The 3 day vacation was lovely.
Florida smiled on us with quick rains that blew in just long enough to cool things off and melted into the sky. The ocean was warm, the water like thick green bottle glass, clear enough to see the outline of your feet but opaque enough to hide the fish. The waves had built a sandbar about 50 yards from the shore. We’d swim in it, walk around in shallow water, and hop over the waves.
In the evening, the sky turned pink and gold, and clouds built magic cities with towers and castles on the horizon. We watched them from our balcony until cloud beasts came and swallowed them whole.
At night, it stormed, pink lightning strobing far off shore.
It was lovely.
On day 3 I decided that I missed the dogs, the cats, my bed, and my computer. So the vacation did exactly what it was supposed to do – refreshed us enough to want to go home.
As you probably read on this blog, HEB is a popular grocery store chain in Texas. Not only it’s clean and well-run, but whenever there is a disaster, HEB is there with water and supplies. It is beloved by Texans. The saying goes, “Be grateful for the HEB because one day you might find yourself in a Florida Wal-Mart.”
While there are some nice Wal-Marts in Florida, the one we went to was not one of those. We bought some hoodies – Gordon and Kid 2 purchase clothes wherever we go and even I bought a hoodie, because it was so soft – and we needed backpacks to split our new load for the plane. The backpacks were locked with a cable. We had to buy them on the spot, the receipt was stapled to them, and we had to completely unzip them at the door to be allowed out of the store.
Next trip is to Raleigh, NC, probably in July. We are still looking for the summer escape from Texas. I know you want to tell me that Raleigh is hot and humid. As I type this, Raleigh is enjoying 76 degrees and 72% humidity, while we are sitting at 81 degrees with 87% humidity. Texas, not all of it is dry heat, heh. Raleigh would be good for Kid 2’s boyfriend, who will be looking for a job once he graduates. I hope I can actually grow things.
Although I am so tempted by the summers in Midwest. They sent us on a book tour some place, possibly Wisconsin, and I remember summer being just glorious.
In other news, I am almost finished with Willow Cowl. Big thanks to the people who linked it and mentioned it in the comments. It was a great one skein project to take with me on vacation. I just grabbed a random ball of Malabrigo from the stash. I did not do the picot edge. I might just crochet-finish it.
Now, of course, I have to pick something else. Also, for reasons of normal life and stress, I have spent too much money. Some of it was on yarn. I hadn’t bought yarn for several months, I was so good, and then I fell off the wagon.
I blame Wendy’s Wonders. You know what you don’t see that often? Well-dyed gradient yarn. There are a ton of variegated colorways, but gradients are usually found on cottons. Wendy dyes gradients on wool and silk. They are pretty.
I don’t like Wendy or her pretty yarn. It’s bad for my bank account. Now I have to find something to do with beautiful gradients.
I cannot buy yarn anymore. I need to make money to make up for all the money I spent on the damn yarn. Maybe we will do a short story collection and instead of calling it Small Magics 2, we will name it Magic Bought Too Much Yarn And Is Sorry.
On that note, I might have something short for you on Friday. Can you guess who is talking?
German Shepherds were the best dogs ever. Period.
Of all the German Shepherds in existence, none were better than Ophelia. She was smart, brave, loyal, and awesome in every regard.
Except when she conned Leon into giving her a slice of his pizza.
My cousin had a pathological need to be liked by everyone. It’s not that Fel didn’t like him. It’s that he had a tendency to barge into my house without warning, usually agitated because some injustice or an exciting event had occurred, and my dog took exception to that. Fel liked things to be calm and orderly. She never attacked him. She just smiled until he calmed down.
Leon had resorted to bribery. His own dog, Gus, a massive boxer, was extremely food-motivated. His real name was Augustus, which meant majestic and venerable, and if you caught Gus at the right moment, for example when he dramatically stared in the direction of a weird noise, he actually embodied the name. Unfortunately for everyone involved, that lasted exactly two and a half seconds, after which Gus reverted to his normal state of being a hyperactive goofball with the attention span of a squirrel on crack.
Happy Monday!
What? Where are all the comments?
Oh :D. Sorry, I have suspected some technical malfunction.
The photos are meditation inspiring. Thanks for sharing.
*vibrates in the key of Baylor*
<3
First?
Second. 🙂
Second — Closest ever. *does happy dance*
And thanks for the presumed Arabella snippet. Love that family!
Glad y’all had a good mini-vacation.
Arabella? Thank you. Perfect description of a boxer. 😂
Arabella?? Love the snippet! I needed pick me up this morning, thank you!
+1
Very happy that you had a relaxing break!
I’d just like to point out that the Lexington/georgetown area of Kentucky offers four beautiful seasons, good gardening, several lovely yarn stores within easy driving distance and a variety of interesting, vibrant job markets. Cost of living is low and there are excellent schools for those in the early stages of planning a family. And thanks so much for the snippet! I’m almost done with the Graphic Audio of Sweep of the Heart and I’m having anxiety about getting to the end of my House Andrews rereads!
I think it’s Matilda 🙂 she considers the Baylors as older sisters so Leon is her cousin???
Glad you had a fantastic mini vacation!
Ditto I thought Matilda too, tho last we knew she had Dobermans not shepards..so 50/50 shit I figure of her or Arabella…either way squeeeeeee!!!
Ahhh go figure my typo of SHOT goes to R rated sorry modR!!
It’s good to hear that you had a good vacation. That yarn is gorgeous! I don’t know what you’ll do with it, but I’m sure it’ll be beautiful. It might make a nice throw pillow or blanket. The snippet makes me so excited!
Totally Matilda. That “smiles at him” part is the same as when Bunny smiled for the picture on the ID.
Arabella?
Glad you had a good break.
Arabella and Leon? More please! 😉 Glad you enjoyed your vacation and are feeling refreshed. For a summer home, my coworkers mostly live in Michigan (Detroit) but they say vacationing near Lake Michigan is beautiful. As far as I can tell Detroit’s weather is too close to my STL weather to make it worth it, but it is definitely cooler than TX.
Arabella!!!!
Arabella. . .I love her. Hope someday there’s a book series from her pov.
Quite a few of us do hope that. In the interim, besides what’s already been promised, I would quite like a story about an investigation involving strictly Leon and Bug.
I was just thinking it’d be neat to see the family from the outside. So a female POV, but the love interest is Leon!
It would have to be a super strong woman to take on this crazily powerful family and Leon. I would pay big bucks to read that.
Also: thank you so much for the snippet!!! 💕💕💕💕💕💕
Thank you for sharing cloud pictures, they are my favorite!
So glad your vacation was a success! We are heading to OK from VA next week to celebrate my dad’s 85th. It will be a car trip testing out my new sedan, and will have four adults(me, husband, son & daughter) so not exactly a vacation, but family trip….my husband & I head to AZ in August for a true vacation!
That’s almost a coincidence! We just went to Va from Oklahoma! 😂 It’s a super long drive, but with lots of places to stop and explore. Enjoy the drive and be safe!
