graduation weekend (and week), part 2.

Posted on May 27, 2015 by barefootrooster

Alright. You asked for regalia pictures, so here are a few:

Fancy robes, poofy hat.

And here’s a picture of my doctoral hood. (My parents were really into the hood; I had to stand with my back to them for several pictures.)

And here’s how I continued celebrating after they headed home: with champagne from my dissertation defense and a new nameplate, courtesy of a dear friend. (“Professor Rooster,” it says.)

Here’s my sweet dog being sort of silly — stretching out his back leg for a scratch.

And here’s my Avery cowl. I’ve knit a few rows on it–the counting makes it a bit more involved than most of what I’ve been knitting more recently, but I do think it will be squishy and lovely.

Course prep with a furry footrest.

More pesto and a sleepy dog.

Phlox along the path we walked on Tuesday.

Boh does a little light reading.

Here he is, in his first ever ride in my new-to-me car. Also his first ride in his dog hammock (that thing that goes between the front and back seats to protect the cushions and keep an animal from leaping into the front, not that Boh ever really does that). I was so sad to say goodbye to my 03 CRV, but it has needed a lot of work lately. So, new wheels, thanks to Mom and Dad Rooster. They’ve been planning to get a new car, and as a graduation present, they offered to trade in mine, which was considerably older than theirs. So Boh and I are getting used to our new ride. I know he looks nervous, but he really did settle right in once we got moving.

And this picture is in the running for what may be the greatest selfie I’ve managed to take of the two of us, mostly because of his goofy face! (We’re at our favorite spot by the creek here.)

Out cold, and using his bone for a pillow.

A strawberry buttermilk cake. Just because.

More napping.

Avocado, sriracha, and cheddar on toast, all put under the broiler. A favorite snack. I made some an hour ago, so you are all caught up on things here in Roosterland. More of an indoor day today because it is hot and humid, but Boh and I are planning a really nice walk for tomorrow.

graduation weekend, part 1.

Posted on May 26, 2015 by barefootrooster

So, it’s as official as it can be. Thought you might to see how we celebrated. Part 1 was quiet; instead of going to the big institutional stuff, Boh and I celebrated with good walks, knitting, and playing in the kitchen. (Part 2, which I’ll share once my dad sends me some pictures of me in my regalia, as requested, involved fancy robes, a poofy hat, and plenty of pomp and circumstance.) But first, Part 1:

Couch lounging with this guy.

And some working. This dog always lets me tuck my toes underneath him. I love that.

He also sneaks over to the side of the couch he isn’t supposed to be on. (His blanket is on the right. He knows the rules, but still breaks them. Sometimes.)

A little bit of knitting! Remember this? It’s Avery, a squishy, textured cowl. I’m knitting it in Malabrigo, and I hope it gets cold enough in my next home for me to wear it…

Awkward before-the-gym picture — my bird tattoo is healing nicely. It’s been a month, and I’m finally getting used to it being there. (And I love it.)

After a good run, and instead of attending convocation and the PhD hooding ceremony, I took Boh to a favorite spot of ours.

I always admire this tree.

We took the path down to the edge of the lake, and I think we both enjoyed the view.

Boh wanted to play with this snail.

This looks like a pretty good aisle for a graduation procession, doesn’t it?

First basil harvest from the potted herbs I planted earlier this spring.

I made a big batch of pesto, and also some pesto pasta salad. Leftovers are on today’s menu…

FO: another colorblock bias blanket.

Posted on May 22, 2015 by barefootrooster

Turns out that actually knitting produces actual finished objects! Even though we’re solidly into warmer temperatures, I’m excited to get this in the mail and to its intended owners, dear friends who had a second baby boy a handful of months ago.

I know they don’t exactly need warmth right now, but I’m hoping this will be useful down the road.

It’s actually a little chilly here right now, and I didn’t mind at all having this blanket on my lap as I wove in all the ends last night!

A classic academic’s dinner. (Black bean soup atop a pile of books.)

This guy, not at all interested in whatever I was doing yesterday.

Life is so hard for this dog.

And eek! I picked up my regalia yesterday for this weekend’s graduation. I’m not doing the whole big procession-thing, or even the hooding (the PhD ceremony where the dean puts the fancy hood–the thing on the right in this picture, with the blue velvet signaling the doctorate–on you), but I am going to attend my department’s graduation ceremony on Sunday, and for that, I need the fancy robes. I sort of think it isn’t going to feel real until sometime in the middle of the fall semester, when I’ve gotten used to being called Dr. Rooster or Professor Rooster by my students, but I will say that trying on this stuff yesterday helped a little bit…

actual knitting content.

Posted on May 21, 2015 by barefootrooster

The large milk bottle sculpture near the ice cream spot on campus.

