Perknitious

spinning, at long last

2012-02-04T18:38:00.002-06:00

I have some beautiful fiber for spinning, but I've clearly been distracted with finishing up all those knitting projects. Well, I was finally able to get back to my spindle.

It's been through the soak-thwack-hang to dry process now, so as soon as it's wound up into a ball, I'll be back with more photos and a new project.

Monday morning

2012-01-30T08:04:00.002-06:00

boo: did not wash my hair

yes!: it's long enough to pull half of it up, hooray cute

boo: too lazy to make pancakes like I planned before going to bed last night

yes!: pb&j, the breakfast of champions

boo: about to head out for a looooong day at the library

yes!: my knitting bag is waiting for me in my locker

Hope you have a good Monday.

[29 before 29] bread of the week

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

Crazy, stupid good. I can't even explain.
On Sunday morning I made English muffins. It was a pretty fast and simple process, and the result is so delicious. It's really really difficult to eat just one at a time.

This is the recipe I used, from Michael Ruhlman's blog.

On the needles: workhorse socks

2012-01-23T07:55:00.001-06:00

A simple pattern in a self-striping yarn

Slow progress during short breaks from reading

Knitting Very Important Facts into each row

By the time exams get here, I'm going to have to wear about 10 pairs of socks and 4 or 5 hats and probably a sweater in order to make sure I've got all my knit-stored memories within easy reach. Maybe I can change halfway through each of the five exams to get the most out of every handknit?

practicing kindness: self, apples, & wholeness

2012-01-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

My "practicing kindness" banner has a close-up of an apple on it. I am slowly but surely becoming a huge fan of apples, and here's why: if I had to pick a fruit to represent my personality and my current state, it would definitely be an apple.

Actually, that's not true. Given the choice, I'd pick something more complicated, like a pomegranate, or more adorable, like a clementine, or even something more mysterious and exciting, like a kiwi. But when it really comes down to it, I'm an apple.

Apples are simple, nutritious, a fine source of fiber, and good at being friendly with many other types of foods, including peanut butter and cheddar. They're basically sweet with a bit of a tangy edge, just enough to be refreshing.

They are tasty on their own, excellent when folded into a pastry crust, and fabulous even when you boil them and smash them for applesauce: adaptable, no?

Apples are also thin-skinned and easily bruised, but hardy for all that. That core with the seeds shouldn't be ignored, even though you can get away with a lot before you hit it. Plus if you carve a little face and leave the apple out to dry, it can be pretty dang scary at Halloween!

So all in all, apples aren't too bad. The other quality that really appeals to me right now is their straightforwardness and obvious wholeness.

An apple is an object easily grasped; it's one of the first subjects an art student might tackle in a still life composition and one of the first snacks you might grab in the grocery store's produce section. With an apple, there aren't too many surprises, and there's nothing secretive or complicated about it. What you see is pretty much what you get. I work fairly hard to be that way, actually, to be transparent and honest and whole in my interactions with other people, and so part of practicing kindness with myself means being content and pleased with being a simple, wholesome apple.

What fruit or vegetable are you, and why?

all images except the first found on weheartit

Friday: Link Love!

2012-01-20T08:01:00.000-06:00

Hooray for another Friday and another busy but wonderful week. This week's link is for a site I've been enjoying for its daily dose of knits that make you drool, together with links to projects and patterns. It's like Ravelry light, for when you can't handle the overload of 85 million recently completed items made by all your talented friends. Below you'll find a smattering of my recent faves (apparently I am in a red cables kind of mood lately).

Knitting, F*** Yeah!

link to pattern

link to free pattern

link to pattern

Any links you found this week that you'd like to share in the comments? Send us to those inspiring blogs!

On the needles: cabled cotton

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

Yarn: Araucania Patagonia 100% cotton in color 206, a blend of purple, pink, and sort-of-orange. I got these two skeins (105 yd each) during my knitting group's latest yarn exchange, and I'm so glad I did! The colors are gorgeous and I'm enjoying working with this bulky cotton. It knits up fast, that's for sure.
Needles: US 8 dpns
Pattern: improvised and still in abbreviated notes form; a (free) full version will be coming soon after I knit up a few more samples in wool to test it out.

[29 before 29] Red Kale, Dutch style

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

It's not particularly glamorous, but it sure is delicious! Meet my spin on a traditional Dutch winter meal (vouched for repeatedly by my Dutch friend, who was totally right about its filling, warming qualities), using new-to-me veggie #2, red kale.

Ingredients:
4 stalks or so of red kale
6-8 baby potatoes, red or yellow, your preference
1 cup or so of baby carrots
1/4 milk
1 tbsp butter or margarine
salt and pepper to taste

Boil some water and add chopped potatoes and carrots. Chop the kale and set it aside for a few minutes while the other veggies boil away.

When the carrots and potatoes are nearly fork-soft, add the kale to the pot to wilt for about 1 minute.

Drain all the veggies and do a rough mash with butter and milk, then add salt and pepper.

Enjoy your simple, hearty meal or side! This probably makes enough to serve 4 people, but I ate it in two sittings because I treated it as a main dish.

Comments on kale -
This green is a little bit bitter for my taste, so in future I'll probably try to disguise that a bit by preparing it with some kind of sweet sauce or dressing. Nonetheless, it was great in this dish to balance the heaviness of the potatoes.

A flurry of FOs, #2 & #3

2012-01-17T08:55:00.000-06:00

Mittens! Good for winter thrills and chills.

Yarn: Trekking XXL
Needles: US 2 dpns, set of 5

Pattern: This one I made up for myself. Basically I started with a ribbed cuff, knit up in stockinette to make a nice long cuff that could be tucked inside a coat, and made a thumb gusset. I left the live thumb stitches on waste yarn while I knit up for palm and fingers, then did what's pretty much a sock toe, decreasing to a very small number of stitches before kitchenering things together to create plenty of room for finger wiggling. I did this for both mittens, then I packed them up very nicely in a plastic bag with the yarn and buried them in my stash for two years.

Yes, I am that weird/dumb/ridiculous.

This weekend I pulled them out, completed the thumbs, did some weaving in of ends, and added them to the winter accessories rotation. Woohoo! Near-instant project satisfaction!

A flurry of FOs, #1

2012-01-15T19:48:00.003-06:00

What better way to welcome this snowy week than by sharing a flurry of finished objects?

First up, a sweater that has been hanging out in my yarn pile for way way way too long.
Say hello to the Cable-Down Raglan, designed by the genius Stefanie Japel and available in Interweave Knits.

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Hollyberry, not sure how many skeins. The color is very tough to capture on a sunny winter morning, but it's a very lovely red, and the on-body photos are most accurate.
Needles: US 5 32 inch circular, US 6 dpns (for sleeves), cable needle (which for me just means a US 3 dpn for holding stitches temporarily)

Mods: None. This pattern is really easy to follow, so much so that I experienced no confusion whatsoever even though I worked on it sporadically with multiple breaks several months long.

Verdict: I am shocked by how flattering this sleeve length is with its little bell shape, and I love the color. Obviously cables are one of my favorite design features, maybe only second to skinny stripes, so that makes this finished object a big winner in the "I knit this and it looks super complicated, so you'll think I'm very clever" category of handmade garments.

My Ravelry project page is here.

Practicing Kindness, What is it?

2012-01-15T10:13:00.001-06:00

This is my first "practicing kindness" post for the new year, and I'm really excited to start a conversation with all of you about small, simple acts of kindness that we can do to improve our quality of life throughout 2012.

As a sort of transition between the year of finding joy and this new year of practicing kindness, I thought it might be best to start by reflecting on acts of kindness perpetrated by others in the last week. That is, to track our own little thrills and moments of appreciation as a first step in determining what constitutes kindness and how we might be kind.

communication - texts, calls, e-mails reaching out and checking in, sweet words of gratitude, compliments

generosity - rides to the other side of town, cups of tea and coffee, cds on loan, shared snacks

openness - patient listening, willingness to change plans to be accommodating, shared confidences

authenticity - honest (but gentle) criticism, promises to keep me accountable

participation & presence - sharing my library table, walking with me, adjusting my yoga pose

Any acts of kindness that just made your day, or any other broad categories you think contribute to kindness? I hope you'll share your ideas in the comments.

P.S. If you're wondering what's going on with the apple, stay tuned, because I have a post about that coming up soon, too...

Castle revived

2012-01-13T07:52:00.001-06:00

So, remember how I was knitting a Castle pullover back in December? And how I finished the body of the thing and cast off? Well, I frogged it. It really really wasn't working, so I bit the bullet and frogged it.

For a very short time, it looked like this:

But pretty much immediately I cast on again. Smaller size, smaller needles, and I think it's turning out so much better. I'm also not changing needle sizes at the waist this time around, since that led to all sorts of trouble.

There's actually quite a bit more of it as of last night, and it might even get finished this weekend. I'll keep you updated on this Castle 2.0...

FOs: Socks

2012-01-10T19:07:00.003-06:00

Completed over break -

Yarn: Misti Alpaca in Northern Lights
Needles: US 1 dpns, set of five
Pattern: 2x2 ribbing, slip stitch patterned heel flap, flat toe

Finished on Saturday, kitchenered in the lovely company of Lauren and Peter and their amazing tortellini salad -

Yarn: Lion Brand Sock Ease
Needles: US 1 dpns, set of five
Pattern: 2x2 ribbed cuff, stockinette, slip stitch patterned heel flap, flat toe

Verdict: Socks 4-EVAH

Etsy Monday: Fit

2012-01-09T07:39:00.000-06:00

Last week was both the first week of a new year AND the first week of a new quarter, which meant that I was determined to figure out how to fit regular workouts into my class/study/work schedule. It also meant I was not very good at actualy fitting everything in, because I just wasn't sure yet what the structure of my week would feel like, and I underestimated just how tired I would be when it finally got to be late afternoon library-ditching time. Week two promises to be much more organized, and keeping daily workouts and healthy eating as number 2 on my list of priorities seems totally do-able (work is number 1).

If you click on that "Fitness" tab under the blog header, you can see what I'm up to in the gym every week and what I'm planning in terms of big and small rewards for reaching various fitness goals. Setting small, trackable goals (weight loss in 5lb increments, for example) and keeping a calendar where I write "Run" or "Yoga" in big letters after I finish a workout helped me stay on track through most of last year, so I'll continue using those strategies to stay motivated. These great fitness-related Etsy finds are inspiring, too, as small rewards for consistency and as reminders to stick with my workout plans.

Speaking of calendars for writing down workouts, this desk calendar is super cute and colorful.

Page by Paige shop

This classy yoga bag looks like it would have room for all the essentials.

LslieArt shop

Working out plus NT passages. Pretty much I ought to own this shirt.

