Knitting Cybrarian

Traveling light?

I've found myself looking at luggage reviews a lot lately.  It probably started when my husband bought me a wonderful knitting bag for our anniversary/Christmas/Hanukkah:  The Tom Bihn Swift.  I LOVE this bag.  It's light, holds tons of goods, but is manageable.  And because it holds so much, I have to clean it out pretty regularly (receipts, etc.) and I use it as my purse.

I traveled to Chicago for almost a week in February, and I used the Swift as my purse then, which was great.  But what wasn't great?  I took my hardsided suitcase (called R2D2 by the airport staff), and wound up having to pull it up 1.5 flights of stairs at the Grant St. metro stop.  That's right folks, NO elevator.  Stairs only.  Ugh.  Lots of folks asked me if I needed help.  I thanked them, but no.  And I hauled that beast up the stairs.  While the wheels helped, it was still a heavy sucker.  I just checked eBags, and Samsonite's updated model of that bag weighs 17lbs.  Unpacked.

Ergh.  No wonder I'm always pushing the airline weight limit when I use that bag.  By the time I put in clothing (and yes, I make careful choices), my music (if I've got gigs on the other end), and a couple of pairs of shoes (those dang size 12s take up a lot of room), I've got quite a bit.  But this time when I *unpacked* at home, I noticed I had 2 shirts I hadn't worn, the swimsuit I took but didn't use, and the knitting project I took but didn't need because I didn't finish the other project I brought.  Hm.  Oh yeah, and maybe another item or two that I didn't touch.  Hmmmm.

So I'm rethinking things for longer trips.  When I'm going on a short trip, I either use my husband's bag (a cloth one made out of some rugged backpack type material) or a small rollerbag.  But for a longer trip of a week or so?  I'm thinking about what else Tom Bihn has to offer.  I've been looking at the Aeronaut, which converts into a backpack when needed.  I've also been reading sites like OneBag. 

I usually travel 3-6 times a year now.  I used to travel 5-10 times a year when I served on my professional association's board of directors.  And while I don't anticipate traveling that often in the immediate future, I also don't want to haul that danged large suitcase up 1.5 flights of stairs.

So, dear 2.4 readers, what is your preferred luggage method for travel?  Advice?

Oh, and I got a Tom Bihn Ristretto bag today and the wallet.  Can't wait to try them out!

Happy spring -- things may be warming up for the season here at last!

Long time, no...

blog. 

The rain is coming down outside, as it has off and on for most of the past week.  At least it's not snow -- we had about 6 inches of snow towards the end of March!

Spring here on the edge of the prairie is pretty, unpredictable, and rainy, or at least this year it is.  The spring flowers have held up well despite wildly swinging temps and snow, rain, sleet, ice, you name it.  Hopefully the fruit trees have too.

The other night 5 wild turkeys visited.  They didn't come onto our property, but just up to the edge.  This is the first time we've had them this close.  The neighborhood possum has gotten pretty fat (unless that's a momma possum expecting!) and waddles around close to sundown.  Joel gets tickled watching it.  We've got raccoons around too, and we try to keep the outside cat dish empty.  Mooch and Evil Cat still visit regularly, particularly Evil Cat. 

And did I mention the deer?  We see a group of 6 deer back of our property around once a week.

While I enjoy this, I do miss the mountains.  The mountains back home are covered in redbud and dogwood right now, with green shoots coming out too.  When I was a small girl, Mom and I would hunt and pick wild asparagus in April and early May. 

Thinking on green things reminds me that my mother's mother used to hunt herbs and such for home remedies -- I wish I had been able to learn from her, but by the time I came along, her eyesight was not good and it deteriorated even more with time. 

Knitting, what have I been knitting?  I knit a fair isle bag and felted it for a Spring Runway Show at the Studio.  The leather handles didn't come in time for the event, hence the twisted yarn handles.

I'm knitting a breast too.  Yes, you read that right.  I'm knitting a prosthesis for a dear friend.  Still working on a pair of socks for me, and a few other items. 

My grandmothers and an aunt tried to teach me to crochet when I was small, and all I produced were tightly twisted crochet chains.  Perhaps they'll forgive me that, given how I've embraced knitting!  I'm sorry they're not around to see and feel my handiwork-- or to try to teach me to crochet again.

Happy Easter and happy spring!