This was my second year attending the Wollongong Knitting Camp put on by CR&K Daisy Designs. It’s held at Mount Keira Scout Camp overlooking Wollongong. This year about 30 knitters came together for two days of knitting, food, wine, chatting, and relaxation.
I caught the train down from Sydney on Friday afternoon with Jody, Alison, and Ginevra. Our knitting earned a few double-takes from our fellow passengers!
We were met at the station by Kylie and Rae (from the shop), who gave us a lift back to Camp. We joined the group in the lodge before heading down to a light dinner.
Dear god, it’s PEEPS. By some nefarious means, Donna had procured Peeps and brought them to camp. Bells was eager to try them. And she liked them! *shudder*
Saturday found me a bit seedy from the wine and blurry from the lack of sleep. (I never sleep well in strange beds.) We spent the morning enjoying the brief sunshine.
A few knitters turned up on Saturday with their little ones, including this fellow named Felix. After an aborted attempt at using Donna’s iPhone as a teether, he latched on to my Magic Pudding. Hooray! An actual baby liked my knitted toy! (Suck it, RAS.)
Lyn and Miss Fee also turned up Saturday morning. Here’s Miss Fee showing Lyn how to use the ball winder.
A cool change came through Saturday afternoon, and I was happy to take the opportunity to give St. Brigid her first public wearing. Warm and comfy and cozy!
Saturday’s dinner theme was “Op Shop Formal.” I’d had no time to go shopping, but I did have this vintage dress that Ma Snook bought for me at an Op Shop last year. Isn’t it great? (What you can’t see is that I’m wearing jeans and sneakers underneath.)
“Who do those knitting princesses think they are?!” Knitabulous, Kylie, and Donna hold court in the corner, a riot of caftans and hair and tiaras.
Ever the lady, Ailsa has a message for her detractors.
We joked that Miss Fee (in her so-horrible-it’s-good black-and-gold lamé knit suit with shoulder pads) looked like the Executive Assistant of Alison (in her glamourous red corseted bridesmaid’s dress). While taking a memo, the Assistant looks disapprovingly at the Starlet’s cleavage.
On Sunday morning, Fiona and I headed out for a bushwalk along the Mount Keira Ring Track up to Robertson’s Lookout. It was slow going as the trail to the lookout was steep and muddy, and we had to stop several times to brush leeches off our shoes. Eventually we made it though and were rewarded with spectacular views towards the ocean.
A backlit self-portrait of the two of us at the lookout. Rather than go back via the trail (and pick up more leeches), we jogged back down the mountain via the road.
Camp ended with lunch and cameraderie, hugs and goodbyes. Kylie drove us back to the train and soon we were headed back to Sydney. While it was a fun 48 hours, it was so nice to see Snookums waiting for me at the station and to collapse into my own bed back at the house. See you all next year!