As a Florida resident, Florida Walmarts … bleh.
Vacation sounds like it was magical, and now I want one even if I spend too much money on yarn. Since I don’t knit, can I just send it to you?
Welcome back!
thank you, pleased you had a good time and bought lots of yarn 😄
Glad you guys had a great vacation!
I think its Arabella!
Florida and NC felt the same to me in the summer. We were on the Coast in Jacksonville NC though so I might have had more ocean air. But my son lived in Charlotte for school and he said the same.
A friend of mine moved from NC to Tx and she says TX is waaayyy worse. So I think you would enjoy Raleigh if you plan to go
Tomato’s and peppers!
Another vote for Arabella!
The cowl looks lovely.
I’m so excited that you’re going to visit Raleigh, NC! It’s a great place to live and work. Raleigh is more of the college party life. Durham is good for after work life (breweries), and Chapel Hill is good for families. Take some time to visit the Carolina Tiger Rescue! It’s an amazing rescue that puts a lot of work to help out animals. Stroll through the Duke Gardens. They’re amazing and gorgeous all year round. You can also visit Falls Lake for some lake beaches or to hike. I hope you enjoy your visit!
Many years ago I spent a lot of time in Chapel Hill/Durham for work. It’s a beautiful area, and with two major universities, lots of things to see and do.
From a local, glad you enjoyed DAB. We had a nice few days last week, really hot the week before. My company has an office in Phoenix. We always have the same conversation this time of year — which is worse? Dry desert heat in the 100’s or FL heat, which runs in the high 90’s, with humidity in the same range. Coast is nice though, there’s always a breeze off the water.
“Raleigh is more of the college party life”!?! Yeah, I guess if you are in college. I’ve lived, worked, and raised a family in downtown Raleigh for over 20 years. No college party life for me. However, there are lots of great local places to eat. AND it is a great place to grow things.:)
The NC Art museum is a favorite for our family and folks who visit us. In addition to the art galleries, they have outdoor movies and concerts, which are always an hit.
I adore the NC Museum of Art. I’m a patron and get there often.
I also don’t do the college party scene- though I suspect that if my college aged son were here instead of Charlotte, he would enjoy that scene.
July is sticky and warm, so we always try to break of the day with inside and outside fun. Or the pool. It’s doable- I’m actually taking a trip to New Orleans in the middle of July, and questioning my sanity as I do so.
Durham also has the largest lemur colony outside of Madagascar! It’s a very cool place if you are interested in lemurs (if you want to throw down a good chunk of money you can also paint “with” them).
There’s tons of good places to eat in the area, and we all have AC. Though if you really want a cool temp vacation in NC, I’d say Asheville is your best bet.
Oh please oh please let that be Arabella!
We vacationed in Wisconsin a few years ago, beautiful and good weather! This year we’re taking a short vacation (4 days) to San Diego in July to see the All Blacks play rugby against Fiji. Can’t wait to get away from Ohio!
Have fun watching the All Blacks vs. Fiji game!
May the weather be nice and comfortable for you. 🙂
You know we all want more Kate and Curran!! You could totally extort us for yarn money!! 😅
Take Curran to …….🤣
I would eagerly pay $6 or more!!
hehe
How fun! Love the All Blacks and San Diego is divine but don’t even think about buying a house…
You should try Green Bay, WI
Or Duluth, MN
MN can be very hot and humid but not always.
So can WI. Voice of experience, from vacations in the Northwoods. It’s just that the window for very hot and humid is shorter there than other places. Not always short enough.
I would totally buy “Magic Pays for the Yarn Stash”
Yarn stash monster
I have a friend who moved to Milwaukee and loves it so so much it may be their forever home. It’s a delightful city. Not too big. Not too small. Easy to get to Chicago for Big City things. The lakes are seriously lovely, and I encouraged them to visit The Dells in winter because it’s super fun to water park in snow when you are sad and tired of the gray skies.
+1 For Milwaukee as a surprisingly wonderful urban area, Door County WI for rural-lite, Winnetka IL for best suburban area. I’ve lived Midwest, both coasts, multiple countries on four continents. These midwestern areas are my top picks for living long term, hands down.
Yay!! Also for vacation we are in Oregon right now driving to the redwoods and it’s a lovely 50 degrees!
Here in Raleigh we’re supposed to have a heat index of 105 on Saturday. :/ Summer is starting to hit hard too early.
Right? I left the desert for cooler climes. did not expect 105 when I moved here
I grew up on the NC coast. After H. Floyd, I moved to Charlotte. My only complaint is that by August, some nights do not get below 75 F. Raleigh is nice but the traffic is murder. After Covid, so many people moved there that the housing market went nuts. Fayetteville is better…
My son’s chamber group has w residency in the triangle area,they are there several times a year. He said it can be very humid in the warmer months, but said compared to Houston ( where he was at at Rice for 3 years) it isn’t as bad.
He said travel could be a problem, that often there isn’t a straight route between places and you spend a lot of time on back roads
On the other hand he said there is great food of all types ( his group is good driven, they rehearse like 7 hours a day,then it is ‘what is for dinner’ and they eat together.
I have heard it has gotten expensive. While remote work is dying off pretty rapidly, it likely will remain expensive.
Delaware can get humid but has some nice coastal areas that get a sea breeze ( never lived there, only what I have been told)
Apostle Isles in Northern Wisconsin. great summer visit. interesting national park.
thanks for snippet!
yarn is beautiful. I haven’t any ideas for you. maybe an acrylic box of “yarn too pretty to use”? (works for art glass!)
Arabella I think. Which knitting needles did you end up getting? Did you like them?
Ohhh, love beaches — especially warm ones with very few people. Thanks for sharing the pics.
Hope your NC vacay is equally lovely.
Texas summers definitely make you contemplate moving. One more year until my youngest graduates and then as a flight attendant, the moving possibilities dazzle. Your yarn pics are so pretty it tempts me to learn. But I think I’ll just keep that money in the book fund. Happy summer
I think it’s Arabella and I open both kids thought I was having a heart attack.
*know
I love this! My dogs name is Augustus and we call him Gus 😍
I know! We brought home a puppy right before the debut of ‘Gus Bunnyson’ and he’s also an Augustus/Gus.
I’m a former wisconsonite and current minnesotan. Here a lot of folks “snowbird” – they spend the winter months in Florida, Texas, or Arizona (November-May unless they have grandkids and leave on boxing day), then head back north as it gets warm. Often to a lake place. The real trick is spending six months plus a day in Texas or Florida to maintain their tax residency.
This year we did spring break in Arizona with the family – it felt like my brother’s entire neighborhood was in Phoenix.
ARABELLA!!! Sorry got a little excited there for a moment. I have been really hoping for some Baylor action, but then I look forward to anything you write. So glad you enjoyed your vay-cay.
Open your merch store with a fifty cent yarn tax price increase! Yarn buying vacations = happy author lords = more writing = happy BDH.
