my whorlwind trip

wow, i drove a LOT of miles this weekend. almost as many as when i went to SPA.
i was so tired yesterday that i couldn’t even look at the computer, much less post.

i’m telling you—they really run you ragged at these retirement communities. the weather was glorious, as it probably was everywhere. and my visit coincided with the Tulip Festival in albany, too.

now, before you start snickering, i gotta tell you that A) this is a truly beautiful event and B) tulips are probably my favorite flower (especially the odd ones). the big park in albany is swathed in tulip beds which are in full bloom for the event each year.

albany, which evolved from the first permanent dutch settlement on these shores (Fort Orange, 1624), has a long, rich, and varied history, as well as many fine examples of old dutch architecture. so the connection to tulips is, well, strong there.

events for the festival include craft fair, entertainment, the tulip luncheon, and culminate in the crowning of the Tulip Queen, who is the guest of honor at the tulip ball, where she and her court danced in dressed in a tulip gowns (the tulip gowns sound awful, i know, but i saw it on TV, and they were stunning—but then, you have to remember, i worked in costuming for years, so i may be biased . . .)

all this history and background should pretty much tell you that i did practically no knitting over the weekend—blame it on the bad influence of my mother’s posse. they don’t knit. they DO drink wine, dine out, and play cards. and don’t get me started on their traveling . . .

ok, so i did get teosinte2 almost done. and i got two good nights of sleep which is rare for me these days. and that’s important.

and i worked quite a bit on a mystery project—sorry, no pix (hence the words “mystery project”). and believe me, i hate that aspect of it—i am a blabbermouth at heart when it comes to show and tell (but curiously uninterested in sharing other people’s secrets, even under duress—hmmm . . .).
but i think it’s a cool project and i look forward to revealing it some day. it’s bright, bold and seasonal as all hell.

so i got home in the middle of the night sunday—actually in the wee hours of monday morning. and that kim (blogless kim in san diego)! she’s a real pal. there was a little box of chocolate sitting just inside the door when i got here. mmm

we’re doing a little harmless chocolate taste-testing . . . this week, i’ll send her some local homemade chocolate. in fact, i should pick up extras and put them in the prize pool for the june fund drive for Claudia’s Bike ride (we are gonna have so much fun with that, BTW).

i also had a small but significant package from ed and wanda.

some beautiful size 6 handmade needles, and an even smaller pair to test drive. ed is my hero! these are exquisite. i am totally switching to these needles for the orchid scarf.

ok, so remember the other day when i told you i was picking up a surprise while i was away? saturday morning my mom and i got in the car and made the trip to bethel, vermont to pick up this

isn’t it great? and big? you should feel how fast it spins—juno is so right; it does grab the wool right out of my hands and i will have to put in some practice to make myself bend to its will. it ifor making fine yarns.

it has lovely features

like cast-iron fittings and treadle

but a modern flyer, which is nice. this guy needs a good bath and a massage, which i am hoping to do later this evening, if we get in from the garden early enough (we’ve been planting). the poor thing has wood that’s as dry as kindling.

oh, but what’s this?? one wheel isn’t enough?

oops.

yeah . . . uh, i had a little internet purchasing accident a few weekends ago. let me explain.

i had just sent the check off for the merlin tree wheel when this other, incredible wheel came up for sale on one of the lists. a rick reeves wheel. and it was going to be right on my way home from new york to pick it up—just 10 miles off of I-80.

what would YOU have done?? he-he, you can’t kid me.

special note: triple X-rated wheel porn ahead

now this wheel had regular massages—it glows.

(ok, let’s stop here a sec. i know these next few paragraphs are going to sound like gloating, but it’s not. seriously—i am in complete AWE that this wheel is in my house. every time i look at it i feel completely speechless.)

the footman alone is fetish-worthy.

but the mother-of-all . . . well.

all the parts turn and spin with nary a hint of friction. the surface sheen is straight out of the age of dutch painting.

don’t even get me started on the finials and other hand-carved details. i touch the treadle with my toe and the wheel spins for like two minutes.

and then, to top it all off— as if all that weren’t enough—it came with this

a free-standing hand-carved distaff, that also has an extension for the pole (which i couldn’t fit in the photo). want to see a close-up? trust me, you do.

i know, it’s amazing; let’s just comtemplate it a moment.

there are a number of matching bobbins and a lazy kate—all original. the previous owner purchased it from the wheel maker himself, and he threw in the distaff because he felt the wheel was flawed—one piece of wood on it has a surface crack that has never so much as increased in length over 22 years. she took wonderful care of this baby and i am ever so grateful.

so that was my weekend odyssey. last night we worked on getting our garden in and tonight we will continue that and hopefully finish the vegetable beds, at least. some knitting later, but i’m sure i will be tired by then.