One day left!

Get your contest entry in by December 1st, and that Malabrigo could be yours! I'll announce the winner on Monday.

Favorite Coffee Spot

I posted about my favorite coffee spots in my blog along with a picture of my favorite coffee mug.

My parcel is here!

My parcel arrived today. Thank you very much to my partner. I hate using blogger and can neverget the photos to go where I want them to, so please come and check out what Diane sent me on my blog over here. It's wonderful.

This Package Is No Small Beans!

Imagine opening your front door to be greated with the incredible aroma of fresh coffee. Such was my fortunate experience this afternoon when my KCS package from Catherine arrived on my doorstep. This is by far, one of the best swap packages I've ever received. Moreover, it couldn't have come on a better day ... just in time to snap me out of the bad mood I was in due to being couped up in the house recovering from surgery.

Everything was neatly and carefully packed, my first indication of the care and consideration Catherine took in putting this wonderful treat together for me. The fragrant whole bean Peace Coffee will be in my mug tomorrow morning. Something tells me I won't need anything extra to start my engines after a cup of this stuff! Catherine totally rocked my stash of goodies with lots of gourmet chocolate, buttery cookies and my favorite treat - delicous caramels. (There were six but two quickly found their way to my mouth ... mmmm.) And while I'm enjoying my coffee and treats, I'll be listening to the special CD my swap partner so thoughtfully included. I was thrilled to receive two skeins of Manos del Uruguay in rich shades of chocolate covered cherry. I made a felted hat from this same yarn and now I'll be able to make a matching scarf! Catherine also sent me a skein of Patons SWS and even went to the trouble of writing out a beret pattern using the yarn. Last and certainly not least, hidden in an adorable rhinestone studded envelope I found a gift card for Starbucks with a note from my sweet swap partner inviting me to treat myself to a fancy latte - which I will with great pleasure when my knitting group meets at "Bucks" on Saturday morning.

What is truly wonderful is that when the coffee is gone, the treats consumed and the yarn knitted, Catherine and I will have a lasting connection. And all because of two pointy sticks and a ball of string!

Knitting, coffee, and a movie!

I came across an add for this flick yesterday. Looks pretty thought provoking and it's just in time for the swap. As Knittybaby still doesn't do the greatest with a sitter we'll have to wait for Netflix, but if anyone else does see it, let us know how it was!

It's a Small World After All...

Perfectly coordinated swapping going on here! Susan got her package from me today (and I received a very excited email with lots of "THANKYOUS!" - she'll post more soon!) and I got my package from her on the same day! I was stunned, absolutely stunned when I opened it up. Here's what I found (all perfectly packaged in red tissue, a treasure box!):

• scrumptious decaf Rainforest Supreme coffee
• a maple cinnamon scone mix from Harry & David
• scented mug mats that release cinnamon-y smells when you put your hot mug down (also H&D)
• Anna's Swedish cappucino shortbread cookies
• milk chocolate Pastilles
• a perfect little coffee mug with a matching lid/coaster that says "Life is too short for bad coffee"
• an adorable coffee-themed retractable measuring tape (I cannot even express how badly I wanted/needed one of those!)
• sweet coffee magnets and an adorable knitter-themed card from Susan

...and for the yarn...

• My very first Malabrigo in saphire green...who said this is butter? You're right! It's heavenly!
• A gorgeous skein of Mountain Colors Handpainted in "Wildflower" which is totally serendipitous: Susan and I have a swap partner in common from previous swaps (Hege in Norway!) - I sent this exact same Mountain Colors "Wildflower" yarn to Hege for the Hot Socks Swap but had a *really* hard time parting with it because it was so beautiful. Hege and Susan were partners for the Knitters' Tea Swap recently and then Susan and I ended up as partners for this swap (all by chance!). Susan sent me the "Wildflowers" yarn not knowing that she was fulfilling my little knitter dream of having this yarn.

How incredibly perfect is this picture? And how small is our knitting world after all? FUN!

Catherine

Goodies!!

The package from Knitter's Coffee Swap came from vierge_en_trop!   I am amazed at the gift. 

The hard to see cello package is three Chocolate Ginger Shortbread cookies from Alchemy Baking Company.  Spicy and sweet is one of my favorite combinations...these will be saved for when I am alone!  The coffee is from a local cafe in Montreal and tastes as good as it smells.  The yarn is some I have been coveting:  Favourite Soft Mitts/Socks Kit by Fleece Artist in Origin!  The yarn is sooo soft and feels heavenly.  I will make mittens out of it and they are sure to be warm!  Thank you so much, Amanda!  The package is wonderful.  Here is a, albeit blurry, close-up of the yarn.

I I live in a town with one stop light, 2 pizza shops, a grocery store and 2 coffee shops.

One of the shops has a comfy sofa, table and chairs and a gift shop.


However, my favorite of the two is a little shop called Main Street Sweets. There is only 1 table with two chairs and lots of marvelous desserts.

The coffee shop is owned by two really nice ladies, Wendy and Jennifer. They make the best desserts and even through the place is so small that it only has one table and two chairs, I love walking down to talk to them and see what dessert I should get. I love their Gingerbread Latte. That is heavenly stuff.

I went down to take the photos today and not only got my coffee but found myself walking down the street eating a piece of something pecan that was very yummy. They have a lot off bite size desserts for 50 cents. I do not feel as guilty because the pieces are so small.

I just noticed that I do not have milk for my coffee in the morning. Guess I will have to walk down to the coffee shop. Glad that it is only 5 minutes away and opens at 6AM.

Louise

Favorite coffee spot

Since I work at home I don't go out for coffee. This is my favorite spot to sip coffee. I sit at the green table or over in the white loveseat with a lovely view of the park across the pond. It doesn't look like much on a winter day when it's overcast but in the spring, summer, and fall it's beautiful

Divine Indulgence?

Cookie Recipe to die for...Chocolate Espresso beans in a chocolate cookie...just thought I'd share my serendipitous find! Gotta try these...

His, Hers and Mine

Here is the top three fav mugs around here.
The black one is my daughters, she is into chinese motifs and she received this last Christmas, it reads double happiness. The pink one is mine that my daughters gave me for Mother's day a few years back. Its a bit of an enigma, it says on it "The grapes a day" hmmmm
we haven't figured that one out yet. The blue one is from the starbucks in Seattle when we were there in 2000, my husband will not drink his coffee unless he has his special little cup. The booties are what I'm feverishly knitting for a fundraiser. Only 26 knitting days left! YIKES!!!!!

My swap package arrived last week!!

My swap partner sent me a great bunch of goodies - details on my blog.

Contest entry

Making a post about my favorite cafe is probably the most difficult thing ever.
I live in Montreal and cafes are everywhere. I'm incredibly lucky and spoiled in that way.

About six months ago I began taking photos of all the different styles of coffee (cafe au lait, latte, espresso con panna, etc) that I encountered. Here are some of my favorites :



These photos were taken at Second Cup, a Canadian chain. It was the company that day that made the coffee memorable. Second Cup chains are everywhere, so it's usually the best place to meet up with friends between classes and other obligations. I've had many intense conversations with my favorite people over cups like these.

This photo...


...is from Caffe Art Java. The creative presentation of the coffee is truly the best thing about this place. Even the food is laid out with aesthetics in mind! It's the kind of place that is so impressive that you're almost afraid to eat what they serve you for fear of messing it up.

Finally, one of my favorite places to go for the best tasting cup of coffee is Pharmacie Esperanza.


