Projects, projects, projects

Last weekend was lovely! I went to the central market and got a couple more blankets for my apartment. No insulation + no heat will mean a not so pleasant winter without them. Sure, it averages around 55 or so, but it can get down to the 40's. Not freezing, but if you can't get away from it.... I also got something to hang on my wall, because back in medieval times (and pretty much most of history before central heating) tapestries were used for insulation. I don't believe it will actually work, but I can hope. Lucy likes one of my new blankets and I seem to keep buying things with birds.

On Sunday last week, I did all my laundry and cleaned EVERYTHING. Including my dog.

On Sunday afternoon I realized I was sick with a cold (thanks, preschool!), by Tuesday morning I had no more cold, but it all went to my chest by way of my throat, so I couldn't talk. What a GREAT time for parent-teacher conferences, am I right? I survived those, though, even though I was pretty mute. Then Tuesday evening for Stitch and Bitch I met the sweetest, tiny cat!

Now to the knitting. I wrote in my planner in mid-September "Start knitting Christmas presents. Don't be a fucking idiot". The note was written in June. I did not start knitting for Christmas back in September. I'm starting now. I got distracted by something that will show up in another post. Here's the list I have to complete by December:

2 fair isle hats
1 Snowmen scarf (I just can't get enough of that design!)
1 pullover with Mayan inspired colorwork
2 oversized mittens
4-6 fair isle Christmas stockings
1 dog sweater

Okay, that's not too much for me, I guess. But still, I only have about 6 weeks to get it all done. My break starts the first week of December, so the things that are for coworkers need to be done by then (that's the hats, scarf, pullover, and mittens). I created a schedule and I HOPE I will be able to stick to it.

I am knitting away, but I admit it is making my brain explode a little bit. I started the scarf today and the mittens. I have a blanket pattern I am very excited about that I really want to work on, but of course, I will only knit blanket squares as a reward if I finish ahead of schedule.

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The Sweaters of Murder, She Wrote Episode: 11.20

I've decided to do a series of posts on the sweaters of Murder, She Wrote. I've watched every episode at least once over the years, and there are some fantastic sweaters in this show! Some you can find a similar pattern for, so if I can I will share it. Please note I am not very good at capturing all the sweaters just yet, so the picture quality is not going to be great. I had the idea for this while watching season 11, episode 20 "Another killing in Cork". So we will start there. Each post will give a spoiler-free synopsis of the episode, followed by a short review, and then sweaters! In this episode, we see Jessica traveling to Cork to visit some old friends. She stays in their big castle-like Bed and Breakfast with a host of "queer" characters (I use the words that are used in the show itself). Turns out there's a land dispute the landlord is involved in. People end up dead, of course, since this is a murder show, after all. In true Jessica Fletcher ...

First vacation in Guatemala

I live in Guatemala. I've been here for about 6 months now, well, I'm in the 6th month. I've gone to the market, visited Antigua for a weekend (twice), and explored a few things in the city. None of this was vacation. From the outside, it feels like it should be a vacation, but it's my life. I'm a teacher, so I go to work, get home, eat a lot of food, and crash. Every day. Knitting is involved in this of course. On weekends I grocery shop or stop in Dollar City for decorations or pots and pans. That's life. It's what I did as a teacher back in the United States. Why should that change just because I'm in another country? I know people will argue the point that because I'm in another country I have an obligation to do things and travel. These people are not preschool teachers. Planning a trip takes time and money, something I don't have enough of often. Just because it's easier to go to Antigua if you live in Guate, doesn't mean you want ...

The Snowmen Scarf

Yes, yes, I know it's VERY early for Christmas, but this is a pattern that I LOVE and am using to make a second scarf for a friend. Backstory: A year ago (October 2020) I moved to a new apartment, just after starting in a new school district, so I started binge watching Doctor Who because it helps me destress (naturally). I caught a glimpse of the scarf that Matt Smith wears in The Snowmen Christmas special and became obsessed with replicating it. I'd just started playing around with textured stitches more often, so it was a perfect project. Fast forward three months (January 2021) when I finally take the time to make the thing! I bought an expensive skein of yarn for it, because I really wanted it to be special. What I came up with I think is a pretty good replication. I loved the result and it's the only scarf I brought to Guatemala. It doesn't get too cold here, but I had to bring it anyway. Pictures for comparison: The original scarf Mine Current project...

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