Happy 4th of July

Ten or even five years ago, the 4th would have found me listening to Bruce Springsteen (in my younger mind, the most American thing I could think of...) and planning a drive. But midnight on this 2009 4th found me finishing up my second knit hat. Tuesday I took a much appreciated knitting class at the yarn shop Loop (http://www.loopyarnshop.com/) and learned how to knit on circular needles. It was so nice to learn from an actual person, that I may be addicted. I'm hoping to take a few more classes.

Here is the finished pink wool hat (sitting upon the Declaration of Independence, and an announcement of Imelda Marcos' 80th birthday...) - just perfect for the beginning of July, don't you think?

I think due to my class, and watching the instructor's hands knit in the English style (I knit Continental), I was more able to easily produce this hat with two colors, knitting the darker pink holding the yarn Continental in the left hand and the light pink holding it English in the right at the same time. I dare say that I am getting faster at knitting, too. I used to wonder if that was ever going to happen. But like they say, Knit with Confidence!

A picture of me in my new pink hat. The sad thing is, I'll probably need it in 3 months... but today and its weather will not be wasted, after breakfast I'm off to the farm market and making a bean salad for a grill out later...and weather permitting (it looks like rain) fireworks later tonight with a boythat I don't think will be afraid for the first time. We saw a few last night, and he seemed excited. I think "WHOA" was the actual quote.

Happy July 4th!