Soft Serve – A $14 sweater

Meet the 2nd FO of 2011!  This sweater is a dream to make and looks pretty good, if I do say so myself.  It still needs blocking, but I wanted to get some pictures of it anyway.

The yarn is Plymouth Tweed, an aran weight wool.  I scored 11 skeins of this woolly goodness for just $2/skein at the 2008 Sidewalk Sale.  The sweater only took 7.  Seriously.  Under 800 yards for a crocheted sweater!  And I even added length to the sleeves and body.  (Full details of the sweater, with notes on my modifications, can be found on Ravelry here.)

The pattern is from Everyday Crochet by Doris Chan.  Special thanks to Liisa for turning me onto this book.  Doris’ method of top down, seamless construction is very fun and uses up less yarn than a normal crocheted sweater.  The shells make it go fast, so this lovely only took me three days.  No, really.  Three days!

A good blocking will open the shells up further and help the drape in the front. The wool is a little scratchier than some I’ve used, so it’s not a close-to-the-skin kind of sweater.  Although, I can definitely see this as a layering piece for  a cool spring/summer evening.

And I’d like to end this post with a Public Service Announcement.  If you ask your husband to take your sweater shots, you will inevitably get a picture like this.  I’ve come to accept that.

(At least the butt shot shoes off the edging detail nicely.  Yeah… That’s it…)

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An Afghan for Mom

My first FO of 2011!

Somewhere around September, Mom came into the yarn shop.  She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the afghan hanging behind the counter.

“I love that afghan!” She exclaimed.  “I love everything about it.  The color, the texture.. It’s just beautiful!”

Well, I couldn’t very well let that statement go unnoticed. I started her blanket the first of October with plans for it to be an xmas gift.  Dad suggested a birthday gift might be better since we already had some great gifts planned for xmas.  Since her birthday is in January, I agreed (it gave me more time to get it finished).  And I got it finished in time!

Despite a bit of a coffee incident with that center bottom block (the pink chevron), it was completed two days ahead of her party.  The reason it isn’t blocked very well is that it needed to be washed immediately after gifting.  You see, Nanook decided to help me by spilling coffee on that pink block and then running off with the yarn.  I got so flustered that I knit the top portion of it backwards, but didn’t notice until I was at the top block of the strip.  So, once all the squares were knit, I cut that block off, reknit the problem area, and Kitchnered it back together.

(Big thanks to Woolly Wormhead’s book Going Straight for having every kind of Kitchner in it.  I use it constantly!  That alone is worth the price of the book, plus you get lots of awesome patterns.  I believe I’ve knit 4 or 5 designs from this ebook so far.)

The afghan is made from Plymouth Encore Worsted, my standard easy care yarn.  It is soft, washable, and doesn’t pill.  Since mom and dad have two dogs and a grandson, I figured easy care was best.  Mom loves that it is washable and she agrees that Encore is very soft.  For full details, you can visit the Ravelry page here.  Pictures of each individual block are here.

Finally, Nanook gave it the snuggle of approval.  She doesn’t understand why I took her new blanket away.  But something tells me that Mom will claw it less…

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Homemade Chai Concentrate

A kit from Goddess Teas, this stuff is awesome.  The best part about it is you can customize it.  You could add more or less sugar and vanilla.  Personally, I think the amount of sugar that Dani packs with it is perfect.  But say you wanted to sub in stevia?  Go ahead!  I find my own homemade to be a lot less harsh than most commercial chais.  It took me about 15 minutes to make and most of that was spent waiting for water to boil and for tea to steep.  Plus, it makes your kitchen smell amazing while it steeps.

What do you do with chai concentrate, you ask.  My personal favorite is putting it in hot chocolate.  Mmm…  (The amazing Dani also includes a few recipes for using your chai in her kit.  Isn’t she fantastic?)

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Super-Deluxe Mac ‘N Cheese

I have never made mac ‘n cheese before that didn’t come in a blue box.  There, I admitted it.  I also can never remember my mother ever making anything other than the same blue box.  But, having made homemade ricotta yesterday, today warranted something with cheese.

Homemade Ricotta

I was originally going to make this recipe from Smitten Kitchen.  But then I got to pondering the protein content and did some browsing and ended up loosely following this recipe from Just A Pinch.  And I do mean loosely.  I’m pretty sure my hubby’s eyes bulged out of his head when he walked in the door.  Not only did the kitchen smell like Chai (I made concentrate earlier using a kit from Goddess Teas), but it also smelled like cheese, onion, garlic, curry, and more.  This simple mac ‘n cheese had turned into a Franken-Mac ‘n Cheese.  And the result?

Possibly the best thing to come out of my kitchen.

Homemade mac ‘n cheese

This one meal made a a TON of food.  Not only did I fill my entire round baker, but had to put some overflow into a mini baker.  Even after Sam and I ate our fill, we have a lot left over…

Approximately 10 cups of leftovers.

So, here it is, the recipe for Super-Deluxe Mac ‘N Cheese.  WARNING!  This is in no way a low calorie or low carb meal!

Ingredients

• 16oz large elbow macaroni, cooked
• 4 – 6 chicken tenderloins (or 2 – 3 chicken breasts), cooked and chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 5 cups colby jack cheese, shredded and divided (2 cups mixing and 3 cups for topping)
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 8oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup milk (I used raw)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook chicken in curry powder and little bit of oil.  Remove to the side and add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pan.  Saute until tender, add chopped chicken and mix.  Remove from heat.  Mix cheeses (except for cream cheese) with chicken mixture.

