Travelling Companions

So now that I've finished some basic housekeeping, it's time for me to select some travelling companions on my trip to Maui. My goal here is not to be too over the top. After all, I want room left in my suitcase to bring back a sizable amount of Kona coffee. If you've never had fresh Kona in Hawaii and you're a coffee lover, well, you haven't lived yet. There is almost nothing better for breakfast than fresh Kona and fresh pineapple... especially when combined with an exceptional eggs benedict preparation and an open air restaurant.

Mmmmmm.... I can almost hear the waves and feel the breeze. Soon. Soon. Soon.

So what's going along for the trip? It's all about scarves and socks, friends.

1. Artisan Merino from NZ. A lovely yarn I got in a trade from Emma. What could be more appropriate for a trip to an Island in the Pacific than yarn from New Zealand. It's a little bitty skein combined with a nice lace pattern. Should keep both brain and fingers occupied, especially when combined with my iPod and a couple of good audio books. Though I'll probably switch it to my Denise needles, just to make it more airplane travel friendly.

Soft and Purply Scarf Beginnings, Artisan Merino NZ Laceweight

2. Opal Rodeo Socks. Interestingly enough, this yarn also came in a trade from Emma. I've completed the first sock and have actually cast on and started the second sock. These socks have also been a bit of a revelation for me. I love the tubular cast on, but it takes too much energy for me to overcome the inertia of casting on a second sock. I'm thinking it will be back to my Twisted German Cast On for socks in the future. I love the happy colors in this sock yarn and now that I've gotten my second tubular cast on out of the way it should be pretty smooth sailing. Apparently others like the colors in these socks, too, as I can't go anywhere with them and not have someone ask to look at them! Should make for a nice airplane or beach project. I even have a chance of getting these finished, I think.

Opal Rodeo Socks

3. John's Trekking XXL Socks with Bosnian Toe. I've been working on these socks -- er sock -- for way too long. My wonderful husband certainly deserves at least one new pair of socks every year, don't you think? Especially when he actually picked out a sock yarn that is not grey and does not have a completely regular pattern. I'm not sure why I've been so lazy about getting these done except that they are just for big man feet on small needles. I'm not optimistic about actually finishing the pair while we're in Hawaii, but if I could just complete the first one, I'd comsider that a major inertial victory.

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Trekking XXL Sock Waiting for Finishing and Afterthought Heel

4. Hand Dyed Autum Leaves 2 BFL. I'm thinking that I really need to take some of my own hand-dyed yarn to Hawaii. It wasnt't hard for me to find a pattern that worked well with the idea behind the yarn. Barbara Walker to the rescue again! Can anyone guess which pattern I picked? Just a hint, it's out of the second volume...

Autum Leaves 2 Becomes a Scarf Swatch.
Can You Guess What Pattern I'm Using?

5. Habu Textiles KSH-like yarn. After being reminded of the Quick Lace Scarf by yesterday's post, I'm going to work on one for myself. How could I resist this cute little bundle? Certainly it will be easy on my suitcase!

Sagey Green Habu Textiles Silk And Mohair: Embryonic Scarf

As per usual, I suspect I am being rather over optimistic about what I can accomplish, but I always like to balance that with having a lot to choose from. And since I don't plan to go yarn shopping on Maui (I haven't bought any yarn since MS&W and I'm hoping to keep this resolution going until at least Christmas given the size of my current stash). I want to make sure I have enough goodies with me to keep me entertained. My Denise needles will come with me, as well. They're nice and lightweight and easily fit into one's luggage and don't arouse airport safety problems.

You're probably wondering why there's no mention of spinning fiber and spindles here. I've given that a lot of thought and decided that it's probably best to leave these things at home. The fiber takes up more space than I would like and spindles are not airplane compatible tools, by my reckoning. So I'll use this vacation as an opportunity to get back to bonding with my needles, knowing that my good fibery goodies will be waiting for me when I get home. That said, I did get a little spindling in while washing clothes for our trip.

A Little Silk and Cormo to Help Out with My Laundry

Oh, and I also got my computer "packed" and ready to go. No trip would be complete without a good complement of computer game entertainment. And I've got, for me at least, all the major areas covered. In the Strategy category, there's Civ III (how else to take on the husband in the quest for world domination?) and Railroad Tycoon III, to cover my adventure gaming needs I've got Myst IV: Revelation and URU: Ages Beyond Myst (with all expansions and upgrades) in preparation for the arrival of Myst V (it should be here by the time I get back from Hawaii), and of course, I could never leave home without a few entries from my favorite genre, role playing games, hence Neverwinter Nights (also with all the trimmings) and Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. LIke the knitting, only a few are likely to really get engaged, but I know for sure that if I left one at home, that would be the one I want...and what else are nice, fat laptop harddrives for?