).

After Switzerland, I took a train (10+ hours) to Rotterdam to meet up with my beloved Trent and his merry band of students. It felt like going home (but with fewer pets) because I've traveled in the Netherlands so much. Also, Trent and the students are staying in a very homey hotel, the Hotel Baan. While they had class in the morning, I wandered all over Rotterdam (except on Thursday, when I biked to Delft). I got to go on outings and field trips with the students, too, so I got to experience the Pancake Boat cruise, and the Hoge Veluwe and Kroller-Muller museum. We stayed in Arnhem after that visit, and to our delight learned that the Arnhem was hosting the International Living Statue competition. Yeah, I didn't know that existed either. I had a great time. I love Rotterdam. I generally love the Netherlands. I miss my husband.

I took very few pictures, because I was having far too much fun (also, Trent takes millions of pictures).





Since my return, it's been pets, work, and knitting, in pretty much that order. I'll inflict pet and project photos on the blog at a future date.