An enormous salad of arugula, avocado, hummus, goat cheese, tomatoes, and kalamata olives.

A self-portrait (do I only snap these when I am wearing a chambray shirt?) intended to demonstrate how much I love the non-lipstick lipstick I bought recently through Mick‘s side project as a Beauty Counter rep. (Full transparency when it comes to ingredients in the stuff we put on our faces? Yes, please.) I never really learned how to wear makeup, but I can appreciate that sometimes it matters to look/feel a little more put-together, and this lipstick does that for me. Maybe you can’t tell that I’m wearing it, but I can tell. Granted, this picture is most likely from a day spent sitting on the couch and/or porch wrapping up my semester.

I am out of the frame here, grading. Boh is chomping on a tennis ball in my face, trying to distract me.

Oh, look! Knitting! (Somehow when I imported these pictures to wordpress, it mixed up the order. But I’m drinking my first cup of coffee after a late-ish evening drinking beer with a friend, so I’m not re-ordering them.)

A lovely walk in the woods with a dear friend who was back in town last weekend.

Silly, sweet, completely tuckered-out dog. I snap these morning pictures of him on days when he isn’t waiting at the front door to go outside after I put the water for coffee on. Sometimes the weather is lousy, sometimes he’s still sleepy from a big day of adventuring, and sometimes, as in this next picture, he’s waiting in order to ask for a belly rub before we start the day.

This animal is just too much.

New bright shirt for summer.

New favorite book. (I came home from a panel-thing on campus and didn’t even change out of my pretty dress. Just sat down and kept reading. I’ve been reading some post-apocalyptic stuff lately to find something to fit into a particular slot in one of my fall syllabi, and oh my goodness, Station Eleven is incredible and you will not be disappointed. Hard, hopeful, brilliantly structured, grand, and deeply human.)

Boh, being sweet.

A walk to our local waterfall. Creek level is high right now.

Knitting! I’m working on another bias stripe blanket for friends who had their second baby MONTHS ago. (Oops.)

Happy dog.

Homemade peanut butter cookies for a going away party.

The falls at night. I’ve never walked to see them at this time of day (8 pm? 8:30 pm?) and the light on the water was just breathtaking. I’ll be taking more evening walks this summer for sure.

[clears throat]

Posted on January 23, 2015 by barefootrooster

Hi, friends. I seem to be neglecting this space. But the good news is that I have been knitting — mostly simple things, and a lot of garter stitch bias blankets as presents. Want to see some of what we’ve been up to these last few months?

Well, this guy has been doing a lot of this.

And I’ve been knitting a lot of colorblock bias blankets, all of them wedding presents.

I can’t even pick one; I love all the different color combinations I’ve been using for these.

Oh, and this hat is going to make its way to a friend who I’m pretty sure has been wearing a hat I made him something like 8 years ago — one of my earliest projects.

Another! This yellow yarn was a cashmere blend that I bought in NYC maybe in 2007? It just hadn’t found the right project yet. I love this stripe of brightness.

This blanket has some Fibre Company Knightsbridge AND a whole skein of Malabrigo. So soft.

A walk on a cold but sunny day. I love all the different colors in the water and ice of the stream.

An attempt at a self portrait with Boh. He never looks at the camera when we try this, so this is about as good as they get.

Butternut tikka masala from Feasting at Home. This was SO GOOD.

The finished blanket with the Knightsbridge and Malabrigo.

I got a very cool portable standing desk, and now Boh supervises by sitting right next to me while I write.

I’m on the academic job market right now, and it is brutal. Boh and I needed a little bit of sunshine this afternoon, and the view from the park near my house helped. Everything was sparkling today.

A baby hat out of handspun for a friend’s soon-to-be-here baby.

An adventure to find the waterfall at a local natural area owned by my university. I think it was December, but it felt like fall.

Happy, happy rooster. (And happy Boh, too.)

Hope you’re all well, fiber friends.

FO: ANOTHER colorblock bias blanket.

Posted on June 12, 2014 by barefootrooster

Hi, friends. Haven’t been blogging, but clearly, I have been knitting. (And writing, and even running/working out.) Not quite settled into a summer routine, but closer than I was a few weeks ago. And I’m pretty sure this blanket pattern is helping. I’ve got such a backlog of wedding gifts to knit, and this pattern is perfect: easy enough to knit after a long day, fun for playing with color and yarns in my stash, and really, really lovely when it’s all done. Here’s my latest:

The colors are more accurate above, but here’s one shot with the flash on:

It’s a bit grey and rainy, so there isn’t as much natural light for picture-taking as I’d like, but you get the idea. With this one, I worried less about the amount of yarn I had for each color, and just picked colors I thought might be nice. I really like the mint green Malabrigo stripe in there, and with the switch to some darker greens and blues near the end, I think I’ve changed who this is for! (Not to worry, though. I’ve already started a third…)

Other stuff happening around here?