😂 I love this! I say the BDH would be on board with this extra tax. We all know it’s what keeps HA happy, & whatever Ilona wants, Ilona should get!
Yes! Happy to pay a yarn tax!
Nevada?
Yes, that is a good description of a male boxer. Hyperactive goofball with moments of majesty. Add 25% more brain (or maybe thought before action) and you have a female boxer.
🙂
Glad vacation was restful and rejuvenating.
My son’s name is Gus, and you described him perfectly. 😂
Glad you had a relaxing break, with all the joy your hard work gives the BDH. I commiserate with the yarn also books. Thank you in advance for the Friday treat. Anticipation….
Arabella! We have missed her, although I’m sure she lurks through her puppet social media accounts.
The Florida beaches are sublime—one of the few things I missed about living there.
Texas heat is already brutal in Houston, too. We are hoping for rain and no flooding this week.
Excited for my copy of Innkeeper Vol II! The general link is up. I just got the email from Subterranean in my inbox.
Sounds like Arabella talking to me.
You can’t have too much yarn. I am however on a purchasing moratorium until I use some I have.
I live in Raleigh. I rode my Harley 19,000 miles in 29 states in 2014 to decide where to live and moved here in 2015 from MN. I also did a bunch of computer research on things like jobs, shopping, education, medical, taxes, etc. The weather compared to MN is interesting. Here the temperature range is 20- 100F. It’s only been above 100 maybe 5 days in the 9 years I have been here. I have 3 seasons for gardening. You say the humidity is 78% which in the morning it is but in the day / afternoon it is 45-55% so really not bad. In MN the humidity was very high in the summer. The temperature ranged -40 to 110. It was -10 to -25 for the HIGH in 2013 from Dec 28 to March, for the HIGH! They cancelled the first 2 days of school Jan 2 and 3 and then realized they would have to have school even though it would be dark and -25 for the bus runs. I love Mpls and lived there 35 years but I love the longer gardening time here in NC, 3 gardening seasons and the narrower range of temps. We have more months of the 60-80 temps I enjoy and very short ranges of 50 day / 30 night. July and August are hot and sometimes humid. Plus I am equidistant to mountains and ocean here only 2-3 hours. I do wish I had Durham’s library card instead of Wake County (for free) because Durham has significantly better library system. So go for a Durham suburb rather than Raleigh / Wake County.
I agree with the Horde. Hi Arabella!
I also agree that minivacations are the best.
So happy your vacation was all you wanted. Welcome back.
I think I first jumped at it being Arabella, but now it feels like it could be Catalina. umm. Catalina, final answer. Because of the explanation given for the name Augustus – Catalina is the one with the random fact spouting thing going on. (I’m probably wrong. Timeline wise it’s Arabella that makes more guessable sense)
+1 thinking it’s Catalina, hoping it’s Arabella
Arabella’s short would have paid for ALL the yarn 😉
But seriously – I totally get why Russian themed story may not be on your plate for foreseeable future. Hope the Sanctuary will at least partially fill the “yarn gap” ‘cause your handwork is very inspiring!
I grew up in Winston-Salem, NC and went to university near Raleigh (Durham). I’d recommend looking for homes in Winston-Salem, Highpoint, Asheville, Boone. Nice big houses with yards/hedges/garage houses in Highpoint, I was up there recently for a family event and saw a very handsome house with an enviable yard.
Take a day trip to Seagrove while you’re there. It’s the largest pottery community outside of Japan, about 45 min drive from Raleigh. Stop at the welcome center for a map and a showroom with some small selection of the artists in the area (don’t buy yet, trust me, you can come back to the showroom), then explore the rural roads to find dilapidated old farmhouses with rough wooden shelves packed full of unique ceramic masterworks. Keep telling yourself that you’ve bought enough (you haven’t).
This detail is one more reason to love BDH! Thank you for sharing about the pottery community!
“Magic Bought Too Much Yarn And Is Sorry” mwahahahahaha!
My version is “I bought too much stationery and art supplies and I am sorry/not sorry.”
And – Catalina, because Leon, calm and orderly, Arabella would nip Leon’s drama while applying cosmetics. Also compound that is not Rogan’s. Other guesses are Matilda or Bern.
Glad you enjoyed your vacation – thanks for sharing the lightning and pretty ocean viiews.
I’m so glad you had such a good vacation. My sister and I are both Texas climate refugees. My sister has moved to north of Detroit so she can be closer to her children and I have moved with my adult children to Centerville Ohio. It’s beautiful it’s green and it’s not too hot. This coming week will be in the 90s, but that’s the first time that it’s been in the 90s this summer so far. The gardening here is lovely. and our winter wasn’t too cold or too rainy.
Oooooh, Arabella?!?!?
I’m a sucker for gorgeous gradients – I have a whole category in my Ravelry favorites dedicated to projects that work well with them. Dangling Conversation by Mindy Ross is one of my favorites I have saved – I had planned to start that as my next project, but then I saw someone’s gradient knit of Dotted Rays by Stephen West and am seriously considering doing that one next instead, haha (it was a project saved by emohbe called Gradiated Dots).
Can’t wait to see your GORGEOUS gradient knit up! (Some of my gradients have been languishing in my stash for a decade so no pressure for a quick post, LOL.)
THANK YOU FOR THE SNIPPET!! I’m so glad you and Gordon had a great vacation. 🙂
Thank you for the snippet. I think its Catalina 🙂
Aw! Love the Hidden Legacy snippet with doggos! 😍
My niece lives in Raleigh, NC. So far she and her new hubby like it a lot. If you want to consider the Midwest, visit Door County in summer and then again in autumn. Mid-October is absolutely magical. It’s on Lake Michigan so the water imperative is covered.
Glad you enjoyed your vacay!
That’s Door County in Wisconsin (forgot to include the state. lol). Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, Sturgeon Bay, to name a few quaint little towns.
Give the Pacific Northwest a shot. It’s cooler, although I am still able to raise tomatoes, peppers and summer squash easily. Lots of lovely beaches. No hurricanes, and the occasional hail is small, like God intended it to be. Temps in the 70s-low 90s, once summer gets going.
Asheville is known for its art, if you have time to visit when in NC. It’s located in the mountains so the climate is slightly different than Raleigh.
So glad you had a good vacation. if you are interested in the Midwest, I can only speak to places fairly near to me. Galena, IL is fantastic. Wisconsin has Lake Geneva, which is also great and, if you ever wanted to come this way in Fall, Door County, WI is incredible.
Yay for vacations! And you’ll have to let me know how Raleigh is, because it’s on Mr. M’s shortlist of places to move after we can’t stand eight months of summer anymore.
We only have 5 months of summer here, so it will be an improvement!! =)
Why would you go to a Walmart in Florida? I ask this as someone living in Florida! The only reasons to go to a Florida Walmart include: Publix is closed, you want some ‘people of Walmart’ pictures or Publix is closed.
