[/caption]We don't have a car -- though we'd be too scared to drive it if we did (the bus we were in got side swiped by a tiny, red geo-metro-esque car yesterday, which apparently was no big deal since the driver of the geo-metro-esque got out of his car, laughing) -- so, we do a lot of walking.
To the bus stop. To the store. To Ewha. To eat out. Back home from the bus stop.
You get the idea.
And it's FREEZING outside.
While we did each pack a coat, a hat, gloves and a scarf, we picked mostly utilitarian ones. Most of them are fine, but some of them are downright ugly (very warm, just very ugly). The worst of which is probably both our pairs of gloves. They just aren't cute.
And so, Ben got these. I know they look sort of blue, but they're really a smokey gray, not very blue at all. They're knit out of a 100% superwash wool called PRIME, made in Italy. They won't be as super warm as his giant, black eyesores (they're not really that bad), but when we're just walking around town, we usually have our hands in our pockets anyway. And they button back from mittens into fingerless mitts when he needs his fingers.
I have to force myself to knit fairly mindless things this time of year or I'll bog myself down with a bunch of complicated, unfinished projects. I already started doing it earlier in the month. I'm easily frustrated by the feeling of never finishing projects. Which is why I like socks and mittens.
I have a pair of socks in the works again, too. I'd forgotten to bring any "MAN" colored sock yarns with me from home, and it's pretty hard to find here, but we found a wool/acrylic blend at E-mart a few days ago (the same place I got the wool for the mitt/ens), in a variegated gray. It's all a little drab, but I'm getting used to it. There's just not a lot to choose from, especially as far as "MAN" colors go.
And soon, I want to knit me some form of fingerless gloves/mittens (hopefully cuter than my huge, black eyesores). We'll see how it goes.
Maybe there will be more to post on the knitting front.
- catie
Can you order any yarn from Japan? Maybe they'll have some in Seoul if you ever get to go there. I wish I could come and see you two. I'd bring you some yarn...Love you!
ReplyDeleteJulie's knitting me a hat! I'll look like George Clooney in the Perfect Storm, only not so perfect.
ReplyDeleteMom: I could probably order some from japan, I just have so much trouble translating anything. I'm hoping we'll get to Seoul in January or February and I can stock up on some then.
ReplyDeleteReally, the selection's not awful here, it's just a lot of lower quality wool with a super loose twist so most of it is pretty splitty. It's funny because I never see this low wool quality in the states because there, all the low quality is acrylic and people who want wool, want good wool. But here, people wouldn't even dream of buying acrylic, so they have to make wool at lower end prices.
I think if I could find some shops in Dunsan (downtown), I'd probably find a higher quality. It's just actually finding them.
Ben and I are both teaching for Bryan and Aaron in December because they're going back to Colorado for their sister's wedding and Ben is picking up Bryan's ajumma (middle-aged ladies) class, and Ben says a couple of them will know places. He's taught it before and talked to them. So, I'll go with him and ask the ajummas.
Also, you SHOULD come see us. Ken and Nancy (and Rachel, I think) are coming in June! Don't you feel guilty?!?!
We cook mostly at home, too, so you'd never have to step your mouth outside the American food border.
Jeff: Ooh, what color is it? I like those fishermen's caps. But don't look like George Clooney, he dies in that movie!! You can look like a wealthy, seafaring Englishman who likes to weekend on his yacht, pretending to be, you know, a pirate or something. Josh can be firstmate! And mom can stay down in the scullery cooking all your fish.
Plus, George Clooney's totally not a grown up. He's practically still 12.