The coffee is served in cups and saucers that look like they came right out of your grandmother's kitchen and on each table there's a jar of brown sugar. I like to sweeten my cafe au lait with a big heap of it and enjoy it slowly along with a homemade ginger cookie.

So, there you have some of my favorite places for a cup of coffee in Montreal.

mugshot

Here's my current favorite mug. Many moons ago I picked this one up at the Lunds in Wayzata during my first year of grad school when I was feeling particularly miserable. The one bright spot of that dreadful year was that I had a GREAT roommate. Almost every night around 9:00 we had tea time. Carrie made herself a cup of Sleepytime tea, and I brewed some strong black tea or coffee to keep me going through the hours of reading ahead. We would talk about our days and our dreams.

Packages...

I've enjoyed seeing the mugs! Everyone is doing a great job of keeping this blog entertaining.

I'm glad to see the first packages going out. Hope everyone has exchanged addresses by now and is getting their package together. Remember, they should be received by December 10th. If you think you may be a bit late be sure to let them know. Don't forget to post when you receive your package and show us your goodies.

Keep those contest entries coming! You've got until December 1st, and then we'll draw for that fabulous Malabrigo...

Packages in Transit!

My favorite coffee (and tea) mug is my mug from the Seward Co-op in Minneapolis. It's perfect - just the right size, perfect shape, great logo and...would you get a load of that awesome garden-y girl on the back?! I love her.

I am pleased to report that my swap partner, Susan, and I have sent our packages and it happened to be on the same day! Very cool indeed. So we're both excited and watching our mailboxes now. Updates on the awesome Knitty-Coffee-Loot to follow!

Catherine

Check out the package from my Pal!

Hi all!!

I received the most awesome package from my Coffeeswap Pal, Chris (aka Stumbling Over Chaos), and I just had to share. Here are some pictures of all the booty that was inside the package!



Tons of really cool flavored coffee, my favorite!!
Then, sock yarn, chocolate, a tape measure, and a coffee music mix - oh my!!! I am just totally overwhelmed.

Anyway, if you'd like to read more about the details, check out my latest blog entry at:
http://professorknitwit.blogspot.com

Coffee Shops and Mugs

Hey everyone,
This is my favorite coffee shop:

This is the 318 Cafe in downtown Excelsior. Unfortunately, my interior pix didn't turn out. That's a shame, because this place is warm and cozy. It's part of an old mill that's been renovated into a small, boutique-y retail area. The floors are rough wood planks; there's a fireplace; the staff is friendly but unobtrusive; and the coffee is darn good. As are the baked goods. And the shop is very knitter-friendly (as it should, since it's across the street from Coldwater Collaborative). They don't get testy if you sit and nurse a cup of coffee for a couple of hours while knitting up a storm. Then again, when it's me who's knitting, a couple of hours spent sniffing the delectable aroma of their homemade soups, well...they always get a lunch purchase out of me. Carrot-ginger soup, anyone?

And this is my favorite mug:

I don't remember when I got it, but it's big and sturdy, and I love the bumblebee motif. My dad used to raise bees, and my favorite poems ever are the bee sequence poems by Sylvia Plath. So I get all kinds of good vibes from this mug. Especially if there's good coffee in it!

Take a drive with me + Mugs

(Congratulate me -- I finally figured out how to post on this blog. Duh.)

Come along with me as I go to my local coffeehouse to pick up some swag for my swap buddy. It was a beautiful day and I had a great time recording it.

* * * * *
My favorite mugs, reposing gracefully on my front step bench:

Let me introduce you to them.

This is my all-time favorite, purely for practical reasons. I seem to be a slow coffee drinker, plus one who often makes her coffee at home and takes it along in the car to work, so I need an insulated mug that fits in the cup holder. Mainly I like this one because it holds more than any other mug I own. Most of the lettering has worn off, but I got it, along with a $10 Starbucks card, from work a couple years ago after our busy season. Management was showing its appreciation for our 80+ hour weeks. It was a nice surprise.







Pledge week mug. My favorite at-home mug.















A souvenir from the New York Public Library. During a hiatus from my accounting job I worked in a library for a couple years. It was a teeny-tiny library, nothing at all like the one pictured here (although we appear to use the same circulation software),












Several years ago a small tribal-owned coffeehouse in northern British Columbia ran afoul of Starbucks, whose lawyers informed the Haida owners of the house that their name, a clever play on the tribal name and the common word used to refer to young males, was an infringement of copyright . The coffeehouse sold these mugs over the internet to help defray their legal expenses. Its only fault, in my eyes, is that it doesn't quite hold a quad shot of espresso and 7/8 cup of nuked milk, my morning beverage of choice.

Mugs on Display

So, I have no idea how to post multiple photos in one post, so I posted multiple photos of my favorite mugs on my blog with their stories.

You can check them out on my blog callingonkahlo.blogspot.com

Oh-and if anyone can explain how I can post more than one picture in a post which is quick and easy please let me know.

My favorite Coffee Mugs

I have two favorite coffee mugs. They both keep the coffee nice and hot for quite awhile. The blue/brown one is the one that I travel with.

Since I travel with my job, I am in hotel rooms for quite a few months at a time. It is nice to get up and make a cup of coffee in my own mug instead of a foam cup or generic white mug that is usually in the room.

I will take a picture of my favorite coffee shop this week and post. I live in a very small town with one stop light but two coffee shops. One is about a 5 minute walk, the owner makes the best sugar free chocolate chip cookies you have ever tasted. I am not sure if I walk down there for the cookies are the coffee because I always get both. Right now the coffee is Ginger Spice. OOHHHHH!!! very delicious. I hope she will let me buy a pound since I am leaving this weekend to go out on another job.

Until the next post.
Louise

Coffee Mugs

The Meezer knew it wouldn't be a very good shot if she didn't put her nose into it, so please accept this photo staged by my knitting side-kick. I think she prefers the blue mug on the right, and I don't really have a preference. These hand-thrown cups, and a substantial piece to hold the flavord coffees I love best. I have one other with the crescent moon over a willow tree thrown and decorated in just the sort of matrifocal style I am quite enamoured with.

These three mugs were purchased in the 1990s when I was studying womanist thealogy in my Masters work. The pieces provide the heavy bulbous style that I could equate with a feminist spirit world. Indeed The Meezer is named for one of the goddesses involved in my study during those years...and she spent many a day sniffing out the contents of my coffee cups.

My favorite mug....

Pledge drive mugs are the best. My favorite?

I have serious BBC envy. I have often contemplated moving to the UK just so I can have full BBC access all the time. Ironically, I got this mug in a MPR pledge drive. I love them too, but not as much as the BBC.

Oh, and the mug is full of cold coffee:-) Isn't that what all moms drink?

And because I know you're all wondering, it's a vintage, acrylic granny square afghan in the background. Thanks to my dear, departed Brom. (My great-gram; the nickname's a long story)

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone! And thank you for keeping this swap blog so much fun, you guys are great!!!!

My very favourite mug

I thought I'd put a picture of my favourite mug up here. I went back to school when my youngest went into grade two, and I was really scared to be going back. I worked like crazy for two years, studying during the kids' music and dance lessons, writing essays around the campfire while the rest of the family roasted marshmallows, doing research while waiting for the laundry to come out of the dryer and so on. But it paid off and I got this mug when I graduated from college at the top of my class with a 4.23 GPA! It was my "you did it!" present to myself!

