Paul delighted me with a fancy Nespresso machine for Christmas. It's very quick and easy, and the espresso is fantastic! I have some lingering qualms about the wastefulness and expense of the little Nespresso capsules, but overall it's terrific and fun to use. The Nespresso booklets and website, however, are pretentious to the point that it's amusing (capsules can be couriered to you posthaste in case of a dire espresso shortage!). I have a feeling that T-Mos would love using this gizmo just before reciting lines from the Inferno in Italian.
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I've sweet-talked the girls in my knitting group into a knit-along for the new year:
Aidez, a free pattern by Cirilia Rose for Berroco
I rustled through my stash and rounded up some Cascade Eco Plus in a lovely shade of light blue:
#9452 Summer Sky Heather
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I've been on a reading kick lately, and my goal for this long weekend is to spend some more quality time with a good book (or four), sip espresso, and do some knitting.
Some recent recommendations:
Chosen by a Horse, by Susan Richards
I'm not usually one for nonfiction or "feel good" memoirs, but this book really spoke to me. Richards writes about adopting a neglected horse and how it helped her reconsider her own life and dare to trust and take risks. Rescuing horses is one of my dreams for "when my ship comes in," and I'm one of those who got hooked on horses after a childhood spent immersed in Misty of Chincoteague.
Bossypants, by Tina Fey
Fey is funny, warm, and genuine in this book about her path from Pennsylvania to 30 Rock. It's a book that seems very real -- not like something cooked up by a ghostwriter to cash in. Some parts are humorous, others talk candidly about being a woman, both in comedy and in society in general.
What I'm reading now:
Wildwood, by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis
So far it's charming, but wow, does Meloy love adjectives... this runs the risk of being overly precious, so we'll see how it goes...
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Back with crafty photos soon, I hope. Camera research is underway, though I may have to break down and start using Paul's tablet gizmo's camera feature in the meantime.
14 comments:
More caffeine, yay! My sister has a Keurig, and it has an adapter so you can use your own coffee. (She doesn't, but it's nice that it's a possibility. Guilt alleviation!)
Reading Bossypants for book group this month. Just started.
Wildwood: Keep Portland weird!
Happy new year!
Ooh, that's a very fancy machine! I hope you've been enjoying plenty of delicious (and fancy!) espresso beverages. Maybe in the new year I'll manage to make time for more pleasure reading? Happy new year!!
Hmmmm, are we related ;)? I just got a Senseo (poor girl's version of a Nepresso?) and I love it! I've also been wanting to make Aidez for the longest time but got distracted by all the Christmas knitting. Are you going to try to do it seamlessly? I'd like to, but I'm afraid I'd totally mess it up. Also, I have that very same yarn (which I bought for Phoebe's Sweater) in my stash too, AND I just read "Chosen by a Horse". See, kinda weird, huh? And then there's that Jeep thing too ^v^! Sisters from another mother, ya think?
Happy New Year to you Jodi!
G
Oh, and I just started "Wildwood" (listening on Audible), but I keep falling asleep ;).
i think i would start drinking coffee again for a lovely machine like that.
love that cardigan,it's so wearable.
and wildwood, i'm a fan, talking animals, gorgeous illustrations and the soundtrack (itunes)all made me happy this december.
happy new year. :)
I've looked at the pod machines before, but... I think I'd miss the ritual of grinding and tamping!
Happy New Year!
I was just looking at knitting Aide yesterday. I love it.
Aidez seems to be a very popular cardigan choice! I think that shade of Eco Plus will work great. (sjn821 on Rav)
I haven't ever seen a coffee machine like that! Wow! I was telling my husband this Christmas that we have 6 different contraptions for the making coffee. Kinda excessive probably, but oh well! =D I am going to check out that horse book. Happy knitting!
Anyone I've heard of that has knit Aidez has loved it.
I love the idea of being couriered coffee - now that is a sensible usage. Envy!
Happy New Year!
Not sure how desperate you would have to be to have the capsules couriered to you.
And now I have to call the one yarn store left in the area to see what colors of Eco they have in stock. I do not have any Eco in my stash any longer. Want to do the KALs that my two knit groups are doing? One group is doing Shalom with sleeves. And the other group is doing Warriston. I love that smock design. I need to get mine cast on. We are giving ourselves a year to do that one.
And I need to put down my Kindle and read some of the new cookbooks I have.
I can't get excited about the caffeine dispensing gadget (now if it were a Dr. Pepper machine, I'd feel differently!)...but I love that you are doing an Aidez KAL with your knitting group. It's a gorgeous knit...I have yarn sitting patiently waiting for me to cast that project on. Alas, so many other things to finish up before starting a new sweater! But your progress will help motivate me to move along on my other knits!
I have Chosen By a Horse...given to me by my Dad last year. I haven't read it yet but on your rec, I'll add it to the reading pile for 2012.
Happy 2012 to you and yours...looking forward to seeing what it brings you!
I was just going to say to you that for two book people, neither of us has posted reads lately - and then you did! I loved Bossy Pants.
One we're loving here in "The Buddha in the Attic" by Julie Otsuka. It was a sneaker in a Random House box of prepubs. I read it, we passed it around and now that it's back, Ian's reading it. It's close to home since we're on the West Coast. If you do read it, I'd love to get your take.
Yay for caffeine! We got a traditional espresso machine shortly after I went back to work and it's heavenly. J makes me a latte first thing in the morning and brings it to me in bed (tadpole gets the mug once I'm done). Yes, I know I'm spoiled. But we both agree that it's better that I not know how to work the machine - neither of us could trust me to stick to a responsible amount of caffeine consumption.
And I love that your group is knitting Aidez. I really need to see if I can make it to another knit night soon.
I love the KAL pattern! Great choice.
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