springtime at last

I visited my family in Minneapolis over the weekend. My parents have a very s*l*o*w dial-up connection; hence blogging has been light. We celebrated my b-day in advance, did some shopping, worked on the car (by the way, never buy a 2001 Chevy Malibu), visited the Walker Art Center and Mpls. Sculpture Garden, and cruised around the lakes for a bit. All in all a good weekend. It's unusual for Minnesota to be so balmy and lovely in March.

Here's one of the shopping highlights:

the Bastis cat tent from IKEA

100% Kylie-approved

Chris at Stumbling over Chaos had a contest last week, and I was one of the lucky winners. Here are my goodies:
Check this out:
Yes, this book has been signed by her excellency the Yarn Harlot herself.

Reading Recommendations

The grading is done, at long last (insert huge sigh of relief). I am taking a break to read for pleasure before returning to preparations for my last prelim exam.

Right now I'm reading Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin, this month's book for Knit the Classics. What a great book so far -- very enthralling, and the structure of the novel, with all of its stories within the story, is interesting. I have to admit that this is the first book I have read by Margaret Atwood. This is a minor point, but I've been noticing the "Canadianness" of it. I realize that I read very few Canadian authors. The only exceptions are Robertson Davies and L.M. Montgomery. Does anyone have any more Canadian authors to recommend?

Mia over at Knit & Play with Fire has asked for book suggestions, and I am more than happy to oblige. Here are a few well-written books that I would highly recommend.

- Winter’s Tale, by Mark Helprin. Enthralling and surreal, this epic book paints a vivid yet fantastic picture of New York over the course of the 20th century.

- Cold Comfort Farm, by Stella Gibbons. Wit and humour mark this novel as it plays with the literary legacy of the Brontes, Eliot, and Hardy. There's a fabulous movie version as well.

- The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco. This medieval mystery is set in a monastic library, and the clash between the classical world and the church lies at its heart.

- The Seven Sisters, by Margaret Drabble. After her divorce, a middle-aged woman organizes a group trip to follow the path of Aeneas and comes into her own. This book is much better than the plot sounds like it should be. Margaret Drabble is a scholar in her own right and the editor of the Oxford Companion to English Literature.

- Three Junes, by Julia Glass. Intertwined stories of a family spread out throughout the world over the course of ten years.

- Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke. Clarke does a marvelous job of mixing fantasy and historical fiction as she tells how magic returned to England in the 19th century. The pseudo-scholarly tone, complete with footnotes, makes this an unusual read.

- Brat Farrar, by Josephine Tey. Tey combines literary fiction and mystery in the best possible way. The characters are well-drawn, and psychology combines with suspense to create a marvelous tension.

Further Recommendations

- The Bonesetter’s Daughter, by Amy Tan

- The Deptford Trilogy, by Robertson Davies

- Stones from the River, by Ursula Hegi

- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, by Mark Haddon

the drinking of the green

Green tea, that is. Sadly I missed out on the green beer and the green Chicago River while I was away on my knitting retreat this weekend. I couldn't resist busting out the shamrock teapot for a belated use, though. The white crocheted tablecloth is courtesy of my mother. It reminds me a bit of something that the old dears in Arsenic and Old Lace would have used. Not exactly my style, but it looked a little Irish to me.

The retreat was a lot of fun -- plenty of cooking, movies, baking, walks, and, of course, knitting.

a second Cider Moon Campfire Sock in progress

the back of the Rainy Day Sweater from Miss Bea's Rainy Day (cutest pattern book ever), which will eventually look like this:
It's hard to see in this photo, but there's lovely applied cable trim along the cuffs and hem of the sweater. I'm using RYC Cashsoft Baby DK. I enjoy knitting with it, but it seems awfully stretchy, and it's a pain to bind off for some mysterious reason.

progress on the Smurfy guy scarf, too

Back to the grading...

Friday's Yarn

Here's some project spectrum yarn goodness to make up for the lack of actual knitting content. I'm still surrounded by a mountain of final exams to grade.

Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran Tweed

131 Dove & 129 Enamel
85% merino wool, 10% silk, 5% cashmere

For those of you in the Chicago area, Loopy Yarns has a great sale on "winter" yarns (25% off anything with wool, alpaca, or mohair) through Sun. 3/18.