Being a "geeky" library person, this cup is perfect for me. It's kind of hard to tell from the quality of the picture, but the back of the mug has the Dewey Decimal number for coffee as well as the "copy" information for it. It's my favourite too because it's sort of symbolic for me. It reminds me of how working hard really paid off and how I realized that I could be really good at something as well it reminds me of how far I've come!

Sarah

Contest entry and answers to question

There are four coffee chains in Singapore, Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Coffee Club and The Coffee Connoisseur. The first three sell coffee beans as well, the last doesn't but is my favourite chain because I like their desserts, especially the dark devotion chocolate cake and tiramisu. We frequent the branches in Holland Village and Funan Centre opposite the Adelphi. But my favourite place to drink coffee is still at home. DH makes a pot of coffee every morning and leaves a cup on my bedside table. Great incentive to wake up, although on some days the coffee is cold by the time I am awake enough to drink it! I am now making up a felted bag kit, going to get Clover needles and look for coffee beans later.

1. WHOLE BEAN OR GROUND? whole

2. FULLY-LOADED OR DECAF? don't drink decaf

3. REGULAR OR FLAVORED? have not tried flavored

4. HOW DO YOU DRINK YOUR COFFEE? Plain black, no milk or sugar

5. FAVORITE COFFEE EVER? Jamaican Blue Mountain -- seriously the best coffee in the world

6. ARE YOU FUSSY ABOUT YOUR COFFEE OR WILL ANY OLD BEAN DO? Fussy

7. FAVORITE TREATS TO HAVE WITH YOUR COFFEE? Chocolate cake?

8. ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT YOUR COFFEE PREFERENCES?

9. YARN/FIBER YOU LOVE! Natural fibers

10. YARN/FIBER YOU HATE? All synthetics

11. WHAT'S ON YOUR NEEDLES? DH's sweater (saddles at dusk), SIL's cardigan (Elise), FIL's sweater, niece's sweater ... all X'mas knitting.

12. FAVORITE COLORS? lime, duck egg blue, robin egg blue, mauve, lilac, dusty pink, raspberry, gold

13. ALLERGIES? No

14. ANYTHING YOU REALLY LOVE REALY DON'T LIKE, OR JUST NEED TO GET OFF YOUR CHEST? My cat? I would love to get my hands on any of the 3 largest sizes (US13, 15, 17) of the Knitpicks Options needle tips.

Wild coffee in SA

Contest entry.

I'm really excited about this swap. Coffee and knitting are just about my two favorite things. :)

I've posted my entry for the contest on my blog. Feel free to check it out here.

My coffee mugs

I'd been thinking about how lovely it would be to see everyones favourite coffee mugs and yesterday when I was reading the blog I saw that Deborah had beaten me to it. So here are my favourite coffee mugs/cups.

The first cups are new(ish). These are special because they were a gift from one of my year 10 students when I left my last school to move to South Africa. I taught him for two years and we worked hard to help him achieve despite a diagnosis of dyslexia in year 9. He always got good marks for me in English and in History and he was/is a great kid with lots of energy.
Notice the box that the cups came in. When he gave me the present he told me that the cups were already packed so I could take it with me on the plane and have nice cups to drink my coffee from, while I was waiting for my things to arrive on the ship.

I have to say I do see his mother's hand in the choosing of the design. They are very me. She had worked as our school's PR person and often did the coffee run for planning meetings so she knew about my coffee loving tendencies.

The blue mug served as my work coffee cup for the last 5 years. It holds great memories because it was from a school that I really liked working in. Besides it looks kind of opulent and swish.

So, now you've seen my mugs, let's see yours.

The package is in the mail

Just got back from the post office. Everyone waiting in line couldn't believe how wonderful my package smelled.

My assistant swapper

Today I had some special time with GS#2. He and I went to a holiday craft fair to visit with some friends and buy a thing or two for my buddy.

Then we drove over to a local roaster in town to get some unique New England coffee. It's a small shop and they were a little busy so GS#2 was busy playing around the big bags of beans just waiting to be roasted.

And finally we headed back to my house where he decided which yarn should go in the box. What a great assistant for sure. We ended the morning with some cookies, milk, and a little Thomas the Tank Engine dvd watching. I'm happy to report that a good time was had by all.

My coffee cups

Wouldn't it be nice to see everyone's favorite coffee cups? Not only do I enjoy my special home brew but I also enjoy the cup I drink it out of, do you?

This is my favorite cup that I bought many years ago.


I've used it every day and it was in perfect condition until a little mishap and something fell from the cupboard and chipped it!

I lamented about it on my blog and a wonderful blogger buddy informed me that there is this great site that has decals that you can take to a ceramics place and have it glazed onto your cup! I can't get the original cup back, but I can make a replica. The knitter/crafter community never ceases to amaze me!

I'm kind in the same coffee boat as Old Knitter, I like staying home. The coffee is made exactly to my exact specs( strong enough to make hair grow on your back) The creamer is sublime and just enough. I pad around in my jammies spying on the neighbors, (well, somebodys got to do it) and when I'm satisfied that nothing note worthy is going to happen, I settle down in my chair that has a table in just the right spot to put my cup. My knitting bag is parked in its spot and I can grab the next lucky object to get worked on. My CD player is within arms reach, I put on my headphones and begin my journey into knit nirvana, Ahhhhhh. I curl up into my happy place and block out all those annoying kids who always want something( I'm hungry, the house is on fire,yada yada yada..... ) and allow myself to be absorbed into the beauty of my hand work and excitment of a good tale and let the caffeine shakes have their way with me. My sisters, it just does'nt get any better than this.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

It seems we all have our favorite coffee hangouts to go to . . . some of them are where we gather to be with friends/loved one - to talk or see a performance . . . some of them we drive up to when we are rushing off to work and its raining/snowing . . . or some of them we find when we are looking for a place to rest our weary little feet after an afternoon of shopping . . . however . . . for me I have two favorite places and I don't even need to leave home . . .

The first is my bed . . . I will admit that I am very spoiled as every morning my husband makes a pot of rich dark coffee and brings me a cup just the way I like (with a little milk) while I am still in bed (this is my wakeup call) . . . we have been married 37 years now and this little ritual started during our first year of marriage . . . even when we are mad at each other we still have this little ritual . . . only when one of us is out of town does this not happen (okay I was in town when I had the kids-but not home) . . .

The other spot is in my backyard . . . behind the house and under the Mulberry trees during late spring and summer . . . it is the most relaxing place to be with a cup of coffee . . . not only by oneself . . . but it seems family and friends gather there day or night also with their coffee . . .

So I know it seems and sounds corny (I even have a creek in the backyard that you can see and hear) . . . but for me there still is NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

Contest Entry

Hi all,

I hope everyone is having a lovely Friday afternoon (morning or evening if you're in a different time zone!) You can read my entry "Musings on Coffee" on my blog.

This is a amazingly short post for me because: a)I'm at work and b) it's time for our Friday afternoon meeting (read: coffee and treats) here in the library!

Sarah

Why the swap is extra fun

I've lived all my life in this state and twelve years in this city and I -still- don't know all the places and little secret things my home has to offer.

When I tell people about the swap and ask them to help me jog my brain I find out SO MUCH about Eau Claire that I didn't know before. Heck, I learned more about the products our shop carries just by asking what someone else would send.

Coffee swap: Fun AND educational!

Contest entry from Canterbury!

