Tag Archives: travel

handspun purl ridges.

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This project is inspired by CatReading’s wurm cowl. (If you have time, look through her other projects — her knitting is lovely.) I wound up my Rhinebeck cauldron handspun on Thursday morning, and took it with me for the weekend. I cast on roughly 180ish stitches and got to work. A few mornings at my parents’ kitchen table with a mug of coffee, and an afternoon pedicure with my mom created ideal conditions for serious progress — I’m well into my second skein. The squishy-ness of this yarn makes it absolutely addicting to knit. I’m optimistic about the outcome, but there’s a chance this will be too wild for me. I guess I’ll just have to keep knitting to find out…

Boh enjoyed our weekend trip, but I think he’s happy to be home. I’m off again tomorrow for another research trip, but Boh will stay here with a friend of mine. (I sort of wish I could just curl up with Boh on the couch for the week.) After this trip, I’ll have a few weeks without travel, and I’m really looking forward to settling into a routine that encompasses more than just planning for and recovering from trips!

big star.

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So, last week I was in Chicago — and I ate these tacos, with dear friends, at a place in Wicker Park marked by a large neon sign in the shape of a Big Star (hence, the name). I also found a coffee shop called The Wormhole, complete with Neverending Story posters and a Delorian…but that’s another story.

Back to the tacos. It had been a long, but productive week. Friday was particularly lovely, because the hours of squinting at tiny handwriting in a _very_cold room occurred on either side of a much warmer (in all senses!) lunch date with another blog-friend-turned-in-real-life-friend, Jodi. (Yay!) After leaving the archives, I made my way to Wicker Park, found The Wormhole while wandering and waiting for my hosts to get into the city, saw very cool stuff in shipping containers at an art show organized by a mutual friend, and then found myself, magically, at a table of friends and tacos. (See above.)

What a perfect ending to the day. And then, when I thought it couldn’t get any better, this was discovered in the bottom of the taco bag:

Yep, that says “pollito” — and maybe “asado.” My Spanish reading skills told me to expect a roast chicken lollipop.

As I ate, and enjoyed both sweet and savory — even spicy — flavors, I wondered if the base was, indeed, some kind of chicken lard. After much musing on the subject, Google explained that, while shaped like a roast chicken, this lollipop is peach-pineapple and chile flavored: strange at first, but actually pretty amazing.

All of the above is highly recommended by this rooster.

Happy Wednesday!

shhh…

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Greetings, readers, from somewhere that is neither here nor there. I really have been meaning to blog, not least to share about the fantastic weekend I spent with blog-friends-turned-real-friends, Mick and Laura. (Would you believe that we didn’t really do any knitting or spinning because we were too busy talking, eating, and drinking?)

Anyway, I’m on a fancy bus pointed towards a city with a library that has some stuff that might be useful for my dissertation, and now seems as good a time as any to (a) try to get back into a blogging rhythm, and (b) learn how to use wordpress on my shiny iPhone. (I hate to admit it, but I do think the iPhone may be a factor in my recent blogging slump. The teaching definitely kept me super busy earlier in the summer, but I’ve also noticed that the camera on the iPhone is so good that I rarely reach for my regular camera, and I am not in the habit of daily syncing my phone with m computer. Bottom line? I’ve been slow to upload photos, and that seems to be disrupting my blogging routine.) I am going to try to be better- and maybe wordpress on the iPhone will help!

So, to connect back to today’s post title, does anybody recognize the knitting in my lap? That’s right, it’s my whisper cardigan, and it is almost done! I grabbed it because it is small and light, and at a place where the knitting is easy. Most of my WIPs are at stages that require more concentration than I have right now. I’m so happy to be knitting on this again!

More soon!

research.

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On Sunday, we went to the zoo to do research. (My friends and their children were so kind to indulge and accompany me.)

The penguins? Well, these guys were just for fun. (Side note: It has been years since I’ve been to a zoo, and I can’t remember the last time I went with little kids. Watching them was half the fun!)

