yarn yoga

The Fall Interweave Knits preview is up and boy, am I excited! (Ok, is that country talk coming out, or do other people talk like this?) Anyhow, I've already got my next two projects picked out, and if I knew a teeny bit more about the patterns, I'd go out and buy the yarn subs TODAY, so that I'm ready to cast on the minute it hits the shelves. I can't believe how anxious I am to start these.



Greek Pullover (Sharon Shoji)
Rowan Kid Classic (70% lambswool, 26% kid mohair, 4% nylon; 151 yd
[140 m]/50 g): #841 lavender ice, 5 (6, 7, 7, 8) balls.

This pullover just exudes classic, feminie beauty. I need a little dainty top with slight ruffles to wear underneath it, just like the photo. I am NOT a ruffles girl, really, but this sweater nearly demands it. Gorgeous.

Kid Classic's Gauge is 4.5 sts = 1" with size 8 US needles.
Calmer is 5 sts = 1" with size 8's.
All seasons Cotton is 4-4.5 sts = 1" with size 7-9's.


Perhaps I could use Calmer instead of the kid classic? I hear it's hard to sub with Calmer because of it's stretchiness. Any ideas? Any Rowan would do :) As long as it's not an animal fiber. I have a 38" bust, so I'll probably be in the 7 skein catagory. 1050 yds sounds about right.



Union Square Market Sweater (Kate Gilbert)
Plassard Alpaca (100% alpaca; 198 yd [181 m]/50 g): #202 wine red (MC),
7 (7, 7, 8, 9) skeins; #201 pink (CC), 2 skeins (all sizes).

The colors, the style, the fit, the design... all perfect.

I think this one will be harder to sub. It's gauge is 6 sts=1" on size 2needles. Ouch! I just may need to rework the entire pattern to something a little quicker. A full time worker with another part time job and a full time college student has NO business knitting something with size 2's!

Please forgive me for my lack of skills in photographing bamboo yarn. Even with photoshop tweaking, the cables are hard to see and it's just a little gritty looking.

This is about 11" into the back side. At 250yds per skein, bamboo goes a long way! I'm still not finished with the first skein! Yep, what's left is that cute little mess to the side. I had hoped to finish the first skein before Tuesday, but we'll see.

Anyhow, here's the long-promised photo:

If you haven't seen the Store Wars episode that goodkarmago was giggling about on her blog, you must go check it out! I was cracking up! These people are geniuses I tell you! My only question is this.. Is R2D2 a block of tofu or a block of cheese? Please say he's tofu! (I wish there wasn't ham as well.) I eat organic! Do you?

The more I see of Loop-d-loop, the more I'm starting to like it. Check out these Hot creations that illana made from the book.

Romy was asking about good beginning yoga books to read. Unfortunately, I've only read one or two books on yoga. The only one I've bought is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Yoga. I've really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It introduces you to the concepts behind yoga, some of the sanskrit (without intimidating you), and lots of poses. It also teaches you about your body, nutrition, and poses that help ease discomforts and illnesses. There are even some routines in the book to get you going. There are plenty of positive reviews on amazon that you can check out as well.

Other books that I am looking into on or related to yoga are: Light on Yoga, The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi, and Yoga The Spirit And Practice Of Moving Into Stillness.

Kevin Perry is a yoga teacher in Missouri. I've been lucky enough to have him visit yarn yoga and guide me to his blog. He shares his insightful thoughts on asanas, pranayama, and life. Check him out!

Some other sites that you may want to check out are: Yoga Journal and Yoga Basics.

Hope this helps!

I suppose this layout is much less coloful than the last, but it's much cleaner. I hated having to scroll down constantly to just read one post. I think the design now is much more efficient. It could use a few simple graphics and some tweaking, but it's nice to have a fresh look every now and again.

Last night I did some midnight shopping. I went ahead and ordered:

Never Let Me Go

How it All Vegan

Becoming Vegan

I almost ordered Light on Yoga, but I probably won't have time to read it until next month or so. Although I link to Amazon all the time, I actually ordered from buy.com because they were a little cheaper. I can't wait to get my books in.

Off to the LYS to get teaching books and more bamboo yarn for my cabled vest!

