Naalbinding

Yesterday was the SCA coronation, held at the beautiful Masonic Temple in downtown Indianapolis. It was so beautiful that I didn't want to spoil the atmosphere by running around taking pictures, so I'm afraid I don't have any to share.

But I do have a picture of my nearly-finished naalbound sock. I'm just a few rounds away from decreasing for the toe. This sock doesn't fit very well - the ankle is too loose and the instep too snug - but it's a servicable first project, and I'm sure the next pair will be better.


And that's a new needle with it - an ebony needle, made by Thomas the Mailer and often available through By My Hand Designs. I've long admired some of the beautiful hardwood knitting needles out there, but never indulged myself because of the VeryBadDogs. But a naalbinding needle is easier to hide and less of an investment, so I'll try it out. The wood is so delightfully smooth that it could pass for a steel needle, but it has a satiny finish that makes it a pleasure to use.


And I'm going to show off what I hope will be the beginning of a new culinary tradition - Friday Night Pizza Night. Aaron and I both read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle over the summer, and are tentatively embracing the notion of local food. Fresh food and organic food is easier to embrace, so we're eating as much of that as we can. In the book, she mentions a family tradition of pizza on Friday nights, and it seems like a good one to adopt. So this pizza is first topped with Aaron's pre-pesto (basil, olive oil, and garlic; frozen before adding the cheese and nuts) from his own basil, and probably his own garlic. Then we have slices of a magnificent orange tomato from the Cooley Family Farm, and rounds of fresh mozzarella (from Payless, but we're trying). We'll do our best to make a habit of eating delicious homemade pizza - it's a great way to save the Earth!