I wonder where the whales are now

All week long I keep meaning to write about the day before, but the internet here is patchy, you can only use it in the lobby of the hotel or the teaching space, and I keep being really busy as I pass through those spaces. If I wrote about everything we’d done here, I wouldn’t ever be done, and I’m busy today helping the Blue Moon Ladies tear down, and gathering my stuff from teaching (which was fabulous) and still trying to arrange a little time to sit quietly, knit and appreciate the place I’m in, it’s so beautiful here. Aside from classes with me, Cat, Nathania, Cookie A., Tina and the Sockateers, Sock Camp has other events. We went on a boat cruise…. Remember snakes on a plane? This is Knitters on a Boat. Very rare. Doesn’t happen much in the real world at all.

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An entire whale watching trip with just knitters.

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I think the Captain liked us a lot. The whales choose not to join us that day, and I feel pretty fine about that. I’m of the opinion that as long as an animal can totally take down a boat, they should have complete free will. We saw other stuff though. Bald eagles and Gazelle (Yes. Gazelle. There’s this one island where this big game hunter imported all of these African animals and populated his island with them and they all just live there. It’s not a hunting place anymore, so all of these trippy horned animals from the wrong continent are just wandering around one of the San Juan Islands. Freakish.) We saw Sea Lions on their way to Alaska…

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They are 2000 pounds each. (That’s 900kg for the rest of us.) All you really need to know is that they are big. Really big. Huge.

We had underwater knitting olympics where a bunch of us (the true, the brave) put on our bathing suits and knit underwater with nylon ribbon that looked like jellyfish when you got it wet…

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Seriously. Did you think you were getting a picture of that? We all agreed that we wouldn’t even do it if we so much as saw a camera near our bathing suits. Stephen taught us a synchronized swimming routine (very short. We all sink when we do “flamingo”) and a seriously good time was had by all…with the possible exception of the chick responsible for keeping everyone from making too much noise in the pool. Her afternoon was rough.

Cookie and Nathania taught everyone how to knit four to a blanket…

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Thats me, Cookie, Tina and Nathania knitting around on a blanket for charity with four balls of yarn and four circulars…we go round and round in a stacked spiral.

There were other contests…tons of other contests, one in which Cat Bordhi and I tried to settle (for once and for all) which was faster…DPNS or Two Circulars. ( I won.) and and unspeakably beautiful contest in which two knitters knit one item…one hand each. Cat and I were team-mates (I was the right hand – she was the left….we lost.) and it was fascinating. It ended up being really beautiful to watch. (Nathania has awesome photos of both of the contests. Go bug her.) We closed with a banquet…

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and a fashion show…

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and singing…

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and Nathania….

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well. I don’t know what she’s doing. Looks pretty while she does it though. I think she looks like the front of a ship.

Am I knitting? Yup.

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I leave for home in the morning. I’ve had a wonderful time… but dudes. I . Can’t. Wait.

125 thoughts on “I wonder where the whales are now

  1. Are you sure you didn’t scare off the whales with all that giggling?
    I thought I saw the traveling sock tremble a little at the sea lions as well.
    Glad a good time was had by all, and safe travels!
    (Gosh Emma was quick, there were no messages when I hit comment and she was in by the time I got to the posting page!)

  2. Have I just missed it, or haven’t there been any pictures of the completed Bohus?

  3. Well thanks for settling the speed question between DPNs and circulars. I’ve often wondered which is faster, because I like both methods. But with two little kids who like to run and throw themselves against me, I think for now I’ll stick with the “less pointy ends” method, i.e. one long circular.
    The blanket knitting with four balls is really cool! So you’re knitting a tube, right? Does that get cut open at the end? A great method for a multiknitter project, anyway!

  4. hmmmmmm – how to get a week off from school AFTER spring break next year……I have a little bit of time to figure this one out. Sock camp looks like a blast!

  5. Man that sounds like so much fun…(everything)I so am jealous. Maybe next time.
    So, what is a sinking flamingo?
    I love the islands. I’ve seen the gazelles too. And something called a Kudzu I think…really big striped deer thing with huge pointed horns/antlers. It is trippy.

