Things I Learned Today

1. Quarters are no longer the gold standard at the local laundromat.

2. Standing and typing makes me antsy.

3. It takes less than 30 minutes for my duvet to dry in a commercial dryer, and the spot came out even without detergent (which I forgot).

4. The coin machine at the bank eats money (I brought in $2.75 of carefully counted nickles and dimes and the machine said I had $2.55).

5. I shouldn't book things while in a vegetative state. Note to self, cancel study room for Friday, I'm already busy during that time.

6. Theses don't write themselves, no matter how hard you think about it and wish for it.

7. You can't get at a person's innermost workings through two vague questions.

8. I have the willpower to resist free popcorn while doing laundry. This will come in handy when I start doing my laundry here weekly.

It's Getting Busy

Sorry I missed last week's post. Things are starting to heat up around here, some things fell through the cracks.

I have two important announcements.

1) I have a set date for my thesis defense: Monday, April 25th.

2) I'm moving! Move date is set for March 26th. My new place is about half again as big as this little studio, and it has a separate bedroom, a real kitchen, and a SINK in the bathroom. I'm very excited, but moving out of a place this small is presenting some challenges.

These two things together have me in a near petrified brain state of "way too much" which is why some things have slipped. But I've got a list this week, I'm feeling energized (cleaning the kitchen last night helped) and I'm ready to do this thing.

I do have pictures for you, though, so don't despair. First up, an update on my WsIP. First off is the long anticipated (by me) Whale Watch Hat from New England Knits. I've made some progress on it since this picture, but you get the idea.



I'm using Louet Gems fingering. It is a very fun knit, and all of my floats along the back are just right to not pucker the knitting but not be loose and sloppy.

Next up is the start of my Summer Vest (ravelry link). I like this one for the shape, so I've ditched the lace and am working plain stocking stitch since my yarn is variegated. The yarn is Cotton Twirl by Crystal Palace Yarns (the same stuff in the last actual blog post).



The next series of pictures are my goodies from the Portland Yarn Crawl (whose website has mysteriously disappeared).











And finally, I'll leave you with a series of pictures of Westley helping to open a package that I got in the mail. He's such a good helper. I'm off to finish the results section of my thesis. Hope you're enjoying the start of spring, and stayed tuned for another day in the life.

Why does it have to be Monday?

Say It With Pictures

It's Been Quiet

I don't have a whole lot to show today, due in large part to the migraine I had last week that knocked me out for days.

First, I've finished half of my Camilla mitts.


I'm pleased with the actual knitting and the colors of both the Koigu and my hand dyed brown. Unfortunately, it's too big for my hand.


It is especially baggy at my wrist. I'm considering several possibilities, the top one is finishing the pair and gifting them to someone with larger hands. Who knows, though, blocking may help if I stretch them a little lengthwise. The other option is to knit the second one on US 0 needles and see if that fits better, and if yes, re-knit the first one. I'm not as fond of this option.

Second, I started a new project last Tuesday because I needed a simple project on large-ish needles for my headachey-migraine state. I chose the eternalism vest from KnitScene winter/spring 2011. I'm using my Malabrigo in Hummingbird. This is a remarkably quick knit. In less than a week I'm more than 50% done. I've gotten several inches further from when I took this picture, which was just a few hours ago.



The Malabrigo is wonderful to knit with. I found it's extraordinary softness very comforting last week in my semi-vegetative state.

My final crafty item is some pictures of my painting. Below is the color wheel that I painted, for which I mixed all of the tertiary colors.


Last night I was feeling fairly abstract, so I put that impulse into my first abstract painting.


My photograph doesn't do this painting justice, but it gives you an idea of my mental state.

Other than a little bit of knitting and an abstract painting, the only news I have is that Westley has been officially tagged. We went to the bet today and he got microchipped. I'll be sending out the registration paperwork tomorrow. I'm off now to wash dishes, which piled up alarmingly last week.

I Totally Forgot

I won the first door prize at the Spin-In and got to choose my gift-y.




It's a lovely felt vine/lanyard/scarf-ish thing.

Whirlwind

Oh spit, I just realized that I forgot to take painting pictures, and the batteries in my camera are dead. Oh well, you'll just have to be entertained with the pictures I did manage.

First off, Damson is done!!!


I finished it Thursday and wore it Friday and Saturday. I got many compliments on it both days, especially Saturday at the Newport Spin-In. I'm still working on getting an action shot, which will now be more difficult with the dead batteries.

In order to prepare myself for Saturday's spinathon, I cleared off the bobbin I was working on. I've been working on the roving I got last June in Elgin after the wedding. I used the opportunity to try out Navajo plying. I do love a three ply yarn.



This is about half of the 100 grams of roving. This cleared up my wheel for a new spinning project. I got out a top that I bought at the store in town, dyed by Dicentra Designs. It's 4.1 ounces of Blue Faces Leicester (less-ter) in the colorway "Twig."

I rode out with Kelli and got started spinning up "Twig." I had every intention of not purchasing more fiber, since I have plenty and I haven't really been spinning. That's why I brought the Dicentra roving. It's pretty and exciting with the color changes, so I would be less tempted than if I had just brought the green from above.

My resolve lasted for several hours. Then I found the Danger Zone. It was a bin of little one ounce baggies of luxury fibers for $3 each.

Sigh.

I walked away with two ounces of a silk and camel down blend. I took the Dicentra off the wheel, put on a fresh bobbin, and got to work (cause it doesn't count if it goes home as yarn, right?). I spun up the first ounce on Saturday, started the second, finished the second on Sunday, plied it back on itself for a two ply, wound it off, and counted. I ended up with 188 yards of the prettiest yarn I've made yet.

Here's one ounce of the fiber:


The first ounce spun up:


And the finished yarn:



It really does look just like spun gold, and yes, my arm hurts from patting myself on the back. Two ounces in two days, plus I've got the spinning bug again, so my fiber stash should start to shrink.

My resolve returned right up until the last half hour of the spin-in. That's when I found the mawata.


What is mawata? Another name for it is silk hankies. Individual silk cocoons are stretched out onto a square frame, and then individual layers can be separated and spun into silk yarn. I bought one ounce, which gives me a surprising amount because silk is such a light fiber. I'm looking forward to playing with this.


And finally, my SpillyJane Camilla mitts keep marching on. I'm having fun doing the colorwork, and feel more confident about doing the Whale Watch Hat (ravelry link) from New England Knits.


Just one more thing to add. Mom sent this to me, and I'm in love. Too bad I'm in such a small place (and can't bolt things to the wall).