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My dad’s birthday was on Friday and I made him some socks the weekend before, much to the chagrin of my poor wrists.
I’m not entirely pleased with them. They were meant to be the exact reverse of these socks that I made for Chris but I realized much too late that the cream yarn, Scheepjes Invicta Extra, has a conservative yardage. I ended up having to cut off one cuff and unravel in order to have enough to complete a short second sock. My dad seems to like them, although he can’t imagine wearing them in the heatwave they’re having (I have no sympathy – it’s been 14 degrees and rainy here all friggin’ summer).
I’m finally starting to receive my Fall pattern magazines which is always so exciting! The one I’m most intrigued with is atypical – this sleeveless dress by Sauniell N. Connally from the fall Vogue.
Photo courtesy Vogue Knitting
This photo isn’t so convincing but seeing it in the VK 360 was what did it for me.
My Interweave pick is unsurprisingly Connie Chang Chinchio’s Farmer’s Market Cardigan. So clever! I’m also fond of the Big Montana Tunic (although if it makes that skinny model look chunky I shudder to think how it would look on me) and the Maple Street Cardigan. I’m so happy to see Interweave getting back on track.
Twist is amazing yet again and I’m particularly loving Luminen (without the snowflakes on the back).
I also need to get my hands on Made in Brooklyn and Berroco’s Blackstone Tweed booklet.
So many patterns so little time!
In other news, I’ve swapped my standard brownie recipe for Emily’s and I’m never looking back.
Friday was Chris’s 29th birthday (get ready for a long series of birthday posts – everyone I know was born in August or September). He had hoped to go for a hike and picnic at a local forestry centre so we braved the chilly, grey weather. I’m glad we did because we had the place to ourselves and had a lovely time.
Chris insisted on stopping at all the markers and reading aloud what they signified. That got old real fast but it was his special day.
Smores!
I would be hard pressed to say which of my boys had a better time.
Chris really liked the E-ticket Holder from the newest Stitch Magazine so I gave it a go. Twice, actually, because my first one looked like I made it with my toes. The second was a marginal improvement.
He also decided he wanted a peanut butter cake and I immediately thought of this one. He LOVED it. It is pretty damned good. I’m afraid all of our cake photos turned out blurry but just look at Deb’s and tell me you don’t want it now.
There are lots more photos of Bowie exploding with happiness over on my Flickr page. Happy Monday!
It’s been raining constantly here so I’m in the middle of a few small projects. Unfortunately I have nothing to show yet but that’s no reason to hoard links and little updates.
- I’ve never been a huge mayonnaise fan. Again, the tanginess. Blech. But I do enjoy potato salad now and then so I picked up Hellman’s with Olive Oil due to it’s non-scary ingredients list. This stuff is delicious. It’s so creamy I could almost stir it in to my tea. Highly recommended.
- My new favourite show is Hung. O.k., that’s a total lie. While I do enjoy Jane Adams as a pimp my actual new favourite show is Gossip Girl. I started watching it when Chris was on nights and I am now obsessed to the point where I have to limit myself to sharing two to three GG related tidbits a day. Do you know how hard it is to work the fact that Ed Westwick is actually British into a conversation? Not very, apparently. I feel like a fifteen year old fan girl. Except that I tried desperately to convince my sixteen year old sister to watch the show so that I’d have someone to talk to about it and she was having none of it.
- These cinnamon oat pancakes are my new favourite breakfast. I never want to eat a plain pancake again. Waste of my time. They make a ton so I’ve been cooking them all up, freezing them, and heating them up during the week.
- I borrowed a pile of books from the Cannon Public Library, informally known as Erin and Braden’s guest bedroom and I’m plowing my way through them. I first read Cat’s Cradle, which was good, although none of his other books ever bowl me over like Slaughterhouse 5 did when I read it in university. Next, I tried Switch Bitch despite concerns that it would crush all of my childhood memories but I totally loved it. I filled my Amazon Wish List with other Dahl short story books and can’t wait to pick some up. Now, I’m finally reading The Golden Compass after hearing so much about His Dark Materials for so many years. I had already seen the movie so I was a bit bored at first but now I’m enjoying it. Hooray for summer reading! What are you reading?
- Mashed potatoes are one of my ultimate all time favourite foods. I thought I was doing an o.k. job whipping them up without a recipe so I let this one languish for months in my recipe bookmarks. I am totally kicking myself now. A-mazing.
- My dearest Robyn has a new blog. Check it!
- I am way behind on this one but if you’re interested in quilting or are a beginner like me you must check out Oh, Fransson’s quilt-along posts. So very helpful.
- I just found out that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have announced that they will play Born to Run in it’s entirety in Chicago in September. I wish there some way to be unemployed for the summer and still get paid so I could go lose my mind with a large assembly of WASPy, middle aged, working class heroes.
- And, because I hate a pictureless post, here’s one of the paper banner I made for Chris a few weeks back:
*How very droll! Because, you see, I made another pair of Monkeys:
Yes, I have gazillions of exotic patterns in the queue but after starting Cookie’s Vilai on bamboo needles my wrists and head almost exploded simultaneously and I had to put them aside until some nickel plated dpns arrive. These, on the other hand, were fun, quick and easy. I needed that.
After finishing them last night I decided to rip out the picot bind off I had added to my Rusted Root in favour of the prescribed ribbed edging.
My first Monkeys also had a picot bind off and while I love the look, it’s just flexible enough to fit my curves.
I’ve also continued to explore my love/hate relationship with quilting.
This time around I picked a much simpler pattern at a smaller scale which resulted in a finished quilt top yesterday afternoon! I’m not going to show it to you though. That would make the final product a bit anticlimactic. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to put it all together until I get into the city and get some batting, which will have to wait until the after-vacation poverty wears off. Here’s another teaser:
Get excited!
An update on the bad birthday cake: Chris and I agree that the tangy / sourness really mellowed after a day in the fridge. This is excellent because we still have a large hunk of it in the fridge.
Chris is working nights this weekend which is always results in me eating my feelings and hitting the Google Reader next button every half a second so, please, for my sake, update your blogs this weekend. I thank you.
- I obviously can’t settle on a title for my Monday mash up posts. Monday Miscellany / Miscellaneous Monday sounds a bit hoity-toity so we’ll give Monday Funday a try.
- I made this Pineapple Upside Down Cake (without the mango – neither of us are fans) a few weeks ago and I’ve been craving it ever since. Chris also won’t stop talking about it.
- I just got another package from Melina in the mail. She’s my sugar mama.
This is just some of the loot. I really needed an injection of perky goods in my day.
- Ingrid (and seemingly every other woman of child bearing age) is pregnant! I’m so excited for her!
- I made English Muffins. Seriously! I had no idea they could be made at home.
The recipe is from the last Martha Stewart Living. They are very tasty.
- I continue to miss city grocery stores. The best grocery store around here has muffin shakers but no parsley or brown sugar. That one is an hour away. I don’t even want to talk about the one closest to us.
- We have not planted our vegetable garden yet because of continuing frost warnings and drizzly days. This means my little sprouts are suffering. They are really trying to stay alive though. Just look at this sweet little cucumber blossom.
The little sprout that could
- I have a rather embarrassing problem. I’ve been making socks for going on three years now yet I have never figured out how to pick up the stitches on the left side of the gusset without leaving a trail of holes.
My holiness
Right side = smoothsville. On both sides I pick up under both loops of the slipped stitch. I know there are solutions out there but a quick Google and Knitty search turned up nothing. Your input is much appreciated.
- I got in to the Cookie A class! As if there could be more icing on that cake Robyn is also giving me the class as an early birthday gift!!!
- After discussing with Robyn all the places we’re going to shop and eat in Seattle in Portland I am now 100% excited for this trip. Money be damned I am going to paint the Western coast of this continent red.
- On a sad note, I tried to add a panel to my room slippers and ended up rendering them unwearable. I really took my time in the repair but it just didn’t take. Le sigh.
- On the finishing steps I ran out of yarn again on Pioneer. Le sigh double. Ilovemath saves the day again by sending me more yarn.
- In the meantime I finished another pair of plain purse socks.
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Brought to you by substitute teaching.
The yarn is the Paca Peds in Fireside that my mom got me in California. Sixty stitches, twisted rib cuff.
- I read Jane Eyre last week and I really, really loved it. After an English degree literature can seem like a bit of a slog but I couldn’t believe how the book sucked me in. Definitely an all time fave.
- I need a recipe for hamburger and hot dog buns. I am having no luck finding one on my own that rises and doesn’t taste really sweet.
- This Pasta with Cauliflower and Feta is my new go-to weeknight recipe. Delish.
- I was on a jag of watching movies that I really hated so I switched to documentaries and have landed on some really good ones.
