Cast on Lace! Cast off for San Jose!

So, it will be a summer/season of lace! Just had to buy the Wine Tasting Lace Sampler from KnitPicks--what's not to love--wine-colored lace yarn, lots of alpaca and merino! And I cast on Misty Garden from Scarf Style to carry with me on the plane to San Jose.

Sad to say, it's a working trip and not a vacation. But thanks to the wonderful people on Ravelry, I know where the best and closest LYS (local yarn store) will be to San Jose State, where I'll be meeting with folks from all over the country involved in transportation research and education. Since I'm a facilitator at a couple of sessions, I won't have my yarn and needles in my hand except on the plane.

I also discovered Ravelry on that at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, there's an exhibit called Beyond Knitting: Uncharted Stitches! Since I'm a quilter, too, that will be a must stop during my few free hours!

Had to spend this weekend cleaning--I'm obsessive about trying to take care of messes that should have heen taken care of weeks ago when I'm going to go on a trip. The only thing that made this weekend fun was the chance to visit a new cria (baby alpaca) only hours old, at my brother's farm Big Meadow Creek Alpacas. Alpaca mothers are very protective of their young, and Derica was no exception. As I was carrying the new baby to get weighed (a nice, healthy 17-pounds), Derica walked along beside, talking the entire time to the cria--and to me--not sure of what was going on. After the cria was weighed, I just put him down and the two of them went back up to the pasture. It's so much fun watching the new babies walk--every step or two they sort of stumble a little as they

But, I better go pack clothes to go along with my knitting for the trip!