We usually start planning summer trips with my family sometime in January or February, and at that point it always seems so very far away. I look forward to it for so many months and then it's upon us so quickly. In my head it was sort of the last bridge to cross before baby number three, so I really can't believe it's already over! If this baby is born three weeks early like Tenny, I might only have four weeks left! Oh mercy! I might be one of the very few people who would be glad to go to my due date. I have a lot of imaginary things I need to get in order before I'll feel ready for our new little family member to join us. I guess I feel similarly about having a baby as I do about vacations: I like to have everything done and taken care of beforehand so that I can just relax and enjoy the baby (vacation). Despite the wrench of having to deal with a good bit of water in our basement the week before leaving for the lodge, we still managed to check off most of my list and leave a relatively clean house behind, and the 10 days we were able to spend up there this time were relaxing and fun. The kids swam, we caught all kinds of little creatures, ate delicious food, read and knitted and enjoyed the early summer flowers (so many forget-me-nots! one of my favorites!) I'm so glad to document these memories here.

Linking up with Ginny today!

This shawl has been finished for several weeks, but I held off on photographing it because I was convinced I was going to block it first. Alas, that didn't, and has yet, to happen. I'm not sure it will. Not until I spill something on it and then of course I will be forced to. It's just so squishy and already very large, and while I'm sure blocking it will make the neck lay nicely and help the pattern to show, it seems like a big commitment. So anyways, here it is.

The pattern is Alicia Plummer's Campside, and the yarn is Knit Picks Swish DK in dove heather. I debated between the Swish (a pure merino) and their Gloss (which has a little silk), and decided on the Swish for budget reasons and for a weathered yarn, but I think in retrospect the subtle shine of the silk would have helped with stitch definition. Ah well, it still turned out very cozy and nice.

As far as the pattern goes, it is simple to knit, but the directions are not very clear. There is also an error or two in the actual chart. Once I read through a bunch of other raveler's notes and understood how the chart repeats and where the errors were, it was an easy knit (I actually printed out ellaria's notes so that I knew how many times to repeat each row and how many stitches I should have in each panel when I was done with a chart). The only change I made was to continue the rib at the corners and middle of the border. Just preference. Somebody should have told me how addictive shawl knitting is, though. It might be too late for me. I already have something on the needles for Indy, and I'm so enjoying the practicality of always having something to throw around my shoulders or wrap a sleepy, chilly child in. Raveled here.