Birthday wrap-up

Thanks to all who left birthday wishes (or told me them in person)! I had a really nice birthday. Stephanie from my lab made me this hilarious cake:

I like this bottom picture, with the cake looking particularly neon...it was a banana cake, with sugar/butter icing, and it was delicious. The ears were the first part to go, and I took the face home. It's a bit disconcerting having a pink monkey face staring at you in the kitchen, but the cake is good so it won't last long!

Rachel and I hit up the Weaving Works sale, and while there wasn't much good on clearance, it was my birthday so I bought some yarn anyway.

We have here some SWTC Bamboo, Rowan Felted Tweed (for Salina), Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran (for Demi), and some Svale that was very on-sale with an undetermined purpose (maybe this?). The cone in the back is Gems Superwash merino, which will get skeined and dyed this weekend for my dye-swap pal and my knitters tea swap pal, who is big on bright sock yarn. I don't remember what the teal/burgundy skein is in the front, but I've been coveting it for a long time. It will become a hat and serve as dyeing inspiration. I got some yarn to send my May colorswap pal (package in the mail early next week!), and I also bought some pink and purple dyes. If you're thinking, Emily, you don't have enough yarn there for anything garmenty, you would be correct. Rest assured there is more where this came from!

I also received the rest of my presents from Dave - two books, American Vertigo and The Undomestic Goddess, both of which I've been wanting. And I got a package from my parents, with a lovely beaded necklace/earrings set (that I'm wearing today and that has received many compliments), a silver/leather necklace, and a cute going-out type tortiseshell purse. I'll try to get photos of these since my descriptions aren't very good...thank you!

I went out to dinner with some friends to the Cheesecake Factory, where I haven't been in ages, and got the bistro shrimp pasta as always. No cheesecake, as the dinner was huge and I'd already been eating the monkey cake. Then some of us went and played pool, which was fun even though I thoroughly suck at pool. However, like bowling, I've come to terms with being incompetent at pool, so I enjoy it regardless of losing every game.

Tomorrow perhaps there will be knitting content, instead of just yarn and eating. I promise I am working on that sock...