Missouri is pretty darned flat. Not as flat as Kansas, but still. There are no mountains out my window this morning, and that makes me sad. (Although there was no Loopy in Colorado, and it’s nice to be back here with him. It doesn’t quite make up for it, but it helps.) 🙂 What did we find as we drove across Kansas? Wind Generators. There is a stretch of the highway with about 30 or 40 of these, turning in the wind. It’s kind of eery, actually. We saw a semi at a rest area that had one of the blades on the back of it and it was HUGE. They look deceptively small in this photo.
Vacation was wonderful! College Guy arrived on Thursday night and we whisked him off to Colorado early the next morning. (Then we arrived home late Saturday night, and he whisked himself back off to college on Sunday afternoon. Little time at home this time.) There was a lot of snow when we got there. This is out the back door and you can see how high the snow is to the railing on the deck. It only snowed once while we were there (of course the day we were snowmobiling at the top of the mountain in white-out conditions – more on that later.) I love driving around in Colorado and seeing mountains as you go down the road. They’re beautiful in summer or winter. I’ve been vacationing in Colorado for years and years, so it’s no wonder I like it there so much. (It helps immensely that my folks have a condo out there that we can stay in.)
I got lots of things done and had a great time doing it! Want my list?
Items knitted: 3 socks plus 1/3 of my Dream in Color Classy Sweater for the KAL. (And I can’t wait to get back home tonight and knit on it some more. I love it!) Knitting photos on Wednesday’s blog.
Books read: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccout, The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond, and Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together by Larissa Golden Brown and Martin John Brown.
Movies watched: A lot. But the two favorites were Freedom Writers and August Rush. Loved them both. (And of course we had to watch The Holiday for about the fifty-billionth time because it’s a favorite of mine and Knitting Daughter’s.)
Yarn Stores Visited: The Yarn Barn (Lawrence, KS) – a weaver’s and spinners haven, What’s Needling U (Frisco, CO) – very close to where we stay, so I go there every time, A Knitted Peace (Littleton, CO) – bright, airy, open and fun, Lamb Shoppe (Denver, CO) – a coffee bar and a dog with dreds – very interesting place, The The Cottage Yarn (Littleton, CO) – just a year old but a very nice gal working there and she gave us great directions to get back to the highway, Colorful Yarns (Centennial, CO) – little and packed with stuff. This was probably my favorite place because they had red couches (just like Loopy Central) and tons of fun knitting bags (just like Loopy Central!).
So back to the snowmobiles. We don’t ski. I tried it a few times and it’s ok, but I don’t LOVE it, so why do it? I do, however, like snowmobiling a lot! Here’s a photo of us going down the path. Actually, it’s nice and clear in this first photo. There were times when we were going down a very steep part of the path and I couldn’t even see because of the immense amount of snow blowing and falling. 
Thank goodness that KD was in front of me in a bright red jacket – I just kept my eyes on her and gunned it! (That’s either really stupid or really gutsy, I’m not sure. It’s probably really stupid.) And next time I’m wearing a hat under the helmet. I don’t think my forehead has ever been so cold and ice-pelted in my entire life. You can kind of see the whiteout behind us in the second photo. By the time we got back down off of the mountain, everything had stopped, the sun was coming out, and things were back to normal. Of course.
Now that I’m back to work, I’m sure there is one more list that you’d like to see. What is in this week’s Sneak Up?? Well, I can tell you what has come in while I was gone. About half of this will be up this week, and the rest next week. (WH needs to do the color correcting on all of this. Oh yeah, and he also needs to catch up on his own business and workload from when we were gone. Darn it.) So within the next couple of weeks, you’ll find: Rio de la Plata, Creatively Dyed (new indie dyer!), Mountain Colors (including some of their amazing solids), bellamoden (fingering weight), Perchance to Knit Lace, Spindle City Yarns (new indie dyer!), Tempted Glam Girl (the yarn with the silver in it), Zen String Lotus Toes, Claudia Silk (new to us) and Fingering Weight, Fiesta Boomerang and Baby Boomerang, Farmhouse Fannie’s Fingering, Hand Maiden Sea Silk, Fleece Artist Casbah and Sea Wool, Schaefer Heather, Anne and Lola (and we got such fun colors for you again!), more Red Canvas Sock Totes, Offhand Designs bags, and Go Knit bags in all colors. Whew! And you all know that there is always more on order and arriving daily, so who knows what else will arrive this week that might go up next week, too. Did I tell you they had to buy a bigger dumpster for our office building because of all the cases of yarn that arrive all the time? We kept filling it up …. Hee!
