I closed yesterday’s poll early, in case you were wondering. I got two wonderful suggestions from Denise (blogess, still!). I was 100% in for Diagonal Stride, a cross country skiing maneuver, before she suggested Gschnitztal, a valley near Innsbruck, Austria that is evidently popular with cross country skiers. Denise copied this down from an ad in an Austrian cross country skiing magazine:

Just south of historic Innsbruck, our base is the authentic and charming Tyrolean village of Trins, set at about 1200m. It’s been immensely popular with our groups for many years, and allows access to a range of skiing areas. To the west, two beautiful valleys—Gschnitztal and Obernbergtal—extend to the great peaks and glaciers of the Stubai Alps. A third valley, Schmirntal, rises east into the Zillertal Alps.
 
On this holiday we ski in all three, exploring meadows and woods, quiet villages and working farms. A fourth skiing location is available at Mariawaldrast—at 1700m this is a unique mountain location which combines high-altitude skiing and a former mediaeval Servite monastery. There’s a welcoming cafe too, where you may well be served by the last remaining monk. Each of these regions offers spectacular scenery in peaceful locations, and with two leaders and two grades on offer each week you can choose your level of activity.

(For those of you who share my affinity for mountain heights in feet rather than meters: 1200m = 3,937 feet; 1700m = 5,577 feet.)

Doesn’t that sound fabulous? I’ve never been cross country skiing, not really. That one time in Yosemite on the valley floor when I was 17 doesn’t count, does it? Anyway, it makes me want to go!

Before you vote, you need pictures. I actually have them for you today. From left to right: the full sock (so far), the back of the sock including heel flap, the stitch detail.

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Working on the snow theme, this is what my view looked like on the morning of December 18 before the clouds came back and obscured it all.

P.S. Did you know that Kate Jacobs wrote a sequel to The Friday Night Knitting Club called Knit Two? I didn’t. But now I do. I even have a copy! Our wonderful neighbors, yes the same ones, were at a bookstore the other day, saw it, and got it for me. Aren’t they the most amazing neighbors ever? From the jacket flap:

The sequel to the number-one New York Times bestseller The Friday Night Knitting Club, Knit Two returns to Walker and Daughter, the Manhattan knitting store founded by Georgia Walker and her young daughter, Dakota. Dakota is now an eighteen-year-old freshman at NYU, running the little yarn shop part-time with help from the members of the Friday Night Knitting Club.

It goes on from there, but you get the picture. I think I’ll start it later today, when I’m done with the silly Navy thing I’m reading.