We got back from vacation yesterday and it was like this

with a little bit of this

and a little bit more of this

All in all, we really had a nice vacation.   As you can see, we went to the beach, went sailing, and shopping, eating and relaxing.  We rented a boat on the last day and went fishing – we caught some but threw them back because they were too little (which was too bad because it would have been great to eat a fish I caught!).   It was a beautiful week – it rained at home, but at the Cape it was beautiful – perfect vacation weather.   The dogs did well, and had a good time too.    We found a new family game – it really is fun, and I recommend it.  It was a great week, and I came back happy, relaxed and rested. 

On the knitting front, though….

Nice eh?  This is the first VanDyke sock -  I finished it on the way to the Cape.   But…I can’t find the second skein of this to finish the second sock.  I’ve looked everywhere – no luck.  I’ve contacted the dyer, and I really hope that she will be dyeing some of this colorway in this weight soon (she has this colorway in lace weight right now, but not in sport weight).    I also used a new cast off for the sock, and I don’t think it was a success.  I have been using the sewn cast off for my toe ups, and it is always stretchy – but seems to take forever.  I read on another pattern about using a cast off of k2tog, slip the stitch made back to the left needle, k2tog and so on….so I did that.  And it was fast, and seemed ok – until I went to put this on – and yikes!  I really have to work to get it over my heel.  I’m not sure I’ll take it out and redo it – but I think I’ll go back to the sewn cast off (or try to find another) for future toe ups.

Since I couldn’t finish the second VanDyke sock, I started a new pair on vacation (no knitting on shawls this week) – this is Happy Hands Yarn Toe Jamz – the colorway is After the Gold Rush  (I bought this at the Loopy Ewe)- and its pretty wild.  And they are for Larry – he likes wild socks and immediately latched on these – he’s a sock pig!  I’m just about done with the first one – not a lot of knitting time this week, but enough to get a sock done!  I love the yarn though – very soft, and the colors are amazing.

I did go to two yarn shops on the Cape – Sage Yarn in Falmouth – very nice store, and I got a couple of things (I don’t have pictures yet).  The person working there that day was really nice and very chatty, and they had a lot of really nice yarn.  I also went to the Yarn Basket in Mashpee – and I don’t know what to say about this store other than yikes!  I don’t know what the deal with this store is, but I’ve never been to a yarn store like this.  It was a little tiny shop, with all of the yarn in packages.  And thrown everywhere – we couldn’t walk through the aisles because yarn was everywhere – on the floor, in piles, falling everywhere, no apparent order  - crazy.  We left after a couple of minutes – it was just so overwhelming that I don’t think anyone could find yarn that they wanted.    That was it for me – this just wasn’t one of those vacations were I chased a lot of yarn.

Although we had a great time, it was really good to be home yesterday.  Its always nice to be back in my own bed, and I missed the cats.  Today was about getting back to normal – laundry, groceries and all that.  Tomorrow it will be back to work – it seems like years since I’ve been at work which shows what a great vacation it was! 

Have a great week (and I’ll leave you with a parting picture)…