Acres of blue knitting and lots of ancient Greece

Last week I finished reading Herodotus's The Histories; while it was a lot to get through in a short time, I really enjoyed it. He had some hilarious theories about things, and was a wide eyed wonderer in a world where few people traveled. I'm working on Oresteia at the moment for those who are interested in tracking my progress through the Omnibus I curriculum! Agamemnon and Cassandra are dead; I'm waiting to meet the titular character in "The Libation Bearers."

Most of my knitting has been on the Cityscape tank, or the never ending project. You guessed it--I've reached the stage where I want the product! This past week there was the interesting development of the shaping that shrinks the twisted rib section. Despite the perfectly straightforward manner of this shaping, I managed to have to do a quick 'fix' job to get everything back to where it was supposed to be. Hopefully I'll be done next week! Not like I'm going to run out of summer to wear it in, I just want to feel like I can cast something else on.

I finished and blocked my Star Trek vertebrae; it's so cute! I'm glad I was fussy with the ribbing--I think it adds a nice touch. I can't wait to see the baby it was knit for wearing it!

I finished, wove in the ends, and finally put the pom-pom on the hat out of Roundhouse Alpaca Farm fiber. Neko decided while I was photographing it that it was HIS. He is mistaken; seeing as how I made the hat from scratch (except for the pom-pom!), it is definitely MINE. He's adorable though, isn't he?

Neko isn't used to being a knitter's cat, but I also realize that cats are just honor bound to be involved in any blocking process they can reach. Behold my sophisticated efforts to protect the vertebrae from cat hair-

This Sunday I took a rest day, and sat down to try out the corner-to-corner crochet technique I saw in a class at Yarnia. It was an interesting challenge, but I don't like the texture of the surface enough to probably mess with it again. I keep thinking of this brilliant thing called double knitting... What you can't see is the shag carpet of ends on the backside where I was not great at planning ahead with color carrying. Another reason to go with double knitting!

On the cooking front I had the brain wave to make mini meatloafs- future supers + shorter cooking times. I used the keto recipe I found earlier because I liked it, and I also had all the stuff on hand. Bacon and cheese of course don't hurt the taste either!

Well, I have my third school meeting early tomorrow morning, so I'd better sign off. As a parting shot, I've been enjoying this delightful window display downtown; I'm not sure if I want the octopus or the diving helmet more...

Reading

I absolutely have made boring to look at progress on two project this week, and I'll show you a progress picture of the big one in a minute, but to put things in a bit of perspective, this is what is taking up big chunks of my day.

The blue circle are the resource books (not to mention a few binders) that I need to be familiar with for this school year, the green are the books I've already read, and the blue are the ones I need to/am currently reading. I'm hoping to finish Herodotus in the next few days as well as do an online course for teachers at my new school before I go in for another Omnibus orientation meeting on Thursday. And I have that stack to keep working through, as well as hopefully get my science materials so I can start working through that too. So, simple knitting it has been for while I relax in the evening after a days reading with a few errands thrown in. One of many reason why I wanted to move down as close to two months before school as I could!

In addition to doing a lot of reading, I've been doing a few other things. All my DMC embroidery floss is now neatly put away in boxes again--I brought it back from Zambia in bags to save weight.

I made a small cake with my mini spring-form pans,

and I tried mini pizza waffles- some more tweaking is needed, but they were acceptable.

I splurged on some beautiful yarn that I've wanted since I first saw it a few months ago and Yarnia just got a fresh stock of- Amanda Hope's Aegean colorway. Not only is her yarn amazing, but it's also locally dyed!

And, I'm almost ready to start the bust shaping on my Cityscape tank; I'm adding a bit of length as I have a long torso 'cause I'm tall, but I need to do a bit of knitting math before I determine exactly how much. If my stich gauge was slightly off, my row gauge likely is as well.

