A Quick Poll

So I get to work yesterday and there is a little present waiting for me. A gift certificate for amazon.com from the account team of a project I wasted a weekend of my life on a few weeks ago. Hey - I'm not complaining - a gift certificate is better than nothing - keep the presents coming!!

The question remains - what to do with it. I'm leaning toward a magazine subscription - which would you subscribe to? I have a feeling the one I'm leaning towards is going to be a total runaway but thought it would be interesting to see what y'all think.

Amazon Gift Certificate Which Magazine would you subscribe to? Interweave Knits Vogue Knitting Knitting Universe Other - leave the name in the comments please! Subscriptions are a waste of money - buy a book view results Easy online poll builder - free! $5 Web Hosting!

Peaceful Things...

I'm trying to have a zen sort of day after spending most of the week sulking that vacation was over. Just a few things to share.

Peace Cardi is coming right along. The back is complete along with the Left Front (pictured laying on top of the back). Last night I got to the end of the waist decreases on the Right Front. I think I'm really going to like this cardi. The color in this photo is pretty true - quite a spicy orange - it'll look great with dark jeans and a white tank.


And a few more vacation pictures - one last hurrah.

A picture of Otis and his best friend Angus cooling off on the beach at mom and dad's on PEI.


This one was taken from North Cape - you'll notice if you click on the picture to enlarge it, there are a couple of windmills in the background. There are about 12 up there now with plans for plenty more. PEI is going green. For anyone interested in learning more, click these links:
PEI Wind-Hydrogen Village Project
Atlantic Wind Test Site
(I was a tour guide here during University summers - great bunch of guys - they practise what they preach, let me tell you. It's great to finally see them get some attention and funding!!)


And finally, the sunset - well, this is actually a picture facing almost East so this is the very edge of the sunset. That old ramshackle cottage seemed very quaint to me for some reason. With the sea as a backdrop, it somehow becomes charming.

It Just Wasn't Long Enough...

So I'm back from vacation...I've traded in cool ocean breezes for suffocating humidity. The tranquil quiet of a seaside cottage for an air-conditioned office. A blanket on the beach for an ergonomic roller chair. Oh GOD - let me go back!!! What have I done with my life?? Surely, I can come up with a better way to spend my time and still make $$$. I watched Office Space again this weekend and it may have had a negative impact on my work attitude. Or it could just be the end of vacation blues.

Time to relive...

Here's me riding a bike while not at work - you can see the sandy West Point, PEI beach stretching out behind me...sigh.


Here's me (a little tipsy if we're being honest) feeding a cute little tame bunny while not at work. He wandered around the cottage lawns all week - you can see from my pathetic "wrap" that I really need to get to work on a Cozy. I'm ordering the yarn today...no more beach towel shawls for me.


Oh vacation...how I miss you. I'll be drowning my sorrows in a yarn order this afternoon. I'm hoping to find something for a Cozy, an orangina (my last summer knit), maybe a little sock yarn - I'll see what's on the menu at Janette's, Woolworks and Yarnwerx and go from there.

Knitting progress - I started the second campfire sock on the drive home - I'm about 1 inch past the leg stripes. Apparently, that is how much sock ribbing I can do in about 2 hours in the car. I spent the rest of the time snoozing. Sunday we spent avoiding the heat in the basement watching movies (Boys on the Side, Office Space, The Italian Job, Sleepy Hollow). It was difficult to knit - Mr. Biggs is very happy that I'm home and has decided my lap is where it's at but I did manage to get the back of the Peace Cardi completed while he napped upstairs and I'm just above the waist decreases on the left front. I've been measuring things and it's looking like a good fit so far!

Not Exactly Fun in the Sun...

...but wonderful all the same. We're vacationing in my hometown on PEI this week - I'm originally from North Cape and we're staying at Driftwood Country Cottages (about 10 mins from there). Normally we'd stay with mom and dad but we're here for the whole week so it's nice to have some space of our own to entertain and stretch out in. So far we haven't had much sun - lots of stormy, cool weather but I'm not complaining. I'll take the cool Gulf breeze over suffocating humidity anyday! :-)

As far as knitting goes, I've completed the first campfire sock and it's a perfect fit! Here it is enjoying the view from our cottage window...


I've also been working on the Rowan Peace Cardi - I'm just about to start the armhole decreases on the back. I've struggled with the shaping on this one. The pattern has the decrease shaping reversed and matches k3tog with k3tog tbl. k3tog and k3tog tbl are not a very good match and come out noticeably different. I actually was going to rip back and try something else but decided to put it away for a few days before doing it. When I brought it back out this week, I thought "Meh, I can live with it." so I'm forging on although I may try some different things with the front as it will be more noticeable there.


So back to vacation...

If you ever make it to the Island, I would highly recommend Driftwood Country Cottages in Tignish - the cottages are lovely and right on the beach. There is plenty to do in the area as well - including MacAusland's Woolen Mill where you can walk the factory floor literally inches from the machines - crazy! I will definitely be stopping there for some shopping on our way out and will try to get some pics. Their wool is fantastic and has some great colorways - I particularly like their greens.

And if you're lucky enough to get some blustery weather while you're on the Island, you can head to North Cape and watch some Irish Moss harvesting. When we were kids and a "moss storm" came in, the entire family would head to the shore. Dad would work with the horse and the rest of us would work with rakes, etc. to gather up the moss. Us little ones spent more time playing than working of course but when I smell the beach in blustery weather, it brings back fond memories of PEI. Dad is retired now but both of my brothers have work horses that they take to the shore to harvest when the moss comes in. They were out today...


This is Jason out on his horse - they just happened to get hit with a big wave as I snapped the shot.


Jason coming out of the water to dump the scoop (that metal thingy dragging behind the horse picks up the moss in the water).


Finally, a close up of Jason and his horse. They've been out most of the night - coming in for a few hours this morning to eat and rest. There are certain conditions that bring the moss in to shore and they don't come often so these guys will squeeze as much work as possible into a day or two before the winds take it out again.


My younger brother Ricky has also been out with his horse most of the night - this is a picture of him and my cousin Scott on the shore this morning. Ricky is the one holding the horse reins. In case you're thinking these guys are crazy to be out in this weather all night, they can get about $1000 per truckload so it can make for a great couple days work if they bring in several truckloads.


Anyhow, so far vacation is going great...I can finally get caught up on my blogging!! I'll be posting more vacation pics and knit progress shots later this week.