Saturday, February 28, 2015

The Trouble with Tea

Last night, I made The Perfect Cup of Tea.*  It had steeped for exactly The Right Amount of Time, meaning it wasn't too weak, nor too bitter.  It had precisely The Right Amount of Sugar.  It looked exquisite in the cup.

The problem with The Perfect Cup of Tea is that you drink it quickly, and want another one as soon as it is finished.  Except the second one won't be Perfect, because you're trying too hard.  The Perfect Cup was just Meant To Happen --- you hadn't thought that much about what you were doing when you made it.  That means it's pointless to try to remember.

But you drink the second cup, all the while planning to make a third cup, because you refuse to be bettered by a little bag of dried leaves.  But you are huffy and resentful now, and don't even want a cup of damn tea.

Lesson: Savor and Remember.  Don't expect to Duplicate.





*Rooibos Cream Caramel from The Tea Table.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Want Some?

Alright.  Here are the yarns I have to give away.  I haven't taken pictures, but you'd probably be able to find them with a Google search.  First come, first serve.


DK / Green Tea / Delicious Yarns / 310 yds.


Sock / Navy and aqua / Regia / 1 ball, 420 m..


Suede ribbon / medium green / Darn Good Yarn / 1 cone, 22 yds.


Sock / Dark greys, greens, blues / Premier Deborah Norville / 1 skein, 230 yds.


Sock / "Aquamarine" / Premier Deborah Norville / 1 skein, 230 yds.
(I have always been able to get a pair of socks out of one skein)


Sock / Browns, golds, teals / Regia / 1 skein, 420 m.


Sock / Deep navy / Regia / 2 skeins, 230 yds. each

DK / Dark taupe wrapped with shiny copper / Nashua Grand Opera / 7 balls, 128 yds. each
(I have only the top color, NOT the gold)


Worsted / "Black Coffee" / Cascade Sateen / 3 skeins, 225 yds. each


Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Sorting Out

My mood still tends toward mercurial, though leaning more "positive" than "negative" overall.  It seems that my Downs are cyclical, though I've never charted them.  At first blush, it might look like Manic Depression, except I am never manic.  Ever.  It's either "meh" or The Pit.

Been going through my yarns, thinning out the inventory.  I've got a while to go yet, but when I finish, the plan is to give it all away.  I haven't decided how, exactly, though.  Should it be by weight, by color, or in surprise bags?  What would be the most fun for you?  Mostly, it's rather oddball skeins/hanks, but there are a couple of sets of dye lots that were bought to make a sweater.  I'll keep you posted.

There was a nice dusting of snow on the ground today.  As I understand it, we're in for a good deal more tomorrow.  Which means cats and dogs and I will be sharing the couch, not sure who is warming up whom.





Saturday, February 21, 2015

Not Sure Why

But this is me today.

I am in a horrible, horrible mood.  Good thing I don't have to talk to anyone --- pretty sure they'd be shredded.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Pseudo-, Quasi-, Kinda Rules

Don't be envious of another's knitting skills --- delight in seeing them.

When showing one's knitting, don't choose a model who is prettier than the work.



Thursday, February 12, 2015

55

Birthday boots:

Birthday presents:
(Salt and pepper shakers)

Birthday knitting:

Birthday flowers:

Birthday TV:


Birthday Google Doodle:
(I had no idea Google did this;  it even said, "Happy Birthday, Kim!")


Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Uh-huh

Lily was sleeping on the couch next to one of my knitting bags;  the opportunity was too good to miss:

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Time

It doesn't seem a week since my freak-out, but it has been.  I've been packing myself off to bed quite regularly since, as, as I've said before, when things go bad for me, only sleep gives me ease.  It also chews up hours that would otherwise be spent being miserable.

My therapist saw me yesterday, to make up for last week's lost session.  There was so much to unload that, by the time I was through with telling her everything, there wasn't much of the hour left to discuss what for me to do.  But I got a pointer or two, and am trying to remember them.

Other than sleep, I've been distracting myself with books and videos.  I'm reading The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons, which is fascinating.  And I'm also moving through a book called Here.  I say "moving through" instead of "reading," because it's a comic.  Sort of.  The book tells the story of one corner of a house over thousands of years.  It defies explanation, and is completely extraordinary.

Video-wise, I've begun "The Wire."  Yes, I know --- twelve years late to the party.  And I've been re-watching "Ripper Street," from the BBC.  As I tend to do, I've fallen for a non-leading character;  in this case, Jerome Flynn, who plays Sgt. Drake to Matthew Macfadyen's Inspector Reid.
Talking to Briton about it, he told me that Flynn is also on "Game of Thrones," as Bronn.  I don't watch "GoT," but I do admit to looking up clips that feature that character.


48

If you've ever rented a movie on Amazon Prime, you know you have 48 hours in which to watch it.  (By the way, why do we "watch"...