Though I’ve continued crocheting granny squares, I haven’t done any knitting (for various reasons) since I had my hip replaced on July 7th. When I saw the email from Sarah Schira about Sweater Weather, her newest mystery gnome KAL, I figured that would be a good way to ease back in. (And, soon, resume knitting my Farfalle Cardigan!) It was gnomes that helped me back after Covid. Gnomes as recovery knitting… it just seemed right to jump in!
I finished Clue 1 & am nearly finished with Clue 2! There are only 6 clues in total, the last released on the 18th, so maybe a finished gnome by the end of the month!
It’s off the needles but it’s not quite finished — I fumbled a little late last night, and decided to put it aside & resume (probably involving tinking a few rows) when I’m a bit more fresh. Anyway, I think it’s hat?
TEXTILES
As mentioned yesterday, it’s football season, which means that our Airbnbs are booked for nearly every home game in Green Bay. That involves a few hours doing laundry each week and, while I could be cleaning during laundry time (sometimes I do), I usually do other things — crochet or knit or sew and catch up on a show or listen to music or a book.
Lately, I’ve been working on my Komebukuro-inspired project bag that was MDK’s 2026 Summer Camp project. It was my first MDK camp experience! I’m pretty sure all my fellow campers have finished, but I’m a putzer, I guess, not to mention busy. I brought it (and my crochet project) to Denver but didn’t pull out either! (I also brought a Musselburgh* hat that’s been underway for over two years, and did get that one out… only to discover that I’d pulled the needles for some other project & it was on unworkable holders.) Anyway, playing around with a design for side two of four & decided that I needed to iron those pieces before proceeding.
READING
I finished both Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (book) & Brandi Carlile’s memoir, Broken Horses (audio). Wellnessby Nathan Hill has been in one of my TBR piles for a while, so that’s my new bedtime reading. I’d added Barbara Kingsolver’s Partitato my list (probably because of Bonny) and had notification of its release yesterday — just before learning that it’s the new Read With Us book — so that’s my new audio book! (FYI: If you have a Spotify Premium subscription, it’s included.)
So, right about the time that Kate was going to be heading to The Badlands with the girls, I was going to take Junah on his first trip involving an airplane. The girls’ trip was postponed (and the destination may even change), but ours was not!
I chose Colorado because there’s a direct flight to Denver from my nearest airport (and it’s not Florida, like most of the other direct flights). I’d contemplated a layover at ORD on one leg, because that’s a whole experience, but nixed that in the end. Originally, it was to be a surprise destination, but I slipped up & spilled the beans a few days prior.
We left on Saturday, Sept 26 — an early morning flight, so Junah stayed overnight on Friday. And returned on Tuesday — a later flight that didn’t land until around 9 pm. That basically gave us two full days & two half+ days, and we did a lot!
We arrived in Denver around mid-morning & by the time we picked up the rental car, it was time for lunch! Junah chose Culver’s, which is hilarious because they’re everywhere in Wisconsin.
Our first stop was MEOW WOLF — and immersive, interactive art experience covering many rooms & floors. There were lots of people, and plenty of kids (all ages). It’s crazy & a little overwhelming, but there were some very cool things (many of them hard to photograph, mostly due to light!). I don’t think I need to go again, but I’m glad we experienced it.
We stopped at Safeway for groceries on our way to the hotel for snacks, beverages & a few eat-in options, and that night we had pasta!
On Sunday, we took a downtown tour on e-bikes. We were the only two in our group, so that was nice. It was about a 10-mile ride & we learned a lot about Denver’s history… some of which Junah actually found interesting. The weather was amazing!
Nearing the end of the ride, we had to navigate a couple of hairpin turns on an incline… and I biffed it! I’m not so great at turning in the best of circumstances, and I should have known better & just walked up. Instead, I crashed into a roughly textured concrete wall at about the mid-thigh area. Yes. The hip replacement side. It hurt like hell, but luckily, I had my phone in that pocket & that’s what took the brunt of the impact. It left an imprint on my thigh a few inches below the incision site, but barely broke skin & there was no blood (only a not-too-bad-considering bruise). The phone screen & protector were badly cracked… and from that point on, my camera would only work in selfie mode! My pants got pretty ripped up, too, and it would have been pretty ugly (w/blood) if it hadn’t been for my phone. I was OK, really, and able to complete the ride (and the rest of the vacation) with no other problems.
We went to Wally’s Wisconsin Tavern, in the heart of downtown, to regroup over some fried cheese curds, Shirley Temples (for him), a hazy IPA for me, and some chicken wings.
Maddy was the one who suggested Wally’s — and if I was ever in Denver* & there was a Packers game on TV, that’s probably where I’d be! We loved these visitor maps right inside the entrance, and there was lots of other stuff to look at.
