Bang out a Baby Blanket and This Teacher Loves Having Time to Read

This week my main knitting project has been banging out the chevron baby blanket in record time. Over the course of last week, I averaged knitting about two stripes a day, and while I guess when you have time in the evenings to watch a whole MOVIE you get more knitting done, the speed at which this project has progressed has stunned me a bit. It’s not complicated at all, and doing something in a worsted weight will get it done faster. I’m going to wait to bind off until Stash Dash starts (yes, I am hoarding!), but I’m tickled with how this blanket looks, and how fast it went. Next time I’d be interested in following the written color sequence. Again, this is not for any particular baby, but was just a ‘waiting for May and Stash Dash’ filler project. I also managed to smoosh the tip of one of my needles with my chair tonight; thankfully it’s not terrible to knit with, and I’m almost done. I needed another set of needle tips that size anyway…

Why waiting for May? Because having something to compete for, even made up points on the internet, and especially made up points that get you entered for a prize is a fun when your life is as pathetic as mine is! The Knitgirllls also do a monthly self-striping knit a long, and one of the yarns for May just happens to be KnitPicks, and hey! I have Knitpicks self-striping yarn! So, after seeing the Cooperish Cowl, I’m doing basically that pattern, only rather than pay for the official pattern, I figured out the stitch and am doing math to see how to maximize my stripes, as Felici doesn’t have a super long stripe sequence. I won’t be making it as tall as the inspiring pattern; basically I’m going to keep going until a) I’m sick of it, b) it’s almost the end of May, or c) I run out of yarn.

Other than knitting, I have been devouring books while I still have the chance to stay up past midnight gripped by a story. I borrow most of my books via my library’s subscription to a digital service now, but occasionally they randomly don’t have part of a series, or they don’t have the next one. I’ve been really enjoying Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s Iluminae Files series; I borrowed the first two, but had to buy the third, because I have to know how it all turns out. I have now read The Prisoner of Zenda--swash, swash, buckle, buckle!, and I finished up the gripping Ravin King Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. I loved Chris Hadfield’s look into life as an astronaut, and read a recent, highly rated coming of age novel that would have been far more enjoyable if it wasn’t m/m romance. I’m continuing through Rick Riordan’s Greek novels so I’ll be ready for the new Trials of Apollo novel coming out this year, and I still have Brandon Sanderson’s new Way of Kings novel to plow into—maybe while I’m home this summer.

Well, that’s about all I have to talk about! Life explodes of Friday…brace for impact!

The Chevron Urge

Every so often I get gripped by urges to make certain things. During term this usually translates into baking/cooking a particular item on my weekends off, and lately especially when a knitting urge hits I’m rarely in the position to indulge it. But, unlike many other urges, my need to knit chevrons is a very doable itch to scratch…

I did some swatching for a rainbow chevron cowl I plan to knit in May for the KnitGirllls self-striping knit-a-long using some KP Felici. I haven’t decided yet how crazy the narrow stripes will make me, and if it’s worth using both balls simultaneously (and thus having a lot of ends to deal with) to make the stripes wider. I have a sneaking suspicion it’s going to go down the ‘more work’ way…

The second chevron project I started this weekend. Last fall I citric acid soaked a bunch of cotton (not sure now that it will help as it’s cotton, but the process is long done now!) for a baby blanket for some friends who were expecting at the time. Sadly, we’ll have to wait for heaven to meet that baby, and so I ripped out the blanket, but still wanted to use the yarn. Well, I had been planning to do stripes anyway, so here was the perfect use for the treated yarn. After the long rows in fingering weight yarn on Hitofude, these ones seem to go in a flash! I’m using the free pattern Baby Chevron Blanket pattern; I added a repeat to the body to make up for being a tad short on gauge. Next time I make this (on yes, I don’t think my chevron days are over yet!) I want to use a wool blend and I think I’ll also add a bit of garter to the cast on and bind off edges. However, I’m very pleased with the blanket so far, and might even get it done for Stash Dash. There isn’t a particular baby in mind, but I figure having a baby blanket in progress/reserve can’t hurt!

In order to start the blanket, I had to finish off another project so I could get the needle tips. I’m still not sure about the color combo on this Helix hat, but it is a fun way to use up leftovers! I’m a little afraid that I pulled too tight at the beginnings of the rows when I switched colors, and I also found out that if you’re a boob and use the wrong color it can’t really be fixed except by pulling your work back. I have a feeling I’m going to make more of these, but I might wait until I have a better color palette. I’m sure there is someone somewhere would appreciate this color combo.

One of the big things I worked on last week is a cross stitch project that will, alas, have to be secret for a while, but let’s just say that I now know that if your kit is old enough your floss can develop a distressing tendency to break…a lot. Now I’m tempted to go rummage through my kit stash for another one… While I still have a bit of term break left!

Lastly, today I made hamburger buns for the first time, and I was quite pleased with the result. If nothing else, living out here has sure made it necessary to learn a lot of skills I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. I wasn’t super great at yeast baking when I came out, but my bread almost always turns out well now. Making bagels is fun and easy, and now I have a good bun recipe for when the hamburger urge strikes again. Maybe I should get around to trying crackers like I’ve been saying I would for awhile… Or, maybe I’ll make a Baked Alaska for my birthday cake!

Parting shot: Such an adorable knitting buddy!

