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I posted about these on Vikki Clayton's forums, but someone wanted pictures. I really didn't want to have to scan them in just for that, so I did and 
put them here for others too. First asked, first given. I'll even plump for postage in the States and, depending on what you want, to other places. Just email me if you want something.
Edited 7/7 to add: New Stitches and Tiny Tim are taken.
I finished up the eight set of four squares yesterday. The pattern's definitely emerging, but I have no clue what that claw-looking piece in the middle's going to be. Round nine doesn't come out until the fifteenth, so I'm actually all caught up early for once.
I finished the stitching on Fair Maiden! Now all I need to do is get batting and make the project case out of it. It was a rather quick stitch when done, and I think it'll go over well when I teach it. I like the colors I chose for mine, too.
I never, ever recommend books off the topic of needlework on my blog, but I'm breaking my rule today. My companion gave me this book a couple of weeks ago. It's a quick read, and the level is about high school.
Imagine a place where the roads are either partially paved or unpaved, you're as likely to share it with a troop transport as not, and there are more new drivers than experienced ones. That's Kosovo. The roads in Pristina are probably the best, with the main arteries from Pristina to the other major cities being almost as good. This means they're paved for the most part, probably flood when it rains, and are still under construction.
The other roads, like you can barely see in this picture from the Sharr Mountains, are usually unpaved and full of hairpins. It doesn't stop KFOR and UNMIK Humvees and trucks from patrolling them. Of course, even they have to avoid the numerous local cars with driving school placards on them. About one in ten, maybe more, cars on the road are of that type. It's not just cars people drive on the road, though. Tractors are popular as transportation, and it's not unusual to see horses or mules pulling carts on the road. Not along the road. On it. Taking up the only lane. Obeying road signs is optional. Traffic circles are a free-for-all.
I told y'all last week about Petit Point, the shop I found in Vienna, and the pretty box I bought there. This is the rest of what I got - old berlinwork patterns - five of them! This top one she threw in free for me. It's of the Sandman sprinkling sand to make kids go to sleep. I like it.
This is across the street from those stairs. You can see these houses were built shabbily also on fortifications. In the valley below, there's a gypsy camp that's even more pathetic than the houses. Total population of Virpazar can't be more than a couple of thousand people. It did have one advantage over the town on the other side of the lake - no huge dump right next to the road.
And now, why I call this The Hippie Zone. The place we stayed was Hotel Pelikan, founded in the Sixties and still stuck there. We ate at the restaurant, which is more what the place is than a hotel (it has four rooms, which are basically bedrooms in the house: ours was across from the family's living room. It was small, spider-filled, and the bathroom floor was always wet from the shower overflow. We were desperate, though. The next nearest place on the way home was through all those tunnels and such, and a ski resort that might not even be open in the summer. So stuck we were.We took a walk around the town (taking all of ten minutes to do so), and went to the restaurant for dinner. It was at least as much of an experience as the room. i was given a wilted bouquet of local wildflowers when we sat down to dinner. With the exception of the frozen mixed veg, it was obvious everything was from the local area. Our first course was mulberries. I don't think I've -ever- been served mulberries before. There was a cold fried dough, some honey, and olives - uncured, new olives. The veal was from an old milch cow from its toughness, but at least it was thoroughly cooked. Someone associated with the place came by with fresh water chestnuts he pressed us to try. By the end of the meal, we had somehow acquired a basil plant on top of that. The only other customers were a foursome of French caravaners who decided to eat out instead of cooking. All in all ... weird and definitely an imitation of an acid trip.
When I was alone in Vienna, I was walking along the main shopping drag and came across a shop named "Petit Point". Naturally, I had to stop in. This is one of two purchases I made there; the other's waiting for another blog post. The thread is DMC, she was working on it in her shop, and we talked about stuff. I gave her the names of several silk floss manufacturers and she was really interested in switching production to silk. She's not the only one who does it. As the work is hand made and well executed, its price is commensurate. She had a lot of lovely purses too, but they were out of my price range.
Yes, I'm still writing about the road trip weeks later - cause I keep getting photos put up and there's much to tell. On our last day in Split, we went to Trogir. It's about half an hour north of there and UNESCO has marked it as a World Heritage Site because it's the best-preserved medieval town in central Europe. It's a great little place. The old town is on an island in the middle of the newer parts, and there's not a single modern building in it. This top picture is the former town hall; it's used now as a school. I'd imagine it's hard to study there with the view of the boat basin out all the windows.
Been working on filling in more green on the plaques. Can't work on it tonight; my bag's checked in all the way to the States and I'm in Paris at a hotel. Tomorrow I'll be home. It seems so long and so short a time simultaneously. I am going to miss there. 
The beach by the hotel we stayed at is called Znjan. I have no idea how to pronounce it. It's a pretty beach with lots of white rocks and views of the islands a few kilometers away. It's also a very popular beach with the locals. most of the pictures my companion took don't have people in them because he really prefers not to take pictures of people without permission. He had to work to crop people out or not get them in the shot. Anyway... it's not because the beach isn't used that it looks empty in my pictures. During the day, people go out to sunbathe and enjoy the cooler breeze at the shore. These people leave between four and six in the afternoon in a process we called "the shift change". For about an hour, the beach is empty-ish, then the families come out to go to the little coffee bars (with playgrounds) and walk up and down the walkway lining the beach.
A lot of things go on there - walking dogs, rollerblade lessons for preteens, elderly strolls. It's like half the population comes out before dinner to enjoy the evening. Around sunset, they all start going home and then the fun begins.
Living in the Balkans means there's no privacy at home. Extended families live together in what we'd call single family dwellings here. So the Kosovars go to hotels to get it. The people of Split head to the beach. Cars cruise up and down it looking for the one thing in demand - empty benches. Benches are about twenty meters apart and provide that little bit of privacy you just can't get at home. Elderly men in groups drinking and talking. Teenagers making out. Older couples getting away from the in laws and kids at home. All come down to the beach after dusk for some time alone and together. We witnessed this every night, and we went down too - but not for privacy. My companion took a lot of photos of the beach at night and I acted as his assistant. 
