My Favorite Summertime Memories

A current contest for the Summer of Yarn Love swap....

My favorite summertime memory spanned ages 8 or 9 through about 14. Girl Scout camp.

Each summer I'd spend two weeks at Girl Scout camp. Camp Metamora, near Metamora, Michigan.

I was one of those kids who lived year to year with camp as the highlight of my year. I completely understand all the camp movies where the kids were obsessed with summer camp.

But Girl Scout camp doesn't last all summer like the ones in the movies. It lasts just two weeks. But for 5 or 6 years, they were the best two weeks of my year.

I was the only girl from my troop to go to camp. No one else seemed interested. But I've always been pretty independent, and I never remember it bothering me to be there and not know anyone else. When I was littler I'd attach myself to one of the counselors. I think that was my way of handling being on my own.

Each summer we'd do basically the same things: swimming, boating, hiking, arts & crafts. As I got older, the "units" tended to concentrate on a big trip of some sort. One year we backpacked along the AuSable. Another year we canoed the Pere Marquette River.

Looking back, I'm not sure if I can pinpoint exactly why I loved summer camp so much. Maybe part of it was being on my own. And I just loved Girl Scouts -- learning the skills, earning badges, cooking over the open fire, making new "best" friends. Lovely memories of summers long ago.

The Summer of Yarn Love Begins

I'm participating in a bunch of knitting swaps this summer so I suspect I'll be blogging quite a bit about sent and received parcels. Yesterday it began...

The two big swaps I'm in are ongoing -- they each run about 3 months. Packages in the mail filled with yarn goodies arriving all summer... what could be better?

This is the package of goodies I received last night when I arrived home after a day on the road. I got it in my head that I wanted to find one or two nice wine shops north of Ann Arbor (Livingston & western Oakland counties, primarily) to carry our wines. We have lots of customers from Brighton, Howell... those areas, who have been repeatedly asking for a source of our wine near home. I visited 5 shops (several tasted all the wines I brought with me), got 4 orders, and two more who were very interested but not ready to write an order on the spot. Got home at close to 9 pm. Whew!

So this morning I'll be delivering wine orders... :)

Anyway, back to the package. It was waiting for me when I got home. What a wonderful package of goodies! Lamb's Pride worsted in a lovely rusty red-orange, Misti Alpaca (baby alpaca... yum!) in a gorgeous variegated green colorway, a smoothing skin scrub, an adorable notecard with cute little knitting on it, a tiny knitted sweater in beautiful colors (did my partner make that herself?), and truffles made with ice wine!

Ok, I'm going to be good and wait until Holly (my sister, the winemaker) comes home -- she's out of town right now -- to share my truffles. But it's gonna be difficult!

Thanks partner. Everything is perfect!

Edited to include two more treats. Out of sight, out of mind, eh? The Vogue-on-the-Go Bags II book -- great bags in there, I was reading it last night -- and a cute little bracelet too. Thanks again!

"Summer of Yarn Love" swap

Amy, the fabulous hostess of the "Longing For Spring" swap has started a new one.... the "Summer of Yarn Love." I'm hooked on these swaps -- they're a fun way to get to know other knitters. So.... I'm in again!

Here are my answers to the questionnaire:

1. Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been at your craft - I knit. I taught myself when I was a little girl, but stopped for quite a while and took it up again when Tommy was a baby.
2. Do you spin? What type of spinning? Not much. I used to spin in college. I'd like to get back to it.... someday.
   
3. What are your favorite yarns/fibers? What are your least favorite yarns/fibers? I like all natural fibers: alpaca, wool, silk, cotton, bamboo, etc. I would prefer not to get synthetics or synthetic blends. They're not really something I'd use.
   
4. What are your favorite colors? What are your least favorite colors? I love most greens (like chartreuse, forest green, teal, sage, bottle green). The only green I don't like is kelly green. I also like dark red, bright red, most blues. Honestly, I like most colors. I'm just not particularly fond of garishly brights or pastels.
   
5. Are there any yarns/brands that you are dying to work with but never have? What would you recommend?
   
6. What is/are your favorite types of projects to knit/crochet? Bags, hats, some sweaters, other small to medium projects.
   
7. What are you currently working on? I'm making an angel project for someone who didn't receive a package in a recent swap. Anything you plan to work on this summer? Probably some new bags. I've got lots more ideas than I have time!
   
8. What is your favorite FO? (Post a pic if you would like.) I'm not sure. I've given some fun bags as gifts -- a fair isle felted bag for my aunt, an entrelac felted bag for my mom, and "Maggie's Tote," a big felted tote bag for my sister.
   
9. What is your oldest UFO? I think I have an unfinished sweater or two that didn't get finished in time to fit Tommy (as a toddler).... eeek! he's now 19!
   
10. Are there any techniques that you want to learn? I never got around to learning cables/Aran. I'd like to learn sometime.
    
11. Are you on Ravlery? Yes. What's your ID? winemakerssister (my ID pretty much everywhere)
    
12. Are you a sock knitter? No. I made one pair and didn't really get into it. There's obviously something horribly wrong with me! What are your foot measurements? I wear size 9 shoes. Oh, and I love a little loose-ness around the ankles.
    
13. Do you collect anything? Cookbooks (especially maple & vegetarian), Fiestaware, depression era linens (especially printed cotton tablecloths), bakelite, other depression-era kitchenware, 1950s barkcloth
    
14. Do you have a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes. I got a new winder for Christmas. I found a swift for $2 at a garage sale (they asked me what it was!).
    
15. Do you love sweets? Yes. What are your favorites? Dark chocolate, maple.
    
16. What are your favorite scents? Green tea, lemon, lilac, lily of the valley
    
17. Where do you keep your needles/hooks? In a big rubbermaid box right now. I do have my circulars sorted -- I keep them in a binder with a section for each size.
    
18. Do you have a wishlist (Amazon, Etsy, etc?) Yes, Etsy and amazon. Be careful on the amazon list -- pretty much everything other than the knitting books are for other family members.
    
19. Having a birthday this summer? Nope...well, September 11. Is that still summer? Technically, I guess.
    
20. Are you allergic to anything??? Please let your pal know! Nothing related to swapping (except smoke).