Binge Baking

Something is wrong. I don't know what, where, or who, but there's one of those annoying feelings that something is wrong, and it's caused me such discomfort that at 1:30 this morning I went down to the kitchen and baked oatmeal cookies. I'm not sure if it's an act of appeasement, since I'm not an appeasing sort of person, but I did feel a bit better after baking cookies, which is no easy task when the house has excellent accoustics and the people sleeping upstairs can hear (and smell) Davros, the microwave, water running for the clean-up, and the banging of baking sheets going in and out of the oven. Oatmeal cookies with maple syrup and cinnamon would probably appease at least a minor boggart... maybe...
This afternoon, I was talked into doing more baking, so I produced a batch of pecan scones. And I also proved that tinfoil isn't an impermeable substance, though how butter gets through the tinfoil and onto the baking sheet is beyond me.

Sockiatry

Definitely wilder than I'm used to...

Bleh.

This pretty much sums things up. Icon borrowed from reira_21; it captures my current mood perfectly.

Spring Flings

Happy Spring!

It's... Alive!

Yay! I'm so relieved. Vincenzo consented to eat some food today, which means he's out of semi-hibernation mode and has decided it's warm enough to do something besides sulk. As if his.. um.. earlier exploits weren't an indication...

Get A Glue!

A Google and Wikipedia search turned up all sorts of interesting information about the sock glue, including a blog post about cosplay, which included a blurb about fashion model who was so skinny her pantyhose fell down while she was on the runway; the author suggested the model in question might have benefited from the use of this Japanese sock glue.
According to Wikipedia, during the late 1990s, a number of Japanese high school girls started wearing oversized socks with their uniforms. Originally, the socks were intended for use by hikers and mountain climbers; I assume it was pretty much a tube sock, but eventually a number of companies started manufacturing deliberately oversized socks specifically for export to Japan. Since these socks have cuffs that are wider than the average high school girl's leg, they're not likely to stay up without assistance of some kind, be it a garter or glue. Some clever person came up with the idea of using a glycerin- or water-based adhesive to do exactly that.
The fad caught on among younger students who wanted to imitate their older counterparts, and even the negative reaction by a number of school officials made the idea gain wider appeal... except among adults. Still, it's not hard to find sock glue on a number of websites catering to Japanophiles and cosplay culture.

Finishings

Socks are done. They knit up in what for me is record time; I'm convinced it's because of all the lacey yarn-overs. The top is a little loose, so either I need to invest in some of that Japanese sock glue that the schoolgirls use to keep their oversized socks from falling down, or I need to stick some elastic in there somehow. I'm astonished I was able to follow the charts without the whole thing turning into an enormous muddle, so much so that I may even make myself a second pair with the rest of the blue Happy Feet yarn... though I might want to go down a needle size if I do. Perhaps this will require a *gasp!* swatch.
The flash still makes the colors look garrish, but without it, the picture doesn't do the yarn justice, either.



















As I mentioned in one of the previous posts about these socks, the name I chose for them comes from the Welsh story of Blodeuwedd. Here's the relevent passage from the Mabinogion:

"Then they called together the whole of Gwynedd, and set forth to Ardudwy. And Gwydion went on before and proceeded to Mur y Castell. And when Blodeuwedd heard that he was coming, she took her maidens with her, and fled to the mountain. And they passed through the river Cynvael, and went towards a court that there was upon the mountain, and through fear they could not proceed except with their faces looking backwards, so that unawares they fell into the lake.
"And they were all drowned except Blodeuwedd herself, and her Gwydion overtook. And he said unto her, 'I will not slay thee, but I will do unto thee worse than that. For I will turn thee into a bird; and because of the shame thou hast done unto Llew Llaw Gyffes, thou shalt never show thy face in the light of day henceforth; and that through fear of all the other birds. For it shall be their nature to attack thee, and to chase thee from wheresoever they may find thee. And thou shalt not lose thy name,
but shalt be always called Blodeuwedd.'"

Let's talk about socks, baby.

The pattern is deceptive. It looks super-complicated, but it knits up really, really quickly.

Get me a turtle, stat!

I have been severely traumatized by being flashed by the turtle. Went downstairs to take the dog outside, saw that the turtle was doing what looked like downward dog yoga pose, and was terrified by the sight of a purplish-black, vaguely flower-shaped object dangling below his tail. I yelled for mom, ran to the foot of the stairs, and cried, "I think Vincenzo's lost one of his organs!"
I was right.... sort of.... Spring, it seems, has come to Vincenzo's tank. And it was a very, very scary sight.

You know it's cold when...

This happens. With the heat on in the room. I came back in after my ablutions to make the bed, threw back the covers to straighten rearrange the pillows, and found a very surprised... well... see for yourself.

The socks, after one day of practically nonstop knitting, continue to look the way they're supposed to. I'm beginning to wonder what's going on... The Mini Mochi is lovely. Squishy, rich colors, soft, doesn't pull apart at all, and has great stitch definition. My one complaint is that the dye seems to be rubbing off on my fingers; this is minor as far as I'm concerned. I'll just wash the socks with vinegar when they're finished and maybe that'll fix it. Like I said: MINOR. Definitely not enough to make me stop wanting to use the yarn or yell at the company for what could easily be just a one-off, especially since I suspect it's fixable with a good dose of vinegar.

"...but shalt be always called Blodeuwedd."

I did it. They're finished, and they actually vaguely resemble the pattern I used. I also managed to finish them in practically record (for me) time, which is almost unheard of considering I used fingering weight yarn and toothpick-sized needles. It helps, though, that mom doesn't have huge feet, otherwise I'd be knitting until Doomsday, which is usually what happens when I use fingering weight yarn and toothpick-sized needles. So, here's photographic evidence of Vinnland socks made with Happy Feet yarn and toothpick-sized needles:

Llyn y Morwynion socks are also on my to-do list, specifically for the Folklore and Fairytale Spring KAL. The pattern is Lakeside, which also ties in with the story of Blodeuwedd, though in a slightly less obvious image taken from much later in the story. I cast on early this morning and have forged my way through two pattern repeats of Chart A. Much to my consternation, the stitches seemed a little off, but when I turned the sock around and looked at it from a different angle, I said, "I'll be... It actually looks like it's supposed to!" Shocking. Shocking.