Monday was a big day. We drove up to Estes Park & rode the tram — had a little look & a snack up top.
Those view things still only take a quarter.
From there, armed with my new Lifetime Senior Parks Pass & National Park Passports for us both, we headed to Rocky Mountain National Park for the day. It’s elk season! We saw so many — the first was spotted just hanging out in Estes Park, at a park!
I was able to snag a $2 timed entry + Bear Lake Road ticket, so we got in at a pretty good time & had a nice walk around Bear Lake, then continued through the park on Trail Ridge Road. I only got lightheaded navigating those hairpin turns a couple of times. Whew, heights, y’all! We stamped our passports at Bear Lake Visitor Center, the Fall River Visitor Center, and Alpine Visitor Center; would have at Sheep Lakes Information Station & Holzwarth Historic Site had they not been closed, and at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center if we’d had just five more minutes! It was all so beautiful. And BRRRRR!! Chilly!! Only 41F in the middle of the day at Alpine!! We lucked out that the forecasted rain mostly held off — just a little misty sprinkle a couple of times.
It was a long day & we arrived home a little after dark, so we cooked up the rest of the pasta for dinner!
Tuesday was departure day, but our flight didn’t leave until 5:45 pm — not knowing how traffic would be, etc., we planned to be at the airport around 3 to return the car, etc. We had most of the day, though, and I decided (planned ahead) to go to the Denver Zoo. I also booked a “Giraffe Encounter,” because giraffes, and…
…because I’d had an encounter with giraffes at the Denver Zoo about 65 years ago with my mom. It seemed like a good idea.
Fascinating & cute creatures! Zoos have changed a lot… I’m pretty certain that it’s the same giraffe house, but it is much less sterile now.
The woman who led our bike tour told us that there was a baby orangutan at the zoo, so we made a point to visit the primates section. We even spotted the 3-month-old baby clinging to its mother. And then mom put on a show! Walking the “tightrope” things, swinging around on stuff & basically relocating to a whole different area of their enclosure. Boy, that baby clings! Apparently, they’ll be “joined” like that for another 5 months or so, before the baby starts to venture on its own. No photos because a) really hard to photograph that kind of thing and b) even worse in selfie mode! haha.
Junah’s really been into bikes lately, and has been working on a mountain bike at home. Cycling is very popular in Denver & there are lots of shops, so stopping at one became a thing that Junah wanted to do. It wasn’t fitting anywhere else on the schedule, but we found one quite close to the zoo & headed over for a quick stop before we went to the airport.
Z Cycle Shop, formerly Collins Bicycles (which opened in 1934), was amazing. The building still has the old signage, and I had to double-check that were were in the right place. We walked around on wonderfully creaky wood floors & browsed a bit, and then Junah found a bunch of used parts for sale. Oh boy! There’s a happy kid right there. He sifted through everything — I had no idea what he was looking for, but he did. One of the guys in the shop — an owner, I believe — talked to Junah about what kind of bike he had, what he was looking for, what would work, and offered a few tips. It was a wonderful thing to witness! And I’m pretty sure this was the highlight of the trip for Junah! I carried around his wallet, which had a nice amount of spending money inside, for the whole trip, but he didn’t buy a single souvenir anywhere (mostly poo-pooing high prices) (he’s not wrong). Instead, he spent it on used bike parts & a few things from their sale bin! Ali said that he got everything installed & working the next day (he’d have stayed up all night to do it, if allowed).
*Kate just accepted a part-time position as Communications Director for a gallery in Denver, so it could happen!
It was a very quick trip — Friday to Sunday — but so worth it. The weather wasn’t that great, but we we not deterred and much of our time was spent outside. Luckily, it rained mostly at night.
There was some fishing! My Uncle Jim rigged a small ice-fishing rod with a bobber at the end (no hook) for Davy and he was the happiest of clams! It was the perfect size & gave him an opportunity to perfect his cast without getting caught on anything/anyone. Jim also took Junah out fishing, and they both caught little bluegills… not keepers, though. The water is SUPER low and fishing hasn’t been that great.
The leaves are turning — there was much more on our way out than in, and will likely peak in the next week or two. And there were chores! Junah helped Jim with some transportation needs, and they put up a birdhouse that needed a new pole.
Maddy’s friend Katy came up north, too. They’ve been BFFs since grade school, gone to summer camp together, were roomies in college & after college, and camp counselors during college summers. Once a camper/counselor, always a camper/counselor… and they’re also crafters! Katy brought some supplies, and nearly everyone made an easy & forgiving friendship bracelet/anklet. Ginny made one for her BFF, Ivy, and added beads!
Davy was rarely without his little fishing pole. 🙂
This is Jim’s 15yo golden doodle, named Bogey. He’s a big dog and those 15 years translate to 100 +/- in human years. It’s showing. Mobility is severely limited, and he’s mostly deaf. I’m afraid we all may have stressed him out a little, though he did get lots of love.
