Weekend October 26, 2007

This morning I didn’t have to teach, so I had some time to finally knit a few needles. I am working on a scarf for a friend that will be moving to Budapest. Fortunately, her departure was postponed with a few months. This will allow me some more time to work on the scarf. Who knows, maybe I will even finish it before summer kicks in in Hungary… A photo update will follow this weekend.

This weekend I will also do some major reading for my history classes. I need to catch up on dekolonization, India and Pakistan, Korea and Vietnam, so I took out the books from Asian history class in college. I am also working on a really neat project on prophets, to work on with my freshmen these coming weeks.

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For my other freshmen I am reading into Egyptian mythology, something they really like. I’ve finished the myths on creation and am now reading about Isis and Osiris. Ancient Egypt is such a fascinating society. It is amazing how they built the pyramids without any advanced technologies. And did you know that plastic surgery was already pretty common at that time? I watched a Discovery channel documentary on DVD about mummification. The entire proces has been reconstructed. A team of scientists even traveled to Africa to get the coarse salt that the Egyptians used to dry the body. My freshmen will love the documentary (especially the part where the brains are removed through the nose…).

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Enjoy your weekend!

Beret May 22, 2007

I made my first big beret/ snood (see circular needle project in my previous post). While I was knitting I was really doubting whether anything would come out of it, but it came out really nice. Next time I will have to knit the ribbed brim on smaller needles, because they are not stretchy now. I will look for a nice ribbon to pull through.

First circular needle project May 21, 2007

After finishing the sweater, I started my first circular knitting project. It took me some time to find out that because of the circular needle there was no need to switch between knit and purl for stockinette stitch. Iy”h this will be a beret soon. The pattern says ‘killing simple beret’ which sounds promising. The yarn is a really nice, light, shiny bamboo/cotton mixture. Updates will follow!

First sweater May 19, 2007

Because this past week I stayed home sick a few days, I had some time to finally pick up my knitting. I finished my first sweater. Tadaa:

I was really scared that it wouldn’t fit, especially when I came about attaching the sleeves. I didn’t make a swatch before starting the sweater, so in fact it would have been a good punishment for my lazyness. Nevertheless, the sweater fits. It is really soft and I like it.

This shabbes I have been doing a lot of reading in In Europe (Geert Mak) and in the memoires of Nathan Sharansky. It made me a bit sad to read about all the horrible decades that Europe has been through, in the 20th century alone. Teaching WWI to the students in my class has been a challenge for me so far. How on earth can you explain the fact that millions and millions of youngsters ‘voluntarily’ entered the trenches? There was a story in Mak’s book that really was an eye-opener. He wrote about the way soldiers from different countries would play soccer together, between the trenches, when the shooting stopped and their generals were not around. How they would celebrate christmas and new year’s eve together, swopping cigarettes and liquor. Most of these young men had no choice, and tried to make the best of this horrible situation, hoping it would soon be over. They didn’t know it would take 4 years and 9,6 million dead soldiers before they would be able to try to pick up the pieces of their old lives.

New project March 5, 2007

Last week I had some extra time to knit, so I started a new project. It’s a sweater from the Stitch ‘n’ Bitch handbook. I used different yarn and needles and didn’t check the gauge (too lazy) so I don’t know what will be. In any case it’s a wonderful practice and I love feeling the extremely soft yarn between my fingers.

This week I have to teach again in all my classes, so I hope I will find the time to knit a needle here and there. I still have to learn how to crochet, because I think that is the only way to finish the neckline of the finished tank.

Finished tank February 26, 2007

Today was a special day. I finished my first real knitting project (after scarfs and hats). I finished the purple merino tank top. During the proces I started to worry a lot, because it looked extremely short and tiny.

But today i knitted the last needles and I sewed everything up, and it’s perfect! I still have to fix a few spots at the neckline that look funny.

All credit to Lime, who taught me to knit and to work myself through a real project!

(Sorry for the blurred pictures)

Tank update January 22, 2007

Past few days were a bit wheezy (I hope I am not developing a yarn allergy…!) so I didn’t do much. I did finish the first side of the tank top. I am a little worried about how it will turn out, because it seems really really short. Maybe I can wear it on top of a long blouse. If I can squeeze myself into it, at all. Well, let’s just be patient…

Whatever the case, it was great practicing my decreasing skills!

Happy knit year! January 2, 2007

I started the new year on the right needle! After Lime’s visit and intervention, I finished my first scarf. Yaaay!

After she left, I started working on my new scarf project, made of a nice brownish alpaca blend. I worked on it all December 31st, and finished it early on January 1st. Tadaaa!

Today I started a new project, which is much harder so I wonder what will be. I am using a nice merino-acrylic blend in four colours, and it is supposed to become a nice fluffy hat that I can still wear THIS WINTER