Swap heaven!

Wow, these past days have gone by quickly! They have been stressful, crappy, tiresome and wonderful. I've finished five essays and started preparing for latin exams, I've had a headache that wouldn't go away no matter what I did (went on for three days), I've been watching a great deal of E.R and I've received packages three days in a row (monday, tuesday, wednesday).

First, I received my Yarn Snob Swap Package, from yarnnonni. The yarn is Malabrigo Silky Merino and it is Oh-so-soft! I love it! And I got three skeins of it, so I have enough for maybe two small projects. The tea is Purity from Tavalon Tea Bar, and I was so happy to receive it!! I was about to go into withdrawal since it's not available for international shipping from their site, and I am quite addicted ;) I got some lovely stitch markers as well, but unfortunately one of them was broken... They are made from shells from the beach where Patricia/yarnnonni lives and some beautiful green pieces of glass (I think). I'll use it next time I knit something big, like a blanket or a shawl.

On Tuesday, I received my order from The Loopy Ewe. I didn't take any pictures, but you can have a look at their site yourselves - they have so many nifty things! I bought a wpi-kit, with a stick to roll the yarn around to see how many wraps per inches it makes and then it gives weight and needle size :D I love it! I also got the small sock blocker-key chain, the green chibi from clover, the sock-it-to-me sock size overview and a lovely lavender lotion bee wax bar that makes my hands softer than soft! The fact that I can't really afford any of this at the moment is of course irrelevant... We might have to convieniently stop by at my parents' house for dinner a couple of time before the 12th of May...


Then, on Wednesday, I was REALLY spoiled. Sophia and I decided to do a private tea and yarn-swap, and sent eachother requests and wishes - I got the most wonderful package!! As you can see by the photos, there were lots and lots of goodies. I'll start with what wow'ed me the most: the yarn. I got a skein of Manos del Uruguay's silky blend in the loveliest shades of purple, and I've already started a pair of knitty's Spirogyra which I think I just might keep for myself, since the yarn is so amazingly soft. I also got a 400yds skein of superwash merino yarn in fingering weight from Seacoast Handpainted - I can't wait to start some new sock projects - it's been a while since I last knitted socks and I miss it :) The last yarn addition was 10g of supersoft angora wool. I think I need to use it for some baby garment :)

I was happy to find not only the Interweave Knits issue from last fall (out of print and very popular), but also a vintage booklet from 1949 with baby patterns!! I love vintage knitting, and I am looking forward to trying out some of these lovely layette-patterns ("hentesett"). I also got a squishy baby toy (no close-ups in case my brother or his girlfriend are reading the blog), and two bunny buttons that I am going to use on a baby cardigan (I think).

I had to stop myself right away from eating the few pieces of chocolate in the package - but I had one of the green tea vanilla bean cookies :) Very good indeed! My boyfriend ate the milk chocolate, and I'm saving the dark chocolate for an occacion. I gained weight this week. I guess it's because I've been so stressed out and not able to control myself as well, but I have been exercising in my Redcord sling a bit, so I'm hoping the weight is more muscles than fat... Anyway, I feel much better today, and I rode my new bike (it's white, not red as the one in the photo) to work. It's sunny outside and it's finally starting to feel like spring (Please don't let me jinx it with those words...).

Back to the package (Yes, there is more!), the tea Sophia sent me was really yummy - I've had so many cups of the blueberry muffin tea that I've lost count! It really feels like you're having liquid muffins, only not as nauseating as that sounded. In a good way, I swear! Fresh nice blueberry taste with the addition of some caramel pieces that gives a round muffin-y taste. The almond tea was great too, especially with a dash of honey, but I have to be really careful with it so that I don't provoke my allergies too much (allergic to nuts and almonds, both of which are in the tea). I haven't gotten around to tasting the ginger oolong, the rooibos fennel or the pyramid bags, but I'm saving them for next time my mother or Anne stops by. The package also came with a really pretty card that is now on my cork-board .. uhm.. Don't fail me now, English vocabulary!! Daarn yooou!. Okay, it's like a blackboard, only it is made out of cork and you pin stuff to it. Like, to do-lists and photos and such. What's it called? Please comment, and relieve me of this terrible "I'm sure I know what it's called"-feeling... ;) Anyway, that's where it is, (Thanks, Sophia) right next to my desk :) Thank you so much for a lovely package, Sophia :) ETA: Oh. I forgot to mention the granola! I've been adding some to my cereals every morning and it's really good (but VERY sweet!!). Works so well with my morning routine and takes the edge off my sugar cravings ;)

