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Argh, migraines suck ass. I'm glad you found out how you can handle it while driving. That's one of my fears.

Second ocular migraine this week. The first one came with a typical migraine after, and I had to leave work early. The second started while I was driving home. Thankfully I was able to get home before it got intense. Since these started happening a few years ago it's been a fear that it would happen while driving. It wasn't as bad as I feared.

No idea what is triggering it. They're very annoying.

#migraine #migraines suck

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I’ve been knitting my way through this book by making friends gifts of hats they want. Its been great.

#knitting #Project ideas

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Reblog to open a rail line from your blog to the person you reblogged this from

#Reblogged #amtrak-official

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I have a work task, that I have been avoiding (for a month). Then avoiding because I feel guilty. I need to do it, preferably today. Fucking brain weasels.

#real life.

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Guys, help me decide what to knit (and therefore spin) with my new purple wools. I know I want to make a shawl, but do I design my own or use a pattern by someone else? I've got twice as much purple (8oz) as "Starling" (4oz). I could make each color its own yarn or make something with both together.

I'm leaning towards a circle or half-circle shawl, with maybe some lace, but trying to decide if I want distinct bands of contrasting color or colorwork, versus a yarn that more uniform through or a sort of gradient from purple into the Starling blend.

#spinning #handspinning #shawl #spinning yarn

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Travel socks are ready gusset increases. Work went faster than I expected. Not only can I fly home tomorrow, I had time to explore this afternoon and knit while watching the PWHL semifinals in the evening.

Yarn is 3 ply worsted fingering weight from a Merino/nylon blend I dyed sage green and dark blue. I'm using my standard sock formula (angled toes and fleegle heel) with double moss stitch for texture over 44 stitches.

#handknit socks #travel knitting

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Yes, for your first large project, 32 ounces sounds like a good starting point. Plenty to sample with. Different wools will give you different grists, even for the same weight yarn. I have a cardigan I made out of BFL, and I call it my weighted blanket because it is heavy. Worsted is heavier than woolen, since everything is aligned and the air is squished out.

Another trick is to look at the weight of the yarn called for in the pattern and multiply it by 1.5 or so. Handspun is usually fewer yards per pound than commercial and it's harder than just ordering another skein if you guessed wrong.

I have lost yarn chicken on projects. I had to trade with a friend for more of the same fiber, add another color or fudge patterns when I didn't give myself enough buffer. But it's fun to solve problems.

I have carded 48 blue batts out a various dyed merino top. Tomorrow, I either start spinning them or start on some other project. I still feel excited, so probably start spinning the batts. The plan for this yarn is to knit a North Shore sweater, and I have already blended batts for the design colors and sampled for grist/twist. I haven't knit a colorwork sweater yet, so that would be cool.

#spinning yarn #hand spinning #handspun yarn

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Another week, and I leave for another work trip on Monday. For once, I don't need to bring my hardhat, so I can get away with just my back pack and leave the roller bag behind. I pushed and finished my previous sock project (started November 2022) and cast on the next pair. I also started my Dessert Ramble shawl on the way to a lake to watch the aurora, but it's too bulky for my ultralight packing this week.

#knitting #handspun yarn #dessert ramble #handknit socks

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best brownies in the known universe (at least, according to my grandma)

some year and a half ago when i was getting ready to move out i combed through all the family recipes that lay lost to time and one of the ones that i found was my grandmas brownie recipe. idk where she got it from (nor can i ask cause she has dementia) and its a printed out email she sent to my mom in june 2000. but by george these the best brownies i have ever tasted. would she be pleased that i am sharing this recipe with my vast following? absolutely.

YOU WILL NEED:

5 tablespoons butter (unsalted) 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate (or as much as your heart desires) 2/3 cup unsweetened good cocoa powder 1 cup sugar (white) (superfine preferred, normal works fine) 1 cup sifted white flour (can use gluten free) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder as much cinnamon as your heart desires (your heart needs to desire at least some cinnamon. its essential to the recipe) 3 egg whites 1 egg splash of vanilla extract (again, non negotiable step!)

preheat your oven to 325 degrees. grease a square baking pan (9x9 preferably).

in a small saucepan over medium heat melt the butter and baking chocolate. while that is melting, sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a small bowl. once the butter and chocolate is done melting add the cocoa powder and cook it together for 1 minute. add in the sugar and stir. it will get very thick. this is correct.

