Headed down south to the land of the Pines…

So, I’m going home tomorrow! It’s actually a very weird feeling, because I am so excited to see everyone in the States and celebrate Christmas, but I’m also sad to leave London. It’s weird to know that I won’t see my friends here for three weeks, or take the tube, or talk to my british friends about the differences between the UK and the US (that is always our favorite topic of conversation). I like it here. London’s a pretty cool place with pretty cool people. But I am actually terribly excited to come home. I’m excited to see everyone. Also I’m excited to watch TV on an actual television rather than on my computer, excited to drive a car (on the right side of the road), excited to eat my mum’s cooking, and excited especially to sleep in a house where my neighbors are quiet. All really lovely things. Anyway, one term down, two to go. 

Today, we’re having a knitting workshop. I am teaching some more girls from my course how to knit. I am incredibly entertained by their attitudes towards knitting. They clearly think it’s an old lady thing, but they’re so impressed with what I’ve made that they want to knit, too. The coolness of knitting has now crushed the stereotype, so I’m going to hold a teaching session. They’re lucky I don’t charge yet.

 

Happy 4th!

So I have to be honest, I’m not overly patriotic. I love America, I really do, but I have always dreamed of living somewhere else. Somewhere European, romantic, and steeped in tradition. I like old things, and things that are very traditional. America’s not old, but it’s old parts (i.e. plantations, pueblos, settlements) are really charming and I like visiting them. In direct contradiction to that statement, I appreciate America’s newness. I ( sometimes) like that we try to keep up-to-date with technology, that almost every American uses the internet on a regular basis, and that we are cutting edge in fashion and art (two things I really love). I hate that almost every american drives a car daily, myself included. I hate that we need things now and we cannot be patient for anything, myself included. I hate that our kids feel no connection to the food they eat, love junk food, and are obese (I’m not obese but I love junk food and feel no connection to my food). We do a lot of things wrong in this country. But it is a lovely place to live, with very friendly but independent people. It will always be my home. 

But back to knitting. I started working this week so I haven’t had a ton of time to knit. I finished my foliage hat. However, I knit it in red cascade 220 and I have red hair, so I couldn’t model it. I got my friend Liz, with her pretty blonde hair to model it for me.

I then made my first sock.

I cast on and made the toe of the second, but decided to stop there so that I could start a new project for a swap I’m doing. I have to mail the package by July 30th and this is not the type of thing I want to leave to the last minute. I am also doing 2 other projects for the swap that are not knitted but are hand crafts. I really hope she likes them. Back to knitting!