Back at it

I’m back in my apartment, once again, after what can only be described as The Most Amazing Weekend, Ever. Of course, as luck would have it, I forgot my camera. I realised this on the train on the way to MIL’s house. I was pretty upset about it, but what can you do, right?

The trip was the most fantastic trip I’ve ever been on. We had lunch with MIL, her boyfriend and GIL (grandma-in-law) and then we borrowed the car and drove towards Kolding. The drive was pretty straight-forward – just onto the highway and a right turn, and the hotel would be there. It wasn’t quite just there, it took some time to find it, but it was a really nice hotel. I was pretty amazed by what we got considering the price! The beds were really comfy, everything was neat and clean, a stocked minibar (which we didn’t touch), a large TV and a great view. Even the food was good – we had expected meals of hostel standard but for dinner there was 3 kinds of meat, several side dishes, nice rustic bread, salads and more than three kinds of pie for dessert. Yum!

Saturday evening we watched soccer on TV (well, I knit and Martin watched TV). Denmark was playing Sweden for a spot in the finals for the World Championship in South Africa in 2010 (2012?). We won, of course, so South Africa will be invaded by pasty, sunburned Danes soon. If you didn’t know, soccer is THE national sport here, closely followed by handball. It’s a pretty big deal. Personally I’m not that into it but I do like watching the big games (I also like watching Chelsea play – fandom runs in the family) and it can be fun if the players are really giving it their best. I’ll never be a true follower – I’d take an evening of Barnaby over soccer games any day – but that evening it was alright. I got to watch Barnaby afterwards. ;)

Sunday we slept in, had a nice breakfast and drove to the spa. I got my body scrub and Martin got his massage. I do wish I’d gotten the massage instead – Martin said the guy was really good. He’d squeezed out the tenseness of some muscles that Martin didn’t even know he had! (The tenseness, not the muscles.) I’ve been quite tense due to all the stress but I didn’t feel like I could afford buying an upgrade and they were fully booked so I didn’t even bother asking if I could switch to another treatment. Still, the body scrub was very nice and made my skin all tingly. I also got a very nice body lotion, a big vial too!

The spa was full of different pools and baths. It was great. We tried them all twice; Martin had a minor fit after having dived under in the saltwater pool (there was so much salt in there you didn’t have any other option but float) and couldn’t see for a while, and I had breathing issues in the steam room (inhaling water-filled air is hard!) but otherwise it was really nice. There was also a relaxation area where you could drink tea and read magazines. I caught up on some fashion trends (much needed) and Martin … well, I think he read something about cars.

After the spa we went to a sushi bar for the first sushi ever that didn’t come out of a box at the supermarket. It was delicious!! And it wasn’t even all that expensive either. The staff was very friendly as well, telling us about the different kinds of maki and stuff. I hope we can go for sushi again soon, it’s a reasonably inexpensive treat.
I stopped by a yarn store, but it was closed. Probably the best, considering the amount of money I spent yesterday. The store didn’t look like it had anything interesting, though; a pretty standard yarn store. I do need some more DPNs though…

But the rest of this month I will have to live very sparingly. I have been in sore need of a new wardrobe for a while. I realised during the weekend that I’ve been so cheap when buying winter clothes the past few years that this year… I got nothing. ALL my sweaters are too small, felted, holed or washed out. The same goes for all my long-sleeved shirts. I had no boots. So I got together all the money I could possibly get hold of … and I went shopping. And I spent over 3000 kr. That’s over $600! (Writing it in dollars makes it seem like a very small amount.) But I got a completely new wardrobe. The thing is that when you buy so cheaply every year, it’s difficult to buy new things that match. I’m very pleased with what I got; I took my time considering what to buy instead of grabbing things willy-nilly, I went through all the stores (all. the. stores.) twice and I made sure that what I bought could go with more than one other item in either my wardrobe or shopping bags. I don’t have pictures because, well, I haven’t unpacked it yet. So I’ve tried to include links to store pictures where I can (though not all the colours are correct). But for all that money, I got:

• A LARGE, woolly sweater (65% lambswool,35% nylon) – it goes all the way over my butt. It’s huge and sooo comfy (charcoal grey) (it looks very much like this from Knitscene)
• A thin but warm dolman-style sweater. Very 80’s, but still chic. Viscose/nylon blend (purple)
• Two ribbed, long-sleeved shirts. Cotton (electric blue and dark purple)
• A very pretty sleeveless/turtleneck-closure top with ruffles around the neck. Polyester/elastane (hot coral)
• A long, drapey cardigan. Viscose/nylon/cashmere (black)
• A white/black/red t-shirt with red glitter on it. Cotton.
• A pair of wet-look leggings – though very matte compared to many I’ve seen; they’re not shiny, but they have a dull shine to them (black)
• A pair of chinos that are very awesome (grey) – I’ve never had a pair of pants like these before, so these were a challenge. I think they were a smart buy, though. They’ll look great with sneaks and handknit socks made from the yellow yarn I showed you a while ago
• A set of underwear
• A pair of boots from Bianco (brown). Unfortunately I think these have already separated inside – the lining seems to have detached itself from the heel flap. I can probably only take them back to the store I bought them in, and I won’t get back there until November. I don’t know how big of a problem this is or what the consequences can be if I just leave it. I can get my fingers up behind the lining and feel the leather. Does it have to be returned to the store you bought it at if they have the same shoes in the other store? Any advice?

