Knit Camp 2007

There was no posting this past weekend because I wasn't at home. On Friday afternoon, I loaded up this hot redneck...



...and local knitsib Melissa S. and we headed out to meet up with other glbt-knit knitsibs in lovely Bennington, VT, for a long-awaited knit camp.

One of the highlights of the weekend, because many knitsibs were coming from far away, was a Friday road trip to Webs. We got on the road a little too late to meet up with the rest of our group, but we did go and got to see our friend Dena, who is fortunate enough to work there.

Although it was my first visit to this yarn mecca, I managed to show reasonable restraint there, likely because I have very recently bought quite a lot of Cascade 220 from them while it's on clearance. I did, however, have specific plans to get suede soles to finish off the smurf hats felted clogs, which I had felted down the night before so that I could bring them along with me. They had some that were an appropriate size, so now I have something more to wear around the house than my socks (You can see they're already starting to pick up animal hair).



I don't think I can give a blow-by-blow of the weekend, at least not enough to do it justice, but it was about as perfect as could be. The weather was lovely, the company lovelier, and the food excellent. I made good progress on the second sock from the yarn from Scout and got most of the way through this first sock of a pair for Dulaan, which I quickly finished off tonight.



The yarn was some Cleckheaton Country 8 Ply that I got at Webs to demonstrate the Sherman short row technique. The available tutorial/instructions online leave out a few explanatory notes that I intend to expound upon soon. Meantime, here are some photos from the weekend:

















On our way out of town Sunday afternoon, we took a short side trip to the Congregationalist church to visit the grave of poet Robert Frost.



While we were there, this stone also caught my attention:



What initially struck me was the use of the Greek key motif as a border, which was not a particularly common element of 18th century gravestones, in my experience. I really love the inscription, though, which appears to be from a popular hymn of the period.


Life has a soft and silver thread
Nor is it drawn too long
Yet when my vaster hopes persuade
I'm willing to be gone.

Farewell bright Sun, a short farewell
Till we shall meet again above
In the sweet groves where pleasure dwells
And trees of life bear fruits of love.