Monday 22 March 2010

Tourist Socks

The past 10 days my knitting had to be portable so that it could accompany me as I guided the delightful Dylann (my niece) and the angelic Alina (her friend) around the sights of London as they used March break to escape from the stresses of grade 12.


We began with the obligatory bus tour. I'm a fan of the bus tour - it gives the new London visitor a good overview of the sights and I always learn a new fact (or probably more accurately get reminded of an interesting fact that I learned last time but forgot). The tour also provides 2 hours of knitting time so I cast on a pair of socks using a gorgeous blue, green 'Duet' yarn from the Swell Yarn Shop. I love Duet Sock Yarn - the colours are gorgeous and it's great to work with. I finished a few inches before the tour ended.


In order to keep the neat little rows of colour and avoid pooling I replaced my usual heel flap with a short row heel -- a first for me! I think the heel flap will still be my 'go to' heel but it's nice to have another option in the repetoire.

I joined the kids for some shopping, visits to the galleries (I love the National Gallery and the Tate Modern amuses/baffles/annoys me!) and at performances of the Lion King and Les Mis. But as I've visited all of the big sights once (or twice!) I fell into a nice pattern of guiding them to attractions, finding the nearest Starbucks (not really selected for the coffee, more for the comfy chairs) and knitting away happily while they toured the Clink Prison, the Globe, the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Madame Tussaud's, and of course glorious Greenwich Park.


This meant that by the time I packed them back off to Canada Dyl was not only well acquainted with the sights and history of London she was also the proud owner of two new pairs of socks. (The second pair was a pair of ribbed socks in DK weight yarn - Opal yarn. (I think.))

In return I had a week of a lot of laughs, lots of my favourite card game (and winning! Ha!) and singing our favourite songs.


A pretty good deal I think!

6 comments:

LittleBerry said...

love the socks and the stories that go with them...

nice to 'hear' from you too...

Viknits said...

Sounds like a great deal! I'll be watching your Queen with interest - can't believe that the Zephyr looks chunky compared to your yarn! I wonder what size needles you're using..?

Linda said...

Nice socks! I have never done the London bus tour.

http://leafgreenknits.wordpress.com/

Rippedoffknitter said...

Love the colours of the Tourist socks, do all the Duet yarns stripe that nicely? I just might have to buy me some and see for myself..

Batty said...

Sounds like a great visit. And she got 2 pairs of socks out of it, fabulous. That's what I call a souvenir.

Jessica said...

First time I read this it made me want to relive my week in London.

By the fifth time I came to your blog and the same post was still up I figured I'd better tell you. :)

It does sound like a great holiday, and I'm eagerly waiting to see what's happening with the Queen Susan.