a new day

Not only are we free at last from the dreaded Bush, but Illinois also just said good riddance to bad Blagojevich! Hurray! The only downside is that the local news is going to be much less exciting to follow. The new governor, Pat Quinn, looks like a major improvement already:

"You want to know my philosophy? One day a peacock. The next day a feather duster."
- Pat Quinn, on the spotlight

Now that's something that never would have come out of G-Rod's big mouth.
Paul noted a striking similarity between the Blag's voluminous coiffure and the detachable hair helmets on the Lego-men of our youth.
Maybe I would have liked Legos more if I had the James Bond set? Who knows...

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My Bleepin' Golden Shawl is off the needles, just in need of a good blocking. Name inspired by the Blag's potty mouth (plus the actual name of this shade of Silky Wool), of course, and knit throughout the Blagojevich scandal. And now that my Knitters' Block kit has arrived, I'm golden when it comes to having the proper supplies for it.

The shawl turned out OK, but I made a really dumb mistake with my yarn. I had 10 skeins in one dye lot of "Golden" earmarked for a sweater project (stored in 2 ziploc bags), and 5 skeins in another dye lot set aside for a shawl or small project. Can you guess which bunch I grabbed to knit my shawl? Yep, 5 skeins from the larger lot. D'oh! Plus I just didn't think through how long it would take to knit that project in a much thinner yarn. Not bright choices...

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Paul and I headed up to the Chicago Curling Club last weekend with some friends and gave curling a try! It was great fun. Curling is both a surprisingly good workout (all those core muscles keeping you upright) and a surprisingly social activity. I'd join the club if it weren't way out in the 'burbs.

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Knitters' Coffee Swap 4

QUESTIONS
1. Whole bean or ground?

Whole beans. I do buy ground Illy for espresso, though.

2. Fully-loaded or decaf?

Fully-loaded. I'm a grad student, so I can use all the extra energy I can get.

3. Regular or flavored?
I like both -- regular for espresso or French press coffee, and flavored for drip coffee.

4. How do you drink your coffee?
Milk and sugar, sometimes a wee nip o' Baileys.

5. Favorite coffee ever?
Shade-grown coffee beans straight from Costa Rica!

6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do?

Medium fussy. I don't like Folgers, but I'm not a huge coffee snob. I don't like coffee to be too bitter or earthy.

7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee?
Chocolate, scones, or cookies. I love baking!

8. Anything else about your coffee preferences?

Not a big Starbucks fan! [I certainly enjoy a latte or mocha there, but their beans don't do much for me.]

9. Yarn/fiber you love?

Soft wool and wool/silk blends. My favs are Malabrigo merino worsted and Manos Silk Blend. I also love knitting with DB Cashmerino, esp. for baby gifts. Really anything soft and woolly.

10. Yarn/fiber you hate?

Sadly I'm allergic to alpaca and mohair. Sniff! Cotton, linen, and hemp yarns are too rough on my hands/wrists. I'm not a big acrylic fan, either. Yarns that are too wildly variegated make me nuts. I'm pretty full up on sock yarn right now, and I'm a SLOW sock knitter.

11. What's on your needles?

A chunky cabled throw in a lovely shade of light blue. So cozy and warm during this chilly winter!

12. Favorite colors?

Light blue, dark blue, cherry red, plum, aqua.

13. Allergies?

Mohair and alpaca. Llama's probably not a great idea, either.

14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest?

Looking forward to getting to know you! Hurray for coffee and knitting. :-)