KnitCrit

Return to Pea Island

Pea Island, an area on the north end of Hatteras Island on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, is a place that I have visited throughout my life. Yesterday, I returned there with Bruce, after a long time away. Visiting the Wildlife Refuge there, and driving south to the town of Rodanthe, brought back a plethora of memories.

To reach the island from our house in Nags Head requires a drive across the Herbert Bonner Bridge, which crosses Oregon Inlet and connects Hatteras Island to the mainland. Many times, I went to the beach on the tip of Oregon Inlet with my dad to surf fish. I wonder how many hundreds of pounds of fish we caught there through the years.

Actually, I remember the days before the bridge, when there was only ferry service. The shifting sands beneath the bridge, however, have made it very unstable; the state DOT ranks it as a 2 on a scale of 1 to 100 for safety. Yet, a trip over the beautiful marshes and ocean make the benefits far outweigh the risk.



The only highway on Hatteras Island, NC12, has its own challenges with shifting sands and storms. The beaches that were once wide are now narrow, with inlets forming between the ocean on the east and the sound to the west. Water from Hurricane Irene, in August, completely washed out the road in some areas, and there are now temporary bridges built over the water. Homes in parts of Rodanthe had their foundations completely washed out, so many of them are literally dangling at the water’s edge.

As soon as we parked at the Wildlife Refuge, I headed across the street to examine the beach. There was the spot where I learned to drive; on the beach, in our Toyota Landcruiser with “3 on the tree” manual transmission. My dad said that if I learned there, in that vehicle, and could shift without sand flying out behind, I would be ready to drive any car, anywhere. So far, that has proven to be correct.

Our walk through the refuge for bird watching was successful, as there we saw Egrets, Great Blue and Green Herons, Brown Pelicans, Cormorants, Red Winged Blackbirds, and a variety of waterfowl species that we also see out front on the beach. The most amazing sighting, however, was several American White Pelicans, with their long yellow beaks and large pouches.

   
  
 

When we couldn’t stand the mosquitoes – yes, mosquitoes in November – any longer, we returned to the car for our drive back to Nags Head. As we drove back across the bridge, I relived the many times I’d driven that route with my dad, who thought that the view of the Bodie Island lighthouse from the top of the bridge was the most beautiful sight in the world. I shed first a tear and then smiled, knowing that I came by this love of Pea Island and the area around it, honestly and genetically.    

1924 Miles

Our trip last week took us to colleges in our state of Virginia, as well as three other southeastern states. We visited Virginia Tech, High Point University, Clemson, Georgia, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and NC State.
Today, my younger son began his senior year in high school. Today, as has been true for many years, he wants to be a farmer. He is happiest when he is working hard and even happier when he is working hard outside. All summer, he has been mowing lawns in our neighborhood, in addition to a variety of other outdoor projects that our neighbors have hired him to do. They all love having him around and he flourishes on the consistency with which requests come his way; not to mention the big bucks he has earned.
Outside of schools having agriculture programs, his primary requirements are a small rural setting, with warm weather, in the south. So, off we went, to these schools in the south, in mid-August, when the temperatures are their hottest and stickiest.
Choosing a college is very different than when I was in high school. Back then, we would get a big thick catalog of schools and peruse it for schools that matched our criteria. You sent those schools a very nice letter, in which you requested that a packet of information be sent to you. College admissions representatives visited your high school, which was often the only face-to-face communication that took place, until the day you arrived for freshmen orientation.  
Today, a visit is a necessity, since some schools actually give you “points” for the visit. While there are still high school visits, the real meaty information is online. In person, schools only distribute a relatively small handout that is very concise and basic in its content; nothing compared to the thick information packet with the long paper application included that I received.
The increase in competition between schools is evident, and budget dollars are scarce. The rationale is that if a student visits in person, it must mean that they are interested, and thus worth the investment of their admissions staff in that student. Or something like that.  
When all six visits were completed, I walked away with these thoughts. First, parents want value for their tuition dollar. They have rejected the use of teaching assistants for teaching classes, so the professor/TA ratio was quoted at each school, in addition to the student/professor ratio and the average class size.  
I thought it interesting that the schools boasted about their numbers of study-abroad programs.  In fact, more spoke to that than they did the internship opportunities for students. 
More schools encouraged early applications, whether or not those decisions are binding.  
The requirement for recommendations and counselor evaluations were very inconsistent; I think more a sign of the huge numbers of applicants, since no more is there the luxury for an admissions person to really get to know the student applicant. Yet, what we saw over and over, and surprised us the most, were the renovations to dorms - even freshmen dorms. Those single bunk beds in a room with a simple desk, closet and chair for each roommate are no more. They are being replaced with dorm rooms that are more like apartments, with attached bathrooms and large vanity areas. Some even had kitchens and large living areas.
After five nights of different hotels and many miles of highway driving, as we pulled into our driveway, I considered the trip a huge success. Not only did my son learn a lot, but so did we; much more than had been my expectations as I planned the itinerary.
I’m ready for the next step, as is he, with less fear and trepidation than would have been the case had we not visited these campuses.
Oh, and I did get a lot of knitting done on this trip! 

