Friend time

I recently finished a couple herringbone cowls. This pattern is wildly popular, and I have been wanting to make it for a while. 

Shanna and I decided to make them together, we got the yarn together over the summer and had grand plans of knitting in a cabin together sipping tea while the leaves fall.

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When those plans didn't work out, I started mine in September while I was in Portland, and then Shanna was so swamped with work she knew she wouldn't get to hers. 

I am more than happy to have a knitting project to do, so we decided to do a trade and I knit hers up this week.

This pattern is really simple and easy, once you get past casting on 220 stitches. 

I made a couple mistakes on mine, but once I got to the second one I knit it up totally mistake free (a little proud of that).

As modeled by Gigi, these cowls are huge, and really cozy. I don't know how I got so lucky to get a dog I can put crazy things on, and I just say "stay" and she will be motionless for 15 minutes while I take a hundred pictures.

 Although I had to adjust it at one point because she was about to tip over (first picture). I love her.

I took another road trip a few hours north to beautiful upstate New York to see my dear friend Shanna (and her cutie pup Ollie). 

I think we both needed some friend time, and it was nice to spend a few days just hanging out, and helping her with her work (I don't know if I helped that much, but I tried my best). 

I had the best chocolate milk of my life, and ate a frozen apple cider thing that was delicious, but I'm still not quite sure what it was. We did things only us besties can do together, including splitting a 1 pound burger, and nerding out over listening to classical music. 

It was nice to recharge and catch up in person, rather than online.

On my drive up and back, I kept myself entertained by listening to only two albums: blasting ABBA gold, and the new album by My Brightest Diamond.

 Totally obsessed with it. Tyler was probably glad he wasn't with me.

This weekend we went to a race, but the whole trip was a race. Race to get to Baltimore in time (had huge delays), race to get his race packet the next morning, Tyler of course racing against his PR (which he beat) and racing to get back to the hotel before checkout time. 

It was exhausting! I guess for Tyler too. But fun as always, and Tyler did so great, I'm so proud of him. 

He's got another one in a month, I'm getting a lot of practice at being a spectator/supporter.

So remember my quilt I started a while ago? I finished it on the plane to Portland a few weeks ago, and so didn't get pictures of it until my sister kindly sent me some with my favorite model (who apparently wouldn't stay still).

This picnic blanket was fun to make. I made it a smaller square size so it can be tucked into a bag easily and not be as bulky as a normal sized blanket. 

I used the lighter side on the front, and the darker side on the back. I quilted it with a neon green thread, but it didn't show up as much as I hoped. 

I used some vintage neon striped fabric for the edging, which was perfect punch of color to such a monochromatic look.

I'm off to a 24-hour trip to Baltimore, to watch Tyler run a marathon. One of my favorite things to do, I love watching races. 

I always leave so inspired (but not to run). Hope your weekend has some adventures planned.

keep knowing-sorcerer names female