Rested, refreshed, relaxed, and well fed.

My little mini-vacation was the perfect mix of loafing, eating, exploring, sleeping, and knitting. Just the low-key refreshment I needed.

Chicago=public transportation + lots of lines, which in turn = lots of knitting! I cast on after lunch on the inbound train (The Southwest Chief), a couple hours from Chicago.

[I just have to give a plug for Amtrak, which I really recommend, especially if you can book early for the best rate. My round trip train fare was $120 after my 10% AAA discount, and adding a roomette on-board was only an extra $110. The roomette is a wee private compartment with facing chairs that convert to a sleeping berth (with another folding berth above, NXNW style). It includes your meals in the dining car, plus coffee & bottled water. You can spread out all your gear and really relax. It would have been a double deal if I had a traveling companion, because you pay per room, not per person–still including all meals for both of you. Waiting until you board to add a roomette can be a bargain, but it’s also a risk–on the way there, I saved about $100 vs. advance booking (though if I’d booked my room when I first looked up the prices, it would have been about the same, but I couldn’t make up my mind until the price went up–the prices increase as chunks of rooms fill up), but on the way home, there weren’t any left, so I had to slum it in a regular coach seat. But it’s a spacious, comfortable slum indeed, mostly quiet and plenty roomy, with seats that go way back and lazy-boy-type leg rests, plus a lounge to stretch you legs or get a snack. I brought my own snacks from a Chinatown bakery, thus avoiding snack bar abominations (except for some beer), and my ipod protected me from both noise and conversation.]

Once in the city, I took my knitting along everywhere. I knit in line, I knit on the subway, I knit watching TV (Jason & Shelly are on season 3 of Lost, doling it out to themselves an episode a night), I knit in the park, and I knit even more on the train home. On the way home, I didn’t have a roomette, so I knit even more.

I’ve got pretty much the full torso (which will be ripped back just a couple inches to spread out the last couple increases a bit more) and a full sleeve. There will also be a nice hood and a kangaroo pocket, if yarn permits (and I think it will). But my big questions are: what trim, and do I want a pullover or a jacket? I opted for a tailored fit, which I think might really want to be a jacket. But I’m not yet sure. I didn’t work in anything extra for a steek, but it should be fine either way.

Besides knitting, I did a little shopping, much sleeping and much eating.

I did a big sin at Loopy Yarns and bought $200 of yarn (and that’s with everything either on sale or with my teacher’s discount!) I absolutely do not need because I was feeling invigorated and expansive and inspired from all the productive knitting and the copy of Knitter’s Almanac I also picked up.

The Shetland will all become a fair isle sweater. I’m planning a Chicago themed motif (I like the notion of souvenir sweaters–this will be my 4th–and I think I should get more specific with them), maybe hot dogs, a skyline, cigars, and parking meters (there’s a current scandal about some shady dealings in council’s privatizing the city’s meters)? We’ll see what I can come up with.

The Lorna’s Lace might be socks or mittens or even a light, sleeveless sweater. The Malabrigo worsted will probably be a cowl. The Noro silk garden sock will probably go ahead and be socks (see how I like to pretend I’m this huge sock knitter whenever I go on a yarn bender?).

The Malabrigo lace….hm… I’m not sure about that one yet… at 470 yds/skein, it may well become something from the Rebecca kid mohair issue.

The frabjous fibers merino will shack up with something TBA from my fiber stash to be a cardigan.

And the Fisherman’s wool and Kroy Sock I picked up at Joanne, with the intention of making the moccasin socks from Knitter’s almanac as a souvenir for Ron after I gave up on finding him something. I’m going to carry them both together for some sturdy, manly winter socks. I have to say the colored Fisherman’s is pretty fucking awesome. It’s not fancy or plush, but at $9 for a half pound, I think it has a future in an aran sweater this winter.

And here are some of the things I ate:

I’m using today as sort of a bonus vacation day. I’ll pay bills and balance by checkbook, but aside from that, I’m just going to relax, clean my room, and organize my stash! Hoorah!