Here is my finished Midwest Moonlight, the third item created for the secret birthday gift exchange that my knitting group started back in January. I hope to get a photo of the recipient wearing it. The gifts should be coming more frequently now since the last 3 recipients have birthdays in October, November and December.

I used about a skein and a half of Cascade 220 superwash, and cast on 33 stitches instead of 49, since the Cascade is thicker than the Green Mountain Spinnery Cotton Comfort called for in the pattern, and I didn't want the scarf to be too wide. The scarf was about 59" before blocking, and after a nice Eucalan bath and a stretch to open up the lace, it measured around 84". I really enjoyed knitting this pattern and am happy with the way it turned out. I'll definitely be making more of these!

Thomas the Tank Engine is visiting Strasburg PA this week, and since our 4-year-old is train obsessed, we decided to make the trek up there to check it out. My DH and I wanted to make the trip fun for the boys, but also as relaxing as possible for us. That means a peaceful atmosphere (i.e. not loads of other families with children, and a separate place for us to hang out after the boys go to sleep so we don't have to go to bed at 8 pm or sit in the dark and whisper to each other). After looking online and rejecting many outrageously priced suites, we ended up staying in the guest house at Penn's Valley Farm, which was reasonably priced, and suited our needs quite well.

The B&B is surrounded by farmland, and has a lovely porch with rocking chairs that looks out over cornfields. There is also a playset, which the boys thoroughly enjoyed. The guest house also had some toys and books to entertain the boys, which was great for us, since we had neglected to bring these very important items. The guest house has two floors, one with a sleeper sofa, a kitchen and eating area, and a television with a vhs/dvd player, and some videos and movies, mostly suited to children. There were homemade blueberry and chocolate chip muffins waiting in the kitchen when we arrived, and an array of cereals in the cupboard.

A winding staircase takes you up to the sleeping area which has farm animals stenciled on the walls. There is a twin bed, 2 double beds and a small crib, and a bathroom with a shower. There is a gate at the top of the stairs - a very good thing for small children, since the stairs are quite steep. Gladys, the baker of the muffins, also offers an optional full breakfast for an addition $4 per person. We decided to partake on our last morning, and are glad we did. She made sticky buns, scrambled eggs and bacon, and some other delicious looking baked goods that we were too stuffed to sample. She and her husband Melvin, the owners of the farm, joined us for the breakfast, and they were good company. The cottage cost us $80 per night ($70 base + $5 each for the boys), plus $16 for the full breakfast. We though it was a great deal.

And I got some knitting time in on the porch.

Nice view to knit by!

Tailored Scallops' sleeves are finished. Now all I have to do is knit the back, block it all and sew it together. If I were making this for someone who didn't have difficulty with her hands, I would probably gift a brooch of some sort to go with the sweater. I have thought about buying a Clever Clasp and seeing if I could somehow attach some beads and make a nifty, easy to close fastener for the sweater. Maybe I'll be compelled if the finished product is crying out for closure. Otherwise, it would probably be best to make the sweater as easy as possible for my MIL to put on herself.

Along the same lines, there seem to be so few products on the market that cater to elderly and handicapped people. iPods are a great size for those who are able to press the tiny buttons and see the small screen, but it would be great if there were some sort of a larger version so that those with failing eyesight and clumsy fingers could also carry some entertainment along for the ride.

I finished the left front of Tailored Scallops last night, and wound two hanks of Cascade into balls in preparation for the next part. I originally wanted to make this sweater as a Christmas gift for my mother-in-law, but if all keeps chugging along as quickly as it has been, I may give it to her as a birthday gift at the end of the month. My father-in-law is in the hospital with Guillain-Barré syndrome, and therefore my mother-in-law needs to live in an assisted living facility for a few weeks. She had a rough time last time she needed to stay in a respite care facility, so she may have even more appreciation now for a colorful, hand knit, lacy cardigan made just for her.