I know it is cliched but my favourite local coffee spot is Starbucks. I posted picture of it on my blog yesterday :)

And the prize is.....

MMMMMalabrigo:


You can post your entry on your blog and link us up to it here, or post it on this blog. Either way, you've got until December 1st to tell us about your favorite coffee shop. I've enjoyed reading your entries so far; makes me want to go on a cross country yarn/coffee haul!

My favorite local coffee shop is Anodyne. They brew my favorite coffee, Peace Coffee, and have some of the best baked goods around, which is important. Nothing ruins a good cup of coffee more than a bad scone (which is why I've given up on Dunn Brothers if I'm hungry, although I will say their coffee is fabulous). Not only are Anodyne's scones fabulous, but they have a great kid and vegetarian friendly menu.

And for the kids? They are very family friendly. Two bins of toys exist in my favorite corner, along with couches and a coffee table. Perfect for your little ones to play while you actually relax (well, kind of relax) and have some coffee. Even better, people expect kids there, so no one gives you a dirty look if your child makes a bolt across the shop, asks them silly questions, or gasp.....cries!

So there you have it, the perfect coffee shop: fair trade coffee, kickin' scones, and toys. My three requirements for at least 30 minutes of bliss. Maybe I need to get there this weekend for a picture.

Contest Entry - Coffee places: Old and New

My favourite place to get coffee is Gloria Jean's at Westfield Garden City in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It wasn't that the coffee is superb, though it is very good, it is the memories and the vibe associated with it. It was only 10 minutes walk from my house and 10 minutes drive from my work. There was a group of dedicated coffee drinkers that I worked with (teaching highschool will do that to you) and we would try to get together at least once a month after work to drink coffee and unwind after the day - often that would be at Gloria Jean's. Gloria Jean's was also a favourite place to meet my friends on the weekend, or to just duck into and grab a takeaway coffee. We even held a mini-baby shower there for one of the girls who was leaving work to have a baby.

Notice I'm talking about this place in past tense? It's still there, but I'm not.

In January this year my husband and I left Australia to begin a 6 year contract in South Africa. Not long after we arrived Simone introduced me to a new coffee place. The vibe is very different to Gloria Jean's, and the coffee isn't as good (too weak and there is no flavoured coffee to be had), but it is still a cool place to hang out with friends and I'm learning to love my new coffee house. The photo shows Simone and I at Mugg & Bean, my new favourite coffee place.

Ruth

Loads of Fun

Hi

Ruth and I have been having quite an adventure putting our packages
together.

We spent one Friday afternoon going coffee shop hopping looking for
uniquely South African Coffee. I finally visited some places I had
been planning to stop at for the last year and a half.

Yesterday we went on a search for sock yarn - it is very rare to get
coloured sock yarn in Cape Town. We heard that there was one place, so
armed with the map book our journey of discovery continued.

To our delight we found the place easily and they had 5 different colour
sock yarn and other good knitting stuff at great prices!

We end our the day at our two favourite coffee spots: Mugg & Bean and the
Helderberg Nature Reserve. Photos on the way. You will see me being attacked by a tortoise - he wanted my coffee!!

On Sunday we are have a craft making day to make cards and beaded goodies.

Then we should be ready to put our packages together and post.

Just a clarification....

Well, my inbox is pretty empty right now, so I'm assuming that most of you have heard from your partner by now. Just to clarify, as there has been some confusion...this isn't a secret swap. You and your partner will be exchanging with each other. So, if Jane Knithead is my partner, I will send a package to Jane and she will send a package to me. Simple as that! :-) But, that also means you guys are in charge of exchanging addresses and such. Also, be sure to let your partner know who you are posting as on Blogger if it's not obvious (and me too, especially if you are planning to enter the contest, otherwise I might not know who you are when you win! Remember, you have until December first to enter.)

Hope everyone is having fun with this swap so far. Please let me know if you've got any questions, suggestions, and so forth.

Finally answered those questions

Hi,

I've posted the answers to the questionaire to my blog.

thanks for reminding me!

Deborah

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS!!!!

Greetings . . . haven't figured out how to do that linky thingy so that you just have to click "my blog" to go to my site . . . so here are my answers (which are also posted on my blog) . . . also if my swap pal has emailed me . . . would you please email me again . . . I seem to be having issues with my email and deleting messages (my fingers work faster than my brain) . . . be sure to say coffee swap in the heading . . . okay now on to the answers I said I was publishing . . .

1. WHOLE BEAN OR GROUND? whole - I love love love the smell that fills the house when you grind beans.

2. FULLY-LOADED OR DECAF? fully loaded please . . . it goes with my personally don't ya know!!!!

3. REGULAR OR FLAVORED? regular - french roast or anything rich & dark . . . I add the flavoring after brewing.

4. HOW DO YOU DRINK YOUR COFFEE? first thing in the morning I have a cup with just a little milk . . . later in the day I add flavors . . . especially cinnamon cream right now . . . and in the evening there is nothing better than a cup of dark rich coffe which Bailey's has been added to!!!!

5. FAVORITE COFFEE EVER? french roast with bailey's . . . even though the other day I tried a cup that was pumpkin spiced flavor -yummmmmmmie. . . which is great for a small treat during this time of year!

6. ARE YOU FUSSY ABOUT YOUR COFFEE OR WILL ANY OLD BEAN DO? I guess I am semi-fussy as I love rich dark coffee . . . any type of dark bean will do.

7. FAVORITE TREATS TO HAVE WITH YOUR COFFEE? pie for breakfast-lunch-dinner-snack . . . okay I also like cake . . . hummmmmm . . . let's just say any kind of dessert!!!!

8. ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT YOUR COFFEE PREFERENCES? Just no weak coffee please!

9. YARN/FIBER YOU LOVE! any natural fibers . . . sock yarn can have a little elastic in it.

10. YARN/FIBER YOU HATE? cheap cheap novetly year . . . any of that eyelash yarn - it sheds!

11. WHAT'S ON YOUR NEEDLES? right now I am making a pair of felted mary jane slippers for a christmas gift and a tiny purse to be felted as a gift and a pair of socks to be a gift . . . oh yea I almost forgot . . . making an "ice cream cozy" for my husband (he likes to eat ice cream right out of the carton)!

12. FAVORITE COLORS? right now its rich looking purple . . . I also love red, golden yellows, greens, rusts, browns, creams . . . NO PINK!!!!!!

13. ALLERGIES? none in regards to this swap.

14. ANYTHING YOU REALLY LOVE REALY DON'T LIKE, OR JUST NEED TO GET OFF YOUR CHEST? just one thing . . . I really really really HATE peanut butter!!!!!

Well that's about it in a nut shell!!!!

Coffeeshops

Hi all! I just posted about some of my favorite coffeeshops for my contest entry. Big thanks to KnittyMama for coming up with this swap!

My questionnaire

I posted my answers on my blog. And a quick Hi to Ruth.

Sheesh, can you tell this is my first swap?

I'm hoping that everyone has at least heard a quick "hello" from their partner by now. If you do not hear from her by tomorrow, please drop me an e-mail.