Firedaughter Clothing shop

For those mornings I don't want to get out of bed and walk to the gym, maybe this print should be hanging on the wall above my gym stuff:

The Love Shop

Do you have any fitness goals, or have you figured out a workout schedule that fits into your regular routine? What helps keep you motivated?

P.S. Tomorrow I promise to share some knitting; I have a few FOs to share, plus the continuing story of the Castle pullover and its visit to the frog pond...

Word of the Year: kindness

2012-01-08T08:24:00.003-06:00

The word for 2012 is

Why kindness?
I wanted a concept that was multi-dimensional and one that was challenging for me in some way.
What's more versatile than simple, sweet, and straightforward kindness?

To self
To loved ones
To colleagues
To acquaintances
To strangers

Each one of those groups presents its own particular challenge. Let's start with the three in the middle!
Don't you find that kindness to those close by is easier when you know it will be appreciated, or when you're responding with kindness to something nice/helpful/generous that someone else initiated? Part of my challenge will be extending kindness to others without attaching any strings, even invisible ones in my own head. That sort of detached kindness would be a much more honest expression of my own innate goodwill than the acts of kindness I sometimes do now, hoping for or expecting appreciation and reciprocation, and being resentful when they don't appear.
Kindness to strangers is something I too often let fall by the wayside, simply because I don't have to see or think about the consequences my brief interaction in the checkout line or my easing impatiently past a slow-mover on the sidewalk have. This year I'd like to challenge myself to be more aware and more mindful of others.
Finally, kindness to self is a creature of a totally different type. Except I think it's not actually so different from kindness to others. My personal challenge is to take the kindness I'm so willing to show everyone else and turn it back around to be more patient, more forgiving, and more generous with myself.

Regular Feature
Instead of having a '10 Things' list every Saturday, I'll be sharing a kindness tip once a week - some way to be kind to yourself or others that I've tried and that you can try, too! A number of these acts of kindness will also involve crafting, because we knitters ought to use our talents and skillz for good, no? Get ready for the first post coming up on Saturday (fancy new post heading banner TM included).

What does kindness mean to you? How do you carve out space for kindness in your everyday life? Or do you have your own inspiring word for 2012? I'd love for you to share your thoughts in the comments!

Friday: Link Love

2012-01-06T08:19:00.000-06:00

Go here. Go immediately. It's the best.

http://browndresswithwhitedots.tumblr.com

Etsy Monday: Dreamy Winter Teatime

2012-01-03T23:47:00.001-06:00

Hello, dear readers, and hello, 2012!

I've been holding off on posting because I'm still trying to settle on the right word for 2012; there are a few candidates... "Joy" in 2011 was such a huge part of my life; taking the time to search for the meaning of joy, to really aim for joyfulness in the important decisions I made, and to notice the presence of joy in everyday moments changed my perspective in significant ways that I'm still working to figure out. So the word for 2012 is pretty important. I haven't quite got it yet.

In the meantime, enjoy these dreamy winter Etsy finds. I could certainly imagine dressing up for afternoon tea with the help of these little items, what with the onset of a cold, icy January.

Tree branch winter photo (to help set the scene, you see)

My Monography shop

Blue Ice earrings

Lazy Giraffe Jewellery shop

Egyptian Goddess dress

River of Romansk shop

Hand-painted tea cups

Simply Pretty Prints shop

Birch bark candle holders

Bragging Bags shop

Raw chocolate teapot

Clam Lab shop

What would make your afternoon tea break perfect today?

Goodbye, 2011!

2011-12-30T15:16:00.000-06:00

2011 has been a wonderful and eventful year! Here are some of my favorite moments...

January - knit myself a sweater with colorful stripes

February - took photos in the aftermath of a giant snowstorm

March - enjoyed an evening of making ridiculous faces with these ladies

April - dyed Easter eggs

May - knit some baby booties

June - visited Milwaukee for the Polish Fest

July - bought flowers at the farmers' market every weekend

August - enjoyed more farmers' market purchases, this time vegetables

September - hung out on the roof of my new home with my temporary roommate

October - dressed up as a creepy, creepy baby for Halloween

November - laughed at some funny roadside signs in California

December - got dressed up and went out for my birthday

[29 before 29] Collard Greens, 2 ways

2011-12-20T09:53:00.000-06:00

For my first new vegetable, I decided to try out collard greens. I looked up a few recipes using Pinterest and settled on two exciting options.

This first is really my adaptation of a recipe called "Asian stir-fried collard greens." If you'd like to try it for yourself, my concoction was made a little something like this:

Ingredients:
4-5 collard greens leaves, stalks cut out and leafy greens roughly chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp crushed red paper flakes
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
for sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp ground ginger (fresh if you have it)
2-3 tbsp water

Add olive oil to skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is heated, saute onions with garlic and red pepper flakes until onions soften, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk together sauce ingredients in a small bowl. When the onions are ready, add collard greens to the skillet and pour sauce over the top. Saute until greens are slightly wilted, about 7 min. Makes 2 generous servings. Enjoy!

Recipe #2 was one I followed more exactly, just subbing in the collard greens in place of kale, so I'll just show you my picture and send you to the original recipe post on the Happyolks blog. I took this to a holiday party on Saturday, and people seemed to enjoy it, plus the colors were so festive!

Vegetable review:
Consider collard greens a new staple in my winter kitchen. They're a good change from spinach, especially because they're a bit more sturdy and can stand up to different types of cooking. Overall, I preferred the first dish, mainly because I like my vegetables served with plenty of salt and garlic; this felt more hearty and appropriate for winter. Let me know if you try it out or if you have any other collard green recipes I ought to make.

10 Things, vol 36

2011-12-18T12:28:00.000-06:00

10 Things is my weekly list of things that are making me smile right now. Please share your own grin-inducing items and events in the comments!

1. holiday parties with wonderful friends

2. lots of books to read

3. small gifts from thoughtful people

4. tiramisu cupcakes, take 2 (these are so delicious, I can't even tell you)

5. packing up to go home

6. snow!

7. simple ribbed socks on the needles

8. a large pile of clothes to donate, including a warm winter coat

9. adding the first events of 2012 to my calendar

10. lessons learned and knowledge applied

SCIENCE / all wound up

2011-12-16T13:59:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning, I had a brush with the dangerous side of science. While I tell you the story, I am going to show you my latest handspun.

If you would like to complete your own very scary science experiment, try the following steps (by which I really mean, "DON'T DO THIS; IT'S A VERY BAD IDEA."):

1. clean your tub with Comet or another chlorine-based cleanser

2. shower and decide the tub is just not draining fast enough

3. dump half a bottle of some hydrochloric acid-based drain opener down the drain and leave for 15 minutes

What do you get? NOXIOUS FUMES. They smelled like farts or rotten eggs or sulfur. It was the worst thing ever. Oh man, when they tell you not to mix certain chemicals, you really shouldn't do it. I called the drain opener company to ask if I had just succeeded in corroding my plumbing, and they said, "No, you just caused a chemical reaction that makes dangerous fumes. Ventilate the area, dump some baking soda down the drain and rinse well, and, if you start to experience any discomfort, call us back so we can connect you to poison control."

The baking soda did, in fact, make the smell go away, and I have not experienced any discomfort. Phew. But the moral of this story is that you really should read the directions on cleaning product labels before you just go using them all willy-nilly. You are smart, though, and you probably already knew that.

The fiber is Girls Like Boys Like Fiber in colorway Night Must Fall, handspun on my drop spindle and finally washed, set, and wound yesterday.

[29 before 29] a goal list

2011-12-15T19:34:00.000-06:00

This last year I have really enjoyed the challenge of working to complete goals from my list of '28 before 28' goals. It has been a great and positive change from the type of New Year's resolutions lists I've made in the past; one of those old goals was "shower every day in the coming year" - hey, I was in college! What do you want from me? While I didn't make it through all of the goals I set for myself, that just means I have a chance to do even better on this coming year's list! My 29 goals are listed below in various categories, with what you might call "reach" goals in italics.

Healthy/personal goals:
run (at least) three 5k races
try twelve new vegetables/fruits
keep an inspiration and contemplation journal
restart and continue my yoga practice
take one personal day a month for reflection and relaxation
regular phone calls, e-mails, and snail mail with distant friends
get in the best shape of my life so far

Crafty/domestic goals:

knit socks from my own handspun yarn

grow my blog by adding more DIY tutorials and crafty giveaways

learn to make macarons

bake a loaf of bread a week (this might also inspire me to try new bread recipes)

office/craft studio decorating project

knit down the stash, especially sock yarn leftovers

stranded colorwork sweater for me

Adventure/learning goals:
go to six new-to-me Chicago restaurants
take a non-academic class to learn a new skill (can't pick one yet, but I'll narrow it down)
read four literary classics I haven't read before
take and pass my comprehensive exams
submit my dissertation proposal
take a hike. no, really.
road trip to... mystery location!
international travel

Outreach/service goals:

do at least one random act of kindness each month

help a friend with a major cleaning or moving project

make ten winter hats and donate them through church

organize and participate in 3 service projects for my on-campus club

teach someone how to knit (not sure this is service since it's basically passing on an addiction!)

increase shop sales to donate to MSF

save for and make a significant half-birthday donation to project heifer

Any goals you're making this time of year? What are your big plans? I'd love it if you'd share in the comments!

Happy birthday to me!

2011-12-15T13:40:00.002-06:00

Today I am 28, and my plans for the rest of the afternoon look a little something like this:

The fiber is my birthday present to myself from Girls Like Boys Like Fiber; it's Polwarth (can't decide between this and alpaca for favorite spinning fiber), and the colorway is called Gimme Gumballs. The Misti Alpaca I shared the other day is a hat in progress, which may still turn into socks in progress. Storm of Swords probably needs no introduction. I'll just say "It's my party, and I'll cry [over fictional characters] if I want to."

Tonight will be drinks out with some good friends to celebrate.

Tree decorating

2011-12-14T08:30:00.002-06:00

My mini tree needed some mini decorations, and these mushroom birds I purchased at Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago are just about right.

Thanks to my sweet friend P. who knew that my family followed the pickle ornament tradition, after last night's knit night I now have my very own pickle for my tree. It looks fab, right?

At some point later this week, I'd like to set aside a couple of hours for more crafty-type ornaments, like crocheted snowflakes and mini sweaters. What's decorating your tree or your house this holiday season?

Knit, knit, knit

2011-12-12T21:26:00.000-06:00

This is what I have been doing for the last two days.

The body is finished. Sadly, the "loose" bind off is looking a little bit wonky, the whole thing seems a bit loose down at the bottom (sort of regretting actually following the pattern instructions for switching to a larger needle after the waist), and something is going to need to happen with that curly neck. Maybe blocking will help? I am going to continue to be in denial so I can complete the sleeves. For now, here is a really cute cat enjoying couch cushions sans covers (they were in the wash).