Add cream cheese, butter, and milk to pasta and stir to coat.  Add cheese/chicken mixture and stir until combined.  Pour into greased 9×13 dish and top with remaining cheese.  Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes.  Serves 6 – 8.

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Pegboard and Shame

Despite my ovaries trying to claw their way out this weekend, I did manage to accomplish something.  Along with lots of help from my wonderful husband, the craft room now has pegboard across one wall!

Sadly, if you turn around from the pegboard, this is what still awaits me…

I have a long way to go to get the craft room under control.  But (with Sam’s help) I can do it!

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Frozen Blackberry

Don’t drink while watching this or you might shoot stuff out your nose.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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Bread: A Comforting Constant

Bread is becoming a comforting constant in this household.  A relatively new thing, bread baking has worked its way into our kitchen several times in the past month or so.  No, not holiday bread baking, but actual, every day, sandwich bread baking.  I know I’ve talked about this recipe before, but as I continue to use it, it only gets better.  This round, I decided to tweak it a little (I just can’t help myself) and subbed in a cup of whole wheat flour.

BAM!  Instant wheat bread.  Not the hearty stuff you might think of, but more of a Sara Lee wheat bread, soft and fluffy.  I’m considering other tweaks I could make to it.  I bet it would adapt well to a sort of breakfast bread (cinnamon raisin bread, anyone?) as well as a more savory type (mmm… cheddar garlic…).  Only time will tell.  In the meantime, I give you a little bread porn to hold you over.  (I apologize in advance if anyone is currently on a low carb diet.)

P.S. I make my bread by “hand”, i.e. stand mixer.  I use a mixer and bread stones.  It works beautifully.

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A Busy Year Ahead

2011 is looking to be quite a busy year.  There are four scheduled trips, several babies due (none of which are mine), and possibly some time for me…

The Trips

I’m excited to be going to two yarn conventions this year!  I get to join the Oregon Woodworker once again at his booth at Stitches West in February.  I totally love working booths at a convention, it always turns out to be more fun than just going as a spectator.  The great thing about selling swifts, is that we offer a winding service.  You learn more about the yarn available for sale by winding it than wandering around that huge floor.  (You also learn what yarn you should never, ever, ever purchase unless you just intend to sit on a shelf and look at it.  Some of those $$$/skein yarns?  The most awful things to wind EVER.)

Later in the year (July-ish), I shall join them once again a little closer to home.  Sock Summit 2011 is in Portland and I’m so excited!  Socks aren’t really my thing (I have Single Sock Syndrome badly.  It’s no laughing matter.) So I’m happy to have a great excuse to go and peruse the yarns anyway.  I’ll also get to visit several friends while up there, which makes this trip all the sweeter.

In between those two trips will be one to Louisiana and one to Petaluma.  The first for a birth, the second for a wedding.

Babies, Babies, Everywhere!

Everyone seems to be pregnant/due to give birth this year.  My best friend is pregnant with her first (SQUEE!!) and there is much knitting planned for that.  Another friend is pregnant with number five (she’s a brave woman…).  In between that is a friend whose beloved is pregnant with her first/his second and a lovely Plurky who is due with her third. (I’m wondering if any of these folks realize how fast I will have to knit/crochet/sew to get this all done?  I think they should space their pregnancies out a bit…)

Resolutions?  Heck, No!

Also, apparently this is the time to make resolutions.  I know from experience that resolutions don’t work and just serve to make you feel bad/guilty/sad about yourself.  Instead, I have a small list of things that I’d like to work on in the coming year.  Not really goals or resolutions, just improvements to be worked towards.  And here they are, in no particular order.

• Keep skating! Staying upright and having a good time.  I may have to get some of those awesome flashing LEDs for my skates…
• Find the craft room. Somewhere, under the piles of things in that room is a beautiful space waiting to happen.  I’m starting slow and working towards the eventual end of a clean, organized space.  I have no idea how long this will take me, but I’m going to press on.
• Look fabulous, be healthy. I’m so excited to start the new year under 200lbs!  That is a huge accomplishment already and one that can only get better.  I just want to continue being healthy and active.  The rest will fall into place.
• Remember to say no. I want to practice not over-committing myself.  I have a tendency to volunteer for things/agree to things that I really don’t have time for/don’t want to do.  This is the year of No.
• Can it up. I received a pressure canner and new canning accessory kit from my folks for Christmas (I have the best parents!).  This year I get to broaden my canning with some vegetables! And we’re not talking pickles…
• Be open to new. I’m excited to see what this year brings. (Although if it’s another ear infection, I don’t want it!) I hope it includes posting actually yarn content on this so-called yarn blog.  But I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you…

And that’s it.  A short list of items to keep in mind this year.  Between the traveling, the mountain of babies, and all the skating, it’s going to be a busy year!  Here’s to 2011… Let’s hope it’s a good one!

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2011

The new year has come in with a ring.  At least that’s what my left ear is saying.  Since I’m starting out this new year with an ear infection, I’m giving you this cute picture to look at instead.  When I can hear again and no longer feel like crap, I’ll get back to real content.

Chloe & Nanook, napping on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

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