I'm actually pretty pleased with how this swap is turning out. You guys have been great and this blog is hoppin' lately, which makes me happy. I did do one goof-up. I thought I'd be SUPER helpful to everyone and makes sure they knew who their partner posted as on this blog, since names and nicknames don't always match up with e-mails and personal blogs. So, I diligently went through the member page and got everyone's ID and sent it along with the e-mail, only to realize that is is not the same name that is on the main page or what comes up when you post. And Blogger, or course, can't make that simple and have it all connected somewhere. So, here's what I need. If you've got the same Blogger name and ID, which about half of you do, then do nothing. BUT, if your ID is different than your name on the main page, can you let both me and your partner know what it is? That way I will know who is who when posting (especially for the contest) and your partner will be able to get to know you better as well. I'm very sleepy and kind of confusing myself as I write this, so if you read this post and are sitting here thinking "Huh?" than just put that in the comments and I'll try again.

My answers

Yep, I've also answered the coffee drinking questions for my partner, and they are on my blog!

Ditto

I have posted my answers on my blog.C'mon over and have a peek.Swap buddy are ya out there?

Questionnaire

Just a quick post to say that I answered the questions for the swap on my blog Ruth's Place
Stop by and pay me a visit.
Ruth

What I'm working on

1. What am I knitting right now?
I'm still finishing my Day of the Dead doll; a pair of socks I started, oh, 1 1/2 years ago (and I have one done, and only about 2 inches left on the other--yeah, I know, lame lame lame); a fish blanket that I'll probably finish about the time my 11 year old makes me a grandmother; and a cardigan sweater for DH.

2. What yarns am I coveting?
Hmmm...nothing specific, I guess. I love cashmere, though. If I ever win the lottery, I'm buying a bunch of that stuff.

3. What's my favorite yarn and why?
Tough call. I like how Cascade yarns knit up and felt; I love the feel of Lorna's Laces and Socks that Rock; Alchemy is just a delight to hold.

4. What's my favorite yarn store and why?
Actually it's a tie. Coldwater Collaborative is the one I visit most frequently, because I love their selection and the people who work there are friendly and honest (as in, they'll tell me the truth if I'm picking something that's not easy to work with, since I'm still in the beginning stages of knitting). The Yarn Garage is also a great store to visit, packed floor-to-ceiling with yarn. People who like orderly, boutique-y stores probably wouldn't like it, as it's fairly chaotic, but I feel very at-home in chaos. :-)

Partners are out!!!

I was sending them out in the midst of my children and was frequently distracted (Knittybaby is crawling, yay for him! Boo for my floors covered with his big brother's non-baby-friendly toys). So, if I say, sent you two partners, or no partner, or something weird, let me know and I'll fix it.

Don't forget to anwsers the questions either on your blog or in e-mail. Have fun!

Hey all!

Despite the fact that my head is about to pop off because I am so busy I decided to skip the housework (I mean really, how many times can you wash the same freakin' set of dishes?) and post a little about me.

1. What am I knitting right now?
I am currently working on a hush-hush project using the self-striping yarn Foliage by Berroco. I just finished up a pair of socks using Rio de la Plata yarn and am itching to cast on another pair right away because it is freakin' cold around here (Minnesota) and those socks are TOASTY. I went through my UFO bag last month and either frogged or finished everything in it in an attempt to centrally locate all of my needles and stash...so now every time I finish a project I panic because I have nothing to work on while I pick out a new pattern and yarn.

2. What yarns am I coveting?
I have to admit that I had never heard of Malabrigo until Jodi mentioned it in an earlier post. I have been knitting for several years but am just now starting to allow myself to purchase more expensive yarn and guess what? Did you know that sometimes if it is more expensive it also has more yardage? Sad that it took me this long to look at a skein of yarn that cost more than $7. My life changed last night when I came across the oh-so-very-soft Malabrigo yarn at Depth of Field and recognized the name from Jodi's post and my oh my, it is very nice yarn. Very nice indeed. Does it count as coveting if I bought two skeins but want more More MORE?

3. What's my favorite yarn and why?
See previous question and add to it pretty much anything that looks sounds or feels like a worsted/bulky alpaca or merino and you have my number.

4. What's my favorite yarn store and why?
Depth of Field in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis. They have the worst website in the world but try not to judge them too harshly. I haven't really been on any exotic trips since I started becoming obsessed with knitting so I am still in love with my very first, very closest, and very full of yarn to the tip top of their wooden shelves and lofted ceilings yarn store. It always seems to me to be the best kind of mix of an old book store turned Yarn Heaven.

Update

Hi Everyone

I answered the coffee swap questionnaire on on my website http://www.simonesbutterfly.blogspot.com/.

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd step up and answer some of the knitting questions before we're matched up with our partners.
I already have some great ideas swimming around in my head of stuff to include in my package.

1. What am I knitting right now?
I'm recovering from a mildly productive Socktober (I think I finished one pair). I still have a pair of lace socks of my own design for my cousin on the needles plus another cabled pair, also of my own design, for me. When I don't feel like dealing with patterns I get out a sideways garter scarf that I'm working on in Araucania Nature Wool and Fiddlesticks sari silk.

2. What yarns am I coveting?
I'm looking forward to trying Alchemy soon. The colorways are so brilliant and inspiring. I've also been coveting some Handmaiden Sea Silk, but I have no idea what I'd do with it.

3. What's my favorite yarn and why?
I really like Spunky Eclectic and Ruby Sapphire for sock yarns because the color and quality are great, plus I like to support independant companies.

4. What's my favorite yarn store and why?
I really enjoyed going to Purl Soho in NYC this summer, it was one of best stocked yarn stores I've ever seen. A close second would have to be Lettuce Knit in Toronto, mostly because it's the only yarn store I've visited that has in-store cats and baskets of drool worthy Fleece Artist. In fact, I'm going there next weekend!

Hello everyone

Well, I am surely late in posting - sorry about that. But, better late than never!
Here are my answers to the questions:

1. What am I knitting right now?
I am in the midst of Norovember currently! I am knitting Noro mittens and a sweater - just the sleeves to go and I have Clapotis going in Noro as well. I also have a sock in my purse for a "to go" project.

2. What yarns am I coveting?
Hmmm, I am not sure that there is a yarn I do not like - but I really adore the natural fibers - wools especially. As you might guess - I love Noro! :-)

3. What's my favorite yarn and why?
Noro is right up there, as well as Shaeffer yarns - I love yarns that have a gorgeous mix of color. I also love hand dyed yarns.

4. What's my favorite yarn store and why?
I really love Appletree Lane in Clare Michigan - Diane taught me to knit and made me feel like I could knit anything! I also like Friends of Wool in Holland, Michigan. It is a friendly place to stop and knit a spell. They have an awesome selection of yarns as well.

Now, on to the contest question:

1. Where is my favorite place to get a cup of coffee???
It would have to be JP's Coffee in downtown Holland. It is a GREAT place to go for an even better cup of joe! They have awesome barista's and the atmosphere is truly the best.

Phew!

First of all, don't forget about that contest entry! Once I get you all matched up I'll actually get around to posting along with you guys:-)

I finally got everyone in a data base and am pairing you all up today. E-mails of partners should start going out sometime this evening and tomorrow. When you get your partner, here is what you need to do.

1. E-mail her right away, just to say "hi" so they know you've gotten your message. Remember, this is not a secret swap, you will be paired up with one partner to swap with. Be sure to give your partner your address.

2. Get to work on the questions. You may post them on your blog if you feel like sharing with the world, or just e-mail them to your partner. Just be sure to tell her what you'll be doing.

3. Get busy shopping, spinning, whatever. If you have an international pal, you might want to get moving sooner than later , especially with the holidays coming. Otherwise, you've got a few weeks.

