idlewood, before blocking.

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First off, thanks for all your kind comments about that silly blister-burn on my thumb. It healed very quickly, and I was so busy this weekend (headed out of town to see old friends and help out with a crazy few days of interviews for an organization I adore) that I didn’t even think about it until I was driving home this morning. I got minimal sleep, but managed to hop into my car this morning feeling restored in other categories. It was fun — and honestly, necessary for me — to slip back into non-profit life for a weekend, to remember that I really like working with people, to feel useful and productive, to cross things off long lists. (Grad school life is sort of the opposite these days, though I know it won’t always be this way.) I’m super tired from driving 500+ miles and working 12+ hour days (and playing afterward), but I’m so glad I went.

Instead of returning home to keep reading, I took a nap. And since then, I’ve been focusing on smaller tasks around the house, one of which was to finish up idlewood!

I’m really happy with this sweater. It is a tad snug at the waist/hips, but I’m counting on it to bloom and relax just a smidge after blocking. (It is soaking right now.) FO pictures soon!

Tonight? More knitting, cuddle time with Boh (he had a fantastic weekend with K., one of his favorite people) and early to bed. I’ll pick the reading back up tomorrow…

this heart’s (thumb’s?) on fire.

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Do you know that song? Seems like song lyrics are all that pop into my head when I’m sitting down to write a blog post. Anyway, this is a great (upbeat, yet sweet) song by Wolf Parade. Unfortunately, it came to mind today because of a minor kitchen disaster that occurred yesterday.

I was making this squash pasta. And somehow, in the process of beginning to move the roasted veggies into the big pan on the stove, I knocked the large roasting pan and it began to fall. I should have backed away and let my dinner make its own mess. But I am a silly rooster, and I just couldn’t. Instinctively, I grabbed the (very hot) roasting pan. Everything still fell, but I managed to acquire a blistering burn on my thumb in the process. Now, I’m no stranger to kitchen burns, having worked for a few summers as a cook for backpacking expeditions, but this one is photo-worthy. Avert your eyes if pictures of blisters gross you out. (Sorry.)

Owch. The thing is, what I was most worried about was whether I’d be able to knit. You see, I worked all day with the idea that I’d give myself an hour to keep knitting on idlewood. (I salvaged about half the squash from the floor, mixed it with the pasta, as in the above photo, and ate it anyway. It was delicious.)

Good news. That blister, while a little tender, did not get in the way of more idlewood progress. I knitted the last few rows of the body and bound off this morning. I love the cowl. Swoon.

This fits perfectly (over my pajamas). I’m still not sure about the pockets — I have a pretty straight/boyish shape, and I’m not sure I want to add more to the hips. What do you think? I’m going to aim to finish the sleeves so that this is wearable (maybe tomorrow?), and if I can do that, I’ll probably wait to block it and decide about the pockets until I get back from my weekend adventures.

Another great line from that song?

sometimes we rock and roll / i’d rather stay at home in real life

this heart’s on fire

still life: dog with sweater.

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Clearly, Boh understands portraiture.

And…not so still.

This is what yesterday looked like. Me, rotating from kitchen table to couch and back again. Boh, moving between couch, floor, and bed.

Also, this whole faking it thing? Works for more than just post-relationship sadness. I didn’t leave the house yesterday, but I dressed for work — button down shirt, earrings, cute boots — and I honestly think I was more productive. I’m going to try that again today. (I wonder, does it work if I just wear the same thing?)

Today? More reading. Also? More knitting. I’ve got about two inches left on the body of idlewood, as you can probably tell from that top picture. I’m heading out of town on Thursday afternoon, and I’d love to be able to take this sweater with me.

the lights go on.

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The pull of the couch, knitting on idlewood, snuggling Boh, and watching Dollhouse was too great yesterday.

Luckily, I recognized this early, and, after a little bit of yoga, marched myself down to a coffee shop to at least start the day by getting some work done.

(Also, I took extra care to be wearing handknit socks to start the new year. This pair, with the gusset heel, might be the best-fitting pair of socks I own.)

Anyway, back to the coffee shop. I was the only person there. And heard a beautiful song that sounded like Beirut. When the coffee shop is empty, you can ask the barista about the music. Check out “Scenic World,” from a 2006 LP, Lon Gisland. This is now the first track on my January 2011 mix. (And this post’s title is the first line of the song.)

After a few hours of good work, I might have come home, taken Boh for a walk, done some laundry, and indulged in the morning’s temptations. As soon as I finish my coffee, though, here’s where I’ll be:

Good luck settling into 2011! More soon.

on the walls of the day.

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I made my list, and hung it on the fridge. It’s a mixture of goals and reminders, things to work on this semester. (And yes, that does say “finish sweaters on the needles.”) A favorite song from a few years ago, when I was driving east to start grad school, came up on shuffle yesterday — “Challengers,” by The New Pornographers:

on the walls of the day

in the shade of the sun we wrote down

another vision of us

we were the challengers of the unknown

A good song for the start of a new year, no?

accidental cowl.

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While I was looking for yarn to give to my 8-year-old knitting friend, I came across a ball of Blue Sky Alpacas organic cotton — originally intended to be turned into something for my mom a few years ago. Whatever it was — mittens, maybe?– I ripped it out, rewound the stuff into a ball, and tucked it away somewhere.

