WOO! I am back from vacation and so tickled to pieces.

I LOVE vacation, but I LOVE coming home just as much.

I spent today getting everything unpacked, resorted, clothes thrown out of the closet and taken to Value Village, a few loving pats to my yarn (it was starting to get worried, thinking I’d never return), realized I put on 4 lbs while away and basically settled in.

So here is a quick recap of my vacation! (Plus my BIG NEWS!!)

  • Flew to Portland, Oregon
  • Rented a car
  • Stayed in the Hyatt Place hotel
  • Knitted on the Gap-tastic cowl
  • Went to the Oregon Zoo
  • Shopped like you cannot believe (my fella is a SHOPPER… I can barely keep up with him. What a dream man. He helps me shop!)
  • Ate tons of delicious food
  • Hiked up Multhomah Falls. Wow I am OUT of shape apparently. Little old ladies were passing me. I gasped. I wheezed. I complained like a 2 year old.
  • multnomah falls
  • Drove to the coast to visit Cannon Beach. Walked on the beach. Got bird pooed on. GASP!! Had to drive 2 hours back to the hotel.
  • cannon beach
  • happy couple cannon beach
  • Ate Voodoo Dounugts, donuts, doughuts…. how on EARTH do you spell dou-gh-nuts… there. Think I got it. I got maple bacon. YUM!
  • Got engaged.  BAHHA HAAHA! Snuck that in on ya, didn’t I? I was suspecting it on this trip, but didn’t know when.
  • engagement ring
  • Drove to Seattle.
  • Stayed at Hotel Deca.
  • Ate and knitted in the Space Needle.
  • knitting in the space needle
  • Saw the Chihuly Glass gardens. Gorgeous.
  • chihuly glass garden
  • Watched Elysium at the IMAX, which I thought was a dome theater and I was WRONG. Meh.
  • Went to the Seattle Art Museum. I didn’t know why I kept seeing signs about SAM. Who is this SAM person, I kept thinking? I finally figured it out.
  • seattle museum aquarium
  • Rode the Seattle Great Wheel. Was scared like all get out the first time around, but chilled out and enjoyed the next few revolutions.
  • Touched sticky (alive) things at the aquarium. Squealed and jumped.
  • Saw the gross gum wall. EW!
  • Drank 4 bubble teas.
  • Went to the music museum.
  • Ate tons more delicious food. (Fav place in Portland was Tasty and Sons. Fav place in Seattle was Toulouse Petit)
  • toulouse petit seattle
  • Shopped till we dropped.
  • Nearly had a heart attack over the crazy city drivers. OMG. If I ever move to a big city, it must have public transportation. Driving gives me the heeby jeebies at the best of times. But in a city? NO WAY. Thank God Tim can drive through cities like nobody’s business, or we would have been up a crick without a paddle.
  • Went to a wedding. It was beautiful. Tim officiated it. My good friends Michael and Max got married. It was sweet and lovely and the reception was at Phinney’s Pub and Eatery… Glorious times.
  • Drove back to Portland to say a final fairwell to some friends there.
  • Jumped on a plane after waddling around the airport for hours.
  • Got home.
  • Slept.

And here we are!!! WHEW!

I’m sure I missed TONS of amazing stuff, but that’s the sum of it!

SOOO!

In yarn news:

1. I finished my GAP-tastic cowl! WOO HOO!

gap-tastic

Pattern is here on Ravelry.

Yarn is 3 skeins of my BUTTERSCOTCH superwash merino wool yarn. Yarn held double to make a bulky weight.

I LOVE. LOVE. LOOOOOVVEE this pattern. Love this cowl. It’s so squishy. Stretchy. Comfy.

OH! I used Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off, which is my go-to bind off. Highly recommended.

This makes for a quick project if you need a last-minute gift. I am SO gonna be living in this thing come winter.

2. I started a sweater! (Picture up at the top!)

Pattern: Stefanie Japel’s Shapely Boyfriend Sweater

Yarn: Again, my BUTTERSCOTCH superwash merino wool in worsted weight. I think I’ll need 5 skeins but we shall see.

I don’t think it’s going to fit. EEK! It’s really tiny because I didn’t do a gauge swatch and I just started knitting the XS size. EGADS! Turns out my gauge is tighter than the pattern calls for, so I’m basically making an XXS, when in fact I really needed a S. Oh, well.

I’ll finish it, keep my fingers crossed for a miracle and we’ll see what happens. Sounds like a sound plan to me.

3. I am officially back working TOMORROW and will start dyeing up lots of new shades for you. I am sooo excited to get back in the yarn dyeing swing of things and I will of course keep you updated.

Have a sensational night. You must. I told you to. HA HA!!

We’ll talk soon!

XOXOXO

Chandi