Ravelry, Love, Socks, and Chai Tea

[for non-knitters, there is non-knitting-related content further down!]

Having explored Ravelry's functionality further since my initial post, I can safely say that it is an amazing resource and community. It's a brilliant idea and so useful when creating something new. I wanted to knit Monkey [a Knitty pattern] but the pattern is written for a top-down sock. I prefer to knit socks toe-up but wasn't sure how the stitch pattern would appear upside-down. A quick search on Ravelry for completed Monkey socks revealed multiple pairs of sucessfully knitted toe-up socks with a charming upside-pattern. Rather than trawling Google results to find a specific modification on the pattern, I could access a veritable cornucopia of finished socks with notes on the yarns chosen and the changes made. Fantastic!

Ravelry's photo sharing settings require Flickr, so I have obtained an account [hence the sidebar addition]. I've posted photos of my new Victorian wristlets, one completed monkey sock, and some sundry items.

Yesterday was a delightful day as I drank chai tea and read a new cookbook, Veganomincon. It's funny, clever, and full of new recipes to try. It has even convinced me that I ought to expand my spice rack beyond the boring cinnamon, pepper, and ground ginger that I currently own. I'm put off by the cost of spices, but when they are available in bulk in a nearby store, I really have no excuse to stock up on at least some small amounts...

Besides several books, my latest reading material has been my dear friend Lauren's blog, Writings in Cursive. How could I not love the blog of a history major studying abroad in Scotland? Her writing is excellent and she takes wonderful photos, so everyone should go visit and enjoy her blog.