Pattern: Magic Slippers by Caroline Dlugy-Hegwer

Yarn: Great Adirondack Yarn Company Soxie in Kiwi Kenny, leftover from my Chevron Scarf

Needles: US 2 Addi circs

Began: April 26, 2008;  Completed: April 26, 2008

Notes:  One of my office-mates and fellow English nerds and his wife are expecting their first baby.  She is due any day now, and I decided to whip up something little to welcome the new wee one.  I started these on a Saturday afternoon, watched some movies/tv with Jason, and finished them that same night.  They’re a quick and easy knit, and a fantastic way to use up sock yarn leftovers.  The soon-to-be-parents decided to keep the baby’s sex as a surprise, so were requesting gifts in neutral colors.  To me, that means anything bright; I love the idea of a vivid, deep purple or bright orange on any baby.  They, however, wanted something more subdued, and asked for green.  I am unsure how colors become assigned genders, and how green somehow became considered “gender neutral,” but I willingly obliged.

The color of this yarn is great, and made for some really bright, festive booties.  The pattern is well-written and very easy.  My slippers turned out a little wonky, but by no fault of the pattern.  I, apparently, am teh suck at picking up stitches evenly.  I need to work on that.

These booties are addictive and so so so adorable.  I will recommend using superwash yarn, just to cut back on stress for frazzled new parents.  I must also tell you that they are almost dangerously cute and tiny.  Jason was somewhat concerned at the amount of cooing he heard from the living room, as I squealed and giggled at the tiny knitted footsies.  If you have a sensitive uterus, be forewarned.

This was my first baby knit, and I’m sure it won’t be my last.  I’m at the age where friends and colleages alike are procreating at alarming frequency, and I feel compelled to shower their offspring with tiny handknitted items.  They’re really addictive in their tininess, and I can’t wait to get started on more.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to knit up a second pair.  I’ve hit disaster with my Icarus shawl, and this simple garter cuteness will hopefully bring me back from the knitting edge.  I have another friend whose wife is expecting, and I’m off to comb my sock yarn stash for something that would suit a little boy.  (Again, whatever that means.)

I’ve always had a hard time making, and more importantly keeping, friends. I was always a shy, very sensitive kid, and this hasn’t changed that much even as an adult. (Wow, I’m an adult. When did that happen?) I’ve always had a rough time communicating, which leads to a difficult time maintaining friendships. I was going through some of these difficult friend times when I met KV. We both ended up randomly living in an apartment off campus our junior year of college, and immediately after meeting we decided we should share a room. That first night after moving in, we stayed up really late just talking and laughing, and we were pretty much inseperable ever since. I really feel she’s more like a sister than a friend; it seems like she’s always been a part of my life.

KV and I have been through so much together, and she’s one of those friends that there is never a moment’s awkwardness with. Since I left DC about four years ago, we’ve only gotten to see each other around once a year, but we just pick right up where we left off. Last week she ventured from the boring land of Brooklyn to the bustling metropolis of Kalamazoo, and it was the best visit I could imagine. We didn’t do anything high maintenance, but just sort of bummed around, heading to South Haven, eating lots of good food, watching tv, knitting, and playing mini golf. But that’s okay, because that’s the kind of friendship she and I have. It’s incredibly easy, and always hilarious. I love her immensely, and she’s the kind of friend that makes up for not having that many. I figure I can have a bunch of okay friends, or one Kelly. She’s just that amazing and special. When she left, my abs literally ached from laughing.

This is just to let you know that I love you, KV, and I can’t wait to see you again this summer. Thanks for coming out here, for being my maid of honor, and for being my best. friend. ever.

P.S. Some of the biggest, most hilarious moments were undoubtedly wedding dress shopping. I seriously thought we were going to get kicked out but, in the end, I found my dress! Leave me a note if you want details; can’t be too specific because my sweetie reads this blog.

What we have here is the top 106 books most often marked as “unread” by LibraryThing’s users. As in, they sit on the shelf to make you look smart or well-rounded. Bold the ones you’ve read, underline the ones you read for school, italicize the ones you started but didn’t finish.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Anna Karenina

Crime and Punishment
Catch-22

One Hundred Years of Solitude

Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion

Life of Pi: a novel
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote

Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey

Pride and Prejudice

Jane Eyre

A Tale of Two Cities

The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies
War and Peace

Vanity Fair

The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad

Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway

Great Expectations

American Gods
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West

The Canterbury Tales

The Historian : a novel

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Love in the Time of Cholera

Brave New World

The Fountainhead

Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch

Frankenstein

The Count of Monte Cristo

Dracula

A Clockwork Orange

Anansi Boys

The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible : a novel

1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno (and Purgatory and Paradise)
The Satanic Verses

Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray

Mansfield Park

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles

Oliver Twist
Gulliver’s Travels

Les Miserables
The Corrections

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury

Angela’s Ashes: a memoir
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present

Cryptonomicon

Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces

A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers

It’s sort of interesting to think about the books you’ve read.  I’d forgotten about many of these.  I apologize for the random spacing.

