Ok, first of all my Socks Appeal Boxer post was meh…… sort of a Debbie Downer.  However, it was actually the highlight of an event that I attended this past weekend.  I’ve just been so tired getting back from it and trying to assimilate back into real life.  Just a peak at what I mean…

Once again, 3 times in a row attendee now mind you – The Men’s Spring Knitting Retreat 2010.  So many people have already blogged about it and I’ve read all of them and I just don’t know what else I can add.  As you guys probably remember, there was MSKR 2008, MSKR 2009 and now MSKR 2010.  Not only in the Spring, but there were also the fall retreats MFKR 2008 and MFKR 2009.  5 great great retreats so far.

So, how can I trump what the others have said…… I can’t.  Just that I had one of the bestest weekends again……

With bestest of friends:

The Good Side -

And the Bad Side -

Show and Tell:

The at the end – FOND MEMORIES TOGETHER!

I just got in from lovely rainy knitting-weather Seattle and back to icky yucky hot Houston. Boy, am I TIRED!! Was up at about 4 am and lost 2 hours coming back to Houston.

So let’s back up. For 5 days, I was in Seattle at the 2009 Men’s Fall Knitting Retreat. I didn’t get to take as many pictures as I would have liked to this time. I was more immersed in the moment rather than trying to capture the moment. So, unlike my other posts, this post will be skim on pictures.

Day 1 was awesome. Tired, but good. Flying always wears me out. I got in early and Chuck picked me up and we went yarn shopping. For the first time, I was at one of my favorite online yarn shop’s store front. Yep, it was Little Knits, based out of Seattle. Then we went to 2 other local LYS’s, namely Acorn Street Yarn Shop and Weaving Works. The one only really worth mentioning to me is Acorn Street. Just cuase, they are nice! I still don’t understand WHY LYS’s still have such an attitude towards men? I just don’t get it.

Anyways, not to dampen anything, we shopped, and then picked up John and headed out to Dumas Bay, where the retreat was held. Sorry, no pictures of Dumas Bay, but I’m sure the other attendees will have plenty. But Dumas Bay was great, I liked it a lot more than the YMCA last year.

So, I got to meet old friends like President/Founder Joe and new friends like the legendary Franklin Habit!!

Day 2 was some classes and then the main event…… The Skacel Tour!

I’m not even going to mention what happened there. It was yarn heaven! But it sure did put a dent to the pocketbook.

Well, Day 2 just didn’t end with the tour, but it ended with Cat Bordhi as our hononary female speaker. She was just so inspiring. And being booked up to 2 years in advanced, Cat was so kind to drop by to give an inspirational talk about men and their rise in knitting….. she thinks that MKR will defnitely take off and will be the next black!Day 3 was some more classes, and an Alpaca Farm Tour. Well most of you all know that I don’t really like the alpaca fiber and I had been to an Alpaca Farm before, so I skipped this and just sat around, knitting and bonding with the other men. And then Toots LeBlanc stopped by with more alpaca and then it was movie night.

And Day 4 was time to say good bye. This was sad. Like it always is.

So, there you have it a rather condensed version of the events that took place at this year’s retreat….. but I have not even touched on the male bonding, kinsmenship and emotions of the event. Rather than trying to express it in writing, I’ll let you imagine. I can assure you that it was just one of those feelings where words just escape my mind.

It was so great to meet the new people, the old people and to have them help enrich my knitting life and just life in general. Don’t fret if I don’t mention ya’ll here, you know who you are, you know you attended the 2009 Fall Retreat and you know that I love ya’ll. New friendships and old friendships, we meet again and part again till the next time. Love and many many kisses. xoxo

Oy Vey! I just got home from work today. Nevermind today, but let’s rewind a little. I attended the Men’s Spring Knitting Retreat 2009 over the weekend and didn’t get back into Houston till about midnight on Monday and had to work early Tuesday. Well, I just got home from work, pooped, but at the same time, I can’t wait to blog all about this weekend.