Sorry for that last picture being a bit blurry; I had interference from a certain Ginger Pants while trying to photograph it. It's so nice to have a cat around the house again!

Well, that's all for now; more history of the Persian war in Greece tomorrow!

Sunshine

I am usually 99% not interested in vampire books, but I saw the top of a blurb about this one that made me pause. And then as I paused, I saw that Neil Gaiman liked it, and I read the rest of the blurb. I checked to see if it was in my library's digital collection, and it was. A few minutes later I was reading it, and then I could hardly put it down for the week when I could agonizingly only read it in half hour gulps at night.

I've read a few of Robin McKinley's other books, but haven't found one that really grabbed me until this one. I think one of the things that got me was the juxtaposition of an awesome baker and a vampire teaming up to defeat a great evil. I liked that the world felt believable, and was all the better for not being 100% fleshed out. And, I loved that the vampires were not what they so often are in popular literature, basically humans who now have a nasty blood habit, but they were very alien. They thought differently, acted differently, had different values, and processed reality differently. Though you totally fall in love with Constantine, you never once forget that he and Rae can not be together because of what he is, even though Constantine is a good vampire. I'm never going to be a vampire fic fan, but this book was one of the most gripping reads of my year so far, and I just wish there was a sequel!

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!

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?

Many little things all keeping me from going too crazy

My craft time continues to be quite limited, but I DID mange to finish the Frankinbooties—adorbs!

And I also managed to finish off the knitting on the first baby vertebra I need to finish before the end of the month, so there is that. Just needs a bath now.

I have spent most of the last week looking into boot cuffs for a dear sister in a very cold place; I am waiting to hear about calf sizing from her, but I was able to start these crochet ones as they are worked side to side. I seriously underestimated the amount of yarn they would take and seriously bungled the first attempt, so I wound up some yarn I have had sitting for quite awhile in the stash and started again this weekend. I’m liking it! I also wound up some of my cake dye yarn for another set…soon as I get that measurement!

I did a little weaving this weekend; crocheting the two sides together with a double thickness of yarn leads to far more satisfactory results; noted!

Today I chopped off the bottom of one of my favorite skirts that had become irreversibly stained, and hemmed it up. Good thing it was ankle length before! Yes, that hem looks awful, and will until I can get it home to my mom. I'm calling it a 'lettuce hem,' and pretending I did it on purpose!

Over the weekend I inhaled Wintersong, a story for anyone who ever feel in love with Jareth, the Goblin King. A little sensual in places, but I liked the complexity of his character, and the links with the Germanic tradition of Der Erlking. Now I need to watch Laybrinth again…

I also made bagels for the first time this weekend; not as hard as I had thought, fun, and I loved the results! I’m going to be doing this while I’m home in December.

And yes, speaking of, I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!

Very few pictures to document not enough (for my sanity) knitting

So, since my life has been insane/frustrating for the last few weeks, a whole lot of interesting knitting has not been done. I’m going to be lazy and you’ll just have to take my word for it, but I am almost done with the first sleeve of the baby vertebra, and I started the cuff patterning on the second Tintern Abbey sock. I got through the second ‘swish’ on the second sock of another pair of Mystik Spirals, and I put down a few rows on my handspun cowl.

The big thing I’ve been working on is getting my long hibernating Bluebells past the lace detail at the waist, so I can take it and the yarn home with me (hopefully) in December. Miles and miles and MILES of stockinette in a plain yarn is not rivetingly exciting, but I am just about to decrease for the bust and at long last start that lace band. I haven’t decided if I’m going to make it wider; we’ll have to see what it looks like as written. I guess I aught to re-check my row gauge… I’m not thrilled with the yarn; Loops and Threads Wool-like. The problem with this second ball is the yarn is plied funny and a strand stretches and bunches as you go. I ended up ripping back quite a bit on Friday where it was actually affecting the garment, but now things seem to be at least knitting in well even if they are awkward in the hand. So, yes, it was super cheap, but I don’t think I’ll rush out to buy it again.

