Canada Socks
Pattern: Canada Socks from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Red and Ivory = Schoeller+Stahl Fortissima /
Gray = Tess Designer Yarns
Needles: Size 0 and 1 US

The socks were a fun mix of stranded colorwork and simple stockinette – two favorite combination.  The yarns work well together.  I altered the pattern’s cuff slightly, choosing a simple ribbed cuff instead of the vikkel braid outlined in the book.

The pattern was fun, and by virtue of the name – I will think of Canada when I wear these socks.  I have seen the east and the west of Canada… now I just have to see some of the in-betweens!

The socks were the final knit in my Stanley Cup Stashbusting knitalong with my friends on the Ravelry Puck This group.  We had about 20 participants (all hockey-loving knitters like myself!) and many projects – from blankets to washcloths and sweaters to socks.  It’s a fun chance to talk about what we are knitting as we cheer on our teams as they play towards the Cup.  Last night, the beautiful Stanley Cup was awarded to the fabulous Chicago Blackhawks team.  They played a great season, and it has been so much fun watching this team build themselves up after many years of abysmal attendance and indifference.  I adopted them as my “Western” team last year, so it was a joy to see them hoist the Cup only one year after my #1 team – the Pittsburgh Penguins – did they very same thing.  Congratulations to the Hawks!  So happy for them!  and happy for hockey in general – great ratings, top tweets on Twitter, and so much promise for the future.  Maybe the best-kept sports secret isn’t really a secret anymore?

So, in this quest for the Cup (and a few days before the playoffs started) I have been on a stashbusting kick – and I have some nice things to show for it!

My results:  1 blanket, 2 garments, 2 scarves and a pair of socks!

April – June 2010

…

Do I win an award for stashbusting?

Before I went to British Columbia back in February, I pulled together some yarns from my sock yarn stash and decided to make some socks. This was kind of a big deal because it had been well over a year since I had made any socks, or had the desire to do such.  Socks are a great travel project, so I packed the yarn and started them at the airport. In no time, I had the colorwork chart done, and started to work down the leg – these are the Canada socks from Nancy Bush’s Knitting on the Road:

The random yarns are Schoeller+Stahl Fortissima Socka in deep red and ivory, and the semi-solid gray is my old favorite – Tess Yarns Merino Sock.

Andrea knits!

Unfortunately, the sock bug was short-lived, and I went on to work on a number of other projects while this sock sat on the needles.  I just needed to turn the heel before I could quickly finish sock #1, but it sat in the bottom of the bag for over 2 months.  Finally, as I was sitting in my hotel room in Philadelphia last week (fresh back from my yarn shop + dinner date with Andrea) I turned the heel.  Yeah, it was over in about 20 minutes.  I don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner…

Now, sock #1 is done, and the clock is counting down.  I have to at least cast on for sock #2 in the next 24 hours or these socks will end up at the bottom of the bag again.  I just know this to be true, because I know myself… and my eyes are already wandering and my fingers are already itching to cast on for *another* new project.

Luckily, I have a lot of knitting time right now (which sounds much better than “sitting in front of the TV time”, doesn’t it?)  with the NHL playoffs…   My team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, is playing some great hockey, and with games on every.single.night (and some afternoons) there is never a dull moment.  I am moderating a bit and trying to do some other things (gardening! cooking! yoga!) but hockey is pretty much the big deal right now. 

My friend Gillian over on the Ravelry hockey boards made my day – she sent these amazing Penguins cups that she picked up on a recent visit to her mother in Pittsburgh.  They are holographic cups.  I have a theory that whichever cup I choose to drink out of – that player will have a great night (lots of goals, etc.) and so far it’s worked – well, twice.  So, it may be true!

... drinking with the guys ...