All of it is nice quality (and nice brands) so I’m very pleased. I still need some accessories like belts and jewelry but it’s not something I desperately need right now. It feels really great to now have a wardrobe that matches, is stylish and of good quality and will last me another season or two. Even if I almost fainted when I totalled up the bills. ;)

I also bought two skeins of yarn for a hat from the Fall Vogue.

Kid Classic from Rowan in colour #863 (Lipstick). It’s a lovely bubblegum pink. I had trouble deciding on a colour – my first instinct was to grab a blue and green, but I put them down. Then I picked up a grey. Put it down. Stared at the shelves… and picked up the pink. Bingo. I’ve been shying away from pink yarns because I’ve felt like I had so much of it. Which I do, to an extent. Most of it is lace or sock yarn, and therefore isn’t as visible as if it had been sweater-weight yarn. You know? I’m excited to get started on this, except both my 4 mm. and 5 mm. DPNs are in other projects. I want to buy some from KnitPicks (via GetKnitted) but my budget just doesn’t allow any other indulgences this month. Le sigh.

I was supposed to make a yummy home-made pizza today – tomato paste mixed with steak sauce for the bottom, chopped red onion, garlic-sautéed chicken cubes, dried oregano and basil and LOTS of grated cheese. We made this last week and it was gone pretty fast. As I’m alone until the weekend, it would feed me for at least two days. But…. I made double chocolate cookies, and I’ve had a couple. Okay, 3. Okay, 5. Okay, more than 5. And now I’m full. It seems stupid making pizza late at night, doesn’t it? Or is that just me? Maybe I can make it in Martin’s apartment; I have plans to borrow his TV for watching “Pride and Prejudice”. Usually Wednesday is Desperate Housewives Day, but tonight there is yet another soccer game (we’re playing Hungary, but just for looks - we already have a spot in the Championship) and I feel like watching a girly movie instead.

I will go ponder my hunger, or lack thereof, and prepare for a night in my oversized sweater – with knitting, a movie and chocolate cookies by my side. Happy knitting! :)

A rare luxury

Me and Martin are leaving tomorrow morning to check into a very nice hotel for a weekend of shopping and pampering. For our 2 year anniversary we talked about going to a massage/spa salon but we couldn’t agree on the kind of treatment we wanted. Some time ago I fell across a great offer for a stay at a nice hotel including a 3-course dinner, a nice breakfast, a spa treatment (Martin’s getting a massage, I’m getting a body scrub) AND all-day access to Queen Dorothea’s Sauna – large heated pools, scented pools, steam rooms…. and complimentary robes and towels.

We’re getting all this for a very good price – only 300 kr. more than we would’ve paid for a treatment at a wellness centre, 895 kr. total. I cannot begin to tell you how psyched I am that we’re going on this trip. Check-in isn’t until 2 p.m. so we’re going shopping tomorrow. I’ve got some money to spend on a new winter wardrobe and I don’t plan to be stingy on anything this weekend. Well, I’m not going to buy yarn. That’s the only thing I’m not going to spend money on. But clothes and boots and chocolate? Bring it on!

Our autumn holidays started today, coinciding with the hand-in date of our media production ‘personal identity portfolio’. I have a nagging feeling that I forgot something, but it’s sent and done. I’m not going to think about it anymore. Next up is a short essay for Philosophy of Science (which has nothing to do with science, and too much to do with philosophy – it makes no sense for the education we’re taking – it’s with the old, boring guy) which should be quite simple and then… then it’s THE project. I’m not going to think about it until Tuesday, though. Monday I’m going shopping again (though this time in Århus – THE shopping place for me) as I have a gift card for a department store there, and Tuesday I’m going back to my apartment to clean up in my wardrobe, work on the project, for my therapy session and for work. Hopefully next weekend I can go visit my dad or something. It doesn’t feel a whole lot like autumn holidays. More like autumn “break for a few days and then back to normal”. Might as well call it a weekend, huh.

Anyway, I decided to give it a go with my TYC. I’m bringing my Charade socks for the trip instead, though – a cone of yarn weighs quite a lot! I’ll pack the last of my stuff now and go to bed. And when I wake up it’ll be tomorrow and I’m going away for a wonderful, luxurious, romantic weekend with my amazing boyfriend! :) Gods know we need it.

I’ll catch up with you later – happy knitting everyone! :)

Knitting progress

I promised you knitting progress, so I’m giving you knitting progress! I have indeed been knitting quite a bit the past few weeks. It’s a nice feeling, using stash yarn. I especially like the yarn I’m using to knit my Tangled Yoke Cardigan.

