BMFA bliss and Clasica Coat

STR medium weight, in the Scottish Highlands colorway

Woobu, in the Stormy Weather colorway

Seduction, in the Thraven colorway

And my Clasica Coat [Ravelry link], in process ... Cascade Eco Wool in Espresso (I think) purchased at Stitch House Dorchester. The back is finished -- this is the left front, with a few more inches to go on the hood extension.

Life is crazy busy. But Thanksgiving's in sight!

In a Hurry But

while I'm not doing anything as complex as conducting a search for the perfect mitten pattern, I am eager to hear feedback from those who've used Blue Moon STR in its various different weights ... because my fabulous parents gave me a BMFA gift certificate for my birthday (it's in October, don't even ask) which I can't wait to use and the more user info I have the better. I don't know what I want to make, and it's going to be hard to get me off of the Raven clan colorways since I've been lusting after these for a long time (as Jocelyn knows full well) ... but, yes. Especially curious about the medium or heavyweight ...

Okay, now I'd really better go prepare for classes & meetings tomorrow .... and figure out what I'm going to wear to chapel (I'm on duty Sunday nights this fall and that means going to chapel. Dressed Up -- but not in stilettos like the girls in the dorm. No. )

ETA: my eco yarn cam for the clasica coat and I love it --more on that next time

Last Baking Adventures of Summer

By the time I got the message from my LYS that my yarn was in, it was too late to pick it up, and they were closed both yesterday and today. So instead of beginning the Clasica Coat (and I can't figure out when I'm going to be able to go pick up the yarn, another brain-bender to occupy me this week), I revisited the Paris-Roubaix pattern from Knitspot and made D#1 a pair of fingerless mitts (her hat is still in process) using Dani's merino sport in the Alice colorway. The color of the mitts is a little off in the photo; it is a joyful combo of all shades of pink, yellow, dark gray, light gray, and a little white. Between her hands is one of the baseball cupcakes I made for yesterday's un-birthday party. I made cream cheese frosting and used red licorice for the seams of the baseballs.
Today I made another loaf of bread, still tinkering with the Bread Machine Bread recipe from King Arthur Flour. Too much liquid, and the loaf falls in the middle about 30 minutes before it is done baking --not enough and you get Tombstone. I have yet to find the proper middle ground. I also needed to use up the rest of the frosting from yesterday's adventures (we had chocolate cake in addition to the baseball cupcakes) but I wanted to use less butter, so I went looking for a cake recipe with vegetable oil. I found this one, which has an interesting backstory and a promising combination of ingredients. It has just come out of the oven, and I think I'm going to skip the freezer step. I have my own frosting already, so I won't try hers this time. It rose nicely and made three (!!) layers, so I guess we're doing one last fat & happy feed ....

In another brain-bender, D#2 announced that the activity I had been prepared to skip on her behalf this fall (because figuring out all the transportation logistics for her and her sister on Wednesday afternoons is already complex and that would put us over the edge into nightmare) is her absolute favorite. Well, maybe her father can help with this one.

Tomorrow, 8 a.m., meetings begin.

Self-rising flour, who knew?

With all those peaches we brought home, I couldn't just rest on my laurels after canning two measly (but beautiful) jars. I've been experimenting with peach cobbler recipes, and have now used Paula Deen's peach cobbler recipe twice.

This is one of those recipes that *has* to be possessed by evil spirits --people either love it or hate it, it comes out perfectly or it is a complete disaster, you have to modify it/don't dare modify it -- you know what I mean. The one thing I know for sure is that the baking powder is HUGE in this recipe. It cannot be done with all-purpose flour. How do I know? I ended up with delicious peaches atop library paste the first time around.

So I read the comments for Ms. Deen's recipe in some bemusement, and learned that all-purpose flour is no substitute for self-rising flour. Being from New England, I am not sure I'd ever HEARD of self-rising flour but believe you me, I am now an expert, having even googled directions for making my own. I added up all of my fractions of teaspoons and made my self-rising flour before I attempted round 2. I did also cut the amount of butter almost in half, and reduce the sugar by 2/3 of a cup. It came out much better, and even looked more or less like the photo on the website, so I took it to tonight's cookout. But even after all that effort, I don't think I love it. I might just like peach crisp (like this) and peach streusel (like this) better.

So now I know. And how nice that a cold wet June and sunny August has resulted in a fabulous peach crop here in MA!

