Last week we went on vacation. I should actually say that we tried to go on vacation, but it ended up looking a lot like a Chevy Chase movie. More about that later.
Lots of people travel during the summer, but this week I was thinking about the people who stay home and have a “staycation” instead. If the convenience of staying home with a wonderful fiber arts project or two is more your speed, I have some fun project ideas and a staycation sale for you!
Summer Project Ideas
I put together two bundles of project ideas on Ravelry. The first one is for shawls. I chose shawls that use sock-weight yarn, between one and three colorways, and no more than 1200 yards total. Some are mindless knits and easy crochet projects while others require more concentration. I chose them for their beauty and interest. You can find them here. These are great for summer evenings or an extra layer in air-conditioned spaces.
The second bundle is for summer tops. These also use sock-weight yarn. Some are crocheted and some are knit. All of them are solid enough to be worn without another shirt underneath. Here is the summer tops bundle.
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Staycation Sale
Whether you are staying home by choice or necessity, I’m having a sale to make it a lot more fun. Now through Sunday night, take 15% off all my sock-weight yarn using the coupon code STAYCATION15. This includes Sock Perfection, Sparkly Merino Sock, Stained Glass Sock, Squiggle Sock, and So Silky Sock.
You can see all the sock-weight yarn bases and add the coupon code to your cart by clicking on this link.
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Fresh from the Dye Pots
Since getting home, I have mostly focused on getting the club colorways made and shipped, but I did manage to dye up some more of the new Caribbean Sunset colorway. Here it is on Squoosh DK:
It goes beautifully with Sunset at Sea and Burgundy Rose.
I also dyed up Lizzie from Pride and Prejudice for the first time in quite a while. Here it is on Squiggle Sock:
Lizzie looks great with Lilac, Heirloom Rose, and Sunflower.
Right before we left, I dyed up Blue and Green Music inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting. Yesterday I made a knit sample of it so you can see how it works up. Here is Blue and Green Music on Sock Perfection:
…and here is the sample I knit on Squoosh DK so you can get an idea of how it can work up:
Blue and Green Music looks great with the new Matcha Latte colorway and with Freedom Blue.
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About that Vacation and the Kindness of Strangers
Last week, we were going to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, for a rare family vacation. Unfortunately, just four hours from our destination, our car broke down in little Santa Rosa, NM. What appeared at first to be a minor issue (the thermostat) turned out to be a much bigger deal (the water pump.) First we thought it would be done Monday afternoon. Then it was going to be Thursday and then Friday. In the end, it took until Saturday evening, and from there we drove back home without ever getting to Pagosa Springs. We tried everything to rent a car or find another way to get to our destination, but nothing worked, so we had to make the best of it in Santa Rosa.
The good news is that Santa Rosa is home to many, many kind people. The mechanic even let us borrow his old pickup truck so we could get around town while we waited. It’s also home to a city lake with a floating obstacle course, a grand old park with a merry-go-round, an auto museum full of really cool cars, and something called The Blue Hole. The Blue Hole is 81 feet deep and a place scuba divers go to explore. It has a rock ledge people dive from 15 feet above the water, and two of our kids had the courage to dive off it and had a glorious time. We played lots of board games, watched quite a few movies, and spent a lot of time at the hotel pool where our youngest son finally became comfortable in the water.
While we were all disappointed not to get to go to Colorado, I am so grateful to the many kind people we met in little Santa Rosa, NM. I am grateful to my husband’s family for their help, I am grateful to my sister who took care of our dog and plants while we were gone, I am grateful to my husband and children who truly made the best of a difficult situation, and I am most especially grateful and impressed by the three strangers whose generosity was such a huge help in a difficult time.
I am also very, very happy to be home! Our next vacation will definitely be a staycation!
A Finished Sweater
I have one more thing to be grateful for! I had a lot of time to knit while we were “on vacation,” and I got to finish this sweater for our 10-year-old son:
It’s the Harvest sweater from Tin Can Knits, and he chose The King of the Golden Hall colorway. I used a new app Tin Can Knits has where you can see just the size you are making with tutorials linked for all the difficult steps. It’s super! Now I have two more sweater requests.
I think that’s everything I have to share with you this week. Have a great weekend and a happy Father’s Day this Sunday.