Gone fishin'

Literally.

We are taking a week off for our first family vacation to have some family time at the lake!  What's this mean to you?  Well, any orders placed at Simply Socks Yarn Company from the afternoon of Friday, July 17 through Sunday, July 26 will start to ship on Monday, July 27.  I greatly appreciate your patience as we close up shop to take advantage of this lovely midwest weather and sit our bottoms in a boat and fish (or knit... or keep a certain toddler from getting into trouble).

I'm happy to tell you that my entire Sock Summit booth (and it's quite fabulously fiber filled... try saying that five times) is already waiting for me in Portland, which means that there's now huge load off my mind.  Perfect time for vacation, right?  If you are going to the Sock Summit, I can't wait to meet you!  The Simply Socks booth is right off the main stage, in booths 523/622 (one big booth).  So please stop by and say hello!  being a work-at-home-mom doesn't allow me to go to knitting events that often, so this is really special for me.  Simply Socks is sponsoring this wonderful convention of knitters, so I have to go, right??  I get to chat with you and get to know many of you through e-mail, this blog and Ravelry, but that's just not the same as acutally meeting someone in person. 

I'll be welcoming special guests at my booth during the Summit.... Come meet Beth Casey, owner of Lorna's Laces!  Laura Nelkin of Schaefer Yarn will grace us with her company as well!  You might also catch a glimpe of Chuck and Robin, the husband-wife team of Pagewood Farm. Buffy and Don from Shelridge Farm will have their own booth at the Summit (right off the main stage like me), as will the dyeing duo from The Unique Sheep and Babs of Miss Babs Fiber Goods.  So please visit them as well!  And I have a few surprises up my sleeve... special yarn from Dream in Color and special pricing on various goodies.  And if you don't get to come to Sock Summit, no worries, I have some special things in store for you when I return!

I'm going to try and do a picture post during the week I'm gone.  Til then, leave me a comment below before midnight on July 26, and tell me what is the best vacation you've ever taken.  I'll choose one person from the comments to win two skeins of Alchemy's Juniper sock yarn (new colors will be coming soon).

Comments

[alice]

In 1998 or so, I developed an urge to see the Bay of Fundy. So, by myself I drove from CT to Maine, took the ferry to Nova Scotia, and drove around for about 10 days, staying mostly at B&Bs, hiking, eating, driving around, watching the tide rise and fall. Since then, I've been back several times, but that was my first serious solo vacation, and it was liberating to realize that I could do it and have a good time. (And I bought my first sock yarn ever at a yarn store in Nova Scotia!)

[BunnyQueen]

Up until this past fall, I would have said my best vacation ever was in 1982 when the family was stationed in Germany and we went camping for 2 weeks. The weather was beautiful; I had my parents' undivided attention; I got to crawl around historical buildings; and two of the nights we were out we saw the most amazing lightning show. There was no thunder or rain, just an inverted bowl of lightning over the midnight sky.

Then there is this past September when Joanna and I made time at the front end of a business trip to San Diego so that we could get married. What an amazing week! And now that the CA Supreme Court has decided that we are *still* married (at least in a few states and countries) I am even happier.

[Rasa]

My best ever vacation was a cruise and land tour in Alaska 4 years ago. It was a trip I had talked about taking for about 10 years. The sights were breathtaking! It was soooo worth it!

[mwknitter]