Etsy Monday: gifts for the kitchen

2011-12-12T09:44:00.000-06:00

Er, gifts for the person who likes to make food in the kitchen, rather, but that was a little bit wordy for a post title! Your favorite aspiring chef might enjoy these little gifts found on Etsy.

Want to add a bit of humor to your dish-drying? This printed towel is pretty great.

Moxie Madness shop

Put a bit of art on the wall, like this cute print

Graphic Anthology shop

Enjoy tea with this stylish honey serving set (for those who really love their tea!)

Biodidactic shop

If the chef you love is still a mini chef, try this baking playset.

Studio Wren shop

Take the kitchen with you by wearing this baker's necklace - too cute for someone who loves cupcakes!

LuxeAdornments shop

Happy window-shopping :)

10 Things, vol 35

2011-12-10T23:06:00.001-06:00

10 Things is my weekly list of things that are making me smile right now. I hope you'll share your own grin-inducing items and events in the comments!

image source

1. The homemade donuts from last night's party. I got to bring home extras to enjoy for breakfast!

2. Sweet, caring, and thoughtful friends

3. Netflix and all its episodes of Gossip Girl

4. Yarn. Always the yarn.

5. Much-needed and long-delayed Important Conversations that solve Big Problems
6. Connected to the above, doing something that scared the crap out of me and

coming out on the other side feeling brave

7. My new haircut. I quite like it.

8. The fact that freaking out leads to freaky fast knitting speeds. This sweater is zooming along.

9. A Song of Ice and Fire books that are long enough that I can read for hours and not run out of pages.

10. A tiny bit of snow this week

Yarrrrrns

2011-12-10T13:55:00.001-06:00

Remember how I mentioned that my hair salon is within two blocks of a yarn store? Yeah, I arrived at the subway stop well ahead of my appointment, so I pretty much had to run in and check out some yarn. This is Misti Alpaca fingering weight in the colorway Northern Lights. I am thinking I might make a cabled hat to match some of my teal, blue, and green winter scarves. If that doesn't pan out, this yarn will make a lovely pair of socks!

There's also been a good amount of time for making progress on my Castle Pullover. I'm most of the way through the stockinette portion with the raglan increases, and I'm looking forward to starting the lace portion of the body.

This sunny Saturday is all about relaxing, knitting, and reading. I also have an invitation to a party that is going to feature homemade donuts - yum! It was so wonderful to sleep in this morning, and now that the quarter is over, I'm really looking forward to getting some more rest and sharing more crafty projects with you. Be back soon!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-12-07T16:58:00.001-06:00

I'd like to start with an apology for the fact that I have not managed to catch the daytime light for ANY of these pictures you are about to see. Bear with me until after tomorrow, my last teaching day (YES!), and then we'll be in business again.

Okay, changes! Well, one change. A haircut:

My hair salon is about 1.5 blocks from a yarn store. More on that tomorrow...

In the meantime, what else have I been up to?

Making more mitten progress. I love this cuff!

Watching movies, including The Thin Red Line on Monday night and The Muppets on Tuesday night (yes, in fact, that does seem like a very strange lineup. Both evenings, however, were completely awesome).

Reading in the library and checking out many many books to keep in my locker. It's kind of fun to open that thing and see basically a whole shelf of books just about Philippians and Gregory of Nyssa, two of my favorite topics.

Enjoying awesome mail. These prints are part of my October giveaway prize from Leigh-Ann's blog, and they are from the lovely Ciera. I really like the pot of clover.

This is from Knit Picks (in case you can't tell from the logo that is shouting at you over and over again). Scheduled sweater cast-on is Friday.

What have you been doing?

2011-12-04T12:38:00.001-06:00

It's so funny to me that when I'm not actively working on a colorwork knitting project I can somehow convince myself that stranded knitting is difficult or time consuming, but then the instant I cast on for the Chrysanthemums I experienced a little surge of "hooray, colorwork!" type joy. I knit the picot cuff yesterday, and this morning I finally tucked into the 2-color part.

Here is my progress so far.

In other news, I had an epic adventure yesterday when picking up a Christmas tree. I went to two different lots in the hopes of finding a small (say 3 foot tall) tree, and instead I ended up carrying this monster of a pine 7 blocks in one hand. And yes, it is nearly as tall as I am.

This is proof that I am strong and ridiculous, no? I kept giggling the whole time I was walking home, because the phrase, "I LOVE CHRISTMAS" kept repeating over and over in my head in an extremely angry and determined voice. Too funny!

While the tree now has lights, there is a decided shortage of Christmas tree ornaments and tree skirts in my house, because this is the first real tree I've ever purchased for myself. As soon as that's remedied, I'll be sure to post some photos of the finished product all lit up and pretty.
Hope you're having an enjoyable weekend filled with crafting and adventures, too!

Friday: Link Love

2011-12-02T19:15:00.001-06:00

Happy Friday, friends! I spent today in a semi-exhausted stupor, but it was a pretty pleasant day anyway. I'm so excited for the weekend, for some time to knit, read, and watch movies, plus I am determined to get myself a little Christmas tree, and I'm maybe going to head downtown to get myself some yarn for making a Christmas present that I just thought of yesterday. I hope you have exciting plans, too!

***Just one link this week, the post that officially sparked my holiday spirit:
'Tis the Season over on Katie's Pencil Box (lovely blog if you haven't visited yet).

A week in review

2011-12-01T07:52:00.001-06:00

Despite its rushed and busy feel, this week has had a few quiet moments. Thankfully I was able to capture a few of them, so I can share with you.

A loaf of bread on Monday

A lovely package with a mug rug and drink treats from Polkadot Pretties (blog and shop). I love getting mail, and I am so pleased I won Leigh-Ann's giveaway.

The mug rug is currently serving as my Christmas tree "skirt"/stand, because it is so pretty.

Continued sock knitting, which I have to say looks quite stunning paired with the next book on my exam reading queue.

Have you enjoyed any peaceful scenes this week?

Big knitting plans

2011-11-29T09:10:00.001-06:00

Hello, lovelies! Let me first say that yesterday was not my favorite day. My ability to concentrate on reading at the library was pretty horrible, and I had a number of teaching commitments that I was just not excited about. Everything went okay, I did get some important work done, and I got to read some very pleasant and complimentary student evaluations, so it wasn't a total bust, but I am hoping things get much better today and for the rest of this week...
One of the reasons life is looking up is that I have big knitting plans now that there are (almost!!!! so close!!!!) no more classes.

First, I just ordered 10 skeins of this yarn

Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Fjord Heather

for this sweater:

Castle pullover by Cecily Glowik MacDonald

I have had this pattern for well over a year, but I haven't gotten around to actually making the sweater. It seems like a good birthday sweater, right? I can both get the yarn and crank this thing out for my 12/15 birthday, I'm sure! Only half kidding.

I also have full skeins of green and brown tonals, left over from the six socks project, to make myself a pair of winter mittens.

Knit Picks Stroll Tonal Sock Yarn in Kindling

Knit Picks Stroll Tonal Sock Yarn in Canopy

Now I just have to choose a pattern, and there are a couple of great candidates hanging out in my Rav queue, such as

Squirrelly Swedish Mittens by Elli Stubenrach

or Chyrsanthemums by Heather Desserud

What's in your knitting line-up?

Etsy Monday: gifts for students

2011-11-26T17:09:00.001-06:00

The next few Etsy Monday posts will be holiday gift guides for some of my favorite groups of people. I'm starting with students, because we could use a little bit of love now that we're approaching the end of the term and a (hopefully) wonderful winter break.

*** What student doesn't need a classy desk calendar for her study space? I might also have been swayed by the stack of pretty books and knitted goods in the left-hand corner of this photo, $17.

Ruby Red Design Studio shop

*** I like this zippered pencil case in notebook fabric (and many other cute cases in this shop) for holding important writing utensils, or maybe some knitting needles, $32.

Montclair Made shop

*** "I Rule the World" personalized necklace, $20. For the stylish art, design, or math student.

Organic Rust Creation shop

*** Heartfox handprinted small notebook for recording secret plans and brilliant ideas, $12.50.

SiebenMorgen shop

*** While lounging at home and procrastinating by watching tv or reading novels, students might like to use a Professor Lion silk-screened pillow, $45.

Utilitarian Franchise shop

*** If you really want to splurge, what about a handmade leather messenger bag? Just the right size for notebooks and textbooks, plus a mid-afternoon snack, $79.

Tierra Linda Dry Goods shop

If you don't know any other students who might need these lovely items, feel free to mail them right to me!

What is your favorite type of school supply? Anything from your school days that you still like to use in everyday life?

Home again

2011-11-26T16:41:00.001-06:00

Back to Chicago after a wonderful week in California with friends, colleagues, and family. We are basically all clowns when we drive around in the car. Joe thinks we are ridiculous.

He is right.

And we just don't care!

Also I got to have Thanksgiving dinner with this giant cat.

I finished my commissioned socks, which are now all set to ship out in the mail. I also got started on another pair of Monkeys (addictive pattern, I tell you!) in this great shade of Knit Picks Stroll Tonals.

Now it's back to work shifts and class prep and working out at the gym. After one more afternoon of lounging and relaxing and knitting really fast. What are you up to as this holiday weekend comes to a close?

Friday: Link Love

2011-11-18T07:37:00.001-06:00

There is, in fact, a lovely link at the end of this post. Scroll down if you would like to skip my recap of Thursday.

Happy Friday, friends! I am so glad this week is nearly over; it has been one of those super stressful stretches of time that I just want to wipe from my memory. At the same time, though, life has a really great way of offering small, cheerful moments that just balance everything out. Let me tell you two stories to explain what I mean.

Road Rage
I'm not a particularly violent person. For a long time I've thought that I have no patience, but lately friends have been telling me they think I'm actually incredibly patient. One friend has even informed me that he thinks I ought to tap into my anger more often. This little episode from yesterday morning is for him.
I was running late from the moment I hopped out of bed, which meant no time for my regular workout and very little time to get myself together before leaving for campus. I decided to walk instead of taking the bus, because I thought this would help me feel a little more calm and centered.
Wrong! By the time I got to campus I was practically fuming about all the cars that didn't let me go in the crosswalk, all the other pedestrians who were just dilly-dallying along the sidewalk, and stupid traffic signals that were slowing me down. Basically I had the walker's version of road rage.
Then I got to campus and tried to walk across the quad, weaving my way through groups of grinning students and people hugging each other, and all of this gladness just made me even more grumpy. Right before I turned aside to go into my building, I saw it: the last straw. An undergrad, dressed in her stylish outfit and perfect slouchy hat, had planted herself artfully under a tree in the middle of the quad and was strumming away at her guitar. People, it was 35 degrees out and it's nearly finals week, and maybe this was her way of dealing with stress, but I wanted to walk up and kick her guitar in the face. Road rage, I tell you.