4. Be sure to let your partner know when you've mailed her package. When you get your package, be sure to post a picture/entry to our blog so we can all see your goodies! I have the feeling there are going to be some pretty great packages being put together.

QUESTIONS
1. Whole bean or ground?
2. Fully-loaded or decaf?
3. Regular or flavored?
4. How do you drink your coffee?
5. Favorite coffee ever?
6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do?
7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee?
8. Anything else about your coffee preferences?
9. Yarn/fiber you love?
10. Yarn/fiber you hate?
11. What's on your needles?
12. Favorite colors?
13. Allergies?
14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest?

Have fun!!!

Edited: I had the same question twice!

Hello

Let's see, I haven't introduced myself yet, so here goes. My name is Lianne and I'm a yarnaholic. I'm a pretty new knitter, only since June. I love, love, love coffee!!! I drink it mostly on weekends or days off from work. I need it every other day, but never remember to take 10 minutes in the morning to treat myself. Here's some answers to the wonderful knitting questions posted...

What are you knitting now? I finished a felted bag last night from my One Skein book!! Silly me I thought since the book was called One Skein that's all it would take. I guess I'm truely a rookie huh? 3 skeins and some wet wool later I have a gorgeous bag to send off as a present. I still have to finish sewing up my fingerless gloves, and I'm working on a scarf that's one of the many x-mas presents I'm planning.

What's your favorite yarn and why? I don't have a favorite yarn yet. I'm searching for the "perfect" one. I'm allergic to wool so it makes things a bit difficult. I hate itching and hives, so I have to knit wool with long sleeves, a blanket over my lap, and itchy fingers!!

What's your favorite yarn store and why? By far my favorite yarn store is Hill Country Weavers. http://www.hillcountryweavers.com. It's amazing!! They have tons of yarn and patterns, and books. The staff is soooo nice! I can bring a project in and they'll help out anytime!

I guess that's all for now... I'll post again once I visit my favorite coffee shop. I'm sure I'll have plenty to say about that too.

yarn questions . . .

As I am sitting here drinking my morning coffee - I figured it was a good time to post!

Right now I am working on mostly small projects as Christmas gifts. I am almost done with the second of many sets of knucks, a twisted rib hat by Ann Norling (again, one of several), a ribbed watch cap, an Ombre blanket from Last Minute Knitted Gifts for my MIL, and kinda shelved but I do sneak back to it from time to time is Hush, Hush from Knitty for me. At least I don't get bored, there is always something that I want to work on!

The yarn that I am coveting, hmmm, there a couple. Any of the Blue Sky Alpaca 100% alpaca yarns, especially in the melange colors. They are so soft! easy to work with, and with the exception of gloves, it works well for everything! And everyone that I have give a piece to, loves to wear it. Then there is the sock yarns from Interlacements, both toasty toes and tiny toes knit so nicely, the colors are beautiful - yum! Then on the not practical side, there is some beautiful silk, camel and yak on the Artspun website that I am coveting even though I am not sure what I will do with it, dreams . . .

My favorite yarns are the Blue Sky Alpaca 100% alpaca yarns and Lornas Laces Shepard Worsted and Shepard Sock yarns. It seems like after everything else that I use and try, I always come back to these.

My favorite yarn store is a little bit of a tough question. There is a LYS that I shop at quite a bit that is close to my work. They have beautiful high end yarn; Rowan, Blue Sky, Noro, ect. The problem is that they never have anything in stock. I can buy enough yarn to make a hat or scarf but not enough for any larger projects, and she doesn't keep her Addi needles stocked - frustrating! So I end up shopping online (faster) or have her order stuff in. There are two yarn stores in Seattle, where my family is, that I love. And they both carry alot of earth friendly, community supporting, yarns that make a difference. Maybe one day, I will open a shop like that in Denver . . .

Now, I am done with my coffee, and off to work. Thinking of my contest entry . . .
Have a good week!

My Contest Entry

Blue Moon Coffee Cafe* is my favorite place to get a cup of joe these days. Especially since my Tuesday Night Knitting Group now meets there!

Moons and stars decorate the entire place, right down to the glow-in-the-dark stickers on the bathroom ceiling. (How many public restrooms do you actually want to turn the light out in?) It has nice baristas who are willing to add a little real cinnamon before steaming for me, comfy couches and chairs in the back, big tables with big chairs in the front, lighting that is good enough to knit by but still "coffeehouse cool," free wireless so you can follow election results from your friend's laptop computer, lots of interesting people coming and going all the time, but none so loud and irritating that you have to get away from them (except maybe our table?), and delightful bars, cookies, and other late night snacks including little bags of kiddy cereals just right for munching. What more could a Knitter ask for?

Oh yeah, the best thing about Blue Moon is that it has my knitting friends. We have SO much fun together and I SO look forward to Tuesday nights. Now...if only the election results will really turn out like I'm hoping...
__________________________
*Their web site is not really started yet, but I dig their logo and thought you might too.

**The project on the needles is the second sock from my Hot Socks Swap partner La Verna, who is also participating in this swap. I tell you, whoever gets to be spoiled by La Verna in this Knitters Coffee Swap is in for a treat - she went all out! The yarn is Claudia Hand-Painted 100% merino in "Sky Blue." Love it. Love it, love it, love it!

Catherine

Further to what are we knitting...

So, I decided to add to my answers and put them here instead of under the comments...

I don't have a favourite brand or type of yarn. I am more the what ever jumps out and grabs me when I walk through my LYS or surf the net. I'm not crazy about 100% acrylics unless there's something unique about them (colour, texture etc.)

I have so many projects that I want to work on, so little time! I finished a pair of mitts (haven't felted them yet) the other night and today cast on the beginning of a scarf for my 12 year old. I am also going to pick out a pattern for the Red Sweater KAL (bought the yarn last spring when my very favourite store was closing out), and I have numerous project ideas floating around my head right now! As I said, so many projects so little time! You can read my lengthy (and ever growing it seems) list of projects on my new blog http://prairie-girl-knits.blogspot.com/ so I won't bother listing them here.

Living here in Winnipeg I don't have too many options for shopping for yarn. (Very sad, I know) We have Ram Wools, Leona's Sweater & Wool Shop and Michaels. Oh and of course WalMart. Leona's is a really tiny shop, with fairly small selection, but the lady there (possibly Leona?) is friendly and helpful, so that's good. Michaels and WalMart, well we all know their selection. Ram Wools is pretty good though. My very favourite store up until June/06, when she closed, was Camille's Elegant Yarns. It was a small shop, but she had wonderful selection crammed into her tiny space. And really what made the shop was the owner Camille! She was fantastic, could answer any question, come up with a substitute in no time flat, remembered me no matter how long it had been since the last time I'd been in (During my college years, there was pretty long stretches between visits!) and beyond all that Camille is just a lovely person who is lots of fun and I could end up spending forever in her store just chatting with her. When we heard she would be closing, my younger sister and I went there almost every weekend! Wool shopping is just not the same for me anymore!

As for yarns I'm coveting right now, I have absolutely fallen in love with Fleece Artist out of Nova Scotia. I just haven't been able to justify the $40/skein price tag yet - maybe when I start my new job at the end of the month and get that pay raise... I also love the colourways of Sweet Georgia out of Vancouver. I've never used her yarn, but it looks beautiful!

Hi Everyone

What are you knitting now? I'm working on Tilly's Garden Shawl and some socks for my grandsons. My grandsons are little guys with big feet.

