lots of bliu news (nius?) still on the horizon to update, though the knitting bits shall have the spotlight for now.

for one, secretpalsix has gotten off to a blazing, fantastic start. i've had a fun time communicating with and researching my secret recipient, and i hope she enjoys reading/knitting/experiencing the stuff i sent her this week! i don't want to give any clues away, but i'm glad we're like-minded because it's easy to send her stuff that i would get for myself!

voila, the first package i received from my pal!













and yes, it is as scrumptiously cute as it looks!

so, to give some context, last friday i was plugging away at getting this paper out for the submission deadline that evening. i typed away in my kitchen the entire day, and rushed out of the door around 5pm for lab so i could print out revisions, talk to my labmates (in similar dire straits), and defrazzle under the witness of others. i bolted out the door, and distractedly checked the bulging mailbox on my way out. how wonderful it felt to see a little box addressed to me! i tucked it under my arm as i continued for the subway stop.

i was itching with excitement the entire walk, and i actually summoned enough willpower to wait until i got settled in the subway station to open it. the train actually came (i know, unbelievable for the T) shortly after i got underground, so i ended up unwrapping it on the ride over. i have to say it was impeccably packaged to heighten anticipation. :) brown wrapping paper on the outside yielded to a small, bank-check box. prying off the tape on the box exposed a small little parcel wrapped in paper decorated with colourful, mod circles. as a fan of all things mod, i was seriously giddy. it was totally like christmas day, except just for me!

after such a stressful day, it was super timing to receive this. once i saw hello kitty, my spirits were instantly revived. all was good, because there she was, looking at me with those eyes, reassuring. heehee. what can i say... it was just the cutest thing. so, if you check it out above, my secret pal sent me all this cool stuff housed in a hello kitty plastic purse (very tiny, like 3" x 4" x .5"). the contents: three flavors of glittery lip gloss (i love the hello kitties on the caps), a funky gold camel measuring tape (replete with tailhair tufts), a hundred tiny colourful rubber rings, and a sweet handwritten note on hello kitty stationery.

thank you, secret pal! not only was it really good timing, but everything you sent is quite useful and so darn cute. i appreciate so much the effort you're putting into figuring out my style and speculating what things i'd like. it shows!

the rubber rings are a godsend for my need for effective stitch markers, and i have to say i'm really impressed by the ingenious use of them for this purpose. they're strikingly simple and seductively modern, and they're flexible, snagless, and bright. impeccable design of form and function.

... which is a good segue into showing picture of an ongoing project that i do not believe has yet debuted on this blog. here's my pillow cover (20" x 20") that i'm working on slowly but surely:













i'll give you a moment to guess the pattern and the yarn. [1... 2... 3... ]

okay. here's the dirt:

• pattern: motif from ribbed bark tunic in loop-d-loop
• yarn: knitpicks merino style in moss, double-stranded
  
• needles: denise interchangeables, size 9
• stitchmarkers: my fancy new coloured rings!

i was using these other handmade stitchmarkers for a while, but the ends of the cut wire kept snagging on my work. even though i tried to tuck the ends in as tightly as i could, as they were sharp and pointy it still ended up happening. so i'm really psyched about these new rubber rings. i mean, my fascination with them is almost embarassing. so amazingly simple! *swoon*

anyway, i love love love this sinuous motif, but the ribs really slow me down. my english style isn't quite as efficient as i'd like, but i can usually go through half a dual-skein in one sitting. i'll let you know how this thing grows.

brrr... i can feel the new england fall already. time to whip out the sweaters! whee!