Startitis

Friday night, I opted not to set an alarm for the morning, because it was the first time I got to sleep in since September. As a result, I woke up, like any good college student that went to bed at 3AM, at 2:30PM. Since the dining halls stop serving breakfast at 1 (which is perfectly reasonable), and I didn't want oatmeal, I made these:



Well, double these. At this point half were already eaten (mainly by me, but one by Jen). I used this recipe from the Splendid Table, which pretty closely resembles the one I use at home. I also learned how to cut shortening into flour using only your hands (!), very valuable skill, and way faster than the two-knife method (and the pastry cutter method, for that matter). I had to use a little bit of baking know-how, because it was rather humid on Saturday, and instead of slowly adding the milk like I should have, I just dumped the whole thing in, getting a way-too-sticky dough. So I added flour until the right consistency. These were a bit more delicate than the ones I make at home, and I attribute that to the higher moisture content. They were still yummy though (and I made my suite mates, and Robbie, very happy).

Later Saturday, I went grocery shopping with Jen and Robbie (we were initially just dropping Robbie off at his house, because he rode his bike to campus for a leisurely bike ride, when he got a flat tire, leaving him stranded, but then we invited him along to Publix, and he actually did need to pick up a few things, so he tagged along). I had intentions of getting shortening, flour, and peanut butter, and ended up with (in addition to the aforementioned items), honey vanilla chamomile tea, apple cider, and a pomegranate:



The pomegranate is especially exciting, because I haven't had one in two years. They're only in season for a month or two, and I missed them last year because I didn't have a knife to cut one open with. They're my annual treat, and I usually only manage one because they take so long to eat. But I love it (and I loved them before they were popular too! Just like Twilight).

Hourglass is going semi-well. I tried to have the pair done before today, but, well, it just wasn't going to happen. Instead, I'm about halfway through the leg on sock #1 (something tells me I'm not going to get my OWL this term, considering I have a month to make 5.5 socks, two of which are very similar to previous pairs that have taken me a month on their own). It's looking quite nice, and I can't wait to wear them!



And then I started another pair...



Just my standard vanilla sock (JMCO, short row heel, 1x1 rib cuff, invisible BO). I can do this without looking, and it keeps my hands busy when doing lots of reading for all my exams (Seriously, it's like finals, but worse, because during finals, the tests are the only thing you have to worry about. Now I have to worry about tests in all my classes, plus homework and lab write ups at the same time. GAH!). Love the color of the yarn (the yarn itself is meh, mainly because it's being irritating and not letting me get my normal gauge when I knit continental, with means I'll have pierced skin on my index finger if I knit to aggressively...). It's Silky Sock from the Great Adirondack Yarn Company, in Serengetti II.

Oh, and today I cast on some mittens. It's terrible. I have so many WIPs going, it's getting so confusing and clutter-tastic. Must kill pile of WIPs in basket. Getting tangled with all my needles....