Yarn Along and WIPs

I finished the secret project on Monday...yeah!  I'll share on Friday.  I have so many projects...and I brought a bunch with me on this trip...I am now working on my Vanilla Latte socks.

I also started my Lanesplitter.  The Lanesplitter is my dissertation for Nerd Wars.  I frogged several rows yesterday before I got the rhythm of the pattern down....the pattern seems easy enough, but the yarn is scratchy...hopefully it'll soften up with soaking....I hope to wear it this year at Rhinebeck.....

I finished The Girl With All the Gifts on Sunday....really good post-apocalyptic book.  I had read a review about it and downloaded it.  Interesting where it ends up.

I am now reading The Yarn Harlot book that I downloaded at the airport.  The essays are funny, but I am looking to read another novel...maybe I'll download the next Longmire book....I've been wanting to read it for awhile...

Tuesday, I read a short story at Apex Magazine called The Food in the Basement..a different take on the vampire story. Good story.

Joining in with Ginny, Tami, and WonderWhyGal...although since I am in an earlier time zone, they do not have the links up yet...

Epcot - Travel Tuesday

The last time I visited Epcot in Orlando, Florida was 2005, with a friend.  Epcot is more of the "adult" Disney.  Sure there are rides, but not many of the more daring rides that kids want to ride.  There are several boat rides, and a couple of other rides. On Friday July 4,  2014, I headed back with my Mom and her husband, Ed.

The most popular ride is Soarin'.  This ride takes you on a simulated ride over California, almost as if you are hang-gliding.  It is a fun ride, but not a thrilling, pulse-pounding ride.  There are lots of "presentations."  We watched "The Circle of Life" with Pumba and Timon, it's an environmental movie.

The best part of Epcot is the World Showcase.

We started at Mexico, and actually spent a lot of time there.  We also took the boat ride through Mexico starring The Three Caballeros....they kept asking "Donde esta Donald?"

I bought an owl from a Mexican artist, I also wanted a sugar skull, but decided just to get the owl.

I loved the figures from the Oaxacan artists, but they were beyond my budget.

In Norway, I took a picture with a troll

They had some awesome little trolls, and again I wanted one....but restrained myself....

Onto China....in China we watched The Jeweled Dragon Acrobats, but it was too dark for pictures.  But what was really awesome was the reproduction of the TerraCotta Army from the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang.  I've read a couple articles and a book about this and thought it was fascinating!

Germany was next, where I bought some Kinder chocolate, but alas, no Kinder Eggs, as they are illegal in the US....I also bought some Gummi Bears...yum!

Italy we breezed by....

Then, it was the Fourth of July, so we spent a great deal of time at The American Adventure..watching the Fife and Drums, listening to the Voices of America, and then we watched The American Adventure Attraction, which is the history of America, in a nutshell (I had some minor issues with it, but on the whole it was good)

Then we breezed by Japan, Morocco, and France.  We went in the shops, but there weren't any shows.

I spent some time in the United Kingdom, because Dr. Who stuff....the cashier said he was surprised at how much we Americans like Dr. Who.  He said he had never seen it....I bought a shirt and a few smaller things..and of course, took this...

Disney was also getting in on the FIFA action, there were several places to kick a soccer ball

Epcot is a great little mini-tour of the world.  Actually Disney hires kids from those countries to work in each section of Epcot.  It's pretty cool to actually talk to people who represent that country...and I used a little bit of my Spanish..and German (just thank you and goodbye)

We were going to stay for the fireworks, usually they are at 9, but they had pushed them back to 10.  But we all were exhausted and Mom's husband, Ed, needed to work the next morning, so we left a little after 9...

A good day, but I was exhausted!

Stash Saturday - LYS Visit!

Of course, even on vacation, I have to visit an LYS....This one is in Winter Haven, FL..and I visited it the last time I was here....they have changed the store around since then...So here are some pictures from Four Purls...I would recommend visiting, if in the area...they are super friendly and crochet friendly!  Some great yarns, but mostly Cascade and Berrocco products...

It's a lot more open.  There is a large seating area, with many chairs..and there were several locals sitting, crafting and chatting..some left while we were there and others came in...

So I went there specifically to get a "just in case" yarn.  I think I might run out of yarn on the sooper sekrit project..so had to get a backup yarn....

But what else did I get?

The grey is the emergency yarn, it is LaJolla Baa yarn in Grey Onyx

A Crazy Zauberball in Holly Blue...I've seen this used on some amazing socks!

A local dyer is the green and purple...Twin Mommy Creations

And then two balls of Louisa Harding Jasmine for a Nerd Wars project....how about some sparkly, bright green fingerless gloves?