The Ravelry Stanley Cup Stashbusting Knit-along/Crochet-along is going really well, and there are lots of great projects over there… and it’s giving me lots of inspiration to do even more stashbusting.  I already finished the tank I started last week, and I am planning some baby knits, and maybe even jump-starting some holiday gift knitting.  Since I enjoyed the recent Noro project so much, my eyes are wandering towards the remaining Noro skeins in my stash wondering what they will become… and the crochet practice continues!

Finnish fans before the Finland/Belarus game

Russian fan before the Russia/Latvia game

German fans at Germany/Sweden game

Some friendly Americans (from NYC) that we met at the USA/Norway game

…and of course, the GAMES and the ATHLETES!

I found a great spot for photos down near the ice, and have been lucky to get some nice photographs of the players as they come out onto the ice.

Miikka Kiprasoff and Kimmo Timmonen – Team Finland

Sergei Kostitsyn – Team Belarus

Team Norway

Jaromir Jagr – Team Czech Republic

Team Russia salutes the fans after a big win over the Czechs

Team USA warming up before the game against Norway

I made some signs – the Team USA sign above and then a slightly more creative one for my favorite hockey player, Evgeni Malkin on Team Russia.  His nickname is “Geno” so that was the inspiration behind this one:

…and what’s cooler than meeting up with other hockey-loving knitters at the Olympics?  Brynna, Amy and I are all active on the Ravelry hockey forum Puck This! and we arranged meetups.  Brynna and I met up to watch the first Canada game against Norway at a park with outdoor screens.  Afterward, we headed to the Russia/Latvia game.  It was great to meet her!

Amy and I both had tickets to the Sweden/Germany game and texted throughout the game and then met up afterward!

With a friendly blue-jacketed Olympic volunteer at the Canada Hockey Place arena

… More photos and stories to come…

Many knitters are participating in the new incarnation of the “Knitting Olympics” that have been deemed the “Ravelympics” now on Ravelry.  Last I looked, there were over 8000 knitters and crocheters signed up for those events – with event names that run the gauntlet from the “Hat Halfpipe” to “Mitten Moguls”, there is something for everyone.  These Ravelympians far outnumber the actual Olympians in Vancouver.  It should be great fun to watch!

I have not participated in a Knitting Olympics, and I am not planning to this year as I feel that I have pressured myself enough with deadline knitting… but that doesn’t mean that I am not cheering you on wholeheartedly!  I would love to hear what you are planning for the Ravelympics – leave me a comment and tell me about your team, your event, and your project!

I hope many of you are planning to watch the events – you will be in for some real treats!  Since the Summer Games have such a ginormous following, they are

Here are a few tips and things to watch for during the Games:

•  Winter Olympic Sports are FAST.  Several of them involve icy surfaces, so this means that the action just *zooms* right by.  So, you may need to work on a project that doesn’t require large amounts of attention!  You look down to count your stitches or check your charting – and boom, you just missed the win!  Luckily, there are DVRs and instant replays – but you don’t want to miss the action!  …and in case you do miss it and have an accident, there are always commercial breaks for a little bit of frogging

• I don’t have to tell you that my anticipation for the Games is all about the ice hockey.  Because the Games are in Canada – the Home of Hockey – there is a HUGE HUGE amount of pressure on both the Men’s and Women’s teams to bring home the gold medals.  And honestly, both of them are so good that they could do it.  The most contentious matches will be between old rivalries (aren’t they always?).

For the Mens’ tournament, the match that has the most hype is Canada versus Russia.  Both of these teams are very deep and star-studded.  Both teams are fully made of athletes who do this for a living – both in the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).  Two of the undisputed “best players in the world” will be facing off – one leading Canada and the other leading Russia.  Watch for Sidney Crosby (Canada) and Alexander Ovechkin (Russia) – and if you watch the Games, you will hear their names A LOT.  However, because the Olympics are a one-stop shop, unlike many of the other “best of seven” style tournaments, there is a very distinct possibility that one of the other national teams could make a real showing.  The biggest “contenders” in addition to the two already named are the US, Sweden, Czech Republic, Finland, and Slovakia.  There could be a “dark horse” – and that’s what makes it so exciting!