The best vacation I ever took was back in my hippy days. Several of us took off in an extended van that one of the guys owned - he had spent about a year installing a propane stove, icebox, sink, shelves & 2 short bunks (for his 5 & 6 year old boys) with a table in between. We left the weekend of the 4th & spent the entire summer camping out - we bought a Golden Eagle pass so we could camp free in every national forest & gas & food were a lot cheaper then. We made a big circle from Madison Wi through La Crosse & out west. That was the first time I ever really appreciated the "amber waves of grain." We went through the Badlands, the Wind River, the Rockies (Yellowstone, Glacier Natl Park) on the way to Seattle. Spent a week there with friends then down the coast to the Bay area where we met my brother's plane (Uncle Sam was planning on shipping him to Vietnam - we took care of that.) then back through Death Valley, Yosemite, the Painted Desert & Colorado. We hit just about every major national park & every state except Utah (that's still on my list of must visits.) It was amazing & beautiful & a never forgotten trip. Next after that would be the train trip to San Francisco I just took in March. You get to see scenery that cannot be seen any other way - the train goes through narrow gorges in the Rockies that are too narrow for roads. Fantastic! I envy Rasa - Alaska is my dream vacation! Congrats to Bunny Queen - hopefully it won't be that long before your marriage will be recognized everywhere.

[Rachel]

My favorite would probably be last vacation I took before kids. (was planned as a 'big' vacation because we knew we wanted to have kids soon) We hung out in Seattle, camped out in Olympic national park and spent a day in Victoria BC.

[Vickie]

My favorite will sound very mundane compared to all of these, but here goes. Several years ago, my husband and I took a week off work together in the middle of February. It was very cold and snowy and we didn't leave the house for a week. We had laid in a good supply of junk food, Mystery Science Theatre 3000 DVDs, and fiber. We knit (he knits too!) the whole time while watching birds in the snow. It was the most relaxing and renewing vacation I've ever had.

[Janet]

Our 30th wedding anniversary cruise to Alaska. It was like entering another world being on that ship for seven days. No kids, no worries, no interfering job. True bliss! I wish I could have stayed on the boat forever. The scenery was breathtaking, and the ports so interesting and fun. Not to mention the fabulous food and drinks on board the ship. It makes me feel good just to remember. It's the only vacation which I have been truly almost sad to return home from, even though I missed my family. Everybody should go at least once.

[Julie]

The best vacation I've had was driving, with my hsuband from California to NY (and back) to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. It was a year after 9/11 and we had no idea what to expect. We got very lucky and stayed at a hotel on the route. My kids went with us, though they flew in and then home. I was in my late 40's and my kids were in their 20's...so it was wasn't a trip for the kids it was a very special trip for mom. We have been many places together but this was our best vacation yet.

[Nancy]

The best vacation we ever took was just my husband and me, after we became empty-nesters. We went to Walt Disney World in Florida, and it included a 3-day Disney cruise! We had cruised before, so that wasn't new, but it was a totally different kind of cruise with Disney. It was just too short. We had plenty of time to visit all the rides and attractions and came home tired but happy.

Have fun on your vacation. I'll see you at the Sock Summit!

[Lynn]

I'm so glad that things are falling into place for you for the Sock Summit. That way you really can relax during your vacation.

As far as my best vacation, it was my 10th anniversary with my DH. We knew that we'd be starting a family soon and wouldn't have too many vacations left by ourselves. We went back to the cabin we stayed in on our honeymoon and it was so relaxing and fun. As it turned out,it really was our last major vacation before we bought a house and had our son.

[Kay]

Hands down, my best vacation was my honeymoon in Cancun. I miss those easy, peaceful days. Kids are hard work and a huge blessing all in one.

[Jan]

Thanks for the contest! My favorite vacation is at the timeshare in the mountains. Very quiet, late fall, sometimes chilly, sometimes warm. A good view of the stars and Milky Way that I can't see at home in the suburbs. A fireplace. Walks in the woods. Very nice!

[ksh]

My best vacation is one my husband and I take as often as we can - usually once a year or so. We drive to Cambria, CA (on the central coast, about 4 hours south of SF) and spend several nights in a B&B right across from the ocean. We walk on the beach and around the little town, and spend lots of time just relaxing. Our first visit was on our honeymoon 17 years ago, and we're about to head back this weekend.

[Veronica]

My favorite vacation was 5 weeks in Arizona and New Mexico (okay, technically it was a summer university trip). Hiking in the most gorgeous scenery, visiting national parks, seeing historic sites, meeting all kinds of people, eating fantastic food, going to rodeos and dances, and just generally drinking it all in before one last night in Las Vegas!

