In which I sum up

Well, it’s been a hot minute! December and January were rather overwhelming months due to school, the holidays, dealing with my dad’s melanoma (which has been successfully removed—praise the Lord!), my beloved local yarn store closing (I'm not allowed to buy yarn for awhile now...), dealing with my credit union merging (which was a good thing as I now have a local bank again, but a big process), continuing to try to find a church home, joining Planet Fitness (a surprisingly large thing to incorporate into my life), and the arrival of my beautiful niece, Paisley (I’m finally an aunt!). Valentine’s day marked the end of the second trimester, so I have today off to sleep, finish marking the trimester tests, and get myself set up for the last third of the school year. During that time I’ve been knitting, spinning, and reading of course, so here are some highlights of the last three months of creative efforts.

I have had a blast making things for my niece, Paisley, and about a week before she was born I sent off two sweaters, two pairs of booties, and two hats. As Paisley is a dainty little lady I have a bit of time to wait before she can be wrapped in my knitted love, but it's well worth the wait! I have one more item, a little Jedi cardigan to finish for her,

but I got distracted from the million miles of brown garter stitch by...

tinny envelopes! Hunter Hammerson does it yet again, and created a fiddly little pattern I just had to knit. I've got a few ideas of what to do with these...

Another thing I've been working on is the Winterberry hood, something which has been in my queue for quite awhile. I'm using this delightful red from Lazy Cat Studio that I bought at the East Texas Fiber Fest, and I ended up having to rip the whole thing out due to a) a gauge issue and b) a dye lot issue. This picture is from where I blocked one end to confirm the awful truth I suspected--that it was going to be too small. I'm still sort of pondering if I would rather do a hood or a cowl neck, but as I need to finish a Jedi robe soon I have a bit of time to think it through.

Since last writing I also completed two stockings. This stocking is to complete a set I started over a decade ago as a shower gift for a friend's Christmas wedding. I have since made stockings for all three of her kids, so the family set is complete. It was a bit of a challenge to make this with my somewhat limited space and resources, but I thankfully took good pictures of the other stockings and had saved some of the trim, so I was able to make something that was unique but still fit with the other two siblings stockings.

I also knit myself a stocking to have at my place (I spent Christmas with my 'real' stocking at my parents), and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I used wool leftover from my Crazy Stripes sweater, and I love the traditional pattern. It was fun to knit, and I'm almost tempted to make Neko one for next year.

Lastly, for now, I also played around with these delightful tiny trees, also a Hunter Hammerson pattern. I'd like to make some this summer maybe to have on hand as gifts for next year, but we'll see. I'm still working on my summer dreams and plans...

I'm going to try and get back in the habit of blogging, and I'd like to do a post soon about my recipe challenge to myself, but for right now I need to get to bed--it's a school night!

Parting shot: My brother took this picture of Neko at Christmas, and I absolutely LOVE it! What a handsome ginger pants!

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...

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!

Books, Knitting, and Cooking

Boy is holiday nice! My students assume that I roam the station bored out of my tree, but so far I haven't had to resort to plastic canvass or lawn mowing... Having the time to inhale books is so nice, and while a much longer process than anticipated, I'm glad that I can now say I've made my own spaghetti sauce from scratch.

When I haven't been in the kitchen, napping, or in the library, I have been getting in some great knitting time. Here is what has been on my needles:

Here is what Magrathea looks like one me; it was already done, but the blocking photo really didn't do it justice.

I also finished my first Tintern Abbey sock and started the second one. All that was done in one day! To be fair, there were two Skype/FB chats with friends and family overseas and two Great Courses involved, but I'm still pretty impressed. At this point I might just get Judy's Magic Cast On memorized!

I also stumbled across a set of imaginative dinosaur patterns, and fell completely and devastatingly in love with the Apatosaurus Scarf. And, as I'm watching through the Jurassic Park Movies (2 & 3 for the first time), it was doubly serendipitous! This was the perfect chance to try out the skein of Preciousa that I got from Knit Picks to see if I'd like it. So far it is lovely and soft, and I was happy with how it held up when I pulled out the gauge swatch. I love things like this which let my inner geek flag wave in socially acceptable ways!

I also picked my Mystic Spiral sock back up and hope to get the first one finished tomorrow and get the second one going. At the moment I have almost three single socks sitting around--possibly a record for me. Before I can cast on another one, I feel I need to get a pair finished. I am starting to itch to cast another one on, so I guess I'll have lots of motivation!

Just in case you were wondering, my grand total meters for Stash Dash 2017 was 3,771. Woot! I'm trying to remember the last time my project page had so few WIPs on it. I think I might dig out a shawl from hibernation, and oh! I need to figure out a baby sweater. So many patterns, so little time!

Parting shot: Java is so CUTE!

Nuthin' much

1—Very little other than school work was accomplished this last week; I have been staggering into bed around midnight every night wrestling with my marking mountain.

2—Of the little I got accomplished, this about sums it up. I did do another repeat on my Hitofude—9 down, 7 or so more to go! This is my blanket with all the blue done and one and a bit of the next white done, and the second of my finer dishcloths. I got quite a bit done while talking to my mom on her birthday.

3—Stomach bug + possible giardia?

4—Java cat!

January Knitting

I am so glad that no matter what else is going on in my life, I AM the boss of my knitting… So, before I head to Colorado for a few days, here is a knitting update!

I have made good progress on my Firefly socks. They weren’t a good movie knitting candidate for the last few days as I worked the heel turn, but now I’m ready to start the foot, so they will be good ‘mindless’ knitting again. In fact, they are going to be my travel sock for this trip.

What was good movie knitting this week was the sockhead hat I’m working on. I managed to not only finish the K2P2 ribbing in the theater, but I also managed to fix an issue with it in the dark. Yes I know, the knitting gods are now going to smit me, but I was pretty pleased with my efforts! Here it is, as modled by my mom’s lovely foam head-

I also started a sweater this weekend! When I was looking for a sweater to use the lovely Bolivian alpaca on, I came across Stripes Gone Crazy and knew I had to make it. While the Bolivian yarn was too find for me to be happy with the results, I may have *cough* ordered some sportweight from Knitpicks. So, here is the first balls worth of knitting! Will this finally be the elusive sweater that fits me?

Over the weekend I also managed to get the first glove finished. Now I just have some ends to weave in on the finger joins, but I figured I had better cast the next one on before I lost all my motivation. I love this pattern, and am seriously thinking about being crazy and making myself some fingered gloves!

Parting shot: The family’s cats as they are frequently known: Fluffy butt-

Favorite aka Orange Kitty, and Mal-mal

While I’m glad there are some felines to love around her, I miss Java!