Hot off the needles…

I started this scarf last weekend at the knitting retreat in Bedford.  Minh wanted to try the pattern but needed a little help with the chart, so I told her I’d do a knit-along with her.  The cables were a little tricky at first until I got the rhythm of the pattern, then it was a breeze.  (Of course, sometimes one forgets to pay attention and crosses the wrong way and has to rip back, but still, pretty breezy.)  The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Silk and Merino Worsted and has been in my stash for a little over a year.  I bought it last year when I went to Stitches Midwest with Susan from the half-off bin.  It is a 50/50 blend of silk and merino and is incredibly soft.

Ravelry users can find the free pattern here:  Rippenschal

3rd Annual Fall Knitting Weekend

It’s hard to believe this is our third knitting retreat into the woods.  What started as a casual suggestion a few years back has turned into a yearly pilgrimage from the city.

We scheduled our trip East to coincide with the Bedford Fall Foliage Festival and a stay at the Bed and Breakfast at Whitetail Wetlands.  The B&B has only 3 bedrooms, yet we were able to sleep 6 comfortably in just two of them.  The largest room had a large outdoor balcony overlooking the goat pen.

When we arrived Friday we settled in to some knitting while Lisa made her signature homemade pizza.  Inside, the seating area (including couch, coffee table, rocking chairs, and baby grand piano) became knitting central.

On Saturday, after a lovely breakfast, we headed to the Bedford Festival.  Most roads in the commercial district of Bedford were blocked off for the festival and tens of thousands of people packed the streets.  I was very excited to return to our cars to get up close to The Coffee Pot.

This two-story relic began as a lunch cafe serving up burgers and cokes.  The landmark was eventually saved by a preservation group and moved to the county fairgrounds where it now stands.  The inside is now one, small, empty room, but it would have been great to see it as a working eatery.  We continued with the roadside attractions by heading to Gravity Hill.  When we reached the appropriate section of the road we put our cars in neutral and they began to roll backwards up the hill!  We put a soda can on the road and it too rolled uphill.  And we were all very impressed!

On Sunday morning we had a special treat as Jerry saddled up the horses and took us for a ride through the property. 

The grounds were so beautiful and inspiring that many of us took little jaunts with our cameras to break up long stretches of knitting.  I’ll leave you with some pictures of my walks and rides throughout Whitetail Wetlands.