Blackwater Abbey actually sends out their color cards gratis, which I think is lovely. The colors are beautiful.

I'm really looking forward to getting away from the city this weekend. I've already selected my reading materials:
Now I just need to pack my knitting projects!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

When my Christmas cactus sported two lousy blooms at Yule, I was a bit disappointed. But what do we have here?

Apparently it's a St. Patrick's cactus this year.

This weekend I'm heading off with my knitting group to an inn in Michigan for a knitting retreat. What a great way to end finals week! Hopefully I'll finish my grading before we leave. I still need to gather up my projects and yarn.

Karin and I are responsible for dinner on Sat. night, and we're making two of my favorite soup recipes: Mexican Vegetable Stew (check the Jan. archives) and Black Bean Soup, which is easy, healthy, hearty, and delicious. In fact, it's so easy that Paul sometimes makes it on his own.

Black Bean Soup

10 sun-dried tomatoes (dry in a bag, not packed in oil in a jar)
1 C. boiling water
-------
1.5 C. finely chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 jalapeno chile
Cayenne pepper and/or Tabasco sauce to taste
2 T. vegetable oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/3 C. water
3 C. undrained canned whole tomatoes (28 oz can)
4 C. undrained canned black beans (2 x 16 oz cans)
¼ C. chopped fresh cilantro

In a small bowl, cover the sun-dried tomatoes with the boiling water and set aside.

In a soup pot, sauté the onions, garlic, and chile in the oil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent. Add the cumin, 1/3 C. water, and the juice from the tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes by squeezing them into the soup pot, or chop them coarsely right in the can and add them to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the black beans and their liquid, and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Drain and chop the softened sun-dried tomatoes. Add them to the soup and cook for 5-10 minutes longer, until the onions are tender. Stir in the cilantro and remove the soup from the heat.

Option 1: Puree half of the soup in a blender or food processor and return it to the pot.
OR
Option 2: Run a hand-held immersion blender through the soup to puree it a bit.

If the soup is too thick, add some water or tomato juice. Reheat gently.

Serving suggestion:
Serve each bowl of soup with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream or grated cheddar cheese.

From Moosewood Restaurant Cooks At Home, one of my favorite cookbooks.

wavy's gravy

At long last Wavy is done. I like the finished scarf, but it was an awfully dull knit. There was enough pattern checking that I couldn't just space out and knit while reading, but the pattern wasn't intricate or challenging enough to be very stimulating.

Pattern: Wavy, by Sarah Smith
Source: Knitty, Winter 2004
Yarn: Plymouth Suri Merino, Red #2055
Needles: US 7 Brittany Birch straights

Friday was a crappy day, filled with cleaning up cat vomit, getting stuck in a malfunctioning car wash, and dealing with a particularly trying student. Drowning my sorrows in a couple pints of Woodchuck at the pub with friends, then seeing the new version of Casino Royale cheered me up a bit. Daniel Craig plays a pretty good Bond, better than Pierce Brosnan (or Timothy Dalton, for that matter). I was pleased to see less focus on gadgets and gizmos than in the Brosnan 007 movies, but I'm still a bit puzzled as to how playing poker was supposed to help the British government.

Paul helped cheer me up further on Saturday not only by surprising me with these:

but also by rewashing the car, getting groceries, and making a delicious dinner. He's a keeper ;-)

Supercat

cabling along

Sunne has confirmed that the LMKG scarf does curl quite a bit. Since my brother is definitely a low-maintenance guy when it comes to his wardrobe, I frogged it and started on the Guy Scarf, my first cable project. Cables are fun and not so tricky after all, especially since I'm using a cable needle.

The first Campfire sock has been done since last Friday. I'm very pleased with it, but it's true that DK weight socks are a little difficult to cram into shoes. They're just fine with clogs, though. Perhaps I'll branch out and try sportweight socks next, but I'm still keeping my distance from those size 0 needles.
Here's a little feline goodness to get you through the day:

The elusive two-headed tabby cat

still life with yarn

On Saturday I introduced a dear friend (and newbie knitter) to the joy of the LYS. The fruits of my labor include:

- Lana Borgosesia Merino Otto, in the smurfiest shade of blue (4 balls).
- Pear Tree 8-ply merino, in moss (4 skeins). So soft and lovely, with little white slubs interspersed among the green. Destined to become a scarf and hat for a friend's birthday.

The Lana Borgosesia Otto is an unusual yarn for me. It's very rope-y and springy, and it almost doesn't feel like wool as I'm knitting with it. Smurf blue is not my color of choice, but I'm knitting a scarf for my brother who has specifically requested a bright med/dark blue. It seems that, despite being a native Minnesotan, he does not own a scarf and has stooped to borrowing my dad's. He has had a rough winter, so I'm going to send it to him with a couple sci-fi DVDs.

I started the "Cashmere Scarf" pattern from LMKG, but it has an awful tendency to curl, at least at this gauge. I'm thinking about starting over with the Yarn Harlot's easy peasy one-row wonder, a tried and true scarf pattern. If anyone has any quick, masculine scarf suggestions, please speak up!

Mia knit me a lovely red scarf that I'm looking forward to wearing jauntily with a black sweater. Please excuse the bad photography.


She also sent me some linen and evenweave, along with patterns, thread, and frame, in her forementioned attempt to lure me away from the dime store Aida I usually use for my needlework projects.

Thanks, Mia!

Thursday Rainy Thursday

Today was a good day to bust out the pink striped Wellies. The campus walkways were alternately dotted with puddles and completely deluged. Winter quarter is drawing to a close, and I feel like everywhere I go, my students keep popping up with questions about the exam, the text, sight reading practice, office hours, and Latin grammar. It's a little disconcerting, but I'm glad they're taking it seriously.

My teaching observation/evaluation yesterday went VERY well (sigh of relief), so I'm taking an afternoon off at home to celebrate by baking cookies, knitting, listening to music, reading, and blogging. If I could just convince myself that now's the time to find out just how rusty my guitar playing skills are...

Cider Moon "Winter Twilight" sock in progress

Cherry Pecan Cookies

Sheri posted this recipe from her friend Dynna. It's easy, yummy, and actually has some elements of health in it (dried cherries, pecans, oats). Just so that we wouldn't be overwhelmed by all that "healthiness" I threw in some chocolate chips, too.

Five things that are tickling my fancy today, in no particular order

1. Beautiful sportweight merino yarn handspun by Kristin I have 432 yds. Any ideas what I should do with it?

Mmmm... fiber goodness

2. Alicia's fabulous crochet projects. And Jane's. And Posy's. And Brainylady's. I need to learn to crochet. I taught myself to do a foundation chain yesterday, but that's it so far.

3. My home state ROCKS.

4. Mia sent me a lovely and thoughtful package of goodies. She's trying to convert me from Aida to linen and evenweave for needlework. I have a feeling that this is a little like trying to get a newbie knitter to buy real wool rather than Red Heart acrylic. I'm not a newbie needleworker, though, just one who fears change. Pics tomorrow, provided that the sun comes out.

5. Wayne Coyne and the Flaming Lips. Have you heard/read Wayne's essay on NPR's "This I believe" yet? Here's a link. Also check out what Leah has to say about it. The Flaming Lips were awesome at Lollapalooza last summer, by the way. Those guys put on a great, high-energy show with plenty of enthusiasm and rocking out. Here's a funny thing. As I was sitting in my dining room while working on this post, I heard someone outside walking by outside while singing, quite loudly, "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power)." He had his headphones, and he looked to be having quite a fine time out walking about in the rain.

Punk Rock Gift Exchange Questionnaire

1. How long have you been knitting/crocheting/spinning?
I’ve been knitting for a year and a half. I would like to learn to crochet, but no spinning for me.

2. Do you consider yourself a beginner, novice or experienced yarn artist?
I’m an advanced beginner or intermediate knitter.

3. What fibers (materials) have you knit/crochet with?
Wool, acrylic, alpaca, mohair blends, cotton (never again on the cotton)…

4. What are your favorite yarns?
I enjoy natural fibers the most, especially merino wool, alpaca blends, and lambswool. Some current favorites are Malabrigo, Plymouth Suri Merino, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino, Fleece Artist Blue Face Leicester,

5. What fibers are you dying to try?
Wools, wool blends, alpaca, alpaca blends. Worsted and DK weights are most useful for me.
- basic wool yarns like Beaverslide or Cascade 220or Mission Falls 1824 wool – I haven’t knit with any of these
- organic and/or plant-dyed wool
- handp-dyed yarns (not fingering weight sock yarn though – I don’t have the patience for tiny needles)
- Madil Kid Seta or Kidsilk Haze (for a Kiri shawl)

6. Do you prefer solid, self striping, or handpainted yarns?
Hmm… everything has its place. I especially like heathers and solids, and I also like handpainted yarns for socks (DK weight) and shawls. Self-striping is not my cup of tea.

7. What fibers do you dislike?
Cotton is too rough on my hands and wrists, and I’m guessing that hemp and linen would fall into the same category. I’m not a big fan of 100% acrylic yarns, but blends have their uses. I’m not into boucle or fun fur.

8. What are your favorite colors?
Blue is my absolute favorite color. Every shade speaks to me, from periwinkle to navy to powder blue. I also like lavender, heather grey, dark brown, natural/oatmeal, cranberry, dark red, cherry red, and sage green.

9. What are your least favorite colors?
Orange, yellow, peach, or green with olive tones

10. How did you learn to knit/crochet/spin?
I learned at a local indie coffee shop.

11. What projects are you currently working on?
- Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl in sage green alpaca (DK weight)
- Campfire Socks (ribbed) in a variegated blue DK sock yarn from Cider Moon
- a rather tiresome Wavy scarf (from Knitty) in red alpaca/merino.
- feather and fan scarf in Noro Silk Garden
- baby blanket from Louisa Harding’s Natural Knits for Babies and Moms
- Hourglass sweater
- basic ribbed socks in blue Lamb’s Pride Wildfoote (on hold)
- Mason-Dixon baby kimono (on hold)

12. How old is your oldest UFO? What is it? Will it ever be finished?
A Mason Dixon baby kimono in Bernat Cotton Tots has been in my WIP basket for about 7 months. The cotton yarn just kills my wrists. I’ll finish it sometime when my wrists are feeling strong!

13. What is the most heartbreaking project that you ever frogged?
My Hourglass sweater! I need to cast on again.

14. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Straight, but I use circs too. I use DPNs for socks and small things.

15. Do you own a swift and/or a winder?
No

16. Where do you keep your needles?
My straight needles sit in two ceramic sheep vases in one of my bookcases and in a lovely blue needleroll given to me by my awesome SP9. The DPNs and circs are jumbled up in a cardboard box under my bed.

17. Do you enjoy helpful hints about your knitting or does it just piss you off?
Helpful hints can be great if they’re delivered in the right tone.

18. What techniques are you still a virgin in (lace, cables, etc.) and are you interested in trying them?
Cables, stranded colorwork, crocheting. I would also like to try needle felting (esp. cute little animals)

19. What knitting magazines do you subscribe to?
Interweave Knits. That's really the only knitting mag I like besides Rowan.

20. Are there any books, needles, yarn, patterns that you are dying to get your hands on?
I would like to try the new Addi lace circular needles in size 5 or 6. I would also like to try out some different laceweight yarns, like KnitPicks Shimmer in Morning Mist or Flower Garden. I'm also interested in handpainted yarns from Fearless Fibers, and I just love Cider Moon yarns. You can check out my Amazon wishlist for book ideas.

I'm dying to get my hands on the Fiber Trends pattern for "A Felt Flock" (206x). The sheep are just so heart meltingly cute. On a related note, there are some very cute kits out there for beginning needle felting that involve little penguins, racoons, sheep, goats, etc.

21. Do you enjoy knitting socks? How big are your feet?
Yes, but only on size 3 or 4 needles! I’d probably be OK with 2s, but my attempt at socks on 0s made me crazy. I wear a US 9.

22. Do you have a wish list?
Yes, at Amazon. Search by my name, and it should be easy to find. There’s quite the mixture of things on there, so consider yourself forewarned.

23. What are your non-knitting, crochet, spinning hobbies?
Reading, cooking, baking, indie rock, piano, and yoga.

24. How do you feel about sports?
Ugh… not my thing for the most part. I like ice skating, skiing, and hiking. Yoga’s a sport, right?

25. What is your favorite season? Least favorite season? Why?
Winter! I love snow and hot cocoa, and having time off to spend with friends and family. I don’t like summer since I hate being hot.

26. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas.

27. Do you like handmade gifts?
Yes

28. Do you wear jewelry that isn't real?
Not really – sometimes earrings.

29. What are your favorite foods? Scents that you love?
Pizza and chocolate! Wait… I’m trying to eat more healthfully, so maybe raspberries and yogurt? I love coffee and tea (fruity or spicy green or black or red). I do like chocolate, but I definitely need to watch the quantity. I like to snack on dried fruit and trail mixes.

I like natural scents that aren’t too strong – lavender/vanilla combinations, honey, almond, nut, mint, citrus. I love bath and body products, esp. natural soaps, hand lotion and lip balm.

30. What is your family situation? Do you live alone?
I’m married to my college sweetheart, Paul. We live in quirky vintage apartment less than 2 blocks from Wrigley Field. Go Cubs!

31. Do you have any pets?
I have two eleven-year old tabby cats – Capricha and Kylie. They’re much beloved.

32. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3's?
Indie rock, mainly, plus some old favorites like Simon and Garfunkel. Lately I’ve been listening to Regina Spektor, REM, Snow Patrol, Reindeer Section, The Decemberists, The Replacements, The Flaming Lips, Belle and Sebastian, and The Magnetic Fields. CDs and MP3s are both great with me.

33. What are your favorite movies? TV shows? Actors?
I like quirky movies like The Royal Tennenbaums, The Life Aquatic, and Little Miss Sunshine. I also dig literary adaptations – A Room with a View, Pride and Prejudice, The Hours, The Cider House Rules. When I'm feeling blue I dig out old 80s favorites like Pretty in Pink, 16 Candles, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

I used to like Gilmore Girls, but I’m sick of it now. I do like Grey’s Anatomy and the new Dr. Who, but I’m a season behind on both. I don’t watch TV very much, but I do watch reruns or DVDs of Buffy, Scrubs, and Seinfeld.

Colin Firth, Jeremy Northam, Clive Owen, and Johnny Depp top my list of favorite actors. For actresses, I like Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney, and Maggie Gyllenhall.

34. What do you collect?
Books, cookbooks, CDs, and yarn! I’m a grad student in the humanities, and I also love to read novels, so I’m building up quite the library. I also collect blue floral Polish pottery mugs as well as blue or blue patterned handmade pottery.

35. What do you do in real life -- besides knit and blog?
I’m working on my PhD in Classics (Latin and Greek literature), and I hope to get a job as a professor someday soon. Please, no “It’s all Greek to me” jokes.

36. When is your birthday? Is it a national holiday or just another day?
March 30. I like to celebrate, but not party too hard.

37. Do you have any allergies, medical conditions or disorders that your pal should be aware of (ie. diabetes, food/pet allergies, ect.)?
Nope! I’m allergic to some grasses, molds, and the like, and I know that Bath and Body Works Flowering Herbs lotion makes me very sneezy. Really old books often make me sneeze, too.

38. Are there any scents, phobias, or sensory thing (ie, the way certain objects feel) that your pal should be aware of?
Nope!

39. What is the most difficult thing that you have ever knit/crochet?
Probably the socks on size 0 needles – so tiny and so annoying.

40. What is your personal style? Is there a time period/fashion movement that you take your cues from?
Hmmm… I’m not sure about this one. I’m really a jeans and black turtleneck (or Fair Isle cardigan) kind of girl. I love clogs and really eye-catching footwear! My home is very cozy, and I like retro 50s style for the kitchen.

41. Anything else that you would like to say?
:-)

SP10 Questionnaire

SP9 was so much fun that I signed up for another round!

Secret Pal 10 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Soft natural fibers that aren’t too scratchy – merino wool, alpaca blends, mohair, lambswool, etc. Yummy Malabrigo is one of my favorites. I also like to knit baby stuff with washable wool or wool/microfiber/acrylic blends. I don’t like fun fur, eyelash yarn, 100% acrylic, or boucle. Cotton is too hard on my hands and wrists.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
My straight needles sit in two ceramic sheep vases in one of my bookcases and in a lovely blue needleroll given to me by my awesome SP9. The DPNs and circs are jumbled up in a cardboard box under my bed.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I’ve been knitting for almost a year and a half. I’m an advanced beginner/intermediate knitter. I’m no longer scared of DPNs, and I’m learning to love lace.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, I certainly do. Search by my name, and it should be easy to find. There’s quite the mixture of things on there, so consider yourself forewarned.