Sheri didlotsofcookingonvacation,too,soIhavesomegreatnewrecipestoshareinthecomingweeks!
Welcome home! What a terrific vacation. I need a larger place to store all the yarn I buy from you!!!! The photos are gorgeous and I can’t wait for the recipes.
Glad you had a good vacation Sheri, and I want to add that as much as I look forward to your personal notes on my orders, I was completely tickled with the note from the Loopy Elves! It put a smile on my face on a “not so great” Saturday morning! Thanks Loopy Elves!
Oh! I just saw the Knitalong book at my Barnes & Noble yesterday. Looks like a nice book (I liked the big section on the Knitting Olympics). I love the vacation photos – snowmobiling sounds like fun (minus the ice pellets for sure).
Will the dk solids in CTH be up this week too? I know you expected it before you went on vacation, but maybe that didn’t come in?
Wind generators are really something else, huh? I pass hundreds of them when I drive home to Lubbock, and they are amazing! I have seen several trucks hauling blades pass throughout out town, and it is hard to believe THREE of those things make up a wind generator…trying to imagine how tall the mounting poles are jut blows my mind!
What fun you must have had going snowmobiling! I have been on one a couple of times with my uncle, and they are a lot of fun! Not sure how much I would enjoy driving one in a white-out, however! Glad you all had a blast and stayed safe!
Ooooooh – what goodies we have coming for sneak-ups in the next couple of weeks!! Can’t wait to see what the new indie dyers have to offer!
It looks like a fun vacation was had by all – how wonderful!! And, I can attest to Kansas being very flat – I was born and raised there – I always find once you hit western KS, it becomes even more boring and flat, lol…we traveled that way quite a bit growing up as we had family in western Kansas. But, we also went to Colorado fairly often for my brother’s baseball tournaments. Ah, the good ‘ol days. : )
Its nice to see you back and how cool that you got so much knitting done! I finished the 4 inches of ribbing on the back on my CPH and that’s as far as I got this weekend…
Look forward to the recipes!! : )
Glad you had a fun family vacation, and had time for knitting, reading, and movie watching. I would have enjoyed the knitting and watching movies, but pass on the reading.
I think I’ll be in trouble w/ all the new things coming. I’m trying to pace myself.
Looks like you had a wonderful time. I’ve always wanted to go snowmobiling.
And I can’t wait to see some new recipes.
I’m glad your back. I’ve gotten very selfish and I missed your blog even though
the elves did blog for you while you were gone. I’m happy that you had a good
time. You deserve a vacation away from work. I can’t wait to see what you
knitted while you were gone. I finished a mobius and am working on some socks.
I work very slowly now, but happy with the progress. I’m not a big fan of
winter but the snow mobiling looked like fun. We have enough winter here.
I did get to go to Colorado and the mountains are beautiful. Welcome home!!!!!! I’m sure
loopy missed you too.
That sounds like such a fun vacation. I’ve never thought I’d be into skiing (due to sad lack of coordination) but snowmobiling sounds like wicked fun!!!
FYI – I made my husband a thin hat to go under his bike helmet with Claudia’s fingering. I think that would work for lining a snowmobile helmet, too.
OK Sheri, here’s my question….how on earth did you get all of that list done!!?? Wow, 3 socks and 1/2 a sweater, plus the books, and the movies!!!!!???? The truth is out, you ARE superwoman!!
Welcome Back! We missed you.
Sounds like a fun vacation, except I’m ready to go somewhere warm. I’m tired of winter.
I am glad that you like Colorado! Just can’t beat the mountain views! That is why we stayed and settled down here!
Also glad that you are back!!! Need More Yarn – LOL
I went to Davidson. After yesterday, I hate Kansas. It’s going to make driving to Iowa interesting ;>
What an action-packed vacation! That’s what I do too – try to cram in as much fun stuff as possible. And now you get to come back to the land of loopies! We missed you but we were in good hands with the elves – they sent out our sneak-up packages lickety-split!
