Knit & Nosh

quickie

I got a couple of quickies in yesterday.

Bloody Mary Asparagus.  I placed a layer of sliced horseradish at the bottom of the jar.

Pickled Spring Onions.  Walla Walla's from the farmer's market.

more jars

I think there is another big, jar purchase in my future.  I do not really mind.  They are used again and again and again.  If only I would stop giving them away.  Maybe I should buy a bunch of Weck jars, because there is no way I am giving those away!

This morning I was laying in bed wondering about the Can Jam ingredient for June.  It occurred to me that if I were to get up and open the computer I would  be able to stop wondering.  I did and I did.  This month is for erries.  If it ends in erry, its game.  Strawberries, blueberries,  tayberries, gooseberries, salmonberries… even cherries.  Local strawberries will be around soon.  With luck some cherries will come before the end of the month.  I already know what I want to put in jars. MMMMM

Here is a little fiber photo to peak your curiosity.

let's talk about longest night

Longest Night is a project that I have been working on for a very long time.  First I saw the pattern, then spent months looking for the perfect yarn, only to realize I already owned it, in fiber form.  It took many more months to spin the 1600 yards required for the shawl.  At long last I cast on.

Soon into the shawl I was able to feel the finished fabric, so soft and drapey.  A few more inches showed the lovely color that shined like the night sky. 

A few more inches and the shawl really opened up. 

 

 

The uneven nature of the handspun singles, completely obscure the lace stitch work.  Does not matter.  The color is perfect, the drape is dreamy.  Couple that with the rustic looking handspun and I am head over heels in love.

Love is good.  Sing the Mary Tyler Moore theme with me…love is all around, no need to fake it, you can find the time, why don’t you take it….

it ain't just a river

Wow, that last post was a pretty impressive display of denial.  I am surprised no one called me on it.  I mean really, I wound the yarn!

Last night I returned home from a meeting with only a sock on the needles to greet me. (I finished the Fiddlehead because it was making me crazy.)  I needed a cocktail and some knitting;  a sock was not going to do.  I did not want to use my #3 Addi Lace as they are waiting for Ophelia.  I cast on Longest Night with a size 4.  No, too big.  Size 2?  Just right. 

It is not a Lace Needle and it is only 16 inches, so I am totally going to have to buy more needles.  What are you laughing at?

where you find me waiting patiently, or is it patiently waiting?

I did not cast on for Longest Night.  I did however wind the yarn.

1680 yards of handspun merino/tencel.  I thought about starting and knitting until the next Shakespeare in Lace package arrives.  SIL will be mailed the first week of June and contains a shawl designed by Miriam (my favorite) and knit with lovely green yarn.   It is a rectangular shawl that is knit in the round. (!?) I have never heard of such a thing and want to jump in the moment the package arrives.  The needles for this project are the same ones I would use for Longest Night.  So l will wait.

No, I am not buying more needles.  I can wait.

I am also waiting for my first Patons project to arrive.  My first blog post for Patons is due June 7. It was mailed a couple of weeks ago and should be here any day.  That project takes big needles.  I cannot remember the last time I used anything bigger than a size 9.  I will sneak peek the yarn here as soon as it arrives.

its all over except for the screaming

Here we have a nice piece of blobby lace.

Lace never looks like much before it is blocked.  Blocking is going to have to wait a bit though.  Friday evening I took a tumble down the stairs.  It is going to be a while before I am ready to crawl around on my hands & knees with ruler & pins.

I love the beads down the spine, but I am a little worried about the size.  I want the recipient of this gem to be able to drape her queenly self, tugging will not do.

To put away the needles used for Cleopatra I had to move the ball winder.  It was very difficult not to clamp the winder down and get right down to Longest Night.  The only thing that saved me was the realization that my bruises would probably not take too kindly to the winding process.  Without a shawl on the needles, I have no choice but to return to Fiddlehead Mittens.  As soon as I finished typing that sentence it occurred to me that I could always pull out the sock yarn blanket.

Why can't I finish the mittens?  There is not a single thing wrong with them.  With the pattern calling for 6 colors of yarn, I made a pretty big investment.  At the time I told myself I could easily get 3 pairs of mittens from the yarn.  While that is true, it is hard to imagine I will ever cross the first pair of the list.

can jam 2010 - may

Rhubarb OR Asparagus.  That is the Can Jam Challenge for May.  While perusing recipes I came upon one that uses rhubarb in an unexpected way AND produces something I look forward to eating. 

I altered Victorian Barbecue Sauce from the Ball Complete Book of Home Peserving and in 2 short hours went from this

to this. 

 Wow did the house smell good this morning!  It made my next door neighbor weak in the knees.

Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

8 cups rhubarb, I sliced it in the food processor

3 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

1 cup red onion , sliced in the food processor

1/2 cup white vinegar

2 jalapeños, seeded and sliced

1 teaspoon each - allspice, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne

1 tablespoon salt

Put everything in a pot.  Bring to a boil.  SImmer 30ish minutes.  Puree using an immersion blender.

1/2 inch head space, process 15 minutes.  I got 3 pints of thick, finger licking good sauce.   MMM   MMM

zodia begins

Last week I was trying to decide if the next pair of socks should be Dash or Zodia.  When it was time to head out the door I could not put my hand on the Zodia pattern, and Dash is simple, so while Youngest Son was was in class I cast on Dash.

After the ribbing I was pleased at the way the yarn was knitting up.  So pretty.  This yarn could easily use a plain jane sort of pattern with the yarn as the star.  I began the Dash pattern.

It shows up OK in this picture, but in real life the yarn is much darker (see last post) and the slipped stitches disappear.  The color just absorbs the pattern.  Out it came.

Before I headed out the door last night I reprinted the Zodia pattern.  During a long meeting, I managed to finish an entire repeat

Much better.

The pattern uses slipped and then crossed stitches.  A great meeting knit as the pattern does not need your full attention.

   

hello sunshine

The weather around here is just gorgeous.  We will hit 70 today and tomorrow!  Sunday we have a small get together to say good-bye to some neighbors, let's hope the weather holds.

Last night we went to see Oldest Son in Rocky Horror.  He was the narrator, and was of course, perfect.  We have tickets for two other nights.  Such fun to watch him do his thing.

There are currently no socks on needles.  I know!  There is a skein of sock yarn on the shelf, but I want that yarn to be socks for me and Husband is up next.  That meant I had to order yarn.

Enchanted Knoll Farms, Gold Dust Woman.  Enchanted Knoll has become my go to sock yarn.  Lovely to work with, beautiful colors, washes and wears well, reasonably priced.  What's not to love?

I have not decided on a pattern, either Dash or Zodia.  (both rav links)  What do you think?

 

rivendell, the cowl

This weekend I gave Cleo a little rest while I had some fun with Rivendell.   Even though I did not have any dedicated knitting time this weekend, I still managed to finish the first 40 rows.  A sweet, uncomplicated knit that is easy to pick up and set down again after a couple of rows.

This yarn is so pretty!  It changes colors depending on the light.  Sometimes it is green, sometimes blue, sometimes grey.  A pleasure to work with.

I had planned to return to the shawl today and keep Rivendell as my take-along project, but I am not sure.  I do not think I am ready to tuck it away just yet, we'll see.