I’m sorry I decided to (mostly) avoid you last year. It wasn’t the best of times for me. I’d just lost my Dad, and the last thing I wanted to do was celebrate getting a year older.

It’s not that people weren’t awesome. My excellent work buds pooled together and found me an amazing Indigo Girls concert print. I took some time out at work to photograph Moira and Zeena wearing new Indigirl designs. I seem to remember sushi lunch from my favorite place. I alternately yelled at Sandra for celebrating too much… or not enough.

But all I wanted to do was cry.

So this year, I’ll be 34. (In a few short hours, actually.) And it may sound odd, but I feel like I haven’t had a birthday in years.

Here it is, nearly the end of 2011. My Dad’s been gone a year. I spent a few months falling apart and a few months putting myself together again.

I traveled to Maryland, Florida, New York. California and Illinois. I turned an amazing corner in my career. I enjoyed my dogs, my home, my wife, my family. I fell, undeniably and completely, in love with baseball. I gained (some of) the weight I’d lost in 2009. I gained a few good friends, and connected with ones I hadn’t seen in years. I learned how to bake a cake. I learned ruby on rails. I learned that I’m not as grown up as I’d like to be. I learned that I don’t actually like being sad.

I learned what it’s like to be scared about losing my mom. That was a big first for me. My whole life, my Dad’s been the one to worry about losing. With my mom’s diagnosis of Stage 4 Lymphoma, I realized that nothing’s a given, nothing’s guaranteed.

And now too, I wait for my own diagnosis; of immune problems, of cancer, of infertility or (God willing) absolutely nothing at all. I’m learning that waiting for your own results is actually easier than waiting for someone else’s.

But despite all of this, despite the head full of thoughts that fight to be acknowledged, I can’t sum up the last year of my life in 500 words on a blog.

It’s more than what I think of, when I think of my 33rd year.

It’s the songs on my playlists. It’s the smile on my face when I get a postcard from a dear friend. It’s my current recipe obsessions, and the movie I saw last weekend. My 33rd year is the new tires on the Jeep, the hole in the attic, the flood in the basement. It’s the smell of coffee at my desk. It’s the neighborhood cat. It’s my pathetic harvest of 4 hot peppers and six cherry tomatoes. It’s the shelves of mason jars, steadily shifting to empty.

“33″ wasn’t what I’d expected. And so too, “34″ is an age I can’t begin to imagine. Going into it, I pray that next year at this time, I’m counting the blessings of a healthy family, and a happy, healthy life.

So birthday, thanks for reminding me, at least once a year, that life is more than the highlights (or lowlights) I write in posts like these.

Birthday, thank you for reminding me that a year in my life is more than a sum of its parts.

love,
Amy

I’m so pleased to announce that I’m the featured instructor for Knits by the Sea’s annual retreat in gorgeous Tofino, BC!

I’ll be teaching three (!) of my favorite classes over the course of the weekend, all designed to help you get more from your knitting, no matter what ‘level’ you think you are. When I’m not teaching, I’ll be hanging out – hopefully with this gorgeous view – and getting to know you better.

Why don’t you join me? Registration makes the perfect ‘wish list’ item for the holidays.

The retreat includes:
2 nights accommodations at Middle Beach Lodge
Continental breakfast on Saturday and Sunday
Lunch on Saturday afternoon
Wine and cheese reception on Saturday evening
Early Bird Cost (reserve by December 31):
Single Occupancy: $500 plus HST
Double Occupancy: $400 per person plus HST*

Call Knits by the Sea at 250-725-3700 to register. A $100 deposit is required to hold your spot. The remainder isn’t due until March 20, 2012.

All the details are here.

And here’s the low-down on the weekend’s classes:

Beyond Purls; the Precious GEMS of Knitting
Get more success out of every garment project by understanding the four GEMS of knitting; Gauge, Ease, Measurements, and Sizing. We’ll start with getting close and personal with our Gauge swatches. Is there a ‘wrong’ way to swatch? How do you assess a swatch for both stitch count AND fabric quality? Next, we’ll look at different ways to preview a pattern, and better understand how Ease relates to fit. Taking current and accurate Measurements – and understanding how they relate to pattern sizing – is the key to selecting the right size. Finally, we’ll put it all together and learn how to improve the Sizing choices we make every time we begin a new project.

