Five things about me (because all the cool people are doing it)

I've been tagged by Ness (Bunnies and Bettas) and Tanya (Tanya Today) to tell you all five things about myself.  I don't usually take part in memes like this, but I think it is a fun way of getting to know people better!

1. I was unschooled (not homeschooled, there is a difference!) until high school, when I left home and went 1,260 miles away to Maryland to go to boarding school.  I didn't like it for the reasons all boarders complain about: bad food, having your math teacher living right down the hall to make sure you aren't talking during study hall, having to call your mother to get permission to leave campus, and no boys.  But I received a great education and am so grateful I had the opportunity to go.

2. My favorite thing in the world has to be lavender, I love everything having to do with it.  The scent, the color, how beautiful the plants are, baked goods made of it.  I daydream about having a garden with only lavender.

3. I absolutely love film, getting to go to the little independent theatre down the street is always a highlight of the week.  My favorite directors are: Wes Anderson, David Lynch, Park Chan-Wook, the Coen brothers, Hayao Miyazaki, and Stanley Kubrick.

4. I identify as a secular humanist, I realize this might put some people off, but it is such a huge part of my identity that it is worth mentioning.  I think that most of the controversy is due to lack of understanding, you'll find that in general we are very nice, normal people just like everyone else.

5. I have been vegetarian (ovo-lacto) for almost four years now, after two years of only eating free-range, grass fed meat.  I love veggies and fruit so much that I don't miss meat, except for bacon, but they make "fakon" (fake bacon) which is dangerously good.

I wish I could tag everyone because I really want to know more about all of you (just say that I linked you and write a post anyway?  Please?).  So I just picked the people who came to mind.

1. Lisa (Wicked Artsy)
2. Julie (Julie Rose Sews)
3. Sue (Granny's World)
4. Lou lou (Creatingwithwool)
5. Sava (Sava Stitch)

Now I'll reward you for sticking with me with a photo of "dead kitty":

She looks harmless enough with a cute pose and fluffy belly exposed, but note the tail movement.  It's a trap, the second you walk by she attacks, runs away, and then promptly falls asleep.  I wish I knew what was going on in her head.

Working hard or hardly working?

School obligations have been putting me under a lot of pressure lately, the main problem is that I am having a difficult time finding a lab with enough funding to be able to take me due to government funding cuts (and I'm certainly not the only student in this situation).  The advisor I have currently been training with has a really promising candidate drug for treating a type of leukemia, but due to lack of funding he hasn't been able to do enough experiments for it to move on to the next stage of testing.  It is really sad.

I've found myself stealing little moments to escape in order to withstand the pressure.  For example, recently I made popovers (which turned out really flat --> new recipe), brewed some tea, pulled out my knitting, and watched an episode of Call the Midwife to prepare for the showing of series two this weekend!

Why yes, that is the silly self-designed sweater I've been struggling with for a while.  After receiving some wonderful advice from my fantastic readers, I decided to do a kind of scoopneck style for the neckline.  However, once I was happy with that I realized I really don't like the sleeves, so I frogged them and started over.  Someday I'll finish this darn sweater!

Today I escaped reading scientific articles for a while, walked down to my local independent theatre, and finally got to see the newest film by my favorite director Park Chan-Wook.

I was a little disappointed because it didn't have some of the elements I've always loved in his past films.  But it was gorgeously shot, even more so than his other films.  Also, the Hitchcock references and a scene where the local sheriff tries to pronounce "Il trovatore" were great fun.  It is also much less violent and disturbing than Park's Vengeance Trilogy, although if that kind of thing doesn't bother you I would really recommend seeing his masterpiece Oldboy (but do not read the plot before you see it).

Do you ever take time to forget about all the hecticness in life?

Must have appliances for a small apartment

I don't always have a lot of time for it, but I love working in the kitchen.  That doesn't mean I'm a great cook (not like Evelyn and Kepenie are, wow!), but I aspire to be one.

My mother spent many years as a professional baker making everything from the perfect cinnamon rolls  to wedding cakes.  My grandmother is amazing at finding yummy and easy recipes I never would have found any other way and knows a lot of great cooking tricks she's learned over the years.  With the help of those two amazing women I moved into my first apartment well prepared to cook for myself.