These four were headed out on a father + daughters walk. I should have at least handed my phone to someone for a mother + daughters pic!
He turned 6 on Friday, but Davy’s a little old soul. Watching & poking the fire, chatting with Jim… or JAMES as he started calling him once he learned that Jim & Jimmy were nicknames for James! So funny.
In other news, the girls & Kate were to embark on their road trip to the Badlands today, but it’s clear that Ginny’s not ready to enjoy all that a trip like that would offer, so they’ve postponed it until late spring/early summer. Her foot is healing, but she’s not walking without assistance or putting much weight on it. Oh well, I have that much more time to assemble their activity kits.
I have two bins that I use in rotation while crocheting the granny squares — one that I pull from, and one in which used colors are deposited. I usually nest things together out of the way when I’m finished hooking for the day, but one day I forgot… and Kai mildly jostled a few balls of Felted Tweed. She was discovered before long, and no harm done, really. But then I did it again… and that ball of cumin didn’t fare so well! I managed to salvage a few balls.
When the kiddos were over a couple of days ago, Ginny brought some stitching to show.
She & Malina are going on a road trip with Kate to the Badlands National Park in a little over a week & I’ve been putting together travel activity kits for them — books, notebooks, pens & markers, National Parks Passports, stickers, travel games, etc. I want to send some crafty things, too, including fabric & yarn for sewing, weaving, and maybe even crochet/knitting. Ginny got a huge gash in the bottom of her foot a couple of weeks ago (requiring many stitches) while playing on a natural water slide — she found a sharp rock, or maybe a piece of glass — so she’s been pursuing more sedentary pastimes while it heals, as she’s not supposed to put any weight on her foot. The folks at urgent care had to pull a fishing hook out of her finger at the same time. She’s a trooper.
I really don’t have any new work to show, myself. I’ve had an allergy/cold thing going on, and the Felted Tweed fuzz was a bit much the last time I picked it up — possibly all in my head, but yeah… lots of sneezing & whatnot made me put it down.
Last Friday, I met Maddy & her friend Katy at Ann’s, and we all went to the The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show — and loved it!
I’m sharing a slideshow of some of the photos I took — some incredible work! The vendors were amazing, too.
Originally, I was going to stay at Ann’s on Saturday night, too, and bring Maddy home with me on Sunday. Turns out, she was able to ride up with a friend, after all, so I went home on Saturday — with a slight detour to Jefferson for Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival. I enjoyed walking through the barns, even though it was really hot — two big barns, as opposed to three times (?) that many at Rhinebeck… it’s like a mini version, and some shared vendors between them. My only purchase was a spool of light blue sashiko thread for my rice bag project.
Tomorrow, we’re all headed up to the Turtle Flambeau Flowage for a quick 3-day weekend up north & a visit with my Uncle Jim. Rusty & I will be staying at a nearby resort, while the kids will all be either camping or using the guest room/spare beds/sofas at Jim’s. It’s supposed to rain, but hopefully not too much.
READING
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid is my bedtime reading, so mileage varies each & every night. I’m almost finished listening to Brandi Carlile’s memoir, Broken Horses. Enjoying both!
We arrived early on Friday & picked up our rental car. I gave the woman at the rental counter my info & waiting for the spiel, when she handed back my driver’s license, saying, “Honey, you’re preferred!” And if that isn’t a great way to start a vacation, I don’t know what is!
We needed lunch, and found Cledis Burgers & Beer on the way to MDK HQ for a short visit & a couple of purchases. We also visited The Parthenon, Parnassus Books, and (believe it or not) the mall. The Parthenon was closed, which we knew, but it was fun to see it & walk around. Parnassus Books was fun, too, of course. We went to the mall because I’d been searching for some coasters, and I found some on Crate & Barrel that I liked (on sale, too) — the closest location to home is in Chicago. Turns out, the mall was right across the way from Parnassus Books.
We had a car & time… so we went out to Cheekwood, which I’d visited in 2017 when Kym & I were in Nashville en route to/from Florence, AL, for an Alabama Chanin workshop. We enjoyed it, but it was really hot & humid in Nashville — we were all dreading the weather — it was nice, but it would have been much more enjoyable if the temps had been more moderate.
We stopped at the grocery store on the way to our Airbnb and regrouped for a minute. Our hosts guidebook suggested Sadie’s & we could easily walk there, so that was our dinner destination. Wow, was that good — can’t go wrong with great Mediterranean plates to share.
Originally, I was going to return the rental car on Saturday morning, but decided to extend the booking for the duration of our trip. Am I ever glad we did that!
We went to breakfast on Saturday at a place we found called The Farmstead. I recognized the area immediately because I had to ship some posters home last October & the shipping store was nearby. There’s a row of cute little houses, one of which houses The Farmstead, others that are recording studios, and murals depicting artists who have recorded there.