Shapes for Shawls
Description: Small shawls, often using simple lace patterns, are all the rage. During this two-part workshop, we’ll investigate three different construction methods; a triangle, a crescent, and a wedge. We’ll then learn how to apply your own design touches to each style of shawl ‘architecture’. Along the way, we’ll talk about design considerations like gauge, fabric, and yarn choice. You’ll come out of the workshop with three small samples, and a worksheet for helping plan out your next project. Some of the techniques we’ll learn; knit-on borders, short rows, and charting for lace.

Optional workshop – Photography for Knitters
As fiber artists spend more time sharing images of their work online, through Ravelry, blogs, or etsy, clear and compelling photography has become more of a priority. In this 3 (or 6) hour hands-on workshop, you’ll learn the basics of fiber arts photography. How do you work with your camera? How do you use light most effectively? How can you improve your composition? How does understanding your subject matter result in better photographs? We’ll start with an overview of what works – and what doesn’t – when it comes to yarn and projects. Next, we’ll do a series of hands on activities, including working on still shots and shots with models. Finally, we’ll review and showcase our best work.

Tonight, hundreds of knitters will flock (hardyharhar) to the Rogers Centre in Toronto for the annual Stitch ‘n Pitch promotion.

For me, it’s a strange night where my two worlds collide, where yarn balls meet long balls.

My Blue Jays column today profiles the event, and also gives the baseball fans some “Do’s and Don’ts” when encountering Knitters outside of their natural habitat. Go read it, then come back.

Are you back?

Did I get everything right? Good.

Now, I know that some Baseball Fans are also Knitters. And I know that some Knitters are also Baseball Fans. But those of you who only know half the words to “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” might have some questions as you watch the game.

This little primer is for you, all the Knitters who (sometimes) find yourself in a baseball park, and want to have a better idea of what’s going on.

The Basic Stitches Rules
The objective of the game is to score runs. Whichever team has the most runs by the end of 9 (or more) innings, wins.

Each inning has 2 halves. Each half ends when the batting team gets out 3 times. In the first half inning, the home team plays in the field (defense) and the visiting team bats (offense). The second half? They flip.

A run is scored when a batting player is able to hit the ball, and move safely around all of the four bases.

The goal of the batting team is to score runs. The goal of the fielding team is to prevent the opponent from scoring by getting “outs”. Once the batting team has 3 outs against them, the half inning is over, and the teams flip.

An out can be made in many different ways. These are the three most common:

• A fielding player catches the ball before it hits the ground; the batting player is called out.
• A fielding player picks up the ball after it hits the ground and throws it to the defensive player on base. The running player is called out.
• A batter fails to make contact with the ball. This is called “striking out”.

Likewise, there are a few ways to score runs.

• Home runs are the most glamourous. They’re like the cashmere of baseball. Everyone wants them, few get them on a daily basis. Typically, a home run is scored when the batter hits the ball in fair (not foul) territory, out of the park or into the stands. When a home run is hit, any players on base also get to run home. A Grand Slam is a home run when 3 players are on base (the bases are loaded); 4 runs score.
• More typically, a run is scored when a player on base (usually second or third), is able to run home when the next batter hits.
• Occasionally, a run can be “walked” in. If the pitcher isn’t able to throw good pitches, the batter gets a free pass to first base. If the bases are loaded, this means that all base runners get to advance to the next base. In this way, a walk with bases loaded actually equals a run for the batting team.
• It’s also possible to STEAL a run. Stolen bases can be a fun part of the game. A player on base is allowed to try to run for the next base when the ball is being pitched to the next player, as long as the batter doesn’t hit the ball. If he gets there without being thrown out? He’s safe. Very rarely, a player can even steal home base, thus stealing a run.

To sum up, a game is made of 9 innings. In each inning, each team has 3 outs before they lose their turn. The goal is to score as many runs as possible, in order to win.