I've found that are some kitchen appliances that I use very frequently because they save time and work so well.  But I also think that they are perfect for someone with a very small living space and who may not have a stove/oven.

1. An immersion blender.  This is one of my mother's favorite kitchen tools because it is so versatile and can be used in situations where a full sized blender cannot, like when you are cooking something on the stove.  We both really like the Cuisinart model because it has power, is well made, and has really useful attachements: a whisk, a small food processor, and a sharp-edged blending tool.  My mother has the cordless version and loves the portability.

I used it today to make the best hot chocolate ever (the secret is to use real chocolate rather than cocoa).

2. A toaster oven.  This has to be one of the best inventions ever and another of my mother's favorite appliances.  It is perfect for someone who doesn't have an oven because you can use it to cook or bake small amounts of things without heating up your kitchen and it doesn't take up much space.  Of course it is also a toaster.  I cannot imagine not having one of these, I use it every day.

3. A rice cooker.  I wanted a rice cooker just so I could make rice, but I had no idea that they could also be used to steam veggies to perfection if it has a steaming basket.  I cook most of my veggies this way now and it saves me a lot of time.  This would be perfect for a college student because they are very inexpensive (I've seen them for $10) and easy to use to make a healthy meal.

5. A slow cooker.  My wise grandmother insisted that I get a slow cooker because it has been an invaluable appliance for her.  Of course she was right, I use it on days where I don't have any time to cook or when preparing large quantities of beans to freeze for the upcoming week.  I absolutely love the Cuisinart model (I know...I kind of have a thing for them, maybe because they seem to last forever and have all the functions I want) because it has a large ceramic pot and it is programmable so I can come home to a warm dinner.

Do you have a certain appliance that you love and find particularly useful (or fun to use?  I know I'm eying a gourmet ice cream maker...)?  Please do tell!

***Note that I have received no compensation for this post, these aren't thorough reviews and I'm not trying to advertise for the companies.  My sole intent is to share my own experiences and opinions on cookware.

Holiday knits?

I spent the last two weeks at my childhood home in central Kansas where I spent time with my family and made some good memories.

Some highlights were my mother making Steamed Red Bean Buns (which were super yummy) and watching the full, 312 minute long version of Fanny and Alexander directed by the talented Ingmar Bergman (it was still just as profound and confusing).  I was also able to meet up with my close friend Lisa and knit with her, which is always wonderful.

My mother and I visited one of our favorite yarn shops, Oh Yarn It! in McPherson, Kansas.  In addition to having a hilarious name, it is run by a super nice woman who tries to carry mostly U.S. and local yarns.  The store is also a few shops over from a pretty, old opera house.

Uncharacteristically, I also quickly knit up some gifts for my cousin (although I didn't finish them quite in time). 

The hat is Opus Spicatum, a pattern I've knitted before and loved.  The matching gloves were to use up the leftover yarn, I now wish that I had used a pattern to knit them.  Both projects were made out of Cascade 220.  Hopefully my cousin likes them!

I also went flying with my father, which is always fun because we are both private pilots and he has some great stories.  I was able to take some gorgeous aerial photos during the flight, Kansas looks super pretty after it snows a little.

That was my vacation home, I hope you all had a memorable and relaxing break as well!

This week's fascinations

A lot of my time is spent either flailing in lab (a lot like this, but with much less dancing) or studying some admittedly pretty neat stuff.  So, just in case you are all starting to think that I don't do anything but whine about work, here are some non-work related interests.

I recently found my new favorite iPhone app:  Afterglow.  There is just so much that you can do with it and they don't force you to buy extra filters or features like many of the other photo apps out there.  These are both photos I took with my phone and then modified using Afterglow.

I've been following the show 30 Rock for years because I have the humor of an odd adolescent.  Is anyone else still flabbergasted that Liz Lemon got married?  Tina Fay has given young spinsters (or maybe spinster-in-training?) like me hope that there is some special guy out there who can put up with yarn stashes and other eccentricities.

