Sea Socks!

So I'm not sure how a week has slipped by already since my last post, but it has. I put mail out for the mailman yesterday - that should tell you how much of a fog I've been living in! I am happy to say, though, that I'm on a pattern-formatting tear and managed to send seven new patterns off to my poor beleaguered tech editors yesterday.

Sea Socks! It already seems like a beautiful dream... It started out early Friday morning with a leisurely train ride up to Seattle. Can I gush about how much I love the train? I really hope that with the high price of fuel, Amtrak will experience a renaissance and train travel will come back in vogue. How great would it be to have a high-speed rail system in this country like they do in Europe? But I digress...

After arriving in Seattle, we lugged our bags about 1.5 miles to the pier (that was NOT so much fun but I figured I need to burn as many calories as humanly possible in preparation for the gorge-fest I was about to experience) and checked our bags in. We then called our friend Nate, who lives east of Seattle, and he came and picked us up for a brief city tour. We went to Pike Place Market, of course, and got some coffee at the original Starbucks.



We also hit the Space Needle (I haven't been to Seattle before, so I felt the need to do all things touristy).



While we were up there, we got to watch our ship sail into the harbor. Here's the bird's-eye view of the Celebrity Infinity:



After waiting, waiting and waiting some more, and then waiting in a huge line (so much of cruising is all about waiting in lines), we finally got to board the ship about 10 pm.

The next day was our first day at sea and I don't remember much of what went on. Amy Singer did a lace shawl class (which I wish I would've gone to, but I was too busy hanging out with my hubby, talking about grown-up stuff and watching movies without being interrupted for a glass of milk or bowl of Cheerios every 5 minutes) and Brenda Dayne did a rectangle class (again, wish I would've gone, but it was just too nice hanging out with Bill).

Meals were a huge production, with five courses spread over the course of two hours every night. Since I was "staff", I was lucky enough to sit at the table with Amy and her hubby, Brenda & Tonia, Patricia & Michael (our fabulous cruise planners - click on their link to get the dirt on next year's cruise), and Heather & Dawn every night. I think poor Bill was a bit numb from the endless knitting talk, but he survived it. As you well know, the introvert in both of us was a tad bit uncomfortable at group dinners every night, but I feel fortunate to have been sitting with the knitting brain trust for so many hours throughout the week.

Our first port stop was Ketchikan. Here we are pulled up to the pier outside the tiny downtown in our giant monstrosity of a boat:



Ketchikan is very cute and has a nice little yarn & bead shop right next to the pier. Ironically, the owner of this shop was also on our cruise, but not with us. I ran into her in the lounge one day and we chatted for a bit about my sock.

We tried to do an excursion in each port, and in Ketchikan we did a "wildlife boat tour and crab feed". This involved us getting on a bus and driving out to a lodge on the edge of the inlet, then getting in a little boat and setting out for some crab pots. We got rain gear, which made me look frighteningly like Jabba the Hut.



When we got to the crab pots, we pulled a couple of them up to see if there were any poor crabs trapped inside. The first one we pulled up had two Dungeness girls (lucky for them, since girls have to be thrown back so they can continue to perpetuate the species), one of which was clutching a gigantic mass of eggs. I got to hold her and toss her overboard to freedom. She was quite beautiful in an alien sort of way.



That gigantic mass of brown stuff that looks like poo are her eggs. I'm holding her upside down because it puts them in a trance and keeps them from trying to clamp down on fingers with those little claws which can apply like 1,000 lbs of pressure. Not so good for the knitting career, that!

After our visit to the crab pots, we puttered back to the lodge and sat down to an all-you-can-eat crab feed. Boy were those crabs tasty! It felt a little strange to be chowing down on the bretheren of the pretty lady I'd just been admiring, but it really didn't stop me. Yum!

The next day, we were back at sea and I taught my first heel session. Heather and I both developed a set of worksheets that allow knitters to first make a sample heel of each of 3-4 different types and try them on to see which one fits their foot best. Then, they can use the worksheet to slot their favorite heel into any of their socks. This was Heather's concept, and it was such a great idea. She took top-down heels and I did toe-up. I'm thinking of formatting the worksheets into a little pamphlet and including it in my pattern line - what do you guys think? Does that sound like something you'd be interested in? The toe-up folk really seemed to like my hybrid heel, which is the one I use for the Wavelet socks.

That afternoon, we got to view the Hubbard Glacier, which is one of those giant Alaskan glaciers which rolls into the sea and continually calves icebergs. The weather behaved absolutely perfectly for us, and we were able to practically kiss the face of the glacier (we got within 1/2 mile of it, which is as close as you can legally get). It was awesome, although it was pretty darn cold and windy! As we were sailing up the bay, Bill and I decided to brave the deck. Here I am trying not to be blown over. It was crazy!



We abandoned the deck and headed for our balcony, which was much more sheltered. We got to watch the little icebergs float by (they were all different sizes, shapes and colors):





We got to watch the boat push through the ice:



And we got to stare at the glacier until our eyes hurt, waiting for giant chunks of ice to fall off and kick up waves. They'd also send out big rumbles and cracking sounds, but by then it was too late and the ice was already in the water. It was very cool and the glacier was absolutely breathtaking.