You had a theme for names for Nevada’s and Catalina’s books. Yarn could be the theme for Arabella. 😉
– I Yarn for You
– Yarn and the Beast
– Yarn and the Restless
Ooooh, I can see it now: “Small Magic Yarns” – short stories of all HA denizens who knit and do magic. Kind of like Dina and her Inkeeper interviews, but with tales to … unravel! I will now show myself out.
+1000
We moved to the Raleigh area four years ago after living in Orlando for 30 years. Family brought us north but we love the area. It’s not too far to the mountains or the ocean. There are universities, festivals, arts, crafts, and healthcare. Yes, the summers are hot and humid but blessedly not nearly as long as in Florida. Check out Jim Putnam at Horttube for growing all things in the area. His videos were a lifesaver as I went from Florida sand to this lovely Raleigh red clay.
I lived next to and worked in Raleigh (downtown) for 22 years, 1982 to 2004. July in Raleigh is pretty much all humidity all the time except immediately after a rain, but air conditioning is ubiquitous! We moved east in the mid-2000s when all the parents started getting sick and needing help. I miss Wake County but it’s gotten quite a bit bigger population-wise. The area we are now, near Greenville NC, reminds me quite a bit of the way Garner/south Raleigh was when we moved there in the early 80s. If we were to move back there I really like the areas around Falls Lake on the north side, but it’s premium priced at the moment. If we were to uproot again, we’d probably move to a beach area somewhere between Morehead and Wilmington.
Arabella would love a big fluffy Germany Shepherd named Ophelia.
Great photos of the sky.
I’m glad you’re having fun.
I don’t know how to knit.
However, I do like the colours of the yarn.
My country is having extreme heatwaves these days, so, we go to the sea in the very merry morning.The water is crystal clear. Let’s have a great,safe summer 🌞!
this is gonna be Arabella. Are the dogs all trained by Matilda?
looking forward to Friday 🙂
Glad you had a great mini vacation. After seeing all the flooding in south Florida, I wondered how your vacation was in Daytona.
The gradient coloring is very pretty. Natural fiber yarn does great with color gradients.
Have fun in NC on your next vacation. I am laughing at your location since I am re-reading Magic Tides. 😀
It’s a 50/50 shot the speaker is either Arabella or Catalina. At first I wanted to say Arabella. Then I re-read the section. I think it’s Catalina.
First summer in Texas, my parents drove us 3 days to Colorado. No humidity and cold at night. OTOH, this was Beaumont, Austin are the dry highlands out to the West.
If the dog likes “calm and orderly”, I think it is Catalina’s, not Arabella’s. Otherwise, it is a very unhappy dog, which I think is not acceptable in the IA multiverse.
My first thought was Arabella, but this is the best argument for it being Catalina that I have seen here! Now I’m torn. I do think Arabella could have a dog whose personality is quite different than hers, though, and naming a dog Ophelia and calling it Fel seems like much more of an Arabella thing to do. So my vote is Arabella! Either way, yay for more Hidden Legacy!!!!!!
Yea! Arabella and Leon and their puppies!
Plus the photos are beautiful and now I want a beach vacation badly.
I would totally buy “Magic Bought Too Much Yarn And Is Sorry.” 🙂
Thank you for the Arabella snippet! I re-read Catalina’s trilogy over the weekend so this is just fantastic. Especially with Leon too. Squeee.
Beautiful yarn. Beautiful vacation. Maybe you could call it magic takes an expensive holiday?
I live in Raleigh! The heat and humidity can get pretty punishing in the summer, but it is limited to two months. July and August are bad but the other 10 months of the year are beautiful. And even in our hottest time of the year you’ll have a cooler day crop up randomly here and there.
Plus we’re perfectly placed in the middle of the state — you’re three hours from the beach and 3 hours from the mountains, so whatever your vacation preferences you’re perfectly placed for a day trip or a weekend getaway.
Thank you for the snippet. The pics are lovely. So glad you refreshed yourself,
I lived in Lumberton, NC for 13 years, my in-laws lived in Cary (right outside of Raleigh/Durham). We moved to West Palm Beach, FL. What I will say is North Carolina is great but you get temps over 100 degrees with literally no breeze. If you’ve been thru Lumberton – it’s right on 95 so a surprising number of folks have seen it – it’s a small town with lots of trees and there are weeks of what feels like 0 air movement. My mother in law is enjoying the fact that even though we are in the 90s in West Palm we get a sea breeze and she can sit outside.
Otherwise Raleigh is great. The universities and businesses in Research Triangle make for a diverse, well-educated population with access to museums, entertainment, lots of outdoors activities, bunches of great restaurants. It’s a great place
So glad you had a nice vacation. I love that you see cloud castles too. I love your writing – thank you for the sniplet 🙂
NC is great and I hope you come! For summer, may I suggest NC’s Blue Ridge Mountains area? Maybe Blowing Rock, NC? Because of the high elevation, it has beautiful (not hot or humid) summer temperatures, forests, waterfalls, etc.
On behalf of all Raleigh members of the BDH, we welcome you! There are some nice yarn shops here, and if you haven’t visited in a while, lots of new restaurants and whatnot.
Unrelated: I snagged a bunch of the Kate books during Audible’s big sale and am listening to Magic Breaks, which I read eons ago. I’d forgotten how foundational this book is to so many things that will follow and am thoroughly enjoying the revisit and refresh to my memory,
A few years ago I moved back in with my mom in order to take care of her (and let her take care of me). We had to combine households. At the time, I thought that combining the kitchens was going to be the hardest. But years on, and I’m realizing that I easily gave away my All-Clad to a young aspiring cook friend…and it’s our yarn stashes that are the problem. And both of us agree that supporting our local yarn shops is a moral imperative, so we keep buying. Now we can’t navigate the hallway leading to the sewing room – too many large bins of yarn. This really has to change. lol It won’t. We just need to knit faster, right?
Don’t know if I’ve said it here yet, but I’m really enjoying a new technique – a crochet corner-to-corner. Really fun.
I’m REALLY glad you guys had a good, relaxing time in FL. The cowl is beautiful of course!
Stay cool!
Yay, Arabella!! I’m next door in Oklahoma – yup on that 78% humidity and 95 in the shade degree temps.
Good luck with Yarn adventures! And I’m glad you got a good recharge.
As for the snippet, I’m gonna guess Arabella and proceed to get very excited!
It’s almost certainly Arabella although I kind of want to say Mathilda. If it was Mathilda though, there would be animals involved including their emotions etc. And yes I know they are technically not cousins but they are practically family at this point so I could see them referring to each other as cousins. I repeat, I want it to be Mathilda even though I know it’s likely Arabella 🙂
Beautiful pics, beautiful yarn; so glad you had a great mini-vacation!
Sadly, you can hit weird summer weather almost anywhere. You just have to hope for the best for that particular area, especially if it’s a short stay. It’s been a great spring here, but now we have a freaking heat dome. Ugh.