2310 Miles

“Save the Date. Hallie and Stephen. July 23, 2011.”
The magnet has been on our refrigerator for over a year. Hallie’s parents are Bruce’s closest friends from college. Bruce met Hallie the day she was born.
There are other close friends from college, too, and they all gather together whenever possible. I met all of them when we were dating and it was clear as to why they’ve all been friends for so long - wonderful, smart people who are a joy to be around, with both common and diverse interests that make for hours of laughter and lively and thought-provoking conversation.
The wedding invitation came, and with it came an invitation for the rehearsal dinner, women’s tea and a three day retreat at Mirror Lake in Wisconsin, not far from the wedding location in Madison. Many of my friends questioned this retreat, curious whether the newlyweds would be along; then surprised that they would be in attendance, as well. I just smiled and did not even attempt to explain the closeness of this group of friends.
A few days before our flight to Wisconsin, I experienced severe back spasms. These were followed two days later by excruciating back pain; a #10 on the pain scale. But, I just carried on, somehow assuming that my back would be fine once we were on the plane and I began having fun. Nope. The day we were to leave, I went to the ER. Bruce cancelled our flights, and we were reeling over the misfortune.
While in the ER, me having a major pity party, I told the ER doctor of how upset I was to miss the wedding. She declared that she would give me a shot for pain, and a steroid shot, with a prescription for Vicadin; that I was going to go to Wisconsin!!!
The cost to make new air reservations at that point was ridiculous, so as I waited for the shots, I went onto MapQuest and calculated the miles. I texted Bruce, stating that I had this crazy idea of us driving to Wisconsin. After all, both he and Warren could share the driving, even if I couldn't. Four hours later, we packed up the car, plopped me in the heated seat and off we went!  
I splurged on a hotel for the first night, at a more upscale one that might have a decent bed. Not only did it have a decent bed, but a wonderful shower, as well. Good travel Karma was ours.
Up and early on Saturday, we were off to Madison, a 10 hour drive from our starting location. At some point, I realized that we had an extra hour, due to the time zone change. That is the hour that we spent crawling around the edge of Chicago. As we sat in traffic, I was preparing us for the possibility of only making it in time for the reception. "At least we'll see everyone." 
At 4PM, we checked into the wedding hotel, exiting 45 minutes later for the 15 minute walk to the chapel. Since I had been posting our last minute journey on Facebook, our friends all turned around and grinned when we walked in.  At that moment, I knew that we’d made the right decision. What a ceremony!
I left the reception right after dinner, but had the chance, albeit briefly, to chat with Hallie, Stephen, their parents, and our friends in attendance.  
The group went to lunch on Sunday together, and then many of us headed to Mirror Lake on Monday. The bride and groom, and about 25 of their close friends and family, hung out and talked, laughed, cooked, swam, rowed, hiked, read, played board games, cards and ping-pong.  