Our next afternoon was spent in Juneau, which is another delightful coastal town that's only accessible via air or sea (since nobody has figured out how to build a road across a glacier yet - something about that relentless movement that destroys anything in its path...). First we went to visit the Mendenhall Glacier which is very different from the Hubbard but just as beautiful.



We got to touch 200+-year old ice:



And we got to see the stream where the bears come to feed on Salmon.



Unfortunately, we were about two months two early - no salmon yet, which meant no bears. We got our wildlife fix on a whale-watching cruise instead.





Those are humpback humps - those buggers are ridiculously hard to photograph! They tend to like to stay mostly underwater, much to the dismay of some of our boat-mates. We also got to see a bunch of sea lions fighting over prime spots atop a buoy.



As the boat pulled out of Juneau, we got to see a killer Alaskan sunset.



The next day was supposed to be our Inside Passage day, but we got caught up in a ridiculous 60-knot headwind and thick fog. In order to make it to Victoria, we had to skip the Inside Passage since with the weather conditions we would've had to crawl through it (and really wouldn't have been able to see anything anyway). It was probably a good thing, since I had to teach a workshop on getting published that morning and do the final Q&A with the other teachers. Here we are, smiling and blinking for about a gazillion flash photographs!



We had a nice rocky night on the boat and ended up sailing into Victoria about three hours late. We'd signed up for a tour to Butchart Gardens but ended up just walking around downtown instead since we arrived in Victoria after closing time.

We saw BC's gorgeous parliament building:



We saw the Empress Hotel, where a group of Sea Sockers went for high tea (I couldn't talk Bill into that one):



And I got my mitts on the perfect Cowichan sweater:



These sweaters are knit by Salish Natives who live in Cowichan Valley about 30 miles north of Victoria on Vancouver Island. They get New Zealand wool in several different shades (all natural) and spin it themselves, then knit the sweaters out of it. Each sweater is slightly different, so I had to try on several before I found one that both fit well and had a motif that I loved. I got quite a bit of flack from my family for BUYING a SWEATER that someone else knit since they didn't quite get the history behind the Cowichan knitting movement and what a work of art this sweater really is. I love it, though - it inspires me every time I look at it.

Whew! I think I'm all blogged out right about now... It's back to the pattern formatting grind for me. Only a week and a half before the big show!

I'm back!

Wow, it has been awhile! I've actually been back since Friday, but I've been putting off blogging because it seems like there's just so much to talk about. There's nothing like stuff piling up on top of me to make me want to put everything off another day!

I've got lots to talk about, but I'm going to try to split this into a few posts so I don't get totally overwhelmed. We'll see if I get on a roll and end up with the neverending post... I'm going to work backwards, and start with an announcement from my friend Chris, who is doing PR for another friend. She sent me this great little press release to post:

StitchCraft, Nicholette Hoyer's craft shop specializing in organic yarns, fabrics, lace, and wallpaper, is holding its grand opening this Saturday, May 24! Here's what's happening:

* 10:00am Yarn Cutting Ceremony with Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard.
* 10% off your entire purchase on the 24th & 25th.
* All Gutermann Cotton and Hand Quilting threads are 30% off.
* Goody bags to the first 40 customers who make a purchase.
* Free scoop of Ice Cream Renaissance's finest for the first 40 customers who make a purchase.


Many of you know Nicholette, a Vancouver mom of two, from parenting and homeschooling Yahoo groups or from the knitting classes she taught at Yarn Garden. Please come support this awesome "momtrepeneur" in her newest venture, bringing the largest collection of organic, sustainably produced fibers under one roof to Portland area crafters. For those of you, like me, who have rarely ventured into Vancouver, fear not! Her shop is located merely two minutes and two turns off of I-5, at 2110 Main Street. Easy-peasy to get there and just 10 minutes from downtown Portland. For more information, visit stitchcraft.us.

I'm also very excited that today is primary day here in Oregon. We vote by mail, so our ballots were sent in before we left for the cruise, but the last voters can drop off their ballots today and the results start coming in around 8 pm.

Oh, look at that! It's after 8 pm! Somehow I got distracted finishing a hat and eating dinner. No wonder I never get any blogging done...

Anyway, you may have heard that a record crowd of 75,000 turned out in Portland on Sunday for the big Obama rally. My mom was still here, so the two of us decided to brave the crowds and check it out. It was amazing - I'd already voted for Obama, but listening to him in person really clinched it for me. Here's someone who gets it - who talks about things like corporate welfare, and needing to give tax cuts to the lower and middle classes (and tax corporations at a higher rate to pay for them), and making sure that everyone has health care coverage that's as good as the coverage his family enjoys with him as a member of Congress (I often like to say that if Congress had to pay for their own private health care, the health care system would change very quickly...). He talked about reducing our dependence on foreign oil and investing in alternative energy so that Americans aren't sending all their money to foreign (often hostile) nations. He talked about taking care of our veterans who today are pretty much abandoned after they've served tour after tour in a poorly-planned war.