- The new Jarvis Cocker and Yeah Yeah Yeahs albums are amazing. If you have any other recommendations for me please do tell.
- I shortened the sleeves on my Summer Blouse and I’m a lot happier with it now. I’m wearing it at this very moment.
- Melina very kindly sent me A Homemade Life and I can’t wait to dive in. Which is kind of funny because I’ve never read Molly’s blog.
- Erin also sent me a package which included a pack of coloured pencils. I thought that was so cute.
- I love this format. Apparently paragraphs intimidate me.
On the stupid snow day we were kind of bored with (luckily) no where to go so we made our own fun and peppermint patties. I printed this recipe off something like seven years ago and just never got around to making them. I’m simultaneously kicking myself for neglecting it and thankful that I haven’t been gorging on these for all those years.
First you make the sticky, messy peppermint filling and cut it into rounds.
Mess central
Then you melt some chocolate chips and dip them in. We were knee deep in melted chocolate so there are no pictures of this step but through the magic of the internets voila!
Mmmmmmm
They are a bit rich and sweet but that’s fine by me because it prevented me from stuffing my face with them.
Also! Another important food update! A while back I asked for your best pizza crust recipes. I got very few responses so I’m guessing you either buy it premade or are on the hunt too. Hunt no more! This crust from Pizzaria Bianco is so amazing. It’s also in this month’s Martha Stewart Living. Here it is as a tart base with blue cheese, apples and walnuts. I seem to make the best meals when I have four things left in the fridge.
See how golden?
I also love how it makes four crusts so you pop three in the freezer and have some super quick meals in your future.
In non-food news I’m trying to get back on the sewing train. I’ve been a bit blocked by the (totally unfounded) feeling that I have no workable fabric and the (completely valid) terror that I will run out of notions when there is no fabric store within two hours of here that I know of.
I started out nice and slow with some easy peasy cafe curtains to block Bowie’s view of our neighbour’s dog taking a crap in our front yard and flying into a fit of excitement.
Look ma no snow!
The fabric is Branching Out by Anna Maria Horner and when I received it I hated it. The colour is just off somehow. Online it’s very pretty but in real life it’s got a taupiness or something that is a little weird. Plus, it had a hole right in the middle of my piece. Fabric.com was very good with replacing it but now I had five yards of this. Here in smaller doses I don’t totally loathe it, though.
Exciting news! I am officially going to visit Erin in Edmonton, sister-in-law Meaghan in Whistler and Robyn in Seattle – with bonus Portland and Vancouver trips – in just under two months! This went from an “I hope” plan to an honest to goodness trip when West Jet and Air Canada both announced seat sales. Now I just have to scramble some money together for hotels in Portland and Vancouver and for spending on copious amounts of yarn and fabric. So scary and fun! Where should I go? What should I see?
I took some pictures of other stuff to tell you about but I don’t care about them now that I’m actually going to the West coast after years of griping about how much I want to go.*
Lace Ribbon Scarf in Artfibers Hana
Matzo Toffee. Just two hours later the container is almost empty.
*I did drive from San Diego to Kingston, Ontario with my parents when we moved from the former to the later, so I have been to some of these places, but I was six and don’t remember most of it.
1. I made my first cheesecake.
Carrot Cheesecake From April '09 Martha Stewart Living. I don't like cheesecake that much but this one is pretty good.
2. I made a big Easter meal for two.
Click for copious notes
3. I made slippers (pair 2 of 3)
Purl Bee Mary Janes. I used scraps. That's why one sole is a different colour.
4. I made granola and I made yogurt.
Honest to goodness yogurt. A bit tangy but totally edible.
Today I will make zucchini muffins and broccoli salad and tortillas and more slippers. What will you make today?
Happy St. Patrick’s! I’m wearing my Trinity College t-shirt and I made some tasty soda bread.
Eat me I'm Irish
The recipe is from this month’s Martha Stewart Living and I’m not sure that it’s totally authentic but it is totally delicious.
My friend Melina has the type of grown up job which entails going on business trips to New York. She went a few weeks ago and not only did she see Tina Fey (and not cut off a lock of her hair for me) she also brought me some goodies from Purl Soho.
Pretty Cheep Project Bag
Matrioshka Fabric by Kokka Japan
I’m not sure what I’ll make with this. It seems too precious to cut.
She also sent me some gardening info just in time for me to get my heirloom seeds!
Yay seeds!
I’ve never even kept a Chia Pet alive but I am determined not to pay seven dollars for a squash in the city this year! Wish me luck!
