Saturday, August 2, 2008

P8020040


P8020040
Originally uploaded by blackcatsynthesist
when I made this blog almost a year ago I think cooking stuff was what I primarily imagined it would be for...that clearly went well...but I finally cooked something! I used to make Moong Dhal all the time, but this is the first time I've been able to make it with the actual moong dhal split beans instead of yellow split peas...I think the result was richer and smoother...they are also very yellow, as you can see...

I started being interested in Indian cooking after I read Vine of Desire (and God of Small things) because I am a huge nerd. But Moong Dhal is tasty so I am also a lucky nerd.

P8020041


P8020041
Originally uploaded by blackcatsynthesist
a hat! made by me! out of yarn!
many knitters will recognize this as one of the hats in the Stich'n'Bitch book...this is my first non-scarf finished project, so I'm pretty excited about it...it's tucked under oddly because 1.) wig heads are way teeny and 2.) that's size 11 yarn and the pattern called for 10 1/2. I have a big head and assumed initially that it wouldn't be too much of a problem, but the thing could have been made for a bear....so I ripped it all out, tried to invent some sort of ratio to adjust the number of stitches and had at it again...it did come out smaller and still worked, so maybe that was ok...math is still a touchy subject with me.

the wig head and the wig are curtousy of my costume-savvy roommate who is conveniently out for the weekend...I like the purple hair because it sort of brings out the cool color flecks in the yarn...it's a tweed yarn (I think tweed might be the only thing that can be both a type of yarn and a weave...and I don't think one has to become or be made from the other...textiles is not really an intuitive industry...) meaning that it has cunks of other colors thrown at it...I think this yarn is 100% wool...it was nice to work with anyway...

P8020042


P8020042
Originally uploaded by blackcatsynthesist
a back view of the hat...a more advanced/less total newb of a knitter would have made this on circular needles, but mine is a flat piece sewn together in the center back...I'll always be more of a sewer than a knitter though, so maybe a few seams are ok

wool tweed yarn on 11 needles