I’ve been super busy, so please excuse the lack of posting.  I’ve got a visit from KV to talk about, as well as some knitting, but for now this is all I can muster.

I have always developed an absurdly strong connection to inanimate objects. When I was about five, my mom and dad took me with them to the Buick dealership, where we traded in her old, tan boat for a nice, fancy, new blue Somerset. (Yes, it had the vinyl top. It was a sweet car.) I cried bloody murder, until the nice lady at the dealership promised I could come and visit the old car any time I wanted. This barely placated me, but I calmed down enough to get in the new car (Traitor!) and be driven reluctantly home.

So you guys know I love shoes. I have a few favorites that I wear into the ground. Almost five years ago now, on a fateful day in early June, 2003, I was shopping in the King of Prussia mall when I wandered into the Vans store. I found the most perfect, classic Vans in the most amazing pink, yellow, and orange tweed. They became my go to shoes, and got me through another year in DC, three years in Boston, and a Kalamazoo fall. These were my favorite shoes; whenever I looked down and saw them on my feet, they made me absurdly happy.

These shoes. They were well loved.

I broke them out for their inaugural spring wear last week, and felt with horror what I knew signaled the end: the distinctive feeling of water seeping in from the bottom of my shoe. I had worn them into the ground.

With all endings comes a new beginning, and so I did a little online searching. What I came up with isn’t the pink Vans, that’s for sure, but it’s darned close.

They’re pretty, they’re plaid, and they’ve got spunk. Look at that shiny new vinyl; I think the lack of cracking will make my heels happy.

Okay, forgive this post and its randomness. I just finished a paper and I’m feeling rather giddy. Thanks for all of the well-wishes! I’ll be back to my pseudo-regular posting next week.

Just a quick note to let everyone know I’ll be silent in blog land for the rest of the week.  I’ve got a final tomorrow, two large research papers, and my students’ papers to grade by the end of the week.

Luckily, it’s been gorgeous out.  Though this would normally be a distraction, it’s actually really nice sitting on the front porch with the kitties, working on Jason’s lap top, and taking the occasional break to watch the birds eat from the feeder.

I hope everyone has a great week!

I used to hate that phrase. I felt like it spoke down to people, often women. It implied that we were so vapid and/or emotionally stunted and/or materialistic that, when the going got tough, all we could do was exercise our credit cards.

I’ve come to realize, however, that at the end of a long, difficult semester, a little treat really does cheer me up. When I’m dragging with tons of grading and writing and studying to do, a new craft project and supplies really give me something to look forward to. It does wonders for my motivation and morale. I treated myself to a few sewing/quilting books last week, and swore I was done. Then, I got an email from my LYS announcing a HUGE sale this week. All yarn was 20% off, all needles/notions 10% and, on top of that, if you brought your own shopping bag they tacked on an extra 5% off the entire purchase.

I hadn’t intended to go, I swear. But then one of my friends who recently learned to knit mentioned wanting to try her first sweater. She’s been getting her yarn at Michael’s and Hobby Lobby for her practice knits, but she was ready to move on to a more organic yarn. I mentioned the sale, and within a few minutes we had plans to venture out Saturday.

On my way out the door, I reassured Jason (but really myself) that I wasn’t going to buy any yarn. Jason, the wonderful man that he is, just smiled at me and said, “Sweetie, go ahead and get whatever you want. You deserve it.”

I didn’t disappoint him, as the following practically leaped into my bag.

We’ve got Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in a really pretty, goldenrod yellow, Adrienne Vittadini Marissa in a muted peach, and Classic Elite Classic Silk in a buttery, muted yellow.

The yarn diet, it is officially broken. I couldn’t pass that up! 25% off? I got two sweaters’ worth of yarn for 25% off! I promised I’d only buy yarn for specific patterns (Cherry and the Flutter Sleeve Cardigan) and that they’d be summer yarns, as I literally have none in my stash. Mission accomplished.

I may also have gotten a long size 0 circular to finally try out the magic loop method, as so touted by Lindsay. I’ll be using that tutorial you put up, friend! Thanks again!