I’ll put in a vote for Matilda!
The yarn is lovely, and I’m glad the vacation was great!
I initially thought Matilda but then went to Arabella – whomever it is write it we will gobble it up. Wish us Canucks could convince you to visit up North – we have pretty summers too….especially Victoria, B.C. and a few yarn stores as well!!
Arabella? Please be Arabella?! Glad the vacation did as intended and hoping you make all the money… so you can buy more yarn 😊♥️
Glad you had a nice break. The wool is beautiful, I can’t condemn you 😆. Thanks for the snippet!
You were in Minnesota for one book tour. It’s gorgeous here just now, so you need to come back. Research cabins in MN woods and how bad the flies are (really bad) but the lush forests, clean air and scenic views are stunning. Or put the Mall of America in a story? Summer research!
When you go to NC, take a look at the town of Cary. It is lovely.
Money spend on vacation is the best. I went to Portland, OR for the weekend for my niece’s college graduation. Stayed for a couple days to visit the Troll Ole Bolle in the Nordic House, buy some books at Powell’s City of Books, and found Scrap PDX which is a reuse, recycle art thirft store. Money well spent. I have a JOY fund and it usually goes to books, art supplies and food experiences. Found a great hotel that has a restaurant that serves Brunch daily from 7-2pm. And a bar that had a pretty decent Happy Hours for both drinks and food.
For the snippet, I am thinking Catalina since she is a dog person.
Doesn’t Cornelius have a Doberman named Gus? Leon called him Gus Bunnyson if I remember correctly. Leon’s boxer could be called Augie doggie if his name is Augustus.
It depends when this snippet is in the timeline. Gus might be with the Big Doberman in the Sky 🙁 . He was getting old by Ruby Fever and we’ve been given to understand that Arabella’s solo adventures might happen 5-6 years after that.
My mind immediately went to it being a joke at Augustine’s expense, actually, but I’m bias because I don’t like him 😀
I was on the same page about Gus (Augustine) being named after Pancakes. 😉😊🧐
+1 😂
ohhhh! squiiii! thank you!
Mini beach vacation, snippet and a perfectly timed reminder to get my Innkeeper Subterranean volume. All good now. Thank you!!!!!!!
I’ve lived in Durham NC for 25 years. Great place, more affordable than Raleigh and Chapel Hill. And if you like it in July you will be set for the rest of the year, because July and August are the worst times of the year for weather – hot and humid. Winters tend to be mild, spring and fall are warm and lovely, and in the summer we are all grateful for air conditioning and swimming in the evenings.
Glad you had a great and relaxing time. Thank you so much for the photos and video of the storm. Made me so happy to see familiar scenes, as I am living here in Texas and miss those views.
PLEASE tell me you went to Cow Lick’s Ice Cream (across the street and 1/2 a block north from your hotel)? My aunt and uncle live about 1/2 mile south of there, across the street from the drive in church (beach side) and we always walk down to Cow Lick’s. Not sure what it says about how much time I spend there, since I looked at your photos, saw the pool and then the tennis courts and new exactly where the pictures were taken, LOL.
The snippet is awesome! Thank you, thank you!!
I lived in Raleigh for a couple years before I moved for a job, although that was 30 years ago. I liked the area. Only thing I didn’t like… they put vinegar in their barbecue. Total surprise when you grew up with tomato-based bbq.
i would absolutely by a short story collection entitled “Magic Bought Too Much Yarn And Is Sorry”
although i’m never sorry about buying yarn. i may be sorry that i don’t have money for food, though.
Raleigh in July will be quite hot and generally quitehumid. I mean not Texas’s hot and humid but still… On the other hand, I’m in the next town and would welcome you. We in the triangle are one of the several blue spots in the state. We’ve got good enough culture and good restaurants and I dunno, stuff. ( I don’t knit so I can’t comment) We’re a few hours from the ocean and a few hours from the mountains ( you’ve considered Asheville, right?). More universities than you can shake a stick at. College basketball it’s very important in the spring What else would be good to know?
Yes you spent $ on yarn but it’s your souvenir for the trip. That’s what you are working for – to be able to do/buy what you want! The yarn sounds lovely!
Y’all are authors… Could just call it Magic Yarns…. 😀
I will say Arabella because I don’t think Leon would barge in on Catalina unannounced so much.
Also, love the shawl…but anything done in Malabrigo is spectacular!
Wonderful to hear you had such a good vacation. The photos are lovely, thanks for sharing them. BDH would happily read “Magic Bought Too Much Yarn And Is Sorry”! Maybe you could start an imprint specifically for funding hobbies with other series titles from different authors like “Got Too Many Used Books at HalfPrice Books and Is Sorry/Not Sorry”, or “Did I Really Need All These Shoes From Poshmark?” and so on.
Any calm dog would likely be miserable with Arabella unless she matured a whole lot. I’m voting Catalina — can’t be Bern as he is Leon’s brother. Matilda would be a possibility if she divided her extra family like that but I don’t think she would. Nevada would be possible but I think the distance would be a challenge and the list of people who’s house you can barge into is pretty smaller and that brought me back to Arabella — I doubt Catalina or Nevada refer to it as their individual house. Has to be Arabella and she must have grown up. Final answer — Arabella.
Its Arabella. Without going into too much analysis:
“My cousin”. So it is one of the three sisters. But Nevada is busy HEA’ing and raising her son.
“German Shepherds were the best dogs ever. Period”
Catalina has Shadow. And doesn’t talk like that. It’s Arabella and she needs a trilogy stet.
Oooh, this is Arabella talking, right? Which means we ARE getting an Arabella trilogy, right, RIGHT??
I love the Baylors, one and all— and all their spouses and friends, too!
If it’s not on the Release Schedule page, it’s not promised! https://ilona-andrews.com/release-schedule/
We can hope and maintain fluffiness!
Oh, and, the yarn is lovely and I’m glad you had a wonderful (and well-deserved) vacation!
Sorry, my BDH impulses overwhelmed my manners there for a bit. I’m over it now. Well, no, I’m not, but I’m in control enough to hide my rabid need for more Hidden Legacy for the time it takes to close out this message. 🙂
Arabella? OMG! Please be Arabella!
This had me in stitches: Magic Bought Too Much Yarn And Is Sorry.
Glad you both had the vacation you needed! Weather looks beautiful. The Midwest is really hot right now, depending on your location, and full of mosquitoes. My fave time to visit though is late May/early June or Fall. So pretty and good weather.
You can also call it Magic Yarns; filled with short story snippets🥰
Thank you for the snippet.
I have a Boxer, (flashy fawn) he’s a big goofball. You got the energy level right! He can spring straight up in the air, like a kangaroo.
Glad you all had a great relaxation, you all definitely deserve it😊
Yes, Magic Yarns, the Stash Series! It could go on forever! You never get to the end of the stash!