I’m quite a bit further along now – just a few rows from completing the body up to the armholes. As you can probably see, my decreases in the rib stop quite a bit before the ribbing ends. I thought my gauge was good, but as I got closer to the last set of decreases I could see it was quite a bit shorter than the pattern calls for. I just continued the rib for the specified length – I’m not sure how that’s going to work out. It’s difficult to say before the thing is on your body, you know? I don’t know what I’ll do if it looks horrible - unravel from the cast on and knit it again, spacing the decreases more? The decreases ‘pop’ more than the increases because they’re done in the rib, and if it doesn’t look right it’ll attract attention.

As I was writing this, I was inspired to ‘try it on’, as it were, by wrapping it around my body. I noticed it was looking quite a bit short compared to how far along in the pattern I was. Unless I can get almost 2″ on 6 rows of stockinette, it’s too short. I’m not sure how, because my row gauge is spot on. The ribbing measures what it’s supposed to. So do I continue knitting the body till it’s the specified length? What does that do to the yoke? Won’t it be too short?
I’m now considering frogging this – I’d rather do it now than when I’m done. I don’t want to spend this much time knitting a cardigan I really want to own, on small needles with fine yarn, only to find that it’s too short and is fitted in the wrong place. I don’t feel skilled enough to figure this out on my own, considering my tainted history with maths. I thought this was the yarn for this pattern, but maybe not. What would you do?

Fortunately, my newest project is much more forgiving, gauge-wise.

Another pair of Charade socks. I tried a couple of different patterns for this yarn, but the funky pooling/variegation kept washing them out. So I went with a pattern I know works with this yarn! It’s still pooling but I don’t mind so much this time. It’s coming along swimmingly, I knit when watching TV or movies with Martin or when on the bus or the train. I love portable projects! I’m also thinking about starting BrooklynTweed’s Druid Mittens from last year’s winter (fall?) Vogue, using the same yarn as my TYC but in a dark green colour. I have my lambskin mittens I bought while working at the leather goods store, but they don’t go so well with my new coat, colour-wise. A dark green would be much better for the light grey wool of the coat.

I also have plans to knit my dad’s mittens (some may vaguely remember them – I promised him a pair of mittens for his birthday, in August, last year. They were knit and frogged, knit and frogged, but I finally think I have the right pattern!) and a new lace shawl. A big one. Oh, and I have to try out that Kidsilk Crack Haze soon, too. I have 4 skeins of it in my stash and haven’t knit with it yet. I think some people call that blasphemy..

Anyway, I’m going to figure out what to do about the TYC. It seems a shame to frog so much work, but on the other hand I don’t want to finish it and find out it’s fugly on me. I might knit to the specified length and see where it hits my waist. I’m looking at alternative patterns (Hannah Fettig’s Lightweight Pullover actually has the correct gauge for this) but I really had my heart set on this one. I’m also wondering if this blue is too much of a jeans blue that I won’t have anything to wear with it… Maybe a better pattern will come along some day?

Decisions, decisions!

 

(ETA: Just noticed that another popular Hannah Fettig design, the Featherweight Cardigan, is also the same gauge. Wouldn’t it look awesome if you lengthened it a lot and made the body wider, like those boyfriend cardigans that are so popular right now? I think that would rock!)

Getting better

Things seem to be getting better lately. I’m a lot happier. I’ve stopped taking my anti-depressants because they kept me in this weird mood limbo where I was never happy and never sad (I actually prefer the hefty mood swings I have sometimes!), plus they were killing off my concentration and my libido. I’d rather be moody. Also, my anxiety hasn’t been flaring up for a while – positive thinking (I think we call them “alternative thoughts” in therapy) has really helped me. Like the other day when a customer exploded on me because I’d accidentally charged the customer ahead of him for 55 bananas instead of just 5. Our cash register screen is so sensitive that if you press too hard, it’ll double what you’re typing, and it was really busy at the time (making me press the buttons a bit harder).

There’s a discount on 5 bananas, and I was trying to figure out how much money to pay the customer back. She wasn’t angry at all because as soon as I hit the receipt button I knew the figure wasn’t right, and apologised in advance. Turned out it was a really simple piece of math (50×9) but as I was stressed out my sense of logic totally bailed on me. The guy behind her shook his head and rolled his eyes, and as I thought he was a Polish guy I sometimes see in the store I asked him in English if he had the figure off the top of his head. He then starting talking very loudly at me in a very angry voice that he could speak Danish, thank you, and telling me between the lines that I was stupid and that I should be able to count when I was at a register.

