holes

The first batch of sourdough bread in the new oven was a little bit overdone (still good, just some loaves too dark on top), but Scott had better luck with yesterday's batch. Jesse's learning how to work the oven right along with him and the two of them are just tickled pink with this whole thing -- good fun, good food!

Happy to see the holes for which sourdough is known, and to taste that distinctive flavor of sourdough, made from starter that's been alive since the days of the Oregon Trail and actively in use here for five years or so.

Another happy dance for making something full of holes when the last two Swallowtail shawl knitalong'ers, Lyn and Leah, showed off their newly blocked shawls at our favorite lys yesterday evening. Leah's pretty psyched to have finished this challenging project, having overcome some major difficulties with it along the way. Now that she gets it, she has fallen in love with knitting lace.

While the swallowtail was blocking, she was winding the lovely yarns she received as gifts from Gail Callahan, the Kangaroo Dyer. She printed out patterns for two more shawls yesterday afternoon and cast on for one of them last night, having already determined that one will be travel knitting for an upcoming vacation and the other will be for knitting otherwise. She likes the idea of knitting things that are challenging, beautiful, can be worn in multiple ways, and, importantly, won't be outgrown.

I made a hole too!