선생님 저는요 강아지가 종이찣어버렸어요
I couldn’t help having a giggling fit when one of my students (normally an enthusiastic and advanced student) came in today with this excuse for needing a new copy of the homework. I guess some things do transcend cultures.
A word is dead,
When it is said,
Some say.
I say it just
Begins to live,
That day.
~~Emily Dickenson~~
So I left a snowy cold Canada to return to a snowier colder Korea. What kind of insanity is this? I’m back at work- and started teaching again today. I’m still trying to readjust to the time difference, but seem to be settling in OK.
I have too many projects on the go. I’ve decided to use January (almost half over?) to finish up last year’s projects (blanket squares and travelling scarves and beaded leg warmers and cute toys and cables) then start in on this year’s projects in February. I have an awesome idea for a knitting project combining funky socks with gorgeous yarn- not to mention the other million things on my plate. That’s coming up, once I’ve finished something.
Other things to look forward to in 2011?
Trips! I have high hopes for a visit to the U.K. in the autumn, a family trip to Japan (or Singapore if I get my way), which will most likely descend into chaos, and hopefully a lot more of Korea. E and I have a goal to visit somewhere new every Sunday (whether it’s a long weekend away in the far South, or a short hike to a local graveyard). Last year we failed spectacularly to experience ANY of Korea, and that has got to chance. The three new places rule is still in effect.
Books! I have a new Kindle, overloaded with books, as well as loads of other interesting books obtained while home for the holidays. I’ve just finished The Year of the Flood, which was brilliant- and am now back to Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde.
Korean! I am in full study mode this year. I aim to learn at least 10 new vocabulary words a week, and engage in conversation with my co-workers beyond “Hello” “Thank you” “Beautiful” “Best Teacher”. I will be starting the Weekly Hanguk and introducing random interesting tidbits as I study.
Otherwise, I have just over 8 months to survive until a longer stay in Canada. I’m hoping that next year will be brilliant. Here’s to a new year!
The Christmas countdown is nearing the point where minutes feel like they stretch on for hours. Today is Tuesday, on Friday I will be on a plane heading in the general direction of Toronto. Between now and then seems like infinity: I have 12 hours of teaching, 3 more nights in Korea and 150 or so rows of knitting to accomplish on my sister’s leg warmers:
The pattern is Sivia Harding’s Continuum and I am using Squoosh Fiberarts Ultra DK.
The first legwarmer is finished, with a single missing bead. The second legwarmer is about 12 rows in- fortunately I have 23 hours of travel in which to catch up.
Last minute brilliant Christmas ideas seems to be a symptom of the season… (un)fortunately most were too impractical to even attempt.
Christmas Countdown: 74 hours until take-off
So in anticipation of my first pre-strung beaded knitting project I prepared myself for some frustratingly fiddly work. It turns out that stringing beads on yarn while winding is a breeze.
One common hint includes tracking down special dental floss- but why not just use a needle and thread?
The yarn is DK weight and the beads are 6/0. Worst case is the bead needs to fit double the thickness of the yarn + the thickness of the thread.
I had a couple incidences where the beads were just not going to make it onto 2X DK weight yarn, but fortunately they were few and far between.
The first skein I wound and then strung- which I quickly learned was annoying once you started knitting with it. I constantly had to pause and push the beads further and further down.
Round two, I hung the skein and strung the beads before winding. I tried to strategically place the beads within the skein so they would show up when I needed them. This way I still ended up with a strand that needed to be pushed down, but it’s much more manageable.
Either way, this was a fast and manageable way of prestringing, and makes for a more relaxing and portable project then beading as you go. The leg-warmers are coming out beautifully.
