Ode to Barnes & Noble

I absolutely love Barnes & Noble.

I could spend hours there. If the books (swoon!) and big over-stuffed chairs (double swoon!) weren’t enough, there is a Starbucks inside that also sells Cheesecake by the Cheesecake Factory. It’s certainly a little piece of heaven here on earth.

Today was cold and overcast and rainy. A trip to Barnes & Noble was the perfect Sunday afternoon pick-me-up. First stop-the cafe-then, chai latte in hand, I headed for the cooking section to check out the cookbooks. Here is where the only problem with Barnes & Noble pops up: just when I am on cookbook Cloud Nine, with plans to make a great white chicken chili in my new dutch oven, I catch sight of the decorating and home improvement books out of the corner of my eye and am immediately drawn in by the aura of farm houses, bungalows, and the complete collection kitchens by House Beautiful (Oh My!) After twenty minutes spent mentally calculating the cost of implementing some of the fabulous decorating ideas into our new house, I notice I am also standing next to crafting books-sewing, quilting, knitting.

Oh knitting.

I was bitten by the knitting bug over this past summer and it was not good to me. I was first drawn to knitting by Soule Mama, over at http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/ Then, I caught site of the cover of this book, at the library, and immediately I felt my womb tighten and my unborn children call out for me to create these darling, soft, knitted outfits for their yet-to-be-born (sure to be darling) selves.

Here is the thing with knitting. I am sure it is quite easy (cough) or at least doable, but first you have to do this incredible difficult thing (cough, for me, cough) called casting on.

Shudder.

And despite an investment in materials, four different “learn to knit” books from the library, and an online video tutorial (not to mention a doctorate), I couldn’t figure it out. And even Edward tried to help (he will deny this to his dying breath-but I tell you girls, he is a keeper!), but alas, I was terrible at it. Resigned to the fact that I would simply need to take a class or find a real-life knitter to get me going (volunteers??), I stuffed my knitting materials in a box sometime in late July and haven’t looked back since. Until today, latte in hand, when I thought about that box as I felt the knitting books mocking me from the shelf.

Anyway.

Barnes & Noble; it’s lovely, comforting, and entertaining, all the things that for me, knitting was not, and because I couldn’t make it out the door without at least one souvenir from my trip, I have decided succumb to the pop culture wave that is Twilight.


This book is everything that I normally don’t take a liking to, so we shall see; even the 65 year-old checkout lady swore I would devour it in one sitting. I’ll keep you posted. Until then, blessings to everyone tonight!

Erin

3 Comments

  1. oh my gosh you’re actually reading it @HQAHAHAHAHA that is SO awesome – it was ok, just ok, it didnt rock my world like everyone says ..but at least the movie is coming out in a week or so right? Wish we could go watch it together.

    I almost died laughing at the thought of Ed’w trying to cast on for you. That is absolutely so cute.

    Don’t feel bad, I dont think there’s anyway you can learn it unless someone physically shows you – grandma and my mom had to show me (both of them on multiple occasions) but once you see how it works its completely logical.

    try this. tie a knot around the needles, then hold the needle with the knot in your left hand, draw the yarn over your index finger around around same finger, then the needle is going to slip up through the loop you just wrapped around your index finger..

    um yeah.. ask mom or better yet abigail to show you at Thanksgiving. Or Mary, Laura, Aunt Beth – I promise once you see it done its no problem, and its worth learning – SO fun, I know you’d love it.

    oh by the way the house pictures are great, id like to drive down for a visit over Christmas if you guys are there – I should be home between 21st-28th Dec.

  2. Hi!
    Oh my gosh….knitting. It is not easy at all to cast on. That is the last thing I teach my students and when I FINALLY teach them, they are like “oh, that’s it, it’s so easy”. I also have to tell you that if you learn on your own, the best books are children’s knitting books and knittinghelp.com video’s. Go ahead, give it another try…. P.S.: My students always start with a scarf. When they are finished with it, they have MASTERED the knit stitch, then we move on to the purl stitch and casting on!! I absolutely love your home!
    ~Corinne

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