  6. I am still so jealous. You are staying where we stayed when we went there. Thanks for taking me back there in spirit. Safe travels home! –J

  7. I totally fell for the blank photo, trying to figure out why it wouldn’t come up!! DUH! I never would have allowed a picture of me in bathing suit on the internet( or anywhere else)!!!!! Sounds like sock camp was wonderful.
    And I am glad to hear that the DPNs won.

  8. Looks great! I too fell for the blank picture–of course, I was expecting only needles and yarn to be in the photo! I was last photographed in a bathing suit at age 17–no one has photographic proof that I look ANY different in a suit now! Enjoy your well deserved time at home (until you hit the road next week). Loved the new book–they just go by too fast (much like Harry Potter books!)

  9. What a fun time!! I’m going to borrow some of those ideas for our guild knitting day in June.
    If you want to see whales, you have to take me along. Seriously. Everywhere I went on the west coast, whales showed up. And I wasn’t even trying. We stopped for gas at Ragged Point on the Pacific Coast Highway, and I ran to the edge of the cliff to see the view, and saw—whales!! We stopped at a lighthouse cum hostel south of San Francisco. In the morning I went to check out the oceanview before leaving, and there were—whales!! Our friends spent hundreds (and hundreds) of $$ (US!!) on whale sighting tours, and saw not one whale, but, not a surprise, since they didn’t take me along.
    Love the description of your trip/tour. But know the feeling of getting home and sleeping in your own bed. Delicious.
    Marlyce in Windsor, Ontario

  10. You caught Cece in her marmalade in the wild! Gawd it’s gorgeous–thanks for the snap; might make me forget all the blood sweat and tears it took her to knit it and make me start my own…maybe.
    Sounds like a grand time. Jealous here, as ever.

  11. Two knitters, one on the left and one on the right needles, sounds hilarious. I’ll bet you and Cat lost because you were laughing so hard.

  12. Glad to read that you had fun, and really glad to read that you won the contest. Next time race Lily Chin and her little hook. I’d really like to see that.

  13. Oh I am from washington and your trip sounds like so much fun!!!!!!!!!!
    thanks for the photos and a trip down memory lane.
    I spent my childhood in alaska and then later lived in washington and I have NEVER SEEN A WHALE. Never.
    My sister is going to go and see you in Anchorage!
    Jan in Nagasaki

  14. I just love that you have a picture of the sea lions with the sock in the foreground (or of the sock with sea lions in the background). Just love it. 🙂
    What a wonderful time you must have had. If the Blue Moon crew are up to doing it again next year, I’m Theresville, baby.

  15. Sounds like you had a wonderful time.
    We were on the east coast (Maryland, USA, looking for seals. Now we know where they were!

  16. It sounds like a great time and it definitely looks like you couldn’t be bored for a minute.
    With all the travelling you’ve been doing, I’m not surprised you can’t wait to get home and just sit for a bit. I know I would be feeling that way too.

  17. Ha ha ha… I’ve always wondered what camp for knitters would be like. Daughter Mayhem thinks I’m a freak when yarn comes in the mail. If she only knew how much worse (better!!) it could be!
    East or West, home is best. Enjoy. 🙂

  18. I’m disappointed about the underwater picture but I’ll survive.
    Nothing like your own family/bed/home no matter how much fun you’re having.

  19. Camp for grown-ups – what an awesome concept. No reason the younger ones should have all the fun.
    And by the way, I loved the whole chicken thing. Thanks for sharing your (and Cat’s) saga as well as the photos of many of your fellow chickens.
    I am off for a week to – dare I say it – Cleveland (any good yarn shops or SnB meetings I need to know about?). My youngest sister is getting married (hopefully in a completed Lily of the Valley shawl!). Who knows, it could get warm enough that she won’t need the shawl – but if I don’t finish it my knitting buddies will kill me! Good thing I have a nice long car ride to knit the last 7 pattern repeats (unless I decide to add a few!).