Know Your Stash Roster

Think of a team’s players (the roster) like different types of yarns. Just because a player could technically be used in any position, doesn’t mean he’d be any good there. Making the catcher play the outfield would be like trying to knit a sock out of lace weight mohair.

The 9 players bat in a pre-set order (the lineup), determined by their individual abilities. A faster runner may bat early in the lineup; his speed may help with stolen bases, or getting a run on a hit. A batter who hits a lot of home runs will probably bat third or fourth; it assumes the bases may be full by the time he comes to the plate.

As you move further down the lineup, you’ll find slower players (typically the Catcher), and players that don’t tend to hit the ball as well. Why? The batters that hit early in the lineup may have more opportunities to hit in a normal game. If every single player gets out every single time, each of the 9 players will come up to bat 3 times. Realistically, at least 4 or 5 players will make it on base during any given game. This means that the top half of the lineup will almost always come up to bat 4 times.

You have two types of pitchers in the game. The “Starting Pitcher” is the one who starts the game (duh) and can usually be counted on for six or seven innings of work. When the starting pitcher starts to get tired (as evidenced by giving up runs or walks later in the game), or reaches 100 or more pitches, a relief pitcher is called in from the ‘bullpen’.

Typically, the better Starters can be counted on for 100 or 110 pitches in a game, getting them through the 7th inning. A sign of a great pitcher? When he pitches a complete game (full 9 innings), a complete game shut-out (full 9 innings, allowing no runs), a no-hitter (full 9 innings, allowing no hits), or a perfect game (full 9 innings, allowing no hits, giving up no walks).

Relief pitchers are specialists, generally used for a single inning (or even less). During the course of a long or close game, you may see 3 or 4 different relief pitchers as the manager will choose a reliever based on who’s coming up to plate for the opposing team.

Learn How to Measure Your Gauge Players and Teams

Knitting is actually all about math. Patterns are made up of numbers of stitches of particular sizes and shapes. They come together to create a garment or object that, hopefully, fits flawlessly.

Likewise, baseball and numbers go together like knitters and sock yarn.

There are statistics to measure everything from how a player did five weeks ago, to what kinds of elevation a typical left handed batter gets on home runs at night when visiting Yankee Stadium during June as opposed to September.

You can get into it as much or as little as you want, but it helps to understand a few basic concepts.

• Batting Average (AVG): This is one of the simplest stats in baseball – and most popular. The AVG is simply the percentage of time that the batter hits the ball without getting out. The higher number, the better. A pretty good batter has a .250 AVG; he gets a hit every four times he comes up to the plate, or maybe once a game. A great batter? .300 or higher.
• On Base Percentage (OBP): Because a ‘good’ batter should actually get on base through walks as well as hits, a far better stat to use is OBP. This is just the percentage of time a batter reaches first base; through walks or through hits.
• Earned Run Average (ERA): Pitchers are rated differently; in terms of how many runs they ‘allow’ during the course of a game. ERAs tend to range from 2.00 to 5.00, and indicate how many runs the pitcher would give up over 9 innings. This is calculated by multiplying the number of actual runs by 9 innings, and dividing by the number of innings he pitched.

The Cheat Sheet: How to Act Like You Know The Game

When a team is getting a lot of hits in a row, say, “Wow, that pitcher is really getting high in the zone.” (Waist-high pitches tend to be easier for batters to hit; a skilled pitcher tries to locate pitches at the corners.)

Don’t boo your own team, even if other “fans” are doing it. Boo bad calls. Boo when the opposing pitcher almost nails a player in the head. But don’t boo your team. Would you want to be booed when you have to frog? No?

Disappointed that your team struck out? Is the home umpire Joe West or Bob Davidson? If so, say, “Man, Joe West / Bob Davidson really needs to retire. Terrible call.”

A good pitcher should be able to get out of every inning with fewer than 20 pitches. The pitch count is displayed in the ballpark and often on television broadcasts. If a pitcher has a 25 or 35 pitch inning, say, “Look at his pitch count! The bullpen is going to have to really cover for him.”