A Sweet Library Story
First, a preface. Earlier in the week, the library staff removed the table I normally use for studying and replaced it with a completely different kind of table. Before, I had a shelf of books at face height, so I felt a little secluded and I wasn't distracted by seeing other people walk around. Now, the table is low and sometimes other people want to come share it with me (which is fine. I like these people and I like sharing; it's just different), and every time I check Facebook or Pinterest I feel like everyone in the library knows I'm goofing off. I'd like to say, "Hey, no big deal! I like change!" but that would be a lie. It has sort of thrown me off.
Anyway, my library pal (the guy for whom I made this mini sweater) came over to the table yesterday afternoon to say hello. When he asked how I was doing, I gave him the honest answer, which was, "I'm really stressed out!" He said, "Hang in there," and walked away to his normal table. Within 5 minutes he had returned with a tiny stuffed panda in hand. He gently set the panda down on the edge of my table and said, "Here. You can keep this for as long as you want." It was so incredibly sweet, and now I have this little panda living in my locker to remind me that stress is very easily dissolved and I don't need to kick anyone's guitar.

And now, the link!
Just one this week, because it actually takes you to a collection of other links - blogs, shops, Pinterest accounts - that you should definitely check out. Go read a mini-interview sponsor feature on Kyla's blog. I think you'll recognize one of the sponsors...

Do you have any stories or links to share? Are you glad it's Friday?

On your feet

2011-11-16T22:50:00.001-06:00

Further adventures in sock knitting, progress courtesy of a knit night and a club movie event; it doesn't matter that the schedule is busy, because there's always time to squeeze in a bit of knitting!

I'm going to be on a 6 or 7 hour flight soon on my way to a busy weekend conference, so expect even more progress photos.

When and where do you knit in the midst of a busy week?

Inspired Etsy Monday: winter wishlist

2011-11-13T09:21:00.001-06:00

This week's Etsy finds could be called part 1 of my (probably endless) winter wishlist. I'm looking forward to a season full of fun parties, snowy outings to see city lights and trees, holiday crafting and cooking, and all those cozy evenings cuddled up with knitting, hot chocolate, and a movie. Plus my birthday is in December, so I get to plan a super fun cocktail/cupcake party! But first things first: settling into a new kind of weather and daily schedule.

At home
*** Crochet slippers in the perfect cold winter colors

WhiteNoiseMaker shop

*** Miniature houses for winter decorating

The haunted hollow tree shop

*** Ceramic coffee mug to enjoy hot chocolate, tea, and coffee

Green ceramic arts shop

Or out and about

*** Shirred pencil dress for holiday parties

Lirola shop

*** Gold barn owl earrings for dressing up a simple sweater and jeans

Seed and Sky shop

What's on your wishlist for a cozy, stylish winter season?

10 Things, vol 34

2011-11-12T07:16:00.001-06:00

10 Things is my weekly list of things that are making me smile right now. Please share your own grin-inducing items and events in the comments!

source

1. A surprise guest (okay, that part did not make me smile because it meant being momentarily ashamed of my really messy living room) for playing video games (that part was really fun!)

2. The resulting de-cluttered living room

3. Plus also clean dishes

4. Plans for baking cookies and cupcakes this afternoon

5. Holding the world's cutest babyTM at church yesterday, even if she did spit up on me

6. This ornament kit that I'm so excited to work on after Thanksgiving

by Alicia Paulson

7. Wearing jeans that actually fit all week - hooray for running and buying clothes in smaller sizes!

8. Winter crafts on people's Pinterest boards

9. Reading ahead for my class and getting excited to teach the next section

10. Liam Neeson. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Friday: Link Love!

2011-11-10T16:23:00.001-06:00

The snow has made its appearance, so here is a "last hurrah of fall"-themed collection of links for your autumnal enjoyment.

*** Let's start off with a snack, yes? This Pumpkin and Cream bread recipe from Sunday Baker looks like it will be perfect.

*** What will you wear? I might make and wear one of these knitted headbands (free pattern from Rewind Knits and Crochet)

*** And I will pair it with my Shabby Apple G. Cooper dress. 40s-inspired dresses and fall go together in my head.

*** I will enjoy my fashionable self and my tasty pumpkin bread in my enormous kitchen.

original source unknown

*** And then I'll head outside to take a walk in the leaves.

Any last fall-themed links or wish list items you'd like to share? Please post them in the comments!

P.S. I really feel like the luckiest girl right now. I have won two giveaways recently! You can check out my ad over on Kyla's blog and visit her other amazing November sponsors (so many neat crafts and items for sale!), and I won the October giveaway on LA's blog. For serious, I am over the moon!!!

Work and socks, con.

2011-11-10T14:38:00.001-06:00

We have hit that point in the academic year where the work just keeps coming and it won't slow down!

I have a class to teach tonight, grading and reading to do this weekend, and a bunch of translating, workshops, and meetings next week before I take off for the big annual conference in San Francisco and a (hopefully relaxing) Thanksgiving holiday with family. I'll just admit right now that I'm a bit stressed out and not sure exactly how I'll manage to get all my work done with everything that's going on. Oh, and there were snow flurries this morning when I was walking back from the gym; it was so pretty, but this does not bode well for getting out of the house and working in the library!

Good thing I have more sock knitting than I can shake a stick at to keep me sane...

Sock guts. Fun!

What's keeping you busy this week?

An everyday kind of treat

2011-11-08T09:13:00.003-06:00

Sprinkle pancakes.

Yes, you read that correctly. I had pancakes filled with fall-colored sprinkles for breakfast the other day. This was such an easy way to make the start of my day a little bit more special that I thought I'd share it with you in case you'd like to try it yourself! It's perfect for a rainy fall day.

The ingredients:
Pancake mix or your favorite recipe for pancake batter from scratch
Sprinkles
A bit of oil for the pan

The how to:
1. Mix your batter as usual.

2. Add in a healthy dose of sprinkles of your choice. The more the merrier, I think.

3. Heat your pan or griddle and add a bit of oil

4. Pour batter into the pan, wait for the edges to get a bit bubble, and flip those pancakes. You can see from the upper right corner of this next picture that sometimes I stink at the flipping part.

5. Add butter, syrup, powdered sugar, a few more sprinkles - whatever you like - and enjoy!

Doesn't that just look like a lot more fun than a plain old flapjack?

Socks, socks, socks

2011-11-07T09:44:00.001-06:00

My favorite!

To be surrounded by socks

and yarn for more socks

What projects are you working on right now?

10 Things, vol. 33

2011-11-05T11:09:00.003-05:00

10 Things is my weekly list of things that are making me smile right now. Please share your own grin-inducing items and events in the comments!

source

1. Completing my first official 5k with a decent time this morning :)

2. Ghirardelli chocolate fondue; that stuff is seriously delicious

3. Lots of socks to knit

4. Homemade trail mix with dried cranberries and pistachios

5. People who like knitted gifts

6. Text messages from my sisters

7. A big cup of coffee. Do I write this every week? It's always true.

8. A really busy week finished and a less busy week ahead

9. Catching up with friends I don't see very often

10. Blasting cheerful music while doing chores

Friday: Link Love!

2011-11-04T09:09:00.001-05:00

Hello, friends! I'm so glad this week is over - it has been incredibly long and exhausting, full of way too many projects and deadlines. But there is one project I took on last night, well into the wee hours, that was completely fun and promises to be really rewarding. Here's the story: there is a very sweet man who is defending his dissertation today, and for the past few years, he has been a daily source of cheer and friendship in the library. He always has a joke or a kind word to say to me, and he often comments on my knitting. Sometimes, in fact pretty frequently, these comments take the form of a request for his own sweater or technicolor dream coat (y'know, like Joseph's coat of many colors). I consistently joke back that I'm working on it, and last night I finally did work on it.

Voila:

It is about 4 inches tall, made on a set of three US2 dpns using sock yarn leftovers (I am pretty sure this is some Regia, but I have no idea what the colorway is called. It might be one of the Kaffe Fassett ones?), and it definitely fits the requirement of being many colors!!

In keeping with this project, here are a some links to a few other mini things I've been enjoying this week:

*** Mini snowman. Oh yes.

source

*** Slightly more seasonally appropriate, autumnal mini treat flags

source

*** For those who like mini things at night, mini star cutouts in a bathroom window shade

source

*** And if you're feeling thankful, why not make a mini thanksgiving tree? I think I need to start one of these - put branches in a jar, then tie on paper leaves with things you're thankful for written on them. Great idea! Ashley Ann is working on one over here.

source

Any fun links you've found this week? Feel free to share them in the comments :)

for you

2011-11-02T21:42:00.004-05:00

just sayin'.

Hope you had a lovely day!

New month, new goals

2011-11-01T09:49:00.004-05:00

Happy November! Here is a hilarious commercial to brighten your day.

It's a new month, so it's time for some new mini goals!

Health & Fitness
Switch to morning workouts when possible
For the last couple of days I've been doing my workout first thing in the morning, and it's definitely been good. I mean, who needs coffee when running three miles gives you super endorphins? This is not to say that I won't be buying a coffee machine to replace my broken french press, but dang, working out is nearly as effective as caffeine for helping me wake up. I think this will also help with the whole "it's dark out and I can't drag myself out of bed" thing I've got going on.

Run my first 5k
November 5th... I'm really excited!

School & Work
Complete all my exam reading lists
The sooner I can finalize these things, the sooner I can get down to actually enjoying my reading and synthesizing concepts instead of hunting through bibliographies.

Craftiness
Knit myself another sweater
There are so many amazing patterns that I keep adding to my Ravelry queue, and I am going to buy some yarn and get going so that my winter wardrobe will be a bit more handmade.

Do you have any goals for the month of November? I'd love it if you'd share them in the comments :)

[What to wear?] Halloween teaching

2011-10-31T11:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

I'm teaching a few small groups this afternoon, so I can't go too wild, but I definitely want to celebrate the Halloween spirit with my outfit. And with candy. I am bringing my students candy, in part because I would like to eat a whole bunch of sugar today.

This is my best stab at a last minute "costume" that will work for the classroom and transition nicely for an evening of walking around the neighborhood checking out decorations and cute trick-or-treating children. P.S., last night the cutest baby in the world came to church wearing a peapod costume. It was so sweet!!!

Step 1:

Shirt: gift from N, who understands my love of creepy-cute // Cardigan: Target
// Slacks: Express, from a closet swap

Step 2:

Terrifying mask: Halloween store, purchased in 2010

I haven't actually decided whether or not I'll wear the mask as students arrive this afternoon...

What's your costume this year? Do you have any fun plans for the evening?