Sheri
Welcome back. I am glad you had a good vaction I kept on checking your blog for updates. It is like chatting with a friend and I am glad you are back. I missed you!
I JUST figured out that you’re in St. Louis. I’m a Los Angeles girl who went to school in St. Louis and just recently (Feb) moved to Kansas City. I can’t wait to do a trip to St. Louis and maybe make an appt to come see the shop? Looks like a great trip!
Sounds like a great vacation! I did a beach trip a couple of years ago and knitted, read, watched videos and ate. It was so relaxing. I loved “August Rush” and “The Holiday” too. I’m envious that you’re working your sweater KAL. I’m hoping to cast mine on before Fling but it’s not looking good right now. I’m making sock 2 of exchange pair and have another sweater hibernating that must be finished first and then there’s the homework for Wendy’s class. Glad you’re back safely. See you at Fling.
Welcome home, Sheri! Sounds like you had a great time!
Welcome back Loopy Lady!
Love spindle city yarns! They are one of my favorites! AND my friend appears in August Rush & wrote two songs for the movie. Whoopie, lots catching my attention today, which is hard for a monday around here!
🙂
Sara
I’m so jealous! Looks like you had a fabulous time. And 3 socks, part of your loopy ewe KAL sweater, and reading and movies?? How did you do it all????? I finally cast on my my sweater. Mr. Greenjeans in the Pansy Go Lightly…coming along beautifully!
It’s good to have you back (at least for us)! It sounds like you had a wonderful vacation and got so much done! What sweater are you knitting for the KAL, by the way (or is that a secret until Wednesday)?
Glad you had a great vacation! Boy, how do you find time for all of the knitting? We were on vacation also (Smoky Mountains) last week and I didn’t get but 15 minutes of knitting the WHOLE week! It must be that you get that when the kids get older (mine are 9, 7, 5, & 2 1/2). Now, mabye I can get back to some knitting later this week.
I just saw August Rush too. I loved it…and I knit with my DIC all the while. No, I’m not part of the DIC KAL, but that’s ok. Looks like a great vacation. I’m not a skier either…never thougt of snowmobiling. I’ll have to try that.
I really missed your posts when you were gone, but I’m so glad that you had a great vacation! I’m jealous over all the knitting, reading, and movie-watching! 🙂
Glad you’re back! Let the posts continue!
Welcome home! You were missed, but I’m glad you had a good time. 🙂
When we lived in the Texas Panhandle we made Colorado our vacation spot of choice. We fell in love with Lake City, CO on our honeymoon and returned there many times.
In our part of Texas (San Angelo is on the far western edge of the Hill Country) there are wind farms all over the place. My husband and I think they look eerie, too. Also, they seem distracting to me when I am driving through an area with lots of wind turbines. Unfortunately, there is a “cost” to all types of energy and wind farms are not as cost-free as many people think.
Glad you are back and that you had a wonderful vacation!
YES the Holiday! One of my new favorite movies. I adore her wardrobe in it. AND I desperately want that white cabled sweater she wears. *LOVE* it.
I’m glad you had a wonderful vacation. I can also attest to the flatness of western Kansas; I spent my college years in Hays (between KC and Denver on I-70). It’s nice to see that something productive was to do with all of that wind that was constantly blowing.
Speaking of wind turbines, a local ski resort in MA put one up last summer. The proprietors hope to be able to rely on the turbine for a lot of the power needed to run the resort. I think it’s one of a very few in this area
Welcome back, Sheri!
Sounds like a wonderful vacation, filled with all the right things!
I love the mountains too. We don’t have any here in CT so we go to NH to see ours! Funny enough, to a place called Littleton! 🙂 I sure don’t get that much done though. I think I have to start knitting in the car!
Welcome back! The snow is so beautiful:) and the snow mobil-ing looks like a blast!
Can’t wait to see the next sneak up…although I keep missing the boat and and have to look at the “sold out” stuff and oogle it!
Wow! You get alot accomplished on a vacation!
Yay for Mountain Colors solids! I am knitting a pair of socks with my last order of variegated Bearfoot and still think it is the yummiest winter sock yarn!