Feel like getting The Wave started? Do it during a commercial break or not at all. Baseball isn’t as welcoming of the trend as with many sports. Although it may seem ‘slow’ or ‘dull’, baseball fans watch the movement of the batter, the advancing of the base runner, and the shift of the fielders with every pitch. It’s a details game, and it’s a quiet details game. Want to jump up and cheer for that run sliding in to score? Go for it! There’s nothing better than a stadium full of fans, all on their feet.

If you’re in Toronto and John McDonald gets substituted in, cheer “JOHNNY MAC!!!!!” as loud as you can. He’s not the best batter, but he’s an unsung fan favorite.

Finally, remember to have fun. It’s not the end of the world if your team loses. Even great, World-Series winning teams lose a third of their games – or more – during the course of the season.

Are you going to a Stitch ‘n Pitch this year? Please share your stories and pictures!

Play ball!

As a thank-you to YOU, a few of my colleagues and I have gotten together to blog about our classes, the event, and to offer up a free class pass for each day of this week.

I’ll be teaching 2 classes over 2 days. Each is just 3 hours and will give you a sample of my approach when designing and promoting my patterns.

Photography for Knitters; I’ve taught this one for years and it just gets more and more fun as students get more comfortable with digital cameras. For 3 hours, we’ll look at some common goals for photographing yarn and projects and then do a hands on field trip to try out what we’ve learned!

The 7 Year Itch: How to Get More From Your Relationship With Noro: We’ll look at uncommon ways to use self-striping yarns in your knitting, and how to assess patterns for use with multi-colored yarns. Learn how to predict the outcome – before you knit the garment! This class is full of humor and will leave you laughing while learning.

Join me this fall! I’m looking forward to meeting you!

To win, leave a comment below. And be sure to check out what other instructors have had to say about this great event.

A random winner will be drawn from each site!

4 July — Go Knit in Your Hat
5 July — Knitgrrl
6 July — Lorna’s Laces
7 July — Knittyblog
8 July — Indigirl
9 July — Bricoleur Knits

Once again, it’s been far too long without a blog from me.

The good news – the great news – is because I’ve been just too dang busy. March almost killed me with fun.

You already know about the night with the K-W Knitter’s Guild. A-maze-ing. I had so much fun both preparing to speak and actually speaking that I surprised the pants off of me.

So let’s move on to the next event in my amazingly fun March 2011: I spent four quick days in Florida at the Blue Jays Spring Training.

It was a last minute trip. I’d been looking at the schedules with longing for a few weeks. See, the promise of baseball is one of the things that got me through my winter. I’d had such an amazing time watching Jays games in 2010, and I’d followed all the news pretty closely in the off season. I’d even picked up a little gig writing about the Blue Jays for a new women’s sports network, Aerys Sports.

So when I found a sub-$300 plane ticket, I scrambled to get the days off and flew to Tampa.

March 9 was all about travel. I had 3 flights to get to Tampa; with stops in New York and Miami and a couple of lengthy delays. I was exhausted by the time I picked up the rental car and found the hotel – blissfully close to the airport.

Up early on March 10 to drive to Fort Myers for my first Jays game of 2011! They were meeting the Twins (another beloved team of mine), and I had one ticket for the lawn section in the outfield. It was raining just a bit, and I wasn’t really prepared for damp ground, but I couldn’t say that I cared at all.

It was baseball time.

Hammond Stadium was easily the loveliest of the parks I visited during the weekend. With an approach lined with palms, and a design loosely modeled after Churchill Downs, the stadium is celebrating it’s 20th year.

Having never had the opportunity to watch professional baseball from the lawn, I went for it with gusto, plopping myself on a patch of grass, surrounded by families and happy kids. Eventually the drizzle tapered off and the day warmed up just enough.

One of the really neat parts of Spring Training was the chance to get a first look at some of the newest Jays. We’d made several trades in the off season, and had a lot of buzz about some of the young prospects.

I learned pretty quickly that Spring Training games aren’t like regular season ones. Players rotate in and out of the games more quickly; it’s not uncommon for the entire starting lineup to be substituted out by the 5th inning. Positions switch around too; giving the management a chance to see what different players can do at different spots on the field. And the teams focus more on specific skills than just trying to win games.

