In anticipation of a weekend filled
with knitting, those of us going on this mini-retreat massed together multiple
projects that we would take with us. They had to be fun and
interesting, of course, but they also had to be simple enough that we could chat while we
worked and not be concerned with counting or following a difficult pattern. I
will confess that I brought along three knitting projects as well as my
spinning wheel; you never know when you might need to switch things up. I may
have been a little overzealous though. I did spin a little bit, but I only
really worked on one project while up north.
We
have this great new yarn at Yarnology called Pluscious by Cascade Yarns. It
comes in both bright and pastel colors and is as soft as soft can be. They recommend
it for baby blankets and projects like that, but I would love it made into
something for myself. Since it came into the shop I had been eyeing those
pretty colors, wanting to knit with it but not knowing what I would make. On
the Friday before we left on our little retreat I gave in deciding that my
little “niece” who is turning two could use a cuddly little blanket. I decided
to ignore the fact that I already gave her her birthday present. I really
wanted to use that yarn. On Saturday I casted on using a simple diagonal dishcloth
pattern and realized that this was the perfect no-brainer project for our
weekend up north. I am happy to say that I was right. The blanket turned out
beautiful and it took me only a day to make; I bound off late Sunday night. I’m
not going to take too much credit for being a super speed knitter (though I can
hold my own), the reason it didn’t take me long to complete this project was
mainly due to the fact that we really didn’t do much other than knit. Well,
knit and eat. :-)
The food that we ate on our retreat
was simply amazing. Each morning we woke up to hot coffee and something tasty
cooking on the stove. Our dear friend and host is an amazing cook and was so
enthusiastic about creating beautiful and delicious meals for us. There is
nothing quite like the feeling of sipping fresh coffee and eating farm-fresh
eggs while gazing out of floor to ceiling windows at a bright new day. And
knowing that the only thing expected of you on this day is making progress on
your knitting. We stayed curled up by the big fireplace for hours enjoying conversation
and each other’s company all the while being productive with our crafts. I
highly recommend spending a weekend in this way. At night we switched from drinking
coffee to wine and gathered at the long, centuries old wood dining table for an
elaborate spread of food. I swear I must have gained five pounds during the two
days we were there. The food was just too good I couldn’t stop eating!
Though we were all a little bummed
when the time came to leave, we packed up the cars fully appreciating the
relaxing weekend we had all shared and knowing that the next time we come (I am
counting on there being a “next time”), it might just be a little warmer. Which
means we can move our knitting circle from the fire to the deck! :-)