I know that there are plenty of people who would disagree with me, but listening to him, I couldn't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to vote for him. For the first time since I've been old enough to vote, I REALLY want to vote for someone - I don't just want to play defense. I hope that people will set aside some of their preconceived notions and really listen to him during this election season. Even if he's possibly a bit naive and inexperienced, I love the fact that he hasn't given up before he's even gotten started. It often takes a maverick, talking about ideas that are ahead of their time, to start to get these ideas out into the collective subconscious. Once enough people start talking about them, they become normal instead of radical (can you tell I was discussing The Tipping Point with a friend this morning?).

I spend plenty of time fearing for my childrens' future and wondering what kind of a world they're going to be left with. If someone like Obama can be elected, I'm going to have a lot more hope for our country and our world. If we choose McCain and vote for a continuation of the Bush Path O' Destruction, well...I'm really going to have to wonder where our values as a nation got so off course. Why is it that we call ourselves a predominantly Christian nation, and yet we worship the dollar much more than we worship the ideals of Christ? Aren't we supposed to love our neighbor, and judge not lest we be judged, and yet we threaten to bomb any nation that thinks differently than we do? We're supposedly community-oriented, and yet we refuse to reach out to individuals who are struggling and tell them that they don't deserve a "free ride". We shop at Wal-Mart instead of supporting local businesses who help to keep our communities anchored.

Wow, how did I get off on this rant? It's been a few months, so I guess I was due. I've been thinking a lot lately with all the political talk (and the incredible brains on the Ravelry Obama group who have the most amazing, intelligent discussions), and living in Portland helps me incubate all my radical ideas. I love this city!

I think I've done enough damage for today - I'll leave the Sea Socks review for tomorrow (or the day after, or next week...if you want to see some other peoples' pictures in the meantime, there's a Flickr group which I have, of course, not yet contributed anything to). I've got to go stalk the Oregon election results and hope that we made a better showing here than they did in Kentucky!

Poor neglected blog...

Does anyone actually bother to read this thing anymore? Besides my mom (and even she may have given up on it by now)? I don't know why I just can't get the blogging mojo back. Too many other things going on, I guess (and then there's that darn time-waster called Ravelry).

I was hoping to do a nice pretty post with lots of pictures from the TKG Shop Hop last weekend and another design idea or two before leaving for Sea Socks, but it just ain't gonna happen. In the mad rush to get everything that needed to be done done before I left (not to mention organizing a team for Portland to Coast and planting the entire garden), blogging just didn't get around to happening.

I am off for a week on the high seas and will DEFINITELY have pictures for you on my return. Promise!

We're back!

As you may have noticed, the blogging has been a bit neglected lately. I didn't even notice that my last post was #500. Wow! I think my site meter is nearing 10,000 visits, too. It has been almost three years since I started this blog and we've certainly had our ups, downs, and long periods of silence.

That said, I am really going to try to get the third design idea up later this week. I've been totally swamped getting designs ready for TNNA (check out the preview page for a couple fun new things), figuring out the kids' school situations and dealing with the massive growth of my business. Just to give you an idea, we've grossed more revenue already this year than we did all of last year. Yay us! However, that does mean that a LOT more patterns are needing to be printed, assembled and sent out. Not to mention the steady stream of work I'm doing for others to publish.

I have a really hard time saying no, and I've gotten myself involved in several sock clubs already this year. On the plus side, socks don't take too long. On the down side, I don't have unlimited capacity! I've already let my job at Dublin Bay go (Tuesday was my last day) and I'm constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop as far as getting in over my head. Fortunately I've got some great sample knitters who really help to keep me out of trouble...

I've also really been struggling with fatigue all spring. I think it was a combination of my sedentary lifestyle (all that sitting in front of the computer or sitting and knitting), terrible diet and those 50 extra pounds that don't seem to ever want to leave. After my constant battle with injured shins last spring during my ill-fated attempt to train for the Portland marathon, I kind of gave up on myself. It's hard when you have the drive to do the training but your body betrays you. After that happened, I sort of went into a downward spiral and really struggled with depression for the rest of the year. Things went looking up in the fall (you might remember my short Fly Lady kick) but headed back into the basement this spring. It's hard to get excited about designing or blogging when all you want to do is sleep all day...

I feel like I'm getting back under control. I've started back on Weight Watchers and have dropped 5 lbs already in the last two weeks. I've decided that if I can't run a marathon, I'll walk one. My goal is now to walk the Portland Marathon in 2009. I've also decided to see if I can get a last-minute team together for the Portland to Coast walk relay (if you're in the area and have any interest, e-mail me!) since I won't be able to get the training in for this year's marathon. It's amazing how much difference a change in diet can make. Maybe Tom Cruise was right and all we depressed women need is more vitamins! (Um, I'm joking, BTW - I will NEVER agree with TC on that one...).

I even got motivated to finally make a long-delayed dentist appointment! I'm not looking forward to that one... I'm sure I've got at least one cavity hiding in there (plus I live in fear of being told that I can't put off having my wisdom teeth out any more). Wish me luck!