Jen Clodius

I can’t tell you whether I learned to quilt or knit first.  I still do both.

As much as I’ve been knitting recently (it is considerably more transportable than quilting), I’ve only momentarily slowed down — not stopped — my fabric addiction.  And I’m delighted to be associated with a spin-off of an old usenet group (RCTQ (rec.crafts.textiles.quilting)) known as the Baseball Swap.  Each member of the Baseball Swap has favorite teams, and there is much back-and-forthing about whose team has the cutest shortstop.  And so on.

Last weekend, I had the good fortune to drift Seattle-wards to meet with two swappers I hadn’t met face-to-face (although I’ve known them for years).  Even better, we — and a woman I’ve known since grade school because she was one of my sister’s pals — got to go to a Mariner’s game on Sunday.

Quilters, baseball, fabric, baseball, kettle corn, baseball, an easy drive back to Portland, baseball, excellent company — it may not have been a traditional July 4 weekend, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

(completely aside, of course, from the fact that the Mariners lost in the 15th…)

Too, too fun!

I met a new friend (TracyBird, on Ravelry) at World-Wide Knit In Public day. We chatted a bit, and discovered that neither of us had time (or, on my part, inclination) to spend more than a day at Black Sheep Gathering. Since she was already planning on a day trip Saturday, we agreed to go together.

Well!

What a fun trip that turned out to be! TracyBird is great company, we accommodated each other’s interests without (I think) particularly noticing, served as reciprocal enablers and stash enhancers, were both ready (again, I think) to leave about the same time, and generally had a fabulous time.

We ran into Gail, Duffy (of singing-to-the-Harlot fame), and Susan (all PDX bloggers) in the parking lot, but only ever saw Duffy again. We did get to see Tammy and Debbie from Blue Moon Fiber Arts (Socks That Rock!) (and I finally got to meet Kim, Tammy’s almost-grown, and very charming daughter). And I bought (without flinching three skeins of Rare Gems (bless you, Tina!)

All in all, a great day — and credit to TracyBird for allowing someone she’d just met to tag along!

Not that it mattered… temperatures were well into the 70s both days that my friend, Susan, and I were at Rhinebeck. The Sweater went along for the ride, but spent the entire weekend in the back seat of my car.

Figures, doesn’t it? I get home from a week of business travel, start a load of laundry, finish mattress-stitching the side/arm seams, then figure out the collar’s tricky join, sew the collar on, find buttons and attach them, then gloat in having a Finished Object to wear to Rhinebeck… and we all end up wishing we’d brought shorts.

Sweater pictures to follow, I promise!

On a separate note, I got my baseball swap quilt squares mailed off today. I’m delighted (and VERY relieved) to be confident that I’ll make the deadline. It’s one thing if I mess myself up; it’s another, entirely different thing if I mess up an obligation to a group — especially a group of people that I respect and care about!

Per request (and with big smiles), Jess says:

Well, the pieces are knit and blocked (photo on camera at home… and I’m not at home!), so all that remains is to sew up the sweater and wear it to Rhinebeck.

Just to complicate things, I’ll get home from this current out-of-town jaunt on Friday afternoon, and my friend, Susan, and I leave for Rhinebeck on Saturday morning. The buttons are selected and waiting, so the only question is how quickly I can mattress stitch.

On the griping hand, even if I don’t get the sweater finished, I’ll get to meet Ravelry folk. AND I get to go to Ravelry (and Webs on Monday) with a fellow wool/yarn/knit pal. Yay, hooray!

Knitting for Rhinebeck (Rhinebeck!) is a what’s keeping me occupied whilst not at work. There’s not a snowball’s chance that I’m going to get this sweater (closer look) finished before Rhinebeck, even with two weeks to go, because I’ll be on travel the entire week before.

Of course, that doesn’t prevent me from trying! Back and sleeves are done, and I’m a quarter sixth of the way done on the fronts. There’s still the collar to knit, and all of the blocking and sewing together — and exactly one weekend between now and Rhinebeck.

Optimism, thy name is Jen!