And finally, I’ve been working on the Icarus Shawl diligently. I cannot say enough about this pattern. It’s so easy to memorize; great “mindless” knitting, but the yarnovers keep it just interesting enough. It would be a great beginner shawl/lace project, but it’s also great for the more experienced lace/shawl knitters, too. I’m somewhere in between beginner and experienced, and I’m just loving it. And the way the yarn from Sarah is knitting up? I can’t take my eyes off of it; it’s the warmest, prettiest brown. I simply can’t wait to wear this.

And now, yarn diet, you’re back in effect. Game on! (Said in my best Wayne Campbell voice, of course.)

Last week, Amy tagged me for a meme about books I love. I warned her immediately that asking a literature graduate student to talk about books is asking for trouble, and to prove myself right I’ve been thinking about my answers for over a week. I’d be remiss if I didn’t include a disclaimer that I cannot possibly narrow my favorites down; I could fill ten of these surveys. However, I’ll try and keep this short; here goes nothing.

1. What book are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading two (in addition to my constant reading for my classes).

First is Medieval Lives by Terry Jones. Yes, that Terry Jones. He was at the Medieval Congress here a few years ago, and Jason got me a signed copy as a graduation present from my MA program. It says, “Dear Mick, Congratulations! Terry Jones.” What a perfect gift, when one considers my current path. The book is incredibly good. It’s an informative, but never boring, look at what every day life was really like in Medieval England. It’s actually pretty hilarious, which is not surprising at all.

Secondly, when I need a break from all things medieval, I’ve just started Choke by Chuck Palahniuk. If you’ve read anything by him, you won’t be surprised by this book. It’s visceral and funny, but still haunting. I really love his writing, but it is nothing if it’s not dark. I read Lullabye a few years ago in one day, but then basically needed counseling afterward.

2. When you think of a good story, what are the first three books that come to mind?

The Sirens of Titan : Kurt Vonnegut

This is one of Vonnegut’s earliest books, to my knowledge, and it’s still one of my favorite stories of all time. It’s more sci-fi than some of his other stuff, and to this day is one of the best things I’ve ever read. The ending will literally knock you back. When I finished I was amazed that something that creative could come from someone’s head, and to me that makes for the best kind of literature.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius : Dave Eggers

I started reading this book in the ICU when my dad was in a coma, and read it during that month, finishing it right before he died. It’s some really great creative non-fiction, and it’s so honest and real and flawed that I’ll always love it. Eggers’ voice is frank and direct(I also love his short stories for the same reason), but this book made me feel like I wasn’t the only one to go through rough times. It’s never preachy, and is usually downright hilarious. It’s heart-warming without being saccharine, enlightening without being condescending. So great.

Still Life With Woodpecker : Tom Robbins

Tom Robbins is one of my favorite authors ever; I’ve read everything he’s ever written. This was the first I read, and is still my favorite. Robbins writes fiction like a poet: each word is so carefully chosen, and each sentence is like a work of art. Ironically, this never detracts from the flow of his work; everything still seems so effortless and natural. This book is radical, hilarious, and damn sexy. Whenever I read anything of his, I always say to myself, “If I could write, I’d want to write like that.” Jitterbug Perfume has the exact same effect on me; I can’t recommend Robbins highly enough. The dude rocks.

What 3 books would you recommend for summer beach reading?

I like a good epic over the summer, something I can really sink my teeth into. I love the feeling of sadness when putting down one of these books, like you don’t want to let go of the characters yet.

One Hundred Years of Solitude: Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This is a story that spans hundreds of years, recounting the lives of an entire family. It is so juicy and good, I couldn’t put it down.

Middlesex : Geoffrey Eugenides

Another tale of a family with a different ethnic background than my own, this adds hermaphroditism and incest into the mix. (Wait, the last book I mentioned also deals with incest. What a disturbing trend. Don’t worry, I won’t recommend Oedipus Rex next.) Definitely something that will engross you on the beach or on a rainy day.

Gone With the Wind : Margaret Mitchell

I don’t think I really can say anything about this book. Soooo much better than the movie, and the movie is one of my all-time favorites.

4. Any knitting books you care to share?

Right now I’m really enjoying Mason-Dixon Knitting. I love the little stories and tid-bits. The blog always cracks me up, and the book is the same.

Normally I wouldn’t tag anyone, but I love getting suggestions for new books. Whitney, Marianne, and Lindsay, I’m looking at you, as well as anyone else who’s got some goodies to share. So, if anyone wants to participate, go right ahead! I’m gathering my summer reading from used bookstores as we speak (I checked the “1000 books to read before you die” list, and I’ve read 100! Not too bad. I picked up Atonement and Persuasion the other day, so hopefully by the end of the summer I’ll be able to cross off two more. Yay!)