A few things for my swap partner, two magazines, and a new project bag finished my purchases...

Lastly there was this..

I loved this scarf made out of Art Yarns.....and loved the color on the right, the greyish green.....but it was a just too expensive at the moment, but I'll keep it in mind....

FO Friday!!!!

So I have one finished craft this week.  I belong to Stacey Trock's Kit of the Month club and last month's kit was the cutest robot.   Now the swap I am in at the moment (well it's over, but since I was so sick, I have an extension), my partner collects robots...so SCORE!  This had to be made for her.....introducing Sprocket!

My swap partner likes beaded things, and beads came with the kit, for a beaded heart..so I beaded Sprocket a bunch more.  I beaded around the eyes, I beaded around the bottom of the body and then the feet.

I think it is adorable...and may have to make one for myself....

Joining in with Tami, Natural Suburbia and Fiber Arts Friday

Swapping

Do you participate in swaps?  I have recently done quite a few....I had taken a break, after a very good run, I got burnt on the last two....but I'm up and swapping again....

First Up:  My Stargate team enjoy having a swap during each tournament.  The theme this time was "A Bag of Stuff."  My package came from Canada...

Everything was packed in this great market tote...

A beautiful cowl....

Another bag!  Filled with..

Up close of the awesome stitch markers...

And the yarnz!  Oh the yarnz!  A local person..a silk/cashmere blend...in greens...SWOON!!!!

And  a beautiful card from a picture she painted...

It was a wonderful package!

Yarn Along...and a WIP

So yesterday was a travel day for me...and I kept wandering into the airport bookstores, I was looking for a knit magazine (I'm addicted to them), but finally decided to download The Yarn Harlot's latest book......and I read 2 of the essays. Then I got to the next airport and found Longbourne in the bookstore......I almost bought the hard copy, but checked and the eBook was a bit cheaper.....

I finished it an hour ago(written Tuesday night)....today was a rest day at my Mom's...she had to work, so I was home by myself....and the book was so good.....if you enjoy Downtown Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs...or are a Jane Austen fan......you will love this book!

This book is about the servants at Longbourne, the home of Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice......the story is interwoven with the P&P story....you meet the Hills and learn their story...and wow, its a doozy!

The main story revolves around Sarah, the first maid, and the new mysterious manservant who comes to Longbourne.......it's very well researched and written.....I highly recommend it! Although it may change your view of some of the beloved characters....or at least see them in a different light.

And in crochet/knitting news...I brought a couple projects with me....and I did try to knit on the plane, but really...the quarters are too cramped for me.......so I'll stick to reading....

But I am getting pretty far on my Vanilla Latte socks...and still working on a secret swap project...

Linking up with Tami and Ginny and Nicole

Travel Tuesday - What Kind of Traveler Are You?

Me?  I prefer a road trip.  I love road trips!  I love traveling at my own speed and stopping when I want....we did a lot of road trips as kids....although they tended to be to the same destinations (Boston and New Hampshire every July), Brooklyn for Thanksgiving....there were others throughout my childhood..........and I've been inaugurating my niece and nephews to great road trips.....about six years ago, Kyle, Allison and I went to Florida.....three summers ago...Allison and I went back to Florida (My Mom lives there) and last summer, my nephew Christian and I drove to Wyoming....this summer I am planning a road trip to Niagara Falls and Toronto with the Hubs...he finally has a passport!

I lost most of the pictures from the first Florida trip (new digital camera)...but here is one....

This is on Fort Sumter in South Carolina.  It's an island off the coast.  It is where The Civil War began...see behind Kyle and Allison, to the left?  That is a cannonball stuck in the wall from a battle at the time...How cool is that!!!!

Allison was scared...she didn't like being on the boat and when we got on the island, she wanted to go back on the boat....she thought the island might tip......;)

Then three summers ago, she and I went on another road trip to Florida....this time we stopped at many more places...

One of the places we stopped, where I have wanted to go for years, was Monticello...it was fascinating....
Another place we visited was
The Smithsonian in DC

And then last summer, Christian and I hit the road to Wyoming....I shared The Bad Lands last week..so where else did we go?

Chicago, home of the original deep dish pizza....
(If you are interested in some of the other places we visited, I blogged about a few of them...)
St Louis - The Arch  - Day 15
On the Road - Day 1

I love deciding to go on a road trip, packing the car, looking at maps, many times I'll just go on one spur of the moment....

On my bucket list is to get to all 50 states, with last year's trip, I have hit 39...and 4 countries....

So what is your favorite way to travel?