The North Wind Is Coming!

Since it is now officially autumn, I have been [rather obsessively] checking NOAA to find out when it might begin to get cooler here in North Texas. Turns out, it starts tonight!

"Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 58.
Calm wind becoming north between 5 and 10 mph."

The cold weather invigorates me in ways nothing else can. I'll want to walk everywhere.

Long sleeves! Sweaters! Scarves! Cuddling! Halloween! Earl Gray with milk and sugar! I'm thrilled. :)

Unfortunately, the leaves don't turn colors very much here, due to the lack of tree diversity. Sandy soil + not quite enough water = small, awkward looking, shrubby trees whose leaves don't really stick with the appropriate seasons. Oh well. I will enjoy it just the same.

This may possibly only be a tease, as the high will still be around 80°F, but better 80° than 90°!


My Dad wearing the hat I knit for him.
Bye for now!

Crafts: Embroidery

If it is a craft, I have probably tried it.

Methodical though I am, I do possess a rather intense creative streak, and when I discover/take up a new hobby, I dive in head first. Not always the best idea, but more than once it has served me well.

I write this morning (couldn't sleep... now 4:19am) about a hobby I intend to take up as soon as my supplies arrive: embroidery. I got my feet wet (water analogies, anyone?) in it briefly, years ago, and think I would enjoy having small projects to complete that are not massively complicated knitting endeavors, as most of my knitting endeavors tend to be. Plus, it is less expensive and may allow a little more creative outlet than knitting does. Yes, I can be creative, but creativity and practicality do not always go hand-in-hand.

I'm not particularly good at drawing with pen and paper, but I definitely work well with other mediums... that do not request photorealism... or talent. :] Perhaps I am talented, but most of my trades are simply learned skills and I happen to possess enough dexterity to do them.

As promised, at least one picture per post: unrelated, but pretty.


Photo of a flower I took a few years ago.
Anyway, that is all. Goodnight/morning!

Thoughts: Transportation

My car, sadly, is dead. :( She ("Ruby"), has actually been resting in the same place for over a year now because I cannot afford to fix her up. She is old and needs some serious TLC.


Here she is back in early 2007 when it snowed.
The Guys (Thomas and Andrew) have been talking about messing with it (vehicle divas that they are), but nothing solid as of yet. I think I may just sell her and try to either purchase a good road bike or some sort of older motor scooter. :) They're fun and would be perfect for getting around town.

My current modes of transportation are Thomas' car, sometimes Andrew's, my cumbersome Schwinn cruiser, and my legs.

I was thinking about how much I really enjoy walking as I was walking (ding!) to my pseudo-home (with The Guys) from work. It is rare when I truly have a moment to myself these days, and I savor each one as one might expensive chocolate. Thinking time. Yes, walking takes twice as long as riding the bike, but it is also much less stressful and tiring. Plus, it is no fun to show up to work red-faced and sweaty from an uphill ride on a 40-pound bicycle!

Short rant: TODAY (well, technically yesterday), I thought I would take the bus to work, just to change things up a bit. It's free and usually relatively quick, but this particular day it was being driven by Dr. McIdiot. Seriously. He drove at a maximum of 15 miles per hour and SAT THROUGH A GREEN LIGHT. Really? I was rather upset because I left with time enough to walk to work, and I ended up being thirteen minutes late because I rode the bus. How did that happen? In fact, I did not even wait for the bus to stop at the main depot... I got off at a stop further away and booked it to my destination, probably arriving sooner than the bus would have. *smacks forehead* Last time I'll be doing that.

In short, people think I walk a long way, but really it is about a mile and a half and takes between 20 and 25 minutes to get to or from work. I love it. It offers me an hour of each day completely to myself. Yes, I have to plan ahead, but I am really in no rush to go anywhere. Taking time off from school definitely has its advantages. It has taken me awhile to see that because I am so determined to be finished, but I think, from this point forward, I will try my best to enjoy each moment and look toward the future, whatever may come.

