'tis the season for racking the brains

oh yes. that it is. i've had several requests again for a christmas list and so i've now got to try to think not only of things i'd like, but things which are easily transportable and won't cause intercontinental issues, cos we're heading back to aus for christmas, and of course anything we might be given then has to be brought back home again! all of which rules out nigella's christmas tome (gorgeous but i really can't justify buying it) and any sort of region-protected media, probably (unless djeli is willing to play courier), so it's all a bit of a struggle really, but here goes...

the theme of this year is probably le tricot. as i have ceased to feel like a cook due to not being allowed to eat anything at all interesting, i have become a knitter, oh yes. i'm addicted. and so of course there are numerous bits and pieces which would come in handy, starting with books:

• stitch'n'bitch. i only ever borrowed this from the library and have been meaning to buy it but haven't got around to it thanks, o lis!
  
• elizabeth zimmerman's knitting without tears
• maggie righetti's knitting in plain english - this and the zimmerman i hear are good for those wanting to attempt jumpers but who lack a standard shape
• open to recommendations too, especially books that might show me clearly how to plan out bust darts...
  

and i have a number of smallish project that i could do with yarns (note: i don't do any sort of synthetic so only natural fibres, please! not to be too picky, but it generally overheats me so i need to be really careful so probably best just not to go there) and bits and pieces for:

• fetching (pattern at knitty.com)
  
• the binary cable hat
• monkey socks (pattern at knitty.com) thankyou buffygirl :-)
  
• robin's egg blue hat (free pattern online)
• eowyn from rowan 38 (i have this pattern but lack yarn and not sure about the needles offhand. i know the specified yarn has some synthetic in it, but i've fondled it and think it would be ok on my hands)
  

(i've listed all my needles on ravelry, so you can see what i've got there. they're all metal needles at the moment, but i'd really love to try some wood/bamboo but haven't been able to justify the extra expense.)

some nice stitch markers would be cool too - i've just got basic plastic ones which are functional but a little annoying. thanks, o buffygirl :-)

music stuff - as always hampered by not actually having a flute here yet, but i've been doing quite a bit of singing lately and hoping to get back to my piano soon.

• sheet music for john field's nocturnes (lovely mama)
  
• sight-singing book - music for sight singing by robert ottman was recommended by a friend as being excellent
• cd: nico muhly - mothertongue - nico muhly is one of the best composers i have discovered in a very very long time. this is his new album. if you don't have his earlier one, speaks volumes, you are seriously missing out.
• cd: john adams/david lang wind music or indeed anything by david lang. i have one piece of his on a maya beiser cd ("world to come") so if you avoid that one, anything by david lang is safe and likely to be meet with little yelps of glee.
• cd: john adams' nixon in china. this one's been on the list for about a decade now. beginning to lose hope but not interest. (lovely mama again!)
  
• the eternal carols for choirs book 1. or 2. or 3.
• cd: michael gordon/david lang/julia wolfe - lost objects

stuff which would have to be bought in the uk and shipped over:

• okami for wii looks gorgeous (is an adventure game based on japanese watercolour paintings) and is getting excellent reviews. apparently along similar lines as legend of zelda: twilight princess which we both really enjoy (and djeli's nearly got to the end of!) (post-christmas present for myself - yes, i'm weak but it was 25% off!)
  
• lego: indiana jones apparently is huge fun
  
• family ski for wii looks like fun. i've been enjoying the slalom and ski jump bits on the wii fit and this game is designed to work with the balance board. it's also getting great user reviews on amazon.
• dvd: john adams' the death of klinghoffer - yes, it's an opera. tell djeli asap if you need him to find this one - we've only got one weekend left now (as of 10 dec) and it's not something he'll be able to find in telford.
  

oh, and jewellery always goes down well too - and is especially easy to transport :-) i am planning the customary visit to juel in balmain, but that doesn't mean this option should be discounted!

random bits and pieces, not really high priority but if you're on the hunt for stocking-fillery stuff:

• cover for wii fit
• nintendo wii wheel for mariokart (i already have the second wiimote, but it's much easier to play mariokart with the wheel)
• killer bunnies expansion pack (we have the blue, yellow and red packs. i think the next one is purple??)
  

awkwardly heavy/large/ludicrously expensive stuff that really wouldn't be transportable but nevertheless would go down well (just for completeness' sake!):

• nigella lawson nigella christmas (signed copy! lovely lovely djeli!)
  
• ching-he huang chinese food made easy
• alan titchmarsh's the kitchen gardener, which is a really thorough-looking book just on growing your own fruit and veg
• yoga mat
• flute (yes, still trying to sort out the finances so i can buy one of these - 3 years and counting)
• georg jensen forget-me-knot sterling silver brooch although frankly just about anything gj would go down well :-)
  
• i would also really like some sort of serving bowl affair - we have nothing nice to serve stuff in and invariably stuff comes to the table in excruciatingly practical pyrex bowls or just dumped on a plate which doesn't really feel elegant. note that it would have to be moderately sturdy - djeli has this twisted belief that everything ought to be able to take whatever is thrown at it, which means that fine bone china can generally be considered an extinct species in our household.
• usb turntable so i can easily transfer my vinyl collection to mp3, but as i haven't done any research into these and have reservations about needle quality and whether the needles could be upgraded to ensure the best transfer, plus it would be way too big to bring back here (as well as all the vinyl being over there - if i brought it back it would just encourage the accumulation of vinyl over here too, which is a place i don't want to go!), so i guess this one is problematic all round. maybe when we return for good? *hint hint*?