  20. So let me get this straight – you took on Cat (THE Cat, the Cat who wrote the book??? Why do I suddenly feel like Dr. Seuss!) on the issue of which is faster, and DPNs won??? How did Cat take this?? I’ve long wondered if DPNs wouldn’t be faster, since I spend so much time sliding stitches back and forth on 2 circs – now I’m really determined to give DPNs another try. (Tried once before but I let the knitting-with-bag-pipes feeling drive me away.)

  21. Dude. So. Much. Fun. I love the sound of those contests! What’s your centre sock yarn? I recognize the other two. If you want to see whales, try the St. Lawrence in summer. Seriously. I’ve never managed to see them on any coasts, but tons of ’em (no pun intended) come right in for a taste of Quebecois culture.

  22. Looks like you all are having a fabulous time! Always nice to get home though…especially after the whirlwind couple of weeks you’ve had.

  23. sounds like a great time! I’m sure you’re soooo sorry you missed the snow while you were gone *grumble grumble*

  24. SO. MUCH. FUN.
    Glad you had it.
    I started to say, “DUDE you need a wetsuit not a bathing suit for that water …” and then I saw you meant POOL. At the hotel.
    The Pacific Northwest is one of the most gorgeous places on earth. Except maybe Ireland.
    But it is definitely the most gorgeous place I have ever actually been to myself.
    And you’re right. Nathania DOES look like the front of a ship.

  25. All of those great pictures of knitters and friends having fun, and all I can think is…’that shawl is beautiful, I wonder what the pattern is….’
    Ang

  26. Sounds like you had a great time! All I can think about, though, is how totally unfair it is that you had Sock Camp in the San Juan Islands AFTER I moved away from Friday Harbor! I missed all that knitterly greatness gathered in one place!

  27. Sounds like an absolute blast! But it’s always good to get home. I read somewhere that home is a place where you can sleep deep in the mattress, and while occasionally we may have more than one place like that, they are rare and to be treasured. But I have to ask, are you expecting a surprise when you get back, or is just being home the only reason you’re excited? Is Joe into reciprocal surprises? Wouldn’t that be fun! Too bad he doesn’t have a blog too. 🙂 Safe travels!

  28. Totally with you on the part where no one wanted to be photographed in swim suits. Me neither. But could NO ONE think to take a pic of Just The Jellyfish Yarn Being Knit?
    Sigh.
    It’ll be nice to have you home my friend.

  29. Nathania is doing whatever crazy thing Nathania is always doing. Cuz, she’s crazy like that. I’m glad she’s one of my LYS owners. 🙂

  30. I am sooo jealous. I want to go to sock camp too now – once I learn how to make socks with no holes in the toes, that is!
    Sounds like you had a wonderful, relaxing time, and there is a way to get whales to show up, at least in New England. Don’t cruise on a biggish boat. Go deep sea fishing on a tiny boat with friends — and all these humongous bodies suddenly show up . . . dwarfing your tiny little boat. Swimming right up to you, looking you over – and then vanishing into the sea. I love whales. They put you in your proper place in the universe.

  31. Seriously? No photographs of the underwater knitting? I’m so disappointed!
    I think the whales are all down here. You see: we have enormous ocean-going mammals as well as fabulous coffee, divine chocolate, gorgeous beaches and short fat birds (that’s the kiwis, not the women)
    New Zealand: more than just sheep.
    You should visit. Really.

  32. I’m extremely curious to know what kind of songs you sing at sock camp… or any knitting even for that matter. Do you think you could enlighten us in your next post?

  33. Hi Stephanie – how funny to see your blog title! I saw the whales today! Check my blog if you ever find time – I put a couple photos up. Too funny.

  34. Love. Love. Love. The San Juan Islands…it is impossible to be there and not make something beautiful, even if it’s only a dream of what could be…
    Looks like more fun than mortals should be allowed by law… but shh…if we tell the muggles, they’ll make chicken knitting and knitting underwater illegal, and then we’ll be left with crochet and acryllic yarn…

  35. Grown-up camp does rock! We have our 2nd annual fiber camp next weekend…spinning, knitting, felting, drinking, eating…all in random order. I can make sure there’s room for you…having a surprise camper would be great fun.

