Travel Knitting In Past Tense

Let me introduce you to Lucca.  Lucca was a birthday gift from Kathy that I couldn't talk about on my birthday post because I hadn't yet taken a picture.  You know how it is when you're getting ready for a trip, everything you meant to do doesn't get done.  I have never seen Lucca Yarn before and I thought I had seen pretty much everything.  Luca is hand dyed, custom blend, hand spun and hand crafted.  No where does it say what the fiber content is.  It is heavier than bulky.  I really don't think I'll knit with this but I am dreaming, plotting and conniving about what would make the most of this totally unique yarn.  I promise you one day I will have something mind-blowing that will showcase the beauty of this exquisite fiber.  Thank you to my dear and generous sister.  She knows me so well.

It has been a week since my last post and about a week since we returned to Adrian.  You would think in a week I could live up to my twice a week commitment.  Well, this week I couldn't.  Tuesday I hosted a bridge group, an all day affair.  I told them last month they needed to lower their expectations for the day because we would be coming home Sunday and I wouldn't have much time to get ready.  The day went great and a good time was had by all.  I had a couple of appointments and worked at Ann's By Design and before I knew it, it was Saturday.

I usually write about what I am going to take for travel knitting but this time I am going to tell you what I took.  I want to review from April 1, 2014 my criteria for travel knitting.  "It has to be somewhat small so that it doesn't take over your seat.  It has to be interesting so that you find yourself working on it making the miles fly away.  It has to have great yarn (of course, I think that is a must for every project.)  It has to be something you can knit on then talk to the driver then knit on then listen to a tune then knit on then day dream.  Picking it up and putting it down not skipping a beat." I don't think I have any better words today to describe travel knitting than the ones I used in April 2014.  

On the way to Maggie Valley, I finished a Bandito in Twisted Fiber Art Evolution, Catnip fiber and Minstrel colorway.  This is my third Bandito.  It seems to be becoming my Olga Jazzy Pleated Scarf as far as go to travel knitting.  This is so beautiful.  I love touching Catnip.  It makes my fingers sing.  FYI, the Twisted Ladies have a club open right now with the inspirations being National Parks and Recreation. I couldn't make up my mind which club I wanted (National Parks or Recreation) so I joined them both.  Six cakes of never before seen Twisted Fiber will be coming to the Stash Studio some time in June.

I also took this beautiful yarn for another Caterpillar Arrow.  I have no idea what the yarn is, what the fiber content is or how many yards there are.  I had this huge hank I bought from a short lived LYS in Ann Arbor.  Linda and I went to check out this new shop we just heard about.  It was kind of word of mouth like jungle drums.  One of our favorite LYS had closed (Knit A-Round and I still miss Carrie and the gang) and we heard this new one had opened.  Linda was ahead of me and opened the door to walk in.  She stopped, turned and said, "You have more."  When we entered I realized that indeed I did have more yarn in the Stash Studio than was in this LYS.  Frightening!!!!!!  I never (well, seldom) walk out of a LYS without buying something.  I feel it is my duty to keep LYS in business.  I bought this huge hank of yarn with no label because I loved the colors.  It has been waiting for several years to become something.  After I finished my first Caterpillar Arrow, I realized this would make a lovely Caterpillar Arrow.  I just hope I don't run out of yarn since I don't have a clue how much is here.   

You know there are two kinds of travel knitting; the simple for the car and the complex for the condo.  This is the complex.  It is a scarf using double knitting made with Kauni.  It is from an ebook set of patterns called Parallax by Alasdair Post-Quinn.  I saw it on Pinterest and became obsessed with the intricate pattern.  

I am not going to show you the final product.  Instead I am going to blow your mind some day when it is finished.  You'll take one look and won't be able to catch your breath.  

I also took this yarn but I am not going to tell you its story.  It deserves a post all of its own.  

​We are back and there is something about sleeping in your own bed with your own pillow and having coffee made with your own water.  I love to travel but to quote a girl with red shoes, "There's no place like home."