Oh—I was weak and snagged some yarn I’ve been wanting for over a year—Nomadic Fiber’s “Sirius.” Not all her dyed to order colors are available at all times, and I just happened to see this one was up again. I personally wish the name of this colorway was Lupin as he is my favorite character in Harry Potter, so maybe I’ll knit Lupin socks with the Sirius yarn. So pretty!

I just finished First Lord’s Fury, the last of the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. I’m glad I finished the series; there were some interesting elements of world building, and I like the protagonist, Tavi. I almost abandoned the series after reading book 2, then book 1, but a friend said she had enjoyed it, so I decided to give it a proper go. I find it slightly hard to believe that no major characters died in the cataclysmic battle at the end, but I like this series well enough to finish purchasing them for my Kindle eventually. Now to indulge in a mystery!

The one piece of knitting I actually have a picture for, is this cat hat for Java (yes, she deserves it!). Yes, there will be a picture of my little punk rocker soon, but for right now here it is in all it’s improvised glory. Some short rows on the top of the head might be good for next time… That’s what you get for tearing up my things!

Parting shot: Trying my hand at some paper flowers for a sister--not half bad, but much harder when your floral tape is dead!

Progress

Whew; I had a super busy weekend on, and I did not have very much time to do much other than work. However, I did manage to finish the second Realm Walker’s book, Two Renegade Realms by Donita K. Paul, and I finished reading a book I’ve heard a lot about, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, which was a delightful read. I’m now reading The Hidden Oracle, first in the Trials of Apollo series. I am LOVING the projecting of ancient Greek gods and demigods into our world today; I can’t wait to see how it all pans out! And, as we read The Eagle of the Ninth in literature class, I am enjoying it even more then the kids. I totally fall in love with Marcus all over again every time I read that book, and I must have read it somewhere close to 6 times now.

In addition to enjoying some excellent literature, I have reached some exciting points in my knitting projects. On Sunday I finished the fourth wedge on my Crazy blanket, and have started the border.

I am rather anxious about having enough yarn for a decent boarder, but we’ll see how it goes. Also, I only have one set of size 7 interchangeable needle tips, and this is so massive that I need two circulars to accommodate it. So, I’m doing something wild and crazy; I have a size 7 and a size 8 needle tip on each cable; the larger on the left side and the smaller on the right. My reasoning is that the right tip is more important as that actually forms the stitch, so we’ll see if my brilliant “I live the middle of nowhere and can’t get another needle tip until December” solution actually pans out! Note to self—get a longer cable or two while I’m at it…

I also swatched for and started my “Tintern Abbey” socks with the “Shrewd Lady Mary” yarn from One Twisted Tree that I won in a Downton Abbey trivia contest last year. This yarn is LOVELY, and feels wonderful to work with. I have a strong feeling that more One Twisted Tree yarn needs to become mine…I’ve been eyeing her “Rare Woman Clair,” and her sock knitter profile bag is now one of my favorites. I decided to start this because I need a plain project, and as this is pretty simple up until the cuff it fits the bill. Plus, SO PRETTY! No picture yet as the toe is just barely started—afternoons off sadly still mean very little time for knitting, but hopefully next week I’ll have something to show you!

I didn’t get around to doing an entry last week, so I didn’t get to celebrate last week’s addition to Stash Dash—the first of the Pink Lemonade socks was finished! I started these in the plane on my way home in December, and I’m sort of saving the second one in hopes of plane knitting this December again. However, HO’s count, so I’ll take all the meters I can get!

Also, I have just over 40g left on my “Magrathea” scarf, so it isn’t too long till I do the edging (around 25g). This is particularly appropriate to pick back up again as I am listening to The Restaurant at the End of the Universe just now. It is read by Martin Freeman, and while he does a good job, I have to say that Steven Fry’s rendition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was absolutely amazing and I wish he had read all three. It is also fitting to finish this because it was started during last year’s stash dash.