Hope you have a lovely vacation!

[Sarah]

Best big vacation - Yellowstone National Park in September with pre-schoolers. My cousin was married in Jackson Hole, WY when my kids were 3 and 1. My sister's family and I extended the wedding weekend with several days at Yellowstone. So many great moments, but the hands-down funniest was the very serious Parks Guide talking about one of the sulfur vents and my 3 year-old daughter, in her best Boston accent, shouting "pee-ew who fahted?!"

Best annual vacation is our escape to my grandparents cottage on a lake in Central NY.

Thank you for prompting the memories that make me smile. Have a wonderful trip.

[Rita Hartman]

The best vacation was over Labor Day week 1994. I had been with my boyfriend (now husband) for about five months and we were head over heels for each other. We both were due for a vacation and decided to go to Niagra Falls and Maine, which was a first for both of us. We stayed in some lovely B&Bs, had wonderful weather, saw incredible scenery, were awestruck by the falls, played in ocean, ate at a quirky lobster shack (the loster was AMAZING!!), visited many iconic lighthouses, and made memories that have lasted us through the child raising years when we have had limited funds for vacations. We talk of returning to Maine and someday probably will, but that trip was special because we were young, adventurous,and in love.

[ikkinlala]

I hope you have a wonderful vacation!

I'm not sure what my favourite one was, but one of the best was when I took a bus trip to volunteer at a music festival.

[Brenna]

My best vacation so far has been the 3 days I took to Portland last year. I had 3 days of hanging out with friends. I got to visit new places and took my first trip by myself, where I flew by myself both ways.
Now I get to go back this August and I'm taking my husband with me, to explore a place I've fallen in love with.

[Rachel]

My favorite vacation was a trip to Colonial Williamsburg with my family and grandparents. I learned a lot about my country's history, and gained a better appreciation for the freedoms and opportunities we, as 21st century uSA citizens, enjoy.

My favorite part was wearing a red with black trim cloak that my grandmother had given me, and having one of the costumed interpreters ask if I had gotten it in a Colonial Williamsburg shop! *giggles*

We spent about a week there, and had a BLAST. :)

[Ruby Louise]

Have a great trip!

My favorite vacation was a week I spent in Florida with my sister this past January. We rented a convertible and drove everywhere with the top down, even when it was chilly. The vacation culminated with us walking the Circle of Life 5K race on my birthday.

[Renee']

Hawaii - Took the kids (three daughters) the year after my husband and I went (and bought a timeshare). It was great - the kids had started moving out of the house, college and all of that so it was so much fun to show them our favorite place on earth!

[Marylu]

My favorite vacation was last year when we took the family to San Diego. The boys absolutely loved it, and so did we. What a gorgeous location - definitely heaven on earth!!!!

[jenny]

For our honeymoon, my husband and I drove down to Florida and stayed at a hotel on a state park. We went to the beach every day, turned off our cell phones, ate fresh seafood, and accomplished nothing at all. It was wonderful.

[Connie]

The best family vacation we have taken was to the Outer Banks with college friends and their families. It was very fun - we live in MN so getting to the ocean was wonderful. The best couple vacation we have taken was to Hawaii - sadly, that was 11 years ago!

[Buster]

The best vacation ever was the one my husband and I took to Moab, UT this past spring.

I had just been laid off, which isn't as terrible as it sounds, because I was MISERABLE in that job. The kind of miserable where I cried every day on the way to the office. So there I was, feeling like I'd been sprung from prison. He had a bunch of vacation time to burn and a yen to go mountain biking, so we piled into the pickup, tossed our tent in the back, and just started driving. We had a great time, hiking and biking and lounging in the desert.