Goodnight, deers.

A Thing!

Everyone should have some fun with This Thing.

Last Week

Mrh. I don't understand my boyfriend. But I'll not go into mind-numbing detail... I'll just wait until his roommate comes home and sob to him because he is my friend and understands some of the absurdities I deal with on a daily basis.

I did a "first" this week and mailed in a postcard to PostSecret. I didn't scan or take a photo of it, which I normally do with projects of any sort, and it was pretty liberating. I was hoping for it to show up on this current page, but I did mail it late to make it this week. And it may not ever be posted online. And that's okay.

On a lighter note!

I splurged and bought what I'd been coveting for months: the Plymouth Bamboo Sister Interchangeable Circular Needle Set! It was a fair sum of money, but a) I paid less than retail value because I miraculously found it for sale on Etsy, and b) to me, knitting is an investment of money and time. And sanity. Sometimes.

Included are: Sizes US 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 needles and cables for 18, 24, 32, and 40-inch circulars. That's twenty-four circular needles!! :D


I totally dig the case. Smaller than I thought it would be. But smaller=cuter.


!! Oh, so lovely! My first (and hopefully only) interchangeable set!


I wish you could see how smooth and perfect these are. They're like the Clover Velvet needles.

Only knitters can truly appreciate the loveliness of these needles. I'm ecstatic and cannot wait to use them.

And that is all. I've had a freakishly long day (inventory at work from 8:30am to 5:30pm) and am ready for sleep.

Cheers, friends!

Nerd Alert: Coin Collecting

Since I was a kid, I've had a fascination with coins. I probably have over a kilogram of US and foreign currencies, and have found many a wheat penny and one silver quarter in the register till at work, which I have fairly traded with equal value change.

So last week, I walked to the 7-Eleven to grab some watermelon and a Clif Mojo bar, and as I was checking out saw a wheat penny on top of the other coins in the "Take A Penny" tray. I traded it out for one of my own and stuck it in my pocket. I walked back to work and checked out the year on the penny - 1941. I then used it to void some scratch-off cards (scratch more than one of the three and it is invalid), and the edge of the coin became ultra shiny! Throughout the day, I rubbed the coin between my fingers, mostly out of habit. The tarnish came off easily and I was left with an incredibly new-looking penny with a lovely copper finish.

I showed my dad, who is almost as nerdy as me, the other night, as we had dinner together and talked for a long time, and when we returned to his place, he showed me a tin of metal polish he'd had for years called Nevr-Dull. It was basically cotton wadding soaked in turpentine or some similar solvent, but it did the job easily! I decided to polish the smoothest penny I'd ever come across that is from 1920. It took two-thirds of a Lord of The Rings movie, but it's finally a lovely rosy luster.

Told you I was a nerd. :)



2008 vs. 1920.

Quote: Cats

From the blog of Clever Girl.

"Having cats is kind of like having babies mixed with teenagers. They puke, you have to clean it. They poo, you have to clean it. You give orders, they ignore them. You set boundaries, they ignore them. You try to hide things from them (i.e. ribbon & plastic bags), they find them, eat them, and puke. You clean it."

Thoughts: Knitting

I may as well get this confession out of the way: I am an extraordinarily picky person when it comes to JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. I like things how I like them and no substitute will do.

Now, I love to knit. OH how I love to knit. I could spend every cent of every paycheck on gorgeous yarn from Knit Picks and still never have enough, however, I am a college student and cannot afford to do so. Yet.

Well, as much as I adore knitting, I absolutely abhor around 97% of knitting patterns. Why? Three reasons:

1. Felting. *shudder* I cannot stand the look or feel of anything felted. You've just knitted something lovely and promptly ruined it! Call me a fiber rebel, but I think felting is completely uncool.

2. Most Fair Isle. Yes, some can be classy, such as Eunny Jang's Endpaper Mitts, which I actually think are gorgeous and would love to fabricate a pair for myself. But really... garments are still knit that resemble Cosby sweaters? Yikes.