At first I really wanted to cry (frustration overload!), but then I ignored him and finished giving the other customer her money back. Then I sent him on his merry way. I kept telling myself that he probably didn’t know grammar just because he was able to speak, or run a mile in record time just because he could walk. Just like I can’t magically add numbers under pressure because I sit at a cash register. It helped a bit but I still think he’s an asshole. I also had a woman cuss me out the other day because her son had bought a bad head of salad. I kept wondering why on earth he didn’t notice it had gone bad – it was wrapped in clear plastic! But I nodded and apologised and smiled and asked her if she had a receipt so we could refund the money. More swear words and a resounding NO she did not have the receipt, to which I could only reply that company policy prevented me from refunding the money. She practically flung the salad at me, shouted some more, vowed to never come back and left the store. I stood completely dumbstruck for a moment – why would you treat other people like that?

Along with the tax problems, it’s made me seriously consider if this job is worth the money and effort I put into it. I always strive to be polite even when the customer is challenging, and go out of my way to be smiling and friendly if e.g. a mother with an impossible toddler comes through my line. An extra bag for free or a sympathetic look, and you can really see how it helps her day, even if just a bit. But there’s just not enough of that kind of people to make it worth the late nights, the obnoxiously rude customers and the physically hard work. People think they can yell at you and call you whatever they like because “the customer is always right” and there are no consequences to treating people like that. So I think I’ll quit by mid-December – that’s when my Christmas holidays start. I can work a lot of hours until then to save up for Scotland, and I’ll need some time to figure out what to do with my apartment. Also, last year when I worked in the leather goods store (oh, memories!) I had work on the 27th and the 31st of December, so that meant a lot of going back and forth (lots of train tickets). I can do without that extra bit of cash.

Besides, I’ve noticed that I’m having breathing issues and dizzy spells often. It usually occurs at work or if I’ve had a hard day at work. Work just makes me angry. I’ve had so much pent-up anger over the past month (though, to be fair, some of that also had to do with planning the freshman party at school) that it’s affected my health and my private relationships. I could imagine the girls at school have been sick of me, and poor Martin has been screamed at for eating the last of the raspberry jam or not cleaning the pots right after dinner. It’s just not worth it. And I’d rather quit my job than quit the Event Group – I actually like most of the people in my Event Group. You know?

I’m not going to leave them high and dry without warning (my contract says nothing about any 2 weeks notice, and a union page online says that people paid by the hour don’t have to give notice) -  I’ll probably let them know in the beginning of November so they have time to find a replacement. My heart goes out to the poor sucker who gets the job after me. The thought of working in a supermarket around Christmas makes my stomach turn – if it’s tough now, how is going to be when people discover the evening of the 23rd that we’ve run out of ducks? Or canned rice pudding dessert? Ye gods…

I’ll return later with knitting news, but it feels good to get this off my chest!

I’m up to 101

That’s right. Ravelry just informed that I’ve stashed yarn no. 101. I have 101 different yarns in my stash. Is it just me, or does that seem … crazy?

I broke my yarn diet again the other day, but it was a conscious decision (and not a “Oh! Whoops! Oh, would you look at that. Huh. Shame on me. … *drool*” decision like Martin accuses me of) since I was in a really foul mood. It would seem that my workplace has used the wrong tax form for my paychecks. It’s a bit difficult to explain, but I have one card for my study funds I get from our government, where I pay very little taxes, and then I have another one for part-time jobs or whatever where I pay a lot more taxes. My workplace has been using the former since I started – which means I’ve been paying way too little taxes. It means that I already owe the government over 4000 kr. (over $780/£500) and I obviously have to pay them back. I’m furious because I brought my little tax card when I started at my job, and they told me they would do it electronically. Well, they did it wrong. I’ve never had this happen to me before, so I didn’t know to check.

My boss says it’s not his fault, but the fault of the payroll office. I don’t care whose fault it is, I just want it fixed. I also feel royally screwed over – to a degree where I’m considering quitting my job to make sure I don’t end up owing them twice as much as I do now. I have a 12½ hour shift tomorrow – and every penny I earn I will have to pay back. How motivational.
I feel more sorry for my classmate, though. She’s been working for there longer and with many more hours than me, and I could imagine she owes about 12.000 kr. in unpaid taxes. It’s ridiculous. We’re students. How are we going to pay this back?!

Oh well. I’m sure dad can offer some advice, and I’ll have to go back to the tax office next week. But we came here for the yarn! As I was feeling so sorry for myself, I needed some instant yarn gratification. I visited a yarn shop in Herning which I’ve previously sworn off - they moved to a new building and I went down to see if it was better. It was, actually – even the owner was very chatty compared to how she usually was before, and very helpful. A bit snippy at times, too, and I still don’t think I’ll return. There are other stores I’d rather give my money to. I was in desperate need of a yarn fix, though, so I did get some (discounted) things.

I don’t have any of my own pictures since the weather’s been so dark and grey it’s like taking pictures at night. But I got a bulky yarn from Lana Grossa called “Cento”:

I got 2 skeins, so ~140 metres total. It’s 53% wool and 47% acrylic and very soft. It’s also unevenly spun so I think it’ll knit up in an interesting texture. I’m thinking either a bulky beret or some cute mittens. Bulky yarn also = instant gratification knitting, so I might knit this up soon if I can find the time.