1. I’m glad y’all enjoyed your vacation. The pictures are so pretty and I love your descriptions! (“…clouds built magic cities with towers and castles on the horizon. We watched them from our balcony until cloud beasts came and swallowed them whole.”)
2. “Magic Bought Too Much Yarn And Is Sorry” is a fabulous title. Much better than Small Magics 2 (teehee).
3. Arabella?????????!!!!!!??????!!!!!! Nope, I won’t get excited, I’m sure I’m wrong. But… Arabella????!!!!!
Also, “She just smiled until he calmed down.” Hahahahahaha, I’m sure Ophelia’s smile is heartwarming and makes Leon feel safe and secure.
Wisconsin is wonderful and beautiful in summer. Today it is 92F and 150% humidity. That’s okay though because it is still technically Spring.
I really want to say Arabella, but she deserves her spot in the limelight. Also, Catalina has Shadow, so this must be Arabella’s dog.
God, I would a lot for an Arabella book. More Chinese translations? I can do that, Henry and Stephen Jiang, still very intriguing.
I’m glad you enjoyed your mini vacation! Pretty sure it’s Arabella – thanks for the snippet! A refreshed HA may mean more goodies for the BDH! 😘
We know we timed our vacation well when we are looking forward to going home just about the time it’s going to be over.
This week here in Illinois we have 100+ heath index. It’s too early for that here. I’m glad you had a restful vacation
Arabella
*rubs hands together and leans forward* This means you’re working on Arabella’s story, huh??!!
My dad loved all dogs, regardless of size, breed or temperament. The priest at his church had a large German shepherd who barked at everyone but my dad. Turns out every time my dad went to church, he stopped by the dog, said a few kind words and gave him a Milkbone. Bribery works.
Thank you for the snippet!
Also for the link to the gradient yarn because while variegated yarn is pretty I don’t usually like how it looks once it’s knitted, and knitting a gradient using color work takes brainpower. But I no longer knit with synthetic fibers (unless I’m making something for someone else and they have a really compelling reason that a natural fiber won’t work) and I too have found gradient yarns in non-cotton natural fibers, difficult to find.
That said, I’m not allowed to buy yarn right now because my stash needs some busting so simultaneously no-thanks for sharing that treasure lol.
Also last night it was 85F with 80% humidity here in Iowa. The Midwest is frequently overlooked as a place to visit but we have some really lovely places… if you’re okay with the heat and humidity.
My weather app said today we had dry conditions but that is a lie, I had to go outside multiple times and it was not dry. There was no precipitation, but the air was like being licked by a giant St Bernard.
That sounds Arabella.
More Arabella!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!
I’m glad you enjoyed your vacation! I’m really happy you got the recharge you needed!
How about Minnesota for one of your trips? The twin cities are really great in the summer.😁
Now, about the snippet….. is it Arabella? Please tell me that it is. I just went through the whole Hidden Legacy series and I would love to read about what they have been up. Any little details on them would be great.
I think it’s Arabella. 🙂
ohhhh bring on Friday
I think Arabella. She’d matured a lot by Ruby Fever. I got the impression that she did a lot of behind the scenes management of the grandparents as well as taking the helm on the finances. She struck me as having a lot of poise and control by the time the series concluded so this fits with my impression of her.
I’ve lived in all four corners of the United States and then some. My favorite place was Raleigh North Carolina. North Carolina as a whole is a beautiful state and they have some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. That’s not just me saying that they’ve been voted as much by travel magazines. Yes it’s humid, but they do have seasons. Mainly they have a summer season and a winter season. Well usually anyway. They have about two weeks of spring and two weeks of fall, but overall it was a wonderful place to live. The people are really wonderful. If you enjoy the mountains you can get there in short order and if you enjoy the beach you can get there in short order. I had the best garden. I love hydrangeas and gardenias, and they grew like crazy there. my car insurance was super low there too. I was so shocked when I moved to Florida at how expensive and by how much my car insurance increased. They have lots of different grocery stores there so you’ll have your pick that’s for sure. I will say one thing about winter that kind of was magical as well as freaky all at the same time, they have ice storms. You think you’re going to get snow but you really get ice. It coats everything and makes it look as if it’s a magical Kingdom. That is until you hear branches cracking and they start falling on your cars and house lol. Then it’s not quite so magical but it’s still very pretty. When I first moved there in 2001 they did not handle snowfall very well. They’ve become much better at it with the influx of people moving there after 9/11. About every 4 years or so we would get a super mild winter. I guess it was mother nature’s Way of giving us a break after the winters passed where things shut down for a week and people went with power for multiple weeks. My advice is by a generator, it solves that whole beam without power thing. Enjoy living there though. It’s really a gorgeous place to live. I found it inspiring.
Arabella!!! 100% sure!
Love the sound of Fel. My current dog is a very small version of Fel, though not for food, but to come inside the house. He is supposed to be an outside dog. And he is sound motivated…..we see action when he hears the door opening.
If you go to Raleigh, you MUST see the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. They just opened their newest exhibit, the Dueling Dinosaurs. A one of a kind fossil of a juvenile Tyrannosaur and Triceratops who appear to have died fighting. The Tyrannosaurus could be a juvenile T-rex or a new species Nano T-Rex. The Triceratops is a new species of Triceratops. They are a national treasure, the Raleigh community came together with donations to buy this fossil and keep it in the science world out of private hands. The museum also has a dinosaur with a fossilized heart, more amazing fossils and whale skeletons! We live in South Carolina and can’t wait to see the dueling dinosaurs. Raleigh also has great restaurants.
We moved from DFW to RDU (Raleigh-Durham) 18 years ago. It’s hot and sticky in the summer, but not OMG-I-went-outside-now-I-will-die hot. Also, people are willing to acknowledge it is hot, whereas in Texas it was sometimes a contest to see if you could name a part of Texas that was worse, in a quit-your-whining kind of way. I’m sure you will get inundated with recommendations for where to go so I will leave you with my oldest kid’s favorite place to beg me to go: https://www.cheshirecatgallery.org/
Wisconsin can be extremely lovely in the summer, especially if you stay within a few miles of Lake Michigan. In summer, the water can get up to the mid-70s, warm enough for swimming, yet cool enough to mitigate Iowa’s corn sweat. Door County is especially lovely for vacations, I hear.
The snippet is one of the Baylor sisters, I suspect Arabella as there’s no mention of a husband. I very much miss the Baylors.
As a final note, I know nothing of yarn, but whatever your project there was, I adore the colors.
House Baylor!!!! HL was my gateway series to the House Andrews universe and I just love it so very much. Yay for Arabella!
Even better: “ Magic Bought Too Much Yarn And So The BDH Wins”
Please let us know if you’d like to visit our farm distillery while in the Raleigh-Durham area. We make best in the world award-winning bourbon, gin and spiced rum. Happy to give y’all a tour when you’re here.
Thank you so much for the invite! We will take you up on it.