Have ever ever had a song stick with you for a while, a song that just resonates with you and you have no idea why?  Well I hadn't come across one of those for quite a while until now.  Trent Reznor is my all-time favorite musician, I love that he is capable of composing both the score for the movie The Social Network and the theme for the new Call of Duty video game and doing so perfectly.  But I didn't really care for his side project with his wife Mariqueen Maandig until I heard this song.

Lastly, I know that you are all probably tired of seeing photos of my big kitty, so I'll disguise this one as one of the easiest DIY projects ever.

The perfect cat bed, requires:
-- 1 shallow cardboard box
-- several paper bags
Directions: place bags in box and show to kitty

Caution: kitty may not want to leave box and develop a severe case of laziness.

Disclaimer: I did not intend for this to be a kitty magnet, I just threw some paper grocery bags into the box my new pair of boots came in while tidying and now I have this nasty feeling that she will eat me if I throw it away.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

What I've been up to lately

Traveling:
I drove down to Charleston, South Carolina to meet up with my family for Thanksgiving.  It was nice and warm during our time there and so we were able to get out and see a lot of the city.  It wouldn't be a family vacation without several trips to different old churches and graveyards (it is just our thing for some reason).  We also ate at several of those amazing, cute little hole-in-the-wall restaurants that are scattered around the city.

Visiting local yarn stores:
While I was in Charleston I finally got to visit a LYS for the first time in months.  I probably looked strange running around stroking all of the yarn excitedly.  Knit was very friendly (my siblings loved playing with the adorable little dogs) and had an amazing selection of Madelinetosh, it was a wonder I didn't walk out of there with more yarn than I did.  I ended up leaving with a sweater's worth of Berroco Vintage as a birthday present from my mother.


Watching Moonrise Kingdom:
I recently rewatched this movie by one of my favorite directors, Wes Anderson.  Each of his films are so meticulously made and aesthetically gorgeous, but this one may be one of my all-time favorites along with The Life Aquatic and The Royal Tenenbaums.



Listening to Radiolab podcast:
I've been working away in lab as always while trying to keep up with coursework and writing that journal article.  If you have any interest at all in the area of science that my article is on (perhaps more for my family members who want to know), you should check out this new RadioLab episode.  They explain epigenetics in a very understandable way and make it interesting for people who aren't science nerds like me.


I've also been knitting away in my spare moments.  I should have a finished project to show you soon, as well as my latest crafting success!

Thank you as always for all of your encouragement and friendship!

Life flies by

It has been a while since I've posted here, I'll admit it.  But life has been pretty crazy, because apparently being a PhD student is challenging.

A lot has been going on though:

--> I'm excited to announce that I am currently writing my first scientific article!  It has always been a major goal, I just didn't think that it would be happening this early in my career.


--> I've been spending a lot of time with this enormous textbook (~1300 pages):

As a graduate student I didn't think that I would have textbooks anymore, that I would be learning from the literature rather than books that are obsolete the moment they are printed.  Nevertheless, I've been learning a lot and am constantly amazed that we don't all just fall apart with all of the amazingly complex systems of things happening in our cells!  That's not even taking into account the fact that we are more bacterial than human.


--> I've been baking because it makes the perfect study break.  My most recent experiment was crock pot chocolate lava cake, it was pretty darn good but not very photogenic as you can probably imagine.


--> A little bit of knitting has been going on in the form of this hot mess:

It has been getting cooler here in North Carolina and my back door is really drafty!  I've discovered that just because my apartment is a "green building" doesn't mean that it is efficient.  I don't like turning on the heating system unless I really have to, so I'm making a draft blocker using scrap yarn.  

--> The most exciting development in my life has been that there is now a Trader Joe's five minutes away from me rather than an hour and a half away in Charlotte.  My family came for a visit last weekend and we actually dared to go the day after opening.  The entire parking lot was packed and police officers were present just in case a fight broke out over the black licorice scotty dogs.  I'm not sure how we made it out alive.

Here is my latest haul of deliciousness, but they are also my go-to place for oats, nuts, cheese, frozen berries because it is all so much less expensive there.  Needless to say, if you haven't been to one, you have no idea what you are missing.

That's all for now, I'll try and check in more often in the future!

Where do the hours go?

I have to be honest, not a lot of knitting has been happening lately.  Life has just sped up on me suddenly, before I know it the day is over and no time remains for knitting or reading.  I'm not sure why  I thought that graduate school wouldn't be too much different from undergraduate.