So, that’s what I’m up to. This is my exam week so I likely won’t get much done, but I am getting excited about having a month off!

Parting shot: Sockwash Sunday!

In which markedly little knitting was done...

I have had barely any time to knit this week; marking mountain was more overwhelming than usual, but by really pushing and getting grammar marked early, I was able to spend Thursday evening watching The Phantom Menace for the first time in YEARS, and I cast on the Mystic Spiral sock that I have been itching to do for more than a year now. I have a strong suspicion that I bungled the first spiral which lead to starting the diagonal band in the wrong place, but once I start the second spiral I’ll try and get it sorted out. No way am I pulling out a rare evening of knitting freedom’s work! I am also trying to get my second Time Traveler sock done; I’m just about ready to turn the heel. Good thing, because my floors are COLD at night. It occurred to me, looking at my two sock projects, that I am big time channeling the 70’s right now. Could be worse…

I also pulled out of long-term hibernation my crazy blanket which I want to finish off for stash dash. I got a triangle and a half done while watching First Knight on Saturday, and hope to get the second one finished soon. I’m debating how to do the boarder; the idea of doing it in four parts and then sewing the corners seems rather untidy to me… I wonder if that was just to keep you from having to knit rows that never end?

Well, that’s me for this week—hopefully more knitting news after mid-term reports are done and in. Remind me why I chose a profession with +3 hours of homework every night?

Oh--another book swept me away this week, but in a different way. The Handmaid's Tale is something that has been on my list for awhile because a friend read it, and because people keep referencing it in regards to our new political leaders. On the one hand, this was absolutely written from a place of feminism and deep mistrust for Christianity, but the thing that scares me is that I can see the seeds of this in conservative Christian culture. I don't think for a moment that things will ever go that way, but to have been so often treated as less than an adult because I am a single woman... Very thought provoking.

Two socks and the book that swept me away

First of all, very little ‘exciting’ knitting took place this week. I was very, very busy before, during, and right after half-term, so while more repeats were added to my Hitofude, it still looks pretty much the same, and while I added a few extra colors to my second Time Traveler sock, I also screwed it up when I added a stitch and a hole while watching and fixing mistakes in the dark of half-term video. I had to frog and fix, but we’re back on track now.

I DID start the first Mystik Spiral Sock; I’m so excited for how this is going to turn out! I love how you increase in the toe; this is one of the best method’s I’ve seen yet. I don’t see myself ever becoming a sold out toe-upper, but it is nice to find better ways to do something. So far it’s really unexciting—not even up to full stitch count yet, but that was as far as I could get with my 30 minute ‘oxygen mask’ while listening to a Great Course this afternoon. I figured I deserved a break after my non-stop weekend!

So, even though there is hardly any knitting worth noting, I wanted to talk about a book that totally swept my off my feet and invaded my world for this last week. It absolutely rocked my world, and still has me thinking. What was it you ask? Me Before You.

I have had this on my ‘to read’ list for awhile, and for my birthday weekend I borrowed it and Son via my library’s digital collection. In my head this was going to be something on par with The Fault in Our Stars which I haven’t read, but I’ve seen the movie and know enough to know that I was too old when it came out to be swept away with it. Well, I was wrong. Utterly absorbed; could barely put it down.

First of all I must state that as a Christian I cannot endorse the choice Will made, but as he was a non-believer, I can understand why he made it. Even though I knew how the book was going to end, I kept hoping right up till the end that somehow the space-time continuum had changed and the ending was going to be different—he was going to accept the life he had waiting for him with Louisa. I loved watching them fall in love, and reading this book made me question very deeply what my attitudes towards disabled people were, and how I can treat them with better dignity and respect. I love how they both opened up each other’s worlds, and I love that Will looked out for her and protected her at the end.

