crocheting, etc.

I've taken up a few new hobbies. Perhaps I should add blogging to the list again. Actually, "the inspiration" comes just because I happen to have more time on my hands for a few weeks. We've returned from summer travels, and are back at work, but the school building closes at 3pm, and of course there's no grading or planning to take home, so the evenings have been long.

Last week on Tuesday, I was already bored at 5pm and didn't relish a long evening of nothing-ness. So Garrett and I looked up Indian recipes and headed out with a list. We found a little Indian spice store just 5 blocks from our house that we had heard of, and got most of what we needed. We made chicken makhana, and it tasted quite good. We were rather impressed with ourselves!
We also made up chipatis from Mark's How to Cook Everything book. They came out fairly well, despite the mis-purchase of what we hoped would be whole wheat flour.

A few weeks ago I pulled out some yarn and crochet hooks from a give-away pile, and decided I would learn. I've perused several "how to" videos on youtube and tried numerous times to simply make a regular pattern, as you would start a scarf. I consistently got stuck on starting the second row, and it always looked hideous. This afternoon I took it up again, and this time followed her videos on making the "granny square." She gives the best detailed instructions out there for someone who is just beginning, and I completed my first project!

I suppose it is a hot pad for our dinning room table. I'm just going to stop there and let it be that: the next one will be better, I trust.