10 Things, vol 32

2011-10-29T08:54:00.002-05:00

10 Things is my weekly list of things that are making me smile right now. Please share your own grin-inducing items and events in the comments!

source

1. N is in town for a visit. We've been having the best time catching up and practicing our karaoke moves.

2. Sushi lunch yesterday (thus the picture above; that's not actually my delicious lunch,
but it looks pretty good, too)

3. Hilarious phone calls

4. Knit night tonight!

5. The giant stack of Fall fashion magazines at the hair salon yesterday

6. A new pair of socks on the needles

7. Taking goofy self-portraits

8. New friends

9. Good conversations with new friends

10. And I've still got a whole day today to get myself organized for the craziness of the coming week. Yes!

Inspired: Coffee

2011-10-27T08:25:00.003-05:00

Combine a broken French press (second one this year! I think it's a sign I ought to invest in a regular drip coffee machine) with a week of excessive tiredness, and you've got one girl who can pretty much only think of coffee. Here's a little java-inspired photo loveliness for your day.

source

And one with a touch of yarn, because everything is better with yarn:

source

What's your favorite coffee drink? I think today mine is a white chocolate mocha. Yum.

On the needles, plus Gus

2011-10-25T08:43:00.002-05:00

Today I get to grade papers and do some class prep - busy day ahead! Here's wishing you (and me) some time for crafting and relaxing.

FO: Milanese Lace Topper

2011-10-24T16:32:00.002-05:00

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish worsted tonals in Thunderhead
Needles: US 7 circular and dpns

Pattern: Milanese Lace Topper by tante ehm
Mods: I changed the brim and did an extra lace repeat before the crown decreases
Verdict: Hooray! Like I said while I was still knitting this hat, I think I'd like to make a few more. The lace is quite pretty, and while I enjoy this slouchy version, making one more like the fitted version the pattern actually instructs could also be fun.

The best part is that now I have a new fall and winter hat for when it starts getting really chilly around here!

Giveaway winner!

2011-10-23T15:05:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to

You are the winner of the Fall treat giveaway! Thanks to everyone who left a comment; I loved reading about all your favorite fall treats.

10 Things, vol 31

2011-10-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

10 Things is my weekly list of things that are making me smile right now. Please share your own grin-inducing items and events in the comments!

source

1. Receiving a giant custom socks order on Etsy - so excited to get knitting!

2. Finding an awesome dentist

3. Getting back to my running this week after fully recovering from a cold

4. Choosing music for dancing while washing dishes

5. Having plenty of lazy weekend time planned for today

6. Putting a pint of coffee ice cream in my freezer (I'm out of creamer, so this is
totally going in my coffee this morning)

7. Wearing boots almost every day

8. Anticipating a drainboard full of clean dishes

9. Receiving lots of happy mail this week

10. Reading three amazing books over the last three days
(Peter Filene's The Joy of Teaching changed my whole classroom outlook)

Happy Saturday

Last day to enter the giveaway before I draw a winner tomorrow!

enter, enter, enter

Friday Link Love

2011-10-21T10:03:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday, friends
The weather seems to have made a decisive turn this week, so I've been able to wear sweaters and long sleeves and layers and boots... I love love love fall! Today's link love is all about fall knitting and crochet projects that I admire and maybe want to make.

*** Tiny owl magnets in so many colors! Made by ATERGcrochet on Etsy (the pattern is also for sale, in case you're as tempted as I am to use all your worsted weight scraps making bird after bird). Can't you just imagine these in fall shades of orange, gold, and brown? I'd like to make a banner for a Halloween party.

*** While cold weather makes the leaves fall off trees outside, you can make a perpetual plant for the indoors. A cactus! I found this on the LMNOP blog, where there are also awesome Halloween costume ideas for kids who like to read books. If you stop over there, you really should spend a bit of time checking out all the neat features.

*** Nothing is better on a chilly fall night than cuddling up under a warm blanket with a mug of hot chocolate. Extra points if you add a scoop of pumpkin ice cream to the hot chocolate. Well, the Purl Bee has the perfect blanket, made of felted wool. I think it would also just be fun to knit squares in these same dark neutrals and not felt them.

Have you seen any inspiring knitting or crochet lately? What's on your fall project list?

P.S. If you haven't yet, please enter the giveaway!

enter, enter, enter

On the needles: Lace Hat

2011-10-20T08:33:00.001-05:00

Oh man, I just set up an emergency visit to the dentist for tomorrow morning, because one of my molars is pitching a giant fit in the back of my mouth. To keep my mind off of the discomfort and the potential financial ruin I'm now facing (drama, drama, drama!), I'm just going to keep on knitting...

Yarn
This is Knit Picks Swish worsted weight yarn in a tonal colorway called Thunderhead. It's a complex mix of grays and blues that really does evoke a storm gathered over the ocean. As usual, Knit Picks has delivered a beautiful colorway and a very soft wool with plenty of bounce and stitch definition. I can already tell that this is going to be a very warm hat, even with its curving stacks of eyelets.

Pattern and Mods
The pattern I'm using (and thoroughly enjoying) is the Milanese Lace Topper by tante ehm. The chart is very easy to read, and the pattern works intuitively. I have made some modifications, not least of which was a switch to larger needles. A 20" finished circumference is just not big enough for my giant noggin! Instead of knitting a stockinette brim, I used a 1x1 twisted rib; hopefully this will help the hat stay in place even if the Chicago winter winds try to knock it off my head. I may also have messed up and knitted an extra repeat of the lace chart, but I'm going to pretend it was on purpose to get a slouchy hat. Yes, that's what happened. I was not at all distracted by the CRAZY episodes of Vampire Diaries season 2 that I was watching while knitting...

I think the lace looks beautiful so far, and I can't wait to see this thing once it's blocked. These pictures are a bit out of date, because I'm about to start the crown decreases - just 12 rows to go before it's all over! If the final product turns out to be as awesome as I am imagining it will, there might be a few more of these hats in my future. Who wants one for Christmas?

By the way, if you love the little owl stitch marker, you can get 5 of your own by visiting N's Etsy shop, Fantasticrafts. She also has some other great stitch marker styles to choose from.

What projects are you working on right now? Any yarns you've tried lately that you'd like to talk about?

FO: Pink Monkeys

2011-10-19T08:19:00.001-05:00

Yarn: Ella Rae lace merino
Needles: US 1 (2.25mm) dpns, set of 5

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A.
Dates: End of September - October 13, 2011

Mods: I did my usual slip-stitch heel pattern for these ones, and I definitely made the heel flap longer than the pattern calls for. Apparently I have a rather large instep, so extra depth in the heel pocket (I made that term up) is helpful.
Verdict: I love them, and I'm really glad I did a knit-a-long with Pippa. I saw more of her sock progress last night at knitting group, and hers are super cute, too! We're going to be the most stylish people studying in that stinking library.

P.S. Don't forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway!

enter, enter, enter

Giveaway: Fall Treat!

2011-10-18T08:08:00.001-05:00

You readers are wonderful, Fall is a wonderful season, and what better way to celebrate both things than by having a mini

What you'll win:

a $10 Starbucks gift card &

a cabled mug cozy in chocolate brown

I hope you'll be able to use the gift card to enjoy your favorite fall beverage (cider! hot chocolate!) and a little extra treat (those cake pops are always so tempting, but I can't resist the pumpkin cream cheese muffins...)

Mandatory entry:
Leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite fall treat (1 entry)

Additional entries:
1. Become a follower of this blog with Google Friend Connect or BlogLovin' by scrolling down to the bottom of this main page, and leave a comment on this post letting me know you're following (1 additional entry)
2. Post about this giveaway on your blog (1 possible entry) or facebook page (1 possible entry) and leave a comment on this post letting me know you've done so

I'll draw a winner on Sunday October 23rd using a random number generator.
Good luck to everyone!

On responding

2011-10-16T14:33:00.003-05:00

On Friday afternoon, I met with two of my favorite ladies for our (sporadically-meeting but always inspiring) prayer group, and we spent some time reflecting on a set of Bible readings. One of the themes that came up for all of us was the importance of listening for and responding to a call. This call can be a call to openness, a call to acceptance, a call to trust, a call to action or to contemplation. The first step is listening for the call, then you get to respond. The important thing about responding, as far as I can work it out, is that it's a reaction rather than simply an action; that is, I'm not actually responsible for figuring out the direction, making a map and a giant plan, and working out all of the details before I begin. I just have to say yes and get moving.

So I've been reflecting a lot on what I'm really, deeply being called to in my life right now, and a big part of the answer is apparently just to trusting that responding, responding with fearlessness, is enough. For example, in many arenas I feel like I'm at a bit of a crossroads. Do I push forward with my studies and accomplish a major goal (the answer is yes, but the motivation for the execution is... well, I'm working on that part)? Do I ask (particular) people for what I really want instead of continuing to be half-satisfied with what I get from asking only for what feels safe? Again yes, even though it's scary and I don't know what the results will be. I'm being called to shake out of fear and the resulting paralysis and just try something new, different, and exciting.

In each situation, the solution to the problem of paralysis is Responding with Fearlessness. Heck yeah, I added those capital letters! This is a big concept! And it makes a lot of sense, right? Moving ahead with your life, crossing from the known into the unknown, is a simultaneously a stunningly frightening and exhilarating move. It's hard not to psych yourself out by thinking about all the ways in which you're not quite prepared for what's going to be waiting at the end of the road you're stepping onto. Do I have the finances right now to set up my dream life in an amazing house with a giant garden? Nope, but that doesn't mean I can't purchase art or appliances or plants for my current apartment that I can envision using in said amazing house.

In short, there's no reason to wait until you feel like you're good enough or perfectly suited for the kind of life you want. If the call to move forward comes, pick up and go and work out the details as situations that need responses present themselves. See that? You'll have opportunities to respond over and over again. Don't freak out about needing to have the whole thing worked out ahead of time, of being prepared for every single eventuality and worst-case-scenario.

So. Responding with Fearlessness. Jumping in, being ready to make mistakes and change and grow and learn new things so that when you reach the end of the road, you will have become ready for what waits there, even if you're not ready now (and how could you be?). Trusting that being willing to respond is all the preparation you need before something comes along for you to respond to. Being inspired by a statement like this:

If you give your life as a wholehearted response to love, then love will wholeheartedly respond to you.
-Marianne Williamson

Today, the call I'm hearing is for reflection and centering. Responding looks something like this:

Sweaters and cats and reflection and sharing with you all. Anything you've felt called to lately? What are your thoughts on responding?

10 Things, vol 30

2011-10-15T08:49:00.002-05:00

10 Things is my weekly list of things that are making me smile right now. Please share your own grin-inducing items and events in the comments!

1. first cherry pie of the season, made last night, already 1/4 eaten and thoroughly enjoyed

2. new boots arrived in the mail yesterday, just in time for cold weather outfits

3. sweater progress (one sleeve is almost done)

4. eggs and bacon for breakfast

5. shiny gold stripes on my shirt

6. bread dough rising in the kitchen

7. pinning 1" pins with cute pictures on all my fall jackets and unpacking scarves

8. plans for a productive afternoon

9. finished socks! FO post coming shortly...

