Back in London!

It almost seems like I didn't go to NYC at all! The time really flew by, and it was a very good trip, no miseries like the last time I was there. I saw all my friends, which was great, and all in the space of little over a week. Now if only every week could be so friend-filled...!

While I was at the airport, and then while I was waiting for take-off, I started knitting my Back to School vest. I got this really nice heathery yellow Cascade 220. For some reason, I have to use size 5 needles to obtain gauge. I would put a picture of my WIP, only I don't have the camera with me, it's still in NYC with Rog. So now I'm torn between buying a new camera, which we could use anyway, the old one's crap, and not buying a new camera, because I really shouldn't be spending any money right now. It may be pictureless blogging for a few weeks... I'll probably spend the time til Rog gets back agonizing over whether or not to buy the camera, and then he'll be back with the camera, and I won't have to buy it. Problem solved! Time for me to start agonizing, then, I guess...

MK gave me some good suggestions for a camera, and, they're roughly the same price here. It even sounds cheaper, because it's in pounds (only £115).

On my way to the airport, my cab driver was trying to figure out, in a round about way, if I would be interested in buying pot from him. Maybe he didn't realize I was on my way to the airport. I have to say, though, that I really appreciated all the effort he put into sounding me out; he was very creative, especially considering that every attempt was met with a polite laugh, and my complete refusal to let on that I understood what he was trying to communicate.

mini vest

here's the mini Back to School vest:

Exciting discoveries & 5 things

Yesterday, my friend Heidi came over to keep me company while I finished up the "last" bits of packing. Last in quotes because I'm still not done packing. I mean, I'm almost done, but I still feel like there's a million little details to take care of.

Anyhoo, afterwards, I went back uptown with her, where she introduced me to her LYS, Yarntopia. So cute! So much nice wool! Why wasn't it there when I used to live up there? And, while we were there, we saw a swatch of broomstick lace, which is made using a knitting needle and a crochet hook. I'd never seen it before, and I am very intrigued. The swatch was made from malabrigo, and in one of my favorite colors, a kind of burnt orange.

Now it's back to packing. Well, I'll probably finish the mini-vest I'm making for stigs and / or marcie, so Miss Mildred can walk around in a vest with a kid wearing a vest. If it doesn't turn out too too ugly. No guarantees.

Also I got tagged a few weeks ago by Miss M, and now that I have some procrastinating to do, it seems like a perfect time! I'm afraid they're neither ironic nor amusing.

Five things found in my bag:
1) Knitting stuff
2) Pens
3) Old lists on tiny, crumpled pieces of paper
4) Sunglasses
5) Index cards

Five favorite things in my room:
1) The beautiful light that comes in in the morning
2) The flowers in front of the window with the nice light on them
3) The bed
4)
5)
well, there's not that much in my room yet, we just moved in a few months ago! 1-3 are pretty much everything in the room so far...

Five things i've always wanted to do (maybe not things I've always wanted to do, but I definitely want to do them now)
1) A handstand
2) Be able to cook in London
3) go to spain
4) learn italian
5) have a garden

Five things I'm currently into
1) walking along the canal
2) the broccoli tortilla at macondo
3) yoga
4) knitting
5) walking around in general

Potluck and giveaway

Finally, we've had a nice day in NYC. I spent the afternoon having a lovely potluck, with my good friends Miss Mildred, Marieke & Paul, TK, MK, and PB. And, they all took lots of my stuff (books, yarn, kitchenware), so I don't have to trash it, give it to strangers (not that that's a bad thing), and especially so I don't have to figure out how to get it to London. This was a really nice ending to my trip to NYC...

I totally forgot (how could I after all these years??) that TK is allergic to nuts, and I used almonds in the dish I made. I feel terrible.

Additionally, I finished my two-tone shrug, and I like it so much, I think I'll make more in different colors.





For some reason, to get the gauge, I had to use a size 5 needle, rather than a size 7 (or 8?).

Wisp and Window Garden

Finally found something to do with my Habu yarn:



Here's a close up:



Rog has been hard at work making a window garden in the kitchen. When I get back from NYC I'm going to put together a herb box too.