What can you say about a day that begins with Annie Modesitt and ends with Mark Knopfler? We had that day yesterday!

Annie Modesitt (a.k.a The Knitting Heretic) was kind enough to give not one, but two presentations on her fantastic style of knitting, COMBINED KNITTING. We admit to being skeptical. We LIKE the way we knit. But once we tried Annie's way, we were hooked. Without giving too much away, it involved purling in such a way that all knit stitches are done through the back loop. The result? Even tension, quick stitchwork, and best of all, no fat stitches at the ends of ribbing! And there was more, but we will save that for Annie's next visit to the shop. We've seen a lot of teachers, but none can match her energy, wit, and unconventional behavior.

As for our evening, Mark Knopfler played at Wolftrap, the only National Park that hosts regular concerts. It was a perfect Washington evening; the weather had cooled down and stayed clear, the park looked beautiful, and Knopfler played hits old and new. He had us at Sultans of Swing.