Earlier this year, in April, I decided to knit linen washcloths and I thought it would be more fun to exchange these washcloths with other knitters. So I set up an exchange with knitters from the Twin Cities Stitch n Bitch Yahoo group. There were eleven volunteers, each of us were given two or three exchange partners and about a week ago we met to exchange our washcloths.

Linen washcloth knitters, Delia, Renee and Amy at the Wilde Roast.

Here we are hanging out the linens on the laundry line. Delia felt it important to consider size and color in the linen washcloth line up.

So here they are. Pretty fabulous, don't you think?
Well I do, for most of us this was our first experience working with linen yarn. I think that we generally agreed that we all had our doubts when we began working with the yarn. It is stiff and likes to tangle and shouldn't be held too tightly or will cut your skin, but after you work with it for a while and learn to tame the finicky stuff it makes a wonderful fabric and is worth the extra effort. Not all of us were able to make it to the exchange but will be coming to the TCSnB picnic in July so we'll get to meet them and hear their war stories. I'll bring the line and we'll put up their washcloths as well. I still have to exchange with my partners so I'll post a picture of the washcloths I knit and the ones I received afterwards.

As I just mentioned the SnB group is having a picnic in July. This should be a lot of fun. It will be nice to put faces to the group members. Tipper is organizing the affair and my hat is off to her, she's doing a great job.

There is no transitional weather here in Minnesota. Officially summer began on June 21st and because it is now officially summer that means that it is hot and humid and it's going to be until sometime in September when winter begins. What? I told you there is no transitional weather, it is either hot or cold.

Oh, Oh, "Winter is Coming ", which by the way is the House of Stark family motto. Ooo, that reminds me George R. R. Martin has finally finished the next book in his A
song of Ice and Fire Series. A Feast for Crows. Way to go, George! I was
beginning to give up hope. I'm generally a patient person but waiting for this
one has just been torturous. O.K., so those of you who don't read Sci-Fi/Fantasy
books this means nothing to you, but it really excited me.

Along with the hot weather comes thunderstorms, real boomers too. On the plus side, I haven't had to do much watering in the gardens. So, what do you knit when it's hot? not only hot, but humid to boot? Well, if your like me you're knitting Shetland Wool, just to be contrary. Seems perverse but that is what I'm working with, the sleeves of the Winter Sunset sweater. I say sleeves because I'm knitting both sleeves on one long circular needle using the magic loop method. True to form I've had to re-start these sleeves twice, but I think I have it now.

Here are more graphic images of sweater surgery. Cutting the new armhole steek.

And presto! An armhole is made.

I'm also knitting the go with the flow socks from the Interweave Knits -Summer Issue as a take along project. I take it to work and work a few rounds on my break. I'm also knitting both socks on one circular using the magic loop. I should work on the Monk's Travel Satchel but just haven't been feeling it, not sure why, just don't.

Here's one more picture, just for fun.
My youngest daughter. I'm calling her pumpkin face right now because there is big gaps between her new teeth. She has jack-o-lantern teeth to go with her potty mouth. She and I are currently at odds over her over use of the word, Poop. Right now everything she says has to include the word poop. So, I'm not allowing her to say the word poop within my earshot for the entire summer. She's handling the restriction pretty well, but isn't happy about it. She says when she's a teenager she will say poop all she wants. Sadly, I fear she'll have moved on from the word poop by then, but I don't want to think about it right now.