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Where has the summer gone? For me it’s lost in a fog of work. I didn’t realize it was over until a week ago when it was brought to my attention that this weekend was Labor Day weekend. Could have sworn there was another week in there…somewhere.

I did stay on for three days in San Antonio to visit with Val, Tony and Courtney. I did visit the Alamo and highly recommend the PBS documentary although the John Wayne film is fun. I did visit the Yarnbarn of San Antonio and bought some Lone Star Arts Yarn, which I had been coveting. San Antonio was hot, but it’s a dry heat and nowhere near as oppressive as heat with humidity.

My birthday came and went as the BOD meeting started the day after. But I did scurry away in the evening to Looped Yarn Works. Their stock is expanding (YAY) with delicious selections of Habu and Harrisville yarns among others. Below is my birthday present to myself.

 

About the current issue of Pompom Magazine: It was really nice to see a UK knitting magazine feature a woman of color model.

Despite the press of work, I did manage to get some knitting done. I completed a Pi Shawl using Dragonfly Fibers Squishy Lace. The yarn is squishy but has lots of body and doesn’t split. The colours are rich and saturated. The shawl is more of a mini-pi. I should have used larger needles.

I knit Nougat by Susanna IC using Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca Fine. This yarn is loosely plied requiring a dull pointed needle to avoid splitting. With such loose plies, I was a little worried—needlessly as it turned out--about stitch definition. It is soft and bouncy with a generous 473yds at around US$11.00 per skein. I liked it so much I bought two more skeins—in the photo above—to knit another Liz Lovick’s Cowls pattern in fingering weight. By the way, Liz has a book coming out: The Magic of Shetland Lace Knitting. I can’t wait.

With the remaining Ultra Alpaca Fine, I’m knitting the Bonbons fingerless gloves. Both will compliment the Odessa beret knit last winter.

On the needles is a pair of socks to be finished and the Lengthwise Cable Scarf from Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in the Caution Colorway. I have 700 yards of the yarn and should have enough left over for a hat and maybe some fingerless mitts. These should compliment a rather drab olive wool jacket.

After deliberating most of the spring, I finally bought a tablet, the Google Nexus 7. It has renewed my addiction to Tetris. But it is great for downloading .pdf’s of patterns and using those instead of paper to knit from. Besides Tetris I have downloaded a few knitting apps and a Georgette Heyer novel to read. Odd thing is, Toupie doesn’t like the Nexus and settling down to read in bed a night becomes a tussle as he continually tries to paw the device.

Toupie was well behaved while I was on my travels. No pictures of freaked-out kitty on FB. No attacking the pictures on the wall or his auntie who kindly consented to mind him for two weeks. He did push his food bowl to different parts of the apartment each day (he’s never done that when I am at home) and there was one renegade incident of ripping open treat bags. I did have the vacuum treats in every part of the apartment including the bathroom.

 

A summer highlight was the opening of Each Peach Market. Really good artisan breads, out of the ordinary sandwich meats (as well as really good sandwiches) and a selection of fresh fruits and veggies and their own spice mixtures. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable making this a must shop stop.