Before you get all upset, no, I did not buy more yarn.

I did receive this in the mail a few days ago, but it doesn’t count, for serious*.  I treated myself to a Rowan membership a few months back, and I finally got my free gift yarn.  It came with a pattern for the Lauryn Waistcoat/Shawl (Ravelry link), but I’m a little skeptical.  I’m dying for a little summer cardigan, but that waistcoat is in one size, and the model is super duper skinny.  I’m not super duper skinny, and I have curves; therefore, I think the cardigan is out.  The wrap, though pretty, seems like it’s too small (and the few users who have knitted it agree with my assumptions), so that is also out.  So…anyone know what I can do with four skeins of Rowan All Seasons Cotton?  I know a few people having babies, so maybe I’ll whip up a sweater.  There is a woman in one of my classes (that I’m taking, not teaching) due this week with her first baby.  She’s having a girl, and so maybe a nice little, light-weight, machine washable sweater and bootie set would be a nice surprise.

On an unrelated note, I’m pretty much losing my mind.  There are only a few weeks left in this semester, and though I’m ready for it to be over, I’m not ready to get all of this work done.  It’s actually been a little warm here (the fifties the past few days, and sixties this weekend!), and it’s so tempting to futz around in the yard instead of sitting in front of my computer screen.  Yesterday I did some trimming of the rose bushes and raked all of the leaves from the fall that never got done and, boy, are my arms dead today.  I plan on buying some cheapo, easy to not kill plants for the garden to give it some oomph.  We’ve got a great deck out back and a beautiful front porch, with two nice flower beds that need some love.  I’m really excited to play around and make some pretty.

Anyway, at the end of the school year I like to get myself a little treat.  This inkling was heightened this week when I got an email from Mary at Stitching Memories, advertising her spring break, everything’s 15% off sale this week.  I was strong, though.  Instead of buying some new yarn, I cast on last night for the Icarus Shawl in my Plucky Knitter laceweight merino.  The shawl is nice and simple, which is great for my writing-addled mind, and it’s perfect for the yarn.  I’ve realized that I only like fancy lace in solid yarns, as I still feel my mom’s shawl ended up a little muddled by the yarn choice.  The Icarus is perfect for this yarn; it’s showing off the color variations really well.  And, jeez oh man is it soft!

Lest you think I’m becoming some sort of yarn diet ascetic, I did buckle and buy myself some end of the semester rewards.  I was buying the books for my summer class at Amazon, and I’ll be darned if some sewing books didn’t make it into my cart.  I’ll be talking more about them here later, I’m sure.  Then, when Jason and I were running around doing errands, our car miraculously pulled into JoAnn Fabrics, and a few minutes later we left in a daze.  I had a bag full of the following items:

Yes, I bought some quilters’ fabric and fat quarters.  They are all on sale, I swear.  Yes, that one bundle is cowboy fabric.  I couldn’t resist.  Cowboy fabric just calls to me.  The morning after my dad died, my mom came downstairs at dawn to find me still awake, having never gone to sleep.  She took one look at me and said, “I bet the stores are open. (My dad died in December.)  Let’s go shopping.”  I don’t remember which store we were in, but I spotted some bright red cowboy sheets, and my mom bought them for me unflinchingly.  It’s something that typifies my mom; she just knows exactly what I need when I’m sad, and is willing to give it, even if it’s as simple as some cowboy distraction.  Cowboy Distraction sounds like a band name, doesn’t it?

I love them all, and chose the sale bundles as well as a few fat quarters that I think work well together.  I put the bundles together with more detailed shots over on my Flickr.

But I digress.  Thanks so much for all of the lovely comments on the mitts!  I’ve promised myself no sewing until my papers are written, which won’t be for a while.  In the meantime, I happily knit away on my shawl, relax with my cutie and our two kitties, and write until my hands hurt.

* When Jason was subbing, a student tried to just walk out of the classroom.  When Jason told her she couldn’t do that, she responded, “For serious?”  It’s become a bit of a catch phrase around here.