10. driving a zippy red car to work on Thursday

So... that list looks a bit food-centric! One of the real joys of getting over being sick is getting one's appetite back, wouldn't you say? This weekend might just have to be all about delicious meals and tasty snacks. What's in the cards for you?

Friday: Link Love

2011-10-14T11:09:00.000-05:00

Friday! After a really busy week full of teaching, I'm ready for relaxation and lots of knitting (ahem, on some sweater sleeves...), plus catching up on all the boring chores like doing dishes and laundry and scrubbing the shower. Ah, the joys of housekeeping. On a more exciting note, I'm also starting to get ready for Halloween, one of my favorite holidays. Here are a few inspiring decorations and projects to get you in the mood for a spooky, creepy weekend of holiday prep.

*** Skull embroidery patterns from Polka and Bloom

*** Pick your favorite font and carve initials into your pumpkins, a la Martha Stewart (via Pinterest)

*** Or you can make a zombie pumpkin... the pattern is available from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

*** Um, pumpkin pie milkshakes from Emma and Elsie. Make me one immediately.

*** And take a few minutes to enjoy Miss Indie's Autumn Spice playlist!

Now it's time to mail off an Etsy order, pick up quarters for laundry, and sit through an afternoon of meetings before officially starting the weekend. What are your Friday plans?

Fall sweaters

2011-10-12T08:11:00.002-05:00

I don't know, and I don't want to jinx anything, but I think that just maybe it might finally actually turn into fall around here. Believe me, I'm not complaining about getting to enjoy an extra week or two of warm weather, but with my deep love for autumn and all that goes along with it, I'm ready for cooler nights and fall treats and sweaters. Especially the sweaters.

People on Pinterest are posting all sorts of pretties (...and today's post is brought to you by the letter "P"), and I'm craving sweater weather plus sweater knitting like nobody's business. A few of my very favorites are below.

Lady Kina by Muriela (this one is knit by wranito)

I Heart Aran by Tanis Fiber Arts

The Campus Jacket by Amy Christoffers

And just for the magpie in me, the Sexy Cardi with sequins from Victoria's Secret

BUT!
Before I buy any sweaters or cast on for new projects, I have a truly great one on the needles that I need to finish up. According to Ravelry, I've been knitting this thing for so long that I can't even bring myself to admit how long on the Ravelry project page. I think that means I cast on in 2008 or 2009. Time to finish up! Only a sleeve and a half are left to go, and they're only 3/4 length sleeves, so I am determined to crank them out this weekend.

I mean, even the picture is outdated, because the body is still on the needles in this shot. I'm determined to get my act together so I can wear this beautiful thing. Look at the fantastic cables! Ignore the cat hair!

Any fall sweaters that have caught your eye? Any unfinished projects shoved in the back of a closet that you're willing to fess up about?

Sock-a-long

2011-10-11T07:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I mentioned that I'm doing a knitalong for a new pair of socks with Pippa, one of my fellow grad students and talented knitter friends. Pippa and I both grabbed for the same colorway of Ella Rae lace merino when we headed to the closing sale for one of Chicago's cutest yarn shops, My Sister's Knits.

Some late afternoon sunlight shows off the sock texture, but the colors are better in the photos further down the page

This combination of pink, purple, and peach was just begging to be made into a pair of fancy socks, and we finally settled on the ubiquitous Monkey pattern.

The knitting is now underway, and it's really fun to exchange progress updates every time we see each other in the library! I've got one sock finished and the other one partway done, three repeats down the leg, thanks to some quality knitting time at a ladies' night dinner last night.

Blurry, but still pretty! This pattern is magical that way.

Pretty, pretty eyelets and a good idea of how the variegated colorway is working out - no pooling so far, and that's the way I like it.

What's on your needles?

10 Things, vol. 29

2011-10-10T07:33:00.002-05:00

10 Things is my weekly list of things that are making me smile right now. Please share your own grin-inducing items and events in the comments!

Woohoo, the weekend was so refreshing! Thank goodness, because this last week was pretty exhausting. I managed to get sick on Thursday, but a few days of sleeping as much as possible seem to have cleared up the worst of it. Now I'm almost back in top form, ready for a productive Monday, and I'm set to share another list of things I'm enjoying.

1. Strawberry Kefir. This stuff is tasty, I tell you.

2. Students who are truly engaged in class discussion

3. Learning a new knitting technique. Thanks to the fab Lauren, I now know how to make a ssk decrease that lays flat (slip 1 knitwise, slip 1 purlwise, pass slipped stitches back to the left-hand needle and k2tog through the back loop - give it a try!)

4. Coffeeeeeeeeeee, always

5. A relaxing afternoon of reading in the park in the sun

6. Texting with one of my favorite people during a slow work shift

7. Laydeez night plans tonight!

8. A stash of, I kid you not, 8 pens in my backpack. It's good to be prepared?

9. A sock knitalong with Pippa (more details and pictures tomorrow)

10. Pairing pink and teal; this is one of my new favorite combos, though perhaps its not entirely Fall-appropriate...

[What to wear?] Library date

2011-10-05T18:48:00.001-05:00

That's right, a library date with me and the books. Sometimes it's a threesome when the computer is invited. Steamy, no? Since it's a date, you have to get a little bit dressed up, obviously.

T-shirt: Victoria's Secret // Sweater: Old Navy from N.'s closet // Jeans: Gap from the building laundry room "free" pile // Socks: Monkey socks (by me) in Lorna's Laces // Necklace: H&M // Pin: Renegade craft fair // Bracelet: gift from my sister

The layers and wool socks are definitely necessary for working in our campus' main library, where the air conditioner is always on full blast. The jewelry is just to make me feel a little bit fancy.
What do you wear on a low key work day?

10 Things, volume 28

2011-10-01T08:25:00.003-05:00

10 Things is my weekly list of things that are making me smile right now. Please share your own grin-inducing items and events in the comments!

source

1. A dinner party with lovely friends last night

2. Followed by a dance party/housewarming with other wonderful people

3. Getting this in Friday's mail from my awesome little brother

4. New socks on the needles (and they're pink!)

5. Being able to do box pose in yoga yesterday - hand balances are getting easier

6. Strategizing with my sister about teaching techniques and class discussions

7. Strawberry Kefir

8. Looking forward to this weekend's retreat

9. Packing tiny hotel shampoo and conditioner bottles in my overnight bag

10. Wearing a scarf for the first time this season

Friday: Link Love!

2011-09-30T16:15:00.001-05:00

Well, all I can say this week is, "Thank goodness it's Friday." Things are a bit rough in this neck of the woods, between being on the go at two schools and completing all sorts of administrative extras and getting ready to go on a weekend-long retreat then come home and work a late night shift of tutoring AND taking an antibiotic that is apparently determined to mess up my entire digestive system and leave me without an appetite. I think that "harried" is a good word for how I'm feeling right now. So... let's go look at some cute things.

***Gama-go.com

Junk in your trunk

*** Mochi Studios

Baby pea in a pod plush

*** Meomi at Society 6

The Octonauts Sea of Shade print

*** Pipapiep

Omelet making creature

I feel a little better now; what about you?

From the bottom of the basket

2011-09-29T07:22:00.000-05:00

A scarf! A lacy baktus, even! I found it buried deep in the knitting project basket and decided it was time to finish knitting it up.

It was going along swimmingly! I took a bunch of pictures, including awesome close-ups of pretty rows of eyelets.

And then... I totally ran out of yarn, probably 50 rows from the end. That's a problem.

Because the project is so old and because I bought the yarn at a Hobby Lobby in Indiana, it is unlikely I will be able to get more to finish this project as is.

Options: rip back and re-knit or frog entirely and make something else. Oops. What would you do?

Ways to be strong today

2011-09-28T16:08:00.004-05:00

images selected from my favorite board on Pinterest, original sources linked below

Whether you're struggling through a tough day or just looking for a way to make a good day even better, here are some tips that I love for how to find strength in the middle of the everyday (it might be a tiny boost of energy, or it might be like jet propulsion for your afternoon).

1. Make a list of things you're grateful for. Make them small or big, things about the world around you or things about your own body, mind, and spirit. Maybe you're grateful for dreams and ambitions - jot them down and get started on making them happen! Write your list down in pencil on a post-it note, type it up in an e-mail and send it to yourself, or get out the markers and stick the finished product to your fridge.

source

2. Stretch your muscles. Go for a walk and enjoy the cool air, or pick up a shampoo bottle and do some bicep curls. Head to the gym and run until you can't run another step. Put on your favorite playlist and dance around the living room, pumping your arms and spinning until you're dizzy. Just get moving and enjoy how far your body can carry you.

source

3. Hunt for positive influences. Call up your most cheerful friend and ask for a pep talk. Go to the kids' section of your local bookstore and pick up a picture book that makes you smile. Write down the wonderful qualities of a person you admire, then come up with a strategy for how you can emulate that person.

source

4. Turn your next task into an adventure. Whether it's taking out the trash or writing a grant proposal, the next item on your to-do list can be an adventure. Homework time? Put on your birthday tiara (what, you don't have one of those?) or your fancy socks, and now it's a homework party! Need to hit the grocery store? Challenge yourself to be a cart or basket organizing superhero - do not smash the bread! Put the cans in rainbow order! Seriously, there's no better way to get an energy surge than to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary in your own head.

source

Did you take a moment to try one of these? How did it go? Any other tips to share in the comments?

Etsy Monday: Neapolitan Hats

2011-09-26T08:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, gang! It's the first day of classes here in Chicago, and I've got my first day of school outfit on (oh yes, this is totally a thing), and I'm ready to head to campus for a full day of work and a nice, hard workout at the gym. Before I go, though, I want to share a sneak peek of a new hat design I worked on this weekend that will soon be added to the shop. Meet the Neapolitan hats:

I have lots of sketches and yarns for a dessert-inspired new line of items coming up for fall, and these are the first bits in brown, pink, and cream.

Gus is not sure what he thinks.

"Take a silly picture of me, will you?"

"I will stretch you to death!"

10 Things, vol 27

2011-09-24T09:17:00.004-05:00

10 Things is my weekly list of things that are making me smile right now. Please share your own grin-inducing items and events in the comments!

source

1. Kalamata olives (especially as part of a tasty lemon-olive-chicken dish)

2. A great meeting with an instructor I'll be working with starting next week

3. Finding free novels in a streetside giveaway box

4. Working on a new hat design for the shop

5. The first disc of season 2 of The Vampire Diaries. Hooray for Friday tv-watching marathons!!!

6. Applewood smoked swiss cheese with a honeycrisp apple as an "I just got home from school" snack

7. Pulling out all the handknit socks for fall

8. Finding a full-length mirror for just $17 - bargains make me really happy

9. Monorail kitty on the back of the couch

10. Adding more and more art to the walls

[what to wear?] Black and White

2011-09-23T09:08:00.001-05:00

Sorry, gang, but I didn't have a chance to put together a Link Love post for this week; been super busy with school things and other crazy business. I hope you'll enjoy this post instead!

