Posted on

Here in Idaho

Just to touch base, I am in Idaho at my parents with NO KIDS! I have had a great visit. Friday we just hung out after I flew in, went to see my sister Stacy and then just relax and catch up. Saturday was a fun, busy day. Mom, Stacy & I went on a craft store crawl through Rexburg and Idaho Falls. Hitting Porter’s, Michael’s, Porter’s again, Robert’s and then a non-craft store Kohl’s. I found some cotton yarn that I haven’t been able to find in CA or online. I don’t have it here with me so you’ll have to wait for pictures and descriptions. It’s the same yarn I used for my mom’s Bob sweater a few years ago. She hates that picture and has lost weight since so she can’t even wear bob anymore- Good for her!
My plan with one color of the yarn is to make my sister Stacy a cardigan. I don’t think I have posted much about her going’s on in the last year but she has had 2 major back surgeries, thyroid cancer involving 2 surgeries and 2 rounds of radiation therapy and the most recent was surgery to remove a large mass on her ovary, they ended up taking one ovary and leaving everything else. As of now, she is cancer free. So I think she deserves another sweater. 2 in the last year is not enough! This one will be a great green cotton v-neck cardigan with some kind of stitch pattern; maybe cables, maybe lacey, I am not sure yet. Just to be safe I am going over to Porter’s again tomorrow before I fly home to get 2 more balls of yarn. Those suckers have over 200 yards on them so I should be more than safe with 1200 yards for a sweater for a gal that is 5ft 2inches and weighs a whopping 100lbs soaking wet (I swear she has shrunk & she is in a size 1 juniors, and not the healthy weightloss way, the radiation and sick weightloss way). I will have a lot of fun making it for her. My love will keep her warm.
I am looking forward to going home but I wish I could have another week here. Truly, 4 days was not enough. But I am so thankful to George for taking on our 3 monsters all weekend and for Tracy for picking up my slack. Thanks, truly, I could not have enjoyed this trip without you two.
Now, let’s talk actual knitting on the trip. I started an EZ February sweater from the Knitter’s Almanac on the plane using size 2 Addi lace needles, 32″, and Cherry Tree Hill Superglitz DK in Serengeti. Then this morning while I attended my mom’s singing group practice I started a sock using my size 1 Addi lace needles, 32″, and Tofutsies yarn. They will be for George, he likes the lightweight socks and this yarn is perfect for that. It’s a super simple stockinette sock with p1, k2, p1, k1 rib. It’s flying along. I am already turning the heel tonight after having made my mom a necklace, bracelet, 3 pair of earrings and a handful of earrings for myself from our pillage at the craft stores on Saturday.
Oh & let’s not forget about yesterday! (It’s 11:54 pm so it really was yesterday still)
We decided at about 2pm we wanted to go for a drive so dad could show me the osprey nest on the bridge not far from here. It’s something like 8feet tall and 5feet wide. Huge on the top of this bridge. Since it was such a nice day we decided to go ahead and drive up to the falls not more than 20 minutes away. Great! Beautiful falls, gorgeous mountains, amazing drive. As we left the falls area we had to decide, do we go home or do we take advantage of the perfect driving weather and go into West Yellowstone to see what’s open. Of course, Yellowstone! Dad has a Golden Age pass that only costs him $10 a year to go to all interagency parks throughout the whole nation. Rad! 45 minutes later we are in the park with no people around, only elk and a ton of buffalo! Mud pits, geysers, no snow, green grass & did I mention NO PEOPLE! Okay, when we did get up to Old Faithful we watched it blow with about 30 other people! It was the most perfect trip I could have asked for into the park. No crowds, no kids disappointed for one reason or another and all the time in the world with my parents. No other siblings around, just us 3. It was perfect. We drove home and watched the sunsetting. It’s a 2 hour sunset up this far north and it was a gorgeous pink one. Unfortunately since our original intent upon leaving the house was to just drive 5 minutes up the road and then come home, mom & I didn’t have our purses, no water, no food, no sweaters, but we couldn’t have been more blessed to be without. Flip-flops and a short sleeved t is unheard of in Yellowstone in April. No stores were open in W. Yellowstone, there was only one gas station open & luckily it had some food. Another unfortunate thing, no real camera. Only my phone camera. I took over a hundred pictures though so there should be at least a few good ones. Tomorrow I need pics of my sis & I. I love her. So, there you have it. Well, some of it. When I get home, PICTURES! Albeit, crappy ones.
Wish me safe travels!