As for the women’s hockey, the biggest rivalry is between Canada and the United States.  Canada won the Gold in Torino in 2006, with Sweden taking the silver and the US taking the bronze.  Women’s hockey is serious business with serious fans!  I watched one of the matches between US and Canada a few weeks ago and really got into the excitement in the game.  It was a nailbiter right to the end.  The Canadians took the game, but it was so close!  Women’s hockey doesn’t get much (if any) “air time” on TV and in the news media, so I simply don’t know that much about these athletes as I do about the men – but I will love finding out more about these amazing women through the course of the Games.

• Figure skating is always the soap opera of the Olympics, and I doubt this year will be any different – from the costumes, the judging, the relationships between partners… oh!  so juicy and exciting!  the figure skating consistently ranks among the most popular events on TV and in person (that is why the tickets were so hard to get – the price point was so high!  so, we will be enjoying the figure skating on the screen, not in person).

• In a weird turn of winter events, the Vancouver area has had a very mild winter – so much so that they are trucking in snow from the mountains to bring to the ski/snowboard courses north of the city.  Conditions are not really improving, and while there are some contingencies in place, everyone is hoping that things go off as planned.  Several of our events are indoors, but we do have a ski event in Cypress Mountain and we are all keeping our fingers crossed that it happens!  …I wish there was a way I could take the 4 feet of snow here in Maryland to BC with me!

I would love to hear about what events you are planning to follow!

In my hand is the first set of event tickets: Russia v. Latvia. It should be quite a game – Latvia isn’t a major contender, but word on the street is that they have SERIOUS fans… Megan told me stories about the Latvians that showed up in Halifax for the World Juniors in 2008 – so that will be fun! Maybe they will have handknit mittens?

We’ve been discussing everything Olympics in the  Vancouver 2010 Ravelry group (pssst – come join us!) and people are getting excited!  For those of us actually traveling to Vancouver (or living there, already), we are planning a series of meetups during the Games.  It’s gonna be grand.  And you can bet that I will document it well with my trusty camera.

Besides all of the amazing Olympic events, Kris and I are also planning to do some sightseeing – hikes, museums, performances.  There are a number of shows and events also happening with the Games, including some fun music shows (Damien Marley, Matisyahu, Bedouin Soundclash, and many many others).  One of the big ski resorts north of Vancouver – Grouse Mountain - will be open 24/7, with special midnight and sunrise snowshoe tours, performances, and lots of events.  I have never been skiing or snowboarding, but this feels like a good time and place to start… Coincidentally, Grouse Mountain is also where NBC will be airing the Today Show each morning – and if I can time it right, I am hoping we can be on “the plaza” one morning with a sign!   I told my “morning crew” at the gym to look at for us when they are watching on the treadmills!

The majority of our tickets (surprise) are hockey tickets – but we also have a set for Curling, and Freestyle Aerials, so we will get a nice mix of events.

Some of the ladies in the Rav group are also working the venues at the Olympics… people are asking if we will be able to take our knitting into the events.  Much like airports and security, it appears that it will be up to the discretion of the specific guard.  So, plastic needles may be the best bet… if I can make my deadline with my sweater (close!  I will update on that soon), I think I am gonna make a flurry of quickie projects on big needles – cowls, scarves, and hats, perhaps?

The forecast is calling for a “Storm of the Century” here in Maryland starting tomorrow morning – blizzard, lots and lots of snow – so, it looks like it’ll be another shut-in weekend with copious amounts of Spanish lessons and knitting – not that I mind!  Funny how the the East is getting slammed with snow this year, but Vancouver is relatively dry and warm and that is where the Olympics are!  best soak up the winter while I am on this coast!

Hasta luego, mis amigos~~

This trip to California was precipitated by the birth of our niece (first and foremost!) but… it also coincided with the western roadtrip of our team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.  So, yeah.  Kris and I were totally roadies.