Close-ups of yarn from Patricia and Sophia:


I've mangaged to do some knitting (while procrastinating) these past days as well. I've finally picked up my too short Ravenclaw scarf and started knitting on that, but it's not very challenging since it's just back and forth and not much of a pattern. I've knitted some more squares for my Mindless Knitting Blanket, and I've managed to finish up my beaded wristwarmers. I will post a pattern soon for the wristwarmers, which were inspired by a pattern from Du Store Alpakka that didn't work out too well for me. I've made so many changes in it, that it turned into a whole new pattern, so I just have to dechipher my notes and write it out, and then I'll post a pattern. Anyways, here are some photos:

Procrastinating is not good for me

Seriously.

I do not feel well at all. I have not been working out as regularly as planned (along the way it became easy, and when it became easy, it was all of a sudden not such a big challenge, and then I didn't do it every day like I meant to. Silly me). I have not gotten all my school work done. I have not been to all my classes. I have not followed my organized reading schedules. I haven't even been social to make up for the lack of seriousness. And I feel like crap because of it.

I have however rearranged all the furniture of the bedroom (read: my room), made countless to do-lists, watched an entire season of One Tree Hill, watched almost all the episodes of Moonlight, been sitting in front of my laptop browsing and surfing... I have read sport and work out magazines, I have worked in the book store and I have knitted. I feel good about the knitting. I'm almost done with the pink Sheldon for my godchild to be, I'm almost done with a pair of beaded wrist warmers, and I've knitted several squares for my Mindless Knitting Blanket... Still not done with anything yet, though. Oh, except for this tiny tiny baby beanie that's probably too small for any human-being anyway:




It was supposed to be a wrist warmer, turns out: the recipe was meant for elephants.

I am tired and I feel as though I'm weighed down by all these exams and essays that I have to be doing, and that I ought to have done already. I try to schedule my days the same way that worked so well during the Easter holidays, but I end up just sitting there... And feeling bad about it. Jeeze. I just need to pull myself together. Start doing something useful. THE PROCRASTINATION STOPS NOW! (...but only because I'm going to bed)

Yarn snob swap

I am having SO much fun participating in this swap that my favourite Ravelry group, Cuppa Tea?, is arranging: "Packages should contain yarn that a yarn snob such as yourself would like to receive, and whatever else you think will WOW your partner (lovely tea, fancy-schmancy chocolates and cookies, divine soaps, whatever). Total cost: between 35-40.00, excluding postage."

I've decided that I wanted to share some of my favourite teas (within the tastes of my partner), and I've made samples from lots of different kinds, so that she can have fun trying out new teas, especially teas that might not be available where she lives. I've also bought two lovely balls of babysilk alpaca with a secret accessory that will allow her to try out something new! Mysterious, who me? I don't want to ruin the surprise ;)

Today I am having great fun sampling teas and thinking about what other things to add to the package, while ignoring pressing school work, stepping, and cleaning the house.... I've had a terrible week with so much stress, two tests, one oral presentation and just... too much on my mind. Hopefully it will pass soon. I should work out because that usually helps.

Lace knitting!

So it's been a loooong time since I had the chance to knit, but it's been even longer since last time I updated my blog. I have recently discovered lace knitting and finished a Kiri Shawl(.pdf-file):




I made it for my grandmother's 85th birthday and she even called and thanked me for it, telling me that she wears it all the time (We rarely speak on the phone, thus my surprised tone). Since I really liked knitting lace, I decided that I had to learn to follow a chart. I first knitted one Branching Out-scarf following the chart and the written instructions:



My aunt got it as a thank you-gift for letting me live at their house while in Oslo. And while I was on vacation I started knitting another scarf, this time following the chart only, as I had gotten used to. I'm about half way done with it now, but the photo was taken a bit before where I am now:




Hopefully I'll get to finish it in April. That's a little bit of news from my creative world, which unfortunately is severely limited these days and for a couple of weeks now... I need to catch up on my Latin, my mythology and my Spanish. However, I've been working really well the last week with structured work hours, time for healthy food and lots of breaks for walks outside and stepping to Daft Punk on my new Twist&Shape step machine :-)

I've also become completely hooked on the tea Purity from Tavalon Tea Bar. Stephanie506 from Ravelry has sent it to me twice now, I received a package about a week ago, and I'm already halfway through the box of tea! It's a blend with a detoxifying black tea, peppermint and ginger which has a very round and smooth taste.