B Is For Bonds, Boundaries

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Bond \Bond\ (b[o^]nd), n. [The same word as band. Cf. {Band}, {Bend}.]. That which binds, ties, fastens, or confines, or by which anything is fastened or bound, as a cord, chain, etc.; a band; a ligament; a shackle or a manacle.

Boundary \Bound”a*ry\, n.; pl. {Boundaries} [From {Bound} a limit; cf. LL. bonnarium piece of land with fixed limits.] That which indicates or fixes a limit or extent, or marks a bound, as of a territory; a bounding or separating line; a real or imaginary limit.

B is for

As I tie the cord, only I can set my own bonds and limits, and undo them as well. Thus, the only limits upon me are those I myself put. Lets not put any limits to whishes and imagination, let the soul free to be.

I’ve Been Tagged: Five Quirky Habits Of Mine

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Both Lia and Elara tagged me with this, in Spanish, but since I’ve always kept the blog in English, I’ll be answering this meme in English too. So here we go:

Five Quirky Habits Of Mine
(Cinco Extraños Hábitos Tuyos)
  1. I use one “style” of taking notes for each of my university courses. A different main colour, higlightings, comments, exercises, etc. It makes a beautiful “book” at the end of the year – and I even get compliments.
  2. I need to read. I need it, just like that. So I always have a book (at least) around, and magazines.
  3. The first thing I do when I turn on my computer is enabling the wifi, and then updating and upgrading my debian
  4. I always leave the HiFi on when I go to sleep, with a timer off. I need the music to cover the background noises.
  5. I always wear a star earring on my right ear. Nearly always (unless I have to get out in a rush) wear a ring on my left hand. And I only wear a watch when I have exams, and then it’s on my right wrist (don’t really need it!).

I don’t want to force anyone into this, so whoever reads my blog and likes the meme can consider him/her-self tagged!

Sade

A Is For Armour

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Armor \Ar”mor\, n. [OE. armure, fr. F. armure, OF. armeure, fr. L. armatura. See {Armature}.] [Spelt also {armour}.]: Defensive arms for the body; any clothing or covering worn to protect one’s person in battle.

sunglasses

Ok, so what have my sunglasses to do with armour, you ask? I use my sunglasses to shield myself against the outer world. I use them not only to protect my eyes from the sunshine, but to hide the mirror of my soul from strangers. I’ve always been told my eyes speak more than my words, and sometimes, I just like the “anonymity” they provide.

And this is the first post of the ABC series. I’ll try to find a pic for each letter, most of the times in a symbolic way.

FO: Cute Baggie For My New Little Teddy

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On New Years, my lovely boyfriend gave me a tiny cute teddy from Me to You (they make beautiful teddies, all of them!). And since I love taking a little thing along to university, so it keeps me company and reminds me of him, I made a bag for keeping the teddy clean in my purse / backpack. The pattern is based upon MagKnits‘s Charm Bag (can’t find the link at the moment, it’s on the December 2005 issue), but heavily modified (so! I’ll post my version as a pattern some time).

Teddy’s Bag

Teddy in his baggy

  • Pattern: My own based upon Charm Pouch from Magknits
  • Yarn: Katia Caricia, 100% merino, colour 3 (off-white), 50gr. – 175m. Some leftover from a pair of socks.
  • Gauge: approx. 30 stitches to 10 cm.
  • Needles: a set of 2.5 mm double point needles.
  • Finished measures: 21 cm around and 10 cm high.

Such a cute teddy deserves a merino bag, doesn’t it?

Sade

FO: Natalya Mittens

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Here it is! almost two weeks after I finished my mittens, I present them to you. This was my first ever cabling project, and I did use a cable needle (I still didn’t try cabling without a cabling needle as showed by Groumperina, but I will, some time!). I did enjoy the pattern, but of course I couldn’t help but modifying it a bit. Specs:

Natalya Mittens
Natalya mittens

Close up

  • Pattern: Natalya Mittens (pdf) by Savannahchik.
  • Yarn: Pure New Wool, DK weight. 1.5 50 grams skeins, in Incan Forest shade.
  • Gauge: 17 stitches per 10 cm. in stockinette.
  • Needles: 4.5 mm. double point needles, set of five (used the fifth as cable needle).
  • Finished Measures: adult’s (one size fits different hands, since the cables are stretchy).

How I modified this pattern: First of all, I didn’t have gauge(!): I had less stitches per 10 cm, which made the mittens slightly bigger, but good for my big hands. Then, I knit the arm part shorter, just about 10 cm, instead of the more than 16 cm the pattern directs. After making the thumb gusset, the pattern directs to finish with a 4th row of the pattern repeat (that is, the row where you cross the cables), I knitted one row more, so the cable crossing showed a bit better. And then, on the upper ribbing, I knit two more rows than specified, so it’d cover more of my fingers.