…We followed them to Anaheim…

…where we happened to meet up with a very lovely lady!  Stacey and I have known each other for years (through the blogs, Rav, and Flickr), and we finally had the chance to meet.  She managed to get last-minute tickets to the Anaheim Ducks game, and although we didn’t sit together, we texted throughout the game, and then met up afterward at the pub across the street.  She was with her hockey-loving (albeit Ducks-supporting) friend, Nicole.  The Penguins managed a win in this game, so it was a fun night!  I also met some very nice fans (season-ticket holders) that were sitting next to us, and they were so much fun.  They bought us a Ducks puck, and a hat to remember the occasion.  (The Ducks have a pretty “gritty” reputation in the NHL, but their fans were the nicest of all!)

(We had so much fun that we planned *another* date night with Stacey and her partner Randy for the next night.  Lots of hockey talk!)

…next up to see the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center…

The tide really shifted in this game, unfortunately.  The Penguins, who had a great start to the year, got hit really hard with injuries – broken bones and strained muscles everywhere!  The LA game was a loss, but it was still really great to watch.  As a general hockey fan, it is really neat to see a team that hasn’t done that well in years put together a fabulous line-up.  Since the Kings are in a different conference, we rarely see them play.  This is all my justification to make myself feel better about the 5-2 loss

Final stop: San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion aka “The Shark Tank”

…Let’s just say that we are smiling *before* the game…

It was an abysmal loss (5-0) for our guys.  They were so beat up by this game.  I felt a little beat up after the game too, considering the heckling that we got in the stands.  Yikes!  Whatever happened to that mellow California vibe?  It wasn’t present at the Sharks game.

The good news is that our team is slowly getting better – they beat Atlanta last night!

So, the new list for North America arenas is updated to:

Washington Capitals (DC)
Tampa Bay Lightning (FL)
Boston Bruins (MA)
New York Rangers (NY)
Carolina Hurricanes (NC)
Pittsburgh Penguins (PA)
Anaheim Ducks (CA)
Los Angeles Kings (CA)
San Jose Sharks (CA)

We have several more to go… but it’s a fun goal to work towards, and be able to see a little more of our continent in the process

Next up – saving the BEST for last!  You get to meet Baby V!

]]> http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/11/22/love-hockey-will-travel/feed 22 http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/06/13/much-joy-and-elation http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/06/13/much-joy-and-elation#comments Sat, 13 Jun 2009 05:03:10 +0000 lolly http://lollygirl.com/blog/?p=1951 Eighty-two games a season – and then four rounds of playoffs. We have followed them every single step of the way for so many years – this was my tenth year of watching the Penguins – and THIS year was THE year!

Pittsburgh Penguins WIN the Stanley Cup!

…so many people counted them out, said that there was no way from all the statistics…

They DID it!

…and it was a HUGE game for my two favorite players:  Evgeni Malkin (named the Playoffs Most Valuable Player!) and Max Talbot (game winning goal scorer!)

…Now to figure out how to knit a Penguins jersey…

Gotta send lots of love up to my friends over in the Ravelry groups – Puck This! and Let’s Go Pens! they are awesome people over there (yep, even the fans of my rival teams!), and we have had so much fun talking hockey this whole season!

…and I am supposed to go to sleep now?

]]> http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/06/13/much-joy-and-elation/feed 35 http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/06/03/in-praise-of-grellow http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/06/03/in-praise-of-grellow#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:04:07 +0000 lolly http://lollygirl.com/blog/?p=1914 When we started to put together this year’s Project Spectrum sequences, I was hoping to keep the elements as one of the themes.  I truly enjoyed this aspect last year, and I especially like the integration this year with the other aspects of season and materials along with the cardinal direction.  Project Spectrum is truly multi-dimensional this year!