The special sweater has been placed in time out, I have been struggling with the shoulder shaping and I just don't have the time or brain power to think about it right now.  But someday this warm little creation of mine will be finished.

It is also very difficult to knit when my kitty decides that a project is just the perfect place for a nap and she is so happy that I don't have the heart to move her.

I have been able to find little bits of time to work on my lastest spinning project.  I love the smell of the wool and watching the fiber wrap around each other, spinning is just so relaxing!

A lot of my time is spent studying or preparing for exams and presentations, being a scientist is hard work!  I am loving it though, especially now since I found out I get to work with data from ENCODE.

For the science nerds out there, learn more about this, it is amazing.  For everyone else, still be excited, this project is going to lead to so many breakthroughs in disease research and personalized medicine.

Lastly, I have waited to have my own kitchen for a very long time, I suffered through college food (which is worse when you are vegetarian) for too long.  Now that I finally have a kitchen, I want to make everything (even if it is a little too difficult).  Last weekend I made a baby dutch pancake (the best!) and somehow it didn't cook right and ended up smoking.  Now I know that my smoke detector is quite sensitive...

I've also been having some health problems (nothing life threatening), so I may not be posting regularly for a while.  But I still enjoy reading and commenting on your posts everyday!

Fuzzy family member

Can you keep a secret?  I'm taking a little time away from studying for tests and running statistical analyses today to write a short blog post (in a desperate attempt to get back into regular posting patterns).

I really want to share with you all a fluffy ball of happiness that has recently entered my life.

This is Mattie:

Ever since I found out I was moving into an apartment that allows pets, I became very excited that I might finally realize my long-held aspirations of becoming a crazy cat lady!

My family has always either taken in strays or adopted from the shelter, not that I have anything against people who prefer breeders, I just believe there are so many unloved animals out there, why not take in one in need?

The wonderful people at the local humane society immediately pointed me towards Mattie when I mentioned that I wanted an adult kitty.  Everyone in the office loved her (her bed was in the main office) and wanted to see her placed in a loving home.

Needless to say, I fell in love with this 13 pound fluffball immediately because she loves people and is the most affectionate cat I have ever met.

She makes a great study buddy and will sit out on the patio with me.

Her other hobbies include:
- trying to eat bees
- sleeping on my head at night
- spazzing out and doing little burnouts when something excites her
- spreading litter through the entire apartment
- purring at me affectionately when I come home from work

Now for what you are all probably wondering, yes, she does like to attack yarn, but only when I'm knitting with it, naturally.

I'm so lucky to have found the perfect pet and I'm looking forward to many happy years with her.

Linked to Caturday, an excellent meme by Tanya at Tanya Today!

The Start of Something New

I know I've been a little quiet lately on the blog and elsewhere.  A few days ago my boyfriend (who I loved dearly) of seven years broke it off.  I subsequently fell off the deep end, very much like that scene in Anchorman ("I'm in a glass case of emotion!"), but not quite as funny.

Fairly quickly I decided that instead of feeling sorry for myself and letting this ruin my hard earned graduation from college that I needed to take this as an opportunity for a new beginning.  In the Fall I will be moving to a new state, new university, new job, new everything.  What a chance I have here, I'm going to take full advantage of this!

I definitely needed a little boost to get me going, so I went to the place that heals all wounds, Webs!  As always, the second I walked into my favorite local yarn store I felt immediately better.

As though Webs knew I was going through a hard time, Ultra Alpaca was on super sale and so I helped myself to enough for a sweater.

Then I made a beeline straight to the Madelinetosh shelf.  I've always coveted this amazing yarn, but have never been able to justify the cost of more than one skein that one time (in a moment of weakness).  But, if this isn't an emergency, I don't know what is, and so I went for it and don't regret it one bit!

Things are difficult right now, but I'm going to stay positive and make the best of this situation.
On to bigger and better things!

Knitting and TV, pretend productivity.

I spend more time than I care to admit watching TV or movies while knitting or spinning.  I'd be willing to bet that most knitters and crocheters do this.  To me, this is one of the best ways of unwinding at the end of a tiring day because I am able to relax and escape into a story while still feeling productive because I'm working on one of my projects.