It was a teary-eyed departure on Wednesday, but Bruce put me back in the car, in the heated seat, of course, and off we went. We did add a little detour to State College, to visit my son and daughter-in-law there.

Yes, there were yarn purchases, in Madison (Lakeside Fibers) and State College (Stitch Your Art Out). They are both very unique, lovely stores that I highly recommend if you are in the area.
All those hours in the car and time sitting around with friends did not produce as much knitting as I’d envisioned, mainly due to the drugs. I ripped out and tinked so much, but just to be there made it all worthwhile.  No regrets. 
At 5:30 Friday, a week and two hours later, with 2310 new miles on the car, we pulled back into our driveway, filled with happiness and many new memories.  What a trip! 

MSWF 2011

Yes, I have attended the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival for many years. I’ve missed one here and there, but it is a priority on the calendar. One year, we delayed our departure for a vacation to Arizona until Saturday evening; just so that I could go to Sheep and Wool in the morning. After my new yarn purchases sat in our car for a week at the airport, our car smelled like its own wool festival.
This year’s trip was special because I attended with four new knitting friends from my new Virginia hometown. I love to plan and this trip was no exception; filled with activities. En route on Friday, we stopped for lunch at a new favorite spot at the northern end of the Northern Neck: The Art of Coffee, in Montross. From there, our next stops were over the Harry Nice Bridge and in LaPlata. A large quilt store (Material Girls) and a nice LYS (Crazy for Ewe) are located a couple of blocks from each other. All were careful to curtail any major purchases at these places, though, knowing that later that evening we would be visiting Fibre Space, the LYS in Alexandria.
Fibre Space is a good preparatory yarn store for anyone going to MSWF since it, by itself, is overwhelming, with its selection of luxurious yarns in a plethora of colourways. There, I bought sock yarn in dark green tones – a merino/cashmere blend from Squoosh Fiberarts – because I recently discovered that my handknit sock collection lacked a pair of green ones.
We left Fibre Space just in time to walk several blocks to the tapas restaurant, La Tasca, where we had reservations. Two of the women had not experienced tapas dining before, while another one speaks fluent Spanish. That combination, along with some wine and delicious food, made the restaurant a big hit. Some more walking around Alexandria and then a return to our apartment, via Whole Foods, completed the evening’s activities.
Saturday, our plan was to arrive at the festival in time for the noon meet-up. As we drove up the road approaching the fairgrounds, I saw that the field across the street was being used for overflow parking. Yikes!  But, by the time we got up to the parking patrolman, a better decision was made; to open the back gate to the fairgrounds. Yay! We parked just a few yards from the gate, and entered just as people were gathering for the noon meet-up. There, I got to see several of my close Maryland knitting friends – what a treat.
Soon, my small group of friends were ready to get started, and we entered the main building. About two hours later, with everyone having made at least one purchase (for me, a skein of fingering weight yarn and three skeins of cotton yarn for weaving a table runner), we exited and went to the outside booths. This included Brooks Farm, where I purchased yarn in a silk/wool blend, to be knit into an afghan for our house.
This was one of my two MSWF goals, the other one a pottery knitting bowl. Brooks Farm was next to Tess Designer Yarns, another favorite MSWF vendor, and just up the hill from two other local Maryland favorites – Dancing Leaf and Kiparoo. Dalis, of Dancing Leaf, has an incredible color sense, so not only could I not walk away without a skein of her “Sock Hop,”
but I encouraged others in my group to buy from her, as well. From there, we headed to the barns. My focus was on finding “Jennie the Potter” because she is known for her pottery knitting bowls. Once there, though, they were not only a disappointment, but they seemed excessively expensive. Not much later, however, I reached the Greenbridge Pottery booth and there it was – the bowl that I had been envisioning.
Perhaps I had seen theirs in my mind since we have other 
pieces of pottery from there; we like the simplicity and colors of her creations.
By around 4:30, the crowds had really thinned out, even making it reasonable to stand in line for ice cream. At 5:30, we returned to the main building, only to find it 
practically deserted. For the last half hour, we wandered around, speaking to the vendors and having a clear view of the products in their booths. I think that I will arrive around the same time next year, knowing that by day’s end, I will have the space to concentrate and shop the way that I like.  
We, five exhausted souls, arrived at our dinner destination in time for our 7PM reservation. What a delicious meal we had, which rejuvenated us for the last event of the day – The After Party. It was great to see more old friends from my Maryland knitting groups, as well as meet new knitter friends. This is what is so fabulous about the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival; a combination of the new and the old, the beautiful and the outrageous, the delicious and the quenching.
On Sunday morning, we all slept in, and after the coffee and tea brewed, held our own “show and tell.” A couple of the women still had funds left in their MSWF budget, so off we went on a return trip to Fibre Space. More yarn was procured, as well as my own purchase of patterns.
No less than an hour later, we were on our way. After a stop for lunch at National Harbor, we headed southeast, back over the Potomac, and home; thereby ending my Maryland Sheep and Wool adventure for 2011.  

