Downtime

For the past bit of time, my life has been pretty bumpy. Moving, starting a new job, and adjusting to a long distance relationship are complicated enough when you speak the native language, let alone when you don't. This week, I shall be studying cheese words so I know what I want to get at the grocery store. I've had to adapt to reading signs with a million "j's" in them, navigating public transport, buying groceries without reading the ingredients, walking everywhere, streets that don't form a perfect 1 mile square grid, and interrupting people to tell them I don't speak Dutch. Not to mention buying stuff I didn't have space to bring (like towels! towels are very important!) and settling in with three roommates who were essentially total strangers. Plus that whole starting a PhD thing.

So other than shopping, my free time has all been downtime. I have been killing Mario (seriously, I cannot beat this level) and knitting.

My knitting has been a little sporadic, what with the wicked case of start-itis I've developed, but I do have some links to pretty pictures!

Lace
MM's blue merino/silk lace is finally done! A link to a photo will be added later, when I have a photo. The blue lace is all put away, and I don't feel like getting it back out yet. That was definitely my longest project to date, and my first laceweight, lace knitting, and beading project, all in one! I am quite happy with how it turned out. When I started it, I was hoping it would be ready this summer when she gets home from deployment, and I certainly beat that deadline! I've found that I really like lace knitting. It's interesting, and complicated, and blocking it is really fun. I started a green lace project to replace it, but it has since been frogged. I kept ending up with extra stitches, even though it doesn't look like there's an error in the pattern. On a Friday when I couldn't get into work but had already come to Utrecht, I found a yarn shop and bought some purple laceweight. (Actually, I found the shop by accident, and I went in to buy a new row counter since I left mine in NYC, and somehow ended up with a ball of purple laceweight.) I have making a lovely beaded cowl with it, and it is pretty much the quickest pattern ever!

Blanket
The blanket I started for an airplane project is finally done! Of course, it's June and it's a wool blanket, so in all likelihood it's just going to go in the closet, but that's not the point.

Socks
I've also been on a bit of a sock jag lately. I decided to learn to make socks, and the construction of a complex 3D object is simply fascinating. However, the sock yarns I had before I left were super cheap cottons, and I have learned that 100% cotton makes my hands pretty darn tired. I currently have 2 pairs completed, 1 half pair (I'm not sure I like it) and 1 partial sock. The partial sock was started to have something to do on the train, and I really like the DPNs it's on. I'm super excited to start socks with my fabulous new Imagination yarn, but it's in skeins and I haven't wanted to wind it into balls yet. Also, I should really finish the pairs that I've started first.

Scarf
Speaking of fabulous Imagination sock yarn, I've started a scarf with the Evil Stepmother colorway, because it was too pretty for socks. I was working on it while listening to the end of Good Omens, or the Nice and Accurate Prophesies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the audiobook is the only thing that made the blanket possible) but the book has since ended. Side note, it's an awesome book, and you should read it.

Silk
I've restarted the recycled sari silk project, and it's going much better this time. Since I don't know the yardage of my yarn, and I'm not about to unwind the balls and measure, this project will hopefully be a wrap, but could end up a pillow or purse. I'll just have to see as I use the yarn up. This yarn is absolutely impossible to accurately photograph.