I saw this in the local paper today. Not that any of us would need any encouragement to knit in the great outdoors, would we? This description of the book tells more about it. Sounds interesting, though I’m not quite sure about the marshmallow pot holders…

One down, one to go:

DH is very excited by the first sock and can’t wait for the other to be finished.

I don’t normally read the forums on Ravelry because it’s just too much of a time suck. But the subject line of one thread in the Remnants forum caught my eye - Rash Knitter Makes Deal With Diver.

For those not on Ravelry, you can get the gist of the thread by going to the link that’s mentioned in the original post.

If you’re in Utah, and you’re a beef lover, RUN - do not walk - to the Tin Angel Cafe by the 17th. (Better yet, call ahead and make reservations!) They’re participating in the Dine-O-Round this year: a 3-course meal for $30 - salad, entree, and dessert (chocolate torte). You can choose either kobe* beef medallions or chantrelle-crusted scallops as the entree. Saturday night I went with some friends and had the scallops (which were very good), but after having a taste of their beef,  I insisted on making reservations for last night (Monday) as we left the restaurant. I had to go back and have an order of that beef all to myself. DH had no problem with that, as he loved the scallops and was happy to have them again. I’d never had kobe beef before, and at this price, it’s certainly affordable enough to try. Don’t expect a big steak - it’s just a few ounces, but it’s incredible. And it’s probably the kind of portion we should be eating instead of what we usually get in a restaurant.

The chocolate torte that comes with the 3-course meal is good, but trust me - spend an extra $2 and upgrade to the bread pudding.

If neither beef nor scallops tickle your fancy, check the link above to see their regular menu.

*Disclaimer: It’s technically Kobe-style beef, as it doesn’t come from Japan - it’s from Snake River Farms in Idaho, which is supposedly the leading producer of American-raised, Japanese-style wagyu or kobe beef. But it’s still awesome.

Spring is definitely here! I have iris in bloom (and yes, Susan, I even dug up the dandelions!)

Borage in flower (Gin & Tonic, here we come!)

And the promise of delicious berries to come!

DH is in the news today. Sweet!

First let me thank everyone for all of the lovely birthday wishes yesterday! Though I can’t help thinking that the best thing about turning 50 is that it’s better than the alternative…

But one bright thing about my birthday was that I finished the Austermann Step socks! And I also cast on for yet another pair of socks for DH. Seems that perhaps someone’s sock mojo has decided to hang out at my place for a while.

But the question burning in my mind is, would it be evil of me to flaunt the stolen sock mojo along with my blooming lilacs?

Pattern: My own - just basic stockinette socks. Eye of partridge heel, star toe, and 2×2 ribbing at the cuff. I started with 64 sts at the cuff, but decreased to 60 when doing the gusset.

Yarn: Austermann Step, colorway 10 - a gift from Carrie from her blog contest. Thanks Carrie!

Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm)

After spending a week in Georgia, I was anxious for Spring, and I hoped that by the time I got back to Utah, it would be well on its way. And so it was, at least for a few days. I snapped these photos the day after I got back:

The lilacs are especially for Margene, since she didn’t think they’d be blooming when I got back, but indeed they were.

Of course, then it had to go and SNOW on us yesterday. But I have faith - beautiful weather is ahead. The flowers tell me so.

I had a lovely week in Athens visiting my dad, and watching the NCAA women’s gymnastics finals (Georgia placed first, Utah second, by the way).

Since we were flying into Atlanta, we spent the first night there and did some sight-seeing in Atlanta before heading out to Athens. We toured the Fox Theater (I’ve wanted to do the tour ever since seeing an opera there years ago), the Botanical Gardens (where lots of flowers were actually in bloom, unlike certain places in Utah), the Georgia Aquarium, and the World of Coca-Cola. We had an absolutely fantastic dinner at Pano’s and Paul’s to cap off our time in Atlanta.

Click any photo for larger, as usual!

Cheryl at the botanical gardens	Orchid at the botanical gardens	Jellyfish at the aquarium

In Athens, besides the gymnastics finals, we enjoyed hanging out at my dad’s house watching the birds, squirrels, and turtles. With a landscape like this, I could spend a lot of time enjoying the view.

front yard	back yard

We had lots of good food (too much, as usual), but one of the highlights was a trip to Weaver D’s Delicious Fine Foods for some soul food. R.E.M. fans will recognize the restaurant’s slogan, “Automatic for the People”, which those Athens boys used as the title of their 1992 album. Clearly they know good food. As does Al Gore, who also borrowed the slogan. Everyone else in my group just had vegetable plates with 3 or 4 of the delicious vegetable side dishes, but I had to include some of the fabulous fried chicken along with my veggies.

Fortunately we got there before the main crowd, because by the time we had ordered our food, the place was packed. It’s a tiny place - the interior photo is pretty much the entire restaurant. What I tried to capture but couldn’t, was that the place was practically wall-to-wall people. There was even a college student there recording the sound for an assignment to gather background noise.

Weaver D’s Outside	Weaver D’s Inside

As a pre-birthday celebration, my father even opened up his last bottle of 1982 Chateau Talbot, which was positively ethereal. He bought a case of it in the early 80’s for less than $10 per bottle. Check out the current prices - it’s usually over $200 per bottle, so consider those first few listings a bargain.

I know it’s been a while since I posted - I was in Georgia for a week, and have been frantically busy since I got back. But at least I was able to get in quite a bit of knitting on the trip.

I made good progress on the Alpine Lace Scarf, and I’m really liking the bright coral color of the yarn:

Not shown are my Austermann Step socks - I turned the heel and am doing the gusset decreases.

My last one is actually an FO, not a WIP, since I finished it at SnB last night:

Pattern: Horcrux Socks (Ravelry Link), by Susan Lawrence
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Heather, color 403, 1 skein
Needles: US 5 (3.75mm) DPNs
Made for: My mom, if they fit her. (I couldn’t measure, as they’re supposed to be a surprise.)  Otherwise my husband has dibs on them - he has no problem with the lace, and they fit him well.

Modifications:  I made an extra zig (or is that zag?) for length.