Two Goals

Taylor and I leave in one week on our Grand Tour.  I've got two goals to accomplish before then:

• Learn to post efficiently on my blog using a new piece of equipment.  Since it's been 3 years since I've written on the blog, many things have changed.  In addition to Blogspot changes, Taylor and I bought this ASUS tablet that I am trying to master.  It's got a tiny little keyboard - thank goodness, because the touchscreen seems very cumbersome to me.  The touchscreen is kind of cool, but not for typing.  Everything is a little different from using my PC laptop.  The tablet doesn't have a slot for my camera's memory card, so I've had to figure out how to download photos using a cable.  I didn't even know I had a cable - that's the reason to keep the box that the camera comes in.  I guess it's good for old brains to learn new things. Here I go, I just downloaded three photos to the tablet, and now I will try to get them onto the blog.  Wish me luck. Well, it didn't work.  I found the photo, downloaded it and it's gone.  Try number two.
  

Success!!!

• Audition and select a knitting project to take on the trip.  Here are the two finalists:
  
  This is the Summer Flies shawlette, by www.hollyandellaknits.com.  The yarn is a hand dyed yarn by nerd girl yarns. This color is Caterpillar.  This is a smallish project with enough interest to keep me from going out of my mind, but not so difficult I will make mistakes. I can also picture myself wearing such a cheerful little shawlette while strolling through the alleys of Barcelona or Madrid.
  
  

The other finalist is Kate Gilbert's Clapotis.  This is an elegant drapey scarf made of blue heron yarns  rayon and gold metallic yarn.  Kate Gilbert said on her  knitty.com pattern that this is a perfect scarf/shawl to wear while in Paris.  I won't be going to Paris, but I like the idea of feeling elegant while travelling around Europe in my tourist togs. The ball of yarn is somewhat large, and the finished project will be larger than Summer Flies.  It also is extremely boring to knit, so it could be good to be trapped on a airplane with it.  

I've got a week to finalize my decision.

 I've come to the conclusion that knitters are a different breed of people.  We are the only ones who spend so much time planning knitting projects as a part of travel..