I also got two marked down skeins of Kidsilk Haze:

in the discontinued shade 577 “Elegance”. Once it got discontinued I saw a lot of projects using this on Ravelry and I fell in love with the colour. Isn’t that just how it is? I considered buying 4 skeins total for the “Allure” sweater by Kim Hargreaves (I believe it’s the Amber book) – it’s just gorgeous. But then I looked at my list of to-knit projects, the WIPs on my needles, the bag of things that need blocking and finally at my crumbling budget and just stuck with the two skeins. It will make a nice Kiri or perhaps even a cute little tee like The Perseids [rav]. I have two more skeins in colour Pearl, so I might use that for the other option. The tee looks really nice, but I’m wondering if it’s all that practical.. Winter is around the corner, and is it possible to layer? Will have to investigate.

I also got some yarn right before my birthday - though that one wasn’t as conscious a buy as the previous. They offered free shipping and a very discounted price on some very nice teal angora/lambswool/silk fingering weight blend.

It’s more dark teal than in this picture and it’s sooo scrumptious. I haven’t figured out what to do with it yet (how surprising) but I’m thinking something like Hannah Fetig’s new Lightweight Pullover [rav]. I think that would be perfect. I’m actually also considering my much-cursed Dream in Colour Baby for this pattern – no one’s put a bid on it since I put it up and I think there might be enough left for me to make a sweater (especially if I frog the remainders of that shawl I knit out of it once) but perhaps I’ll like it so much I’ll knit it twice.. It looks very versatile.

Since I was getting shipping for free, I thought I might as well also buy some sock yarn.

Arwetta sock yarn, a Danish yarn which I’ve used for socks a couple of times. It wears really well, I think, and I fell in love with this mustard-y colour. They’ll make some nice textured socks once I get around to it.

Knitting has been sparse around here but it’s been happening. I’m still working on my Tangled Yoke cardi and I’m almost done with the increases. But that’s for another post - I’m supposed to be working on my portfolio, and I also want to bake some brownies today. :)

Happy knitting!

What I’ve been up to

Don’t you just hate those people who say “Just a moment, I’ll be back tomorrow!” and then they never show?

Yeah, me too. ;)

Things have been and continue to be crazy around here. I’ve been throwing fits at Martin for eating the last of the raspberry jam and not cleaning the pots after dinner. I’ve been feeling dizzy and nauseous for about a week now. I keep falling back asleep in the morning, thereby missing out on classes. Just shows you’re alive, right? Or is it just barely?

I’ve had a LOT of grief installing all the image-editing programs on my computer. I did it wrong the first two times because I was dead set on doing it myself (and therefore not reading the “Read Me” like my friend told me to). Third time was the charm, though, and now I can sit at home and work on my personal identity portfolio that’s due next Friday. I have to come up with a personal logo, design an envelope, stationary and a brochure and do it all according to aesthetic rules that drive me nuts. My teacher drives me nuts – he said that’s because he can see I have potential, and the thought of me wasting it drives him nuts. Ye gods. It’s fun, though, and I think I’m going to do well. It won’t be perfect because I’m running out of time, and frankly, ‘perfect’ is just not my biggest concern right now. I think I’m learning.

I promised I’d show you all the goodies I got for my birthday, so here they are!

Jamie’s Ministry of Food, which I got from my brother and mum. We tried out his leek and potato soup last night, and it turned out horrible. I was hoping we could freeze the leftovers for that night you just don’t feel like cooking, but finally had to accept that Martin was only eating it because a) it was the only dinner-like food available, and b) I probably would’ve stabbed him with my new chopping knife if he hadn’t. (Yesterday he left my apartment because I was getting hysterical at the massive load of dirty dishes, and threw kitchenware around the place to make room for a chopping board on my tiny counter.) The bad soup was not the fault of the book, though, not entirely. I think he heats the oil for the vegetables way too soon, considering that you also have to boil water and peel potatoes. The oil was so hot by the time I was done with the vegetables that it all burned as soon as it touched the bottom of the pot. I knew in the back of my mind that it was too soon to turn on the heat, but I didn’t listen. I’d make it again, but with my own ‘modification’. I might also add some dried chili flakes to add some flavour. Martin also advertised some tiny meatballs as there’s no meat in the soup. There’s a lot of interesting recipes in this book (I got it in Danish as some conversions and ingredients can be different depending on country/language) and I can’t wait to make more. There’s also a very interesting meatloaf and lots of recipes with that kind of pastry you wrap around e.g. salmon or use to cover pies. What is that called in English? We call it “butterdej” (= butter dough).

My mum and brother also gave me this! A Braun Multiquick, basically a hand-held blender. This will definitely help when I’m making soups and smoothies. No, scratch that – now I CAN make soups and smoothies! It’s totally awesome. I haven’t used it yet because I just haven’t been able to find the time to be creative (it’s still in its box, too – I don’t have room in my kitchen for it!) but I’m very much looking forward to it.

