Scotland

If you visit both my blogs this is going to be a repeat. Just skip right over one of these posts. I was going to to a completely different post, but am in need of food then nap. Still a bit jet lagged. I purchased some yarn in Edinburgh and started a sock while traveling. Will be back with pics of both soon. :)


I am home!
Such a wonderful trip but I am glad to be back in my own bed. And my own shower! I was getting a bit tired of the cramped showers in the Guesthouses we stayed in. It took some creative maneuvering to shave my legs. :0
We had a lot of fun touring Scotland. We rented a car and drove around for five days before settling in Edinburgh for four. We visited Oban, the Isle of Skye and Inverness and had some stops along the way to see castles and distilleries.

There were a lot of rainy days like here in Oban but it didn't ruin our fun. In fact, I really liked it. We haven't had much rain in Texas. Oban was a very nice seaside town. I really would have liked more than one night here. Will have to go back, I guess. We saw some traditional music and dancing here. Our first ceilidh. So much fun.




On leaving the Isle of Skye we made sure to stop by the Eilean Donan Castle. This was not our first castle and it wasn't our last, but it was definitely a favorite. It was used as a location in Highlander and one of the James Bond films (can't remember which). This picture is now my wallpaper on my computer.



Besides enjoying all that Scotland has to see I also went on search of some Harry Potter sights because, well, I am a bit of a Potterhead. Love anything and everything HP. So, we took some specific routes so I could see some sights used for locations on the HP films. Such as the bridge that the Hogwart's Express goes over in Chamber of Secrets. Do you remember this? When Harry and Ron are flying over the train in the Ford Anglia? :)

The train back to London from Edinburgh conveniently took us to King's Cross Station. Despite construction going on, Platform 9 3/4 was still there just moved to a different location while they work on improving the station. :)
(Saw The Half Blood Prince in Edinburgh. So good! Favorite of the bunch so far.)
Lots of fun.
Before Scotland we went to Bath, but I am going to hold off on those photos for an Everything Austen post later this week. I visited sights mentioned in Jane Austen's books and also the Jane Austen Center while there. Lots to share, including a small gift for one lucky person. Be sure to come back and see what I brought back to giveaway.
I will leave you with one last photo. Stonehenge. It has been on my must see list of places forever. It didn't disappoint. Very cool to finally see.

Stage 6: In the Mountains

I haven't knit since the Team Time Trial. I guess it was just too much for me. :)
For the KAL we were to count our stitches knit in an hour. You must remember that I am knitting lace, but I was able to contribute 1074sph to Team Quickstep's average. Not too bad.

So, today I plan to get back on the bike and knit at least 1 repeat of the lace pattern.



The yarn I am knitting is Classic Elite Yarns Silky Alpaca. This is the first time I have used it. I love it. Very soft, easy to work with. I can feel the warmth on my fingers as I knit. It is working out perfectly. Plus, the color is perfectly matched to the swatch that my friend lent me to find yarn. The colorway is French Vanilla. Love that.

No more procrastinating. Time to knit!

Stage 3 2009 TDF

Interesting stage today. The cross winds took many riders by surprise and caused a gap to form when Team Columbia-HighRoad punched it up. Hincapie said it was because they got angry that no other sprinter teams were coming up to help. Worked out well for them, Cavendish went on to win his second stage. Many of the main contenders for the overall win were caught in the chase group except for Miller and Armstrong. Cancellara made the gap and got to keep the Yellow Jersey one more day. Lance Armstrong with the .38 min gap moved up from 10th to 3rd overall. Good day for him.

So, the project I am working on is coming along nicely. One of my very best friends is getting married in September and I am knitting her a shawl to wear. I think it is looking quite nice so far, but still a little small. :) 

The pattern is the Luna Moth Shawl by Shui Kuen Kozinski and I am using Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace in French Vanilla. I absolutely love this yarn. So soft and easy to work with. It is going to keep my friends shoulders nice and warm. The wedding will be in Sonoma and reception/dinner in San Francisco, so it will actually get to be used unlike here in Texas.

It is going pretty well so far. I just finished the third repeat of the lace pattern. Only four more to go. I ned to buy myself some blocking wires!

Do you Tweet?

I broke down and joined Twitter! I put it off for so long.

Stage1: Monacco

The Tour de France begins today. Stage 1 is a time trial through the streets of Monacco. I am participating in the TDFKAL once again this year. One difference- it is taking place on Ravelry. Go here and check it out.

So, my project for last years KAL never got finished. Still have about half left on my Clapotis scarf. I had planned on finishing it this year but instead will be working on a shawl for my friend to wear on her wedding day. (pictures and info to come)

Anyway, Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans!