project 52: week 42

What is Project 52? It's a little like Project 365, but instead of the goal of posting a photo each day, I'll post a photo or two each week along with a short update. Really I just need a little push to post something every week. Since I like to keep this space positive, posting every week forces me to look back and find something shiny to talk about (ten points if you get that reference). Some weeks that's a piece of cake. Other weeks it's more of a challenge, and those weeks give this task true meaning.

What's New?
It's hot in Seattle. Really, really hot. Well, not as hot as it gets in the mid-west or the east coast, but out here we don't really believe in air conditioners. Instead, our local libraries and community centers (and movie theaters and malls) operate as cooling centers. My basically-basement apartment has been hovering at 70 degrees no matter what I do (it's been 80-90 degrees outside). And that's without any baking and pretty much minimal cooking. Do you know how hard it is for me to give up baking and cooking? Pretty darn hard. But I just can't justify all the extra heat it produces in my tiny apartment. I have kale from my CSA share that is begging to be turned into kale chips, but sadly I cannot do it.

Instead, I made refrigerator kohlrabi pickles, sun tea that was promptly mixed with lemonade concentrate (from a canning adventure I had back in cold April), and one small batch of strawberry balsamic jam.

Currently Reading

• The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
• Grounded by Megan Morrison

On the Needles
This week I started my Wood Hollow Vest again, for the third time. I initially started it last August, exactly as the pattern was written. I got into a groove and enjoyed all the cables, but I found some mistakes I made early on. I knit up about 6 inches before deciding to start over. The second start was last September. I restarted in order to knit it in the round. Big mistake. See, the cable pattern was easy to memorize knit flat, but in the round my brain just couldn't get a handle on it. So I made even more mistakes than I had the first time. And I wasn't happy with it at all. So I set it aside and knit other things. Fast forward to almost a year later, and I've ripped it out again in order to start over. This time I'm knitting it flat again like the pattern calls for, and I'm going slower knowing where I'll likely make mistakes.

I've made it through three full pattern repeats and I love these cables!

Looking Forward To

1. helping dear friends move into their first house
2. stitch & bitch
3. happy hour with my old teaching buddy
4. camping at Penrose with friends