Next up is a lot of baking utilities from my aunt and cousin:

I think most of it is silicone. A baking pan (I plan to pop its cherry with this brownie recipe), a brush, a spatula thing (I’ve been needing this), some potholders that double as coasters and some more muffin tins. I already have 12 that I bought a while ago, but which I’ve only used a couple of times. I just can’t decide how I feel about them. They look really pretty and they hold their shape really well, but if you bake, say, muffins with apple chunks, they stick to the sides. Don’t even get my started on frosting them – it looks pretty, but it gets all over your hands when you try to remove the tins. Ask me how I know.

I’ve decided to keep them, though, because there must be some way I can fix this. We don’t have cooking spray here, but maybe you could butter them before you use them? Or just use them for those muffins that don’t have chunks? And then you could just not frost them all the way to the edge. What do you think?

Martin gave me a Jamie Oliver tart mould – I couldn’t find a picture and I forgot to take one, but it pretty much looks like this, except the sides are fluted. The bottom can be pushed up so it should be very easy to get your tart or cake out of the mould. I promised him I’d make cheesecake soon, but I think that’ll have to wait a little while. I’m very much in love with it though – I just wish I had a bigger kitchen!

My dad gave me these fancy knives. They were marked down because they have white marks on the handles, but I don’t care. I got 3 knives and they’re very good! I tried the new chopping knife (top) last night and it worked like a dream. So as you can see, most of my presents were food-related and I love that. The only thing not food-related was a gift certificate to a very nice department store from my dad’s family – I’m going to get me some nice fall/winter clothes this year. :)

I have some more things to show you, but I have to work on my portfolio now… *sigh* Happy knitting everyone! And have a great weekend when it’s that time where you are in the world. ;)

Something in the air

1. Autumn Light, 2. golden harvest, 3. Apple orchard harvest, 4. A Happy and Blessed Samhain

As I was sitting on the bus today, on my way home from yet another therapy session, we stopped briefly to let a young boy off by his home. It was a gorgeous renovated farm with lots of grassy lawns, wooden benches, bushes and a long gravel road leading up the buildings. An alleyway of trees made the scenery even more beautiful. As we waited for the boy to get off (“Have a great day, m’lad!” called the busdriver. “‘nk you” said the boy) I looked out the window and noticed for the first time how the leaves were finally releasing their grip on the branches and floating gently toward the ground. And then, out of nowhere, it started raining.

I haven’t noticed the seasons change all that much. I’ve felt it in the air and in my body; I always get restless when the seasons change, like I need to get the hell outta here and find whatever it is I’m missing in my life. But I didn’t actually see it until today. The leaves are falling down. The smell of wet, rotting organic matter lingers in the air after another downpour. The fields have all been harvested, and hay is bundled into huge blocks or rolls like above. You can get plums in the stores. Grandpa harvested his apple tree and gave us all a bag full of enormous apples when we all got together on Saturday. And it’s getting windier.

A bunch of us were talking about tradition and holidays the other day, and I mentioned it’s sad that Danes don’t have as many special occasions as Americans do. I’m not saying I want to Americanise Denmark more than we’ve already done (we now “celebrate” Halloween – kids now have TWO days a year where they can walk around to peoples’ houses and pester them until they give them money or candy, the other being Fastelavn), but it seems that Denmark is seriously lacking in the festive holiday area. The biggest holiday is Christmas. I guess the one that comes closest to a second is Easter, but it’s not as much a celebration as it’s an excuse to get together to pig out and drink Easter brew. I know it’s television, but American sit-coms always seem to show Thanksgiving and Halloween as being a much more cosy, intimate tradition with family and friends. I want to celebrate something with my friends here, but since none are very religious (and the ones who are I don’t share the holidays with) nor seemingly that interested in holidays besides Christmas, it doesn’t seem very likely. And celebrating by yourself is just no fun.

I guess I’ll try out a lot of new recipes this fall. I got lots of baking stuff for my birthday (hopefully a post tomorrow once I get the photo-editing software installed on my computer) and I’m looking forward to trying new ingredients such as pumpkin and different kinds of nuts. And I’m definitely going to make pies.

I’m getting along really well with my Tangled Yoke Cardi. I’m on the increases for the torso and it seems like my stockinette gauge is spot on (which my swatch told me it was!). The yarn is getting softer as I work it and I think it’ll be a nice winter cardigan. I’ll buy some new sweaters this year – I got a very nice gift certificate that I will spend on a more fashionable and usable winter wardrobe. I’ll try to enjoy fall while it’s here – it seems the transition is over too quickly, and before you know it the leaves are all dead and the sky is terminally grey and cloudy. I have so much school stuff to do it’s ridiculous, so I know how I’ll be spending my weekends. I’m just glad my anxiety seems to be getting better and that I’m able to squeeze in a bit of knitting time now and then.

Happy knitting, and hopefully more from me tomorrow!