3. Too complicated. I am a woman who likes simple, elegant, well-fitting garments. No cables, no extravagant lace, no baubles, no frilly sleeves, et cetera.

That is why I will be casting on a moderately modified version of Alice Bell's lovely Brompton Sweater as soon as I purchase the yarn.

Like I said, I like what I like. :)

I'm off to play some Beautiful Katamari (a game in which you roll stuff into giant balls to create planets) before I turn in. Love to you all!


Beautiful Katamari: The King of All Cosmos!
P.S. Andrew, my boyfriend's roommate, is blasphemous. "Nutella is glorified peanut butter," my butt.

Recipe: Half & Half Bread

This recipe is for a fluffy, savory half white half wheat bread. My boyfriend says it makes the best toast ever. Which it does. :)

Combine in medium saucepan and heat until warm to the touch (105° to 115°F):
-1 cup milk
-1 tablespoon salt
-2 tablespoons sugar
-2 tablespoons butter
Remove from heat and add:
-1 cup water

Combine in a large bowl and let stand until completely dissolved (approximately five minutes):
-¼ cup warm (NOT HOT) water (105° to 115°F)
-1 package (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast

Have ready, mixed thoroughly in a separate bowl:
-3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
-3 cups whole wheat flour

Add the lukewarm milk mixture to the dissolved yeast.

Stir in 3 cups of the flour and beat for 1 minute.

Stir in 2 more cups of the flour.

Spread the remaining flour onto a clean board or countertop, place dough on top, and knead until all or most of the flour is incorporated. It is perfectly fine if some of the flour is unused, as long as the texture of the dough is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticks to your hands. This may take up to fifteen minutes.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, flip over once, and cover with a clean cloth. Place bowl in a warm place and let rise for at least one hour, or until the dough is doubled in bulk.

Punch down the dough until it has resumed its original size, and, if time permits, allow to rise once more as before.

Punch down the dough once more and divide it in half. Shape dough into two loaves and place in greased (approximately) 5x9-inch loaf pans.

Cover with a cloth and allow to rise again until doubled in size and fill the pans.

Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove bread from pans immediately after baking and cool on a rack or cloth. Test for doneness by tapping the sides and bottom: does it sound hollow?

If you prefer crispy crust, wait until completely cooled to store; if you prefer soft, wrap in foil or put in a plastic bag while still warm, but not hot.

Enjoy!


Hot, Steamy, Loaf on Loaf Action!

Wie geht's?

Hello, all! I suppose I should introduce myself as this is my first post ever to this new blog of mine. My [pen] name is Katja Zulu. I'm twenty-two and a half years old at the moment, I have a cat, a boyfriend, and a near-unhealthy obsession with knitting.

I am located in Denton, Texas and am (not really) working on a biochemistry degree. The "not really" because I am currently between universities and taking yet another semester off from school. I had some trouble with the oh-so-friendly *cough* financial aid department at the former university, so I'll be applying elsewhere on September 15th. Why that date? Mum gets paid and promised to front the $30 application fee.

The goal of this blog is to a) share my experiences in the weird life of Katja Zulu, b) keep my own thoughts in order, and c) share wisdom, knitting patterns, and recipes.

I hope to add a few stories and such soon, however it is growing later by the minute and I must eventually get some sleep if I am to wake up with Thomas (the boyfriend) to put on our morning coffee and toast. I really am a fabulous girlfriend. And humble, to boot! ;]

I'm sure I will have lists at the end of each post of things to put into type that will make sense only to myself. Just ignore them and be patient for their posts in the time being.

I will do my best to upload at least one photo per entry. So here is tonight's (this morning's?) photo:


My pretty kitty, Pi.

Goodnight, chickadees!

To post in the future:
Half & Half Recipe
Cap Pattern
Nightmare Cat