Talking about Tea, Lace, and the KOAC

For those who are unaware, I am participating in the Second Round of the Knitters’ Tea Swap. I had missed the first exchange, and I am looking forward to this one. I started drinking tea years ago, about the same time I was smoking cigars (before it became acceptable for women to smoke them) and frequenting wine tastings. Nowadays, I only have a cigar on the rare and special occasions, while I partake in wine during social outtings or home dinners with Richie. Tea is an indulgence that I can have at work and not worry about becoming impaired to drive. To help my Spoiler out, I thought I could share my love for tea in this entry.

My tea stash is nothing remotely close to my yarn stash, but it is stash nonetheless. Besides the tea and usual mugs, the tea chest from Ross-Simons is our newest item: a gift from my Mother and Father as an engagement present. A couple of Christmases ago, Cathy and Dave gave us a tea-themed basket as our holiday present. In it was a pair of mini-teapots (one in black, the other in green), a pair of tall mugs in ivory ceramic, and a pair of diffusers for loose tea. Accompanying everything was a book on high tea which has some great recipes for sandwiches, biscuits, and cakes. We do have loose tea in tins, but we mostly use the tea bags for convenience. In the weekend mornings, we put the kettle (one of *AHEM* several that I have bought through the years) on to boil, and have our tea bags steep in the tall mugs of hot water. Rich often goes to Dunkin Donuts and gets his English Breakfast en route to work. Me, I just grab whatever is available (probably the only surprise I can handle) and bring it to the office. I must admit one “wishful” item: a honey container. They are a bit decadent, but I think they are so neat in a Victorian way. I do like fragrant teas with the exception of Darjeeling. For some reason, I dislike its smell and taste. I hope this info helps!

Lace has become my biggest obsession, and I have been throwing myself at its mercy since the beginning of the Amazing Lace Challenge. There is something about making these little holes to create all sorts of patterns, and how we create the holes is a scientific formula in itself. I had just finished Rasha’s shawl in the Icarus KAL (which is being blocked), and I am hoping to get Lisa’s “Children of the Lir” stole done in time for her wedding. My next lace project will be the wedding blanket for my sister’s friend Margie. I had been wrestling with how to incorporate Frog Tree Yarns’ Cape Cod Shell (feather and fan) pattern into the couple’s college colors (Boston College and Notre Dame), and finally came up with a solution. I will be using Classic Elite’s Montera with my 6.75mm needles for this one. The other 2 projects I have in the lace queue? A pair of socks for Amanda’s Mystery Sock KAL, and a pair of wristwarmers for Sandy’s Warm Hands. I will try to keep you posted!

The biggest item in this entry is the Boston Knit-out and Crochet Too. This huge event was this past Sunday at the Boston Commons’ gazebo. For this year, I had joined the Committee and volunteered to run the Bloggers Table. I met up with Joanne and her daughter Andrea, and we sat together for a bit to crochet my Favorite Baby Blanket. Lucy (owner of Mind’s Eye Yarns) was elected hands-down as our President and I think our hard work paid off. The best way to demonstrate our work? Why pictures of course! Now for those who missed out in buying a souvenir shirt, please go to our website and grab one while we still have them. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy the photos HERE! =:8