Birthday Party & Knitting Swag

....long, ridiculously hot, Summer please go away!....i thought it was hot here on the coast....and it has been.....upper 90's....windless....last weekend we went to N.Alabama for Papa Martin's birthday party and it was hotter there than it is here....go figure....it was a fun party though....thought i'd give you some shots DH took while we were there.....
.....Papa Martin is DH's dad....DH is the oldest of 8 children....everyone has spouses/significant others who have children....and some of those children have children....whew!....when the whole gang is together immediate family is, last time i counted, 48 people....

Guest of Honor....Papa Martin

Papa Martin

Papa and L'esha

Papa Martin's Birthday August 2011

....it was blisteringly hot....took forever to get this many people to sit for photos....can't imagine how long it's going to take next Spring when we have Family Reunion....DH took about 1500 photos over the course of the weekend....there was lots of food of course, lots of beer and wine....and lots and lots of laughter....everyone trying to talk over each other created that thing that happens when you're in a restaurant where the televisions are all around and on and everyone is shouting to be heard....fun was had by all though....
....i did manage to get my Windmill Bag finished while i was there....we got there early on Saturday morning and i got the cat-bird seat in the sun-room....i could see everything that was happening in the kitchen and outside with plenty of room for people to come and sit around us whilst our Kate and i knitted....

Dulcinea

....while we were there our Kate and i got to go to the LYS....and we both scored some swag:

Plymouth Galway wool

.....this bit was my swag....right before we left the Friends of the 28-row Scarf group was starting the August KAL....hats and gloves....and being the friends that they are there were many suggestions for patterns to choose from....i started Minty....but what got my attention was Vivian....when i saw these yarns in the sale bin i knew they would be perfect for a Vivian hat....☺....my Minty is languishing right now as i'm really trying to finish up my Free-Range Vest....i'm knitting the bottom bit now....have to do the front band next....hoping to finish up here in the next few days....i started a Linen Stitch Scarf with some balls of sock yarn i've had for a long time plus some Kauni to take the place of the Windmill Bag for t.v. knitting....i'm not 100% positive that i won't ever knit sox again, but for now they don't have my interest....
....and i swatched for the Slinky Ribs Pullover from the Custom Knits book by Wendy Bernard....i want to tackle garments now....i don't love pullovers....i prefer cardigans, but i looked through all the projects people knitted for this garment on Ravelry and i'm going to give it a go....just waiting on needles now with longer cables to get started....with this garment i read through the project notes of some people who had done modifications and i am settled that i will have to knit and tink with this project as i go....i saw one that i love that someone just did a vest....no sleeves....so i'm giving that a think too....
....the Friends of the 28 are going to do a Teddy Bear KAL....i don't want to get side-tracked from the pullover, but was looking through the knitted toys last evening and i found THE cutest knitted Goldfish....with fishy lips and everything....who can resist that?....might have to fill in with those....my grands will need a whole pond full don't you think?....there was a cute giraffe and a cute elephant....and a cute monkey....and a cute teddy....you get the idea....

....hope you're all having good Sundays....


Cheers,
Sally♥