SULTRY SUMMER DAYS

Hello blog friends

I've been away for a long time but always thinking I need to do a blog post before too much time passes by.

I had two trips since we last visited here on my blog.  One was our Days of Summer retreat in Sebring FL with our duClay EGA Chapter.  There we 23 attendees, some were mothers of members and a guest or two.  We had a super time.

My mom and I love to visit tea rooms and we have some favorite spots around the state.  Since we were planning to visit Winter Haven on the way to Sebring we stopped and had lunch at The Twisted Teapot.  It was a lovely home converted to a tea room. 

 We had a nice lunch there before moving on to the real destination 4 Purls Yarn Shop.  Yes I was here two years ago and MY MY MY  - I knew it was a must stop any time I am in that neck of the woods.  It is definitely in my top 5 shops I have ever visited anywhere in the country.  It's owned by a sweet family - father mother and 3 children.  Two of the daughters have their own dye company called Emma's Yarns and they just went national with their product.  They also have a cool yarn truck they take around the state of Florida so check their website and maybe they are coming to a town near you.  Even the truck is worth driving for.  Did I get yarn - Yes I got yarn but somehow don't have any photos of it.

 Inn on the Lakes in Sebring is a great location for a retreat or workshop.  I've said many times before I've been going here for years for rug hooking workshops.  Here is a shot from our balcony - lovely but SO HOT!

on the way home my mom and I visited another favorite tearoom , Erika's Tea Room and gifts located in the cute downtown of Clermont.  not far off US 27 and not even far from the south side of Disney.
Erika and her mom have a great place.  She has the most awesome collection of tea pots, tea accessories, tea sets of any shop I have ever been to.  Yes I did add to my collection.  I'll show you sometime when I actually unwrap the tea set from Ireland.  Someone said why are you never in any photos - well here I am !  I usually take the photos.

One of the few stitching things I have finished this summer.  This is Fragments #1 2018 series and was actually finished by Vonna - The Twisted Stitcher.  She has already closed her finishing for 2018 sorry folks but Vonna has some awesome tutorials to help you finish your own items.  If I can do it - you can do it!  pick something small and easy and give it a try!

 As my long term blog followers know - I knit every summer with a group of friends doing a virtual "camp" with The Loopy Ewe a great shop in Colorado.  This is my July finish which I actually took with me to Sebring to finish up.  The pattern is Therapy and don't we all need some THERAPY!!!  The yarns is Woolen Boon for the overdyed blue and the solid blue and orange is Spud and Chloe Fine.  NO this is not a Gator scarf !!!!!  I might lean towards being an AU scarf but I'm really not into football at all.
  I love knitting - my eyes are so tired from being on the PC all day that many (most) nights I dont' feel like working on linen.  Yes I have great lights - all kinds - yes I have prescription glasses to help me - Yes I have dropped back to only buying 32ct and lower linen.  I must admit - I am enjoying canvas work so much more than stitching on linen.  It's a sad fact but I just don't get done what I once was able to get done.

In August - we took our annual family vacation with my folks to the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area of Tenn.  Yes we have another favorite tea room there called the Wild Plum - it was far too hot to enjoy anything but their special wild plum iced tea - I think DH drank about 4 glasses.  Wish I had one right now!

We were there for opening day of a smashing new restaurant in Sevierville called Five Oaks Farmhouse.  WOW - the wood was new and it smelled wonderful.  Look at that 40ft ceiling and those gigantic beams.  The food was quite good too.  We wished we could make it back there for breakfast but so much to do so little time.

The outside of the farm house with my folks and DH.

 On the way home - we pass Elberton Granite Museum every year.  For 30 years we have passed this little museum by.  Most of the time it's not open but this time it was and we decided to stop and take a look.  They have a huge amount of granite quarries in this area of north Ga.  This is also the area where the Georgia Guidestones are positioned.  We've been to this mysterious site purported to be America's Stonehenge.  I don't know about that but who commissioned them is a mystery and they do have an ominous warning for the world.  Ever in the area - I suggest checking both of them out.

 And the finale - Camp Loopy 3 - this year is in the bank so to speak.  Last year I didn't finish the 3rd challenge but the owner changed the rules this year making it a choice to pick the yardage you want to knit for each month of the challenge.  Traditionally August was always 800 yards minimum and that is just really tough for me.  I'm glad I could choose 600 yards and make it work.  Pattern is Amery on Ravelry for any knitters out there and the yarn is Malabrigo Rios. 

Last but certainly the most important thing in the post is my dear mom's birthday.  My DH looks like he is about to dump that plate of cupcakes into the floor but he didn't and we ate them up !  I posted this photo on FB and I got comments from so many of our great friends, my mom is not on FB so I showed her all the greetings .  Blog friends and FB friends are just as real to me as my local friends, all important to me.

I love reading your comments but we are all getting less and less on our blogs.  please do take a moment to leave a comment.  Until we meet again in sweet September!