Ok, I know that it's awful for me to laugh at something as serious as blindness. I'm not laughing at the actual blindness itself, but there's just something very cliche about Viagra making you go blind. Think on it, people. I can't talk about it with a straight face. :)


In other news that makes me smile, I was able to go to yoga twice this week! Yes, I know I never talk about yoga on a blog that was originally supposed to talk about yoga as much as knitting. My school schedule conflicted with yoga, so now that school is inbetween semesters, I've been able to go. Unfortunately, school starts again Wednesday, but I still hope to at least squeeze one class a week. I'll have to keep going at my gym though. The real yoga school that I want to attend does conflict with school, so I'll just have to wait on it at least until the summer semester ends. C'est la vie.

Now for the yarn yoga part of the blog. My cabled vest is a smidget over 10" now! Just 3 more inches until the arm hole shaping. It has been a slow knit for me, because of getting sidetracked with other projects (shrug, chinese bag). School will only slow it down more, but it's a really fun knit and I don't care how long it takes me to finish, so long as i get to keep working on it. I'll try to post a pic tomorrow.

I've submitted to join the K1R2, also known as knit one read too. The next book, Never Let Me Go, looks awesome. Hint: I wouldn't read much into the amazon reviews, they spoil the suprise of the story! :( I am really antsy to read this book, so I may have to order it this weekend. And if i'm ordering that, I may as well order something else to get free shipping.. Ah, I just love the way the business world works. So many incentives to spend.

Speaking of spending, I also have some teaching books to buy. I'm going to teach children to knit at my LYS! I am really looking forward to working with the kids and teaching them something that they just might cherish for a lifetime. Ok, maybe I'm overdoing it here, but I love kids and I love knitting, so what's not to like? Not to mention getting paid for it and a discount on all my favorite yarns! :)



**Raoks were sent out yesterday afternoon, so if you know who you are, please check your mailboxes next week! I'd hate for your goodies to be ruined! Please let me know if everything gets there in good order. I'm holding off on shipping to the international peeps until I know that everything arrived safely stateside.

Woohoo, SP5 time. I've already contacted the person I'm spoiling for this event. It's going to be a blast!

Here's my survey:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
Guilty. Yes, I’m a definite yarn snob! I am vegan, so I won’t use any animal derived fibers (unless I already have them). This means no wool, silk, alpaca, etc. I do love natural plant fibers: bamboo, cotton, cotton blends (like Calmer), soy silk, etc.


2. Do you spin? Crochet?
No. I’ve thought about spinning, but I just don’t have the time for it. I’m not crazy about crochet, but maybe I’ll change my tune when Debbie Stoller comes out with her crochet book.


3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
No real allergies. I don’t like smoke or animal derived stuff.


4. How long have you been knitting?
I just started knitting in mid-December of 2004. I haven’t stopped since!


5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes. I can email you the amazon link. I just haven’t put it on my blog because of it having my full name.


6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Most anything in the herbal category. I think my favorite blend is Rosemary and Mint or Eucalyptus and Spearmint. I also love lavender and chamomile. (Please be sure that if you send soaps the glycerin is plant based and the candles are soy.)


7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Only for soy ice cream and vegan chocolate.


8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I make soap, candles, french memo boards, marble magnets, smoothies, some photography. I'm also starting to enjoy my time in the kitchen, so food is becoming a fun hobby. I'm on a smoothie kick right now.


9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?
I like trance-y music, relaxing yoga type music, and quite a bit of radio hits stuff. Yeah weird combo, I know. Some artists are in my blogger profile. I can play mp3’s on my computer or on my portable.


10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love autumn colors. I like brown and pink together. I think my favorite color is that nifty robin’s egg blue that seems to be coming out this season. The only colors I really don’t like are punk type stuff: red and black or pink and black. I don’t like fluorescent colors, either.


11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I’m married with no pets. I’d love one, but the hubby says no. :( We have a few fish and that’s it.


12. What are your life dreams?
I’d like to finish my degree in Business so that I can create my own business. I’d love to own a tea shop, vegan café, yoga place, yarn shop, spa, and garden center… all in one area. Just give me a few city blocks and let me create my own little town


13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Right now, it would have to be bamboo. I’ve been aching to try out Calmer, but I can’t seem to get my hands on the Calmer collection book from Rowan. Everywhere I go is sold out.


14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Animal derived fibers and pure acrylics. I’m sure there are some nice acrylics, but there doesn’t seem to be many.


15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
I’m obsessed with finishing up my cabled vest before summer is over. Lucky for me Louisiana summers last through December. Other than that, I guess I’m just obsessed with finding more time to actually knit!


16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Garments. I don’t really have the need for a lot of scarves or cozies. I like to knit things that I know I will use and wear.