Day before the day

I usually only say that about the day before Christmas (which we celebrate on the 24th), but today I’m saying it about my birthday. It’s tomorrow, and I’m really excited – not so much about the presents (though I am also excited about the presents – I LOVE unwrapping gifts!) but more about the day itself. We decided we’d have a proper brunch with scrambled egg, bacon, sausage, juice and mango slices. Afterwards I’m going to get my hair cut (finally!), back home to bake cupcakes to invite my friends over for a little something-something on Friday, and then in the afternoon we’re going to the movies to see Inglorious Basterds. For dinner? Sushi and cupcakes. It’s gonna be the best day ever.

I’ve cast on for the Tangled Yoke Cardigan using my shetland wool that I bought last October at the big BC Garn sale. My gauge swatch gave me a perfect gauge for making it a bit smaller – a 34″ would be too loose on me, and I’d like a snug fit in this cardigan. However, my row gauge in the garter rib is apparently way off! I missed the part where it said to cast on with larger needles for the ribbing. Usually you’d go with a smaller needle, but I guess the garter rib makes it contract vertically? In any case I’m about 1½” from the desired 5″ of ribbing. I contemplated ripping it out, but I figured it wouldn’t be noticeable if I just continued in the rib after my decreases. I know my gauge in stockinette is alright (I even went up a needle size because I didn’t want to use bamboo needles) so there shouldn’t be any danger in continuing, right?
The yarn is a bit rough on my hands but it should soften up considerably after a good wash. At least my swatch did. And swatches never lie, right?

I’ve gotten a few things in the mail recently (I also broke my yarn diet – again), but I only have one picture to show you that I didn’t even take myself. I decided to finally buy “Handknit Holidays” by Melanie Falick after looking at it for quite some years. There are some really nice projects in there, and also some that I would never make in a million years. Like the cover projects, for example. Is it me or does that look really outdated?
The projects I like are the Log Cabin Socks, the Evergreen Shawl (obviously – lace!), the Keefely Mittens (I am also tempted to try the Keefely treat recipe – pastry cakes with walnut stuffing), the Over The Knee Socks (though I might just make them knee socks), the Sugarplum Pullover (smallest size is 35″ – wtf?), and I especially like the Swedish Heart-Warmer Shawl! It reminds me of the kits I saw when me, mum and Casper went on a trip to Fanø. They were intricate, huge shawls knit on small needles with 9 different colours. They’re stunning. And expensive. They’re designed by Christel Seyfarth. Returning to the book, I am also partial to the Regal Frost Cushions (I have this idea then when we get an apartment, I’m going to fill it with knitted, homey stuff. Like cushions and afghans) and the Vintage Beaded Gloves. They look so cute in the book!

Wow, that’s a lot of links… All to Ravelry, of course. Except for the Christel Seyfarth one, that’s to her homepage. There’s 53 patterns in this book and I know at least 6 are ones I’d actually knit. There are some cute holiday stuff, like knitted ornaments and Lucia wreaths, but I don’t think I’ll make those.. Maybe once we get a real home it’ll make more sense.

I’m trying to stick with the TYC for now, but I can’t take it home (the yarn’s on a cone – too large to carry around) so I’m thinking of using some stash yarn to knit the pretty Selbu Modern hat. I’m going to use the leftovers from my Poinsettia cowl and some white woolcotton fingering weight yarn that I bought a long time ago. I think it’ll be a really pretty combination, and a great way to use up half a skein of fingering weight! There’s too little for proper socks, too much for booties and such (which I don’t knit, anyway).

Anyway. I’ll continue knitting now, and wait impatiently for tomorrow. :)

Break

I need a break. The past couple of days I’ve had flu-like symptoms, and I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. It wasn’t really the flu; there wasn’t really any fever, not really any snot. Joint and body pains, yes, and almost permanent fatigue. And today it dawned on me what it was: stress. I just didn’t recognise it at first because it’s been so long since I’ve been really stressed.

Semester start combined with nervousness about the many Media Production classes I’m going to miss, combined with therapy that I really don’t want to go to, combined with trying to pull all the strings in the Event Group (meetings, bookings, more meetings, negotiations, PR, yet more meetings, phone calls, Internet searches, price comparisons etc. etc.) and being unable to delegate, combined with the busyness of taking care of a household the first week of the new semester, combined with extra shifts at work, combined with anxiety about the many projects due this semester (THREE!)… it’s just worn me down. I can’t focus on anything study-related. My books have letters flying all over the pages, refusing me to read them and make sense of them. The thought of casting on a new project makes my head spin. The thought that I haven’t yet sewn on the buttons to my Moch Cardigan makes me tired. I look at my winter wardrobe and realise I need new sweaters. I don’t want to buy crappy storebought ones, and I can’t imagine knitting another sweater right now. Our largest project (a combination of 4 of our 5 subjects this semester) is making me itch and I can’t see how I’m ever going to wrap my head around the Media Production project (creating our own personal logo, complete with stationary and business cards).

