AUTHOR: Knitti-me TITLE: DATE: 8:35:00 PM ----- BODY:

I'm Back! It was a wonderful week of doing nothing! We rented a cabin in the California Gold Country about an hour from our home in Sacramento. I found it ironic that the "cabin" we rented was larger and nicer than our own home. We were a couple of blocks from the Consumnes River so we spent many lazy hours sunning, swimming and exploring. The "cabin" was equiped with a game room filled with video games, air hockey, fooze ball, Nintendo and a pletora of board games - just the ticket for the kids. The cabin also housed a HUGE video and book library. So the evenings were filled with gaming and videos. And don't forget the hot tub... My kids discovered the joy of reading during this vacation. I was amazed. I have always been an avid reader, but G and S were never too interested despite the fact that I always have my nose in a book and reading to them quite a bit as younger children. My daughter especially stayed up til 2 or 3 in the morning finishing her novel and wonder of wonders, I discovered my son in his room reading his book while the Game Cube sat inactive in the living room (gasp!). I have been working my way through Jean Auel's "Earth's Children" series and had brough along the second volume, The Valley of Horses. I finished that and was at a loss, but then I was inexplicably drawn to a specific book case in the cabin and there it was - volume three - The Mammoth Hunters! How serendipitous! I literally did not look at a clock for days. We ate when we were hungry, slept when we were sleepy. Surprisingly, I did not do as much knitting as I had anticipated; I was too taken up with the Jane Auel books. When I did knit, I worked exclusively on the Colinette-esque Ab Fab. Here is a photo of nearly one full pattern repeat. The pattern calls for three full repeats and one half repeat. On our way back home, I stopped by Lofty Lou's for a little fiber therapy. I bought a wonderful novelty yarn (can't find the band at the moment-sorry) and made this fun drop-stitch scarf. I love the texture of the yarn with the ribbon and spirals. Drum roll please... Rebecca, the winner of the Della Street Cafe Contest will be receiving two skeins of Noro Kureyon in color #102. Congratulations Rebecca!

--------