What yarns are you coveting? Anything from Carol or Dave . Carol is sold out right now and Dave took some time off from dying so that's a good thing for my bank account.

What's your favorite yarn and why? Currently it's Opal batik yarn. Little heavier than regular opal and oh so soft.

What's your favorite yarn store and why? Webs. Webs is meca for knitters. If you haven't been you're missing out on an experience beyond words. Every turn brings you to more and more wonderful yarn at unbelievable prices. And the warehouse ...... you'll never want to leave.

knitting away in Chicago

• What are you knitting now?
I have a lot on the needles for once! Usually I stick to one or two projects at a time. Maybe it's the chill in the November air that's compelling me to knit.


- a Mason-Dixon baby kimono in Bernat Cottontots

- a twisted stitch scarf (AKA the Yarn Harlot's one-row wonder) in light blue Plymouth Suri Merino
- basic mittens from the book Holiday Knits in bright blue Lamb's Pride worsted (my first project on DPNs)
- a diagonal lattice scarf in Hollyberry Knit Picks Andean Silk

• What yarns are you coveting?
Well, I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of the lavender/violet Malabrigo that I ordered from WEBS for an Hourglass sweater. That's really what I want most right now!

I'm interested in trying some organic wool yarns, like Nature's Palette organic plant-dyed worsted weight, and the Vermont Fiber Company's O-Wool. I also would love some Fleece Artist yarn and Socks That Rock mediumweight (they have the most beautiful colorways right now!).

• What's your favorite yarn and why?
Malabrigo, hands down. It's so soft and wonderful to work with. I also love how easy it is on the wrists and hands. I also enjoy watching the color changes of Noro Silk Garden.

• What's your favorite yarn store and why?
Loopy Yarns here in Chicago. They have a great selection of yarns, especially Lorna's Laces, and they offer a student discount.

My answers

• What are you knitting now?
I'm finishing up a hat for my toddler. Also still working on the dreaded cotton cardigan. Though it's not technically on needles, but on needle. Grafting away.

• What yarns are you coveting?
Hmmm. I just ordered some BlueMerino from Cinnamon Stitches and I can hardly wait to try it out. I would love to try some merino silk blends, but am waiting until I have an actual project.

• What's your favorite yarn and why?
I love everything about the Blue Face Leicester from Wooly Wonders by Nada. I emailed Brad some photos of scenery around my home, and he dyed the perfect colorway. DS has been wearing those pants for at least 6 months, and they are still holding up. It pills some, not as much as merino, but pretty much stops pilling after a few washes and one or two sessions of cutting off the pills. I love the feel of it, too. It's a silky softness.

• What's your favorite yarn store and why?
Woodland Woolworks is my favorite place to shop. They have a great clearance section, good variety, and good prices, especially on my fav. needles (Inox Express). They also have some nice extras, like unique buttons, and back issues of lots of magazines. They're a spinning/weaving store, too, so I can fondle lots of fibers. :)

I go to another LYS for Knit Night, and when I need something quickly. They are more $$ than Woodland, but closer, and all of the employees are super friendly. Even when I bring my kiddos ;)

Yarn love

1. What's on my needles? The scarf from the cover of the lastest Vogue Knitting knit out of Elsebeth Lavold's Designer's Choice AL. I'm just a garter band from the end and I'll say this - if I never have to knit another cord again , I'll be a happy monkey.

2. Covetous yarns would be.... Whew... I could do with some Opal or anything Rowan save their Summer Tweed. Or anything Alchemy. Since I work at a yarn shop, I get to get my hands on a lot even if it is just for store models, so I suppose I'm all spoiled.

3. My favorite, ok, favorites, would be All Season Cotton and Silky Wool and Calmer. Two Rowans and one from Elsebeth.

4. I'd be remiss if I didn't say mine, wouldn't I? :) Even before I worked here, though, I loved it because of Fridays. Fridays we camp out in the back, knit, have coffee and treats and just chat up a storm. When I became suddenly single, it gave me the interaction I needed and prevented me from wallowing in the mire. I got to meet some new role models and learn what I wanted to be as a person from their examples. It's a technique I couldn't find in anything Barbara Walker has written. :)

Contest!!

What a great start this swap is off to! First, I want to thank Strange Little Mama for her lovely buttons and for solving my apostrophe dilemma:-) It's been bugging me since I started this blog. I feel better now. Plus, those buttons are so cute. Spread the word!

I am starting to match people up. You should know your partner by the end of the week. I'll have questions up here in a couple of days for you to start working on to help your partner put together the absolute best package ever.

Now for the contest: Grab your camera (and if you don't have a digital camera, get going with your creative writing skills) and show/tell us all about your favorite place to get a cup of coffee. I'll give you to December 1 and then pick a winner by random. I'll be taking pictures at my favorite coffee shop tomorrow, since I have to leave extra early since (gasp!) we are out of coffee and I can't brave kindergarteners without it.

the fickle goddest of knit

I have alot of stuff on my needles at this time, but as fate would have it, its all crap. The calm blue shrug that had the clever lace pattern that I planned to wear when we went to the movies (because the AC is always so blasted high), somehow that pattern turned into a freakish oddity thats best left hidden. And the ghastly lilac sweater that for some reason I offered to finish for a friend and now I can bearly stand to hold it, thats going on 3 years now. and counting.....
I have an awesome scarf started that I ran out of the yarn for(anybody got Filati Bertagna Palma #730 Please call!!!!) and now it looks like I may have to put that in the ice box. Oh,yes, lets not forget the charity knitting that I offered to do to raise some money for my friends organization, just a trifle of 10 pairs ,or more, of booties. And she needs them yesterday.....
But I did finished this crazy hat I actually did for myself. Its in ribstich and I have this profusion of I-cord , (for lack of a better word), worms flowing out of the crown.It looks so funnie I can hardly wait to hear the comments. ........" Oh my word! It looks like her brains are poking out.."
Wendy

What's on your needles?

Hey Coffee Lovers! We're all in this because we love coffee, but what about the yarn?

• What are you knitting now?

• What yarns are you coveting?

• What's your favorite yarn and why?

• What's your favorite yarn store and why?

Some of these questions may be repeats of the ones Knittymama will send to us with our swap buddies, but I couldn't resist getting the knitting talk going!

I'm finishing up my Socktoberfest socks now - late - and am also working on the "Little Shop of Horrors" blanket. The one that keeps begging me to feed it with more yarn! (Long story going back 4+ years...) I need to get going on a cardigan sweater for my 9-month old son's dedication next month but am still searching for the perfect pattern (any ideas?!) and have tons of little Christmas-stocking-stuffer-type things swirling around in my head.

What's on your needles?

Catherine

mmm....coffee!

Hi everyone! I haven't posted an intro yet, so I thought I'd say hi! I've been drinking coffee very regularly since I was in my 2nd year of college. Spring semester I transferred universities to be closer to home (and to leave a bad relationship behind), and it just happens that University at Buffalo is also where my parents work! My first semester I drove in and out with them every day, and would often visit my mom in the afternoon between classes for a cup of tea (she'd get a latte with a little cinnamon on top). One day, she convinced me to try the latte, and I was hooked!! It was all over from there, and it was even worse when they put a Starbucks on campus (along with the 2 "coffee carts"). I have 2 favorite coffee shops. The first one is in Buffalo, NY, called Spot Coffee. They have fantastic coffee, along with sandwiches, soups and desserts. I practically lived there for the 2 months while I was studying for my Comprehensive Exam for my Masters degree. Then there is Mayorga Coffee, in Rockville Maryland. There are several shops around the area, and they roast their beans locally. They are just incredible!!