The ~AIR~ element, the element that we are focusing on now as a part of Project Spectrum EAST, seemed like the perfect time to explore a new color combination.  For a few months, I have really been enjoying the subtlety and juxtaposition of the colors gray and yellow. 

For me, gray evokes visions of clouds or shadows.  In contrast, yellow is about brightness and luminescence.  It seems like such a deep concept to use these two colors when creating something – or you can simply just enjoy the way the colors look together:  whatever level you chose to take it to!

Gray + Yellow = Grellow!

I knit this hat, the fabulously fitting free Felicity pattern (thanks Nettie!) exclusively while watching my team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, make their way to the Stanley Cup Finals.  You could even say the “grellow” is a little homage to them – a lighter, more feminine version – of the standard black and gold.  The series is still on, and they rallied for a nice win last night.  The hat was part of the Stanley Stashbusting knitalong that I organized on Ravelry’s Puck This group  again this year.  We just knit knit knit down the stash during the playoffs till the Cup is lifted over the heads of the players.  This hat pretty much has hockey knit into every stitch; for it was cast on and started the night that I received *the kiss* at the Penguins/Capitals game .  (Funny aside:  I am still getting comments and messages about this night on Flickr and through email and through some of the various hockey forums!  It truly was a memorable night!)

The hat used The Fibre Company Knightsbridge, an alpaca wool blend with beautiful color flecks.  It is a light worsted yarn, so I adjusted the needle size in the pattern down to size US 5s for a tighter fabric.  The yellow buttons are from my grandmother’s button tin – vintage, mismatched, and beautiful yellow.  I pretty much just dropped them on the hat and just sewed them on where they landed!  Such a simple embellishment, but it gives the hat a really hip feel. 

My Project Spectrum projects thus far (with the exception of the natural baby blanket) have focused primarily on photography and gardening – with the beautiful flowers blooming outside, I felt that it was a perfect way to celebrate the *Spring* and the -Wood- aspect of PS East, and to take copious amounts of outdoor photos both in my garden, my parent’s flower garden, and on some of the trails we have taken recently…

Many many thanks for your responses to my last post regarding Lyme disease.  Thank you for sending your thoughts and well-wishes, and thank you for relating your stories as well.  It is encouraging to know that more people are aware of this disease than in the past, of course, there is so much more that can be done.

…Growing up in a dry steppe (near desert) climate in southeastern New Mexico, there were not a lot of winter sports going on – perhaps that is why they interested me so much.  Plus, I was about 11 years old when The Mighty Ducks movie came out, and I was turned on to hockey then… that interest in the sport (and truthfully, back then, it was probably more interest in the boys who played the sport…) lay dormant in me for about eight more years until I met my own hockey boyfriend, aka Kris

Fast forward a few more years and you have a very devoted ice hockey fan and one who can actually plan ahead.  After the Beijing Olympics last summer, I looked into the Winter 2010 games and signed up for a newsletter from the International Olympic Committee about the games in Vancouver.  …and come October 2008, the buzz started.  Ticket sales, lotteries, trip planning.  I was ready!  Kris and I discussed and planned to go – not really researching much, but putting our names in for an international lottery for event tickets.  We signed up for 15 events in October, and it was not till January 2009 that we learned that we got 3 events:  a men’s hockey game, freestyle skiing, and a curling competition.   So, we waited to find out some more information about lodging and arrangements… and it wasn’t until mid-May that we were able to figure something out!  On May 14th, a huge block of tickets went on sale to the international audience , and Kris and I scored 5 more hockey game tickets!  So, now it is official – we are going to the Vancouver 2010 Olympics!

…and even more official now that we have a place to stay!  I tell you, in case you didn’t already know:  Ravelry is amazing.  I posted on one of the Vancouver boards about recommendations for B&Bs or rental properties, and within a few days, I had a great deal worked out with a fellow Raveler.  It all came together so incredibly perfect.  In fact, I started a Ravelry group specifically for the Vancouver Olympics, and there are already threads going for some of the events, and general information about Vancouver, and the beginnings of some knit/crochet-alongs.  Now, we just have to get the plane tickets and …wait… till February 2010!