  36. I’ve so got to go to one of those things.
    I hear crickets outside right now. They’re really annoying. That’s one thing I don’t like about summer.
    Great news! I have joined the leigons of connected knitters and now have a blog! knitwize.blogspot.com
    If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I’d really appreciate it if you could drop by.

  37. I’m suddenly picturing a sock made sans gauge swatch, big enough to go cover a sea lion’s back half for its chilly trip home to Alaska.

  38. What a fabulous time! Thank you for teaching and entertaining all of us crazy Sock Club Campers. I still say that the hosting the Whale Watching Tour requires the delivery of drinks to one’s guests. Next time a little Screech maybe?

  39. The contest where two knitters knit one item reminds me of a thing my family did when I was a teen. We sat down to dinner and had someone tie each of our wrists to the wrist of the family member to our left and right, so that the four of us were joined in a circle. The length of the ties between the wrists was such that if you needed both your hands to cut your dinner, you had to get the person on both sides of you to temporarily surrender one of their hands. I’m not sure I’m describing this well enough, but the idea was to enhance family communication and support. The only way everyone would get to eat is if everyone occasionally sacrificed his/her own immediate needs to benefit the others. I guess it was pretty powerful, because I remember it fondly.
    Congrats on the DPN win! I’m in on Sock Madness (though long since eliminated from competition) and I think the crew over there will be interested. BTW, have you heard the division named after you is consistently the fastest group?

  40. I…am…*so*…green. And not because I say ‘gribbit’ a lot. Every time I thought about Camp and Orcas Island (so close, yet I’ve never been, and ferry trips to Victoria/Vancouver are just too short to count) – well, I had a small temper tantrum. Lessee, if they keep Camp going for oh, another 5 years or so, I might be able to save up the money…
    And then there’s Sue’s (knittingintexas) comment about DPNs: “…the knitting-with-bag-pipes feeling…” ROFL, and precisely, Sue! Bagpipes that actively run away from you, too. 😉 Oh well, I knit slowly anyway. And if it weren’t for 2 circs, I wouldn’t be knitting socks, trust me on that. Oh, the horror…
    Looks like a wonderful time, glad everyone had fun!

  41. Oh it looks like so much fun! And the weather cooperated for you all, April in the NW can be iffy. Oh I am so saving up for the next camp!

  42. You sound happy, so I’m guessing you got some rest. Re-enter slowly. You’ve been living among the goddesses.

  43. The bright citrus-y sweater in the second picture… I totally LOVE it! I don’t even know why… those are so not colors I would ever normally choose, but somehow they look absolutely fabulous to me in that particular sweater.
    It’s a good thing you didn’t post a link to the wearers’ blog (assuming she has one), or I might end up stalking her to find out the yarns and pattern, go make one up myself in a yarn daze, and then end up wondering why I have this piece of clothing that doesn’t go with anything I own, and I don’t ever get to wear it. PHEW! Thanks. Dodged a bullet on that one.

  44. Sea lions are so amazing, and I can hardly imagine gazelle in the PNW. Of course, I’ve never *been* to the PNW, so that might explain a lot. 🙂 Glad to hear you are having a lovely time.
    And, Ang, I’m with you looking at the picture wanting to talk about patterns and yarn.

  45. Welcome home Stephanie. Home is so good when you have been on the go for so long eh ? The family will be glad to see you and have you to themselves for even a short time I bet. Try to get rested up for another run at it all and I hope you get to see whales on the west coast. Thanks for the post –knitting under water !!!! seems it got even more weird than chickens haha

  46. I think the speed on particular needles will depend more on the knitter than the tools. I’m betting you’d beat me no matter what style of needle we used.
    I hope for the two-knitters-one-hand-each event there was some thought given to pairing up by pickers or throwers. Though, it might have been even more interesting to mix the styles and see how people coped.
    Steph, you got a nice selection of Northwest spring weather. I hope you enjoyed the ‘sun breaks,’ a particularly Northwest weather term.
    Jessica, I’ll make a point to check out your blog. I’m hoping to have mine up for my birthday on Monday.

