Two reds have completely captivated me during this round of Project Spectrum… deep rich burgundies and fresh tomato-ey reds. Funny how certain projects can take on both of these colors in different lights!

The Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky has lived in the stash for a few years – it was one of the first blog contests I won, back when I started blogging in 2004. It was one of the most magnificent yarns I had ever seen at the time, and it still is quite lovely! I didn’t quite know what to do with it – it is only 45 yards per ball, so there is limited pattern support for such a bulky yarn. Then I was reminded of the super-simple Uptown Scarf from Weekend Knitting. It calls for the same yarn. Isel made the scarf a few years back, and the simplicity really appealed to me.

Garter stitch is like an old friend.

Rockin’ the Size 35 needles! Long time readers may recall that these beautiful wooden needles were a Christmas 2005 gift from my parents. They found the needles at an antique shop.

Beautiful solid wood with a really nice point. Once you get used to the bulk of the needle, they are quite pleasant to work with… especially with the wooden clinking sound

… and on much smaller needles, I recently completed my first Whitby sock…

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What red wows you?

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You may have seen Sandi Wiseheart’s recent announcement about the Knitting Daily blog tour in the daily email. Sandi will be stopping by LollyKnitting Around on Wednesday, July 4th, for a little interview! I am compiling some questions, and I would be happy to include questions from you (if space and time permits).

Please feel free to leave a question in the comment section, or you can email me, if you have something to ask!

Bella is a beauty, just as her name implies. We adopted her from the ASPCA three years ago last spring. She has such a sweet personality and is a real cuddle-bug. She is a 55-lb dog that thinks she can sit in your lap.

We adopted Quincy four and a half years ago from another local shelter. There were five tuxedo kittens in his litter, and it was simply too hard to choose, so I just picked one of them up. Quincy has grown into quite a handsome young man.

They are little reminders of this month’s Project Spectrum colors!

(more pet pics here + Jen and Rusty!)

Kris and I took the scenic route to the beach.  The weather was pristine, and there were plenty of worthy diversions:  the roadside farmers’ markets and the small lakes, in particular.   I just love the spontaneity of vacations:  we passed a sign for a state park on the highway, we looked at each other, and then we turned.  We had our bikes, and we had time.  Rarely do we have the opportunity to do something that pops up just like that… with no planning or time constraints.  Liberty!

Trap Pond State Park, Delaware

The state park offered about 12 miles of trails, and we had a great time riding them and exploring the small cypress groves around the lake.  The weather was mild and beautiful; so perfect for these outdoor activities.

We were lucky to enjoy the same mild weather at the beach.  The hottest and most humid day was the day that we left.  Various family members joined us on Friday evening at the beach house, and we planned our activities. 

Niece K and I went to the bayside docks and watched the guys fish and crab. 

The next day, we took K and her sister M to the beach to fly their new kites.

…they got a little tired of the kites and decided to play in the sand…

Our final morning at the beach, Kris and I took K on a walk through the sand. 

It simply went by too fast~

Three particular knit projects kept me busy at the beach: I made some progress during the drive, sitting by the docks as Kris and the family fished and crabbed, and a little early morning knitting while watching the sunrise. One knit in particular is a secret knit for my sister’s birthday in two weeks… the other projects were socks – the ultimate portable knit.

Whitby in Regia Tweed

My sister-in-law asked if I ever knit anything else, saying that she has only seen me knitting various socks over the last few years… this was all before she asked me to show her how to knit on her own!

…I was already looking for an excuse to go to the Delaware yarn shops, and her interest in learning was the catalyst. She walked away with some size 8 needles and some Encore to practice garter stitches. I walked away with these…

Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed and Austermann Step

Both of these yarns are from Sea Needles in Bethany Beach, DE. The shop has some great things, and I always enjoy stopping by when I am over at the shore. The Silky Tweed was an impulse buy, I must admit. I spotted it from across the room when I walked in the door. I worked with its equally lovely sister yarn, Silky Wool, for my Glee tee, and I was hoping to find some more of this yarn for a cardigan. The Step was purchased solely for the fun factor of the flashy colors in the stripey pattern. I have heard some good reviews of the yarn, so I will give it a whirl. Regular yarn diet resumes from now till my next vacation in August.

I was really hoping that the shop would have the new Norah Gaughan collection, as they carry a full Berroco line… alas, it is not in stock yet. I can wait a few more weeks

However, the little shop on Fenwick Island, DE provided some great pattern inspiration in the form of Patons booklets. The Spinning Wheel is a small shop in a roadside strip mall, and if you blink, you will miss it. It is right over the Delaware state line (coming from Ocean City, Maryland) and carries some lovely needlework kits. Their yarn selection is quite small (and rather paltry) but their patterns! ahhh… some lovely out-of-print booklets, and then some “hot off the press” booklets too!

You have to click to see the details – so worth it!

You can see even more of the designs on the Patons website. Funny how the heat and humidity are at the highest point today, and I am thinking about these wool pullovers…

The beach pictures are downloading now… we got some good ones! Stay tuned!

Kris and I are off to the Maryland and Delaware beaches today! Packed amongst my towels and sunscreen, I have some great knitting, and a good book to keep me busy…

…and this great new hat!

~See you next week~