Toys of the Trade - and TIME!

I love to knit (all together now: duuuh). But it's true, I love the tactile sensation of the yarn slipping through my fingers, I love the gradual growth of the project. I love shopping for yarn, I love looking over at my stuffed plastic containers of stash as I do laundry. But one thing I like best of all is - the toys. Accouterments. Gizmos. Chazerai. We all love our baskets or bags of knitting, our current project(s). But the toys! Ah, in the words of the popular old musical, "these are a few of my favorite things".

On the left, lying on the overshot woven basket cover (a gift from a talented weaver friend who has since left this world), are my small Shaker-style box, in which I keep stitch counters, cable needles, other assorted little necessities. (The box was a gift also, one of a set of three made by one of our reenactor friends.) The dear little acorn with the merry little squirrel (clearly not a resident of Toronto) is a box for my stitch markers. The wooden bodkin was in a bag of needles given to me by an antique store proprietor who figured they wouldn't have enough value to put out (!) The stork scissors can be documented waaaay back in history and they're small, convenient, fit in the box - and are CUTE! The pebble is a smooth oval gift from Lake Superior and is a tranquilizer, among other things; the thimble is sterling silver, gotten from E-Bay (and it fits). Then there is the ear of corn carved from water buffalo horn and the wooden fish, both needle cases. The corn holds several metal darning needles, the fish holds one, a short one, because the longer ones don't fit. The corn was presented to me by Mr. Dearling after he had surreptitiously seen me admiring it - and the fish needle case was won at a drawing this year at Grand Portage.

NOTE: I also won a jar of genuine bear grease, very useful for many things in reenacting and obviously pretty hard to come by ordinarily. However! I may have mentioned my admiration, adoration and reverence for Bears.....I thanked the bear from whom the grease had come and thrust it into Mr. Dearling's hands. He can use it for his muzzleloader and some other things, and will pretty much keep it out of my range of vision.

Now for the "TIME" mentioned in the title. Today is Wednesday. Since about last Friday I've been operating under the understanding that we're leaving for Colorado next Monday. Last night I said as much to a friend on the telephone in Mr. Dearling's hearing and he said "Oh no, ma chere, we're leaving THIS FRIDAY!" OK, by all reckoning, that's actually, really, truly and in fact the day after tomorrow. Oy VEY! I have no idea where I quit paying attention or deluded myself, but it does now occur to me that I have to: pack a suitcase with the clothing and toiletries (that word always conjurs up something other than shampoo to me) for a week spent in the modern world; I have to decide what to wear to two perfectly normal MODERN events (barbecue at the happy couple's home and the next day their wedding). It's so easy when reenacting; the only required decision is "red or white".

And as I have said before, the problem common to us all: what knitting to take? What yarns have to be wound off? Which needles? Should I take one large knitting basket and a smaller one to keep up front with me to knit from as we drive? Do I even bring the scarf I've been working on? Any cotton for dishcloths, just in case? I thought I'd be further along on the baby wrap for Aspen and the toque for her mommy; obviously they have to come along. NOTE: I've started the baby wrap but today I have to wind up the French Bleu and at least start the toque. I'm making it in the 21st century, so I'm shamelessly bringing a 12" circular for the straight-knitting part.

Then there are the books. I have what I refer to as "the toy bag" in which I bring the books I'm planning to read,; the notebook for stories which might decide they must be written NOW; the deck of cards for the just-in-case; the roll of masking tape; the ring with a bunch of mini-Sharpees (you never know); and anything else I might want at hand. My typical travel mode is to sit cross-legged on the seat so that there's room for my purse, knitting basket and toy bag on the floor in front of me, along with a water bottle. OH! I also have to bring along some MS pages I agreed to proofread, which are due back shortly after we get back. (Whew, almost forgot that!)

Oh, and in reference to the CATS - write note for Lovely Daughter and make sure she has keys for the other car, which she can use to conserve the gas in her own car, a 1978 Pontiac. That covers it all, the cats, the sticks and the books. And the clothes and toiletries. &c &c.

Do you see my dilemma? Which begs the question: Dale-Harriet, why are you sitting there tapping away on Daisy?? NOTE: of course I need to pack Daisy and her bag, including the battery chargers for the camera, the little pocket radio and the cell phone, and the twiddly thing you can poke into the car's lighter hole to plug all those battery charges into so we can drive and charge at the same time. (A round of applause for the 21st century, please.) While we are gone, on those nights that we stay in motels, I will be able to continue here, send and receive e-mail &c. (Another round of applause, if you please.)