[Laurie]

My fondest vacation memories are from childhood. My dad was a farmer, so our vacations were never "planned". We had to wait for it to rain "at least 2 inches" at one time during the summer, and then it would be a mad dash get five kids and two adults packed, all the fishing equipment and luggage for those seven people into our station wagon and roof carrier and hit the road for Ruidoso, New Mexico, Lake City, Colorado or some newly discovered lake in Texas that might have fish in it. I am sure we were quite a sight to see going down the road - car stuffed to the gills with kids and our "stuff", all five kids pumping their arms every time we saw an 18-wheeler to get them to blow the horn! We never caught many fish and still laugh about the "family fishing curse", but what wonderful times and great memories!

[Rachel Hartman]

The best vacation I've ever had was going out to the West Texas mountains, where my husband and I spent an extended Valentine's Day weekend in a little log cabin named Running Water, because it was located near a creek that ran through the resort. We were the only visitors there that weekend, which meant we really felt like we'd gotten away from it all.

[Diana]

Hard to decide, but I think I'd have to go with our trip to England the summer I was 12. We spent almost two months there, so had lots of time to drive around and see the sights, and also to get a feel for what it was like to live there as opposed to being a tourist (not that there's anything wrong with that...). The week before going to England we spent with friends at their beach house on Camano Island in Washington's Puget Sound, and that was also wonderful--we caught our own fish and crabs for dinner, and swam in the ocean every day. I've loved both parts of the world ever since.

[Marty Reyburn]

We drove our "new" Ford van, hauling a pop-up camper to Yellowstone. We'd packed our four sons & gear, two dogs and ourselves. Coming out of the Rockies in Wyoming, we stopped at a camper park overnight and found we had NO BRAKES the next morning! A scary biker-type dude (who was really very nice) at the local Ford garage pointed us down the road to Cody, Wyoming. He even called ahead to let them know we'd be there. That garage not only fixed the van's brakes, they coddled our dachshund and rottweiler and gave us a ride to the Wild West Museum where we spent a completely unplanned but awesome day at the best museum we'd ever visited.

[Diane Salmirs]

My favorite vacation was actually my honeymoon back in 1999. We went to DisneyWorld without the children (we each have one child) for an entire week. We did the adult things like massages and a fireworks cruise (to Epcot Center WorldShowcase). We had a 7-course 2-hour dinner at Victoria and Albert's at the Grand Floridian Resort. And the favorite part was a 6-hour tour of the Magic Kingdom, including under the theme park! It was amazing!

[sprite]

I hope you're having fun!

My best vacation was my first trip overseas -- two weeks in England and Wales just before Thanksgiving, 2001. Hardly any rain and generally just a lovely time. The most relaxing trip was a long weekend to Zion for a wedding. The couple led hikes, the wedding was charming, and the scenery breathtaking.

[Becky]

Before I started law school, my DH and I a last hurrah trip to Chile & Peru. In the end we referred to it as our Gran Adventura because of all the highs, lows, and general craziness. It was an awesome trip with highlights including Macchu Pichu and a private tour of an alpaca yarn factory.

[iris a/k/a risiko]

best vacation ever was the week i spent on St.Maarten, (i went snorkeling with a clone of Jacques Cousteau,really, he was amazing )and then one day we sailed over to St. Barts and it has the most amazing cheerful, flower filled cemeteries and i thought, yeah, i could die here and still be happy.

[Carmen Rigby]

The best vacation EVER was one I took when I was 17 years old with my husband. We were NEWLY weds and the world was our oyster! We drove from North Carolina to Florida in a night and slept on the beach the next day. We went sight seeing, beach combing...whatever we wanted for 2 whole weeks! There was no stopping us then. ;) Looking back, 16 years and 4 kids later, my husband I look fondly on that vacation, being alone-together, free as birds. :)

[Laurie]

That's easy. The best vacation I ever had was SOAR last year. It was like summer camp for adults. New spinner buddies, lots of laughter, learning new things, stretching skill levels, it was wonderful.

