what do you do with a drunken monkey?

Have your photo taken! Here is a photo of me wearing the lavendar shawl. I used triple crochet and bobbles. It was done freestyle without a pattern. The guy in the monkey suit was drunk and wanted an outrageous amount for posing with us. Our guide gave him a few "griven" but not the twenty he was asking for. We could tell by the smell of him that he was going to use it for alcohol... and we didn't want to fund that purchase!

Krasnodar Day!

The sign says:

Kuban be blessed! Cossack region! Rich Region!

We enjoyed the celebrations yesterday and were amazed at how much they cleaned up the downtown area for this special day! Streets were paved, buildings were painted and new sidewalks were put in!

Christmas List

Okay, I finally put together a list for Christmas.  It consists of items we cannot get here.  Thanks to everyone who sent us gifts last year.... we truly value the support!

clothing trimmed in crochet

I love the trim on this clothing.  It was exciting to walk down this street and see so much handmade work.  The street is lined with art galleries.  People simply set up shop along the street to sell their wares.  I think walking this street is one of my highlights from Kiev!

ponchos

Crocheted items for sale

granny square sweater

This lady was one of several people wearing something crocheted.  The colors were very fibrant and so was her personality!

Sighted in Kiev

We just got home last last night and I can finally post a few photos!  As we were out for a stroll on St Andrew's descent we saw this spinning wheel.  I wish I could have afforded it.  I love antiques!

Weekend Sales

As we were out sightseeing here in Kiev yesterday I saw many women selling there crocheted items. Some of them were very beautiful and unique. I can hardly wait to get home and post my photos here.

I finished a sweater. It is part mohair and is very warm! I was sweating when I wore it the other day. It will be perfect for the upcoming winter in Russia.

The lavendar shawl is also done. I have pictures of it as well. Ukraine has wonderful people and I have gotten many compliments on my work. It feels as if there is a great appreciation for creativity here.

Kiev

I have found two different places to buy yarn. The first place is inside a fabric store. They have just a few choices and everything is behind a glass case so you have to ask for what you want. Thank goodness she spoke Russian and I was able to communicate with her. Some people here speak Ukrainian and I don't understand some of those words even though the two languages are closely related. I purchased three skeins of white cotton/viscose blend for about 6 dollars.

The second place had a larger selection but was inside a clothing store. I have not purchased anything from that store yet... we still need to pay for processing our visas and I want to make sure I have enough disposable income before I go wild!