5. What's your favorite scent?
I like natural scents -- lavender/vanilla combinations, honey, mint, almond, nut, and citrus. For candles I also like spicy/cinnamon/pumpkin scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes, I have sweet tooth, and I like chocolate. I’m trying to watch what I eat, so a ton of sweets is not a great idea. I’m not into gummy or hard candies. Dried fruit and trail mixes are good alternatives. I really like tea (fruity or spicy black/green/red) and coffee, too.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I cross-stitch, quilt, and sew a bit. My favorite cross-stitch designers are Blackbird Designs, Country Cottage Needleworks, The Prairie Schooler, and Little House Needleworks. I don’t spin. I would like to learn needle felting (esp. cute little animals). I also bake and cook.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like indie rock mainly, but also old favorites like Simon and Garfunkel. The Decemberists, Snow Patrol, REM, Regina Spektor, Reindeer Section, and Belle and Sebastian are some current favorites. I also like classical music, especially piano and cello. I can play CDs and MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Blue is my absolute favorite color. Every shade speaks to me, from periwinkle to navy to powder blue. I also like lavender, dark brown, natural/oatmeal, light heather grey, cranberry, dark red, cherry red, and sage green. I don’t like orange or yellow or peach or green with olive tones. Both solid and heather colors are great. I like multi-colored yarns, but I’m not a fan of serious pooling.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I’m married to my college sweetheart (Paul), and we have two beloved indoor tabby cats (Kylie and Capricha). No kids yet.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves, hats, and mittens – YES! No ponchos, but I do like lace wraps, stoles, and shawls.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Hats, mittens, baby stuff, socks (with DK yarn), lace.

13. What are you knitting right now?
- Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl in sage green alpaca
- Campfire Socks in a variegated blue DK sock yarn from Cider Moon
- a rather tiresome Wavy scarf (from Knitty) in red alpaca/merino
- feather and fan scarf in Noro Silk Garden
- baby blanket from Louisa Harding’s Natural Knits for Babies and Moms
- Hourglass sweater
- basic ribbed socks in blue Lamb’s Pride Wildfoote (on hold due to my frustration with fingering weight yarn)

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes, I certainly do.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
They all have their purpose! I prefer bamboo or wood needles.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
A MDK baby kimono has been languishing in my knitting basket for about 6 months. The cotton yarn just kills me.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas. I love snow and spending time with friends and family.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Books, I suppose. I’m a grad student in the humanities in addition to being a voracious reader of fiction, so I’m building quite the library. I also collect blue floral Polish Pottery mugs (often found at Marshall’s or TJ Maxx). Yarn, too 

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

Patterns:
- Wicked sweater pattern from Zephyr
- Wonderful Wallaby pattern from Cottage Creations
- Ariann cardigan pattern from Chic Knits

Books: check out my Amazon wishlist

Yarns:
Soft DK and worsted weight yarns are generally my favorites. I’m really very open to most natural fibers (except cotton and hemp). Here are a few things that I’m interested in, but I always love surprises!

- Manos in Wildflowers for mittens and a hat for me
- basic wool yarns like Beaverslide or Cascade 220 or Mission Falls 1824 wool -- I haven’t used any of these yet
- organic or plant-dyed wool
- handpainted yarns (not fingering weight sock yarn, though -- too frustrating)

Magazines: I subscribe to Interweave Knits, and it’s the only knitting magazine I really like.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Tons! Stranded colorwork and cabling are the top two. I want to learn how to crochet. I have picked up a couple crochet books, but I haven’t taken the time to sit down and figure it out yet.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I have finished one pair of socks, and I have more on the needles. I wear a US 9.

23. When is your birthday?
March 30

Feeling blue?

My Grandma Max emroidered this friendly mousie for me. For a few years she was stitching floursack towels by the boatload. I think of her each day as I set out a fresh towel. This is one of my absolute favorites.

