And so, to Charleston.

Old town Charleston, that is. The destination of the day was the Slave Market. Slave Market, as in, where the slaves used to go shopping for groceries and stuff. The slave market where slaves were actually bought and sold is closed to the public. There is discussion about making it a museum similar to the Holocaust Museum. (While I've nothing against it, I doubt the people who really need to go to these places and contemplate the equality of all man/womankind, ever get to said museums. So they might as well make it another shopping center to fleece tourists and make some money for local folks - many of them descendants of said slaves.)

Anyway. Slave Market. They had sweetgrass baskets. It's a very old, traditional basket-weaving method, possibly brought over with the slaves from Africa. It's certainly been a craft in this area for three hundred years, easy. And I desperately want one. Or two.

The small ones run about $65. Anything large enough to be worthwhile, in terms of a knitting basket, would be pushing toward $200. While I am thrilled that traditional artisians are making a good living, I suspect that the tradition of taking advantage of tourists is also being honored. I'm gonna see if I can buy one, out in the country, further toward the end of tourist season. The prices probably drop by 10%, every ten miles away from Charleston that you drive. Well. Unless you're going toward Hilton Head.



In other news, the Baby has learned to work the camera; I hold it and she pushes the buttons. She finds it quite fun.



Fortunately this doesn't use actual film I have to pay for. Digital photography is a wondeful thing.


Otherwise, I haven't done anything resembling knitting since Tuesday. I've been eating cup cakes and deep fried foods, and have invented a new drink: The Key-tini. I'm still working out, but I doubt it's doing me a bit of good.

But the cup cakes might be worth it.