Note to self: don't let chocolate harden in glass bowl before washing....
ABC-along
Showing posts with label ABC-along. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ABC-along. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Dipping Pretzels
Son and one of his pals had a blast dipping pretzel sticks in melted chocolate:
Note to self: don't let chocolate harden in glass bowl before washing....
ABC-along
Note to self: don't let chocolate harden in glass bowl before washing....
ABC-along
Friday, February 15, 2008
Chicken Soup with Rice
I sometimes wonder if I've signed up for too many little blog games. Well, perhaps I can sometimes combine them. How about an alphabetical local meal?
We stuck a still-partly-frozen stew chicken from our local meat supplier into the slow cooker and covered it with water along with a bit of locally-grown onion. About 18 hours later, the stock was thick and smelled wonderful.
When dinnertime rolled around, we added some leftover local rice (well, at least it was local where it was bought) and assorted root vegetables, as well as salt and pepper.
* * *
--Maurice Sendak
We stuck a still-partly-frozen stew chicken from our local meat supplier into the slow cooker and covered it with water along with a bit of locally-grown onion. About 18 hours later, the stock was thick and smelled wonderful.
When dinnertime rolled around, we added some leftover local rice (well, at least it was local where it was bought) and assorted root vegetables, as well as salt and pepper.
* * *
In February it will be
my Snowman's anniversary
with cake for him and soup for me
happy once, happy twice,
happy chicken soup with rice!
--Maurice Sendak
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
C is for Cormo
Monday, February 04, 2008
C is for Cabled Cardigan
Well--the consequences of blithely knitting away on aran cardigans in the car is that Mistakes Are Made:
The section along each side of the back is a 4-row checkerboard. And the edge section for the front? 2-row moss.
When I realized the mistake after finishing the right front, I decided to do it again for the left side. Because it contracts more than the checkerboard, the fronts seem much shorter than the back--but I think this will block out without a problem.
Now the question is, what should I do on the sleeves? Right now I am planning to switch back to the checkerboard. Any votes?
But then, you know, I plan to knit in the car today. Maybe I'll do one of each....
ABC-along
The section along each side of the back is a 4-row checkerboard. And the edge section for the front? 2-row moss.
When I realized the mistake after finishing the right front, I decided to do it again for the left side. Because it contracts more than the checkerboard, the fronts seem much shorter than the back--but I think this will block out without a problem.
Now the question is, what should I do on the sleeves? Right now I am planning to switch back to the checkerboard. Any votes?
But then, you know, I plan to knit in the car today. Maybe I'll do one of each....
ABC-along
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
B is for Bombyx Silk
Bombyx is "cultivated" silk--that is, silk from domesticated silk worms usually raised indoors and hand-fed--as opposed to the wild Tussah silk.
What I have here is silk noils. Noil is the short fiber (or snarls) left over after processing the silk fiber. It is super cheap--basically because it is just waste fiber. It gives sort of a nubbly tweedy look to yarn.
For my continuing alphabetical fiber game, I plan to combine this with Bombyx with Angora. Kind of a crazy combination--but that is exactly the point of this ABC fiber adventure. Stay tuned!
ABC-along
Monday, January 21, 2008
B is for Blocked, Black, and Beaded
David, Son and I drove down to Boynton Beach to visit D's parents for a few days. The drive was long but full of lots to listen to on the iPod, some good conversation, a stop in lovely St. Augustine, and lots and lots of rain.
When we arrived at my inlaw's house, I presented to its recipient the big "mystery" knitting project I've been writing about: the Mystery Stole 3. (I held these blocking pictures until the gift was given. My mother-in-law looks beautiful in the stole. Pictures of her wearing it tomorrow!)
Here it is, stretched out on a beach towel since I realized just in time that I can't stick pins in the heated mattress pad currently on our bed:
Although I started the Mystery Stole along with everybody else, it took a long vacation when the design for the wing was revealed. Since I had planned to knit the shawl for my mother-in-law primarily because of the designer's history of classic designs, I was torn. Although I now honestly think she would love the look and enjoy it very much, I wimped out and went with the safer symmetrical choice.
I had planned to graft the two ends together, a la Snail Spirals, rather than interrupt the lace pattern. (Go check out her gorgeous shawl!) After giving up on getting a decent graft, I decided to try the lace panel instead:
The title of the post refers to beads. Don't see them? Look closer. Keep looking.