Got the blues? I do! I'm talking about Project Spectrum v. 2.0, of course. I'm on square 2 of 12.

Pattern: Cot Blanket from Louisa Harding's Natural Knits for Moms and Babies

Yarn: RYC Cashsoft 4-ply, doubled (light blue and dark blue)

Needles: Grandma Max's old blue Boye aluminum 7s. See, I'm even working Project Spectrum angle with the very needles themselves! Talk about commitment :-)

still life with sock

Best. Colorway. Ever.

I followed a blog link to the Cider Moon website, and next think I knew I was entering my credit card number and rubbing my hands together with glee in anticipation of my lovely new yarn. Their customer service was great, and they even threw in a goody bag of little mini skeins of yarn to sample!

This is Glacier, a DK-weight superwash sock yarn, in "Winter Twilight." So beautiful, and so quick to knit. I'm using a free pattern off the Cider Moon blog: Campfire Socks. At this stage I far prefer DK to fingering weight. Plus thick socks are great with all my clogs. I'm trying out different DPNs, too -- KA Unicorn bamboo. They come in a very convenient 6" length. Compared to my usual Clover bamboo needles, they are shinier, pointier, and slicker (but not in a bad way), and they have a much nicer feel. They are more pliable and less prone to dents and dings than Brittany birch DPNS, which I like to use in larger sizes.

So far Cider Moon gets two thumbs up from me. I'm really wishing I had ordered the June Carter and Casual Friday colorways, too.

Fleece Artist Soft Mitts are done! They are soft, fuzzy, and lovely. Fleece Artist is very generous with their yarn in this kit. I was able to get three adult size mittens out of the kit. I'm sure that you could use one kit to make matching adult and child mitts. The kit is a bit pricey, but if you tend to lose mitts or if you like to be matchy-matchy with a little one in your life, it doesn't seem quite so bad.

My cross-stitch project is coming along quite nicely, although I have run out of some of the fancy schmancy overdyed Crescent Colors floss already. Time for a little online needlework shopping!

SP9 grand finale

My secret pal, the fabulous Jill over at Paper, Sticks, and String has struck again. She sent me an absolutely amazing grand finale package. She found me a lovely blue and white mug. I adore floral Polish pottery, and it's great addition to my coffee rotation.
Even better, she knit me this beautiful cabled scarf! It's so luxuriously soft and squishy, and it has a wonderful mix of blues. I'll have to post a pic of me modeling it, too. I think she used Classic Elite Water Lily.
That's not all, folks!
What's all this?

- a lovely (blue, of course) needle case, which will come in very handy
- a postcard from Kansas, where Jill currently lives (though she has lived as far afield as Alaska)
- 2 skeins of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino in a gorgeous dark blue -- I've been lusting after this yarn for so long
-A Shilling for Candles, a mystery novel by Josephine Tey (who also wrote the excellent Daughter of Time and Brat Farrar)
- fancy Perugira dark chocolate
- dark blue Regia sock yarn
- a Trader Joe's gift card, awesome since I'm a TJ's junkie
- light-up knitting needles for knitting in the dark and entrancing the kitties
- cute cat stickers

Jill, you seriously have blown me away with this one. I nominated you for best Secret Pal, and I was disappointed that your name wasn't drawn.

uh-oh...

The Crazy Cat Lady action figure, in all her glory:Available for purchase here

happy valentine's day

Ashley has a great post about Valentine's day. Yes, there's an awful lot of Valentine hype and Hallmark crap, but it's also a great day to remind people how much you care about them and how they make the world a better place.

Kylie Cat in her natural environment -- the couch, complete with fluffy down blanket.

Mitten

Upon realizing that my Fleece Artist Soft Mitt would fit only someone with serious Man Hands (alas, my husband is not into fluffy dark pink mohair mittens), I ripped away and quickly reknit on smaller needles (US 7 rather than 8). I also shortened the length of the mitt and the thumb by 1/2" each. The thumb is still f$%&in' huge, but I just didn't have it in me to rip it back. I would highly recommend doing some extra decreases at the base of the thumb.

I really love this yarn combo -- Fleece Artist Mo and Blue Face Leicester, so I wasn't even too crabby about reknitting. It's lovely to knit with.

