okay so i bought a knitting book

twice a year, the library where i work has a huge book sale. hardcovers for $2, paperbacks for $1. on the last day of the sale, though, you can get a box or bag full of books (any size box or bag you want) for $5. so. i went and got a ton of romance novels for my bestest friend. it'll cost me more to send them to her than it cost me to buy 'em! anyway, whenever i go to anywhere that's selling books, my first instinct is to sniff out the knitting and crochet books! anyhoo, this is one of the 3 books i got for myself:

Amazon.com: Books: The Complete Book of Knitting

it's the second-to-last thing i need, next to another cookbook! i bought it mostly cuz it was almost free, but also for the stitch dictionary in the back. and technically i don't need that either since i have several others. but since those are all packed away in a box somewhere, i figured this little indulgence wouldn't kill me :-)

and speaking of boxes, i need to go work on packing up the kitchen. later, taters!

this is priceless!

in an effort to de-stash, i was thinking about giving away some of my yarn to friends. but now with these hiding techniques, i don't have to!

= = = = =

Lily Chin's Top 10 Ways to Hide the Stash


1. Tape a bag of yarn to the underside of all the chairs - who'll know???

2. Put a slipcover over a bag of yarn, stick it on the couch, call it a pillow.

3. Remove the cushions of the couch, stuff with yarn instead.

4. There are narrow books that don't reach all the way to the back of the bookshelf That dead space behind such books is good for several skeins.

5. Do you wear ALL your shoes at the same time? No, stick a skein of yarn in each unworn shoe (boots are great for this very reason).

6. Everyone has clothes in the closet that are never, ever worn. Sew up the bottoms of the garments, insert yarn. Do not forget to sew up bottoms of sleeves. There's enough in each sleeve for more than a bag's worth.

7. Never cook, only order take-out or go to restaurants. You've now got the whole oven!

8. Look to the china cabinet. That large soup turrine? Maybe a bag. Large teapot? A few balls. Covered dish? The same.

9. The freezer is advantageous for fuzzies such as angora or mohair. Make sure to place in plastic bag first. This is known as the high-fiber diet!

10. Get a really large box and fill it up with lots and lots of yarn. Put a tablecloth over it. Voila, instant dresser (but you can't get your feet underneath it)

under the radar

damn has it really been over a month since i've posted? sheesh. guess i got some 'splainin' to do!!! life is kinda chaotic at the moment. i'm moving in about 4 weeks so i'm in a state upheaval now, as i pack and "liberate" myself from stuff i don't need (i.e., throw $h!t away!!!). bear with me, in a few weeks i hope i'll be settled in the new place and busy knitting and doing all the other stuff i love doing knitting, cooking, baking, gardening, reading, etc.

until then...

mz is still here

good lord i didnt realize it'd been so long since i've posted. and this ain't gonna be much of a post either cuz i am one tired homegirl!

on the gardening front: i got morning glories that are growing nicely. even the lavender is doing alright. the sweet pea is blooming, too. but still nothing in the spearmint pot. guess i'll have to give up on that and just buy it from a nursery this spring!

more later, taters. mz is sleepy!

spring's coming!

and in honor of that, behold mz's indoor nursery! i decided to get my gardening groove on, even though i don't have a "real" garden anymore (boy do i ever miss my house, but i will never miss all the drama & stuff that came with it!! that's a whole other story). so i planted seeds ... no not THOSE kinds of seeds! i planted spearmint, lavender, morning glories, forget-me-nots and black-eyed susans. black-eyed susans are a little tentative about growing for some reason but i think this is the universe's way of telling me to be patient. morning glories are coming up like crazy and i'm loving it. i even got little lavender seedlings coming up through the dirt and i'm sooooo happy. i've -really- been wanting to see something happening with the spearmint (i have a newfound love affair with mojitos!!), but so far there's no action. i won't despair cuz generally if i can't make something grow there is no hope. yup, just call me mz. green thumb! later this weekend i will plant the sweet pea seeds. i am really looking forward to going to the spring plant sales at Chadwick Arboretum, Franklin Park Conservatory and Oakland Nursery. these are usually around mother's day, and so me and my mom decided to make it an annual adventure. i'm planning to really pretty up my balcony this spring. i'd love to build some flower boxes along the railing, and then morning glories and moonflowers growing up the railing. should be real nice. i will also put out some other herbs...definitely rosemary (another favorite), oregano, thyme and whatever else i can dream up...