August crafts

My first ever canned peaches, from an excursion to Smolak Farms in North Andover with the girls:

In process, European Hearth Style bread, following a King Arthur flour recipe and using the Artisan flour I just got from them:

It's a time-consuming recipe, and makes only one loaf, as opposed to the two it claims, but the bread is EXCELLENT and it's well worth the time. I'd have a picture of the finished loaf except, well -- it's gone.

Below, R's socks, using Tuscan Grove Bellagio yarn in the "Mint Ganache" colorway, with Louet Gems at heels and toes (I was worried I wouldn't have enough of the Mint Ganache --- as it turns out I think I would have JUST made it, but it wasn't worth stressing). I used a variation of the Green Mountain Spinnery pattern I.B.H.'s Toasty Socks, and Harmony size 3 dpns.

I think the last shot shows the colors better than the pictures of the finished socks. Now what?

Time to organize the study, read the book I am supposed to be reviewing, and maybe, just maybe, sneak in a small project before my yarn arrives for the project I am counting on to keep me sane through multiple faculty meetings this fall. I am going to try Deborah Newton's Clasica Coat (on the cover of the recent Interweave Knits), and I've found a KAL on Ravelry to help me stay focused --we'll see! I think it's going to be an interesting enough knit that I'll actually stay with it, though I'm a little concerned about the sheer size of the thing. I'm going to use Cascade Eco wool, which was on sale at Stitch House this month (I can't even think about what it would cost to knit this thing in the yarn featured in IK); Annissa has ordered me a great color and I can't wait.

I forgot to show the Swim Meet Socks

In Noro Sock!!

Blog: what is it good for?

Well, those of you in tune with this particular pop culture reference will not hesitate to respond "absolutely nuthin'" ... and truth be told, I've been wondering about this a lot. I spend time now on Facebook and Ravelry, and reading Twitter feeds (yes, I follow Lance Armstrong, what of it?), and I've been wondering about keeping this space open (?) or active (?) -- I'm not quite sure what the terminology ought to be. What was once a knitting blog now clearly isn't, and I have other blogs for my classes, so that material ought not to be here ... and the handful of you who did make time to read my posts have no doubt gone on to other more rewarding sites (I hope so).

There's no denying that a blog of one's own is a good spot to rant about the Red Sox, celebrate FOs (my summer of socks!) or muse about the possibility of opening an etsy store for R's photos, or to make a partial list of summer reading:

A Mathematician's Lament, Paul Lockhart
Nickel and Dimed. Barbara Ehrenreich
It's Not About the Bike, Lance Armstrong
Nice Try, Shane Maloney
The Big Ask, Shane Maloney,
Borderline, Nevada Barr
A Duty to the Dead, Charles Todd
Lance Armstrong's War, Daniel Coyle
The Tourist, Olen Steinhauer
Who is Conrad Hirst? Kevin Wignall
The End of the Chapter, John Galsworthy
A Mango-Shaped Space, Wendy Mass


Here, fye, an egret series, from the pond down the street (I am reminded that in Bobbie Ann Mason's In Country the character of the Vietnam vet uncle, Emmett, spends lots of time looking for an egret ....)





Here you see Tessie still having to be convinced that cows (heifers) are not scary. By the end of our 2 weeks in Vermont I think she had decided that they are a strange variety of large dog; she got to the point, one night in the barn, of touching noses with a particularly brave cow.

So, I'm still thinking about all of these blog matters. Clearly I'm not quite done yet. So I'm going to borrow Garrison Keillor's Writers' Almanac send-off:

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Oh, and those of you in metro Boston? Try to keep cool.

Yarn search advice?

Dear fibery pals,

We experienced an outdoor meet this weekend where we had 80+ degrees F and sunny one day and rainy in the 50s the next. On the rainy day, the kids' feet were cold because no matter how many pairs of regular socks you bring, once they're wet , forget it. One of D#1's teammates was particularly uncomfortable (one of those bony little boys with no body fat). He's a good friend, and his birthday's coming up, so I'd like to make him a pair of swim meet socks. Now the challenge: he likes violent and wacky color combos (bright orange striped with purple and sky blue wouldn't be out of line) ... they need to be wool, I think, to stay warm when sodden, and I think they'd probably be best made out of something a little heavier than traditional sock yarn. Any ideas?

Where Am I?

Need a hint (or two)? They weren't all taken on the same continent. :)

from Swine Flu Central

We had so many kids and faculty absent that we webcast graduation for the first time --my former colleague who is now in Beijing was able to watch, as were all the kids banned from campus as a result of their illness. One of our student speakers was absolutely terrific, and it wasn't hot out. I got to see 90% of the parents and students I wanted to see afterward.

