Kiss My Knits!

Yesterday, Turtlegirl76 and I went to the Charlotte Dragon Boat festival and had a great time!

We got off to a late start and compounded matters by overshooting our exit. Since that meant we were going to miss ‘s first heat, we decided it was a sign that we should go ahead and go up two more exits to visit The Needlecraft Center in Davidson. Turtlegirl picked up some Koigu and some Lorna’s Laces. That Lorna’s Laces colorway was particularly nummy, and I almost picked up some for myself. Then I came to my senses and remembered that my stash is already out of control. Then I lost my senses again and bought two balls of Rowan Calmer. I do have a project in mind for one of them. That’s my rationale.

Approximate temperature: Too Darn Hot.

So, we headed back down to the designated parking for the event. We knew we’d have to take a shuttlebus to the event, so we allowed a lot of time for the line and the ride. Man, did we underestimate how long it was going to take. We got in line at 11:10. We got on the bus at 12:10. I am not exaggerating. The kids in the line handled it with astonishing good grace, considering it was a long time standing around in a parking lot with no shade. Thank goodness I had slathered on some SPF 45 before coming. Of course, I sweated some off, so I’m still red today. I sent a very nice note to the organizers of the festival suggesting that while I understand they may have been caught flatfooted by how popular the event was, perhaps they should overplan for transportation next year. It’s a miracle nobody passed out – at least while I was standing there.

Yesterday was also Worldwide Knit In Public Day. Now for us, every day is knit in public day, so this was not a strain. Turtlegirl, always one to rock out with her sock out, passed the time with Cascade Fixation. I started Dallas’s Jayne hat. By the time we got to the bus, the hat was halfway done and Turtlegirl was at her toe.

Approximate temperature: 98.6 and rising.

We got there to hear the beat beat beat of the dragon boat drums. We raced to the water. Was one of those little dots in one of the boats our friend? Who knows? So we cheered anyway, just on general principle. Later we found out she’d been switched to an earlier heat, so we were rooting for total strangers. Oh well. We got some food – I had a good chicken satay in peanut sauce with the blandest rice ever. Then I snagged a cheap nylon parasol as a souvenir for Emily. It was the most useful souvenir in the history of souvenirs. Even if the only people using these were me and a bunch of six-year-old girls, I was very glad of the shade. Pictured at left, Miss Hmong, whom I took a picture of because her headdress had such a creative use of cheap pompoms from Michael’s, and also because she’s a Girl Scout.

Approximate temperature: Fahrenheit 451.

We checked the standings from the first two heats and discovered that hadn’t won. Sadness. But we wanted to seek her out anyway, to congratulate her on a race well run. At leat we assume it was well run, as at the time, we were in a freakin’ parking lot three miles away (we didn’t know it was that close) waiting for a bus. We found her, and after hugs all around, discovered that it was time trials, not a straight race, and she was, in fact, advancing! Yay! And that she was in the shade and there was room for us! Double yay!

Approximate temperature: Africa hot. Tarzan couldn’t take this kind of hot.

So we stuck around for her next heat, sittin’ and knittin’. We ran into Jeanette, another member of our knitting guild, who, along with her charming husband and child, sat with us. There was also a toddler behind us, who was charming until his mother vanished for at least 20 minutes and he began poking us for amusement. The poking was okay. The hitting was not. His grandmother finally showed up and put a stop to that. She took him to the water’s edge, where a lot of kids were cooling off.


Pictured below: dragon boats. There’s supposed to be somebody up near the prow, beating a drum for the rowers. Note that there is a drum in the water to the right. You can barely make out the orange life vest of the drummer, also in the water. Note to rowers: if you win, do not wave your oars in the air too vigorously.

Approximate temperature: I’m melting, I’m melting!



Yay! It’s Illiane’s turn! We hooted and hollered for her boat, in lane three. It didn’t help. Lane three didn’t do so hot. Having learned from our previous experience, we gathered up our stuff as quickly as we could and hotfooted it (literally) to the line for the bus. The line was much shorter this time. I think we only had to wait about 20 minutes. Funny how that hour-long wait put things in perspective. While on line, called. They had switched the lanes at the start, so unbeknownst to us, we were cheering for the wrong boat AGAIN. They were in lane five and had placed second! Yay! At this point, however, I’d gotten word that my daughter was ready for me to come home, and I also had a Firefly shindig I wanted to go to that started in about a half hour, so rather than wait for the final race we headed on out.

Approximate temperature: might as well be walking on the sun.

As we headed out, Turtlegirl suddenly said, “You know what I really want right now? Some soft serve ice cream!” When we found a Bruster’s ice cream shop in the very same parking lot, it was clearly meant to be. And so we paused for a moment in the blistering heat for some sweet relief. She had her soft serve, and I had a gigantic waffle cone of chocolate raspberry truffle. It was exactly as sweet as it sounds.

When I got home, I was wiped out and decided to skip the Firefly marathon. I ran a few unavoidable errands, like feeding the dogs of a friend who was out of town, then came home. Total hats knitted: two. The hubby and I closed the day by watching Seven Samurai in the cool, cool of our air conditioned house. Ah, Industrial Revolution, how I love thee. In spite of the heat, I’d go again next year!

Check also Turtlegirl76’s account of the day!

Approximate temperature:
It don’t matter what kinda lovin’ you’re into
Or how big your apartment might be
All you need’s an Air Conditioner
And you’re the man for me.