Now, I have many shows that I really enjoy (even more movies, but that is for another post entirely), so I decided to share just a few that I have been revisiting recently in no particular order:
1. Twin Peaks: A drama/murder mystery by David Lynch. I'm not sure how to describe this show adequately, it has such an amazing aesthetic and some of the best characters ever (a lady with a talking log and pure evil named Bob to name two).  It is definitely one of my favorite shows of all time.

2. Downton Abbey: This show is wildly popular right now, and for good reason.  If you want non-stop drama and according to this trailer, a lot of people falling down, then this is the show for you.  Beautifully shot and with a plot line with so much drama that it is hard to keep it all straight, I certainly cannot wait for the next installment.


3. Arrested Development: Another difficult one to describe, but probably one of the funniest shows ever, it was certainly too funny for Fox.  It is one of those shows that you can't just start watching in the middle because all of the jokes for the series sort of build up over time.  Tobias is definitely one of the best characters with some of the best lines.


4. The Mighty Boosh: Another hilarious show and completely unlike anything else I have ever seen (closest thing I can think of is Flight of the Conchords).  A couple of years ago the Old Gregg scene was fairly popular.


5. Veronica Mars: I really don't think that this show was as popular as it should have been.  Kristen Bell really shined and made this show what it was.  Definitely more than just a teen drama.


6. Spaced: If you have ever seen the movies Hot Fuzz or Shaun of the Dead then you will love this one.  Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are hilarious together and this show is no exception.


7. Top Gear: Mr. Engineering loves cars, he's worked at BMW and of course loves Top Gear.  I also really enjoy it, there is a reason why this is one of the most popular shows in the world.  Even if you aren't into cars, you will likely enjoy some aspect of this show.

Anyways, this is a small selection of shows that I love to knit to. Which shows do you enjoy?

Busy, but still spinning away.

For some reason I thought that the end of college would be a gentle winding down to the end.  It is actually going to be a wild dash to the end.  Everyday I have been stretched for time and I was really starting to feel worn down and off balance.  I think that we all forget how important it is to stay centered and relaxed sometimes.  So, this weekend I took some time to breathe and relax, and it quickly became the most productive weekend I've had in a while.

Pumpkin's tips for staying centered in life:
- Stay hydrated. Your brain and body work so much better when you drink your 8 glasses a day.  I find it easy to do this when drinking some calming Earl Gray, especially since it gives off such a lovely smell.
- Have a kind friend who bakes you cookies. Lisa has started a tradition of baking me cookies when I get really stressed out.  Yeah, I know, she is awesome.
- Take slow, aimless walks. I always take my camera with me for these because I never know what I might find, butterflies, rainbows, the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen.  It is also fun to just see where you end up, not walking with any particular goal in mind.  Just wander.
- Journal. I love to journal, and I fill them with photographs, memories, triumphs, and challenges.  When I feel stressed I logically map out the stressors and the cure for those stressors, mind mapping is perfect for this.  I always end every entry with a success for the day.
- Keep your microbes happy.  My current area of study is the microbiome, the microbes that live on and inside you.  We all know that they protect you from getting sick and help break down your food.  However, scientists have recently discovered that your gut microbiome may also be responsible for helping you to moderate stress and can improve your mood.  So, be sure to eat yogurt or take probiotic supplements.
- Sleep. Well, we all know that sleep is important, we die without it.  But we all need to be reminded of this every once in a while.

I haven't been knitting a whole lot lately and I blame Sara for sending me the most amazing fiber ever.  All knitting time has now become spinning time since she sent me this wonderful alpaca as the winner of her latest giveaway.

In case it is not obvious from the picture, this stuff is as fluffy as clouds should be and in the most beautiful berry color.  Darn you, Sara, this stuff is addictive!  Seriously though, that woman has the best taste in fiber ever, if you want to see gorgeous handspun, check out her blog.

Have any tips on how you maintain balance and sanity in your world?  Please drop me a line, I would love to hear your suggestions!

I hope everyone is having a happy Monday!

Spinning from a Silk Hankie

I've finished some more amazingly beautiful handspun this week!

