Look what I got!

I got to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium today with six children and my sister! Much hoo-ha ensued. I'm never going to take a walking toddler out in public like this without another adult who is not responsible for her own children (although my sister, "AnNees" to the toddler), is a true help with her. I just would have enjoyed another pair of free hands.

Nevertheless, the Ocean Sunfish had us cracking up. Fun fact? Beginning as larva one-tenth of an inch long, sunfish increase their weight 60 million times. This is one silly-looking fish. Then there were sea otters -- cutest faces in the Pacific -- and jellyfish, and that Great White Shark who cruises around and around and around, and the kids got wet touching rays and decorator crabs ("What you need in this grotto, darling, is more kelp! Maybe that frilly-edged kind. And while you're at it, maybe drape some fishnet around for an edgy detail. Got any anemone friends you could talk into moving in?" Heeeee.) and my favorite animal maybe, the Brown Pelican. They aren't in the aquarium, they're outside gliding around. I want to fly like them just once. Or maybe be one. I don't think they can knit, though, although there's room in that pouch for a whole lot of yarn.

After I got a rare cup of coffee-with-caffeine and the children played at the edge of the bay,it really was time to end this adventure. I didn't even look for a yarn store as our day wound down, though, which I take as evidence of my being completely overwhelmed by that point growing maturity and consumerist self-control. Plus, the baby was tired and we had a long way to go. And I'm not yet a brown pelican.

Me. See? No pelican here.

After driving in excessively heavy traffic both ways -- man, am I glad that commuting isn't any part of my life and yes, I know how lucky I am -- I got home to this:


Aha! My scarf exchange pal is more onthe ball than I am, and when I opened it I saw just how much more! Her very first lace project is in here. Say it with me. This woman sent me her Very. First. Lace. Project. I don't know about you all, but my first [successful] lace project isn't going off to someone I don't know. It's going to my mother, if I get it done. That way, I sort of get to keep it, you know, because it's my mother. Okay, no points for blathering about how fundamentally selfish I am. Maybe it's just because I'm not very lace-intuitive or something.

This scarf is made of Kaalund Yarns' "Classic Two," and it's made in a lace pattern called Fishtail. How appropriate is it that it came today? (Except the sunfish really hasn't much of a tail. Maybe this can make up for it?) The colorway, "wine," has all of Northern California's redwood country in it. Burgundy, like the redwoods, and a deep green, and a winey color I've seen on some suspicious-looking fungus. Anyhow, it's gorgeous.

And the other treats in the box -- a tossed-off facecloth. "Oh, it's only entrelac," I can hear her saying. Yeah, right. And it's only the first lace thing you've ever made, blah blah blah. Wrapped in that little trinket? Lavender soap. Nice lavender soap. And some lip balm -- locally made. Her local, that is. Sesame candy. Some locally made knit-related cards (whoopie! I can impose my passion on people from afar!), and a beautiful moon shaped Moon Valle Bees and Botanicals -- boy, did Stephanie nail me and my passions -- bar of lotion. My sad little cuticles and dry knuckles are, I think, purring.

So hey, Stephanie! Hi!!! Tell your friends I love it. Tell them to read my blog and leave lots of comments! Hi there, Stephanie's friends! Just another nut out here in knitblogland. . .

Ahem.

I finished these last night. If they didn't have the obligatory mistakes that I have to frog and redo so they match, I'd send them to my scarf pal. As it is, she's going to get something else to go with that scarf. I know what I'm going to do tomorrow.