Pattern: Garter Stitch Mitts by Ysolda Teague (Ravelry link)

Yarn: Noro Kureyon, Colorway 157, exactly one skein

Needles: Addi Turbo US 4

Mods: I fall between the small and larger sizes, so I cast on with a worsted rather than DK yarn and knitted the smallest size. I then added an extra repeat of the main body, and one short row to the wrist section at the end. One of the nice things about the pattern is that it is really easy to customize. Customization sometimes scares me, but this time it worked out great. My main mod other than the repeats/yarn subbing was the bind-off. I love the rustic look of these in Kureyon, and I wanted to play that up with a noticeable seam. I chose to go with a three-needle bind-off rather than the kitchener that is recommended, and I really love the way it turned out. The raised ridge gives the garter mitts asymmetry and interest, and I love the idea of visible seams. I’m kind of obsessed with them after the ridge on my ND de G’s shoulders.

Notes: These might be my favorite FO of all time. It’s still cold and gloomy here, and I’m getting anxious for Spring. I wanted something that would keep my hands warm but not make me feel like I’m bundling up in my winter gear again, and preferably would knit up quickly. I cast on for these Tuesday night, and they were done by Wednesday night. The pattern is delightful, easy to customize, and the construction is really clever.

What I’m doing this weekend: tea out of Jason’s Epic Mug (it’s a WOW thing), working on a paper, and vegging out.

The final verdict is that I’m completely obsessed with these mitts. The Kureyon (my love of which is highly documented) once again didn’t let me down; knitting these from side to side and then seaming them really plays up the color runs in the Kureyon. The mitts match, but they aren’t identical by any means. The right one has more purples and some very pale pink, while the left has more greens and browns. I also love my color choice; garter stitch in a nice scratchy wool looks so homemade and rustic to me, and the muted colorway I used really enhances the coziness. I hope my friends are prepared, because I plan to make these for everyone. KV, I’m looking at you.

Head on over to my Flickr for more photos; I went a little nuts. I’ve got the house all to myself today, and the quiet and gloominess is making me a bit loopy, it seems. But, hey, at least my hands are warm.

Today marks the anniversary of this illustrious blog.  I started it on a whim one year ago today, and I never thought I’d enjoy it as much as I do.  I’ve met some friends through the blog, gotten lots of knitting advice, and even been able to impart my meager knitting wisdom to others.   Thanks so much to all of you who read my ramblings, and especially those who are kind enough to comment on my random life.  You always make me smile, without fail.

Life has been hectic lately, which I feel like I’m constantly saying.  The semester is winding down, which is really hard to believe, so my mind is filled with final paper ideas and summer teaching strategies.  Last weekend we had Jason’s Mom and Stepdad here, which was wonderful as usual.  Deb has gotten really into knitting, and she brought along photos of her first socks and shawl, as well as her first sweater, which she is dutifully plugging away at.  She’s doing so well; it’s really impressive.  Gil wasn’t feeling well which, when combined with the over 13 inches of snow we got on Friday (kill me), made for a very laid back visit.  On Friday J and the fam ran out for some provisions before the snow started, and we had this for dinner:

Mom got me this fondue set for Christmas, and we’ve been waiting for the perfect time to break it out.  Snowed in on the second day of spring?  Sounds like the perfect day for melty chocolatey goodness to me.  (There was cheese fondue for dinner, but I didn’t put my food down long enough to grab a picture).

Luckily Saturday cleared up a bit, and while we weren’t able to head out to the wedding venue as planned, we were able to do some running around.  I took Deb to Stitching Memories for her birthday present, and she chose a gorgeous skein of Alpaca Sox, as well as some other goodies for a scarf and hat for herself.  There isn’t really a good LYS where they live, and so it was fun to spend some time going down all of the aisles, touching all of the yarn.  We had the place to ourselves because of the weather, and took full advantage of the quiet, uncluttered rows of yarniness.  (During the visit, I gave Deb a quick tour of Ravelry (or Devilry, as J calls it) and she has signed up for the waiting list.  And so it begins, mwahahaha.)

On the knitting front, I’ve gotten a lot done but none of it makes for exciting photos.  The Engagement Sweater’s back is done and I’m dutifully knitting away on the fronts, but piles of brown stockinette don’t good photographs make.  As a little reward/stashbusting/self-cheering experiment, I cast on for one of Ysolda’s Garter Stitch Mitts last night (ravelry link) and it’s already done.  I’ll have details to follow when I finish the other one, which should be very soon at this rate.

Please ignore the condition of my cuticles, which are really suffering in this continued cold.  Please also ignore the awkward camera angle; I learned that it’s tough to take a photo of your right hand when you’re a righty.  Please note, however, that the Hourglass sweater is still going strong.  A year old today, and it’s wearing well.  I put it on this morning before I even realized what day it is.  Perhaps I’ll bake it a cake; I’m of the firm belief that handknits deserve special treatment, especially first sweaters.