Like my post from last year…… I’m again lost for words. But here are some of the highlights of the event.

• I got to see my boys from California + Chuck again!!! I was so deathly ill during the Men’s Fall Knitting Retreat 2009 that I couldn’t bond as much with these guys as I wanted too, but being all well and healthy this time around, I’m so glad to have a chance to meet Kyle, John, Stephen and Chuck again.
• I got to meet pretty much everyone from last year again! My non-Cali boys! East Coast boys + Bob, Jeff and Joe from Florida.
• I got to see the president and the vice president again. Love you Joe and Ted!! xoxo
• I finally met Nanna Peter! The guy that flew in the furthest, from the Down Under. You were such a treat and I totally enjoyed your class.
• Good Easton Mountain living.
• Refreshing conversations with everyone. Picked up just right where we left off last year. It’s amazing. Plus new conversations with new people that I met this year.
• And most of all, I got to knit with my PEERS. MEN!!! No talk about divorce, pregnancy, child support, panties, periods or whatever women talk about. Not that it’s a bad thing, but it was just nice to be and knit with men.

I will leave you all with some pictures. It won’t be all of them, but you’ll get the idea. For more pictures, go to the Men’s Knitting Retreat Flickr page.

Whassup ya’ll?????

I know, I say I will post more often, but then I don’t. Then I say I’ll do it again, then I don’t. Don’t hate me. I’ve just been so gosh darn busy, work is going really good, I have so much to do with the new house, trying to fit that in with yoga and knitting and the dog…? Well, you get the picture.

But I’m posting today because I got off a little early. I came home to prepare for my little mini vacation back to Easton Mountain for the Men’s Spring Knitting Retreat 2009 (MSKR 2009)!!! Yep, it’s been a year and if you remember, I had such a wonderful time the last time and I don’t even know if I could expect any better this year.

I leave tomorrow, but not to Albany, but a minor detour to Vermont, where I will meet my buddy ol’ pal VTKnitboy and visit for a day. Then we’ll both drive down to Albany to the retreat.

I’m also kinda nervous this time around, because my dumb ass offered/volunteered to lead 3 yoga classes! I’ve never instructed before, have no idea how and I am soooo afraid that I’ll mess up. And I have to wake up at 7 am everyday to teach/lead it. No late knight knitting I guess….

Those of you who are going to the retreat and are reading this post and are going to take the yoga class, gimme a break in advance… ok?

So, there’s a lot more to post, but as you all know, I like to keep my posts short and sweet. Here are a couple of projects that are on the needles. After the Easton Square, I decided to start on some mindless knitting that I can bring with me on the trip.

Try and guess this one:

And this one:

Boy, I am so much better now, as I blog to you about a week since the MFKR. I wish I had more to say about the retreat, but I was so sick that I barely participated.

But in a haze of fever and drugs, here are some pictures taken from the retreat.

This is me right now…….

And tomorrow I have to fly out to San Francisco for the Men’s Fall Knitting Retreat 2008, followed by 2 more full weeks of work. I’m super excited but not so much about being ill. Let’s hope the doctor’s Super Z-pack kicks in tonight.

Wish me luck.

I don’t do goodbyes well. I am particularly guarded when it comes to emotions and letting them out. So, words will be limited in this post, just pictures that captured the camaraderie, love, passion, brotherhood and fellowship that went on this weekend.

Nonetheless, I will say this; it was a fu*king-fun-tastic weekend. There are people out there LIKE ME! I found my niche. I wish I had more time to bond with so many more of you, but I will have to accept that you will come into my life again sometime sooner than later. At least now I know what you look like and how to get in touch with you.

I’m not as eloquent as most people are, so I’ll just use words, and you can sum up the rest.
-Fun
-Happy
-Sad
-Love
-Attraction
-Commonality
-Brotherhood
-Fellowship
-Bonding
-Spirituality
-Heart to Heart
-Touch
-Nature
-Fresh Air
-Humbling
-and look under the dictionary for “mushy” and put all the other words in.