As you may know, I have been working on learning how to spin from a silk hankie, which is one of my Fiber Goals for 2012.  It has been a really fun experience and I would certainly do it again just for the feel of the silk against my fingers (so soft!).  Pure silk really does have it's own special texture.

- Spun: April 2, 2012.

- Fiber: 100% silk

- Spindle: Schacht 3" Hi-Lo drop spindle (2.2 oz.)

- Other: single ply, 77 yards, thick and thin

I'm so excited to see how it knits up.  I'm not sure exactly what I will do with it yet, but I'm thinking about knitting it up as a square for my scrap blanket because it just seems to fit there.

*** Warning, personal rant up ahead, feel free to skip:

I'm not sure if this is the most appropriate place for such a rant; however, considering it is my personal blog and I have to get this off my chest, here goes.

I attend Smith College, a historically all women's college.  I would like to think that our college is known for being a very open and caring environment, as well as for producing strong, intelligent women.  However, today we were told that two anonymous notes containing strong racist and homophobic sentiments had been slipped under students doors.  Frankly I don't think that there is any reason to do such a horrible thing and it makes me deeply sad.

As a scientist, I'm well aware that as of now, there is no genetic basis for the existence of race.  I'm also a secular humanist, in this case meaning that I believe that we are all responsible for treating each other with respect and compassion simply because we are all human beings. 

Not everyone may agree with me on everything, but my question is: why can't we all just get along? 

I like how the Universal Declaration of Human Rights puts it best: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood".

Anyways, apologize for the rant, I'm just deeply shocked by the fact that such a thing happened within my community and I'm not sure what to do or what to think.  I suppose I'm glad that as a community on Ravelry, that we are for the most part (at least in my experience) very supportive and caring regardless of our differences. 

Tea and knitting, the perfect combination.

Today it snowed!  Usually by this time of year I'm tired of snow and am ready for spring, but we haven't really had snow in this part of Massachusetts since the freak ice storm in October.  So, for now I'm thoroughly enjoying being able to glance out the window during class to see snowflakes drifting by.

Knitting is certainly one of the most wonderful activities to enjoy while watching the snow come down.  I love knitting bulky sweaters in particular, because their warm weight on my lap is so comforting.

While I'm knitting (often after a hectic and demanding day) I often enjoy a nice, warm cup of tea.  I am not a coffee person, not at all, all I need is tea.  There is something about tea and knitting, they just go together so naturally for me.

I'm also a huge fan of loose leaf teas because I find the texture and color of different kinds of tea interesting.
                       

                       

So here is my ultimate stress busting tip: the next time you feel stressed and in need of inspiration, try a nice mug of tea (doesn't matter what kind) and pick up your latest knitting/spinning/crochet project.  I'm positive that you will quickly feel more invigorated and at peace.

Beginner Tea Recommendations:
Constant Comment (Bigelow)
Blackberry Sage Black (Republic of Tea)
Organic Chai (Tazo)
Herbal Chamomile Lemon (Numi)
Earl Gray Bravo (Adagio)

Not the beginning, but the middle of a journey.

I am hoping that this will become a space where I can display my fiber creations as I produce them.  I do diligently care for my Ravelry page (and keep a Tumblr blog); however, I now feel the need for a more expansive record in the form of a more traditional blog.

A little about myself:
      I have been knitting for a little more than 5 years, but only in the last two years have I actually gotten seriously into the process.  The discovery of Ravelry was a huge part of that growth.  So, I always recommend that aspiring knitters get involved with the amazing people there.
     Last January I took a class to learn how to spin yarn using a drop spindle and was instantly hooked.  One aspect that made it so satisfying was the rapid improvement that I found myself making almost instantly.  By my third try I had something that I didn't mind knitting with.  I continue to get better and better at spinning every time I try.
     In March I dyed my first two skeins with Jacquard Acid Dyes and loved it.  I have had to put that hobby aside due to lack of space and facilities to continue, but I hope to dye more in the near future.

As of now that is where I stand.  I hope to continue to develop my skills and possibly even branch out into a small business in the future.  Someday I hope to design patterns of my own in an attempt to give back to a community that has given so much to me.  Lets continue to grow together.

- Pumpkin