[SusanB-knits]

One of the best vacations ever that we took was to Las Vegas for the Star Trek Convention! Not only did I get to see the sites of Las Vegas and take in a couple of shows, I got to go to the ST Convention. I visited the bridge of the Enterprise and took a shuttle which was chased by the Klingons. The Borg tried to assimilate me. We ate at Quarks Bar and was harassed (not really) by some Klingons. And the highlight was having my picture taken with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy!

[Debby]

The best vacation I remember was when the kids were in their teens and we couldn't afford to go anywhere and spend the night, so we did a week of one day get-aways to places that were only a couple of hours away. We made it to the Ohio Caverns, Metamora, Connor's Prairie, and the Studebaker Museum all in one week. I think the kids enjoyed it. I know my husband and I did.

[Cynthia Caron]

Georgetown, Maine: no gas station, no traffic lights, a general store, a lobster co-op and the ocean. That's town.

[Connie G-M]

So far, one of the best va-kays has been a road trip to Montana where hubby and I and my sis too volunteered at a fiber festival doing everything imaginable; rescueing orphaned kittens from under the steer scale at the fairgrounds, showing goats, laying out fleeces for judging. Exhausting but fun! Afterwards we dug for crystals and panned for garnets. The best of times with my two favorite people in the world!

[Katie]

I LOVE cruises. My best vacation would have to be one of the ones I have been on. Well, probably a combo of more than one of the cruises... some things were awesome about each of them, but some things weren't as good... :)

[Stacey Rogers]

About 4 years ago my husband, my 2 daughters and my oldest daughter's boyfriend went to Colorado Springs from western Kentucky in a van we borrowed from my husband's mom and dad. We stayed in cheap hotels along the way and saw all the sights at every stop. We ate at local diners and hit antique shops. We went thru Kansas on the way and back thru New Mexico and Texas. We ate at the Big Texan in Amarillo. It was the first time that the girls and I had been west of St.Louis and the first time that Jason, my daughters boyfriend had been on vacation! I was amazed at the desert and that there was so much life in it. I thought it would just be sand! We went to the cave dwellings in Manitou Springs and I could not believe how cool it was inside them on such a hot day! I hope you have as much fun on your trip as we had!

[Carla]

My best vacation was one my husband and I took to this TINY town before dd was born. We borrowed a friend's cabin, didn't have cell phone reception, DID have a great view of the stars and the water (it was on a canal) I can't remember doing much of anything while we were there but it was oh so relaxing. :)

[joan]

My best vacation was the one my husband and I took for our honeymoon: San Francisco and Napa Valley. Loved it. Seemed like it was all relaxation and no stress. Ah.

Best vacation with 3 kids: CAMPING! Anywhere, anytime!

[Julie]

Best vacation ever was when the kids were young and we travelled to the English countryside. Beautiful area!

[mary r]

My favorite and most fantastic vacation ever was a train trip I took around the perimeter of America. Using a special Amtrak fare I was able to tour and see our beautiful country as I never imagined. I boarded in Princeton, NJ, went through Philadelphia where Wm Penn rules the skyline, saw the corridor through Baltimore and Washington, up to Chicago. Places I’d seen by car but looking so great through a train window. Then up through Wisconsin, across Montana where I saw huge ranches with real cowboys on horses herding cattle. Across the Rockies and through the tall pines of Oregon and Washington, down the Coast through California for my first sight of the Pacific. All the way down to SanDiego, then back upward through Texas where I saw real longhorns. Fell asleep watching stars in an observation car and woke in Arizona to a sunrise and magnificent saguaro cacti. Then back through Ohio and east to home. Always had my knitting bag with me even in the diners and lounge cars. Knitted the colorful sampler patches for an entire afghan on the trip. Sewed them together when I got home sweet home. Now when I use the afghan, each square brings back memories of the beautiful America I saw as I knitted it.

[Cecilia David]

The best vacation I have had is when we go to the Outer Banks and it is fun and sun as a family; knitting in the afternoon and walking the beach in the evening. It is just RELAXING>