Into the Mouth of the Rat

I finished the "Rat Race" scarf by Morehouse Farms -   http://www.morehousefarm.com/KnittingKits/Scarves/RatRace/

The person who designed this is a genius!  The shaping and the way the sections are connected are cleverly designed and beautifully described in the directions.  Really nice merino yarn comes with the kit, too.  I added the embroidery floss nose and whiskers just for fun.  I'm not partial to the red plastic faceted beads provided for the eyes.  There weren't enough anyway because I ended up having enough yarn to make two extra rats for a total of ten rats.

Today I will spend my day packing for a trip to Boca Raton, Florida.  Coincidentally, the name of that city translates from Spanish to "the mouth of the rat".  This refers to the harbor area which was edged with rough boulders which chewed up Spanish explorers' boats when they came to that place.  Packing clothes is a cinch.  My challenge is to pack enough knitting, sewing, reading material, etc., to keep me happy for a week off.  I'm not up on what is allowed on planes in terms of needles.  Maybe an innocent-looking plastic crochet hook would pass muster.  Anyhoo..I hope I see a manatee.

We will be stopping in New York on the way home.  I'm really happy because I'll be able to be on 5th Avenue Saturday afternoon to see Pope Benedict XIV in the Pope mobile.