This is a new feature I'm starting, because I always love seeing other bloggers' cute ensembles
and reading about why they paired the items they did.

In "what to wear?" posts, I'll share an outfit and what I did while wearing it. First up:

Classroom teaching! I lead a three-hour seminar on Thursday nights, so I definitely want something that's going to be comfortable for getting up and down, writing at the board, and sitting in front of a group of people for a pretty long time. This is the most basic, black-and-white version of my work wear, for when I'm not feeling terribly adventurous but I still want to look put-together.

Also, this is the blank wall in my new bedroom! I am maybe in the market for a nice piece of furniture, but I at least need some awesome art to hang up there.

Top: Ann Taylor loft (thrifted) // Pants: New York & Company // Socks: Target (love those $2 socks) // Shoes: Clarks (bought for cheap at Marshalls)

Earrings: Charlotte Russe // Necklace: gift from my parents ages ago // Cuff: gift from N's trip to India

I have so many exciting professional/work outfits that I'm looking forward to wearing for my two teaching gigs this fall, especially once it's really cold enough to pull out the sweaters and tights... Stay tuned!

Running: lessons I've learned

2011-09-22T13:39:00.003-05:00

1. Running in a regular, heavy-weight t-shirt on a hot day is not advisable. You will be a horrible sweaty mess, and it will be totally gross when you have to put your backpack on and walk home for 15 minutes. Yuck. Stick to the tissue-thin shirts instead!

2. All this running really helps with making healthy food choices. When you get home and you're sweaty and tired, all you want to do is refuel with things that are refreshing, to drink a bunch of water and eat some almonds or lean protein (fish, chicken) with lots of spices and some green vegetables. Long gone are the days of craving potato chips and massive amounts of cheese for dinner. As Cookie Monster would say, those are "sometimes foods."

3. Keep your ipod charged. Seriously, I mean it. When that thing goes kaput in the last 5 minutes of your run, those last 5 minutes will feel like about 20, and you won't be able to trick yourself into keeping your eyes off the mileage indicator or the treadmill clock by saying, "Don't check again until the end of this song." Torture!

4. "Tired" means something very different than it did 6 months ago, and it definitely doesn't mean the same thing as "I need to stop." Finishing a tough run makes you tired, but also invigorated, and even though you're tired, there's still the extra step of walking home from the gym or climbing the stairs to your apartment or getting on with the rest of the day's business, and you know you have the energy reserves to do it.

5. You can use a whole new set of words to describe yourself. While you're running, try them on for size:

Powerful.

Dedicated.

Unstoppable.

A force to be reckoned with.

Any runners out there with your own lessons to share? Are there any words you never thought you would use to describe yourself, and now they seem to fit? Are there any adjectives you're working for or want to start working for?

More stripes

2011-09-21T07:53:00.003-05:00

My latest work in progress is a pair of short, striped armwarmers, with sock yarn leftovers in black and a crazy, variegated, circus combination of pink, blue, purple, and orange.

What are you working on?

Etsy Monday: home

2011-09-19T08:32:00.002-05:00

Not surprisingly, homes and houses are on my mind at the moment. I'm so pleased to be settled in this place where I should be staying put for the foreseeable future while I finish up my degree. That said, I've had many homes over the years; my family moved several times when I was growing up, I lived in three different houses in my college years, and this is my fifth Chicago apartment in six years. Obviously something about moving appeals to me. What can I say? There's just something thrilling about starting over, rearranging all your belongings, and turning a new space into a home.

Here are a few recent Etsy finds that pick up on the theme.

Home is where the heart is print from Heart and Craft

French farmhouse necklace from ARTISANIEeurope

Home print by Arian

Home Sweet Home print from the wheatfield

Home definition throw pillow from Shann Spishak

I am totally a homebody, and having my own space that is full of beautiful items makes my life feel peaceful. Home is the place where I like to relax, entertain friends, and do all my crafting projects (though the library table where I study and knit socks is starting to become a second home...). A space becomes home when my books are there, when the cat is curled up on the bed, when I've invited some of my favorite people over for dinner and drinks, and when projects in progress start to spread out on nearly every flat surface: armwarmers on the couch, a scarf on the desk, and a drop spindle on the bookshelf. I think the people factor is most important, though, which explains why even though my family has a new place in CA that I return to for vacations, it immediately feels like home, and why a college friend's apartment that I've never seen before can be home within 10 minutes of arrival.

What makes your house a home?

A little DIY toilette

2011-09-18T16:06:00.003-05:00

The first room I tackled for a major makeover was the bathroom. I'm a stickler for spotless, sparkling bathrooms with lots of room for a morning routine, and some bright colors to help me wake up. Once again, Pinterest came to the rescue with great ideas for bathroom decor and homemade beauty products.

This was and still is my overall inspiration:

Love, love, love the mix of lime green and red/pink with all the clean white, and the plants are a wonderful touch. It's a little bit rustic and a little bit girly with a whole lot of clear space. My own space is beginning to take shape, and I think I need a few more touches of pink before I'm ready to call it good. Pictures when it's all set!

I also completed a couple of small projects. First and most basic DIY of beauty products: I put my shampoo, conditioner, and body wash (all from Aveeno, because they smell so dang good and make my hair and skin look great) in glass bottles, like this photo suggested.

The result? Pretty, uniform containers that are going to be really easy to keep clean and to refill. And as a bonus, I got to drink the tasty beverages in the containers to make room for the bath products. These last few days have involved a whole lot of caffeine. Yes.

Next I took a stab at making my own surf spray for this haircut that needs a little bit of extra oomph as it grows out. If the ends are all going to flip around and look shaggy, I need something to make it look like it's happening on purpose, but I didn't want to spend $10-$15 on an expensive spray when Pinterest informed me I could make it myself.

Following the instructions by the clever people at Huzzah Vintage (link above), I combined Epsom salt, hair gel, and plenty water in a spray bottle. Next time I'll try to find a spray bottle that does an actual fragmented spray instead of a single jet stream, but live and learn, right? The stuff works, and my haircut is looking good!!

I've just put up the art wall in my office/studio, and the curtains are going up later today in all the main rooms, so after a bit of straightening up, I should be able to take pictures of the rest of the rooms to share with you. Decorating my new home is turning out to be a ton of fun.

10 Things, vol. 26

2011-09-17T09:26:00.002-05:00

10 Things is my weekly list of things that are making me smile right now. Please share your own grin-inducing items and events in the comments!

source

1. Knitting more baby booties. Hurrah for friends who are having little ones!

2. Impromptu beers on the roof on a Tuesday night

3. This serious power lunch: smoked salmon on scrambled egg on avocado on toasted English muffin. Really? Food this easy gets to be this delicious?

4. Planning next week's class on Jacob and Joseph in Genesis

5. A slow and restful Friday morning capped off with a great yoga class

6. Baking the first loaf of bread in my new place

7. Yurts. Seriously, they're just so cool.

8. Writing a card to put in the mail for my sister so she can have some snail mail

9. Three excellent runs this week; my pace is improving

10. Naps

Friday: Link Love

2011-09-16T08:58:00.003-05:00

Photo inspiration overload! Each of these great sites has a ton of eye candy to share. Click over if you need a bit of pretty today.

*** King Creative

*** The Ardent Sparrow

*** Lonny Mag

Have you found any great sites for picture browsing? I hope you'll share your own links in the comments!

A-Z

2011-09-15T07:45:00.001-05:00

Some random facts, from A-Z

This fun activity has been popping up on several of the blogs I read daily, and I'm enjoying learning interesting tidbits about some of my favorite blogging ladies. I thought I'd chime in with my own version, too.

A. Age: 27
B. Bed size: Double
C. Chore that you hate: Washing dishes is the WORST. Thankfully I know that one day I will own a dishwasher or at least be married to a guy who lurves washing dishes (because I tend to fall for weirdos like that).
D. Dogs: No! Cats!
E. Essential start to your day: Gummy vitamins, coffee, and "liquid breakfast" (smoothie) or eggs on toast. I never used to be a fan of breakfast, but recently it dawned on me that I can be totally boring and just eat the same thing every morning, and no one will care except me. And I'll be perfectly happy.
F. Favorite color: Blue (periwinkle, steel blue, navy, all of them), but sometimes pink or lime green or teal...
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
H. Height: 5’7", although last time I was at the doctor they said I was 5'7.5" - am I still growing or has my posture just improved?
I. Instruments you play: Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, a bit of French Horn
J. Job title: Student, Instructor
K. Kids: Someday
L. Live: Intentionally. For laughing until I cry. Joyfully. To love God and others. In Chicago.
M. Mother’s name: Liz
N. Nicknames: Allie, Al (don't you dare!), Ali G, Alsie
O. Overnight hospital stays: None
P. Pet peeves: Terrible grammar, willful ignorance, and snorting back one's snot instead of blowing one's nose
Q. Quote from a movie: "Buzz, your girlfriend: Woof!" (Home Alone); "Whaaaaat happened?" (The Kid)
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: 2 younger sisters and a little brother
U. Underwear: Ubi sub ubi
V. Vegetable you hate: None! Veggies are my favorite.
W. What makes you run late: I tend to forget to put things in my bag when I'm on my way out the door. I always leave my umbrella behind the first time.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth, ankles, foot
Y. Yummy food that you make: All of it is yummy! My chicken marsala is pretty great, and I make very tasty enchiladas and guacamole.
Z. Zoo animal: Monkeys and apes

Want to fill it out yourself? I hope you'll leave me a link to your post if you do!

In the mood for an adventure

2011-09-14T09:06:00.000-05:00

source

Today I'm in the mood for an adventure. I'm craving a hike in the woods, standing on top of big boulders with my hands on my hips, pretending I am queen of the world. Or maybe a trip to Paris, where I can wander through an art museum and imagine that all the paintings and statues are part of my personal collection.

While travel's not exactly in the cards for this chilly Wednesday, I'm going to become the queen of other things: the kitchen - pumpkin spice cupcakes, knitting - striped armwarmers, and school - planning my class for tomorrow night. Anything can be an adventure with the right attitude!

What will your Wednesday adventure be?

Just popping in...

2011-09-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

... to wish you all a happy Tuesday morning! This weekend was N's big move (and I miss her already), so I have my new place all to myself and I'm gradually getting unpacked and set up. Somewhere in the shuffle, I misplaced my camera, which means I can't share any photos at the moment. Hopefully I'll find it again soon. Until then, I'm off for a day of library and gym fun, with maybe a bit of knitting thrown in there for good measure. Tonight's all about laundry and organizing my office/studio, plus putting a bit of art up on the walls. What are your plans for the day? Hope you have a great one!

