Dinner for One

Usually when Chris goes away on business or what have you I end up eating microwave popcorn or cereal for dinner.  While that may be o.k. for a weekend, six months of eating like that would probably have me dying of scurvy.  So, I’ve made a concerted effort to cook real meals for myself and so far I’ve been successful - except for generating an obscene amount of leftovers.

Last night I decided to try to make some of my favourite Japanese foods.  I haven’t been overly successful with Japanese cooking at home because some of the ingredients are hard to find and they never quite measure up to the meals I enjoyed at my favourite restaurants in Obihiro.  On Monday, Michelle and I shopped at a new to me Asian market and I found Inari no Zushi wrappers and I do believe I squealed.  I know it makes me hopelessly unhip but I’m not a huge sushi fan.  But I could eat Inarizushi all the livelong day.  It was not nearly as hard to make as I expected.

I also made miso soup, again something I haven’t had much luck with at home.  This time it was great.  And with like 35 calories and packed with nutrients how can you go wrong.

So, without further adieu, my fancy pants meal for one:

I even made sencha!

I’m also super proud of myself for doing really well with kicking the sugar (full disclosure: there was a small amount of Turbinado sugar in the sushi rice but it made so much rice it was really very, very little) and I’ve also been eating really well in general.  I also tend to consume my weight in chocolate when Chris is gone so I’m really proud of myself.  Hopefully it will keep.

What counts as excitement around here

I have a bit of a sore neck today so I decided to forego any sewing until after my massage therapy this afternoon.  Instead, I went to Staples to get supplies for some long overdue organisational projects.

First, and less exciting are removable labels so I know what some of the bulk ingredients are up in the cupboard.

I don’t have a printer so I jazzed these up with sparkly gel pens.  Good times.

I’ve been throwing around the idea of getting a big cork board for my kitchen table studio so that I could tack up patterns and notes while I’m sewing.  But since it would have to go on my newly decorated living room walls I didn’t want anything too overwhelming.  I spotted these cork strips for $5.99 and thought they would do the trick.

Obviously I could not abide by the ugly black plastic so I thought a makeover was in order.

First, I used a DPN to pop the cork out of the frame.

Then, I got out my dollar store craft paints and mixed a few purples to make one that matched the ubiquitous floral fabric I used for my floor pillow.  I used a foam brush to paint over the black plastic.  It took three coats to hide all the black. I forgot to take a picture of this step but it looked a little something like this:

Next, I cut out some strips of fabric that were just a bit wider and longer than my cork strips

and used some  Amazing Goop to adhere it to the cork.

I let the glue dry and then the tricky part; popping the strips back in.

(By the way: when you google image search the word frustration almost all of the picture are of people kicking their computers.  Computers are frustrating.)

I used the handy sticky strips on the back to stick them to my wall at about eye level when I’m sitting.

And then I did some blow off a hooker’s stomach.*

*just kidding**

**It was angel dust.

Rusted (Square) PicoRoot

I’ve lost a photographer and gained a tripod but I don’t have much talent with using it yet. 

Pattern: Rusted Root by Zephyr Style

Yarn: Brown Sheep Co. Cotton Fleece in Provincial Rose - 3 skeins and a teeny tiny bit of a fourth

Needles:  4 mm 24 inch circular, 3.5 mm dpns for sleeve bind off

Modifications: (I’m so happy with how this section is growing!) As I mentioned before, I did GoodKarma’s neck modification but I dropped it down five inches instead of four.  I probably could have done an extra inch or two (what can I say, I like my décolletage). 

I did two extra decrease rounds at the waist.

I finished it off with a picot bind off around the neck, bottom and sleeves.  I thought it complimented the lace section better and looked sort of like thorns with the leaves.

Why do I make the stupidest faces when I’m taking self portraits?

I’m so happy I made the medium because I’m sure the large would have been too big.

I ended up drawing out a chart by hand for the lace section because I couldn’t stand having to stop and read whenever I got to the insert.  I would not advise transcribing while watching tv because I left out a yarn over and ended up having to frog fifteen rounds when I noticed my mistake.  I also had to frog the bind off once and add another repeat because it was comically cropped.  I’m actually starting to embrace frogging.  You get a perfect product and more knitting!

I updated the shop too!

Can you tell I’m crazy for vintage cabochons?

Sunday, Sunday

Yesterday was a momentous day, although I did sleep through most of it.

If you ever want to feel like you’re in a Michel Gondry movie, wake up at ten to four on a Sunday morning and start frying eggs. I speak from experience here.  Chris left yesterday and it was harder than either of us expected.

We’ve already decided that waiting until the end of October to see each other again is not going to happen.  We’re going to scrimp and keep an eye on seat sales and make a visit or two happen.  This plan has already made things easier.

I gave my mom her mother’s day gift on Saturday.  She has promised to get pictures of her wearing it but for now my bookshelf and wall sconce will have to suffice as models.

This is Simplicity 3542.  It ties in the back.

My mom never gave me her measurements so it’s a miracle that this fits.  She reports that she got a lot of compliments on it at work yesterday and that the big pockets are great.

This is a Robert Kaufmann fabric that I purchased on ebay.  It looked completely different in the listing.  I don’t think I’ll order fabric from ebay anymore.  The contrasting fabric is broadcloth from Fabricland.