17. What are you knitting right now?
The cabled vest from the Spring Issue of Vogue.


18. What do you think about ponchos? I try not to.


19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Circulars! I’m definitely an addi turbo girl, lol.


20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Bamboo or rosewood if they’re straights. Addis if they’re circs.


21. Are you a sock knitter?
Not yet, but I’d love to make the retro rib socks from Interweave (I think the winter issue). It took me a long time, but I’ve finally found some yarn without wool! I think katia Mississippi 3 print will work.


22. How did you learn to knit?
I taught myself from various websites. Then stitch ‘n bitch taught me tons more.


23. How old is your oldest UFO?
Hmm. I guess 5 months, but that’s only because I knit it completely then totally frogged and reknit it. (the suss shrug)


24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Wow, that’s kinda tough. The little prince would be my favorite animated character. (I’ve only read the book, though.) How about cats for my favorite animal? Even though I don’t have one. :)


25. What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving. I just love that season and the colors. I’m not crazy about killing turkeys, though.


26. Is there anything that you collect? Vegan recipes? Yarn? ;)


27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I was given Family circle easy knitting. Other than that, none. My favorite knitting mag is Vogue, though.


28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
How it all Vegan (In a moment of weekness, I ordered this) I'm interested in the Loop-d-loop book, but I honestly haven't seen enough patterns to be sure if I'd like it. So no 'must haves' right now, but you can always check my amazon wish list, or share books that you've read and loved.

Okies, any other questions, just ask. I'm really excited about SP5!

I am really out on a limb sharing my dream with the world. I thought it was slightly entertaining and it almost carries a cohesive theme and story. There's even some knitting involved, well, not knitting the act, but hand knit stuff!! So, here goes.

I had the strangest dream last night. First I was in a swimming pool at a place I haven't visited in a long time. It was the home of some friends of my family when I was growing up, and they were like grandparents to me. (They still live there now.) It was the place where I learned to swim and spent plenty of time during the summers. Anyhow, there were a few other people in the pool and we were playing some game I guess. I was saving bees out of the water with something. I don't know, dreams are weird. :)

Anyhow, now I'm at some school, saving all these kids (i have no idea what age, but it was definitely a high school). Somehow I was sneaking them all out to some safe place that I never saw.

Then I was in the hospital. During the whole dream I was pregnant, but my subconscious never thought about it. Well, now I was showing quite a bit, but the doctor said it wasn't time yet, so this man brought me to his home. Apparently, I was going to be the surrogate mother for him and his wife. Why would i do that when I'm trying to have a baby of my own? So, I go in and tell the wife that the doctor wants to see her soon. I start thinking that he wants to take the baby out of me and put it in her, like she was the one who was pregnant. I go and take a shower and try to figure out how to keep my baby (if it was my baby) and when I get out, what am I wearing but belle epoque!! There's the knitter in me! It was a lovely lavender color with a cream ribbon. I rub my belly, which is quite round, and the fabric feels soft against my skin. (I have no idea what yarn I used, but it wasn't animal-derived!) So then I start to go downstairs in these people's home to call my husband so that he can save me from this mess, or so i hope. Then, I woke up.

A brief history: DH and I have been trying to get pregnant for over 2 years now. I would like to adopt in the future as well. We are currently trying something new and that may be what sparked the dream. I would love the dream to be an indicator that I may be pregnant, but it's much to early to tell. I do guess that if I do get pregnant, I definitely need to knit the belle epoque I looked radiant in it (according to the dream) and it was quite flattering on a pregnant woman! I remember that I felt beautiful in it. Now that is a rare thought for me!

The knitty surprise is up! I can't believe it's blythe clothes! I'll have to make my Audrey that sweater and maybe jacket (not silk) for fall. :)

PS. We saw Star Wars Episode 3 Wednesday and it ROCKED! It's incredibly hard to pick a favorite, but so many important and cool things happened in this episode. I have to say, if I could meet any member of the cast it would be........
R2D2. He's the greatest!

In other movie news, Kingdom of Heaven was really interesting to me. DH thought it was ok, but I really enjoyed it. I like the theme and the portrayal of the two opposing sides.

I also enjoyed Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. There were a few changes from the book (as always) but it was nice to see it on screen. I really don't like the way they portrayed beeblebrox, though. And marvin, although cute, wasn't what i pictured him to look like. Mavin's voice, however, was perfect! Ford Prefect rocked, too!

