gift wrap up, new year's knit failure, and random links

I received some lovely knit-related gifts in the past couple weeks:
Napoleon sent me the most adorable little cards to give out with any hand knits that I gift.

Yahaira sent me a sweet card and some yarn she had tried to use for a Tubular Camisole. I had long admired this yarn and can't wait to make something with it.

From my sister -- Vintage Knits (which I think is identical to Vintage Style) and a Cram Cream Wallet (OK, the wallet isn't knit-related, but it's too cute not to include). There are so many amazing patterns in this book! I fear my to knit list has now grown to be infinitely too long.

I also received many wonderful non-knit gifts this year. Two that stand out are my rice cooker and crock pot. It rather scares me that I'm so excited about appliances. Luckily my brother got me the Dazed and Confused DVD to save me from my impending dotage.

I had hoped that I would FINALLY finish the sweater with frills before the end of the year. The pieces are nearly complete, but yesterday's cleaning frenzy, which led to a mini wine frenzy, rather cut into my knitting time. I'm still a bit skeptical about how this sweater is going to turn out. The gauge seems spot on, but the pieces are shaped very strangely. I know this is due to the gathered frill, but it still seems too long.

The mystery project is coming along splendidly, but it too won't be finished this year. I figure that I'm golden if I get it done by the original due date!

It will be a relief when I finish these two projects, so I can get going with the sweater I'm designing for myself. The first swatches were a bit disappointing, so I decided to upgrade the yarn. I got a great deal on a bag of Rowan Cashsoft DK off eBay. Woo hoo!

Here are some random links that I've been hoarding. It's been too long since I've done this and I'll probably keep adding to these throughout the day, so don't get freaked out if this post seems to reappear in your feed reader.
• Flour Power

  A Bryn Mawr student gets caught at an airport with condoms filled with flour. She and her dorm mates made them as gag squeeze-toy stress relievers during finals. A field test -- conducted twice -- indicates that the condoms are filled with opium, cocaine, and amphetamines. The girl spends the next three weeks in jail on drug charges that could bring 20 years in prison.

• Sorting your email with GMail [via]

  I came across a great way of using Google's GMail to create disposable/sortable email addresses that let you duck spam and find out who is sharing your address and with whom.

• Snack Nails! Now, I have been known to indulge in tacky ironic nail art, but this is a bit much!
• cute lil gal [video] - This little songstress rivals my previous favorite, Mo Kin in the battle for cutest kid ever.
• 250 lbs. of Silly Putty! My favorite part is the shot of the full size imprint of a newspaper.
• "Brownie, you're doing a heckuva job." [via] - The best quotations of 2005.
• Does anyone know anything about the Harajuku Protestant Church? I have seen other modernist churches, but this one is incredible!
• I wish these CDs were real. Dance of the Large Breasted Skank - Music for your Beer Commercial and March of the Tampons - and other feminine hygiene tunes. [via]
• Extreme Customer Evangelism

  When Star Trek (original series) first began, the USS Enterprise set out on a five-year mission. However, NBC cut the mission short cancelling the series after only three years (seasons).

  Now a crew of Star Trek evangelists ranging from an urologist to an Elvis Presley impersonator are resurrecting the original series and completing the mission by filming new episodes playing off the original timeline. Yep … these extreme Star Trek evangelists are filming new episodes under the name STAR TREK NEW VOYAGES. They've filmed two episodes and the third episode is to be released in the Summer of 2006.

  I have to try downloading these!
• final fashion [via]

  I am a Fashion Design student in my final year. This blog records the development of my graduate collection. I am manufacturing Final Fashion on a small scale and it will be available Summer 2006.

• T-Wolves Fans Drink Up For The Environment [via]

Minnesota Timberwolves fans are drinking an all-new cup of beer at the Target Center.
The Timberwolves stopped using oil-based plastic drink cups this weekend and began using cups made from biodegradable corn.
The cups are environmentally friendly, using 68 percent fewer fossil fuel resources than oil-based cups.

Comments

[final fashion]

thanks for the link ;)

[lyn]

Happy New Year! What wonderful gifts and your mystery project looks so pretty :) I can't live without my rice cooker, I use it for everything! And the crock pot is pretty handy too, I love making Chinese herbal soups in it.

[Melissa]

Happy New Year Amy - and thanks for the fun links!

[Christina]

Love the links, thanks for sharing. I need to check out those Star Trek episodes too. Original series has always been my favorite.

[Marie]

You've got me rolling with these links! Happy New Year.

[jenifleur]

Dotage. Dotage. I'm turning that over in my mouth because I love my crockpot. (name: Crocky II, son of Crocky. There was an unfortunate incident involving flames and fire extinguishers with his dad, Crocky.) I mean to say I am head over heels in love with my crockpot. I'm in my 30's but perhaps what you say is important: can I get an AARP membership because of my crockpot ownership? Because if so, I can get discounts to campgrounds. I'll need to buy an RV but that seems a minor inconvenience.

[Amy]

Ha ha! I guess my follow-up post about getting a Good Sam Club membership(https://www.goodsamclub.com/join/index.cfm?gscpromocode=DGRANL858) is right out then.

I have long wanted a crock pot of my own, but never managed to buy myself one. I too am in my 30's and was surprised about how excited I was to get one from the boy for Christmas. You see, I figured that the great Brita water filter tantrum of Christmas 2005 was still fresh in his mind.

[Faith Flashbang]

I can't wait to see that sweater finished! It looks like a beautiful pattern. It's hard to see all the details with the model in that pose, so I'll be interested to see yours.

[charisse]

Vintage knits. That is the greatest book I just picked it up tonight from borders I had the 30% coupon I had to use, I love that book, And now I just have to buy enough yarn to make one of the projects, I can't wait.
Enjoy it. Happy knitting.

[megan]

I love the yarn you are using for the sweater. What is it called? Is it easy to work with?

Happy New Year

[punkrawkpurl]

YES, I knew I was getting old when I was wishing for a new food processor for xmas & still worse... when I was excited about a new brand or technology advancement that could make kitty litter less clumpy or stinky!
Dazed & Confused! mmmmm Randy Pinkerton!