Good times!

I’m back from my weekend at Michelle’s.  It was wonderful to spend time with them and to go gallivanting with Michelle on Saturday.

I got there late on Friday, naturally.  We stayed up until 2:00 a.m. while I attempted to knit so I could finish my Noro socks before the weekend was up.  I wasn’t quite successful.  Only a toe left.  I was a little miffed at these socks because I made one a while ago and only started the second.  Then I worked on “the gown” and the tension in the second sock isn’t the same as the first.  I would imagine all this will come out in the wash (literally).

Up bright and early Saturday morning to go to the market.  I met the new addition to the family:  Botine (it means bootie – like a boot – in English).

It was really hard to get a picture of him because he moves really really fast!  Isn’t he the cutest?

We hit Len’s Mills first.  It’s a strange store but they have lots of yarn and it’s usually priced lower than other shops/stores.  I found tones of colors of the Paton’s Shetland Chunky that I’ve been using for the “Bella’s Mittens”.  I bought a little.  (What?  I’m making them for other people – for money!  So, technically, it cost me nothing and doesn’t count.)

I also found bamboo needles for my mother (which I totally forgot to give her last night).  Come to think of it, maybe she already found some.  I can’t remember.

After Len’s Mills, we went to the market.  I saw so much cheap stuff.  Can you imagine a bouquetof gerbera daisies for $6???   They cost $4.00 a flower here!  

They had pig’s feet – honest to God pig’s feet.  They were right there next to the sausages in the meat case. 

They had a guy playing the violin and another playing the cello.  There were big people, little people and a lot of German people.  I didn’t understand what most of them were saying. 

There were veggies as far as the eyes could see. 

There was also a yarn booth, where I found some lovely Louet to make my February Lady sweater.  I’m dying to make this sweater!!!!

I’m also dying to make the Cobblestone Pullover.  But, that’s for another day.

We drove around downtown Waterloo.  Michelle’s not used to being in a car (she walks or bikes everywhere which makes things go by slower) so, she wasn’t quick on the directions.  I drove slow and looked at the houses.  There are a lot of nice, old houses down there.  People seem to take pride in their homes and they really care for them.  I also saw this old building and stopped dead in my tracks, pulled the car over and took some pictures.

We also went to the Asian market.  (It smells bad in there!!!)  I saw actual chicken feet, right there in the bin with other strange stuff.  They had lots of fish.  There we some live ones – big ones – in aquariums that they picked out, clubbed on the head, scaled and put in a baggie for people.  Yuck! 

We hit a few little shops downtown.  At Ten Thousand Villages, there were beautiful rugs.  I watched the video on how they’re made.  I was in complete awe.  Now I know why Persian rugs are so expensive.  It takes an average of one year and two months for a Pakistani family to make one rug!!!.  Can you imagine how many knots are in a rug?

Then we went to Wellington Fibres.   The owner, Lorne, showed us how the mill works.  All the machines were fascinating – how they make the roving; how they die the wool; how they get a tweed coloring.  I was in wool-heaven.  I got some wool and made a tuque when I got back to Michelle’s.

Sunday we did nothing but sit outside and knit.  Michelle went through a fleece and took the yucky stuff out. 

Monday I drove home.  When I got here, my Mom and Gerry were building a bridge (sort of) so that we could get across the little stream to get to the garlic.  Then they were too tired to pick garlic so we went in and ate.   Gerry had cleaned up some stuff from the yard and my mother had weeded my flower bed.  Youpi.  Thanks guys!

After dinner, Scott and I went out looking for the garlic.  The bridge was great.  It works!  Woohoo.  And, we found some!  It took a while but I found it.  It was Scott’s first time garlic picking.  I think he had more fun watching me squating in the dirt, digging with my little stick. 

I got to wear my rubber boots again.  I think they make my clumsy though.  I walked right into a thorn bush and got a big scratch over my right eye.  BUT, I didn’t get a soaker!  Haha.

It was a great end to a great weekend.

To top it all off, I got a book on CD from the library to make the drive less boaring.  It was a wonderful/touching/inspiring book.  It’s called The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans.  I think I’ll buy it hard-copy.