FO: Spring Tickle Socks

2011-09-08T16:57:00.002-05:00

Yes, folks, things may be incredibly busy around here, but I'm still churning out socks left and right! This latest pair were officially designated "Moving Socks" and pressed into service as a tool to limit stress during the transition from one apartment to another. They have done their job, and although I am now officially without a project on the needles, I am not particularly stressed out. I am, however, still addicted to sock knitting, and I can't get at my tub-o-sock-yarn quite yet to cast on another project. Stay tuned for our big reunion sometime on Sunday afternoon, when the back room gets un-crammed!

For now, please enjoy several photos of the Spring Tickle socks.

Yarn: Dream in Color Squooshy in colorway Spring Tickle

Needles: US 1 (2.25mm) dpns, set of 5

Pattern: basic top-down stockinette sock on 64 sts with a 2x2 ribbed cuff, slip-stitch patterned heel flap, and flat toe.

Verdict: Hooray!

On not being afraid anymore

2011-09-06T11:33:00.002-05:00

I saw this photo on the front page of weheartit the other day, and after an initial, "Yup. I recognize that fear," I realized that in fact I'm not afraid of this anymore.

On the contrary, lately I've been feeling so much more confident about my ability to make friends, keep friends, and really enjoy the strong and supportive relationships I have in my life. Most of this confidence-building has been slow, the work of almost a year of therapy, supplemented by six months of yoga and some major, consciously-made changes in my social group.

Therapy and yoga manage to effect the same sort of change in my overall demeanor and attitude; when they're both a part of my week I get verbal and physical affirmation that every bit of effort does make a difference and that I have a major store of strength that can help me accomplish whatever I want to do, if I'm willing to accept that change happens slowly. Yoga has also been teaching me in a very tangible way the importance of letting go of expecting perfection: my instructor said at one point, "Just give 100%" and it was such a crazy revelation that matched something I had learned in therapy a few weeks earlier, that everything I'm already doing actually is enough, even if not everyone around me perceives it that way. In so many arenas, we're encouraged or expected to give 110%, to push ourselves to perform perfectly and to do more, even if that means overextending ourselves and sacrificing/overlooking a sense of our own inherent value. Instead we can choose to participate in activities that require and reward constant effort instead of performance and to surround ourselves with the people who see and appreciate our effort.

Devoting my time to new friends and new kinds of plans has made an incredible difference, too, over the course of this year. I've been doing my best of avoid those people who are a source of negativity, who are overly critical of others and who consequently drain my energies. There's a big difference between griping about things that can be changed in order to get yourself motivated to make changes and just griping about everything and continually harping on the things that you can't or shouldn't change, particularly other people. Over the last month I've made a commitment to myself to avoid the unproductively negative as much as possible. The result is more energy, more happiness, and more hope, all of which contribute to an overall feeling of gratitude for where I am and confidence about my ability to have the sort of future I want.

In any case, I'm no longer terrified of being left all alone in the end, and it's so freeing. My more positive attitude allows me to see and be grateful for the people who are around me who are making an effort to be positive and gracious and who notice the effort I make, and I'm no longer trying to twist myself into all sorts of weird shapes in an attempt to please and attract people whose negativity prevents them from appreciating what's around them and would only end up making me feel less-than-valuable anyway. I'm far more confident that since I am most comfortable and happy being in mutually supportive relationships with people and I'm getting more comfortable with just being myself and noticing the good in others, those kinds of relationships are bound to be part of my life.

Phew, that was a long post! Thanks for reading and for the part you as readers have been playing in this journey. Your supportive comments on reflective posts, your compliments about my knitting and spinning, and your willingness to join in the weekly '10 Things' gratitude lists have been so wonderful!!!

Have you overcome any major fears lately, or are there any anxieties that you continue to struggle with? What small steps do you take to deal with your fears?

Etsy Monday: Gems and Jewels

2011-09-05T08:52:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday and Happy Labor Day for US readers! Today I'm sharing a few of my recent Etsy favorites in the jewelry category. Get ready for some nature-inspired dress-up suggestions...

from snugstudio

from chain chain chained

from ISphotography

from dana castle

Have you seen any interesting jewelry lately? What kinds of natural shapes are inspiring you?

10 Things, vol 25

2011-09-03T08:32:00.000-05:00

10 Things is my weekly list of things that are making me smile right now. Please add your own grin-inducing items and events in the comments! I'd love to hear what's making your life more happy.

Doesn't this just look serene? Calgon, take me away!

Image source

1. Gus, the most calm, unruffled cat in the history of moving. Not a single meow on the way over here in his cat carrier, and a really quick adjustment to his temporary crowded space. It will be great when he can come out into the rest of the apartment

2. Generous friends issuing invitations for dinner, football watching/knitting time, gelato dates, and other chances to get out of the house while it's in mid-move disarray

3. Awesome friends who powered up and down flights of stairs with all my heavy items on Tuesday and Wednesday, staying cheerful the entire time and taking over the logistics when I gave them the reins

4. The extremely calm and helpful friend I called when I got on the wrong freeway Thursday night and very nearly drove myself to St. Louis. Clearly all my friends are completely kick-ass

5. A late night peanut butter and jelly sandwich that just hits the spot

6. The ease of changing your address online - instant gratification

7. This sock

8. Talking to my sisters on the phone and finding out that their lives are currently full of happy adventures

9. Zipcar. Man, that is so convenient

10. The fabulous Weepies, whose Tuesday night concert just made me love them even more

Also? Their stage set was the cutest thing ever - a mini nighttime cityscape, a tree, a crescent moon, a mobile of paper stars, and lighting to mimic the night sky. The whole show made me so happy.

Cramped but cheerful

2011-09-02T09:06:00.000-05:00

File this post under "decorating" and get ready for a behind the scene look at the first stages of getting a new home set up just the way you like it: the stage I like to call "ohmygoshthisiscrazywhatjusthappened?"

Last time I checked in from the old apartment, things were at about this stage:

On moving day, with the help of my rock star friends, we progressed rapidly to something more like this. All these bags were full of clothes, shoes, and purses to donate. Doesn't it feel great to purge your closets?

Now, I'm settled in at N's place, sleeping on the futon in the front room, and we're going to be roomies for about another week until she leaves for her new home in Cincinnati. The painters have been in every night, so we have had to really cram ourselves and our stuff into a small amount of space so that nothing touches the walls. I think both of us are handling it like champs, though. Mostly we just go hang out on the roof with beers or sit in the park and talk in the evenings while the painters do their work. In the mornings, we navigate the mazes created by large pieces of furniture so that we can get dressed and get out of the apartment. Last night was the last night of painting, and I think we're going to move some of the furniture around to give ourselves a bit more space, phew!!!

This is the spare room, now totally full of my furniture, clothes, kitchen stuff, decorations, linens, and books. In the future, it will be the office/yarn room (by which I mean totally awesome craft room in which I will also do my homework, I guess, if I have to).

It looks like a solid wall, but there is actually a narrow walkway for the cat to get to his litter box and for me to get at the books.

My gym bag is, unfortunately, buried somewhere in there and I can't find it. That will mean no running for a while until I can find my shoes, boo. In the meantime, I managed to get to my larger box of workout stuff and grab my yoga pants, so I can go to yoga class today - can't wait! After carting tubs and stuff up and down stairs, my muscles are really sore (haha, the other kind of "cramped"); hopefully class will be restorative and relaxing.

Speaking of, I taught my first solo (academic) class last night, and it seemed to go well. At least, they have the syllabus and an idea about the course goals and structure. Next week should be much better since the students will have done their first reading assignment and we can have a good discussion; I will also have a clearer head and time to prep a mini-lecturette since I won't be preoccupied boxing up my whole life.

This weekend I plan to sleep in, head to the farmers market and out for breakfast, sort through some of my belongings while watching movies, catch up on my favorite blogs, paint my nails, and knit up a storm. What are you looking forward to?

Spinning update

2011-08-31T07:58:00.000-05:00

(This post was composed early in preparation for a post-moving day busy period. Updates about the old and new place as soon as I get some free time!)

In the last few days before the move, I spent my evenings on the couch with episodes of Dr. Who on the tv and this gorgeous fiber from Woolgatherings.

this image from the Woolgatherings shop (link above)

I turned it into three skeins of sport weight singles, preserving the beautiful hand painted color gradation through burgundy, violet, blue, turquoise, and aqua.

My first thought was to turn it into socks, but the BFL is a little too soft for that, and I'm sure they would wear through after only two or three uses. So now I'm thinking a very special pair of long cabled armwarmers that can go in the shop, and I'll use the leftovers to spice up a striped project of some sort. What do you think?

Tuesday doings

2011-08-30T07:45:00.000-05:00

Today is... MOVING DAY

I am so lucky to have a fabulous group of friends who are all coming over to help me get things moved, even though they have to carry some pretty heavy stuff down 3 flights of stairs and get it up to the 5th floor of the new place (there is an elevator there, thank goodness). Apart from good, strong pals, what do I need to make it through moving day?

To start things off right, I've got a skein of Dream in Color Squooshy in Spring Tickle that's about to become a pair of de-stressing socks. Because when things get tough, the best way through it is to knit, right? I'm already enjoying this and a high-sugar, high-caffeine beverage to help me get going bright and early.

I'm ending the busy and sweaty afternoon with a concert, listening to a few of my favorite songs performed live and enjoying the company of one of my sweetest friends. Laura and I are seeing The Weepies! So excited! For now I'll leave you with a taste of Weepies goodness...

What are you up to today? Any exciting plans for the rest of the week?

Etsy Monday: Perknitious News

2011-08-29T07:31:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time since I've put together an Etsy Monday post, but this seems like a good reason to start up again. Next week, I'll be sharing some recent favorites from other shops.

In mid-summer, creative inspiration for new shop items and designs hit hard, and the Perknitious shop is now restocked with brand new items, including some great stripey mitts and cabled armwarmers as well as a few pairs of cozy socks, perfect for wearing with boots or a cute pair of mary janes this fall.

Neutral Lace handknit socks

Princess handknit stripey mitts

Heathered Purple cabled armwarmers

Most importantly, I'm extremely excited to be making a major change that will allow me to give back, and I'm hoping to kick off strong by starting in the busiest knitting-sales season of the year that begins in September.

From now on, I'll be donating 20% of all sales to MSF/Doctors without Borders. This international humanitarian organization does so much good bringing medical care to under-served areas, especially during times of crisis caused by natural disaster, political oppression, or economic depression. You can read more about their inspiring work by clicking the button below to go to the MSF site.

I hope you'll stop by the shop to take a look at the new additions, and keep your eyes open for new items being added over the course of the next week as I get photos taken and item descriptions composed.

Photo-a-day, Week 4

2011-08-28T08:20:00.000-05:00

Monday, I love veggies:

Tuesday, packing books:

Wednesday, breakfast smoothie:

Thursday, Salvation Army finds:

Friday, desk in a box:

Saturday, park day: