I Did Actually Knit On Vacation

There was a lot of car time--a LOT--but there was also lots to see while in said car (or van or dark blue aircraft carrier, whatever) so I spent a lot of miles when I wasn't driving holding a camera ready to take a picture or twelve.  There were skies...

 
...fields of sunflowers 




 



badlands that I-94 goes right through...

and finally mountains.  Mountains, can you believe it?  They actually make roads on the knife edge of mountains in places I am certain no self-respecting mountain goat would dare to tread, and of course Durwood had to drive on them and enjoy it while doing it.  I, being the one with the most brains, spent our time on the Beartooth Highway scared shitless and whimpering like any sane person.  The only thing I can say is, thank god it was light when we did that.  I only drove at the end when we weren't 10,000 ft. in the air.  No wonder I was breathless and Durwood was giddy, there's no oxygen up there.  Sheesh.

Like I said, I did knit.  I made preemie hats.  They're easy to knit on and quick to finish so I feel like I'm accomplishing something.  I love this Premier Everyday yarn; it's acrylic so it can be sterilized if need be and parents with too much to deal with don't have to worry about ruining the damned hat, plus the colors are so cheerful and not pastel which to me means "I'm sure you're going to grow up to be a very fun and interesting person" not "oh look at the tiny sickly baby."  Sorry, although I think pastels are sweet, I think preemies need all the power we can lend them to fight the effects of their too early birthdays.  Bright color means power to me.


I also finished Bandwagon afghan block #9.  It's garter stitch so it's easy car knitting.  Only 3 more blocks to go then I can join them and edge it.


We passed a Hobby Lobby in Rapid City and I finally had to stop, even though there are 2 in town that I often pass.  I cruised the yarn aisles and ended up buying a skein of this Monkey Red "I Love This Cotton" and a tan/beige one too.  I cast on a Mitered Towel and plan to switch to the tan when I get to the garter stitch top.  I'm also hoping to learn to count, or press my counter button after each and every row, since so far my counting has been, let's say, flexible.  Not that it matters.  It is only a hand towel to hang from the stove handle, still I'd like to make it right.  Just once.

We passed a yarn & bead store on the road to Mt. Rushmore in Rapid City and managed to stop at, like, 4:45 PM (she closed at 5:00) on our last day in town.  I found a few skeins in the 40% off bin (of course, when did I ever pass up yarn on sale?), a skein of Encore in a variegated I haven't seen to make another boot sock, two skeins of cotton/viscose kids' yarn (to make a scarf maybe), and a skein of Sockotta and some beads to make a beaded and drop stitch scarf like she had on display.  Naturally she didn't have a pattern but she let me take a picture and I'm sure Z-Dawg will help me figure it out.  She's gifted that way.


Oh, and I knit rows on the Maple Tree scarf along the way.  (What?  it's summer, like the leaves are anything but green)  It's week #35.

Now that we're home I've got a few bins of label sewing for Lucie to do this weekend, and I need to enter my yarn purchases into Ravelry and maybe look for a drop stitch scarf pattern while I'm there.  Next weekend the next to last BOM quilt block instructions will be on Craftsy (what do you mean you haven't gone over there and signed up yet?  it's free, people, F-R-E-E.  *shakes head* you guys.) so I can sew them up and be that much closer to making my first quilt.  Squee!