After our research excursion, we stopped for lunch at a place that makes and bottles its own root beer, cream soda, and ginger ale. This ginger ale float was amazing.

I spent Monday morning traveling, and arrived back at the lake house after lunch. Time to focus on settling into a summer routine — which will most certainly include knitting! (I am so close to being done with my stripe study shawl.)

dc.

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I’m home after a long overdue trip to see a dear friend. (No knitting to share this evening. Patience!) While much of our time was spent sitting around with family, laughing, eating, playing with small cousins, drinking coffee, and even “working” on laptops at the same table, some venturing beyond the house/yard did occur. Though I find myself lacking any photo-documentation that said friend and I did actually manage to be in the same place AND time, I do have some pictures of an evening adventure to share:

I visited the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument as a little girl, and it was incredible to return as a grownup. We drove through the empty evening streets of DC, oohing over architecture and the way the lights illuminated so many landmarks. We walked through the FDR Memorial, and we saw Lincoln minutes before the 143rd anniversary of his assassination. These words on the wall, from his second inaugural address, stood out: “With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.”

off to see the wizard…

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Actually, I’m off to see my New Home — planning to meet my advisor, sign a lease for the fall and wander through/imagine myself in a different place.

What am I bringing with me? I’m working to keep everything in one LandsEnd tote bag (size large, which I believe they define as 2 full bags of groceries). That means no sweater projects. Instead, because it will be cold where I am heading, I am bringing a Stella Hat, recently cast on, yarn and needles to begin the Chevalier Mittens, and my Twisted Tweed Socks. (Too sleepy for links — early flight!) I can fit all of these, along with a little notions bag, into a tote that fits inside my everyday bag.

Oh — and I’m planning to wear my Debbie Bliss Bolero Jacket. (By planning to wear, I mean I’m wearing it now, have been for much of the last week, and plan to continue wearing it all week/weekend.)

I’ll be back on Monday!

on the road this weekend

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Or, rather, in the air. Heading East for work. I’m not sure if I’ll have time and internet access for posting, but I am taking the camera, and I am determined to document the trip. (I’m writing this down here so that you can yell at me if I don’t do it.)

I pack light — small carry-on duffel (projector included), computer bag, and a cavernous purse that can fit inside the duffel if anyone gives me trouble about the whole “one bag + one carry-on item does not equal these + an oversized purse” thing. As I talk about knitting a fair amount here (no, really?), you may be wondering what I am bringing. After much deliberation, evening swatching, and frantic searching for size 5 options needles attached to a cable I think would be useful (to no avail), here is what I have decided on:

1. Materials to cast on for Schrodinger’s Twisted Rib socks, including the Magic Loop booklet.

2. The Gathered Scarf (Ravelry link), in Blue Sky Alpaca Suri Merino. I cast on for this on Wedneday night, and I really like the pattern. Here is an early shot of the scarf:

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Oh — and 3. Brompton (Ravelry Link) by Alice Bell. I am in love with this cardigan — to the point where my friend Ali and I scheduled a mid-work-day journey to our out of the way LYS to buy yarn. I ended up with 7 balls of Rowan Felted Tweed, which is gorgeous. Swatched last night, and because the Felted Tweed is on the DK/Sport border, I ended up having to go up a few needle sizes to get a more open fabric that is close enough to gauge. I have a 38 in bust measurement, and it is a layering cardigan, so I think I am going to make the 44, realizing that because my gauge is a little bit off, it may end up more 42-ish, which I think would be perfect.  The size 5s were for the neck of the cardigan. Still can’t find them, but am thinking that 4s will also work. Very excited about this sweater — I splurged on the yarn in part because I was thinking that if it didn’t work for this pattern, I’ll have it for the Tangled Yoke cardigan…but I really hope it works.

Must consume a bit more coffee and finish packing before my ride arrives in about 20 minutes. Have a great weekend!