We shared a Bronut (above, left), which was “stuffed with cheesecake filling, batter-dipped deep fried, and topped with blueberry compote.” They had us at “cheesecake filling.” It was delicious! My breakfast was pretty close to an English Breakfast, subbing grits for baked beans, and missing only mushrooms, black pudding, and toast. Dolly Parton was all they were playing. Our waiter told us that she’d been laid to rest the day before in a private ceremony at Woodlawn Memorial Park, and that people could visit — we could visit — it’s just around the corner!
So we did. The crypt is located right next to a window, and the plaque is beautiful. We also found the crypts of Tammy Wynette, Lynn Anderson, and Little Jimmy Dickens, and found Marty Robbins’ grave outside. It’s a huge cemetery.
We returned to the house & regrouped before heading to Broadway!
We didn’t go on a mural quest, but we organically found a few. This one was great because 1) Dolly and 2) Garth Brooks, who Annie saw at Summerfest in June. (She’s had a summer full of concerts!)
Posty’s had just opened when I was in Nashville last fall — I’d passed it on a side street on my way to parking, I think. Anyway, it’s sort of on a corner & also has an entrance on Broadway. We went in & enjoyed a beverage and the band-of-the-moment.
On the way out, we saw this huge framed piece — I thought it was interesting & snapped a couple of photos. I didn’t realize until later that the ensemble was made of “Dolly fabric.” I saw a clip of Post Malone meeting Dolly once and, honest to god, he looked like he was going to faint. haha.
We went to a few other places — Alan Jackson’s AJ’s Good Time Bar, the iconic Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge (rooftop for snacks), and my favorite honkytonk Robert’s Western World, of course. The Bridgestone Arena is located right downtown, so we walked over to our concert venue…
…where I recorded a couple of videos & took a few very bad photos… because I mostly enjoyed the concert. It was a long entry line, but security went pretty quick… we only missed a little of Gregory Alan Isakov’s set, but were there when Brandi joined him for some songs. She & her band — SistaStrings & The Hanseroth Twins among them — are amazing live! We laughed, we danced, we cried… I had tears streaming down my face for the first time in forever… and then she came out wearing a pink jacket & dedicated her entire encore to Dolly (more tears!), with whom she’s performed in the past. (And I’ve seen evidence that Dolly had the same effect on Brandi as she did on Posty.)
On Sunday, we decided to drive down to Franklin, TN… because we could. Our first stop was Puckett’s Restaurant for some BBQ. Puckett’s has quite a few locations, and their Nashville location was on our list, but Franklin was much more chill — and super cute. And delicious! Due to a poorly scaled map, we ended up trekking about a mile out of town to visit The Factory at Franklin — at least 2x “further than it looked” — in full sun & rising temp. I was so glad to sit down inside & cool off with some ice water! The Factory is a pretty cool spot, though, with interesting shops & restaurants. And Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. Oh yeah. And I’m thankful that Kate & Ann went to get the car.
We had dinner reservations at Rolf And Daughters on Sunday night, our last night in Nashville, and it did not disappoint.
Everything was delicious, but the Cucumber Sherbet & Basil Panna Cotta that we split for dessert… OMG. I couldn’t stop thinking about that!
I’m sorry that I didn’t turn around to take a photo of this mural on our way to the restaurant, when the light was so much better. It’s amazing, and huge, and all I could think of was Kaffe Fassett’s Dots, which I’ve been seeing a lot because that’s the fabric I’m using for one of the quilt borders… he also does stripes, though not this bold. Here’s a better pic from the artist’s, Jason Woodside‘s, Instagram. Amazing.
Lastly, I sort of have a music thing going on in my Airbnb these days.
Another not-so-great photo, but there’s a Bluetooth record player, albums on display & to play, music-related letterpress posters, and…
…these prints from Soundwaves Art Foundation — because they’re cool, and also because of Soundwaves’ Mission. I’ve had these for quite a while, but the room finally came together & I had them framed so I could hang them. The image on the left (shall I keep apologizing for my terrible photographs??) is of Brandi Carlile’s The Joke. The one on the right is of Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing. Brandi’s came with a handwritten lyric from the song, “Don’t ever let them steal your joy,” but Knopfler’s/Dire Straits’ did not, so I asked Kate to write “Money for Nothing,” because they hang near each other (and because, otherwise, how would you know?), but it didn’t occur to me until later (obviously) that it should have been “I WANT MY MTV!”
about Sweater Weather, her newest mystery gnome KAL, I figured that would be a good way to ease back in. (And, soon, resume knitting my Farfalle Cardigan!) It was gnomes that helped me back after Covid. Gnomes as recovery knitting… it just seemed right to jump in!