Welcome Back, and still crossing fingers for a coffee mug or two!! I may order 2 just so I don’t have to wait soooo long between the next shipment:) And when one is dirty I can still bring one with me to work yippee!!! Love Juli
Glad you enjoyed our beautiful state! While you were here , we were in Northern California. There’s a yarn shop in Mendicino that’s so much fun! Got one of the colorways from Jitterbug that you were out of stock on 🙂 otherwise, no need to shop much–I’ve got my Loopy Ewe connection!!! Jitterbug Dusk is lovely though!!
Looking forward to the next sneak up!
Glad you had a good time. We have friends who insist we need to go to Colorado…maybe someday!!
Oh, Sheri, We were there a week ahead of you. Wonderful sun and skiing out of Colorado Springs over Spring Break. I hated to leave. Glad you’re home safe and sound. I missed getting a travel mug last time–any idea when a new shipment might arrive? Love the new yarns.
Do you ever feel cheated when you have to cook on vacation? I love how everything is nicer on vacation. Less of my stuff cluttering things, people to fold my towels, and interesting new places to eat. No dishes to wash….
I guess my vacations are pretty high maintenance. Of course, there’s the mini-stash in the suitcase. Can’t vacation without some knitting! That, books, and tea I gladly take with me. Dishes stay at home 🙂
Welcome back. I so miss Colorado! I have a photo that I took four years ago at Keystone that looks almost exactly like yours. I had to do a double take. Nice to know that there’s a LYS in Frisco. My knees need a break from skiing after a couple of days. The Walmart wasn’t quite piquing my interest.
Interesting about the wind turbines. There’s a company here in central Ohio that’s trying to put some in. They are meeting with some vocal opposition.
I found cooking at altitude a bit of a challenge. Water boils at such a low temperature that you can stick you finger in it. It all boils away for me before anything is throughly cooked. That’s my story. Call Eric’s for a reservation.
Glad you are back and had a good time!
That was so much yarn to be updated it made me feel dizzy. (in a good way)
Nice to know that I’m not the only one who gets creeped out by those things. The scale bothers me — there’s a giant cell/tv/something antenna just north of me that I swear is just … it’s evil. Gives me the creeps. At least the windtowers have a benevolent purpose. I just don’t like being able to see them from umpteen miles away. They lurk on the horizon. (Therapy didn’t help me a bit, did it?)
I’m so glad you guys had a great vacation. Everyone deserves pleasant time away.
Yay Creatively Dyed! I met her at SAFF (and sampled the wares, of course). She’s wonderful and her stuff is too.
Glad you had a wonderful vacation. Colorado is beautiful. The Elves did very good while you were gone. Looking forward to the sneak up!! Good to have you back
I have only been to Colorado in the summertime, but we love it. The last time we were there we had a condo in Breckenridge–fun times. I absolutely love Frisco, my mom is always kicking herself for not buying a house there back when it was still affordable in that community. We have relatives that live there in Eagle-Vail. Michigan’s former President Ford also loved Co. I read both books. Jodi Picoult gotta love her. The year of fog was good but…..kinda slow and mysterious. Anyway good vacationing/book/movie choices! Welcome home.
Awesome pictures, now I wanna visit CO! Good to have you back 😀 I don’t like to ski, last time I tried I just walked down the mountain, granted I was like 11, ha.
So glad you had a wonderful time 🙂 I actually got to read for fun this past week as well…what a blessing and a return to the good old days before textbooks and required reading!
Can’t wait to see the recipes..as I start searching for housing in VA I’m quickly realizing I’m going to have to learn to cook…otherwise I won’t eat!!! 🙂
Have a great week…you made it through the first day back!
Welcome Back.. It sounds like you had a great vacation and look at all that lovely snow.
Welcome Home, Sheri!
It sounds like you really enjoyed your vacation. Loved the pictures and blog telling us all about it. I haven’t seen August Rush yet, but will soon. 🙂
Have a great week!
Welcome home! I’m glad you had a wonderful vacation and was able to do lots and lots of knitting. Can you send some of that snow my way? We’ve entered mud season around here, and it won’t be over until May. 🙂
Welcome back! You were missed. Your vacation sounds like a lot of fun — you packed a lot in a week! Can I go on vacation with you???
I loved Colorado. I only got to visit once for a friend’s wedding, but it was just beautiful (I was there in the summer though).
I need to be thrifty and save up some pennies for that Tempted Glam Girl. It looked like a lot of fun to knit with on Wendy’s Blog.