Lost in Austin

If you were paying attention at all to the news last week, I'm sure you saw that we had a spot of bad weather here on the East Coast.  As in roads flooded out and school closings.  Despite a slight delay on the runway, we were able to leave here and land in Charlotte with minimal delays.  And as I raced through the Charlotte airport (cause dude, that place is huge) I happed to glance at the arrivals board.  Seems my flight to Austin was delayed by over an hour.  End result?  I arrived in Austin around 1130 central time, had to find a cab (thank God for nice security guards), proceeded to get lost, found, lost again, and then crashed thankfully onto the floor of a very nice couple who allowed me to sleep on an air mattress.

I have a really hard time on planes.  It's not that I get motion sick, though I do, but I get really claustrophobic. It has a lot to do with the tiny planes more than the bigger jets, and of course I got stuck in a tiny plane on the way to Austin and back.  Fortunately I had Jackie from KIPing It Real to keep me distracted.  I downloaded the first 18 episodes or so, something I tend to do after I've listened to a podcast for a while, and they really kept my brain preoccupied.  She's a great host and really engaging to listen to.

Austin was a lot of fun.  On Friday I went in search of an LYS, as I do in every city.  I went to Hill Country Weavers, a  shop on South Congress that is in a house.  They had a great selection of yarn in every room.

Koigu,

Malabrigo,

Just shelves and shelves of yarnie goodness.

But did I buy any?  Surprisingly, no.  I did carry around a skein of Manos that I may have to buy someday, but I went there for needles and that's what I got.  Along with this really cute Knit Happy water bottle.

Oh! And they had the Ysolda books!  I already have them in pdf, but I'd never seen them in print before.

And next to the shop is a lot of food trailers.  A staple in Austin, don't you know.  If you ever go there, you need to walk to the end of the lot and go to the Giant Cone.  Their hot and spicy avocado cone is delicious.  

All the food in Austin is amazing.  On Saturday night we went out for tex mex and margaritas.  I told my mom after I got back that I'm never going to be able to eat what people here call "mexican".  I've been ruined.  I mean, they make breakfast tacos!  They're amazing concoctions of eggs and peppers and salsa and soooo good.

I did a lot of knitting in public on this trip.  Airports, planes, buses, stadium steps.  Even in the LBJ presidential library museum (you think I'm kidding).  As a result I finished the featherweight.  It's currently blocking in the hallway.  I can't wait to show you guys.  On the plane from Austin to Charlotte the stewardess actually stopped to ask what I was making and pet the yarn.  It is alpaca lace, so I can see why she was unable to restrain herself.  And because I finished the featherweight in Austin I pulled out that perpetual WIP -- my mom's socks.  I did get a bit of work done on them.  Maybe I'll finish them before the end of the year.  Maybe not.

Oh, and the conference?  That thing I went to Austin to do?  It went well.  I even wore one of my own hand knits one day.