An excellent book, a gripping story, and with ideas and questions I will need more time to work through, this was not only enjoyable as entertainment, but a good stretch to my thinking. I believe in the sanctity of human life; that our lives are not our own because we were created by the almighty God. To end our life says that He is incapable of moving in our situation, or that He made a mistake by allowing us to walk through that pain. I believe that there is always hope, and that God can redeem anything--anything to His glory…if we let Him. So I’ll keep thinking, keep looking for ways that I can speak hope into hurting people, and keep reading so I can broaden my mind and faith. Of all the things I fear, brain calcification is quickly becoming one of the top ones!

Parting shot: This weekend I watched The Magnificent Seven with Ruthie; so much fun! Absolutely a typical western that was surprisingly racially diverse, and with lots of great lines. This one however, might be my favorite. In response to the question about what to do if he dies, Denzel Washington’s character replies,

New life goal: to be in a situation where I can legitly quote this to someone. Right up there with hoboing it in the Opryland Hotel…

Trying to channel fall...

I have very little to show for this past week on the handwork front. I finished two more luggage tags and used up completely the lovely friend dyed yarn that has been sitting in my stash for years,

And I got well into the ninth chart of my Doctor Who scarf. I knit on my Monkey sock by bonfire light,

And that’s about it. However, a few other things were finished.

As soon as I saw that Garth Nix had written another Old Kingdom book, Goldenhand, I pre-ordered it so I could enjoy it as soon as it came out. While I felt it was better than Clariel, the fourth book, I was disappointed that it wasn’t as good as the first three. This story picks up with the novella published in Across the Wall and the chapters alternate between two main storylines until they unit about a third of the way through the book. At this point I almost wish Nix would stop writing Old Kingdom books, since he doesn’t seem to have anything much new to say. Also, the increasing liberalism sneaking into his novels is annoying. A fun read, but not as good as the first three books.

I also finished an audio book this week, The View From the Cheap Seats read by the author, Neil Gaiman. There was a great variety of essays, forwards and articles in here, and I really enjoyed the fact that they were being written by the author. While there are several areas where I can’t condone Gaiman’s lifestyle and tastes, he has written several excellent essays on being an artist, what makes certain people so gifted, and appreciating the world around you. It gave me some new ideas of people to check out, and several hours of good listening. Keep writing Neil—the world needs more people who can tell as story like you!

Finally, I did some baking this week. I made some pumpkin scones from the mix Beth sent me,

and since I had to open a tin of pumpkin anyway, I made pumpkin pie cupcakes. Because it’s fall and I refuse to give in and fight to enjoy it even in the bush!

I keep looking at my list of knitting and even a spinning goal for before I leave on furlough, and I’m not such that I’ll make them all. I want to finish the Doctor Who scarf, a pair of socks, a few small Christmas/leavers gifts for people here, and I would love to finish my Indian Corn handspun. There is a hat that I am resigned to finishing stateside, and of course the question of what yarn to take back with me! I have my audio book all picked out for my trip home as well as my knitting project and a backup sock pattern in case the yarn and pattern don’t play well together on the first one. So, some of the most important pieces are in place! Now to keep ‘head packing…’

Lots of stuff

So, two weeks, huh? What was I doing? Lots of 'teachery' things and a few bloggable things like...

Voting,

Enjoying a little ghost washcloth,

Making an amazing chocolate chip cookie dough birthday cake for a friend,

and fighting the dread ant rain in my living room.

I saw an amazing sunrise before early morning swim on half-term,

I finished a hat out of some lovely Round House Alpaca yarn,

and I got to the 'good bit' on another hat.

I bought some Halloween colored yarn from Knitpicks as well as some yarn for a Christmas gift 'cause I'm in the mood right now, and I am devouring the new Garth Nix book, Goldenhand. I started a small gift while chatting with a dear friend on Skype tonight, and I have a big pile of student stories ranging for awful to entertaining to keep wading through.

So, that's me right now. Here's to another busy week!