Yarn shopping begins!

Even though I am two minutes from the nearest yarn for sale, I haven't been there yet.  I relish the thought of being so close.  I walk by, and look in the windows, and in the door, letting my mind run wild with the pleasures of DROPS Alpaca.
Instead, I walked 5 minutes to a hobby store that had a very limited supply of very tempting yarn.  Mostly tempting because... well, you know, all those yarn qualities plus inviting colors.

A brand called:  Marks & Kattens (M&K) found on Ravelry.

The scene a few minutes later:

The toddler, who paints with no mess, drops a container of beads... instant purchase!  Is that a beautiful Icarus Shawl I see?  Well, yes, it is!

Mothers everywhere!

Toddler alert:
Can you get finger paints out, open the jars, hand your two-year-old a brush, and expect to spend the rest of the day removing paint from floors, furniture, and clothing in a 5 mile radius?  That's what I thought.
Yet:

This is a child who does not get paint on herself.  Not a drop on the floor, no apron/smock, not on her clothing... cute little dress, not on Mommy...  I don't know how it happens, but now I've seen it, and I believe!

Crossing the Prime Meridian

This yarn has crossed the prime meridian three times.

A lousy picture of such beautiful yarn:  Mongolian Cashmere, is a delicate lilac.  Purchased in Colorado, flew to Norway, back to NM and now resides in Norway again.  I'm trying my best to be sensible about this.  I love to knit.  I love to start new things.  I love to shop for yarn... and plan new projects.  Somehow this yarn has languished in a bag/box for years waiting for just the right project.  C has already used some of it for a scarf.  One of many scarves that are needed in Norway, it still has languished among other scarves because of a minor defect.  It can be overlooked because the yarn itself carries the beauty of the scarf.  I was unaware of this scarf.  I only saw the skeins of unknitted goodness, and longed to help it mature into a garment that could be caressed and appreciated for its wonderful qualities.  So I did this:

My lovely reversible cables... all smooshy, and touchable.
It now measures 114 cm/44 inches long, and needs another skein to be complete.

I really like this pattern and the yarn... and...  I've decided to frog it.  Yes.  Fine (as in music-talk).  It came about when my daughter gently explained that I needed to stop the madness--she has numerous hats, gloves, mittens and... scarves.  Too many to wear? I ask.  She admits that she likes having lots to choose from.  After all, scarves are worn most months, year round.  (Two days ago, I kicked myself for forgetting to wear my Europa shawl around my neck-- it was a particularly chilly wind, and bordered on rain.)
But my main motivation for frogging a beautiful scarf, and getting consent to frog the first scarf that has been worn, and knitted by my daughter, is I found a pattern! 
I'm on my way... several rows into it, with cables and texture, using this cashmere doubled, I like what I see, and it will be just as nice to touch.  It's this pattern in Ravelry, and it was a free download from Knitting Daily.   Interesting name too:  Eco Vest.  Exactly what makes it "eco" is probably the yarn I'm NOT using, but it's a lovely pattern.

I have a little less than three weeks to prevent it from making two more crossings of the prime meridian: Losing hours, and gaining hours, it's just too much to be expected of this lovely yarn.  I will attempt to refrain from knitting on another project that I brought with me, and from the other two toddler sweaters purchased today.  I tell you, it's quite the temptation here!!

What Doing?*

I've been busy, but I also feel like I've neglected my blog.  Does anyone else feel that way?  Does anyone else notice?  I notice, because I like to read my favorite blogs, and ... and... they are doing the same thing as me-- neglecting their blogs.

Brenda, I don't mean you!  I need to make a convenient link to your blog so I'll have NO excuses.  HERE

My days are full of little errands, baby-sitting, and watching the weather.  In NM, there is little weather to watch:  Sun, sunny, mostly sunny, scattered showers possible, clear.  Here in Norway:  Rain, rain, more rain, partly sunny, and fog.  It's just how it is. I'm not complaining because when you see the cute rain gear, you can't help but smile!

I went button shopping today.  So hopeful that I would find something to match other buttons.

For this "completed" project I need 6 buttons down the front, and 11 buttons for decoration in the diamonds.  I have 10.

I wish you could see how lovely those buttons are. They are a shiny orange and exactly the same green as the sweater.  Looks like 3 buttons one on the other.  My daughter bought them years ago, just because they are beautiful.  She has them in this orange and green combination, and another set in pink shades.

The shop still has the pink ones, but not the orange/green.  Bummer.  They just don't photograph well.

*Favorite expression of my 2 year old (minus 2 weeks) granddaughter when she sees someone.  

Poncho from the past

Here's a creation that is still being used.  The people are the same, just 14 months later:

Cozy in March (2010)

 Yes, a poncho for two!

Cozy in May (2011)

Hand knitted hats too!

Fast Forward to Fourth Flight (of four)

My connections were so "tight" that one of them I didn't have time to sit down or look around.  The ultimate non-stressful perfect connection happened in Newark when my 1/2 hour late flight pulled into the gate NEXT to my connecting flight which was calling the last few rows to board.  NICE! I stood there in a daze when I saw the gate number mere steps away.  I still listened carefully, just to be sure, to the final announcement while buckled in on the plane when they say, "This is the final confirmation that this is flight #123 to Copenhagen."  That's where I wanted to go, so I sat back and relaxed.
Here are a few pictures of my wait in Copenhagen.
A sculpture on the wall.

A treat for me!

Something to keep me occupied and out of the 1,000's of shops.

Flight One (of four)

A long day flying thousands of miles.  Not as much fun as I hoped but full of experiences!
My first flight is always the loudest, the most isolated and most beautiful:  Over the Rockies.

See the propeller?  LOUD.
Nineteen seater means one seat on each side, so no seat companions.  Isolated.  Can't talk anyway, (LOUD) although I heard one woman shout a conversation with someone in the back of the plane, THE --- WHOLE ---- HOUR---.  TG for noise canceling headphones.
See the snow still on the peaks?  Last day of May.  Early morning.  Nice.