I know I have been absent for a while – but this should make it up to you!
As you know, A and I were working hard to prepare for the visit from three Ravelry friends. Well, that visit has come and gone, and what fun we had! The ladies arrived last week, and we got down to business right away! I took the first two to arrive on a quick tour of some things they wanted to see in Bangor, specifically, the Duck of Justice a the Bangor Police Department
(you have to follow Bangor PD on face Book to understand why this is even a thing) and to see Stephen King’s house, with it’s fabulous gates. We managed both of those things, and they back to the airport to pick up the third person. By the time we were all together, they were checked into their motel for the night and back at our house for supper, it was way past my bedtime! But I managed to stay awake, and we did a little bit of knitting, casting on our Friends of Knitting Sarah KAL shawl – the second annual such KAL. This year we are knitting Down the Road and Back Again. As usual, the colors we all chose vary widely. Mine is fairly subdued compared to theirs, but that is what makes it fun!
The next morning we were off to Deer Isle, to Haystack for the long weekend. We attended the Knit Maine 2018 retreat, put on by Knitting and Yoga Adventures. The lineup of teachers was pretty incredible! I wound up taking 4 classes from Patty Lyons and 2 from Norah Gaughan. Not that the other teachers weren’t great, but these were offering things I wanted to learn more about.They each are amazing, the things they know how to do! I picked up lots of tips and new techniques, and learned more about how to design and alter sweater patterns so that sweaters will actually fit. Always a good thing.
The 4 of us shared one small cabin, which basically was beds and a bathroom, so we weren’t in it too much. Haystack is a pretty amazing place, but not exactly accessible!
And there aren’t too many common areas to gather and just knit… unless you don’t mind sitting on the floor. Which we did mind. So that part wasn’t great. But as the schedule was packed full and our brains were tired, we survived that.
The food, from my view point, was FANTASTIC! There was lots of locally sourced food, it was all well prepared and there was plenty of it.
I thought that the weekend delivered all that it promised, but I relearned something about myself that will likely keep me from attending future events that are set up like this. I need down time, to absorb what I have learned, and just unwind. This weekend was full speed ahead at all times. After a full day of classes, there was an evening program. I only went to one, preferring to just have some peace and quiet after the long day. the only time I knit was early in the morning, as I am an early riser, and my cabin mates were not, I headed up to the dining hall early every morning and sat with the other early risers and had coffee and knit. This was way less knitting time than I am used to in a day, which sure felt funny at a knitting retreat!
Sunday afternoon we left there and got the ladies settled into their Air Bnb in Penobscot. That house is quite adorable, an felt even luxurious after the spartan quarters at Haystack!
We had supper in Castine, and then in the morning I picked them up and took them shopping for the day. We started at the Purple Fleece – OF COURSE! Deb so nicely opened up on her day off for us. From there we went to Belfast to Heavenly Yarns, which was fun as she stocks lots of Maine dyed and Maine raised yarns and fibers. After that it was lunch at Nautilus, then a bit more Main Street shopping before we headed down Route 1 toward Rockland, with a nice stop at Swan’s Island Blanket. I have driven by it literally hundreds of times, but never stopped before. It is a lovely place, and has wonderful products. Yarn and blankets were purchased, and then we went on to Mom’s house for an hour or so of knitting and chatting before heading home. We were all tired so we stopped at the grocery store and got some simple food for supper at home.
Tuesday we were treated to heavy rain from “Gordon” though at that point everyone was only talking about “Florence” (Maine is really off the weather map as far as forecasters are concerned) so our plan to go to Acadia and Bar Harbor was delayed and truncated. We did go in the afternoon to take a spin around park loop and get photos of rain, fog, rocks, and trees.
On the way back we stopped to visit with one of the women who went with us to Wisconsin Sheep and Wool last year, and who now lives in Maine, so she is a Whorler and Purler also. Then out for our “last supper” at Glenn’s Place in Bucksport.
Wednesday they had to clear out of their house by 11, and I invited the Whorls and Purls ladies over for a knitting party, so the last day was fun and festive and had knitting in it, as it should.
A’s sisters and brother in law also came over, as sadly, they all attended a family funeral that morning. So we had a houseful!
Then it was off to the airport, and they all got out safely ahead of “Florence.” A and I came home, had party snacks for supper and fell into bed. I slept a solid 12 hours!
I had so much fun with these ladies, and loved having them visit me here in Maine.
I hope that they also had a good time. I do wish they could have stayed longer, there is so much more to see – and we could have done it at a slower pace, so we weren’t; all exhausted at the end of it. But I think we made good use of the time that we had together.
Now I have one day off, maybe two, depending on how much work I can get done remotely here today. Saturday I have to attend a big fundraising event that we hold each year, but then Sunday is completely free of obligations – might be a pajama day!
whatimuptotoday 