knitflix + progress

I received a fabulous package from Bekka for the Knitflix swap. I have been wanting to see The Girl with the Pearl Earring for a long time. I enjoyed the book, and I love watching (and critiquing) literary adaptations (as does Bekka). She also included a beautiful blue skein of Manos (my first Manos ever!!!! It's Juniper, #43), some cotton yarn to feed my MDK addiction, yummy fruity candies, and a box of fancy green tea that I'm going to try this afternoon. The tea is Happy Elephant Green Monsoon. There is also some delicious candy-like dried fruit that I already brought to my office and munched on while grading quizzes yesterday afternoon! One more surprise from Bekka:

Yarnplay, by Lisa Shobhana Mason

• The Lorelei Tank Top is absolutely gorgeous, and I think I could wear it over a tailored white shirt this winter. Plus the pattern calls for Noro!
  
• Another highlight is the k.i.s.s. (keep-it-simple-so-your-man-will-wear-it sweater) -- very classy, and I think my husband actually would wear it. It's a little bit J. Crew and a little bit funky.
• The Manta Ray shawl is lovely, and it would be a great beginning lace project for me.

What have I learned from my first swap? I need to kick it up a notch! I'm afraid that the package I sent Bekka doesn't even begin to compete, but I certainly put thought into each item. One of the wonderful things that I've discovered since I started knitting last fall is that knitters are very generous and thoughtful people.

progress

The Noro scarf is coming along nicely. I did some good work on it over the past couple nights while watching DVDs -- a couple episodes from Season 3 of Buffy as well as the movie Shopgirl. Claire Danes played a poignant Mirabelle, and the movie was surprisingly good and very thoughtful. I was prepared to be turned off by the Steve Martin/Claire Danes relationship (remember that awful Winona Ryder/Richard Gere pairing a few years ago?), but it was touching and well done. I loved the scene where Ray sits on the futon in Mirabelle's apartment. Also, the cat interfering in the action during a love scene was awfully humorous.

Here are the beginnings of a Mason-Dixon baby kimono, balanced on the arm of my couch. I may frog this and go with garter stitch instead since this curls up so much. I'll have to look at some finished versions to see how it turns out in stockinette.