Morning “helping.”

Our first of many weekly walks en route to picking up the farm share. (Paws/toes in the water.)

Lots of water and mist after some steady rain.

Boh, mid-yawn. Love this dog.

FO: colorblock bias blanket.

Posted on May 27, 2014 by barefootrooster

Tada! I love how this turned out, and I finished it in time to give it to M. and J. on Sunday. I’m bummed that I won’t be able to attend their wedding next month, so it was nice to at least get to give them their present in person.

The blanket, folded.

Boh, napping.

Happy dog, after a walk that got cut short by a downpour!

Stunning sunset.

More napping.

Farmers’ market flowers.

Boh with a ball of yarn that’s attached to colorblock bias blanket #2!

Yep. This one is also a wedding present.

I’m absolutely loving these colors together. Hoping to make some serious progress on my overdue wedding knitting this summer. (You know, in addition to making progress on my dissertation…)

colorblocking.

Posted on May 9, 2014 by barefootrooster

So I didn’t cast on another Turnstile right away. Still thinking about the next color combination, and I also realized that I should really get working on some wedding knitting. (Some folks have been patiently waiting for longer than I care to admit, and others have no idea a wedding blanket is in the works.) Anyway, I came across the Colorblock Bias Blanket by Purl Soho, and decided that this might be a great candidate for a wedding blanket. (I do love the pinwheel, but I’m looking to mix it up.)

I’m knitting it out of greys and greenish turquoisey shades.

I’m not following the yardage estimates for the pattern. Instead, I’m using what I’ve got as a guide, and hoping the size of each colorblock feels right.

I’m so pleased with how it is turning out.

I like this so much that I might want to keep it — but it is going to be a gift.

I even brought it to the porch yesterday to work on with my coffee.

And this guy. Just had to show you this napping pose. That ear! I love it. Happy Friday!

FO: turnstile.

Posted on May 4, 2014 by barefootrooster

I LOVE this. And I can’t wait to make more. I might cast on another TODAY.

I snapped these pictures very late last night. I figured I’d kitchener the two ends of the tube together right after dinner and then have plenty of time for other things.

Wrong. The grafting took hours — in part because I haven’t kitchenered anything in quite a while, but also because to kitchener many many stitches you need to have a pretty long yarn tail, and it kept getting caught on the other needles, tangled, etc.

But worth it? Totally. The stripes are addicting, and I anticipate wearing this (and any others I might make) a lot. My handspun eternity scarves might be the knitwear I wear most frequently, and I think this pattern (or some variation on it) is a great way for me to use beautiful sock yarn. (You know, because I’ve realized that I mostly wear socks with boots, so you can’t see them.)

In other news, I took this dog on a great walk. It was clear we were going to get pretty muddy — this is a before picture.

Doesn’t this picture just look like spring? So much growth in the woods.

Happy dog.

We were muddier than this toes/paws picture lets on. And we were quite content. (Though Boh needs to work on actually sitting on the blanket I keep in the back of my car for post-walk muddy dogs. He just moves it out of the way…)

Also, we’ve reached that point in the spring where I can put on a fleece and take my coffee out to the porch. See that new french press? My dear friend D, the person who goes with that adorable dog who visited us last month, remembered me saying that my beloved stainless steel french press was on its last legs. The mesh ripped, so my coffee was rather gritty. That was a year ago. So when D came to visit, he brought this: a bigger press, which is stainless steel on the inside, but has an insulated bottom and handle so I don’t burn myself on it. And the lid has a screen, so there’s no chance of coffee grounds getting into my coffee. Also, no spillage while pouring, which means I can bring it out to the porch. Perfection.

around and around (turnstile in progress).

Posted on April 25, 2014 by barefootrooster

First of all, to give you a sense of the kind of excitement happening around here, this is what I did last Saturday night. I took whatever was left in the bottle of rye (not much) over to my friend M.’s house, she made me a (delicious) Manhattan with chocolate bitters, and we both proceeded to continue writing our dissertations. I’m not complaining; it was better than attempting to keep putting words on the screen at my house…

This face pretty much captures the general malaise that is the end of the semester.

Lila in action. I like it over the top of other layers like this.

Snapped this picture for my mom, as this dress was a present from her last year. And also because this is my professor costume. (Thanks to K. for that description.)

Boh! I know it looks like he’s growling, but I actually snapped this at the tail end of a yawn. We took a walk in the arboretum earlier this week just before the skies opened, so we had the place to ourselves.