I knit this hat today using MakeMake yarn (I believe it is from Japanese brand Olympus, which also makes fantastic sashiko supplies). I used the free pattern that came with the yarn, which I ordered from kpixie. It knitted up a bit short and I would recommend adding a few more rows of rib or stockinette, but I like it overall. It will be a nice fall hat (not enough ear coverage for winter!), and I have enough yarn left to knit a pair of knucks to match. I suppose I could always dampen it and block it out to be a bit longer. This was a superquick knit - around 2 hours from start to finish.
I just realized that I haven't posted in a week. Oops. So what have I been up to that has kept me so busy?
1. I've been in the process of applying for a job that would encompass everything I'm looking for: a defined career path, a chance to keep on top of current biotech developments, and an opportunity to get a fresh start in a new city. Keep your fingers crossed, so far the process is going fairly well, I think.
2. I've been practically production knitting - after finishing the Fleetfoot socks in a mere 4 days (for me, that's quite a feat - I'm usually fairly slow on size 0 needles), I've jumped right into finishing my Carolyn cardi. I'm knitting it in a rich brown and classic cream stripe. It will be my first completed sweater, but I'm proud to say that I'm already finished with the back and both fronts. Now I'm working on the first sleeve!
3. I've been wrestling with my Rockin' Sock Club guilt. You see, I always anxiously await the bimonthly shipments, but I have yet to finish a pair of socks from the club. The problem was that I started the first pair on 5 double point needles, even though I typically prefer the two circular method. I did this simply because I didn't have two size 0 circular needles. This adds up to very slow progress and a lot of irritation for me, so I finally faced my guilt and ordered two size 0 circular needles. Oh, and I also ordered a second skein of the yarn for the "Grasshopper" socks so that I could knit the knee-high version. I'm quite partial to knee-highs and anklets, and hardly own a pair of socks that ends anywhere between, so I think the extra work will be worth it. As soon as the sweater is finished, I'm on to conquer those socks!
Other topics of interest lately that I'll explore more on the blog later: this book has me considering taking up crochet (right after I tackle Japanese hook tatting, perhaps?) and I'm all aflutter about going to Felt School with my friend Becky this fall.
This is a short version of the Fleetfoot sock from Cat Bordhi's Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. I knit a 3/4 inch cuff in 1x1 rib, and proceeded with the rest of the pattern as written. They are knit in TOFUtsies in the "Get Your Feet Wet" colorway. They knit up fast and are wonderfully soft with just the right amount of stretch. I especially love the thicker heel achieved by repeating (K1,S1) on RS rows and purling across the WS rows. I'll definitely be replicating this socks as a wardrobe staple in many more colors!
Wha?!?! I just flipped on the television while I was making the tamagoyaki for dinner tonight, and there was a Mirapex commercial on. I thought I misheard it when they mentioned "gambling urges." Being my curious self, I used the Tivo to backtrack. Yes, it said gambling. So, I did what anyone with Internet access would do and Googled it.
Here is what I found. Would you trade your restless leg syndrome for gambling debt? How strange.
I just bought this cookbook a few weeks ago, and admittedly haven't cooking anything from it yet. However, it is the kind of cookbook I love - aesthetically pleasing layout, beautiful food photos, and lots of droolworthy recipes. Tonight, this will be making its kitchen premiere in the simplest way possible: "barbecue" night with a Japanese twist. Its so simple because the book makes it simple: many of the dishes only call for ingredients you've probably got in your pantry already. I'm cooking for the family, so the menu will be: Okaasan no Potato Sarada (My Mother-in-Law's Potato Salad), Corn Shoyu-yaki (Grilled Corn on the Cob, Japanese Style), Tamagoyaki (Sweet Rolled Omelet), and Hamburg (Japanese-Style Hamburger Steak with Sauce). I'll update with photos tonight!
Update: My family really liked everything I made from the book, and the recipes were very easy to follow. I would love to try the hamburger steak with faux meat, because the sauce tasted fantastic. Here's a photo of a plate complete with a hot dog "octopus":
I've been working on reorganizing my personal space - and knitting is going to much more dominant in the new arrangement. Here's some photos from this morning's organization:
I think I'm more in love with the sock "candy" jar than anything else - its huge! Not to be creepy, but that jar is big enough to fit a human head. There are probably around a dozen skeins of sock yarn in there now, if not more. Oh, and I threw in a bar of super good smelling soap to make the yarn even yummier!
Nothing too interesting today. I cleaned, a lot. I gave the dog a bath. I made raspberry/blueberry muffins (yum!) for breakfasts this week and pasta with grilled eggplant in a faux pink sauce for dinner. I took a nap that was far too short. I did half an hour of a Bollywood dance workout DVD. I managed to drink 6+ glasses of water with lemon. I lusted after t-shirts on Threadless (Playground Love is fantastic, and they need to reprint Take Me To Tokyo).
But I didn't knit, which is the one thing I was dying most to do. *sigh*
Tomorrow, I hope to just tidy up a bit, finish an important application, rearrange my knitting stuff a little, and get out of the house to visit the library and Knit One Weave Too in Edwardsville.
