I'm back from the Knitter's Review retreat. What an experience, to spend the weekend in a big enthusiastic crowd of women who shared this interest - I met some really interesting and fun people. It was lovely to meet some of the women I've corresponded with in email for months or years - I did not, however, take pictures of them, because I am very sensitive to the fact that some people don't want their faces splashed all over the Internet - I know because I am one of them. (My dog is an attention hog, he is fine with being exploited this way.) I had a bad experience years ago, when someone put my face and name in an online publication and next thing I knew I was getting late-night phonecalls from strangers who thought I wanted to be their friend. So I don't post pictures or identify people by name unless they have a blog and identify themselves by name on it - then I figure they're comfortable with giving up their privacy.

Some photos of Graves Mountain. It was quite rustic. Here's the view down the hill from the motel where we slept:


Here's the view up the hill to that motel, from the building where we knitted and ate:


The photo does not really capture the steepness of the slope, which was better than 45 degrees. Walking up and down the hill was definitely a workout. A few more days of that and we could have bounced quarters off our butts.

I was rooming with my longtime (note I did not say "old" though it does apply to us) friend from Chicago, K - who unfortunately came down with a bad cold almost upon arrival and was sick as a dog but an amazingly good sport about it all weekend. I had slept very badly Thursday night (PMS induced insomnia combined with fighting with the hospital about that bill I do not owe right before bed) and was exhausted, so we skipped show and tell and retreated to our room to catch up on personal gossip and go to sleep early.

The Saturday classes were taught by Bess Haile and Annie Modesitt, who taught about color theory and slip-stitch colorwork, respectively. Both did an excellent job - Annie had most of the room knitting something plaid by the end of the session. The morning absolutely flew by - when lunch was announced we were all surprised.

After lunch it was vendor time. Clara's own Knitter's Review Boutique was there, and Annie Modesitt had her lovely knitted wire jewelry - I really, really wanted a particular bracelet, but it turned out to be too big for my skinny little wrist (the only consistently skinny part of my body) and I couldn't keep it on, which was a real disappointment. A KR member had her lovely pottery vases and funky knitting needles and the cutest little pins with various knitting sayings. Carodan Farm was there, and Stony Mountain Fibers, and a fellow blogger, Jennifer set up a booth with her absolutely amazing wares from Spirit Trail Fiberworks.

Spirit Trail's yarns and fibers are absolutely to die for, the photos on the site cannot begin to do justice to the amazing colors and textures, and Jennifer is an absolute sweetie. I was quite restrained in my spending only because I didn't have much room in my bags to carry things home, but I did buy two skeins of a gorgeous blue silk chenille from her amazing assortment of silks - I have visions of a slinky, drapey little scarf to wear with my basic black "dress up" work pantsuit. My other purchases included a huge honkin' hank of cotton chenille from Stony Mountain Fibers, in muted desert-ish colors, for a really simple garter stitch scarf. I wound it into a ball in the room, which was no small task without a swift, I managed to tangle it and spent half the afternoon sorting it out and cast on the scarf as my going home project for Sunday. (Photos to follow - I'm very happy with it, it will look great with my deep mossy green winter coat for my occasional out-of-town work trips to cold climates, as well as with my basic black leather jacket.)

I also picked up two skeins of Carodan Farm's own wool, which was an amazing bargain at $5 a big honkin' heavyweight 200 yd. skein, in a warm lilac color - that will be for felting, I'm thinking dresser scarf and tray from Felted Knits.

K was not much healthier on Sunday, so we headed out for Richmond early, hoping to catch earlier flights home. No such luck. It was a long, tedious afternoon in the freezing cold Richmond airport before getting on our originally scheduled flights back to our respective homes. The Bossy One survived his time at home quite nicely, my son came in to take care of him a few times a day and Murphy did fine, so now I feel better about traveling without him when I must. It was fun to get away, but it was nice to get home.