It has again been a really busy couple of weeks here in Tilburg. My thesis project collapsed on me due to lack of participants, leading to bouts of stress and frustrated tears and panic – what if I have to extend my thesis process, it will cost a lot more money, I won’t have a place to live, I can’t get more funding from the government, and who knows if I’ll even find someone to work with….?
Thankfully, I have an awesome MIL who took matters into her own hands after a tentative text message from my end. She works as a teacher, and over the course of two days she set up a collaboration for me ahead of many other (unfortunate) academics. It’s a giant relief, but it also means that I won’t be going back to Denmark as I had planned over March/April. On one hand I’m happy, because this new project is much more interesting; I think I have a genuine shot at writing something really good, and practically it’s also much easier to stay in my little room instead of living out of a suitcase with my mother(!) for two months. My entire social life is here, and I won’t have to miss out on bellydance or Dutch lessons, and I can keep up with our social projects committee, which I’m chairing.
On the other hand, I was looking forward to visiting my family. My brother is off to Thailand for about a month – I found out on Facebook – and was set to leave a few days after my planned arrival. I also won’t get to see the friends I had planned to see. I hope I can change my ticket (soon; I was set to leave Friday the 2nd) so I can at least make it home for my friend’s 25th birthday (I have reason to suspect she will kill me if I don’t). It’s a big deal in Denmark, turning 25. People pin you down and stuff cinnamon into your face and your underwear. You’ll be constantly itchy and smell like Christmas for weeks. It gets everywhere. It’s really fun (for the spectators). Since I’m staying, we get to celebrate Mark’s 25th birthday too – he claims that since we are in the Netherlands, the cinnamon tradition isn’t valid. I beg to differ.
I started a Whippoorwill. I’m still on the first section, it comes along slowly when I take writing breaks to watch 30 Rock. The yarn is Madeline Tosh Merino Light in “Filigree”. I bought it on our school trip to California in 2010. It’s very soft and beautiful; I’m especially fond of the little flashes of blue here and there. I love working with semi-solid/slightly variegated yarns – you never know what’ll come next!
My only gripe with the pattern is the YO’s. I don’t understand why having a YOB (wrapping the yarn the “wrong” way) is a good thing to have before a knit stitch. In my experience, it makes the hole smaller. I use it in front of purl stitches instead, as a regular YO before purl stitches makes a larger hole. I don’t know. Maybe I’m getting it wrong, but it’s meant to be fun and I like doing it this way. It’s still pretty.
The days are getting longer and lighter. I’m doing my yoga again every morning (~25 minutes of stretching to a specific program). It’s more fun to bike places, even if the wind has picked up. The sun is heating my room, making it almost tropical. Life seems easier when the sun is coming around again – I get the SADs, so I’m really happy it’s wearing off. I still need to buy new shorts that I can fit my big butt into. We joke about it now; at least there’s more thigh to tattoo than previously. That can’t be a bad thing. There are plenty of things to look forward to – this morning we booked our tickets to Glasgow. We’ll be going on a 8-day road-trip, me and Mark, our mutual friend (who brought us together) and his girlfriend, and two other friends. I’m so tickled to go back and see Scotland through new eyes.
Popping blues and greens and golds. Mark will be going to Chicago in the end of March and has promised to bring home whatever I have shipped to the hotel. I’m going to get yarn (obviously). What should I get?
Well thank goodness for your thesis being saved :} LOVE the green, more pics when you get farther along with it please !
P.S. ! Oh I adore Chicago… If I were you, I would try KIWI from New Zealand, its 40% Merino 30% Cotton and 30% Possum (!) Apparently they have an abundance of possums there, srsly it is nearly as soft as cashmere. Oh and TOFUsies… its actually antibacterial (for socks of course) 50% Wool 25% Soysilk fibers 5% Cotton & 2.5% Chitin. Chitin is fiber from shrimp and crab shells. Cool huh.