(no subject)

[bedlamsbard]

Oh, gods, I suddenly want to drop the classics stuff and embrace Norse mythology. I could switch one class out, but I already bought the books! But Norse mythology! Which is apparently all over the Chronicles (as well as the Greek mythology!)! And I am really intrigued by some things! Like the Norse influence on British mythology and folklore! OH DEAR.*

Also I now really want to knit this blanket (Ravelry link).

*On the bright side, maybe that could be my senior thesis? Only I wanted more classics in my senior thesis!

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Only tangential to your post, but...

Back in high school we had to read all of these passages out of the bible because "this stuff comes up all the time in literature!!1!". And I kept looking at the books I read and going, "um..." because it comes up a lot more rarely than mythology of various sorts.

Also, I avoid choosing my classes according to my writing interests because...well honestly, the ideas pop up anywhere. And I have enough trouble resisting writing fic of my Latin book without throwing in classes I know will give me *more* ideas. (classes I'm avoiding: history and government)

[bedlamsbard]

Well, I'm a Classics and Medieval and Early Modern Studies double-major mostly because I really like that sort of thing -- history, literature, random other things that aren't as easily defined (last semester I took a class on fairy tales: awesome), and my interest in mythology showed up long before I started writing.

[dogstar]

that blanket makes me want to learn to knit!

[bedlamsbard]

Knitting is awesome!

[aella_irene]

Okay. Once I've made a decent number of baby blankets, I may try that as an afghan. For it is gorgeous.

[bedlamsbard]

There is also this as a baby blanket, and in afghan size. (Though it looks like the afghan's no longer available as a free download.)

[aella_irene]

Hm. I am a little dubious about doing anything that could be fragile for a baby. (I am also wondering why everything is white. You do not want to give babies white things! What do babies do? They stain things. You give them things in brighter colours where stains will not be so obvious. Things I am checking for when I buy baby wool: how easy is it to wash this?) (...now I am worrying that brighter things will hurt babies eyes.)

[bedlamsbard]

I don't...think it's fragile? Like, there's not much point in making a blanket, baby or not, if it's fragile, which is my impression. And you don't have to make it white!

I think cashmere is washable -- I've seen Debbie Bliss Cashmerino mentioned a lot for baby things. Some of the softer acrylics. Superwash wool. Not bamboo or non-superwash wool.

[aella_irene]

But this makes me wonder why all the examples are white, or in pale colours.

Yes, but cashmere may be special wash. I'll check when I buy it if it needs a special wash cycle other than normal baby clothes.

[bedlamsbard]

Because you can see the pattern easiest that way? Patterns don't show up as well in dark colors.

I would look around at yarns on Ravelry, and check out the comments to see how they fared in the wash.

[aella_irene]

...now I feel like an idiot.

And yes, will do that.

[bedlamsbard]

*pets* 'sall right. It's not the sort of thing one thinks of normally.

TELL ME NOT TO BUY YARN IT IS ON SALE AND I AM A SUCKER FOR COLORWAYS AND/OR PATTERNS RELATED TO MYTHOLOGY.

[aella_irene]

Darling, I am not the person you want to say this to. I am an enabler, remember?

[bedlamsbard]

Actually, yaaaaaarn. Already bought all my textbooks, am selling some back from summer term and last semester, got slightly more financial aid than I expected. YAAAAAAAARN.

[aella_irene]

Yaaaarn! (I am buying my yarn just after payday. It is cost effective, because I get discount, so obviously what I need to do is buy wool for a baby blanket, and for my little sister's Christmas present at the same time!)

[bedlamsbard]

I am buying yarn for nothing in particular, but for the, uh, sheer joy of stash. Finally! A hobby where my packrat habit is actually useful! (Although I draw the line at taking my jewelry-making equipment to school. By the way, you are getting stitch markers for Christmas, do you have a preference on stones? I have several zuni bears (rose quartz, brecciated jasper, turquoise, and a stone I'm not sure on), hematite hearts, mother-of-pearl flowers, and a multitude of drops, chips, and rounds.)

[aella_irene]

If I could afford to, I would! As it is, I am stealing knitting needles from my mother.

Mother-of-pearl flowers sound pretty. Other than that, anything pink or green. (I have a theme going on. It is mostly a bedclothes theme, but I'm expanding it.)

[bedlamsbard]

I probably cannot afford to, but, uh -- yarn? Cheaper than therapy. That's my justification. And a yarn habit is a much better habit to have than a drinking habit or a crack habit! Both of which are probably more common to pick up at university. (Well, lie: overheard conversation at Tulane: "Oh, honey, we don't do crack here. This is Tulane. We do cocaine.")

Yay! I have been using mother-of-pearl flowers myself, and they're very nice. (The beads look sort of like this, only slightly more pink.) And the turquoize zuni bears are definitely more greenish than blue -- I have blue turquoise chips, but they don't match the bears!

[aella_irene]

Yarn can lead to good things, at least!

Oooh, very pretty indeed! (Oh, blue turquoise chips! ...do not ask about my earring habit. I have a boxful, and do I wear 'em?)

[bedlamsbard]

Oh, yes! And lace is fabulous; now, if only I had yarn in, like, worsted or DK weight so I could do baby things beside teetiny booties. Alas, it is all fingering weight: socks and shawls it is! I have not yet geared myself up to try knitting lace weight, because that stuff is tiny omg. (Also, I really want to knit this shawl, but I seldom buy more than one skein of a single colorway at a time, so that will require planning. And beads. And more needles than I actually have. Also this one! SHAWLS ARE SO PRETTY.)

I would take pictures, but, uh, I still haven't put new batteries in my camera.

Heh! I used to make earrings (actually, I still can, I'm just out of earwires), but despite having pierced ears, I almost never wear them! Although I should do so more often, I like hoops. Also my awesome "well-behaved women rarely make history" earrings! (Also, for the first time in seven years, I'm not wearing any rings.)

[aella_irene]

Your US weights are strange to me! We have things in plys. (2-ply, 4-ply, 6-ply, etc.) I am going to alternate baby blankets with socks and Lace and Hemlock, before going onto the World Tree afghan.

I wear studs for work, and dangly ones otherwise, but I have dangly ones I never wear because I don't have the right outfit, alas.

[bedlamsbard]

Most of the time yarn is also listed with plies as well as by weight, which appears to be a little subjective based on the seller.

Right now I am knitting this in Malabrigo Sock "Persia, which is a green and bronze-ish colorway. It's pretty! I hope I don't run out of yarn!

My well-behaved women earrings are dangly -- they're slightly curved strips of silver, and one has "well-behaved women" etched onto it, and the other one has "rarely make history." I LOVE THEM.

[aella_irene]

Oooh, pretty. (Oooh! I have found you on Ravelry!)

Oh, those sound gorgeous!

[bedlamsbard]

It's lots of fun! I like lace, I have found. (And yes, I bought more yarn! Two skeins, one of Gaia and one of a sport-weight gray-purple called Whisper.)

I will try and take pictures! As I have been meaning to since I got them. Last December.

[aella_irene]

I would like to try lace. *deep breaths* Less than a fortnight until payday, and then I will go shopping! Actually, I might buy the pattern before that. If I buy it soon enough, I can get my parents to print it out and bring it up for me...

Please do! Last December caulkhead and I went to the South Bank Christmas Market, and I bought earrings, and a watch on a chain that I need to get fixed. (I dropped it, and now it won't shut.)

[bedlamsbard]

Traveling Woman is a good beginning lace project, if you happen to be into shawls. And free! (Note to self: put batteries in camera. Photograph Traveling Woman. And earrings.)

[aella_irene]

I have added it to my queue!