finishing

I can't believe it, two days ago I was complaining of the cold, and today it's up above eighty...
Decided to take some pictures of the stash and to finally upload everything to ravelry, in an effort to keep myself more organized, though I fear tis a futile effort.
Yesterday I went to take a picture of my finished Colonnade shawl, pre-blocking, and when I went to lift it up a moth flew out of it. I saw him a few days ago, in the bathroom, but I had assumed he was just staying for the night and would find somewhere else to go. Well, I suppose he did find another place - and I don't blame him, the shawl is extraordinarily comfortable - but it shocked me just the same when he came flying up at my face. I used a piece of card and a jar to get him back outside, but couldn't resist taking a picture of his sweet little face beforehand.
In taking out everything to take pictures of it, I've found several abandoned projects. Some were frogged, but a few will have to be ressurected. I'm just so bad at finishing, the knitting I'm fine with, but the weaving in of ends? Such a bother. I really should get on that though.
Another thing I finished recently, but that also needs to be blocked, is the blue Annis. That little ball - that's all the yarn I had left after binding off. That last row was rather terrifying, I didn't know if I'd have enough to make it. Same with the Colonnade, actually - nearly ran out of yarn on that one as well, although with that one my intention was to use up as much of the skein as possible, so I suppose it was self-inflicted.
Still need to weave in the ends on both of them though...
I suppose that - with finishing updating ravelry - will be the object of next week.
I've two weeks until volleyball starts back up, and a month until school... it seems almost surreal, I've so much time and at the same time so little. A lot to do, too, even besides the fibre-crafty-related objects of business. Loads of Spanish, some summer reading homework, and of course I need to go through my warderobe and dispose of everything worn out and outgrown and replace it with bright shiny new (or, at the least, new-to-me) things. I need new school shoes, too, and to go buy all my textbooks. August is when I switch out of both camp mode and lazy mode, and get back into my schedule of going to bed early and then waking at the crack of dawn. I find often I'm much more productive that way. Yay, being a morning person! No, I love the way the morning is so fresh and new, and unspoiled, and quiet. It's somehow exhilirating, being either the first person awake or the last person still up, to know that all around you your world is sleeping.
I'm looking forward to the rest of August.

It's been cold enough that it doesn't feel quite like summer. I made borscht yesterday, with the loveliest fresh beets from the farmer's market, and some absolutely adorable carrots. There's enough of it that I'll be eating it for the next week, most likely, but I don't mind, because it tastes amazing.

There's been some knitting going on, too, and it was with shock that I realised last night that I only have one true wip -- the other ten on my ravelry project page only need to be made up and blocked. Once I get around to that I'll finally have something to show for all my effort. No wonder I've been feeling like I've been knitting and knitting and knitting and not getting anywhere! The Olympics make for a perfect time to work, too. Sit there, oogle the athletes, and be impressed by their work, all the while clicking away.

I haven't written a lot lately, and I'm gradually easing back into that. It's freeing.

Borscht:

3 potatoes

1/2 of a tiny cabbage head

Pinch salt

3 small beets

3 carrots

1 tomato

Some oil

Several dashes of dried onion

A few peppercorns and two bay leaves (or more, or less, to your tastes)

Coarsely chop the cabbage into cubes. Cube the potatoes. Put both into the soup pot you plan on using, and fill with water until vegetables are covered. Add another cup or so. Add a few pinches of salt -- careful, you don't want this too salty -- and set on the stovetop to boil away until potatoes are cooked through.

While the cabbage and potatoes are cooking, grate the carrots. Coarsely grate the beets. Chop the tomato into tiny cubes. Put some oil on a pan, add the dried onion (or half an onion, chopped, if you have it. We were all out of onions so I had to make do), and let sizzle until on the lighter side of golden brown. Add in the beets, carrots, and tomato, and cook until done -- or as long as you can bear. A lot of the moisture will have evaporated, and the texture will be slightly different -- softer. Make sure it doesn't burn.

Add the peppercorns and bay leaves to the soup pot. I put them into a tea strainer so it's easier to fish them out, but you can just let them float and take them out as you serve. Add the contents of the pan to the soup pot, stirring, and let it rest at a low boil for at least fifteen more minutes.

Serve with a healthy dollop of sour cream and a few pieces of black bread.