And my separated-at-birth friend Jocelyn sent me a lovely care package today with yummy summerweight fiber (pictures soon, D#1 has the camera). THANK YOU!!

So we're done except for the comments and meetings, I have new yarn, and as of today (knock on wood) I haven't got the flu.

Pretty good for a Friday.

Still Here

I have neglected this space of late -- not because of any dearth of images, items to report, or lack of interest on my part, but simply because I have been working just about non-stop since my last post. Even this lovely holiday weekend has been intruded upon by thoughts like "shouldn't you actually be getting a jump on your comments?"



So to distract you from that horrid reality, I give you some of R's most recent photos, taken at the pond behind D#2's school. I love the egret with the fish --

Recently, Younger Daughter and one of my advisees made these creatures below:

Today I got to see my brothers and their families, which was lovely. It doesn't happen enough. I can't show any of the pictures yet, though. It's a secret.

Last Sunday, one of the nicest people I've ever had the good fortune to know died of the cumulative effects of leukemia and the aggressive treatment measures she and her partner chose to try. She was diagnosed last spring, tried chemo etc., had a bone marrow transplant in January, but when the leukemia cells came back in April she just could not continue to fight. Her son graduated from college on Saturday and was able to be with her at the end, the next day. She was a thoughtful scholar, a good writer, and a steadfast friend. My circle of friends is much diminished by her loss.

And this is what I'm going to do for the next hour instead of working:

Quickly ...

This Queensland Sugar Rush leaped into my hands when I was last at Stitch House. I think it wants to be the Tiger Eye Lace Scarf ... right now I'm using size 6 needles and that seems about right. This yarn is a little splitty but it is SO soft and delicious, and I love the color. So I just won't make too many mistakes (says the knitter/math teacher who had to rip out the first repeat of this thing three times because she apparently can't COUNT ...).

I did finally finish the socks I started in the dark on the bus home from the New England Prep School Swim championships ...

and here's my friend with her very first FO, a scarf in Sunshine Yarns' Edward...
Doesn't she look proud of herself? Welcome to the dark side, I say.

Here are a few other things I know: the summer swim meet season begins next weekend and continues in a whirlwind until the end of July, I am woefully disorganized as far as summer plans go, the Red Sox should play the Yankees and only the Yankees this season, and I need a foolproof way to keep Tessie from gnawing on everything in sight, including all of the humans in the house. (She has many chew toys of various sorts but it isn't always enough)

May? It's May?

Look at these delightful heart-shaped leaves, above. The catsura is delighted that spring is here!
Below, a packet of butterfly/hummingbird seed mix that I dumped into the planter in a fit of wishful thinking has now germinated ...

Here are a few pumpkin seedlings beginning to think about growing.

And a hyacinth, rescued from a potful of forced bulbs ....

So I guess it really is spring! I have been knitting spring, too -- I am currently obsessed with flower washcloths in dyed Blue Sky cotton, about the softest cotton I've ever used.



When I was at Stitch House the other day with my friend and her baby, I bought some more, one skein in an deeper orange-y colorway and one in cream. I'm using the Rebecca Mercier pattern from last year's pattern-a-day calendar and circular size 7s. I also bought some Queensland Sugar Rush in a silvery purple -- YUM! This might turn into a Tiger Eyes scarf.

I don't mean to ignore the fact that I've ignored the blog of late. Things have been, as my students would say, mad busy. But I'm thinking about some fun things to do this summer, and today I got some non-school reading when we went to our newly-renovated, newly-reopened town library.

Packages of All Sorts

A puppy package of joy and friendliness

The triple threat, in a moment of calm

AND my Dragonfly in Amber Swap package arrived today! Mordag was so generous ... see this box?

Here's an accounting of what was inside:

There was a great sock project bag in baseball fabric --very Red Sox - ish and festive. I will use this a lot.

There were mocha-flavored M&Ms (hiddedn from my family) and a beautiful dragonfly windchime (hanging by our front door right now), nice beer glasses ...

Springtime in Paris socks, for me! and elann yarn, also in Red Sox red

and some Highlander grog coffee, a rose washcloth, and rose soap, and a dragonfly pin, and shortbread (I'll let D#2 have some of this) ...


and a dragonfly notebook, along with a lovely long note from Mordag

Pretty great, wouldn't you say? Thank you so much!!