I'm really looking forward to this swap! I've participated and hostessed many swaps over the last few years, and have had so much fun through it all!!

Coffee goodness

Just thought I should pop in and add a post since I signed up for the swap. I love coffee, the smell, the taste, the anticipation of that first sip and the times spent chatting with friends around a good cup of coffee.

I can't wait to be assigned a partner and get started swapping. Feel free to visit my blog to get to know me better.

Ruth

a couple buttons!

Please dl & save to your own server. Thanks!

Mmmmm . . .Coffee!

I'm so glad I made it in to this swap. Coffee is one of my absolute favorite things. I am so lucky that my little nurser has been OK with small amounts of caffeine since 6 months or so.


Coffee has so many memories and conotations for me. My mom always drank (and still does) strong black coffee, or espresso. In college, my friends from back home and I would spend hours drinking not-so-great coffee in some 24-hour diner catching up. On my way to classes, there was a great little walk-up place, where any drink was $1.50 if you had one of their insulated mugs. That was the beginning of my infatuation with mochas. These days, the budget and waistline insist I save those for Saturday mornings and road trips.

I usually drink dark, dark coffee, with just a splash of cream. I make it in one of those espresso pots Calling Kalo talked about. I'm fortunate to have a great selection of coffees available in my town, including a coffee shop that roasts its own.

coffee . . .

Well, I have to start this post by admitting that I am an equal opportunity hot drink drinker. I like good tea and well made chai as much as I enjoy my coffee. It is so fun to read everybody's coffee experiences!
I would say that my best coffee experience happens every morning since I have been with my (now ) husband. We wake up an hour before we have to get up and drink a cup (or more) of coffee and talk. I realize that it doesn't sound that remarkable. But it is the one time of day that I know I will have his full attention and we can talk about anything. I have, at times, taken it for granted, until one of us is gone for a couple days then I will miss his coffee making skills (he makes a much better pot then I do) and our coffee time together. A little corney and I am a hopeful romantic, but when ever I think of coffee it is the first thing that comes to mind. And the best part is, we can be camping, trekking, staying at home, in a hotel, in the US, Europe, NZ or South America - we always set this time aside for ourselves (we do sometimes get funny looks with our individual coffee presses in our carry on bags while flying, but whatever.)
I am so excited for this swap!
Have a great weekend!!

Coffee Poetry

Howdy Knitters! I just found this site and thought that you all might get a kick out of it: CocoaJava-Coffee Poetry.

Why do I love coffee? Because it tastes good. The good stuff, I mean. The rich, dark, black, beautiful stuff that just goes oh so well with say a homemade chocolate chip cookie or a similar sweet. The trouble is, I'm off caffeine now. (!) I quit the stuff a couple of years ago due to high blood pressure and now I'm a nursing mama to a little boy who is wakeful at night enough as it is...I don't need caffeine adding to the problem!

I know, then why oh why am I participating in a Knitters Coffee Swap when I can't truly partake in the deep joy of caffeinated coffee? Well, because decaf is shaping up to be pretty darn good too. (The good stuff, I mean...)

So if you get my name, please send me some good decaf stuff! I promise to return the favor in full with wonderfully caffeinated coffee for you and will live vicariously through you as you enjoy coffee the way it was meant to be!

p.s. I'm a big fan of decaf teas, hot chocolates and other similarly decaf mocha-type beverages too...if that's legal to say on a Knitters Coffee Swap blog!

Whoo hoo!

I am really looking forward to this swap! I've got lots of ideas for things running around my head.

In other news, I have become completely, totally and whole-heartedly addicted to pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks. How did that happen?!? I stopped there the other day only because I had some time to kill and now I'm finding excuses to drive out of my way to get one. Although, yey me! Tomorrow my youngest son has his robotics class at South Winnipeg Tech and lo and behold... there is a Starbucks only minutes from there! Ah... happiness! Has anyone else come across this wonderful, yummy fall-like coffee gem? It combines two of my favourite flavours (coffee and pumpkin pie) all in one cup!

The swap is closed

Thanks to all those who signed up! If you missed sign ups this round, I'm thinking of doing a second swap this spring, so keep your eyes out!

One spot left!!

Okay, we've got an odd number. The next person to sign up will be our final swapper. Wanna try to grab that spot? The link is at the sidebar. Ready, set, go!

I got in!

Yeah!Thanks Catherine for the heads up about the swap.I can't wait to see who I get to spoil this time!

Cafe Con Leche

I have so many fond memories of coffee and as a child I always remembered the smell of fresh brewed coffee in the morning. I remember my mom on the weekends making cafe con leche using a greca or commonly called cafetera (stovetop espresso, see photo) and then slowly heating the milk in a pan and pouring them into a mug. The greca traveled with us during camping trips and family vacations (yes, my folks would pack it in a box an bring it with us to foreign countries).
In college I worked in a coffee shop where I had unlimited access to coffee, espresso, lattes, and gourmet coffee (where I fell in love with Puerto Rican Yauco Selecto and was not so impressed with Jamaica Blue Mountain).

My favorite coffee experiences took place in Paris and in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, during a family vacation, we toured the coffee fields, learned how coffee is made, drank some amazing coffee and coffee liquor. DH and I went to Paris, France, and drank the most amazing coffee ever and that's where we became engaged.

I love coffee and knitting so I can't wait to participate !

So apparently I can't count

Well, tonight I was happily going through my sign up e-mails, sending people invitations and thinking how great it was that I've had so many people join when I realized, "Um....wasn't I supposed to be stopping at 50?" Yeah, which I realized after sending out invite number 54. So, since we're now a wee bit over 50, here's what we'll do. Sign ups close at midnight tonight, central time. If at midnight we have an odd number, I'll take one more to even it all out. So if you haven't signed up yet you've got a couple more hours to get in there.

Once sign ups close tonight, I'll start working on partners. When I send you your partner's info, it will be up to you to exchange addresses and answer the questions I'll send along with the names. Remember, this is not a secret swap. You will be exchanging with each other.

Also, be ready for our first contest to start up soon. Hint: if you stop for a cup of coffee at your favorite coffee shop, you just might want to take your camera with you! (No personal modeling required:-)

hi!

So, yeah, I'm a knitter and a coffee fiend, could this be more perfect??!! I also happen to manage a coffee shop-- a big-name one, so hopefully my pal likes a certain coffee megalopolis! I also love small-batch local roasters, so I'll be seeking those out here locally.
This will be fun! I'm going to work on a couple buttons to add to the collection, too.

Coffee memories

I'm mainly a coffee for mornings sort of person and on the weekends I love to get out my moka and make a couple of tiny cups. I lived in Italy as part of my degree and I got a taste for tiny cups of strong coffee with sugar enough for your spoon to stand up alone in. I drink a lot less coffee these days but I go more for quality rather than quantity.

My favourite mokka coffee is Illy but I'm very fond of Lavazza. I discovered an Italian brand called Splendid which I really like which you can only see to get in Italy. Taylors of Harrogate do a lovely smooth cafetiere coffee called Lazy Sunday. I just love the name.

I'm delighted to be part of this swap - I'm off to London on Friday so I might find something good there :)

Five spots left!

Wow, take a night off for trick-or-treating and my inbox is FULL! Get those spots while they last!