Thursday, October 1, 2009

The Great Hunting/Knitting Trip

It's that time of year again...hunting season. I just returned home this past weekend from my great hunting slash knitting trip.

I went last year with DH to northern Ontario to hunt moose. Well MY original plan was to get away and just knit for the week, but the closer the departure date got, the more I thought I should try to get my hunting license. So the week befroe we left last year I took the Hunter Safety Education and Firearms Safety Course and passed. I was now armed with a license to kill. I didn't know if I could ACTUALLY do it but I was allowed.

DH decided that it would be cool to take a few pictures with my Sock Wars mug. So you will see them here and from time to time in my pictures!
So as this years hunting season approached I realized that I truly wanted to go again. I made all the arrangements to have everyone looked after while I was gone, kids, dog, business (THAT was no simple task either, as the person who was going to do it cancelled at the last minute) BUT my BEST friend Della, stepped up and took my herd in so that I could get the much needed sanity break!

The day we were leaving, DH and I packed everything in the truck. It was a FULL truck. Hunting clothes, regular clothes, bows, guns, sleeping bags and Knitting , of course. I had packed about 5 projects to take on this trip. I figured that I had a nine hour drive there, the time I was away and a nine hour drive home. Was 5 going to be enough? Sure it was.....
We were off, only an hour and a half late but that was okay. I was knitting 198 yards of Heaven. A small triangular scarf. It was knit using Silky wool that I had bought from a fellow Raveler.
The drive up to hunt camp was uneventful. We arrived around 7:30ish...just in time for dinner! What luck.

This is one of the beavers that I saw.
The weeks, daily routines consisted of us getting up in the morning, some, (there were 8 of us), got up early and went out to hunt, others got up around 8 and just puttered around camp for the morning, 10:30 was breakfast. We ate so much bacon on this trip that I have had withdrawl symptoms. Once breaky was done, we were free to do what ever we wanted. Some of the guys went fishing, others went scouting and others puttered around camp and sighted in their guns. DH and I did a bit of each. I killed a few golf balls, sighting in my gun. It was great fun...

This is Timbert, the Moose in Timmins, Ontario. Unfortunately, HE was the only moose I saw this trip.
I decided that once I arrive in camp I would knit a pair of socks. Last year I had mentioned to the other woman there, D, that I would eventually knit her a pair of socks. Well, this was the year. I started on the Sunday. I just knit a simple 2 x 2 rib for the leg and a plain foot. The kicker was that D wanted knee socks. So I adjusted the stitch count and kept checking them against her legs. I used a Finnish Sock yarn that I had received in a swap. The socks turned out to be pretty good. They fit her perfectly and she was thrilled to have a custom made pair. A few comments were made wondering who I was going to knit the next pair of socks for...I had said that maybe I should make that a tradition, that each year someone different gets a pair of socks knit for them. They were in agreement....

I saw quite a few different animals this year. Not as many as last though. I walked by a young lynx, we saw beavers, loons, a young bald eagle and a full grown adult one. (It was gorgeous and so majestic) I thought of all my US friends out there when I saw him fly over!

I got to go out in a small motorized fishing boat and in a canoe. I haven't been in a canoe since I was about 8 at Girl Guide Camp. The scenery was lovely.

While I sat in the bush waiting for the moose to walk by (no, I didn't see one at all!) I read a few books, knit a few projects and generally had a great relaxing time. Being in the forest/bush is relaxing and peaceful, not quiet...but peaceful!

I was very sad on our last day. I really didn't want to come home. I could have stayed there longer. DH and I packed up the truck again and headed out for home. I knit almost the whole ride home. I was working on the 2009 Charity Afghan squares that the Sketchy Knitters are making. I even had a woman in a passing vehicle wave at me as she pulled out her knitting!
Work the next day was a bit difficult, to say the least...Reality sucks!
Before I left I finished the socks I was knitting for DS's friend. The are just a plain basic sock knit using Schoeller+Stahl Fortissima Socka Bamboo yarn in a blue colourway.

Knitting Night was this week as well. It was nice to see everyone. We are planning a road trip at the end of this month that will include a few yarn stores and a winery or 2.
Well I have rambled enough for now.
Keep on knitting!

2 comments:

A :-) said...

Wow! Sounds like you had a very nice trip, and it must have been warm if you could sit out all day looking for moose :-) Yay! You are a very fast knitter!

Paula said...

I would definitely like the nature part of a hunting trip. Oh, and the knitting, too! I'm glad you had a great time and hope you are adjusting to the real world in a not-too-painful way.