  47. Hmm, two polar bears knitting with white wool on an iceberg? Yeah, I expected a picture there too. Don’t know why.
    Hope you enjoy going back to Makeover Bedroom. Wonder if Joe made any changes while YOU were out?

  48. Damn that was fun! All of it. What a joy it was. So stoked by camp and you. Angus saw your picture asked what you were holding…he also wanted to know if there were roosters at camp. (Yes, honey, of course there were) And he is beside himself that you broke up with him.

  49. I feel like a dork. I totally fell for the empty picture. I love the idea of all the crazy knitting exercises even though I’m a complete spaz and I’m sure that I’d totally screw it up like the uncoordinated dork that I am. I’m sure that I’d laugh really hard while I did it though.

  50. I love your blog, I love your books. You’re in my favorites, and I figured that I’d post the link to my knitting blog in case you were ever compelled to read it. I knit socks with the Magic Loop, but I’m going to learn DPN’s hopefully soon… anyways, from one knitter to another, happy knitting and keep up the hilarious posts. You give me something to smile about when I read an exert from your blog or books after I realized I made a huge error 50 rows back on the sweater from hell I’m knitting my husband. That’s really, really hard to do btw.
    -Jessica

  51. Oh what fun…I’m so glad you had such a good time, and that you are headed home again. Now, unlike Leisel, I AM going to ask about the citrus-y colored sweater in the second photo. I am in love with it. If anyone knows what the pattern is, please email me!!! trishbloom@aol.com

  52. welcome back! although i anxiously look forward to hearing of your adventures on the road, i seriously wish you had more gigs going on home soil…. sigh.

  53. That sounds like it was tons of fun. Yesterday I finally got my hands on a copy of your book. It seems that Winnipeg was totally lacking it until yesterday (I seriously don’t know how many times I’ve walked into a book store looking in the last bit).

  54. Camp does look like fun, and with all of those amazing people. I guess I would want to come home though after the month you have had.

  55. Oh yay!! I spy a German stocking!!
    This all sounds like so much fun. AND I’m glad to hear your DPNs beat 2 circs!

  56. Hi Sherry, a Kudu is the animal you are thinking of, it is a big gazelle/deer type creature with great huge trippy corkscrew horns.
    Kudzu is a vine that grows in the South. It grows so fast you can watch it grow. Kudzu is enough to make Greenpeace buy Roundup.

  57. I’m so glad Nathania is in my life; that chick is seriously awesome. Indeed, she does look like the front of a ship! Great picture. I’ll be sure to put it as the wallpaper on all our computers at the shop!

  58. That sounds like such a fabulous time for all. Thanks for sharing. Aren’t the San Juan’s lovely? But the sea lions… around here they pile up and sink the fishing boats!

  59. What a great time! I love the idea of tandem knitting – how interesting. And the knitting in a circle.
    What a weekend of beautiful connections.
    Have a great trip home!

  60. Glad you had a good time. Too bad you didn’t see whales. The stars have to be aligned just right for that. I have a volunteer gig that involves standing on a bluff, looking out to sea, right past where the whales migrate on their way to and from the birthing lagoons in Mexico. I’ve been doing this three days a month for the last two years. I never saw any whales until last month. The first day of my stint, I saw several dozen whales swim by. The next two days, nothing. I tell you, it’s all in the stars.

  61. OK, the ‘citrus-y’ sweater is the “Marmalade Blueberry Jam Sweater” from Kinver Beach Knit Designs, available on KnittingZone’s website. (NAYY, I just deduced the name from another comment and googled — AWESOME sweater!!)
    Aside from that, it sounds like Sock Camp was an amazing time, thanks for sharing.

  62. Still So jealous! But getting home after so many days on the road must be absolutely fantabulous! I hope Joe has held the girls in check and the dishes are in the dishwasher and Mr Washie hasn’t expired from missing you….

