"Toyko Style Beads Collection" by Uta Ono

Toyko Style Beads Collection by Uta Ohno is a beading book containing some unique styles. No knitting involved.

Jyuzukakebato Ring

Mizakura Necklaces

Hatsunagi Wire Necklace

Souda Turquoise Jewelery

Lovely stuff. Now to tear myself away from knitting!

Deb, who hosted a few of us for a lovely knitting and stitching one Saturday afternoon, tagged me for a meme.

1) What was I doing 10 years ago? the same thing I'm doing now: managing an international exchange program for the federal government.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today? Laundry; swatch some Jaeger Aqua for a tank top; spend 5 mins purging magazines; pare down what I pack so that I travel lighter; continue working on The Coat;

3) Snacks I enjoy: Popcorn, chocolate, potato chips, popcorn, chocolate, potato chips!

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Pay off my debts; give some to family and charities; buy homes in New York, Seattle, and Santa Fe, each with a craft room; invest the rest; create a charitable or environmental foundation of some kind.

5) Places I have lived: Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, France, Germany (I'm an army brat.)

6) Jobs I have had: Sales person, Giftware buyer for a jewelery store; Teacher, Program Manager.

Please consider yourself tagged!

Can't believe an entire month has gone by since I last posted. I've been to Denver since then and I just returned from Seattle last night. I've been there three times in the last twelve months. It's rapidly becoming my favorite American city. There 's so much to say about it that I don't know where to start. I know that I have a narrow view of it: I stay at one of the hotels downtown a few blocks from Pike Place Market, I never have to endure the apparently horrific traffic, and it's usually sunny when I'm there with only occasional showers. But given that there is a coffee shop on every corner, some of the best food I've ever eaten (I'm a salmon and steel head trout fiend!), great boutiques, lively cultural life, great yarn shops, great museums, and a Jimi Hendrix exhibit at the Experience Music Project, I sometimes wonder why I'm still in DC...

This time I visited Kinokuniya Bookstore in the International District. They have a large craft section containing lots of interesting quilting, crochet, embroidery, sewing, and of course, knitting books. I picked up these pictured below.

I went to Kinokuniya specifically to look for Aran Knit
(ISBN978-4-277-11401-1) after seeing this sweater on Tricot Methode Frankenstein:

Cable Sweater

Love these too:

Bolero

Room Shoes

Aran Knit has no English text, but like other Japanese knitting books it is full of helpful charts. The other books are Crochet Accessories (ISBN978-4-277-43080-7), Tokyo Style Beads Collection (ISBN4-05-402717-2). The fourth book has no English title but it's been blogged a lot and I'm sure you recognize it. The ISBN number is ISBN978-4-529-04140-9. I'll post photos from these later.

Oh, and be sure to check out the stationary supplies! They lots of notebooks, plastic sleeves, and loads of colored gel pens, for which I have a weakness.

I know some of you plan to visit Seattle soon, so don't hesitate to go to the International District though on a map it looks like it's a long way from the city center. It's a short cab ride away and an interesting long walk if you're up for it. Be sure to visit the huge Asian grocery store next door, Uwajimaya. I picked up some interesting looking tea, they had some tasty looking candy treats and a large selection of bento boxes.

Seattle Art Museum