There’s Lots of Things To Do at the Zoo

Wasn’t that a Sesame Street song?  I looked up the rest of the lyrics but couldn’t find them.  I sing that song (but only that line to it) everytime we go to the zoo.

There’s lots of things to do
at the zoo

Did I just imagine that?????  Does that song not actually exist?????

Moving on….

We went to the zoo.  The Point Defiance Zoo  (and aquarium too!).  We had a great time.  I think we’ve officially decided that we like this zoo a wee bit better than the one in Seattle.  One of the biggest reasons is its location.  The zoo is on this little point that sticks out into Puget Sound AND you don’t have to battle as much traffic as you do getting to the other zoo. 

Plus, this zoo has the coolest aquarium.  There’s even a beluga whale that likes to swim up to the window and flirt with the kids.  Anna Grace thought that was way cool!

The scenery from the zoo is awesome.  From various places today you could see Puget Sound, Mount Rainier and Mount Baker.  Very cool.  Here’s some photos.

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Anna Grace enjoying the kids play area.

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Saturday Sky over Mount Rainier.  I had to darken photo a smidge to get the mountain to show up.

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Saturday Sky over Puget Sound.

After we left the zoo we drove around the point a bit.  Very pretty!!!!

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Saturday Sky over Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains.

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Saturday Sky over Tacoma Narrows (previously the home of Galloping Gertie. )

And now for some knitting…..

I joined the Forest Path Stole Knit-a-long.   This has caused me great stress.  I am now on my fourth (yep…. fourth) attempt and I am fairly certain that it is wrongwrongwrong.   The instructions are clear as mud.  In fact, mud might be a smidge clearer.

Now…. don’t laugh…..

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The instructions said make the bottom triangles… I did.  Then make the right triangles… I did.  Apparently, I wasn’t supposed to do that.  There is no close up picture of the finished work and no clear schematic.  I just looked on the website for the KAL and see that I don’t think I should have done the right sided triangles yet. 

Last night I had decided that if this thing went south on me one more time that I was filing for a legal separation.  I knit for peace, joy, sense of accomplishment.  I do not knit for inhumane amounts of stress and Gitmo torture tactics.  This stole and I are just having a lot of marital discord.

In truth, I think that my skill level and understanding of some basic concepts may be still at a beginner level and I may just not be ready for such a thing.  I know my blood pressure isn’t!!!!!! 

I did enjoy knitting the one fern diamond I did last night.  I tried to start another diamond but the nupps nearly killed me.   I am about in tears (and definitely thinking some unlady like words) over seeing that photo on the KAL site and realizing I have to trash attempt #4. 

Knitting is not supposed to be stressful.  At least not this stressful.

On to happier knitting….

I started a pair of socks en route to the zoo.

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And lookie there… dpns!  My #2 circular is busy torturing me with the project mentioned above.  So, I got out a 7.5 inch set of #2 dpns and thought I’d see how things go with Anna Grace.  I decided to learn the circular method because of a certain toddler who liked to steal dpn’s.  Maybe she’s matured past that.  We shall see.

I am using Fortissima (Socka) and really enjoying this very simple sock.  I think the pair will be gifted.

Tonight I will be cleaning off the TiVO (love doing that!) and knitting.  I may put the stole in time out or maybe I ought to just face it and destroy it one more time.  What I’d really like to do is just knit my little, sweet, well behaved sock.  Gives me the warm fuzzies just thinkin’ about it!

Toodles!

2 responses

  1. Poor Kris…let me help!

    You knit the border then…
    You knit 5 base triangles across the length of the border…then…
    You knit ONE right side triangle…then
    FOUR lace squares across the length of the stole for tier #1..then ONE left triangle and tier one is complete!

    Tier #2 will have the lace squares knit in the opposite direction of tier #1 so you will pick up stitches along the edges of the tier one squares to form tier 2.

    Follow the pattern paying careful attention to RS and WS and what actions take palce where and it will be a little easier!

    Also, look at the schematic, you only knit triangles along the edges to complete each row.

    How that helps, don’t give up! Email me if you need me!! :)

  2. Yeah – what Debi said. Poor Kris! take a deep breath because you certainly don’t have to frog the whole thing – just the unneeded right triangles. If you can get across just one tier you will have mastered the concept and from then on out it’s relatively mindless – except for the nupps! I have done a TON of those and feel qualified to advise because I’ve had my share of misery!! First of all, as I think was mentioned before, do k1,p1,k1,p1,k1 in the stitch, no yo’s as the pattern suggests. You need the stability that yo’s don’t give. And make them WAY WAY looser than you think is necessary! When you do the p5 tog on the next row, just be careful not to pick up the yo that’s after them. Once you get your needle through, before you actually purl, count the loops to make sure you got them all. And, to be honest, the Knit Picks needles are the only ones I’ve found that are pointy enough for me to do nupps without psychological damage. Good luck!

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