  63. Please help me find the owner of the yellow/orange/green cardi! I must knit one!
    It is both garish, and vertically striped. I feel a strong compulsion…

  64. Seems like you were testing the program for the next Knitting Olympics, eh?
    Well, whales have no hands, so don´t show them your knitting, it will make them sad….
    Glad to hear you got a few relaxed days, though.

  65. Looks like a wonderful experience.
    Where, Oh Where, can I find the pattern for the colourful “Jacket on the Boat”?
    I hope it is not a one-of-a-kind-masterpiece.
    I wanna knit one!

  66. Underwater…knitting?! That is significantly (greater than 5%) cooler than underwater basket weaving – and underwater basket weaving is strictly theoretical! …I wonder if you could spin underwater…hmm, probably not. OOH! you could spin flax underwater and it would stay wet! Okay, maybe not, but one never does now about these things, does one?
    So glad you had such a great time. Next time you do something of that coolness level, have a great time for me as well. I live for awesome vicarious experiences 😉

  67. What I want to know about is the sweater being worn by the blonde in the second picture down, the yellow, pink and green one. Is it her design, did she use a pattern? Do you know who she is so I can hunt her down and ask her?

  68. I have watched enough nature programs to know that Nathania (even though I live in the Bay Area, I only know her though your blog, how much of a crime is that?) must be giving a whale breaching demonstration. It sounds like a great, fabulous, wonderful time – must join sock club.

  69. Sorry you didn’t get to see whales. They were up here hanging out. We saw whales on and off this weekend here just off Quadra Island, BC. The camp sounds like it was a blast.

  70. that sounds great; i’ve never treated myself to one of these trips, but now that i really DO have enough yarn, and seem to accumulate it without even BUYING any, maybe i should think about spending some dollars on a good retreat.

  71. I so want to go to sock camp even though I have not knitted socks (ye). What island has the Gazelle’s on it? I live in Edmonds and can get to a San Juan ferry pretty quick.
    Also, you have to check out The Village Yarn and Tea Shop in Shoreline if you are still in the greater Seattle area. It’s near Edmonds.

  72. That trip looks like a ton of fun! Too bad the whales didn’t stop by to say hi, but while many people can say they’ve seen a whale, few can say they’ve seen an underwater knitting contest!

  73. Would the woman in the fabulous pink, green, and marigold sweater in Saturday’s post-photo please, please contact me… we need to talk… bribes will be offered, groveling will occur. Please just e-mail me. Cami

  74. So, how did Cat take her defeat? And were you doing the victory dance or did you show restraint and good breeding? (I would have been of the “in your FACE” school of contest winning, but I’m just a nasty girl.)

  75. Debbie, bless you for figuring out the name of that wonderful sweater. You’re a True Knitting Friend. I posted the name on a message board, and someone else immediately thanked me, because she was looking for it, too.
    Blueberry jam, I think. Blues and purples. . .

  76. Man . . .I kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting . . . for the knitting underwater picture to load. I even scanned down to the bottom of the page and came back up, before I got what you meant by what you said AFTER the picture block. 🙂

  77. I am excited to know that you knit faster on dpn’s than Cat. However, do you normally knit faster than her on say basic stockinette stitch on straight needles. I won’t feel better until I know the answer to that question.

  78. Most times when I read your posts, I am content to be me, and content for you to be you. But on this one, I wanted to be you. What a fantastic experience. With the sea lions, I think the 2000 pounders are the bulls, and the cows are only about 800 pounds.

  79. Jealous!
    The two-person knitting sounds interesting. What happens if one is an english knitter and one is continental? I have juggled with people that way (one person is the left hand, one is the right) and it’s challenging, but for some reason knitting that way seems much more daunting to me!

  80. Perhaps the difference between hard core knitters and so-so knitters is those that can knit on a boat. I felt sick just seeing people with yarn and needles on a boat I am certain was bobbing on the water. Bleh.
    Glad you get to head home now to the fam. 🙂

  81. Glad to hear you are having such a great time but i have one burning questions – when is the fabulous yarn harlot (or yarn harlots book tour) coming downunder?
    I am sure we can manage to scare many muggles, have some great yarn crawls and beat the record for longest distance travelled to see said yarn harlot.
    If we cannot manage a visit from the wonderful harlot in person – when will the book be arriving?

