And accio lanam

(Not sure that's correct; I never learned Latin, and anyway, I am guessing Wizard Latin is slightly bastardized just as botanical Latin is. And I was once told that "botany" had to do with an ancient Greek word for wool, but I now call BS on that, because apparently "Botany wool" was a brand of Australian wool, named for Botany Bay, which itself was apparently named for the abundance of plants there.

Hm. that's the second time someone who was a professor has steered me wrong on an etymology. The first time, I KNEW it was wrong - someone tried to explain "Ivory Tower" as "like the ivy that grows on classroom buildings" and I KNEW that was wrong without looking it up. Apparently it came from an insult levied at a French poet who wasn't "out among the people" like Victor Hugo was...and yeah, I am not at all surprised it started off as an insult...)

But anyway. I needed a day out, and really, Whitesboro is close enough for a quick jaunt now and then - I could probably even do it as an afternoon thing some day after school (though might arrive too late for lunch at Lovejoy's - which only serves MWF - more's the pity).

Also, had I known, I could have stayed longer; my piano teacher called around 3 and said she was "under the weather" and as she was afraid she might be contagious (apparently strep is making the rounds again and she works at a day-care place), she was going to cancel. That's fine; I'd rather she did that than (a) come and be miserable or (b) maybe pass something to me.

And anyway - I had already spent enough. If I had had more time I might have gone to the antiques shops but I have a vague thought of taking the last Saturday before school starts (in 2 weeks) to go antiquing in Sherman/Denison.

I went to the quilt shop first. Bought a big piece of the botanical poppy print I got some of back on my birthday trip - this was "finish the bolt, 50% off." As I've not done anything with that Jelly Roll yet, the 2 3/8 yard of the green print might work as a border or as sashing. (Hm. Maybe I do another "Knickerbocker Glory" like the quilt currently in the frame? I like that pattern. Will have to check to see how much "border" fabric is needed...)

I also got a 2 yard piece of fabric featuring Agnes' unicorn (from Despicable Me) to make one of those Burrito pillowcases out of. (I might use a contrasting fabric for the edge; the burrito pattern features that and that would mean I'd probably have a bit more left over).

And then I went to Quixotic Fibers. I really love this shop - for one thing, it's just pretty to look at all the yarns hanging out on the racks. And the owners are very nice and welcoming people. And it's just good to go somewhere where there's a different choice of yarn than what the big-box craft stores have. (Quixotic Fibers has mostly fingering weight - the owner says "worsted weight doesn't sell well here," which I can see, because we're a hot climate and also fingering weight can be used for SO MANY THINGS - from socks all the way up to sweaters. And shawls - I suspect a lot of her clientele is big into shawls). But she does have SOME worsted, and I found some appropriate for the smolder cowl pattern that Purlewe bought me in a swap.



It's the gold up there - an appropriate color for a flame-cable themed cowl. (I bought two skeins because I think I might do the "enlarge the pattern by one repeat" bit - I don't like things really tight around my neck and the designer warns the cowl can be tight).

The purple laceweight (next to it) is for another cowl, this one made of laceweight, and a free pattern on Ravelry: The Kelvin-Helmholz Waves Cowl. Because I love knitting lace, and I love a pattern with a "sciency" hook to it.

The greenish and pink sockyarn ("Robin and Marian") was on sale, and I love green and pink together anyway (maybe an echo of my prep-school past) . And I couldn't resist the deep-purple Dream in Color yarn (it's called Galaxy). That one might be socks, or I might use it for a small shawl because it might be a little TOO special for socks....

Anyway. If you're driving around North Texas and can get over to Whitesboro, I highly, highly recommend a trip to Quixotic Fibers (well, if you like yarn...or are with someone who does). The people who run it are super nice and fun, and it's just a lovely shop with a good selection. They do have other items - needles and accessories and books, of course, but a few gift-type items (fancy soap and Blue Q bags and a few mugs and those "mismatched" socks).

I also went to Lovejoy's for lunch - which was another reason (in addition to "not missing New Pony") for going today rather than Saturday. They serve lunch Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. (I guess they do coffee and a few treat-type items other days? Maybe? They also have a soda fountain).

But their full lunches are the best. They have the best Quiche Lorraine I have ever had, perhaps because it's lighter on bacon and heavier on cheese (and they also add spinach, which is a good addition). So of course that was what I had for lunch.

(I wonder if that's a trait of some people: if I have been to a restaurant before and had something I liked, I'm prone to order that thing again when I go back. But I know a lot of people who will never order the same thing twice. Maybe it's a function of not going to restaurants a lot? I eat at one maybe 2-3 times a month....)

And I had a glass of their strawberry lemonade, which is the real thing (strawberry seeds in it, and I also saw a lemon seed) and it is also tarter than most lemonade. (I don't like the "mix from powder" kind, which is more often than not actually just citric acid and coloring and sugar, so I get real lemonade if I am at a place that has it).

Again, the people there are super nice. (That's a function of many small businesses in this area.) After I ate my quiche, I ordered dessert (chocolate cream cake - layers of a torte-like cake with the chocolate pudding like would be used in a cream pie, and then a thin chocolate frosting on top). I had to wait a little because the server didn't realize the guy was still frosting the cake. She apologized, but really? If I can get REAL cake (as opposed to something from a store-bakery-mix) I am happy to wait.

(She later deemed it "took too long" and wouldn't charge me for the cake. Well, I fixed that, by leaving an extra-generous tip....and really, it was not an excessive wait, I've waited longer for food LOTS of places).

It was about noon by that point so I decided to set off for home (not knowing, at that point, that there would be no piano lesson). Driving down on 82, I noticed there was a junction with 289 that would take me into Pottsboro - so I decided to shop at the Brookshire's instead of Kroger's.

I dunno. After the light upgrades at the Kroger's near me, they may win out, but it was nice to see a different store. (And Brookshire's beef has been good in the past, so I bought a steak for this weekend).

I also got coconut oil shortening, so I can try those no-bake cookies I linked to the other day. (Maybe I do that tomorrow - I am staying home tomorrow). I also bought some dried cherries on the ground that they aren't all hard and shrively like raisins, so I might put them in the cookies.

A couple more photos. I don't know if I mentioned on here, or just on Twitter, that I decided to order a shillelagh after finding an import shop selling the real thing (not molded plastic, like apparently one of the ones sold on Amazon is). They had different sizes so I ordered the biggest (37") one.

It came the other day.



Even though I am not unusually tall for a woman (5' 7" and maybe a skosh), I guess my legs are proportionally long (I have the same inseam as a couple 6' men I know) and so the 37" size is just right. And I can use it as a walking stick when having to go over uneven ground (walking on uneven ground for very long upsets my bursitis) and I can also use it as a "snake stick" in the field to poke ahead of me and alert any snakes to get out of the area so I don't step on them. (or a spiderweb knocker-downer, in the forest areas).

The real reason I got it, though, was the whole "good idea to have some kind of hitting weapon" allusion that was made in the last CRASE training on campus. (Though I kind of hate leaving it in my office - it's such a pretty and well-made thing).

At any rate, I hope I only ever use it as a walking stick (or spider web knocker-downer) and not for this:



I don't know enough Irish Gaelic yet to know what a real Irish-speaking person would scream when threatened, so you'll just have to imagine some kind of "screaming in Irish Gaelic" thing here.

 Also, while I'm being silly, here's something I realized the other day. My G3 Toola Roola is in what some collectors call the "donkey pose," with her mouth open (like a braying donkey) and you can fit small toy foods in there.

So, an oldie but a goodie:



"I has a corm"  (reference, for those unfamiliar)