My cross-stitch roots have been calling out to me. Cross-stitching is much easier on my wrists and hands than knitting, so it's a nice break. I especially like working on samplers that have some white space to them. I don't like the look or feel of projects that have every square covered.

Here's the start to "Forest Snowfall" by Nikki Leeman at Country Cottage Needleworks. I really like her designs. She brings a Shabby Chic aesthetic to samplers that often have a primitive aspect.
Here's a picture of what it should look like when done:

casting on

I cannot even begin to imagine how some knitters crank out so many pairs of socks! I cast on for a basic 4-stitch pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks using Wildfoote and size 0 needles. So tiny! So time-consuming!

Chicago is chilly and snowy, and I am loving it. Winter is my time of year. All over campus people were griping about the weather yesterday. Here are my winter gripes:

- People who complain about the cold and nonetheless don't don proper winter attire. Come on, people, we live in the upper Midwest. Buy some warm mittens, wear a puffy down coat (unless you're a serious vegetarian) even though your thin wool one is more stylish, cram that stocking cap over your hair, and invest in some wool socks. When shopping, keep in mind the following words and phrases: Gore-Tex, down, temperature ratings, and Thinsulate. Pay attention to fill power! Wear silk long underwear or Cuddle Duds if your home is drafty. If it's really drafty, put up that tacky plastic film. It actually works.

- People who don't bother to brush the snow and ice off their cars and drive around without being able to see at all. Menaces, I tell you!

- Chicago's snow plow crew.

- People who don't shovel their sidewalks.

The cats have been cuddling together to stay warm. This is one full basket o' cats.

wild night in Big Mexiko (sic)

My first pair of socks is finally done and dusted. Here are the specs:

Pattern: Knitting Pure and Simple Beginner Socks #9728
Yarn: 2 skeins Schoeller & Stahl "Big Mexiko" #7592, worsted weight (93 yds/skein) + a little Cascade superwash for the toes
Needles: Clover US 5 DPNs

Notes: These are a little loose. I would go down to size 4 needles next time. The heel come out much better on the second sock when I added an extra stitch when picking up stitches, then knitted them together in the next round. Obviously I ran out of yarn, so I need to watch the yardage when I knit this pattern again.

My fabulous secret pal sent me this yarn way back in November. I was so lucky to have Jill spoiling me! She was so thoughtful, and I've really enjoyed getting to know her. We have a lot in common --Jill has lived in Illinois, she's back in grad school (while working full time as an academic librarian, whew), she likes winter, she's a voracious reader, and she loves animals. Dogs, rather than cats, but that's OK. Thanks again, Jill!

together at last

The temperatures have been below zero here in Chi-town. I don't mind it one bit. It feels like a real winter. Now we just need more snow. I started some mittens while snuggling in and watching DVDs with Paul on Friday night (Idiocracy -- hilarious and frighteningly possible; The Devil Wears Prada -- trite, predictable, and a little bit painful to watch).

This is a Fleece Artist Favourite Soft Mitts/Socks kit. I am just loving the yarn. You hold together one strand of Mohair and one strand of Blue Face Leicester. It's so soft, and the colors are gorgeous. This is the "Vineyard" colorway. I found this kit at Colorsong Yarns. Sheri at the Loopy Ewe just might be stocking these kits soon.

Bloggers' (Silent) Poetry Reading

It warms my heart on this cold winter's day to read the poems shared across the internet. Too often poetry does not seem to have a place or even a welcome. As a classicist and a literary scholar, a person who has dedicated her life to language and poetry, I feel as if I'm irrelevant, stuck in limbo, somehow in the wrong time, or the wrong place.

Cat

The fat cat on the mat
may seem to dream
of nice mice that suffice
for him, or cream;
but he free, maybe,
walks in thought
unbowed, proud, where loud
roared and fought
his kin, lean and slim,
or deep in den
in the East feasted on beasts
and tender men.
The giant lion with iron
claw in paw,
and huge ruthless tooth
in gory jaw;
the pard dark-starred,
fleet upon feet,
that oft soft from aloft
leaps upon his meat
where woods loom in gloom --
far now they be,
fierce and free,
and tamed is he;
but fat cat on the mat
kept as a pet
he does not forget.

-- J. R. R. Tolkien

There's more information about poetry reading day here.