Thursday, September 11, 2008

Dr. Plant





So over the summer I was heading out of the doctor's office with BlichMa when we spotted a very interesting plant in the big flower pots outside the doors. Upon closer inspection, one of them had little buds on the edges of its thick, fleshy leaves. I gathered three tiny plants and potted them at home as my friends laughed at me. I kept the plants in a makeshift greenhouse made of a gallon-size Ziplock bag.

And now, two months later, Dr. Plant is doing quite well. He lives on the edge of my desk and is starting to reproduce himself. He is a very pleasant little guy.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Pete the Rabbit's Project

The rabbits do keep busy, especially if you give them some tools to work with. Or at least an empty canvas upon which to start. This project started out as a solid Staples cardboard box. Good for sitting on top of, but not much more. It sat in the cage for several weeks, and fuctioned only as a perch. The bunns essentially ingnored it.

So, I cut a small hole in it, just big enough for Pete to squeeze in through. This "front door" provided the catalyst for rabbitly creativity. The box now looks like this:





Front door, quite expanded.












Side door / window combo. The structural integrity of the box is beginning to get compromised. Pete is NOT worried. Bruno SHOULD be worried. No more perching for the big boy!
(The squeegee is NOT a part of the project...)













Back window - this side butts up against the back of the cage, so these opening are not doors, they are fenestration. Unless they move relocate the project.








And last, but not least, is the skylight.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

59th Annual American Mathematics Contest 12




Hello All,

The American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC) was distributed Tuesday morning at nerd school. Much to by delight, it was an exhilarating challenge full of unusual problems with unconventional answers. I hope to take Advanced Problem Solving next trimester if I can talk the registar into moving my schedule around. While the official results are not back yet, the answers were posted on a bulletin board after the test. I scored just 2.5 points short of qualifying for the next round. One question would have made all the difference. Just wait until next year.



-c

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Pancake Tip

When making pancakes, always include one ingredient that you are unsure of the origin of.

For example:

  • Use up that little bag of unlabeled flour that’s been hiding in the corner of the fridge.
  • “Is this wheat germ, or some kind of ground nuts in this jar?” Throw it in!
  • Not sure if it’s yogurt or sour cream? Whatever…


This will help guaranty hearty, one-of-a-kind pancakes.

Beware: Sunflower seeds do go stale.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Uncle Frank Hat

















Knit Picks Ambrosia, 2 balls (110 yards, 50 gr each) 20% cashmere, 80% baby alpaca
Cascade Fixation, about 10 gr
Needle—4 & 5 or size needed for gauge
Gauge—8.75 st per inch unstretched (this stitch pattern draws in a lot—very stretchy)

Provisional cast on 140 stitches on larger needle with waste yarn, crochet cotton works well.

K one row in Ambrosia to prevent Fixation from showing through at the hem joining round.

Switch to Cascade Fixation and smaller needle, K around for 11 rounds. Keep the Fixation under tension while working.

Switch to Ambrosia. K one round, then P one round for a turning ridge. Switch to larger needle and begin Beaded Rib pattern:
Work about 12 rounds until outside matches hem length when folded along purl ridge. Undo provisional cast on and place released stitches on a second circular needle, a smaller size works well. Work an outer stitch together with an inner hem stitch in pattern around to join. Continue in pattern to a total length of 5.5 inches from purl turning ridge. Place markers every 20 stitches, between stitch 2 and 3 of pattern. *Work to 2 stitches before a marker, knit 2 together, continue in pattern repeating decreases around. Work a round in pattern without decreases.* Repeat these two rounds until 70 stitches remain. Then decrease every round, maintaining pattern. When 7 stitches remain, cut yarn, draw tail though stitches twice and weave ends in.