Apparently I didn’t think I had enough to deal with yesterday so I also decided to give up refined sugars for three weeks.  This started as a plan to give up fruit juice and all other sweet things but from there it’s a slippery slope to giving up carbs and I can’t deal with that.  I’m also trying to lay off the dairy after a week of upset stomach. So far I’m doing well and I have avoided eating my feelings.

I’m hoping to get a big shop update done today which will include some cute cabochons earrings!

She got shoes

And she’s not quite sure how to use them.

I was most looking forward to receiving the Japanese patterned pair but now that they’re here I actually prefer the gold ones.  They’re more comfortable and the green on the second pair is more green that they appeared online.  I like them both a whole lot though and I can’t wait to wear them to work.

I don’t think I would normally wear these with nylons (it’s not advisable with open toed shoes - right?) but I had to give props to these new ones I bought to wear at Chris’s party (thanks to everyone who came and helped out - we really, really appreciated it).   They’re Filodoro Classic, they’re made in Italy and I got them at Fancy Socks.  I’m now convinced that legwear is one of those things where price equals quality.  These fit really well, they feel great and I’ve worn them twice and they are still without holes or runs which is more than I can say for regular department store nylons.

Deflection!

Number of days until Chris leaves for half a year: 9

Degree of energy I’m redirecting from my anxiety about him leaving to knitting: full throttle!

This is about two days worth of knitting Rusted Root:

I’m super pleased about the square neckline that is much more flattering on full busted gals than the original high neckline (although I’m not quite as busty as the maternity-type t-shirt I’m wearing above may suggest). For this I only have Goodkarma to thank. I knew I didn’t want to knit the original version but the thought of trying to figure out modifications in my current state of mind was just too daunting. I even offered to sell my yarn to Nat. Ravelry to the rescue! Goodkarma’s brilliant solution was to knit the back and sleeves flat until you had the neck depth you desired and then to cast on the front stitches. Easy!

My solution to the oddball skein of Cotton Fleece was lazy; knit the medium size which only calls for three skeins. I’m actually really happy I went this route because my Wicked is a bit big and cotton stretches.

I’m kicking off the weekend in a few minutes with lunch with friends in honour of Chris at Sweetgrass, followed by the big going away party hosted by my mum tomorrow evening. I’m also looking forward to brunch on Sunday with Ingrid, who in a bizarre coincidence is on the same flight back to Halifax as Braden. Zany!

Happy Feet

Braden’s in town this week so yesterday we had a yummy brunch at The Manx and then we headed to Strathacona Park for sports and knitting.

Michelle, Sagan, Braden, Me, Nat

I finished my Pomotamus socks and I did not run  out of yarn.

The pooling on the feet bothers me a bit but they’re comfy and they fit so I’m happy.

My feet are also happy because I ordered shoes from Zappos because I have no summer shoes to wear to work and these were a lot cheaper than mall shoes.

Aren’t they gorgeous?  I can’t wait to get them.

Tra la la

I am very happy because:

• I have the best real friends and reader-friends ever. You guys are all so kind and you don’t know how much your encouragement and sweet comments mean to me. Not to mention the supreme enjoyment I get from reading all of your blogs.
• The top of these top drawer friends, Erin, sent me this adorable kitchen towel from Early Bird Special.



• I now have beautiful hand embroidered tea towels for almost all of the shelves that display the pottery and ceramics we bought in Japan. These towels were made by one of my sweet students.

(the yellow tea cup was my great-grandmother’s which my awesome grandma gave me as a wedding gift)

• Chris was approved for a student line of credit so I will be able to stay in our apartment and he will have money to take to school with him. Yaaaaaay!!!!! This also means not putting all of my much loved possessions into storage for six months and having to move by myself. Now I can focus on missing Chris instead of missing my apartment and bed and sewing machine. It also means that I will get to live by myself for the first time in my whole life. I’m looking forward to it.
• Spring is finally here. It came like a flash and I’m soaking it all in. I just got back from the park where I sat with a fun summer read and felt my neck get burned by the sun.
• I got a ten dollar SD card reader for my camera and since then my camera’s been giving me no trouble.

Good times.

And now for a dilemma: last year I picked up three skeins of Cotton Fleece to make Rusted Root but I was worried that I’d need a fourth so I ordered another online, not realizing (and perhaps being too impulsive to check) that it was from a different dye lot.

The skein on the far right with the silver label is the odd duck. Even though there isn’t much of a perceptable difference in shades I’m worried about it creating a stripey fabric. How would you proceed? Should I just start knitting with the three matching skeins and only use the fourth if I need it? Should I alternate skeins every few rows splicing as I go or carrying the unused yarn up the side? Some other method I’m not familiar with?

Baby’s first Bomb

There’s a lesson here. What may look cute on a girl with no face:

May not look so great on you:

“Hi! I fashioned a smock out of a table cloth!”

I need to remember that I always need a v-neck. However, this looks sloppy when unbuttoned at the top:

It would probably look cute on Jenny or Erin (hey Erin - do you want this as the shirt I was going to make you for your next package?).

Live and learn.

Moody Blues

The Pomatomus Socks are going very well the second time around.

I’m memorizing the pattern more easily than I did the first try. I’m a little worried about running out of yarn. I’m using STR lightweight in Moody Blues, which seems like a bit of a misnomer as there isn’t a heck of a lot of blue.

My crafting output may slow down a bit as I have to buckle down and look for more work. Even if I find another job I will probably have to give up our apartment when Chris goes and move in with family or friends. Blurgh.