In addition, it’s just plain fun. Everyone wants to play well, show their best sides, but the stats don’t count. As one of the catching prospects explain to me, it’s just fun – no brawls, no fights – just baseball.

That night after my first game, I drove to McKechnie Field, about half way back to Tampa, to see the Orioles take on the Pirates for a night game. I don’t follow either team, but our first baseman from 2010 is now with the Pirates, and the Jays regularly play the Orioles in the AL East, and it was a chance to see more baseball.

It was COLD that night. I was still kind of damp from the rain all day, and even in my more sheltered seat behind home plate, the wind was brutal.

The other thing that was brutal? The game play! Compared to the afternoon game, it felt like I was watching a little league game, except with maybe a bit less heart.

I’m not ashamed to admit I only made it until the 6th inning. I have limits, you know.

Finally, it was Friday morning, and I was off to Dunedin, Florida, the spring home of the Blue Jays at the very romantically named “Florida Auto Exchange Stadium”. (Kidding about the romance. It’s a terrible name.)

Although the Blue Jays have been in Dunedin since their first season – 1977 – they’ve only been playing at this stadium since it was built in 1990. With a capacity of just over 5,000, it’s a great place to watch a game; not a bad seat in the house.

I didn’t know that it was ok to come early and watch practice, so I showed up at game time, grabbed a pulled pork sandwich, and enjoyed the finally sunny day.

Saturday, however, I was prepared. Fans line up along the side of right field, and players stop by to chat, sign autographs, and take pictures. This is one of the huge bonuses of the more relaxed atmosphere; players have time to socialize a bit, without the pre-game pressures of the regular season.

Players? I met them. I chatted with all but one or two of our regulars. JP Arencibia – shown over on the left – is our rookie catcher this year, and he’s an absolute darling. And since I have a thing for catchers, I was also pretty darn thrilled to talk a little with José Molina.

And then the other cool thing… because it’s so relaxed, no one cares if you wander down to the first row of seats to take photographs during the game. I was prepared with my 300mm lens, and got a bunch of shots I can use over on my Jays blog at wayofthejay.com.

I managed to fit in five games in four full days and returned to Toronto with a sun burn and a smile on my face.

It’s hard to explain exactly why I’ve gotten this into baseball after just being a casual spectator for most of my life. In part, I have dad to thank. When he was in the hospital last year around this time, we had the Cubs games on every day. So I started watching more. And paying attention more. And when I got home, watching reminded me of him.

And I have Cooper to thank too. Last summer, when he was attacked at the dog park and spent 6 weeks recovering from the partial tail amputation, we had to cancel most of our camping plans. So we stayed in Toronto. And went to Blue Jays games.

At the time, José Bautista was making his run to break all Jays records for home runs. It was a great time to be a Jays fan. No, we weren’t going to make it to the playoffs, but we had something great to cheer for. And so, I began to love this scrappy home town team.

Going to Florida for a few days by myself was crazy. But it was also the best thing I could have done at the time. It helped me just enjoy myself for a few days, just feel like really, things were getting better for me, little by little.

No, my team’s probably not going to win this year. But I got a nice little preview of the kind of plays I can see all year long. And a nice little preview of the kind of heart these guys show on the field.

Full set of photos on Flickr >

Read The Way of the Jay >

Follow Me On Twitter @WayoftheJay >

Often, when I design, the name of the project-to-be springs to life with every stitch. It doesn’t happen from the initial concept, or the first cast on, but sometimes within a row or two or ten or twenty. And generally, by the time I’m ready for the finishing touches, I already have the perfect name in mind.

Often, but not always.

I’m in love with this new design. I love the fair-isle, the colours, the feel of the yarn (Cascade Eco Wool and Eco+). I love the shawl collar and the belt and the garter ridges. And yet, she is still, after several weeks, entirely, completely, hopelessly nameless.

My stand-bys for naming inspiration are generally places I’ve loved. Parks. Cities. Towns. Geographical features. Street names.

And yet, everything I’ve tried for this design fails to fit.