It annoys me that I have one – ONE – repeat left to go on MIL’s scarf, and it’s been that way for weeks. It takes about 45 minutes to finish that repeat, and then there’s just the cast-off and the blocking left. I will then have at least 3 things ready for blocking. I am so close to being done with the Moch Cardi, and I can’t decide how to sew on the buttons. I have lots of new patterns, gorgeous yarn and so many options, and I can’t figure out what to do with any of it.

All I want to do is watch TV, eat unhealthy food, bake and play The Sims 3 on my new awesome laptop (which has none of my old programs, files, downloaded PDFs, my budget, my old notes from previous semesters, etc. – more stress!). At least now I can watch my favourite feel-good movies on the laptop!

The only thing keeping me afloat right now is a good cry now and then on Martin’s shoulder, who convinces me that things could me much worse and that I’ll get everything done in time. Oh, and it’s my birthday on next Thursday. :) That makes me extra happy. I love my birthday! Not (only) because of the presents, but because I get to see my family and for one day (or weekend, in this case) it’s all about me. I’m thrilled that I got next week off from work so I can go home and celebrate. I can’t wait!

But I’m going to take a break from blogging for a while. I can’t seem to pull myself together to tidy up the apartment (living in this mess drives me nuts) or take any photos of my WIPs. I don’t have anything interesting to say except whine, and frankly, that’s just depressing. I might be back tomorrow or next week, but I’m just going to tell myself not to worry about it – the blog shouldn’t be a chore.

So see you around. I’ll be back soon.

New Haven

This past week we’ve been taking care of MIL’s house, including the 3 horses, 2 dogs and 2 cats. It’s meant getting up really early because this past week has also been the first week back at uni. This morning was total bliss, sleeping in as long as I liked in my own bed! Martin’s still at MIL’s because they don’t get home until today, but I had to work yesterday. My new school schedule is really great, almost no lessons Tuesday and Friday and no lessons Thursday! Unfortunately I have lots of lessons Wednesday where I have therapy, so that sucks. I’ve talked to our councellor and she told me to get a declaration from my therapist (I guess to prove I’m not making it up) and she would see if she could help me with extra material from the classes I’ll be missing. I think I do pretty well at studying on my own, but I’m worried it’ll screw up my project for this semester. I guess only time will tell – this semester is going to be really, really hard. Poo.

In more happy news, I’ve started a new project! No pictures yet because it’s been raining for 3 days straight (no natural light) and I haven’t had access to my camera for a while. But I can tell you I’m combining this:

with this:

It’s Haven from Kim Hargreaves’ “Heartfelt” book. The yarn rubs off something horrible on my hands – my nails are permanently tinged pink, it seems. I’ve joined in a new skein of yarn and that one doesn’t seem to come off as bad as the first skein. I’m amazed at how much I can get out of just one skein! I thought I would have to get a 4th skein to get a decent-sized scarf but I think it’ll be alright. The finished size in the pattern is over 2 m. and I’ll be happy if mine comes out shorter than that. I’m a small person! It’s been a great mind-less project for sleepy, cozy evenings under a blanket in the living room. After the 1-hour drive, cooking dinner, feeding the animals, walking the animals, moving the horses from one field to another and doing my homework, I was pretty tired! Is this what it’s like when you have kids? ‘Cause then I’m not sure I want any… ;)

And I must admit to already feeling fed up with uni. I don’t know. Is it supposed to feel like this? I like my classmates and I kind of like classes, but as a unit it all just seems blah. Overwhelming. Perhaps it’s because I’m also head of the Event Group and we have two large events coming up within the next month. It’s driving me nuts. It’s making me want to spend a lot of money on myself, but since I’m so busy (ironic since I have so few lessons) I can’t take the extra shifts that would give me extra money. I’ve traded away two in September, one so I can go home for my birthday and the other is the day of the freshman party which I’m organising. And I just recently bought a new laptop so I can use the new design programs we’re using for school, so that made a big impact on my budget this month! (It’s very awesome though, and it’ll get a post later.. once I figure out how to set it up.)

I’ve been thinking a lot about my knitting lately. I think the way you knit, the patterns you choose, the challenges you give yourself really says a lot about you as a person. I indulge in fantasies about things I’ll probably never make. I take the easy way out. I don’t care enough about loose edges or mistakes to fix them, and then I’m disappointed once I finish the project. I recently read a post on the Family Trunk Project blog about Kim Hargreaves designs, seaming vs. one-piece sweaters, etc. It was very interesting and it’s made me think about my choices in sweater projects. I haven’t been 100% satisfied with my two latest sweaters (the Moch Cardigan is done, I’m just waiting for buttons) and I have a really nice sweater in pieces waiting for me to finish the sleeves and seam up. Of course that doesn’t guarantee that I’ll be pleased with that either, but I think it’s got a better shot. Of course, Kim Hargreaves designs usually never fail. ;) I had originally planned to knit the Tangled Yoke cardi for this final part of the PS4 (water/fall) in a blue shetland wool, but I’m thinking maybe Olivia will be a better choice. To challenge myself. You know? I’d like to finish up Emily first, though. Just have to dig it out from where ever it’s hibernating…