But I have a plan for the interim.  That plan is pretty elaborate and involves traditional stranded colorwork and small gauge needles.  That plan involves Dale of Norway!

Many of you may know that Dale of Norway designs an “official” handknit sweater for each Winter Olympics.  Often they include some sort of patterning that ties into the culture of the host country – one of the most memorable was the dragons in the Nagano 1998 – you can see several of the Olympic sweaters here as well as the ski team sweaters.  The official Vancouver sweater will be released in June or July – according to the buzz on the Ravelry Dale of Norway group – and while I am greatly anticipating it, I am also realistic in the thought that finishing one of these elaborate small gauge designs in time for the Olympics will be quite a feat – but I really want to make TWO – one for Kris and one for me.  Luckily, Dale offers a huge line of ski-style sweaters – some a little less challenging, and easier to complete… I am specifically looking at these two designs:

Now just to find some of those glasses for Kris!   …The design at left is from the Dale of Norway #150 booklet, and the one at right is from the Liberec 2009 booklet.  I thought both had a nice amount of patterning without being too busy.  Both seemed wearable and “do-able”.    For the women’s version, I love the hem line/collar detail of the diagonal rib, and the gradient yoke.  The men’s is one that Kris approved of (surprisingly – he goes for the simplest of simple in most cases).  …now to find the right yarns and colors!  Ideas?

Seems like it could happen, right?  Am I delusional to think that I can do this (especially with all of the other knits I have planned??)

Vancouver Olympics 2010:  we are so excited!

05:15 - I woke up super-duper early… because I always do. Plus, I was half way through the *NEW* Book 9 of the Sookie Stackhouse series (ah yes, you remember my guilty pleasure!) and I just could.  not. stop. reading.  (Yeah, now I am finished and wondering  how long I have to wait before book 10 in the series…)  Finished the book with a bit of disappointment – I was hoping for more, but there were some good things in the book too. If you care to discuss, there is a thread going on the Ravelry boards about the new book!

08:30 – Finished book.  Ate soy yogurt & blueberries with agave nectar.  Kris wakes up.  Off to the nursery for planting time!

We have had so much rain here and not enough sunlight.  Everyone must have had the same thoughts as us about this, because the nursery was PACKED at that early hour in the day.  We got lots of veggies and herbs  – 3 kinds of tomatoes, 2 kinds of peppers, eggplants, parsley, lemon grass, fennel, 2 kinds of squash, strawberries… yeah, a lot.

All jazzed up for spring gardening, we made our way home and unloaded the car.  We had a little bit of time to plan placement of the plants, but we didn’t have enough time to actually start the process… because we went to…

11:30 – Parikha and Hemal came up from DC to try the yummy vegetarian/vegan restaurant that I have mentioned several times on my blog:  Great Sage in Clarksville.  YUMMY food and even better company.  It was so nice to see them all – and Parikha has a wonderful surprise to share!  Great conversations and speculation why we had never done the double date before…   thank you for the fun time!

13:30 Phone call from Michelle.  On her way to my house to drop off the TICKETS!  (Penguins v. Capitals Game 5 Conference Semi-finals at Verizon Center!)  Met Mike and Michelle, who were fresh from their trip to Pittsburgh the night before to see the Penguins win on home ice!  Tickets IN HAND!  My own personal pep rally begins!

(foreshadowing:  little did I know that this night would be so different than any other night…)

17:00 Stepped off the Metro and head to get a quick dinner before heading into the arena…

17:30 Breezed right into the arena with a super secret entrance and headed up to our super special seats – box seats scored on Craig’s List by Mike and Michelle!  Settled in and start knitting before the pre-game skate!

Michelle’s making socks, and I am starting a hat – simple stockinette was all I could manage at this point – way too much excitement going on!!