I tried some additional Ontario Provincial Parks.

See, I love parks. I love the woods. And this feels like a cozy fireside kind of sweater. Algonquin, Voyageur, Massassauga, Sandbanks. All unused for sweater patterns on Ravelry, yet none quite right.

Then I started looking at places that I’ve traveled, but almost instantly decided against it. This, to me, feels like a distinctly north-american-rocky-mountain-type of cardigan.

So, to you by dear readers, I pose this challenge. What do you think of when you see this design? Does the fair isle remind you of anything? What would inspire you?

I’m off to the land of the Chicago western ‘burbs tomorrow morning to see my mom and dad and teach two classes at Wool and Company over the weekend. In the short term, I’ve got lots to focus on before I can get back to this pattern. Teaching. Year of Lace stuff. House stuff. Work stuff. Wholesaling stuff. And then life. Dad’s been moved out of the hospital to a physical therapy nursing home. He starts his P/T today, and we’re hoping he can actually do a little. In order to come home, he needs to get back enough strength to help mom help him move from bed to wheelchair to car, etc.

It’ll be a good 5 days. I’m gone Thursday morning through Monday night. When I come back, I’m going to do a full photo shoot and get to work on the pattern editing and sizing.

I’ve got time to name it. I know this. But it bugs me, just calling it, “That big fair isle cardigan jacket thingy… you know, the one with the belt.”

Happy Thanksgiving, if that’s your thing!

What you’ll need:

• A smallish turkey, butterflied. Ours was about 11 pounds. You could use a bigger bird, but it would require more cooking time.
• A large and fairly deep roasting pan that you don’t mind blackening. I used our old one; we just upgraded.
• Salt, brown sugar, and peppercorns for an easy brine – or your favorite mixture.
• Red onion
• Chicken or vegetable broth for the pan
• A bit of butter
• Tin foil
• A campfire with grill on top

Before heading to the campsite, I’d prepared the dry mix for the brine by measuring and putting into a series of large ziplock bags. I used about a cup and a half of kosher salt, a cup of dark brown sugar, and a quarter cup of mixed peppercorns.

Once at the campsite, I used the roasting pan to dissolve the brine mix in a quart or so of water; I eyeballed based on what I felt would be enough to soak the turkey. I added in a half bottle of beer at the last minute.

Then, once the mixture cooled, we poured it over the turkey into a nested set of sturdy plastic bags. Tying off the top, the turkey sat in the (now dry) roasting pan. I packed ice around it to keep it cool, but since the weather outside was just above freezing, it didn’t need a lot.

I recommend only brining for 4 to 6 hours. I brined overnight and it was far too long; the turkey was juicy but quite salty. Your best bet is to begin the brine the morning you want to cook the turkey, and plan on eating dinner around 7 that night.

When we were ready to start cooking, I drained the brine and put the turkey into the roasting pan, skin side up, with a cup of chicken stock and some onion slices. I put a bit of butter on the skin, as I’d do at home.

This roasting pan doesn’t have a lid, so I used tin foil to create a tight enough seal. On a campfire, the heat will be coming from below, so it’s important to keep as much of it in the pan as possible.

The turkey went on around 4pm. We cooked it over a high fire for the first hour, then let the fire lower for the next two hours.

At 7pm, the turkey was perfectly cooked; juicy and delicious.

Next year, we’ll try it again, with a bit more liquid in the pot and less brining time. Because I didn’t add additional stock as it cooked, the pan drippings burned a little, and were impossible to use for gravy.

On the side, we made mashed potatoes by boiling them in water on our camp stove. I also made a pan of sweet potatoes over the fire, cooked in a little broth and maple syrup. I had prepared cranberry sauce the week before, and we had store-bought rolls. A true thanksgiving feast!

When I was in St. Charles last week, I had the fabulous opportunity to teach a two day workshop on Cloud Chaser for 13 lovely ladies from around the Chicagoland area. The class was hosted by my good friends and not-so-LYS Wool and Company. When talking about class format, we had mutually decided on a total of 6 hours spread over two days, to give ample opportunity for a wee bit of homework and follow-up questions.