Having lived in Raleigh for 20+ years, I can say that it does get hot and humid, but probably not as bad as Houston. We now live on the NC coast, which is worse, but the ocean breezes do help. We also own a short-term rental near Asheville, which is where I would love to spend my summers if I could. I wouldn’t recommend Asheville itself, but there are some charming and lively towns not far from there that are in easy driving distance.
I’m thinking the snippet is Arabella.
NC isn’t bad. I was born there. I don’t do well in heat and humidity, so I’ve moved further north to DE.
The short stories could be The Yarn Fund Magics!
Also, Arabella would have a German Shepherd or a Belgian Malinoi.
Hope y‘all enjoy Raleigh. I have lived here all 53 years of my life. It is hot and humid in the summer and fall here, but it’s a great city with lots to do. Right now in mid-June it’s in the 90s and wish it was cooler.
If you can, check out some of the greater Raleigh area while you’re here as well (Cary, Durham, Chapel-Hill). There should be some fun things going on in July all around the Triangle.
I can give you some recommendations if you’d like (there are even some cute yarn stores 😉 if you need a fix).
Have fun!
Arabella! Though it isn’t quite as snark-heavy as some, lol
I love hearing about your adventures.
Thank you for that and the snippet.
Oh man, three days at the beach is too short! I don’t start thinking about my own nice bed for at least two weeks heh. Nice photos! And I like the knitting project and the snippet. Thanks!
I had the same experience at a nice Walmart in Austin. Bought a new suitcase for travel, cashier opens it. 30 seconds later I have to unzip it at the door, too. Very annoying
Aaaassh, Arabella!! Yay! Also, Magic Bought Too Much Yarn and Is Sorry is hilarious. Thank goodness I wasn’t drinking anything! So happy you enjoyed vacay!
Thank you for sharing the pics. Gorgeous views! The cowl is beautiful. And the yarn! lol I would spend way to much as well.
Arabella snippet?!?!
Happy to hear you had a great relaxing time away from home. The weather sounds very comfortable. We had a high of 59 today, overcast, and drizzly off and on. Hoping for enough rain to soak everything down again. I think schizophrenic weather is definitely the norm for this year. Back to 90 for the end of the week.
It’s lovely the vacation went well. Yarn should be purchased at times. Thank you for the snippet. I love Lidden Legacy.
You should come to Michigan. We never have hurricanes; the weather is usually lovely in Central Michigan and we have college towns. If you need a beach, the Great Lakes surround the state. Lots of rain so things are easy to grow.
As a Wisconsinite who grew up on the Lake Michigan shore, I suggest a vacation to check out the area south of Green Bay and north of Milwaukee. There are charming small towns that are less touristy but still have interesting things to offer. One option to visit: https://www.wisconsinmaritime.org/
You can tour a WWII submarine.
Love the cowl! And I’ll be happy to read any and all stories that yarn requires you to write, no matter their length!
You made my Tuesday!!
Beautiful ocean photos and super cool stormy ocean video!
Gorgeous gradient yarn and a beautiful new vendor to bookmark!
And a hint of a story snippet!
Thank you so much 🙂
Arabella: YAY !!!
I would like to know the name of the yarn store you visited! I was in Florida last week and didn’t find yarn (to speak of). My daughter just moved to Deltona, so I will be visiting again.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned west Michigan! There are lakes everywhere, even if you aren’t on “the big lake.” It’s lovely in the summer, but the cloud shield in the winter is oppressive if you suffer from S.A.D.D.
How lovely to hear from Arabella!
From WA state here; have never been to Florida. It looks amazing. Your pics and description have rekindled my desire to see the other coast. What area of FL do you reccomend?
I logged in this morning with a bad attitude (wrong side of the bed). Deleted all the crap email and started reading “Posts from Ilona Andrews…”. I feel better. Calmed down and centered. “Magic Bought Too Much Yarn And Is Sorry”, made me laugh out loud. Your cowl looks beautiful. I don’t knit, but I own yarn simply because sometimes the colors and textures are too amazing not to buy them. I tell myself someday I will learn to knit and it will be worth it.
So glad your frown turned upside down! Hope the rest of the day is better!
“being a hyperactive goofball with the attention span of a squirrel on crack.”
ha! its as if you have met my dog! you’ve described him perfectly!
“we will name it Magic Bought Too Much Yarn And Is Sorry.”
i would totally read it. i’ve been there! i’m working very hard to reduce my stash. and i can tell you that the “don’t buy new yarn” wagon is incredibly difficult to cling to. it’s like an amusement park ride gone rogue, determined to throw everyone off as quickly as possible.
glad your vacation did exactly what it was supposed to do.
I think it is actually Cornelius’ daughter, Matilda in the snippet. More Hidden Legacy! (OMG I can’t remember if her name is actually Matilda) (no, I think I’m right) (Maybe?)
Cornelius’ daughter is indeed Matilda 🙂
Great that you had a real vacation. And I had to laugh at the contrast with HEB and Florida Walmart. We were traveling in an RV and had experienced Walmarts in FL and LA that made me grind my teeth. We were finding our way through Austin TX and desperately needed groceries, but couldn’t find anything recognizable as a grocery store. Then we went past a sign that simply said, “HEB”. I yelled. “Stop, stop. HEB is a grocery store in The Innkeeper. In Texas!” The look I from my husband was priceless.But we stopped and loaded up. Turned out it was that store’s opening day. Since it was crowded, the wait at the deli was interminable. I was informed by the truly harassed deli associate that two of the items I requested were “Out”. Oh well, it wasn’t going to wreck the day. Then, when I got to the checkout counter a store manager came racing after me, the two items in hand, and insisted that they were no charge because of my long wait and the associate’s mistake. Yikes! Even wending through Austin’s traffic in a motor home couldn’t spoil that. Here’s to HEB. And Innkeeper for valuable information.
I saw Wisconsin mentioned, but I highly recommend Minnesota. It’s awesome.
+1 for Minnesota
Lovely cowl!
How about a pair of fingerless mitts for the graduated yarn? Here is a Ravelry link to assorted gradient mitt knits.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#query=gradient%20fingerless%20mitts&sort=best&view=captioned_thumbs&page=2
I love your blogs!
Though this one is going to cost me money since Wendy’s gradient yarns ARE gorgeous! I do agree with you about the lack of gradient yarn, I am creating my own using semisolid handyed yarn, but it isn’t the same. Thanks (I think) for the tip!
And you had me at “My cousin…” referring to “Leon”!!! Ahhhh, can’t wait…but I will! 😃 I usually go back and reread all the books in the series when I know you have another book coming out! Thank you for all you do!!
Hello, Arabella! Thanks or the snippet in my favorite IA universe.
I am also the owner of a giant goofball (though he is a lab/pit mix) and loved the extra snippet!
My husband said that the new collection needs to be called “Magic Yarns”. 🙂 Also, SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Arabella!!
Your 3 day holiday sounds lovely, just enough to be refreshing. Love the Wendy’s wise owl colours. I cannot wait to see what you make, and totally understand the temptation to buy yarns. Dont feel bad, it happens to all us creatives. Make something lovely and you will feel so much better about it.