18:25 Pre-game skate and a great view of the guys on the ice.  A huge rivalry has formed between DC and Pittsburgh teams, and luckily we were removed from it a bit since we had a box. No harassing or loogies.

18:30 – WAIT A SECOND.  That kid looks familiar.  That woman looks familiar. (When you watch 82+ games a season, you begin to recognize people!)  Oh my gosh – it can’t be!  Someone is in the box next to us who is famous and amazing.  (Okay, hockey famous, but *amazing*)

19:00 Game starts and my head is on a swivel… keep. looking. left.  Mario is only a few feet away!

19:05 An adorable couple walks in.  One that any Pittsburgh fan would recognize!  The Malkins, parents of the Penguins amazing superstar (and my favorite players, hands down), Evgeni Malkin!

20:15(ish)  Giddy, ecstatic and *jazzed* (must have the asterisks there for emphasis, you see) are the words I would use to best describe my demeanor.  My head is still on a swivel, and I am trying to figure out how in the world to start a conversation.  Especially when the Malkins don’t speak English, and I don’t speak Russian.

Hand gestures and ridiculously huge smiles – that got them over for a photo opp!!  (and their son – “spitting image” of his mother – see?)  The Malkins have a bit of a cult following for Pittsburgh fans, so that explains my absolute freaky smile.  sort of.

…but there is MORE!

21:30 – Game is tied 3-3.  Hard fought and very tense.  Buzzer rings and we are going into sudden-death overtime!

21:40 PENS WIN!!  MALKIN SCORES THE GAME WINNER!!

...and this happened on NATIONAL TELEVISION:

Absolute ecstatic celebration!  Vladimir runs up and down, jumps around, hugs, high fives – and then comes over to ME and kisses ME.  Right on the lips. ON TV. (They always show his parents after he scores!) It was hilarious and awesome and amazing.  There is Kris in the Penguins shirt right above us – he had just high-fived Mr. Malkin   Megan joked that Kris should have kissed Mrs. Malkin - but hey, that didn’t happen…  I have the “extended version” – me shaking hands with Mrs. Malkin and some high fives on my TV, but I am figuring out how to get it out of there and on to YouTube so you can see it too… but the screenshots are the next best thing – many thanks to Kate for finding them on the internetz.

…found this on YouTube:  you can see wonderful Evgeni’s interview (his English is improving rapidly!) here -and at 1:21, you can see me briefly and my hands clapping

It was pretty much the most amazing thing ever.  Vladimir had tears in his eyes, and he was so incredibly happy – we all were! – for his son and for the whole team.

And just when you think it is the best night ever – it gets better.

21:45 Some Penguins fans start hopping the gate into the suite, but I was a little reluctant because it seemed rude, but then, I saw Lemieux’s kids give me a smile, and I jumped over the glass.  They welcomed us and we were all so happy – and Mario Lemieux started taking photos and signing autographs!  Kris has followed Mario since he was a boy – and I came a little later to the party in 1998 and got to see his amazing comeback in 2000.  Oh my goodness.

Mario has a playoff beard!  and he was so kind, as was his whole family.  We were truly touched – and yeah, he totally touched my back in this photo (ha! fangirl moment!)

23:00 Cannot come down off of cloud fifteen – way higher than cloud nine!  I couldn’t wait to share my photos and my story with my friends over in Puck This!  the hockey group on Ravelry . I knew they would understand what a thrill this was.  And I think, by these photos, you can tell how amazing it was for us.  Even if you don’t follow hockey, you know the thrill of happenstance and joy!

…I could not go to sleep for hours!  …and at that time, I didn’t even know that we had been filmed during the goal celebration and the kiss! 

Totally the best day.  GARDENING – BRUNCH WITH FRIENDS – KNITTING – HOCKEY! (if I had just found a way to fit yoga in there, it would have been the perfect Lolly day).

One that I will never forget!!!