MerleFest 2011

MerleFest is a four-day music festival, held at Wilkes County Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. This was the 24th year of the event, and the second year that I attended. The festival is held in memory of Eddy Merle Watson, the son of Doc Watson. Thus, while it is primarily thought of as a bluegrass festival, it is billed as a festival “with the very best in ‘traditional plus’ music.”
I am pretty much of a late-comer to bluegrass, and I’m a big fan of everything folk rock, singer-songwriter and anything else that fits in that realm. This year’s headliners were an interesting combination: Randy Travis, The Doobie Brothers, Lyle Lovett, and Robert Plant and the Band of Joy. We were not there on Thursday night to hear Randy Travis.
Our Friday afternoon arrival time was perfect, though, as we got in on the tail end of Scythian’s performance, a new band that was pretty darn good! From there, we went on to hear the Wailin’ Jenny’s. How can you not like their name, and what lovely voices those three women have.
Last year, we did not pay for reserved parking and instead, were bussed back and forth from lots that are a few miles away from the college. One of our first decisions this year was to pay in advance for parking in a lot just a stone’s throw from the festival entrance. Another lesson from last year is that tailgating is something that many attendees do, so we were prepared with yummy foods from our stop in Durham at Fosters Market.
After a fab picnic dinner, we returned to hear The Doobie Brothers. While it was a nostalgic experience, especially with my BFF from high school at my side, it’s time (IMHO) for the Doobies to give it up. Sorry, but they just sounded old; more like a really bad cover band. We chose sleep over staying to the end; a wise decision.
We had selected our “must hear” sessions for Saturday, so after a stop at Wal-Mart for new portable chairs and picnic food for lunch and dinner, we entered the festival. I was drawn to the name of these guys – Blind Boy Chocolate and the Milk Sheiks. OMG! They guys are incredible, with a repertoire of white and black string and jug band music, as well as some blues, ragtime and jazz thrown into the mix. Blind Boy Chocolate plays the wood saw, something that I’d not seen/heard in person, while Dizzy is amazing on the washboard. This band was the Cinderella of MerleFest. Everyone who heard them, in any or all of their three performances, wanted more. They weren’t prepared for their popularity, either, having brought only two boxes of CDs for sale. It’ll be fun to follow them in the coming months and see what happens.
On Saturday afternoon, there is an event called The Hillside Album Hour. There, a combination of musicians presents music from a classic album, and this year was The Allman Brothers’ Eat a Peach. I have so many memories from college that are associated with those songs. Wow. The two hours spent on the hillside listening to that music, with vocals by Joan Osborne, were chilling and brought tears to my eyes. After another delicious and entertaining tailgate dinner, it was back to the main stage for Sam Bush, followed by Lyle Lovett. It has only been the last three years or so that I have been a fan of Lyle Lovett, but I’ve made up for lost time!  It helps that I have a full-blown adult crush on the fiddler, Luke Bulla, who I first met on our Cayamo Cruise, where he was playing fiddle for Glen Phillips’ band, Works Progress Administration. With Sam Bush added to the band, Saturday night’s performance was nothing short of incredible. I could hardly believe that I was there, experiencing such magnificent music. After the two song encore, we began packing up our chairs, but noticed that others were moving theirs closer to the stage and turning them over. Another new lesson, as Sunday afternoon, when we returned to the main stage area, there were our chairs, only two rows behind the reserved seat section!  
As we checked out of our hotel Sunday, we decided to take a detour to Boone, NC. It had been 30+ years since I had been there, and neither B nor BFF’s boyfriend J had ever been there.  After a lovely drive up the mountain, we wandered around for awhile. Mast General Store is downtown; a store in which I can always dream away hundreds of dollars worth of clothes, shoes and accessories. I left with a ne w pair of sandals, while B found a nice sale on Columbia polo shirts.
Once back at MerleFest, we caught another Blind Boy Chocolate gig, followed by our last show – Robert Plant and the Band of Joy. With Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller along, how could it have been anything but spectacular? It was a wonderful way to end our second annual trek to MerleFest!  
Our lessons from last year made the experience even more enjoyable, and we left with new musicians to follow and a couple of new lessons for next year. On our return 7 hour trip home, we stopped in Chapel Hill for dinner and to celebrate BFF’s birthday. With 4½ hours left, we knew it was going to be tough. Yet, via Twitter, I soon learned that Obama had an urgent message that evening. With CNN on the radio, thanks to XM, we quickly came out of our stupors and safely arrived home around 1:30 AM.  