Anyway, on Sunday I’d come across yet another cute cowl made from this simple pattern by sketchbook, the person behind orange flower yarns, on ravelry. On a whim (and needing an easy knit to take with me to the birthday party), I cast on this cowl for my mom. (She has a wool sensitivity, so everything I make for her is cotton, silk, or bamboo.) Once I started, I really couldn’t stop. You know how it goes sometimes — you can see the progress you’re making, you wonder how much you’ll be able to knit before the ball runs out — and you just keep going.

My mom actually requested an infinity scarf a few weeks ago. It won’t be done for Christmas, but I’ll wrap up the yarn, which she picked out (and which just arrived) — a gorgeous skein of worsted 100% silk from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in the Blackbird colorway (thanks to Mick for sharing info about this stuff on her blog several months back). Now she’ll have something small to open that she can actually wear!

It’s funny how once I said out loud that I’m really not knitting any gifts this year, a hat and then a cowl practically flew off my needles. Must be something about not feeling the pressure to knit for other people. I’m going to have to remember this!

I’ll leave you with a sweet shot of Boh:

We woke up yesterday to falling snow. He seemed reluctant to get up for the day, and I don’t blame him. Today I might have turned off the alarm and cuddled with him for an extra half hour.

Today I’m running lots of last minute errands before heading to my parents’ house tomorrow. Not sure what my blogging frequency will be like once I’m there, so just in case: Merry Christmas! Boh and I hope your holidays are filled with (woolly) warmth.

FO: felicity.

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I accidentally finished this hat instead of finishing a book yesterday. Oops! I used Araucania Nature Wool (about 2/3 of a skein), size 6 and 8 needles, and I cast on 90 instead of 70 stitches. And then I followed the pattern. Now, I’m going to show you a picture of me wearing this hat. I don’t think this is the kind of style that works well on short, big hair. Good thing the intended recipient has smooth, shiny hair. So it should work, right? (The other concern I have is that it looks really awkward not on a human head, you know? Too big, and sort of weird. Oh, well. Maybe this will be a test of how well my brother’s girlfriend receives handknits?!)

This hat is poofier than it looks in this picture. Trust me.

Boh was passed out in the background when I was getting ready to take this picture. And then I said, “Are you hungry?” Which was sort of cruel, as it was not yet dinnertime.

There is nothing cuter.

Also, remember how I won amazing peach rum preserves over at Libby’s blog? Well, I dug into one of the jars today, and this stuff is INCREDIBLE. Note to self: make A LOT of boozy peach preserves next summer.

Tomorrow I am going to a dance party. For my favorite (almost) eight-year-old’s birthday. And you know what I’m giving him? Yarn.

I’m told I’ll get to do the Macarena.

felicity, more faking it.

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A crappy picture, I know, but it highlights the super cool backlit keys of my new toy. Also, it helps me to demonstrate just how quickly this is knitting up. I snapped that photo on Thursday afternoon.

I took these a few hours ago. I’m finally knitting a felicity hat– or, perhaps more accurately, I’m self-soothing with stockinette. I finished my grading on Wednesday afternoon, and I jumped right back into my own work yesterday. Today? Well, let’s just say that the semester caught up to me. I’ve done some reading, and a bunch of little things, but mostly I’ve been watching The Good Wife and working on this hat.

I had decided that I wasn’t going to knit any holiday gifts this year, but then I remembered that my brother’s girlfriend will be joining us for Christmas morning…and while everyone else in my immediate family has already received a handknit accessory (or several), she hasn’t. And her hair isn’t as big as mine, so I think this hat will suit her. (And I’ll get to try it on. I’m not convinced that these snug at the forehead, slouchier in the back hats are ideal for someone with a head full of curls.)

More in the faking it department:

Derrida or not, this whole trying to at least look put together thing is a great idea.

Also a great idea? Things, a to-do list (and so much more) program written for Mac. Not to get too nerdy on you (ha!), but I’ve been trying to think more about my workflow, and get as much of my life/work onto my computer as I can. I have never been able to keep a digital calendar, and I finally figured out why: I rarely use my calendar for time-specific events and appointments. Sure, they’re there, but really, I use all the space outside of the appointment slots and calendar boxes to jot notes, ideas, to-dos, etc. Enter Things, recommended by my dear friend S. So far, it seems to be working with my brain. I tell you all of this to (a) alert you to the fact that you can try it for free for 2 weeks and (b) to set up the next photo. I’ve been putting scheduled events as well as to-dos into Things, and I happened to enter in a party (theme: sparkles) that a friend of mine was hosting for the end of the semester. I am rather hermit-like, and I was all set to curl up with Boh on the couch on Wednesday night, when I saw my Things list. I had done everything on my list except attend the party, which had just begun. So I changed into sparkly clothes, and made an effort to be social. And I had fun!


You can’t see them, but I wore tuxedo pants that have a black sequined stripe down the side. Amazing. Anyway, when I got home, I clicked the box next to the last thing on my list. Which was incredibly satisfying.

I should read, but I’m probably going to watch one more episode of The Good Wife before I do.  Happy weekend!