This was my first workshop in that kind of format. At Make One, I often taught project or design classes, but always over several weeks and in more of a knitalong format. In this case, if the class cast on for a Cloud Chaser, they’d likely only get through a few rows of the cables.

Instead, I decided to craft a pattern for a miniature version of Cloud Chaser. Knit with the same weight and gauge of yarn, it would serve as a teaching tool, allowing us to work through all of the features and techniques of the vest, while also testing out whether each yarn was a good choice. In this way, we’d be able to cast on and finish in the same weekend, and get a complete picture of what’s happening for the adult-sized vest.

Cloud Chaser is a bit of an unusual design. The construction, although not difficult, isn’t straight-forward. The back works much like any other garment. But then, the fronts are picked up and worked sideways while doing the armhole shaping in the reverse direction than normal. And the collar actually creates the shoulders of the vest.

Working a smaller version first, over just 30 or so stitches, really helped. And it was fun.

Unfortunately, I ended up giving my sample Cloud Chaser to my great-niece Katia who was visiting from Minnesota. It was the perfect size for her babydoll and she loved it. How could I say no?

One of the other fun aspects of the workshop was seeing everyone try on the sample Cloud Chaser, and using that fit to talk about how, as a knitter, you get to choose the size based on not only actual measurements, but how you want the garment to fit and flatter. Different shapes need different sizes, even if bust measurements are the same.

I think the class was a success. We worked through a lot of really BIG and TOUGH concepts, including some advanced sizing questions, gauge changes, and alterations. I’ve heard that the class is going to continue as a knitalong, and I’m excited to see what my students come up with!

This kind of workshop is something I’d love to be able to teach more often. There’s a great energy in a room of people learning how to make their knitting better, no matter what level they came in at. If your shop would like to host me for a weekend, please have them get in touch!

I got in late on Wednesday night after a lovely Porter flight from Toronto to Midway, and a short jaunt on the Orange Line and a longer jaunt on Metra rail. When I arrived, Mom picked me up from the train station with my brother Dick and his son Adam. At home, my brother Don was still up to say hi and catch up a bit. The next day, his son Trevor drove in from Saulte St. Marie Ontario. And his daughter Angie flew from Oregon to stay with his other daughter Sherrie. By Friday when my sister Caroline and sister-in-law Linda drove down the driveway, we had a house full of Swensons.

We played bocce. We opened presents. We ate a lot, and none of it resembled fresh veggies. I sometimes forget about midwestern food, how so much of it is made of things like Cream of Mushroom soup and Strawberry Jello, and how it’s all delicious, nonetheless.

Family. So much of it. I’ve rarely been here for enough time as an adult to really have time to enjoy their company. I didn’t grow up with my brothers and sisters. Well, I did, but since they’re all about 30 years older, they were more like aunts and uncles, “company” to behave in front of. This visit has changed a little more. Don and I have gotten to know each other better and better over the last year with Dad being sick. He’s been able to come and be here for so much of that. And Trevor too, the closest nephew to me in age, and really the closest to live to us in Toronto… well, it’s been fun. And there’ve been a lot of late nights up in the kitchen catching up over a C&C and Sprite.

Dad’s doing ok. He’s mostly in a wheelchair now, but can take a few steps with the walker when he needs to. We took him out for dinner to one of those cool “family restaurants” with the seven page menu and jello for dessert. And we took him to church yesterday morning. He’s not always that ‘with it’, though. You can see how the dementia is affecting him. He’s sometimes confused as to where he is, or who he’s talking to. But more often than not, he can follow the conversation and respond to questions. He’s just pretty quiet.

I think the weekend was really good for him, even if it was a bit overwhelming at times. He had some great conversations with his grandchildren and children. And I feel really lucky to be here too.

So, it’s been a great week so far, and I have a few days left here in good old STC. Tomorrow I’m off to the city to see my good friends at Lorna’s Laces, then reconnect for dinner and a Cubs game (!!!!!) with my oldest friend Paul. No joke, we have photos of each other at the age of only a month or two. So that’ll be really neat.

