Molly Making a Puget Sound Scarf

I admit it. I kind of have a, well, thing for Sea Silk yarn from Handmaiden. It feels delightful against your skin, the color is deep and saturated, and it makes amazingly beautiful lace. Unfortunately, it's also quite pricey, so I don't get to knit with it as often as I would like. This winter a local yarn shop had a 40% off sale, including all of their handmaiden yarn. There may have been a small incident where I bought 5 skeins. I can neither confirm nor deny any rumors to that extent.

I knit this scarf while studying for my general exam this spring. Over the course of 6 weeks I read approximately 400 scientific papers, and to get through them all I basically ended up bribing myself. Read a paper, then knit 3 or 4 rows. With this approach I basically knit 2 sweaters and this scarf. I also passed my exam. I thought it all worked out quite well.

Pattern: Strangling Vine Lace Scarf by Nicole Hindes.



I really, really love this pattern. It's only 4 rows (2 of which are purls), and they are really intuitive to memorize. It's simple enough to really show off the subtle shades in the yarn without being boring. I am pretty sure I will be making another at some point.

Yarn: Handmaiden Sea Silk in Ocean (?), 400 m, 70%, 30% Sea Cell



I'm not sure exactly what the colorway for this yarn is, the tag didn't say, but it seem closest to "ocean". I was calling this my Puget Sound scarf before I looked up the colorway, however, so ocean seems to fit pretty well. The colors are exactly like those on the sound on a spring day - mostly dark blues and greys, but when the sun hits it just right you get a burst of bright cerulean blue. Lovely - absolutely lovely.

Needles: 12 inch bamboo, size 6. Very boring.



This may be the most beautiful thing I've ever knit. I really love, and it's getting a lot of use as a summer scarf.

Molly Making McDonald Creek

Jenny got tired of me painting squares. She wanted me to paint something real, like nature. Luckily I live in the Pacific Northwest, which means that pretty much every picture I take outdoors has a mountain of some sort in it.

Hurricane Ridge



Completing this painting taught me a lot, like not to outline mountains and ridges. I also discovered that it is really hard to paint snow. And realistic looking trees. I am, however, particularly enamored with the mountain peak furthest to the right - I think the snow line and the implied ridge is quite dramatic. Overall, not awesome, but not bad for a first try. This picture is from Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains, which we went to see when my sister Katie came to visit the first summer we were here.



McDonald Creek Rapids



I was quite pleased with the way this one turned out. I feel like the water looks pretty good, and I managed to get some detail into the rocks without going overboard and ruining the whole thing, and the far shore has the hint of trees without me having to actually draw them all in. Ben's little brother Josh decreed that it looked like a real painting. Ben and I took this picture on our honeymoon when we went backpacking in Glacier National Park. It's a great park, we recommend it highly.



Next up? Maybe some knitting that's been creeping along in the shadows.

Molly Making Grilled Cheese

Earlier this week the small cafe I went to for lunch had a cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese as their lunch special. While I opted for the paella at the time, biking home later that day under chilly grey skies, I decided that tomato soup and grilled cheese was just what I wanted for dinner. The tomato soup I put together was pretty straight forward: butter, onions, diced tomatoes, half-and-half, and some thyme, salt, and pepper. I added everything but the half-and-half and simmered for about 20 minutes, and then put it through the blender. At this point, I discovered why cook books always have that warning about blending hot liquids. Let's just say, caution is warranted. A touch of cream and a bit more freshly ground pepper, and voila!



While I'm actually a big fan of grilled cheese made with american cheese and white loaf bread, I felt that the homemade tomato soup deserved a sandwich which was a bit more adult. I settled on sauteed onions and smoked gouda on grilled sourdough.



The gouda didn't get as liquid as other cheeses normally do, but it got nice and soft and melded with the onions. Really, really delicious.

Molly Making Squares

For reasons that are not entirely clear to me, Ben leaving town on vacation is immediately followed by me experiencing an intense desire to paint. This is regardless of the fact that I haven't had a painting class since I was 8-ish and I pretty much have no natural talent. Because of this, my paintings tend to incorporate geometrical objects - I can practice basic skills without worrying about drawing accurate shapes. Ben's last vacation resulted in a foray into acrylics, so this trip I decided to try my hand at watercolors.

All of these are made with Winsor and Newton Cotman water colors:
Cadmium Yellow Pale Hue 119
Lemon Yellow Hue 346
Intense Blue (Pthalo Blue) 327
Prussian Blue 538
Cadmium Red 094
Alizarin Crimson Hue 003

Squares 1
6-15-2009



This was my first attempt at water color and while I wasn't very good at generating consistent dilutions I like the colors a lot and there is enough going on to keep my interest.

Squares 2
6-16-2009



I'm no where near as happy with this one as I was with the one above. My painting technique isn't really any better and the composition is a whole lot more boring. FAIL.

Squares 3
6-17-2009



This one started out really well (I was working on my shading skills) and then I added way too much paint to the blue square. Better luck next time.

Here Goes Nothin'

I am slowly coming to grips with the fact that I have the attention span of a 2-year old. However, I've decided this is ok since what I lack in dedication I make up for in enthusiasm. I constantly entertain myself with projects, ranging from knitting to cooking to sewing to painting. I'm actually a pretty good knitter, but I tend to either finish a project within 1 week or it languishes on as I move to other, newer, creations. The cooking turns out ok, most of the time, but periodically it goes terribly, terribly wrong. I'm not a very experienced seamstress, but I understand the basics and can make a mean bag. As to painting, well, the talent is uncertain and the experience is non-existent, but I like visiting art museums and our walls desperately need some type of decoration.