El Camino Real

Last week, we traveled to the San Jose area of California. If there was a constant theme, it was the road that we found ourselves on frequently – El Camino Real.
The primary reason for the trip was to visit family; my aunt and uncle who live in Palo Alto. My uncle, my father’s brother, is married to my mother’s sister. Since both of my parents are deceased, visiting my uncle and aunt makes for a very poignant experience.
Also, the trip combined seeing old and new friends, with visits to yarn stores and a bit of sightseeing.
Plans for our first day included meeting a friend for lunch in Berkley. En route, we stopped for tea in Oakland, only to park in front of Article Pract, a yarn store that had not been on my original itinerary. I did not buy anything, as I was holding out for the planned afternoon visit to A Verb for Keeping Warm. Yet, I am still regretting not purchasing two skeins of Madeline Tosh yarn in an incredible translucent turquoise and black colorway. It may have been the most beautiful yarn that I have ever seen.
At A Verb for Keeping Warm, I did purchase two skeins of their superwash merino fingering weight yarn in the Transnational Fury colorway, to be knit into a Falling Leaves Wrap.
Verb has recently opened a brick and mortar store in Oakland. It is a lovely space; open, well lit, with yarn and fabric displayed beautifully. The patio out back will be the perfect place to sit, knit and dye when the weather is warmer. On our way back to our hotel in Sunnyvale, we stopped in San Francisco, but did not stay long, as it had started to rain and walking around town was becoming a soggy experience.
Monday’s itinerary began with a drive south, bypassing Santa Cruz and Monteray, on our way to Carmel. We drove the 17 mile drive alongside Pebble Beach and the sea. It was a very windy day and the sea was rough,
so much so that the seals had found a nice cove as shelter from the wind. In town, I ventured into Knitting by the Sea, and there I found a gorgeous skein of Anzula yarns Squishy, a merino, cashmere and nylon blend, in the Maple colorway, that will be knit into a pair of socks for me!
I had never heard of this yarn, and yet in the days that followed, Alana mentioned it on the Never Not Knitting Podcast. Since it is yarn that is local to California, I could easily justify the purchase as a souvenir of our trip.
The next day’s journey to Los Gatos included more fun, including a visit to the yarn store, Very Knit Shop, and a bike shop, Mike's Bikes, but no purchases. In town we had a delicious lunch and then visited the Testarossa Winery, where we tasted a nice Pinot Noir that we liked well enough to purchase a bottle. Our only disappointment of the day was not being able to visit the David Bruce winery, still operating on winter hours. Given the wine’s name, it has become a “go-to” wine for special celebrations in our home.
That afternoon, I was to meet Jasmin and Gigi, from The Knitmore Girls Podcast, at Purlescence Yarns, while the boys met up with more good friends down the road (yes, El Camino Real) in Palo Alto. At the store, I purchased six skeins of Cascade Venezia Worsted, in a light violet colorway, #129.
My plan for it is to knit the Leaf and Picot cardigan, as shown on the front cover of Interweave Knits’ Spring 2011 issue. Jasmin, Gigi and I, accompanied by Bruce, left and went for drinks and conversation. A lively conversation it was with the charming mother-daughter duo, jumping around all sorts of topics, from pets to knitting retreats, the knitting community and its “superstars,” podcasts and more. I could have stayed all night, but we left to meet friends for dinner.
Our last full day was spent in San Francisco, where the weather was crisp and sunny, perfect for walking up and down some of the city’s famous hills. In the afternoon, we had our second and final visit with my aunt and uncle. It was sad to have to say good bye to them, but I hope that we can return soon.
Now, we are back at home, with our view of some east coast waterways. I have new yarns to remind me of our great trip.  Surely, while I knit the projects that they will become, I will think of our many miles driven up and down El Camino Real in March 2011. 

Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival

Thursday was the opening of the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival.  Four of my Bay Window knitting friends and I set out early, with a plan to arrive in Hampton in time for the 10AM opening. That we did, and got in line to pay our $14 admission. It doesn’t make any sense that they didn’t offer on-line registration; although they got us all through pretty quickly.
Martha, you might wonder, you are not a quilter, so why did you go? Those who’d been to the festival in other years told me that there were several vendors with yarn and buttons. Besides, there is that new Bernina sewing machine that is sitting in its box, not yet unpacked in the nearly two years since I bought it. I am close to having its coming out party, so I figured that there would be fabrics galore there, as well as a non-quilt pattern or two.
Honestly, I have no interest in becoming a quilter. Okay, so there’s a hand quilted wall hanging that I made for my oldest’s nursery, but that was my first and last hand-made quilt project (remember that I stated that here on February 26, 2011).
The site of the festival was the Hampton Convention Center, so the set-up was comparable to a Stitches conference, but with hundreds of quilts that had been submitted for judging set up in the middle of the conference hall.
On the very second lane, there was Carodan Farms, a wool business/yarn store that is a frequent vendor at shows and fiber festivals. It didn’t take me long to spy the $5 tree, with a mixture of primarily Mountain Colors and Fiesta yarns. My first purchase was three skeins of Fiesta Ballet, an aran weight Alpaca/Tencel blend. I couldn’t believe my luck; three skeins in the same colorway, marked down from $22.50. I paid my $15 and stood back to wait for my friends, who were still looking at yarn. I wandered back to the tree. How had I missed the lovely Mountain Colors Mountain Goat yarns, a Mohair/Wool blend? I quickly found three skeins in one colorway and two in another. $40 later, I walked away feeling as if I had gotten the bargain of the century. As for projects to use them in, my only decision so far is to knit a yoke pullover with one of the Mountain Colors yarns as the yoke.

