Snap

The view of my life right now.... That stack of books is the research for just one of the four questions I'm being posed for my oral exams. In just seven days, I will have to sit in a (probably overheated) room with three professors and talk in a (hopefully) concise, contained, and highly educated manner about (among other things) Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time. I wasn't all that excited about this question to being with, because I know that it's been posed to at least two other of my colleagues in the last two years, but now that I've found recordings of the actual birdsong that has been transcribed in the music, I'm jazzed. The Quartet is worth knowing about - it was premiered in January 1941 in Stalag 8a, a prisoner of war camp during WWII. The upright piano's keys were sticking because of the cold and misuse, and the cello had only three strings. It's about 45 minutes long, and not particularly novice-friendly, but if you ever get the chance to hear it live, please do. It is insidiously powerful.

I'll be back in a few weeks with some quality knitwear to show off. Wish me luck!

Chalet Socks

Pattern: Chalet Socks by Nancy Bush from Folk Socks
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport in Butterfly Blue
Needles: US 0

Pretty socks in the pretty sun.... I am working to acknowledge the sunlight and enjoy it while it's around. Stick my head up every now and then. Today I went for a run outside and felt at least 50% more myself afterwards.

Anyway, about the socks. It's a good thing that the sunlight is so flattering to these socks since they don't, well, match. I mean, they match.... ish. I had a lot of trouble reading the chart, especially in the center panel. It's not very well written, and the changes aren't very intuitive. I decided that I didn't care enough to rip back. That said, they're still very pretty and absolutely wearable. Those twisted stitches really do pop and the color is wonderful for when you're wishing and hoping and thinking and praying for spring but then you get four inches of snow like we did this past week.

Find a patch of sunlight and let it soak into your soul.

Ishbel

Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in Butter Peeps (about half a skein)
Needles: US 4

I saw this version a while back, and had a sudden, inexplicable need for a yellow lace scarf, nevermind that I've never thought that lace was really "my thing." This isn't lace lace, though. It's more stockinette with a lace border, which I'm ok with. And really, who doesn't need a happy yellow scarf when one is trying her hardest to make spring hurry the hell up already! I would love to have a version of this in something incredibly decadent - really soft and lovely. Alas, while I was lucky enough to have this lovely skein sitting in my stash (big bonus points for a cash-strapped grad student) it is a superwash wool. Great for socks. Not the best choice for neckwear. In any case, I love this scarf, and I can see that last half a skein quickly being incorporated into some color work socks for the winter.