set that aside to cool. while thats cooling take a large bowl and put in your egg whites, egg and vanilla. beat it up with preferably a whisk but you can use a fork if youre fresh out of whisks. once the chocolate is cool enough to not scramble your eggs dump it in the eggs and mix it together. add the flour in gradually and keep mixing until its smooth and happy.

spread into your greased baking pan. put it in the oven for EXACLTLY 18 MINUTES. very crucial step. they will come out slightly under done. that is what we want. as they cool they will continue to cook in the pan. we dont want them to get hard and sad. they are not good when they are hard and sad. do not overbake them. you will be sad.

slice them up and as the official last step on the original recipe says: EAT ENJOY AND MAKE MORE! (theyre very good with mint chocolate chip ice cream)

#recipe #brownies

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Also, if you are using interchangeable needles, you can use the tightening keyhole for the lifeline. Then you can place the lifeline as you knit that row, which I find a time saver.

In intricate patterns, such as cables, brioche and lace, it’s a good idea to make ex ante lifelines every now and then, e.g. every pattern repeat, just in case you need to redo a section.

I like to use unwaxed dental floss, but you can use any thin and slippery yarn. As always, use a thinner needle to rescue the stitches.

Hopefully, you won’t need to use the lifelines, in which case, you merely need to pull them out when your work is done.

And remember: undoing, frustrating as it may be, is an essential part of the creative process

Happy knitting 🧶

#knitting tips

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rb if you’re a bi bitch who loves carbs

#potatoes and bread #pizza is healing

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Currently it is a mix of sampling and knowing the grist of my standard yarns.

My first spins, I spun much more yarn than needed. Like five pounds of fingering weight merino for a sweater. I've made at least six sweaters that are partially yarn from that spin.

For rule of thumb - 4 ounces is plenty for my socks and most hats. 2 ounces is yarn chicken fingerless gloves, so eight would be plenty for a hat and glove combo. 16 ounces will get me a fingering/sport weight pullover.

From previous experience, I estimate that my fingering/sport is roughly 75 yards/ounce and my DK/Sport is 50 yards/ounce, but that varies. I always give myself a buffer.

Otherwise, I sample for grist, gauge and appearance. I always compare to a sample card for consistency, and have a recipe box that I store all my old sample cards in. With this project, I'm doing a woolen three ply, which is not my default yarn (worsted two ply sport weight). With this project, I've sampled a couple of times over the last year. I'm deliberately starting on the on the color that would be easiest redo if I don't like how it turns out.

I have carded 48 blue batts out a various dyed merino top. Tomorrow, I either start spinning them or start on some other project. I still feel excited, so probably start spinning the batts. The plan for this yarn is to knit a North Shore sweater, and I have already blended batts for the design colors and sampled for grist/twist. I haven't knit a colorwork sweater yet, so that would be cool.

#spinning yarn #hand spinning #spinning process

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She is off the loom, and I am now twisting the fringes!

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Half the reason I use password managers is to keep my security lies straight. I'm not going to admit what my first concert was, even to a computer database.

I hate how so many security questions are clearly based around people who grew up with a happy, neurotypical life with a cookie cutter family. Why would I remember who the hell my third grade teacher was? Why would I know who gave me my first ever F? Why would I remember the street I grew up on?

I had to set up four security questions for my summer job (yay working for the government) and even though they had about 15 to pick from, I couldn't find four that I could answer so I had to lie on two of them, and now hope I remember what the lie was.

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#wired over the ear clips when working #wireless headband at night #wireless headphones other times

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Mocha with hazelnut syrup.

hi everybody please reblog this and tell me your go-to coffee order right now and if you don't like coffee feel free to include your go-to tea order instead

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Started spinning. Though first I had to take a picture of all the batts.

I decided to spin the light grey batts first to get settled into the spin. I'm spinning this long draw, shooting for a 3 ply DK. I have a sample card from an trial batt from a few months ago, but I'm not as practiced with long draw and it's taking me a bit to get settled into a steady twist and grist. If I don't get the planned yarn weight I've got enough white and grey fiber to card more batts.

I have carded 48 blue batts out a various dyed merino top. Tomorrow, I either start spinning them or start on some other project. I still feel excited, so probably start spinning the batts. The plan for this yarn is to knit a North Shore sweater, and I have already blended batts for the design colors and sampled for grist/twist. I haven't knit a colorwork sweater yet, so that would be cool.

#spinning yarn #hand spinning #north shore