Next time I think I will use larger beads....
ABC-along
When we arrived at my inlaw's house, I presented to its recipient the big "mystery" knitting project I've been writing about: the Mystery Stole 3. (I held these blocking pictures until the gift was given. My mother-in-law looks beautiful in the stole. Pictures of her wearing it tomorrow!)
Here it is, stretched out on a beach towel since I realized just in time that I can't stick pins in the heated mattress pad currently on our bed:
Although I started the Mystery Stole along with everybody else, it took a long vacation when the design for the wing was revealed. Since I had planned to knit the shawl for my mother-in-law primarily because of the designer's history of classic designs, I was torn. Although I now honestly think she would love the look and enjoy it very much, I wimped out and went with the safer symmetrical choice.
I had planned to graft the two ends together, a la Snail Spirals, rather than interrupt the lace pattern. (Go check out her gorgeous shawl!) After giving up on getting a decent graft, I decided to try the lace panel instead:
The title of the post refers to beads. Don't see them? Look closer. Keep looking.
Next time I think I will use larger beads....
ABC-along
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Saturday, January 05, 2008
A is for Aran
About a week before Christmas when I had finished knitting all the gifts due that month, I cast on Vickie's Cardigan (designed by Marilyn King) using Black Water Abbey yarn in the color Bracken.
What a great knit this is so far! It never fails to keep me interested, but it is easy enough to do during a light conversation or through a movie at home. It was wonderful car knitting as well. The yarn is lovely both in its color and its highlighting of the cable pattern.
Some knitters complain that BWA yarn is rough, but I'm pleased with its texture and know that any yarn much softer than this one will just pill up on me. I don't know why, but I can just LOOK at soft yarn and it pills. (Could this be something about the way I knit, or about the chemicals I exude, or something?) If I am going to invest much time in a project, I want it to maintain its looks for more than one wearing. I'm pretty sure this yarn will wear beautifully for decades, just as some of my grandmother's knitting has.
Aran knitting began off the coast of Ireland in the Aran islands. When a pattern is in the classic Aran style, it usually has intricate patterns involving cables, bobbles and other designs. The style may have begun as late as 1900.
One of the significant myths about Aran sweaters is that they were originally knit for the fishermen and that each family used a unique stitch pattern so that bodies of loved ones could be identified if they washed onto shore. Although this concept appears to be false, it is a romantic one that demonstrates the power of knitters to define who we are.
As I write this, I realize how much more I would like to learn about Aran knitting. Stay tuned for upcoming posts which will discuss more of the history and the technique.
* * *
Now that I've finished the back, Vickie will have to go in the knitting bag while I go back to a knitting project still on the needles that is to be given in a couple of weeks to a special woman in my life. Details soon--perhaps in a "B is for..." post!
Check out the details!
What a great knit this is so far! It never fails to keep me interested, but it is easy enough to do during a light conversation or through a movie at home. It was wonderful car knitting as well. The yarn is lovely both in its color and its highlighting of the cable pattern.
Some knitters complain that BWA yarn is rough, but I'm pleased with its texture and know that any yarn much softer than this one will just pill up on me. I don't know why, but I can just LOOK at soft yarn and it pills. (Could this be something about the way I knit, or about the chemicals I exude, or something?) If I am going to invest much time in a project, I want it to maintain its looks for more than one wearing. I'm pretty sure this yarn will wear beautifully for decades, just as some of my grandmother's knitting has.
Aran knitting began off the coast of Ireland in the Aran islands. When a pattern is in the classic Aran style, it usually has intricate patterns involving cables, bobbles and other designs. The style may have begun as late as 1900.
One of the significant myths about Aran sweaters is that they were originally knit for the fishermen and that each family used a unique stitch pattern so that bodies of loved ones could be identified if they washed onto shore. Although this concept appears to be false, it is a romantic one that demonstrates the power of knitters to define who we are.
As I write this, I realize how much more I would like to learn about Aran knitting. Stay tuned for upcoming posts which will discuss more of the history and the technique.
* * *
Now that I've finished the back, Vickie will have to go in the knitting bag while I go back to a knitting project still on the needles that is to be given in a couple of weeks to a special woman in my life. Details soon--perhaps in a "B is for..." post!
Check out the details!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