Very little to show for last week

So, most of last week was taken up with:

* Trying to go to town
* Turning back because the road was seriously flooded and there was *no way*
* Trying again the next day and making it out--a 12 hour trip
* Enjoying good Sri Lankan food and time with dear friends
* Having a dentist appointment which included a cleaning and two small fillings * Lots of shopping
* Getting to eat out twice--such a treat!
* A 16 hour trip back up country

Other than those minor details, I did a tiny bit of knitting at the dentists--a Trillian--that I hope to incorporate into my Stash Dash strategy.

Today, I made bread because I needed to, pie because I've been watching the second season of Pushing Daisies, and hummus because I now have tahini and I love it. It's the little things in life...

I also spent a lot of time the day I didn't get to leave and since I've been back working on a project that shall sadly have to be secret for awhile yet, but let's just say it's been a nice break from the endless sweater. Speaking of which, I decided to add a repeat before doing the ribbing at the end; I'm terrified that it will actually end up in practice being a smidge too short, so we shall have to see. The next time I make a Hitofude, I'm going to do three extra repeats before I start the body increases.

So, I settle back into my normal holiday routine. Reading--while I can. Cooking--while I can. Knitting--while I can. Doing PD--while I can. Letting my soul breath--while I can. I'm hoping I can get enough soul rest into myself in the next three weeks that I can start my second to last term with renewed joy and enthusiasm; it's going to be a hard journey, but I'm committed to finishing the calling.

Parting shot: Javacat in a box!

Lots of sweater!

One of the best things about holiday, is just being in my house. Just having the time to play in my kitchen, to watch actual movies, and to do my dishes. To have time to dream up knitting projects, ‘gobble’ books, and to start the job of sorting through almost 9 years worth of accumulated stuff and clear out as much as I can.

I’ve been pretty much monogamously knitting on my Hitofude so that I can leave it with a row and a cast off to do as soon as Stash Dash starts. I added a repeat before the increases on the body started, but now I’m really wondering if I should have added one more. I’m going to have to see where the length is once I finish Chart E; I might add another repeat or two of the non-increase part of that, since I’d rather have more lace than ribbing. I can already tell I’m going to love this cardigan, and I totally want to make it again in wool! Maybe this time I’ll make the sleeves full length…

The only other knitting I’ve done this week is to finish off the third brioche baby hat. I ran out of Felici, so I had to improvise with the least jarring Stroll I have left out here. I think the pom-pom helps cover the issue. Also, why did they tie the wrong end of the yarn on? Notice how the color sequence reverses towards the top…

Speaking of Felici, for the KnitGirllls self-stripping knit along, Mary is Knitpicks, and I have decided to use my two skeins of rainbow Felici to make a chevron cowl. I saw a pattern I really liked awhile back, but I think I can figure out near enough what to do rather than paying almost $6 for the pattern. Famous last words, I know, but the stitch pattern is easy enough, and I can do basic math, so here goes! Now of course I want to cast it on THIS MINUTE, but I’ll have to wait until May so it can count. I’m a little afraid the stripes will be super narrow because of the wider circumference; we’ll just have to play that by ear I guess. I’m also a little afraid of not having enough yearn, but I’m going to use some black as edging for sure, if not also between the repeats of rainbow.

Speaking of holiday and being in the kitchen, I got homesick for Easter in the South, and so I made avocado deviled eggs and cake balls. Note to self; the ratio of icing to cakes wasn’t quite right and getting the chocolate to proper dipping consistency was a pain, but they turned out fairly well in the end, and I’ve been eating them all week.

I have been inhaling various books this week and reveling in the ability to sit down in the evening and properly watch movies; I can’t recommend Neverending Story II, but I did enjoy The Lone Ranger and Thor: Ragnerok. As for books, I finished the first Percy Jackson series, and read the second book in a series that I can’t wait to read the first and third books in.

Tomorrow I head to the Copper Belt for the rest of the week; dentist, shopping, visiting with friends, and eating out are all on the agenda! I guess I should go pack then, huh?

Happy Easter!

I absolutely meant to update last week, and I even had an entry all typed up. And then...life exploded, and I was over my eyeballs, and by the time I had a chance for something so 'frivolous' as blogging, what I had written was rather out of date. How over my eyeballs? Well, to use the Hogwarts measure, I returned over two inches of graded exams, not to mention all the other marking to finish out grades!

So, all the things I've been up to these last two weeks! My last weekend of term I was 'off' though very busy, but I did take time to try out a Nutella break recipe. I've found it's important to have something to look forward to when I'm off, and this was my big treat to myself for that weekend. It turned out really well--nicely balanced between the sweet dough and the spread. I'd totally make it again, and I hope next time I'll have some hazelnuts to kick it up a notch!

Since it was Easter, I of course made hot crossed buns. I forgot to half the recipe as I usually do, but that just meant I had some to share, and I have some to freeze. I'm getting better at this every year; I should have it down to an art in another two or three!

I also tried out a shimmer egg kit that I was hoping would show up enough on our brown eggs to make it worthwhile. I'm pretty happy with the results--next year this won't be an issue!

I mostly did 'brainless' knitting while reading in the mornings during exam week, and while talking to my family on Easter I got about to the decreases on another brioche baby hat, but the main thing I worked on when I had a moment was still my Hitofude. This is what it looked like right before exam week--ready to start the increases,

And...that's about what it looks like now too, since I didn't read a vital instruction and had to rip out close to two inches of knitting. I hate when I orchestrate knitting attacks... Everything from the heart marker up had to go. Ah well; it builds character, right?

Now that the holiday has started, one of my biggest goals is to get caught up on sleep and to plan my April and July trips. And to knit. And to not be around kids. And to clean my house, sort a bunch of stuff, get rid of a lot of stuff, and to cook. I'm a third of the way through this year!