January 20, 2011

I probably should have asked permission for this first

I feel the need to share with you all, my mama's reaction to my last post. Here, I present to you an excerpt from her email to me:

I WANT TINY SWEATERS!! I WANT TINY SWEATERS IN EVERY COLOR!!!!!! I want tiny sweaters that color coordinate to what they match! yellow for yellow house,,,red for red brick house,,,grey for silver truck,,, white for white van,,,,blue for something blue,,,,green for something else!!! I don't know yet but I'll get something green and blue and pink and orange and purple and and and aaannnd maybe I should try to calm down and go to bed now. I'll let you know if I still want tiny sweaters tomorrow. By the way sweaters is a really weird word to type. love you mama


I don't feel there's anything else to say.

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Classes started on Tuesday, so the campus is full again. It's been a busy, busy couple of weeks. So it was especially nice to go to the new pilates class at the gym. The school I work for is run by a company that runs schools worldwide, and we have over a hundred visiting students from other schools in other countries, mostly Central and South America. The pilates class tonight consisted of me, the teacher, and a flock of girls all chattering in Spanish.

It was a strange class. Partly because the teacher used it as time to practice her own Spanish, so I was trying to follow along based on her gestures towards her abs or back or butt, and partly because even though it was the first class, she did not take it easy on us (my abs and butt are going to be feeling it tomorrow), so it was a constant chorus of "Ay, dios mio!" and "Que?!" If nothing else, it was all kind of funny, and maybe a little bit surreal. But it's really nice having students on campus again.

January 18, 2011

Knitting explosion

My Mama has expressed displeasure at the fact that it's been over a month since I posted. And even longer since I posted pictures. Of anything other than my little Christmas tree, which she got to see in person anyway.

And so it's time for a knitting update! Huzzah!

Up first (these are in no particular order) is my Citron shawl:


It's knit in incredibly fine, soft yarn that's a blend of silk and mohair. It's very light, but still really warm. Not that I'm speaking from real experience. I haven't worn it yet. I love it, but it's not the sort of scarf I'd normally wear, and I haven't been able to figure out what to wear it with. But I will. It's too lovely to waste.


Then there are my mittens, which unlike the shawl, I have worn almost daily since I finished them.


They're a merino-cashmere blend, so they're warm and comfy, and I love them. I showed them to my coworker, and he called me the knitting sensei. I didn't argue, because they are easily the most complicated think I've knit yet. Lots of cables, and bobbles, and slipped stitches, and I had to modify it a bit to make them fit right. But they're fantastic.

And my thermis cowl:


I'm in love with the buttons. That's all I have to say.

And finally, my favorite thing I've knit recently:


The keys under those tiny sweaters look almost exactly alike. So I fixed that. Don't you wish all your keys had tiny sweaters?

Ok, Mama. I hope you're happy now. Maybe soon I'll finish the shawl I'm currently working on (and in love with), and you can see that, too.