Just a wee taste of my past weekend.

This is the wonderful view we looked out on all weekend. That is Mount Washington way off in the distance and we are on Quadra Island, which is out in Johnson Strait off Campbell River. I know, I need a better camera, but use your imagination and just know that it is spectacular. This photo is of me at home (it should be cropped, but my DH is away just now) and that is my bear with his hat. I finished him last evening. I will try to get a better close up of him in his finery. I want to make him a Norweigan Sweater that requires steeks for the sleeves. I may never make a large sweater of this style, but I want to know the technique. That is what I think is so wonderful about a retreat. You get to learn so much and can apply it in many projects. For instance, I used Sally Melville's "Knit 1" book and I like the way she does the first stitch when knitting garter stitch. In case you wish to try it, you always slip the first stitch as if you are going to purl it, take the yarn to the back and knit to the end of the row. By doing the first stitch this way, it appears as a crochet chain on the edge and it is terrific for picking up stitches or seaming your pieces. When I knit the Elizabeth Zimmerman Rib Warmer Vest, I used this method of working the first stitch and it makes a nice finished edge, which other knitters asked me about, as some thought I had crocheted the edge. That is what I mean about learning a technique and then using it in other knitting.
Here is my bear - sweet as can be, don't you think - holding the 25 samples of yarn we received at the retreat. That is one wonderful treasure he is holding and I will display them all in the fullness of time and tell you about them. I just was overwhelmed with the fact that we all now had 25 different types of yarn to try. There is enough to knit a small swatch; see if you can get gauge for a project and also launder it to see how it behaves. This to me is a treasure beyond belief and I know it will be priceless. We have a sheet with the numbers and the name and variety of yarn and then there is a little numbered tag on each sample. I will give some a try and then there is room to write notes about my findings.
This is not a terrific photo of my roomie, Brenda. She is a terrific gal from Victoria and I really enjoyed meeting with her. She owns 'Satin Moon', which is a wonderful quilt shop in Victoria and when I lived there and was actively quilting, I went to the shop many times - that was pre-Brenda.
Well laundry awaits, my weekly update to family and friends (a letter that I have been writing for about 20 years - about 5 were sent out each week at first and then they were hand written - now about 16 go via email and 8 via snail mail), a quick bit of ironing, some lick-and-a-promise type of vacuuming and then I can play with my yarn.

Guess what? I just tried to post this and they said I could not use exclamation marks. Now for any of you who have been reading my blog - this is tough. I can adjust, but it won't be the same.