Yes, it's a little sad that i've seen all these movies. Please keep in mind that I'm in Louisiana and engaging activities are limited. Ohh, that reminds me, I need to break out the mountain bike!

You know that 95% up there in the blog description? Well, I'm working on that. As far as transitioning all of the household items/personal products, it's definitely a work in progress. On one hand, I'd like to trash everything that has any animal parts/pieces/lard/goo in them. On the other hand, I don't want their deaths/suffering to be any more in vain than it was in the first place. A lot of these products are things that you just don't give away. I mean, who wants have used makeup, etc? It does bother me that I still use some of them. I would love to get rid of everything and just start over. I just can't get over how wasteful it would be, even though I can't stand and usually don't use these items anyhow. Now that I've babbled myself through this, I guess I will trash a lot of the makeup stuff.. Ugh, I don't know, maybe someone will use it.

Aveda is to blame for this train of thought, well partially. I was in desperate need of some new mascara, so I stopped by a salon that carries all aveda stuff today and bought myself some Mosscara. I also bought some lip concentrate in wild plum. I also got some lip liner to match.

I really like their products so far. I can't give a super review because I've only been wearing the makeup 1/2 a day. I'll let ya know though. They gave me a sample of Aveda's rosemary mint body wash and it smells like heaven. I can't wait to use it!

Ok, enough advertising for Aveda. (What I really want to do is advertise for the sake of the animals and the earth.)

Here are a few other companies that boast cruelty-free cosmetics, maybe even organic!

Urban Decay
Avalon Organic Botanials"
Kiss My Face

You can also go to Leaping Bunny to find out what companies and products pass the highest standards in cruelty-free products. To earn the 'leaping bunny' symbol, every ingredient must be guaranteed to not have been tested on animals in any way. I believe that Aveda is not listed because some of their products, namely the uruku line, have some beeswax or lanolin in them. Most of their products, however, do not.

If you're interested in more ways to make the world a better place and incorporating more cruelty-free choices into your life, I really recommend Making Kind Choices. It's really a cool book to have around.

Ok, last consumer related item, for now! I bought Moby's book, "the Teany book" and I had so much fun reading it, that I didn't stop until the book was finished! Moby has been a vegan for over 16 years now, and although his book doesn't advertise vegan recipes, it's got a few in there. It also has all sorts of fun info about tea and random silliness. It was a really fun little read and it has some recipes I'm eager to try. Lavender lemonade anyone?

If I'm getting annoying with all this 'advertising' let me know. I've just made some really fun purchases lately and wanted to share them with you!


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ROAKs are scheduled to go out soon. I'll post when I mail them so that you know they are coming.

I'm about 7 inches into the back of my cabled vest. So far so good. It's a slow knit, but a really fun one. :)

/hugs!

I can't find a way to email or get in touch with 'Just me' that posted a comment on my Favorite things post. I tried posting at the Veggienerd (great name, btw) blog, but it would only allow team members to post comments. So, I guess the next best thing I can do is create this post and ask for that info. :)

Dear Veggienerd,

Thanks for visiting yarn yoga! I abosolutely love your post on minimalization. Your outlook and perspective is the kind of affirmation I needed to hear. (If you haven't read that post, you need to go check it out!)

I find that I can actually destress by entering a room free of clutter and mess. I am tense if my home is a wreck, which is awful to say, because my home has been a wreck for the last 4 months because of full time school and full time work.

I have a week and a half left before summer semester starts. You've motivated me to see what I can accomplish by then! :)

It's wonderful to meet you!

PS. Which shirt are you ordering for Peta? I just placed an order for the goveg, sandals and a 'powered by tofu' sticker and button. I just saw that they have the tofu shirt for sale on the cafe press site, so I'll place another order for that, too.

Here's all of their shops.

I want to thank everyone who so kindly commented on the last post. I actually went crafty crazy this afternoon and made tons of RAOKS and each of you will receive one! I just need to get with heidi and goodkarma for your addy's. The gifts are 100% vegan and cruelty free. I'm completely positive that no one will be offended by the gifts I'm sending. :) They're not much, but after dropping $1000 on the summer semester, I'd rather send everyone a little something than just 1 or 2 people big somethings. Gotta share the love! I hope to mail out by the end of the week, probably by Wednesday or Thursday. So keep your eyes peeled!

Ohh, it's so hard to keep a secret! And it's hard not to keep them for myself! :)

edit: I just wanted to add that this is a mass Raoking. I rarely have time to raok during school and the summer semester is about to start. I'll be sending out to many more people than the ones who commented earlier. I hope to send out 10 or more raoks within the week. Then I'll do another wave before the fall semester. :) SP5 will keep me busy until then.