But that’s not all! The next yarn vendor we visited was Knitting Sisters, whose store in Williamsburg is a long-time favorite. It is not the yarn that got my attention in their booth, it was buttons; a large basket-full of vintage buttons. With enabler Carolyn at my side, I selected four bags of buttons. One set will work nicely on the Crayon Box jacket that I am currently knitting. The ceramic ones are lovely enough to knit a navy blue cardigan specifically to show them off.
My favorite non-knitting vendor booth was Attic Heirlooms. There, they had a wonderful selection of wool appliqué and rug hooking/punch needle kits.  I also spotted a pattern for a Hand Woven Bali Basket. Several women in my fiber guild have been making bali baskets with yarn, but I was driven to these that use fabric strips to wrap around the piping. They are quick to complete and thus fill the need for instant gratification. These are baskets that I envision making in a variety of bright colors and placing around my home for decoration.
Saving the best for last, we spent our final minutes there viewing the quilts on display. As a non-quilter, I was simply blown away by the variety of techniques and themes, both contemporary and traditional, all created by quilters throughout the US. I gravitate toward those that are contemporary and colorful, and those that use several stitching styles for effect.
My favorite, as well as everyone in my group, was the one named “Sheep Wannabees,” an entry in the Innovative Category. The combination of appliqués, felted embellishments, embroidery stitches and just overall creativity was absolutely mind boggling.
I have some photos of it to share, as well as photos of others that were either winners according to their judges or winners according to me. (Please excuse the sloppy collage) Oh, and also the yellow featherweight sewing machine I loved, because I am, of course, everything yellow!
     

Cayamo

In the "never say never" area, I never wanted to go on a cruise.  The Cayamo 7-day Caribbean cruise changed that.  Bruce and I love the "contemporary folk" genre of music.  I guess if you were weaned on Peter, Paul and Mary and the like, like I was, then it's only natural to navigate toward this "modern" form of that music.  At 50+, we are done with the head-banging rock, but still love music; especially that which is very instrumental and acoustic. 

The line up excited us (can you say "Woodstock on the Water?").  Each night, there were special shows by the headliners, each running about 90 minutes - simply phenomenal acts of music!  Each person received one of those shows each night, plus a bonus show one night.

• Lyle Lovett
• Indigo Girls
• John Hiatt
• Brandi Carlile
• Patty Griffin
• Shawn Colvin
• Glen Phillips
• Over the Rhine
• Kathleen Edwards
• Vienna Tang
• Mindy Smith
• Bonepony
• The Greencards
• John Wesley
• Aslyn
• Ed Robertson
• David Ryan Harris
• Drew Copeland
• Joe Ely
• Beth Wood
• Webb Wilder
• Heather Luttrell
• Emerson Hart
• Oakhurst
• Tift Merritt
• Girlyman
• Marc Broussard
• Jim Bianco
• Edie Carey

Within the list are old favorites and several new favorites.  The entire experience was nothing less than overwhelming with music at several venues from afternoon to the wee hours.  We stayed up for three of those wee hour shows - Glen Phillips, Over the Rhine and Mindy Smith.  They were the best since no one was following them (and the musicians, by that time of night, had enjoyed a drink or two). 

The cruise itself.  We stopped in four ports: Samana (Dominican Republic), St. Thomas, Tortola (British Virgin Islands) and Nassau.  Nassau was a replacement for a smaller island that we had to bypass due to strong winds and rough water.  Twelve foot waves and 50MPH gusts were enough to keep us away from an island, but it didn't stop the 2,000+ on board from partying on the upper deck while the ship swayed us from side to side and up and down.

There was knitting, too.  The first day at sea, I passed a table of knitters and joined in.  We shared our stories of music and knitting.  It was a great addition to the entire experience.  I primarily knit on my Raglan Rust.  It's a top down raglan light jacket that will be perfect for chilly spring mornings.  Although I knit every day, and in a variety of locations,  I didn't knit as much as I thought I would due to late nights, dark venues and beer.

We returned home last night, and this morning, I was unpacking while watching CBS Sunday Morning.  On it, there was an interview with Van Morrison, who is known to be a man of few words and even fewer smiles.  At the end, he was asked about how his opinion of "Brown Eyed Girl" improved over time.  He chuckled and replied, "if you can shake your ass, then it must be alright."  Believe me, there was a whole lotta ass shakin' on the Norwegian Dawn last week - it was definitely alright!

Now a collage of pictures to share: