Pictures!

So I promised some pictures!

So first...some knitting ones from the package that I described yesterday...I love the fact that the box is pink:

And oh, why did the package have to come right before I left for work? I tried not to open it before I left. I lasted about 30 seconds, and this is what I saw inside (minus the biscuits and the chocolate).

There's some moisturizer (specially made, lemony-scented stuff which smells delicious), some great colorways (Vero), some rosebud tea and lemongrass tea--both of which I am curious to try, as I've never had either before. I'll make myself a pot when I have a few hours to sit down and relax.

Also there was some chocolate. Like this Caramello Koala, which looks cute, from the packaging. I forgot to take pictures of the biscuits. You can see the good magazines--Yarn and Gourmet International--both of which have drool-worthy pictures. Let me show you some of them:

This is all this passionfruit stuff...like a passionfruit semifreddo with mango and raspberry salad...and passionfruit vanilla slice...

Or how about this meringue stack with raspberries and cream? The magazine is like this. Sure, there are things I'm not quite clear on what they are, like baby shiso, treviso, or cevelo nero. But I'll find out ;) I'm not kidding, I was ready to lick the pages--especially the ones with the desserts--or even the "southern style barbecue" stuff with ribs and cornbread. Yum. But I don't think magazine papers have that finesse.

As far as the Yarn magazine, I like this red sweater...I think I can wear somethign like this.












And wouldn't those coffee/tea cosies make great Christmas gifts?












And for some odd reason, I am fascinated by this sweater, despite the fact that it would probably make me look heavy (those horizontal stripes) but there's something so wonderfully 1920's about it, too.

And aren't you glad that Paris Hilton is going back to jail? This card came in with our shipment today. My co-worker told me, "Nah, they'll never put her back in jail. Too much money." Well, I hope she finishes the rest of her sentence.

This is actually kind of neat. This is some sort of leaf, and on the underside of the leaf...

A flower is blooming! I've never seen that before--and our florist said that in about 20 years, she's only seen this about four or five times. I think this particular floral arrangement is still in the cooler at our store, if you want to buy some roses, with some blooming leaves.

And to make up for all the pictures of pictures of food...here is a picture of some REAL food! This is a tempura banana from Wasabi--this Japanese restaurant we went to for Amy and Rae's birthday. (Yum)

Christmas in June!

I had several fun things happen today...

1) I met an old acquaintance for breakfast at Wild Goat Cafe (yummy breakfasts)...She brought her knitting along, as she had some questions about knitting, so we did that a little bit before our breakfasts came (I had, what I call the breakfast sampler...a little of everything) and it was yummy. As we were paying out bills, this older woman (maybe in her 50s or 60s) came up to us and asked us what we were making. After oohing and ahhing over our scarves, she talked with us at great length about knitting, her knitting group, their projects, etc., etc.. J. was like, that was a weird experience. LOL. I suppose there is some sort of code among knitters...there's a strange kinship about sharing what you're doing and what you're doing (and the names of different festivals and such)...

2) We then hit up the library across the street--which looks more like a bookstore than a library now, that they've done all this remodeling and stuff. Found some fun books and a couple classic movies. (Odd that my hometown library has a huge stock of indie favorites and Hindi movies, as well as blockbusters--and this particular library is oozing classic movies and strange things like "Bill Nye the Science Guy: Digestion"). I also borrowed a couple CDs on tape--I tried listening to Guy Noir (Garrison Keillor) as I was driving, but I found that the more I listened to it, the less attention I paid to driving (I think being alive and intact would be a good thing), so I tried Bill Bryson (same thing), so I finally tried Ruth Reichl (I had been pronouncing her name "Rye-kl", as I would for a german name. However it is pronounced, "Ryechel", or something close to that). That book is fine for listening to in the car...nice, measured tones, no music in the background...

3) I got a package! Thanks to Lara (Discoknitter)! I got the package today, right before I was about to leave for work. It was pink (the packing)...and inside, there were yummy things, such as biscuits/cookies, a candy bar, handmade moisturizer, some very pretty yarn, and two lovely magazines (one of them that has lots of great spinning tips and some pretty sweater patterns!) I will have to take pictures tomorrow...they are coming soon, I promise! Lara's been a great pal--and a very interesting person...and a fun one to write to. Thanks, Lara!

4) I am debating a Trollbead purchase. Sigh. Decisions, decisions.

5) Our store has Webkinz. If you are interested, please visit our store here, or over here. We have shipments!

Two more days...

Two more days of test-taking (and test-giving). I am officially down to the last 16 students that I'll need to test this week! Yippee! So glad that it's almost over. I think I'll be okay with the law exam; I'm surprised at how much I actually remember from the book and notes--just need to brush up on a few specifics. And I aim high: I'll be happy with...a B.

Now the psychology...sigh...it still continues to whip my butt from one end of the room and back again...but I am sure at Friday night at 9 PM, I will feel a lot better. Because I'll be done (minus the grading, which I will do this weekend)...and I plan on buying myself a pint of peanut butter brittle ice cream from Handel's, which I have not yet tried. And it sounds delicious.

Now, to the knitting content (skipping SnB tonight, of course)...and my SP10 Hostess is asking us: what do we do when we knit? Where do we knit?

Well, I knit in front of the TV. It's a big comfy couch...sometimes I'll watch a Lifetime movie as I knit...or a cooking show...well, anything. I'll even watch it during Ugly Betty. Unless I'm doing something complex (I've learned my lesson now). I tend to sit near the armrest on the left side...prop my feet up on my dad's footstool and knit away! Nothing fancy or spectacular, but it's relaxing and I look forward to doing that again--to a lifetime movie that I taped ("My First Wedding" with Rachel Leigh Cook...)

Two more days.

Oh, and happy birthday to Elisabeth.

Procrastination

What does your drawing say about YOU?

I am sure if I used a real pen and paper, I could draw a better mountain. But this is kinda fun.

I am not yet sure if I will go to stitch n bitch tonight; it depends how much of my work I get done--can you believe I have about 2-3 weeks left of school? And tests and papers (nerve-wracking!) Today I am working on my paper. If I have time, I will do some reading.

I finished teaching on time this morning, and I decided to go hunt for yarn and gifts for my knitters' treat pal, so I went to Richfield and found some pretty sock yarn, then went to a store called Olivia Bloom, where I proceeded to spend about a hundred dollars (not all on my pal, of course--that would be excessive! I did find some yummy looking tea and lovely soap for her, and I found some cute necklaces for my friends' birthdays, and one bakelite necklace for me, which I think is incredibly cute.) So I am done spending money for a few weeks, at least--except on necessities!

Oh! And the yarn store I mentioned? They have BEAUTIFUL unspun wool in some of the most amazing colors. I've got to learn to spin well so I can try some of those beautiful colors! Apparently the owner of the shop used to own a sheep farm, but she got a divorce, and the sheep belong to her ex-husband. She's been spinning for over 20 years, and there's apparently another lady that works there, who is from Germany. Spinning classes there are private and are by appointment, and the lady who helped me (who was not the owner nor anyone from Germany) told me that if you buy a spinning wheel from them, the lessons come free. Of course, the spinning wheels are anywhere from 250-400 dollars. (I asked out of curiosity).

Maybe one day. But I am saving my money for a good 35 mm SLR camera, first.

All right. Back to my paper.

Knitters Treat Exchange

I was pretty darn positive that I actually posted this to my blog, but perhaps I didn't. In any case....here we go..Again.

Not that I actually need to join more swaps, but I think I can handle one small swap in addition to SP10, and I think it will be fun, too. Not to mention it's all a great diversion from the homework and paper-writing I've been doing all week.

I am skipping out on the sewing expo this year (sob) due to the crazy amount of work--not only for school (writing papers, planning a lecture for my 8AM classes) but also with work this weekend. So, yes, busy. But i've also been doing a good job of having fun: Knitting (of course), seeing Brett Butler at the comedy club, reading Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal (which is hysterical, and of course, is sacriligious. So if you're super religious, stay away from the book! But if you're like me and can laugh about it...and know an inkling about Christianity, it's a fun read, and very much an anachronistic type of book). It's been super nice to be able to read in bed PAST midnight! For once! And now I cannot wait till summer break...so I can stay up late for a whole couple months and read and knit and be lazy!

But onto the questionnaire, which I stumbled on (serendipitiously)!

Knitters Treat Exchange Questionnaire

1. What's your favourite type of yarn?
Hands down: NORO! NORO! (let me hear ya!) But I also like other natural fibers, like silk, wool (as long as it's not scratchy). I love rich, saturated colors--as long as they dont' make me look like I have jaundice (that is--yellow or orange. And as long as they're not baby colors (pink, powder blue, yellow), I'm fine.)

2. What's your least favourite type of yarn?
I am a little tired of eyelash yarn--the first time I saw it was in Europe and it was so luxurious--actually is still one of my most favorite scarves, but for a long time I kept seeing yucky eyelash yarns for years. And they weren't pretty. That didn't stop me from making the vegan fox, though. I also am not a big fan of cotton yarns.

3. What's the first thing you do when you visit a new yarn shop?
Tell myself "You do NOT need new yarn." Then I zero in on the Noro. Then the Louisa Hardings. Anything that has interesting colors or looks to it...then I pet the yarn like it was a beloved pet (maybe it was someone else's beloved pet sheep though?) Then compulsion takes over. And I buy yarn and bemoan the fact that I spent too much money.

4. What other crafts do you do / would like to do?
I like collages, jewelry making. I would love to get back into metal work.

5. What magazines do you currently subscribe to?
None. Though I do read some magazines, and if I see one I want, I'll buy it. But I'm pretty good about not blowing the budget on magazines.

6. Put this type of magazine in order of preference:Knitting / Crochet / Other Craft / Food / Home / Fashion / Celebrity Gossip / Garden
Knitting, Food, Other Craft, and Fashion/Home/Celebrity Gossip/Garden in the same category, followed by crochet (since I can't, anyway).

7. What items do you like to knit / crochet?
I like to knit scarves, hats, and I'm really liking knitting mittens now. I plan to work on a few sweaters as soon as this semester is over.

8. Are you allergic to anything?
Dust. Mold. Pollen. Some dogs and cats. And cigarette smoke.

9. What do you like to* smell of?(*This is not a typo. The question is: What do you like to smell of)
Patchouli, jasmine, or anything citrus-y.

10. What's your favourite way to relax?'
Curl up with a good cozy mystery (i.e., books like those written by Donna Andrews, Carole Nelson-Douglas, Sharyn McCrumb, Diane Mott Davidson, Elizabeth Peters). Oh, and knitting. If I'm really super stressed out, I find that cutting intricate pieces of paper is a great stress-reliever.

11. You're stood in front of a Victorian style sweetshop, an Italian cafe, an old fashioned bakery and a dainty tea room. Where do you go first?
I hit the Italian cafe first. I have always had a little love affair with Italy...let my backtrack. As a little girl, i was totally in love with the idea of Italy...then I went in high school...during tourist season, which probably isn't the best way to see Italy. Or any touristy country. But I went again a couple times when I lived abroad, and it was like seeing the Italy of my imagination.

12. What do you come out with?
Italian cafe it is. I'd get something chocolaty, and maybe one of those amaretti cookies...and if this one happens to have gelato, well, you can bet I'd be eating a lot of that.

13. Where do you go next?
The bakery! Assuming I'm in Europe still, I'd hit the German bakeries in Munich and completely gorge myself on Schokobrotchen, Quarktaschen, Brez'n, or maybe some of those tortes!

14. Any other words of wisdom for your pal?
Wear clean underwear, in case you get in an accident. (Honestly is there anything else we need to know?) :0)