Gus sounds adorable and Fel too. Pictures please, if you can.
Happy crafting!
I think it might be Matilda.
She sees Leon as her cousin, too. And the dog smiling when showing their teeth…that’s something Matilda would say. “He can smile…smile, Bunny!”
Also, Cornelius and Matilda live in a house…Arabella lives in a tower.
We’re probably meant to think it’s Arabella, but I think it’s Matilda.
Finger lakes in NY, wineries breweries cool water and lots of parks , hiking and yarn stores
As I type, I am wearing gradient merino wool socks on my feet. They go from a light gray to light blue to darker blue to dark blue. I love them. I wear dark blue pants that fade away under my light blue shirt.
I think Catalina or maybe Matilda for the snippet. (Magic Bought Too Much Yarn And Is Sorry.) This screams for a short story! Who is most likely to try to pick up a hobby for stress relief and either buy too much yarn or have too much yarn dumped on them by everyone who is hopeful that the stress relief works!! I can picture them in the chair with snarled piles of yarn all around, and their sweetie passing another over, here I know this one will work for you! While side-whispering to the next person over – hey sneak out and buy more yarn!! Okay, yes, I have such a vivid imagination, LOL
Glad you had a good vacation. Thanks for the snippet
I have the same problem with fabric. My stash has enough quilting cotton for two lifetimes.
I’ll be in the Outer Banks in July…. I highly recommend!
That sounds like Arabella. She’s more snarky that Catalina and while Nevada might have dogs, she doesn’t live close enough for Leon to regularly barge in.
I’m shattered! I live in Australia on a small pension and you dangle Wendy’s Wonders in front of me!! My caravan is 15′ long with a small annexe and is already overflowing with yarn. I am heroically resisting the hyperlink …. for now. Otherwise, it was great hearing about your vacation, especially as it was -2C this morning (28.4F) – Australia is not always hot :). Nevermind, next summer we will have 40C with 90+% humidity. In the meantime, I am returning to my knitting and rereading in expectation. Can’t wait for Friday.
The cowl is *gorgeous*! (I may or may not be biased by the fact that I’m pretty sure I have the same colorway in my stash.)
Glad the vacation was so awesome!
Careful about those hobbies,where you buy a lot of stuff…you could end up like me when I said “I don’t have enough books, I’ll have to buy a bookstore!” 😂😂😂😛
It’s good to hear ya’ll are refreshed and ready to earn more ‘yarn money’! I took a peek at Wendy’s Wonders website to see the pretties (I don’t do much with yarn, but admire the artistry that goes into creating the yarn as well as the completed projects). Wendy’s colors are gorgeous and so is the way she presents the yarn. Does she really send it to you knit into a beautiful accordian of colors or does it arrive in the traditional skein like you see in the stores? Just curious…
ps Thank you for the snippet.
Glad the vacation was refreshing. I love The Willow Cowl and have made three so far. Perfect one skein project. I’ve made the picot edge despite not being a picot kind of girl and really like it. Love your books.
I’m going with Arabella too. Thanks for the snippet! Love it!
I am learning how to crochet and I have been inspired by everyone on here. I went to Ravelry and found a simple scarf pattern (I know it is a scarf, how difficult can it be! But I am a beginner, beginner!)
Then yesterday I bought yarn at our local store! What fun!
Looking forward to Friday!
Arabella, is that you?
While y’all were enjoying Florida, I got to take my first ever trip to Texas for a family wedding. It was fun, but ridiculously hot. I also discovered the Mexican Hot Chocolate ice cream at the HEB, and had to fight off kids 1 and 4 to actually get some.
I sympathize about the 🧶
It’s fabric for me. So so so much fabric
Oh we are going to get Arabella something?! Love our chaotic good Baylor!
Leon Leon Leon Leon Baylor!!!!!
“Magic Bought Too Much Yarn And Is Sorry” I feel this in my soul…. In other news have you seen this store . .. Church Mouse Yarn & Teas https://www.churchmouseyarns.com/ ::pets the pretty::
Matilda
My baby sister has lived outside of Lansing, MI for the last few years and loves it. Neighbors are involved with each other; they all seem to be possessed to plant large beautifully colored beds of tulips. Good shopping, the weather is great compared for down South or over here with the Dakotas where I am.
She’s a Texas transplant and is loving every minute of it.
Wendy’s yarn is fantastic! She’s wonderfully creative & I would also like to buy way more of her yarn than I can afford. Every time she releases a new colorway, I have to remind myself that I have to actually finish something before buying more.
I currently have a few Wendy’s Wonders in my stash that will eventually become something, but right now they’re just being squishy & beautiful! 🧶
As a person who was born & raised in the Midwest (On the lakes of SE Michigan), moved elsewhere for (for not enough years), & am now living in SE Iowa…
I DO NOT recommend Midwest Winter! It’s COLD. 🥶 Your BONES get & stay cold. The lake effect snow & windchill are not friendly, especially if you’ve lived in the South for many years. Wisconsin & Minnesota are beautiful, but they are even colder than my current (& old home) locations.
I highly recommend picking somewhere more South (Kentucky, East Tennessee, Carolinas, Virginias) or even possibly on the NW Coast (Oregon or Washington), which all have seasons, but much more mild winters (depending on location).
We lived in Central Tennessee (Nashville Metro area) for 5 years & winter was very mild (compared to our previous homes in the Midwest & Germany). I can’t recommend moving to Nashville though, as it’s horribly overcrowded, grossly overpriced, & there is a horrendous lack of infrastructure improvement. When we first moved there, we planned to make it our forever home… when we left (as did many of our friends), we don’t ever plan on going back (congestion gets worse every year).
what? most of the time gradients are on wool which ticks me off because it makes my skin develop welts. At least they aren’t alpaca which makes my hands red while feeling like they are on fire.
There you go: https://hobbii.com/sultan?option=19521&store_id=20&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwydSzBhBOEiwAj0XN4BYDtc23Ow6BcoeTBihagX9KCrwwp_lY3JkmnJl_adk4gUbeV6jioRoCNeYQAvD_BwE
Cotton. 🙂
{Edit: had caps lock on for some reason}
https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/search#sort=best&query=gradient
662 cotton
2,428 wool
(huh, now there’s 1,906 manufactured fibers…. hehehe. There’s even a stainless steel https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/orangesox-edelstahl-seide-supima)
and if I get get rid of wool, camelid, and goat then I get 874 results….
I should NOT go shopping. At all. Not until I get a new job. (Anyone in Goteberg want to hire a construction manager? Uppsala?)
I would 100% buy a copy of ‘Magic Bought Too Much Yarn And Is Sorry’ and display it with pride.
Omg! Ur coming to Raleigh? Are you going to be at any event or something?
OMG – that’s Arabella, yes?! *fist pump*
Thank you! Mwhah!