taking the really bad with the really good.

This past week was Kyle's birthday. It was a fun night :) I got him a watch/compass that he wanted from a while ago and a survival book by his favorite survivor dude, Les Stroud. He loved them and that made me so happy. I also ordered him a brownie from the bakery. We shared a lovely appetizer sampler from Applebee's (haha) and then watched a movie. His visits are always happy occasions, possibly because he is the love of my life ;)

Sooo knitterly things.. knitterly things.. I am almost done with my first Tonks sock!

I am currently about halfway done with the foot. I am thrilled! I must reiterate my love for socks. Larri, you must start knitting socks. I have an image in my head of you and I knitting socks around the campfire while Aric and Kyle roll their eyes and Paula saying that we are cute, but that she will continue to buy socks that don't take 15 hours to make. In this image, we would also have a nice glass of wine, and to class it up, a s'more or two. So yes, learn to knit socks! I will be more than happy to help, if needed. And I know you said the double-pointed needles looked awful, and that I firmly agreed, but.. I love them now. Don't be scared! But one or two circs also suffice, so I won't be offended if you don't take my word for it that they are okay.


So, after that little daydream.... I had a foray in City Knitting this past Friday to buy some yarn for the little competition I joined on Ravelry. It was very successful. 4 skeins of wool and 2 skeins of a most delicious sock yarn. My extreme and irrational love of Harry Potter has led me to supreme geekdom. I have been sorted and am proud the announce that I am a Slytherin in the Harry Potter Knitting & Crochet House Cup. Also known as the HPKCHC. For this month, I am taking Defense Against the Dark Arts (assignment: something protective), Charms (assignment: something in House colors), and possibly Muggle Studies (assignment: something to do with muggle TV or movies). I will be doing the Arithmancy O.W.L. which covers all 3 months of the term (assignment: make at least 8 of one pattern). Projects will go as follows:


Defense Against the Dark Arts
Project: Socks
Pattern: Fawkes
Needles: Size 1 1/2 dpn's
Yarn: Crystal Palace Yarns Bamboo Silk, in #4004
{These socks will protects the wearer's feet from cold. The warm colors are such that they will raise the spirits of even the meanest ghost. Fawkes the Phoenix himself is a beckon of hope for all. His tears will cure any harm and his song will give a witch or wizard the strength to keep going.}

Absolutely gorgeous yarn. Colors are beautiful (pictures often do not do them justice; this is no exception). It is 5% silk and feels like a little bit of heaven.


Charms
Project: Hat
Pattern: Wizardly Incognito Cap
Needle: 29" Size 8 circular
Yarn: Cascade 220 Wool, in #8267 (Forest Green); Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in White
{A subtle way to show one's true identity with playful, Slytherin-colored stripes. Wear this hat and magical folks will catch what simple Muggle eyes overlook.}


Muggles Studies (if I do it)
Related to Muggle book series/movie, Twilight
Project: Mittens
Pattern: Bella's Mittens
Needles: Size 8 dpn's or circular?
Yarn: TBD
{A tribute to all the fangirls who daydream about Edward being real and envy the fictitious Bella; if they can't have her husband, then at least they can have her awesome mittens.}


Arithmancy O.W.L.
Project: Dishcloths
Pattern: Diagonal Owl Dishcloth
Needles: Size 7
Yarn: Various-colored cottons, both Lily Sugar 'N Cream and Peaches & Creme; this is a great stash-busting project for me. I have acquired a lot of cotton that needs using.
{These owls do not deliver the post or the newspaper, but instead of making a mess of things like they did when working for the Ministry of Magic, they will help you clean up! These owls will not be late, and will not nip at your fingers if you do not reply quickly enough. They are perfect companion for the stay-at-home witch.}


I have such a clever name for this project, but I will not divulge it until the project is complete! As a collector of owls, I find that knitting 8 or more of this same dishcloth is not a waste of time. They have a function other than cleaning in my world: decoration! I have not decided how many I will do. I am thinking twelve or so, depending on how many solid-colored skeins of cotton I have. I don't believe the owl will look all that nice with a variegated yarn.


I will share the progress of my first term with the HPKCHC. If you laughed during that bit of the post, that is okay. I laughed at my own dorky-ness. They say you can get extra points for a creative explanation of your project, but I think that translates to 'the more nerdy the explanation, the more points.' Well, I'm in. I can bring out the big dogs with my inner-dork, and I shall.


If you are still reading, thank you. I know this is a long post. I am avoiding studying for my criminal justice final tomorrow and I am doing spectacularly, if I do say so myself. Let us continue.


Last Thursday, I was able to do several cakes at work and it was great. There is an uproar of cake orders now that the school year is drawing to a close. (Graduation cakes and the like.) One such cake was one that I obliging took on, because it is sort of relative to my family.

Both schools are my dad's alma mater. (State for undergrad and Central for graduate). Although I cannot appreciate this school in the same way as my dad, State is near and dear to his heart. I thought he would enjoy the coincidental nature of this cake. (He did, by the way.)

Side note: My writing is the only part of cake decorating I've tried that I am not 100% confident about. At work, we double-write everything. My underwriting is usually spot on and I am satisfied. The overwriting is usually the bane of my cake-decorating existence. Perhaps outside of work I shall stick to writing the message only once.

Okay, so I've been dying to bake something yummy for a few weeks and today I did! They are chocolate-peanut butter pretzels. All right, they are not baked, but mixing and assembly were required so I consider it baking.

They are giant pillows of love that taste exactly like puppy chow! (Note that the term giant in the previous sentence is relative to one Chex.) What a discovery. Oh my goodness, I've only just realized.. Hello, pillows of love. Welcome to my christmas baking list. Also, these would be just as delicious dipped in white chocolate. This recipe has possibilities, folks.

Ah, this was a good run. I've successfully wasted about two and a half hours, but I'm out of things to say that aren't me just rambling aimlessly. I appreciate any who managed to read this in one sitting. This post is what happens when one is hopped up on coffee, has not blogged in a while and has a million things to share.

3 more days till summer; 730 days until I can begin living my life. Shit. I thought I could be optimistic with the 3 days, but the 730 days is a heavy burden to shoulder.

Anyway, happy knitting to those lucky bastards who have the time right now.

[edited to cut out depressing introduction]