Happiness is good mulch

[st_aurafina]

1. It was a beautiful spring day today - all warm breezes, daisies coming up in the lawn, and green, green grass. We pottered in the garden and planted some garlic chives. Our non-garlic chives have come back from their winter holiday, and I had some with my lunch snipped over goat's cheese on the bread I made last night. It was very civilised, even if I will be complaining about the heat in what feels like no time.


2. I faced my fear of dealing with the crocheted afghan today, largely because lilacsigil practically frogmarched me through it. I am a chronic non-finisher of craft projects, and the urge to stuff this thing in a dark corner and forget about it was strong, but the steely eyes at the other end of the craft table kept me soldiering on. Now it's blocked and drying on a big towel, and hopefully the wonky corner will vanish and a nice rectangle will emerge ready for trimming.



[A cluttered craft table, in the foreground there is a green crocheted rectangle pinned on a pale green towel, and in the background are quilting squares on a cutting mat.]

See the clean edges? See the right angles? Maybe it's going to be okay. In the background, you can see lilacsigil's jelly roll quilt coming together, with batik-dyed cotton. It's going to be so pretty!





3. We watched a documentary: CREATURES OF THE DEEP! AN INCREDIBLY ~DRAMATIC DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HOW MUCH SCARIER THE DEEP SEA IS THAN SPACE. DO YOU KNOW SPACE IS LIKE, TOTALLY A BREEZE COMPARED TO THE SEA FLOOR? IF YOU THINK MARS IS DEADLY, TRY THREE TONS PER SQUARE INCH OF PRESSURE TURNING YOUR BODY INTO A PILE OF JELLY! WHY DOES NASA GET ALL THE FUNDING? WE HAVE A FISH VACUUM!

Actually, watching the fish and shrimp and tube worms going up the vacuum was hilarious, and I would watch that every day. They were so surprised! You just don't expect that kind of thing on the sea floor!



4. While I'm waiting for my perfect rectangle to form, and for more yarn to finish my pom-pom hat, I'm making a coffee sweater, which is more of a coffee cardigan, really. I just liked the buttons! I like crocheting rib - it's easier than I thought it would be, and it looks really good.



5. Closing tabs. A good feeling.
From tumblr:
- a-dinosaur-a-day. Keeps the... Time Lords away?

- Vintage Stamp Designs. I feel, like, some left-over gen-x guilt at how nice the stamps are from the former Communist countries. I remember they were very desirable at stamp club. Oh, god, I went to stamp club. I had forgotten that.


This weirdly makes a lot of sense to me, but I can't explain why:
- What Do London Underground Stops Taste Like? - London Underground, from a synaesthetic point of view.


Things to make in Skillets:
- One Hour Skillet Focaccia sounds good.

- Emergency Small Batch Brownies. Emergency! Somebody make me a brownie!

Comments

[vass]

This weirdly makes a lot of sense to me, but I can't explain why

I feel sorry for him: that was really sad. Not because he's a synaesthete, but because he has clearly never had a properly cooked sprout before.

The blanket looks wonderful, I'm very glad LS made you persist.

[st_aurafina]

because he has clearly never had a properly cooked sprout before.

Sadly, I'm with him. I don't think I have the gene for sprouts. (Though I have the gene for tasting the difference between limonene enantiomers, because we tested that at uni.)

The blanket is saved! Thanks to lilacsigil and her strong arm tactics.

[vass]

He said they were mushy: to me that suggests overcooked to the point where they would taste of sulfur, farts, and British boarding schools with industrial green walls.

Do you like other cruciferous vegetables, or is it just sprouts you don't have the gene for?

[st_aurafina]

I do like other cruciferous veggies - I think, on analysis, I'm a heterozygous taster of propylthiouracil. It's not the texture, it's something chemical in the sprouts. Normally, I'd be happy to eat anything caramelised and smothered in butter, but even that isn't enough to make sprouts edible to me.

[eleanorjane]

That afghan looks lovely. :)

Also... what's a jelly roll quilt? I can't imagine how the two concepts work together.

[st_aurafina]

A jelly roll is a collection of co-ordinating quilting fabrics cut to a certain size - a long narrow strip. You can buy other sizes, like charm squares or fat quarters. A jelly roll quilt is a pattern designed to use that long narrow strip.

Quilting is a science, I tell ya.

[clare_dragonfly]

::giggles:: I am picturing very surprised fish going up a vacuum. I shall have to look for this documentary.

[st_aurafina]

It was a very gentle vacuum! The fish bounced up so merrily!

I got the title wrong - it's called "Creatures of Darkness", which is actually more awesome when you think about it.

[clare_dragonfly]

That is a fabulous title.

[thirdblindmouse]

WHY DOES NASA GET ALL THE FUNDING? WE HAVE A FISH VACUUM!

Okay, I'm sold.

[st_aurafina]

It's actually called "Creatures of Darkness" which makes it even more awesome.

[thirdblindmouse]

So... they're vacuuming vampire fish? Now that's bravery!

[musesfool]

ah, thanks for the reminder of that focaccia recipe. I might have to try that soon.

[st_aurafina]

I saw it on your tumblr! It looks tasty.

[lonelywalker]

THE SEA IS TERRIFYING. I mean, what we know is there is terrifying, and what we don't know is there is also terrifying. I get scared even looking at this. Which basically tells us that I am a wuss. But giant squid are really scary, okay!

Emergency Brownies! There should be panels you can break on walls to obtain these. Or maybe just red buttons to press.

[st_aurafina]

The sea is dark and full of terrors! Break the emergency brownie glass now!

[healingmirth]

Ooh, small batch brownies!

I have totally made a single biscuit in a skillet on the burner before when I wanted bread and didn't feel like turning on the oven... and it has just now occurred to me that I could do something like that with chocolate in, so I may try to adapt that. Why has this never clicked in my brain? It's not like I don't make pancakes all the time...

[st_aurafina]

I love small batch baking! I'm a big cake-in-a-mug fan, too.

[retsuko]

Ha ha, that documentary sounds awesome. :D

And yay for completed craft projects! :)

[st_aurafina]

It was pretty funny watching the fish bounce up this very gently vacuum.

The afghan isn't quite finished yet, but it's in a state where I can finish it, so yay for that.

[heartequals]

That synaesthetic map of the Underground is fascinating!

[st_aurafina]

I know, right? I can totally understand what he means - I don't have the taste/smell synaesthesia but I do have some hearing/sight crossover when I'm overloaded. Brains. So full of crossed wires.

[redcirce]

That documentary sounds hilarious. Now I want a fish vacuum! The deep sea does have all sorts of weird creatures though!

And yay for finishing your afghan!

[st_aurafina]

The fish vacuum was so freaking funny. The fish bounced up it so gently!