which_chick | (no subject)

I mulched the strawberries with actual straw, the peonies with used pony feed, and the raspberries with leftover woodpile bits. The strawberries are still looking pretty darned impressive but the raspberries have not yet leafed out.

I also made bread, which is enjoying its second rising on the dining room table at this very moment. (I purchased a second bread pan for the making of bread so that I no longer have that problem to whine about. The new bread pan, while from the same company as the old bread pan, is not the same damn size as the old bread pan. Damn it. Why can't these things be standardized?) The bread recipe I use is mostly from the new Joy of Cooking but as it's me doing the cooking, we all know that I can't actually follow the directions as written. This is what I do:

2 cups warm (tap temperature is fine) water
3 cups white flour

Get one packet regular dry yeast (you'll have to buy three because that's how they come) and melt the yeast bits in 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Add this to the above.

Add 2 Tbsp. white sugar and about a teaspoon of salt.

Add 2 more cups of flour, whole wheat if you want.

Knead, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. When the kneading is done, make the dough into a ball and grease it. (I use olive oil.) Put the dough in a bowl, cover it with a cloth, and let it rise until the dough is about doubled in volume. Punch the dough down, make loaves (2). Put the loaves in greased bread pans. Let them rise until big enough. Bake the loaves forty minutes at 350. Remove them from the oven, remove them from the pans, grease the tops of the loaves with a stick of butter, and allow them to cool before cutting them.

So, how about those socks? I turned the heels of the socks and picked up the gusset stitches, which means that I'm currently on the gusset decreases, which is sort of interesting and rather elegant, ta boot. I don't know why so many beginner knitting projects are all about the big, boring rectangles when shaped things (which are NOT HARD) are so much more interesting. My grandma asked if I had a pattern for doing the socks with and I don't exactly. I did a swatch and I measured my leg and I cast on what I thought I would need and I could have fit both legs into one sock. This was NOT a math is hard moment, either. I did the math correctly but the ribbing was too stretchy and socks need to be snugger than I thought they needed to be and so I ripped all that work out and went with my gut after that grave disappointment. (I checked my gut regularly by trying-on the partially completed socks to make sure they were going in a proper sockly direction.) As it happens, I am not following any directions at this point but if you'd like to see the source for the directions I am not following, it would be here. They are good directions, I am sure, but I'm happier not really following them. Anyway, at the current rate of progress, I feel optimistic about getting the socks done in time for MS&W, which is next weekend. I'll be attending Saturday, at least through mid-afternoon. (Note to self: Get some cash before you go. They will surely have things you want to buy at this function.)

How about the Lois McMaster Bujold books? Uhm. They're done, save the hardcover. The rest are finished. That was fun. All ya'll were right. I *did* enjoy them. Are there... more?