  82. I was noun-deficient early today and it bugged me all day long, but apparently I had not had enough coffee this morning.
    Bosomy ladies on the prow of a ship are called “figureheads.”
    The prow is the underside of the foredeck of a ship.

  83. Sigh! It’s so sad to think that you’re so close and yet so far away. On the plus side, I get to live with this beauty all the time and occasionally run into Cat at my LYS – I live on Whidbey Island.

  84. The DPN/2 circ debate is still alive. Cat didn’t have the same # of stitches to work as Steph so a further match-up is in the works. Maybe next year?
    Had such a great time at camp and can’t believe I made the blog! Cece’s marmalade is a thing of beauty and what everyone here doesn’t know is that we got to see the “wedding shawl” in the wild. It was fabulous! The Bohus was around too and (as posted) lots of socks. No underwater knitting picture thank heavens. The yarn wouldn’t have shown up.
    Thank you Stephanie for adding to the wonderful time at camp and I hope I can come again next year.

  85. I’ve been defending knitters and knitting most of my adult life!! UNDERWATER KNITTING . . . You’re on your own with that one ladies! Love my daily fix of YH!!

  86. If you want to see whales, I suggest the whale watching cruise out of the Boston Aquarium. We saw tons…
    I’d have liked to seen the yarn that looked like jellyfish.
    Sounds like you had a blast… chances are slim I’ll get to Washington, however, unless I do take the job at Google. Then the gods know where I’ll end up.

  87. Looks like it was a total blast! One question. Was nobody up for just taking a picture of floating ribbon? I mean, I sympathize with letting nobody see my way-too-pale-winter-whitened-hide in a bathing suit in April, but I’m thinkin’ there’s an art shot of a ‘ribbon jellyfish’ in there somewhere!
    Anyway, welcome home Stephanie! Go hug That Man and Those Young Ladies — and then go to bed. I can wait a few days to hear anything else that might need updating.
    Cheers

  88. I can only imagine how much you want to go home. It sounds wonderful, and it’s lovely when your travels are fun, but for me there’s no place like home.

  89. I just wanted to say that I love your blog. I am a crocheter and a very beginning knitter, and I feel like I have finally found my place in the world. I also travelled to Orcas Island last July for a wedding, and it is a beautiful place.

  90. Steph – It was SUCH a wonderful week! And as Cate says – seeing my Maralade in the wild makes me love it more, and *somewhat* forget the pain of knitting it.
    I’ll be seeing you at Webs. And man, is it great to be home.

  91. Would the lovely gal leaning on the boat railing with the amazing, colorful, striped sweater identify herself. I want that sweater! It’s beautiful. What pattern did you use?

  92. The colorful, striped sweater is called “Marmalade Blueberry Jam Sweater.” In addition to the citrus colored sweater in the picture, there is a sample made with blues, purples, and greens. I googled and ordered the pattern from Yarns by Design in Wisconsin.

  93. Oh, you saw the Stellers! That’s actually much more unusual than the orcas, who cruise the west side of San Juan very regularly all summer long. I saw one enormous fellow rear up out of the water and gobble down a passing gull once – yikes. You’ll just have to come back for the whales, though, because they really are neat. I grew up on San Juan and had the good fortune to spend my wedding night in a tiny amenity-less cabin perched on the rocks just above the tide line, and we could hear the whales blowing and splashing all night. I can’t tell you how unearthly and cool it was. Thanks for making me nostalgic for home!
    Karen – the island with the bizarre African wildlife is Speiden. You can see the critters from the ferry to Vancouver Island.

  94. Totally wish I could have been there instead of here for the weekend!! I broke my leg in 3 places and had surgery for it on Sunday. Up side? I am frantically trying to finish my first LACE SHAWL!! Down side? I am out for at least 3 months!! Please keep it up so I can live vicariously through you!

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