I think that’s about it! They’re very warm, and comfy. I love ’em.

Sade

Recipe: Pizza Dough

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What to do when you need to make time till your boyfriend’s plane lands? Cooking! So I made pizza dough, a nice tested and retested recipe. It’s very basic, but it turns out great!

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast (or one 5.5 grams package)
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water

Instructions:

  1. Pour 1/2 cup warm water in a cup or small bowl. Stir in yeast, and let stand until yeast dissolves and turns creamy, 5 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well, and fill it with yeast mixture, olive oil and a cup of warm water. Stir with a fork, incorporating liquid little by little, until a ball of dough forms. Turn dough onto floured work surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If dough seems dry and hard, add a few drops of water; if wet and sticky, add a little flour.
  3. Shape dough into a smooth ball, dust it with flour, place in a large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest in a warm, dark place until doubled in bulk, about 90 minutes. Divide into 4 balls before using. Can freeze up to 3 months.

Yield: 4 10-inch pizza crusts

Notes:

  • I like this pizza dough best once it’s been frozen and defrozen.
  • For freezing, I rather not let the dough rise. Once you’ve finished kneading, divide dough in four, grease each portion with a bit more of olive oil, and wrap in plastic, then freeze.
  • For thawing, put the dough at ambient temperature for a while, until you can unwrap it carefully, then place it in a deep dish slightly oiled and cover the dough with the same plastic it was frozen in. Put the dish over a bowl full of very hot water and let rest undisturbed, until dough has risen and at least doubled.
  • Roll out the dough on a slightly floured surface, and cook over parafined paper. It’s easier rolling it out directly on the paper, still using flour.

Use your favourite ingredients for making the pizza: tomato sauce, veggies, different cheeses, meats… My favourites include mozzarella, olives, onion and a bit of tuna! Bake at about 180ºC. You can also make calzone: just put the ingredients mixed together on the rolled out dough covered with tomato sauce, fold in half, and close carefully. Brush the surface with some oil, and into the oven! Enjoy!

Sade

We’ve Got A Hat!

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So, I knit the hat in about three evenings, as follows: the first evening I knit the seed stitch rim, the second eve, the stockinette part before the decreases, and today, the third evening, I knit all the decreases and finished the hat. And it fits, and the colour is lovely (pictures don’t make justice to it, no matter if I take them with daylight or flash).

It was a fairly quick knit, and very easy. I enjoyed it so much! And now my ears won’t freeze, since it covers them too :-)

The Hat
The hat!
  • Pattern: Kittyville Hat, from SnB Handbook – earflaps and kittyears removed.
  • Yarn: Pure New Wool, DK weight. One 50 gr. / 67 m. (approx.) skein in Incan Forest.
  • Gauge: 17.5 stitches to 10 cm in stockinette.
  • Needles: 4.5 mm double point needles
  • Finished Measures: Adult size

Notes: I liked the Kittyville hat a lot, but once I had the hat done, I liked it so much without earflaps or kittyears that I’m going to use it this way. I have three more skeins, so I can make a real Kittyville hat if I want! Also, the pattern asks to use a 40cm. circular needle to start the hat and then switch to double point needles, but making it all on dpn’s works as fine.

Happy Girl With Lots Of Presents!

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I just got my package from the Christmas exchange. My gifter is Elara! Thank you very much, Elara, all the things are beautiful. First, a general pic of all the presents, still wrapped:

wrapped

Then, all the things unwrapped!

Unwrapped

You can see a little pouch that came with the candy inside, a pair of socks(!), a pretty pendant or brooch in the shape of a butterfly, soap confetty in a glass packaging, an orange shaped candle, a pink elephant! magnet (I love pink elephants, they remind me of a beer called “Delirium Tremens” *grin*), a freebie to try out the parfum Black U, by Adolpho Dominguez, a shower gel with the fragance of 212 by Carolina Herrera, some vaseline, lilac eye-shadow, a mug with the alphabet scribbled all over it, and the most beautiful hand made scarf! (I think it is the Knitty pattern called Wavy, am I right, Elara? Edit: I am wrong, Elara just told me it’s Lia‘s Rainy Day Scarf *blush* Sorry, Lia!!)

For some detail pics, you can see: the pouch, the butterfly, the pink elephant, the socks and soaps.

It was wonderful opening the package, really! Everything was beautiful :-)

Gracias, Elara! (can’t say it enough!)

Sade