Coffee Swap IV

How lucky am I?

Nothing makes me happier than getting a package in the mail. Having been sick with "the crud" for the past couple of weeks, I was doubly thrilled when my coffee swap package arrived on my doorstep last weekend. Totally made my day (& maybe even my week)!

Shanda really spoiled me! I received two packages of coffee; a Sumatra roast from Sisters Coffee Company and the Purr-fect blend from Flying Cats. The Flying Cats coffee made me chuckle... not only have I had each of the cats on the label, but it turns out that the coffee was roasted by Caffe Appassionato in Seattle. My mother loves their coffee and we used to go to their Fisherman's Terminal store (where they do the roasting) all the time. What a small world! I'm looking forward to trying both of the brews -- however, I think I'll have to wait until I'm well, so that I can appreciate them to the fullest! I also received Snickerdoodle scone mix, which was cleverly packaged in a to-go coffee cup (I think I will have to make those this weekend), Snickerdoodle almonds (not pictured because I already ate them :-D), and a mint chocolate bar from the Chocolate Crisis Center (funny, that's gone too!)

Shanda also sent me the cutest notions bag printed with Japanese kokeshi dolls, two bars of olive oil/coffee scented soap, and a sticker and pin from Blue Moon Fiber Arts.

Of course, I had to save the best for last -- the yarn is fantastic! Shanda went to the Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat and picked up a beautiful yarn from Rainy Days & Wooly Dogs. Even though I am a Pacific Northwest girl by birth, I have to go Californian here: "Dude! It has cashmere in it!" The yarn is a very soft blend of superwash merino, nylon, and cashmere. It feel so nice (yes, I am a confirmed yarn petter). The picture does not do the color justice. The yarn is a beautiful progression of dark blues, teals, and forest green. It reminds me of Puget Sound, when the sun is shining on the water. This gorgeous yarn is definitely not destined to become a pair of socks -- it's just too pretty for that!

Thank you so much Shanda! You did a wonderful job!

Proof of Knitting

I am getting a slow start on tackling my list. But here! Proof! I knit! (Which would be a good thing, considering that this is supposed to be a knitting blog).

#16 Knit from the stash.

I am making a neckwarmer using this pattern and Artfibers Satori. I added more stitches to the pattern, as the yarn is thinner than called for.  Easy, relaxing knit. Now I have to find an interesting button.

I was just matched with my coffee swap partner and am happy to see that we have a lot in common! Really pleased that our yarn preferences seem to be the same -- right down to the colors! Hmmm, the ideas are percolating already...

Coffee Swap IV

I'm so happy to have made it into this swap for a third round!

QUESTIONS

1. Whole bean or ground? I prefer whole bean, please.
2. Fully-loaded or decaf?  Fully-loaded, of course!
3. Regular or flavored?  Regular -- I've never really gotten used to flavored coffees (traditional girl at heart, I guess).
4. How do you drink your coffee? With milk.
5. Favorite coffee ever? My favorites to date have come from Stumptown Coffee and the Pacific Bay Roasting Co. (however I am open to new things).
6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do? I'm a little bit of a coffee snob, because there are great local roasters here on the west coast! I especially like Nicaraguan blends, Brazilian blends, and Italian roast (Pretty much anything from medium to strong).
7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee? Slightly sweet cookies or milk (not dark!) chocolate.
8. Anything else about your coffee preferences? You can find my other coffee swap questionnaires here.
9. Yarn/fiber you love? Alpaca, alpaca/silk blends, and bamboo. Pretty much anything natural that feels soft in my hands.
10. Yarn/fiber you hate? Acrylic, novelty, or eyelash yarns. 
11. What's on your needles? Rectangles and socks.
12. Favorite colors? Earthy colors: deep blues, greens, reds. I do not like khaki, tan, beige, or white. I'm far too pale to get away with wearing those colors!
13. Allergies? Nope.
14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest? Hmmm...is it really clear how much I despise khaki? :o) Most of my old swap questionnaires are here; the list of questions for the last swap I participated in is on my "about me" page on Ravelry (I'm hapagirl).

Trivia for the Day - I started writing this blog because of a Knitters' Coffee Swap!

Looking forward to getting my match!

Knitters' Coffee Swap 3 Questionnaire

I'm so glad I made it in for another round!

1. Whole bean or ground? Either is fine. I generally use whole bean during the summer; but since school started back up, I have been using ground (for drip or french press).

2. Fully-loaded or decaf? Fully-loaded! I need all the help I can get!

3. Regular or flavored? Regular, please.

4. How do you drink your coffee? With milk. I'm a latte kind of girl.

5. Favorite coffee ever? A friend of mine gave me this coffee from the Pacific Bay Coffee Company, a local coffee roaster. It was wonderful. I always thought I'd be faithful to my Brazilian blends, but I've been seeking out Nicaraguan coffee since I was gifted with those beans.

6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do? I'm a bit of a coffee snob, since we have so many great local roasters (besides, my mom lives in Seattle & always brings some good stuff when she visits!)

7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee? I tend to go for pastries or cookies. I'm a sucker for a good oatmeal raisin cookie!

8. Anything else about your coffee preferences? I like medium to dark roasts.

9. Yarn/fiber you love? Wool, alpaca, bamboo, soy, silk blends. I like soft yarns.

10. Yarn/fiber you hate? I'm not fond of novelty/eyelash yarns.

11. What's on your needles? A chemo cap, a baby gift, and a couple of scarves.

12. Favorite colors? I like strong colors, especially reds, blues, or greens. Light colors (khaki, beige) tend to wash me out, so I'm not crazy about them.

13. Allergies? Nope.

14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest? If this wasn't enough information, all my swap questionnaires are on the sidebar. Oh, and I'm on Ravelry. My user name is hapagirl.

Knitters' Coffee Swap Questions

Here are my answers to the Knitters' Coffee Swap Questions.

1. Whole bean or ground? I prefer whole bean, but I also like the convenience of ground coffee, as long as it was vacuum packed.
2. Fully-loaded or decaf? Definitely fully-loaded!
3. Regular or flavored? Regular, please.
4. How do you drink your coffee? With milk. I only use sugar if it's really strong coffee.
5. Favorite coffee ever? I like them all; particularly Italian roasts, Brazilian blends, and Kona coffee.
6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do? I like medium roasts, also espresso and Italian roast coffee.
7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee? Cookies or chocolate. I'm a sucker for oatmeal-raisin, snickerdoodles, and thin ginger cookies.
8. Anything else about your coffee preferences? Even though I live in the Bay Area, I'm not too fond of Peet's coffee (I do like their tea, however).
9. Yarn/fiber you love? Natural fibers. Wool, wool-alpaca blends, wool-silk blends, or good cotton. I love anything soft.
10. Yarn/fiber you hate? Novelty acrylic yarns. I've never really liked the finished product when I'm done knitting with them. Good thing I have a mother who loved the muppet scarves I made.
11. What's on your needles? I think I have knitter's ADD. On my needles: 1 top-down raglan sweater, 1 clapotis, 1 dishrag, 1 tote bag, and 4 scarves (oy vey).
12. Favorite colors? Ocean colors: blues, dark greens; autumn colors: reds, browns, and dark pumpkin; blacks and greys. I like stronger colors over pastels.
13. Allergies? Nope.
14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest? Even though it is supposed to be good for you, I don't like dark chocolate. Give me milk chocolate (or milk chocolate with caramel, or milk chocolate with crispies, or milk chocolate with mint) any day.