While I'm in the inquisitive mood, I have a question about RAOK'ing. This goes for people who are not actually in the RAOK ring as well. When I send RAOKs they are for two reasons, and two only.

1.) To make the recipient happy.
2.) It makes me happy to make them happy and I want to share a little part of my life with that person.

Veganism and animal rights are a big part of my life. Knitting as well, of course. But, would it be offensive to send a fellow RAOK'er or blog buddy a gift that is possibly vegan related?

I personally wouldn't be, but I'm not everyone. I know that there are a lot of compassionate people out there that just may not be aware of the pain they are causing animals. I have no intention of offending, anyone. I've always been really careful about how I respond to questions about veganism as to not turn people off. In person, I'm probably too quiet about it, actually.

To be more specific, one thing I would do is to only send cruelty free knitting supplies. I won't be sending any animal derived fibers for sure. People could easily miss this as vegan and that doesn't bother me or offend them. But what if I sent a card explaining that it's cruelty free? Would you find it offensive?

What if a friend I want to RAOK is an avid reader. What it be out of hand to send them a book I love like, Making Kind Choices?

I am not a Christian, but I have lots of friends who are. I wouldn't be offended if someone sent me a little something symbolizing their faith as long as they aren't condemning me for mine. And I hope it is easily seen that I am not judging others. I just want to share a little bit about myself and what is important to me.

Ok enough rambling. If you're reading this, please share your thoughts!

Today I sewed up my Chinese Charm bag. The backstitch was easier than I thought. I know I've done that in girl scouts or some other youth craftiness before. I guess I just didn't understand Debbie's explanation of it. Leave it to me to try to make something much more complex than it really is.

So now I have to find some fabric to line my bag with. Any ideas on colors, patterns, etc? I'll have to have a look at hancock's fabric, but I'm not opposed to ordering from somewhere if the fabric is just 'must have' quality and design.

Once I have the fabric, I'll line my bag, attach the handles, and Voila! C'est fini!

I've made quite a bit of progress on my cabled vest today. Of course, it looks like more progress since I'm using the 6's now. It's such a fun, yet challenging knit! It's not difficult at all. The challenging part is just to pay attention to what you're doing so that you don't do the wrong twist or etc. No problems thus far, but my mind does wander. I'm absolutely loving the bamboo for this project. The drape, the sheen, the lightweightness! It will be perfect for the hot, humid summer!

Finals are finally over and I've got about 2 weeks to enjoy myself until school starts again. I am determined to get my degree and move on with my life, so that means summer sessions as well. I'm hoping that one day I'll be able to quit work and go to school only, but that day just isn't here yet.

It's been forever since I've posted and I've missed getting comments from everyone. I have had time to read and even comment a little on all of your blogs, which I think is what has let me keep my sanity. Knitting through my breaks between studying and the stress has also helped me tremendously.


On to knitting content:

I've bought a skein of STWC's Bamboo yarn and I'm in love. I'm working on the cabled top from Vogue Spring '05 designed by Zimmerman. My progress is slow on size 4 needles, but I've got one more row left before I move on to the size 6's. Here's a WIP shot: (Bonus: you can see some of the stitch markers Laura and Snooze sent me!)


a closeup of my first ever cables:



I've also completed the knitting portion of my Chinese charm bag. I have to learn the backstitch, which doesn't seem to be explained to my full understanding in SnB, to seam up the bottom of the bag. And I still have to attach the bamboo handles. I paid no attention to gauge, so my bag is a wee bit smaller than the one in the book. It's someting like 11 x10 instead of 13 x 10. I used 3 hanks of Recycled Silk Sari yarn from Tibet. Himalaya yarns carries it. The first two rows I knit were such a nightmare that I put it down for a few days. Then I re-approached the project with a new mantra "Loosen up, be one with the imperfection." I am usually a tight knitter who strives for uniformity. Anyone who's seen the sari yarn knows that uniformity is impossible with it's thick and thin and unpredictable texture. Once I loosened up, I loved knitting with the yarn so much, that I couldn't put it down until I finished the bag. I'd definitely recommend this yarn to other knitters. It's interesting to watch the different colorways unfold. There are a few twisties, but they are very easy to handle. I'm not looking forward to seaming, but it should be relatively painless.

I shot this at an awkward angle, but you get the idea:


I've also worked a little more on my Suss shrug. It's not very interesting, so I'd rather show a FO photo than a WIP one.


Now that I have a little free time to myself I'll finally get to do some RAOK'ing!!! I'm so excited about this! I'm sure many of you know who you are, but I plan to send to some random people as well. It probably won't be anything extravagant, but I hope that you all enjoy what I send. Give me about a week and then start checking your mailboxes!! (snail mail is so much more fun than email)

I also have some craftster swaps to finish up. Which will be fun to do! I think I'll get started on those today and intertwine some RAOK's with it! /hugs!

Ms.Snooze sent me this fun meme! It's been so nice to just sit and think on the most wonderful and positive aspects of life. :)

My 10 favorite things in no order what so ever:

1. Being vegan – clear conscience, clear thoughts, healthy body.
2. How I feel just after doing yoga. Nothing can replace that sense of energized relaxation and balance that I feel.
3. Getting goodies in the mail. I love getting little thoughtful surprises. It doesn’t have to be much; just a card can brighten my day. (This is not a ploy for goodies!)
4. Getting sincere appreciation and gratitude for a gift that I give someone ~ especially if it was handmade by me. I sincerely think that this is one of the greatest feelings a person can feel ~ to know that they made someone else honestly happy.
5. Gardening. I can completely clear my mind of thoughts while gardening. I can just completely lose myself in my tending to the earth. As of now, I only plant things for beauty and fragrance, but I intend to do some veggie gardening if I can find the time. (Probably not this year.)
6. Waking up on a lazy Sunday morning with my hubby holding me close. This generally means he has at least one hand on one of my boobs, but that’s fine with me. Our sheets are all white, we have hardwood floors, the walls are a light blush-beige, and the curtains are crisp white linen. I love our bedroom. It is such a peaceful and relaxing place to wake up in. (I wrote a short descriptive essay on it for school. I’ll have to post it when I get my paper back.)
7. Nature. This being flora and fauna. Beaches and oceans are wonderful, but I think I enjoy other landscapes more. I like lush greenery, think tropics, as well as beautiful wooded areas. Actually, I can’t really think of a landscape I don’t like.
8. Animals. I guess this goes hand in hand with being vegan, but I love animals. I even love the not so cute ones. Their intelligence and natural means of survival have always amaze me. There’s always something new to learn about them. This goes for all the underwater creatures, too, of course.
9. I’m going to categorize material things in one category. Chai lattes with soy milk. Yarn and addi turbos. Blythe. The comforter on my bed. My garden in full bloom.
10. Crafting. I love creating things in all sorts of mediums. I love black and white photography and processing my own film. (I need to set up my dark room and get back in practice!) I loved making the French memo boards that I gave out as Christmas gifts. KNITTING, of course! I’m not really into paper crafts too much. I love soft, comfy things, but I’m not so great at sewing. I’m trying though. I’d love to do some pottery. I have a feeling I’d need some serious lessons. Oh that gives me an idea.
11. Ok, so I cheated and added one extra. I’m thankful for all the kind and loving people in my life. This includes my family as well as people I may never meet face to face. I’ve made a lot of wonderful friends in my life and a few through blogging. I think/hope you know who you are. :)

I'm tagging moira, goodkarma, Lesley, Carrie, Tara, Rebekah, and Dani. I know that's a lot of peeps, but hey I feel like sharing the love and I want to see everyone's favorite things! If you feel up to it, please do the added meme I created below.

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To add to this meme, I’m going to start a new question that I hope gets passed around a bit. Please list 5 things that you may or may not have done before that you would like to learn or try again. This may just get you to try them or give you some renewed interest!

1. Photography. I want to break out my LOMO again and shoot from the hip! I also want to get back in practice of doing some black and white stuff.
2. Piano. I’ve never tried it, but I’d love to find some lessons and give it a go.
3. Pottery. If I could find a class, I would jump on it! I want to make a decorative vase or something simple and beautiful.
4. Write a book. I’d love to write a book ~ any book would do. A children’s book would be fun. I’d also like to write something like a novel. Something about me, but that has some insight.
5. I’d like to travel more. I’ve been to Germany, Canada, and Mexico. I’ve snowboarded on the Swiss border. I want to see Italy, a lot of Asia, and Paris asap. I hope to go to China next summer. The trip would include some of Korea as well, if my school still offers it.

Thanks again for the meme Snoozie! If you have the chance, I'd love to hear your answers to mine. :)