All the cards… you guys, it’s just amazing. He’s loving reading the addresses and your sweet notes. Each day there’ve been 15 or 20, and I think a few more are trickling in every day. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the time you put in to making his birthday so much more special.

Last Friday, I had the day booked off when it looked like we’d be heading way up north to go camping about six hours from home. When Sandra started getting this temp work, I switched the reservation to Pinery Provincial Park, 3 hours away on the shores of Lake Huron near Grand Bend Ontario. Although we could have easily driven there after work and arrived around 10pm, I decided to keep the day off, run some errands, go to Costco, and be able to pick her up from work at 5 and get on the road.

Friday didn’t exactly go as planned. I blame the sketchy noodle bowl from the mall fast-food Japanese restaurant on Thursday. But I stocked up on steaks and baking potatoes and corn and beer and had the dogs and the gear ready to go by 5:30.

The drive to Pinery was lovely. I’ve never been through Stratford before, and really, must find a way to go back for an actual visit. We passed through what felt like the heart of Ontario’s agriculture community; so many farms, growing everything from corn to soybeans to broccoli! We saw cows and sheep and alpaca and goats. We even saw a Turkey store with an LCBO in it. Weird.

I didn’t know what to expect about Pinery. From the descriptions online, it sounded a lot like a very family-friendly campground, with lots of programs and a fabulous beach. Our site – 948 in Burley campground – was rated “good” for quality and “average” for privacy, which tends to mean it’s pretty open to both neighbors and the road.

As we drove through the park for about a half hour to get to our site, I realized that Pinery was both much larger and much more wild than I’d expected. From doing some reading, I’d learned that Pinery has the largest Oak Savanna in Ontario; a grassy area dotted with majestic oak trees.

Living in Canada, I don’t feel like I see a lot of Oaks. We had one in our back yard growing up, but in later years, I’ve gotten more used to Maples as the standard. Our side was mostly open, but had several gorgeous Oaks around the edges for a bit of privacy.

But the main reason to go to Pinery isn’t for the trees. It’s the 10km of white sand beach, with shallow warm waters and perfect sunsets. Like about three dozen Provincial Parks, Pinery has a dedicated “pet exercise area” at one of the beaches. The rules state that dogs must be kept on leashes, even on this pet beach, but many (including us) were just keeping leashes nearby and our dogs under control in the water.

First thing Saturday, I took Jackson and Cooper to the beach to burn some energy. The week before, Sandra worked on two pitches until midnight, giving us little time to get them to the dog park during the week. And man, were they full of beans! At 10am on Saturday, the dog beach was still fairly empty. Not so a few hours later when we went back for the afternoon with chairs and sandwiches to enjoy the rest of the day. We staked out our spot in the sand and I spent the next four hours in the water.

So many sandbars make the water pretty much waist deep for a long distance, so it was warm and sandy underfoot. One of the best swimming experiences I’ve had outside the Caribbean! For the dogs, this was great. I could stand and they could swim constantly, or I could run with them through the shallower sections while chasing balls.

This was really the first time we’ve swum with both dogs for so long. We took Cooper to Kelowna BC when he was about 5 months old and went to the dog beach there. But Jackson hasn’t really been in the water with us for more than a few minutes at Killbear.

Jackson, as it turns out, gets a little anxious. I don’t know if he’s worried about us, or if he just doesn’t like swimming. Many times, he swum up to me and pawed at me with his front paws by jumping half out of the water. Sounds cute? It’s not. His claws are kind of sharp, and with the power of a 95lb lab, have left huge bruises and scrapes over much of my body.

I figured out that if I watched him coming at me, I could turn and hold him a bit to give him a break and help him calm down. Then, send him back to the shore where Sandra would be waiting.

On the other hand, Cooper was even more of a suck than I’d believe possible. If he swam out to me, he expected me to hold him… on my shoulders.

Pretty cute, actually.

Whether this past weekend was the best camping we’ve ever had, or just a really good time, it doesn’t matter. Going to the lake for two nights felt, to me at least, like going on a fantastic summer vacation for much, much longer. I had that end-of-vacation-cry feeling when we drove away; I didn’t want to leave.