Pensive Frog

This Site Has Moved!

2007-10-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't found it, my new blog is here, and has been for several years. I unfortunately had to turn off comments on this blog, but if you have a comment on any of my old projects or posts feel free to post a comment at my new blog! I love comments, but I hate spammers. Boo on spammers. Hope to see you at the new site!

So Darn Fancy!

2005-02-03T09:48:00.000-08:00

The new Pensive Frog site is up and running, and I figured out how to post pictures, praise Jeebus.

2005-02-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

New and Improved

New Year, New Blog

2005-01-01T16:26:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Pensive Frog has a new home, so please go to pensivefrog.com for future posts. All the old posts are there, but it wil take me a week or so to get all the photos posted. I hope you like the new fancy site!

Finally Found It

2004-12-31T09:42:00.000-08:00

My camera has re-emerged, so here's a pic of the finished Coronet hat. The color is wildly inaccurate - it's actually a dark teal color. The pattern worked ok, but I had to do three fewer repeats on the cabled band to get the required length. That meant fewer available stitches to pick up around the band for the crown of the hat, but I think it turned out nicely. Did I mention how soft it is?

2004-12-31T09:41:00.000-08:00

Coronet!

Questions, Questions

2004-12-30T16:40:00.000-08:00

Well, still looking for my camera, so no new pix. I know it made it back from vacation, because we scavenged its batteries to use in the TV remote just the other day. So we'll have to make do with some verbal artistry. Cough. Anyway, I tried to get a start on the Clapotis, but it ended in disaster. I had completed about 50 rows, when I suddenly had 3 stitches where there should have been one. I ripped back a few rows to try to get past the mistake, and then a few rows more. I thought I was on the right track, but the column of twisted stitches was offset by one stitch from my previous work. Three TiVo'd episodes of Gilmore Girls later, I was back at the begininng. I'm not very good at ripping back and picking up my knitting in the middle, it's definitely something I have to work on. This piece is especially challenging, with its yarn overs, twisted stitches, and steady stream of increases. I'll give it a rest and start again later. So that brings me to a question posed by a reader a few weeks ago - what does the name "pensive frog" have to do with cooking, crafting, and the other things this blog is supposedly about? Now, many of my favorite blogs have titles that are utter non sequiturs, but there is no such thing as a dumb question (I suppose). While a pensive frog could be a thoughtful amphibian, it also describes the process of thoughtfully considering the horrible mess one has made of one's knitting, then slowly, reluctantly, perhaps even hopefully ripping the completed work into its constituent yarn. And, for the uninitiated, "frogging" is knitting jargon for "unraveling" (rip it, rip it = ribbit, ribbit). I didn't make it up, so it is what it is. Next question: someone else asked me for tips on the lined and zippered Kureyon pouch. I think I cast on 30 stitches on 10.5 needles, and I knitted until I had a loooooong rectangle (like a mini-scarf). I then folded it over and sewed it into a pita pocket thingy. The procedure of adding the lining and zipper consisted mainly of eyeballing, holding in place, cutting, re-cutting, and sloppy basting stitches. I'm not a seamstress, but if I can do it, anyone certainly can. Soft focus pictures also help a lot.

Back from away

2004-12-29T09:31:00.000-08:00

I'm back from vacation, and I ended up abandoning my plans to tackle Clapotis on the road. I'm not very good at working complicated patterns while carrying on conversations, and that's what visiting family for the holidays is all about. I did complete the cashmerino Coronet, photos to be posted as soon as I unearth the digicam from the wreckage that is our condo. In food news, last night we made bubble tea at home! We made vanilla Earl Grey milk tea with rainbow bubbles, it worked quite well. Okay, this is dull without photos, so I'll work on finding that camera!

Knitting on the Run

2004-12-18T13:23:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm finally done with finals week, I'm taking a few days off blogging as I travel to the nether regions of America for Christmas, also known as the land of very few LYSs. I leave you with a photo of what will be my holiday travel project, a version of Clapotis worked in cost-efficient Lara yarn from Elann. I was banking on winning a poetry contest that would let me buy enough Silk Garden to make a very special Clapotis, but then I realized that my poem was... eh. Happy Holidays to all!

2004-12-18T12:23:00.000-08:00

Clapotis-in-Waiting

Oh no he didn't!

2004-12-15T16:10:00.000-08:00

It seems like most of my TV-based posts are about the Amazing Race, but it's so darn amazing, I can't help myself. It was quite amazing, for example, that Bolo could have thought it was a good idea to nosh on some of the raw pork he was making into sausages. Perhaps pro wrestlers are not familiar with trichinellosis? Well, we'll just be on the lookout for eye swelling and itchy skin in the next episode. I was particularly amazed by the close-in shot of Bolo tonguing a stringy, dangly bit of pork off his nose. Gagh! Anyway, the photo below is proof that the Cuzco poncho is done! This one is earmarked for my sister, but I ordered more yarn to make myself one, as well. The neck hole is a little wide, but that's ok. Right now, I've started working on the Coronet hat in a lovely dark teal shade of Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran. It's probably the nicest yarn I've ever worked with, softness-wise. The pattern calls for Brown Sheep Worsted, but I gave that a feel and decided it was too scratchy. The cashmerino is purrrrrrfect.

2004-12-15T16:09:00.000-08:00

Ecce Cuzco!

Well, that's a fine how-do-you-do!

2004-12-14T11:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, Super Eggplant has a new tutorial on making fancy drawstring bags, so I thought I'd post my simplified instructions as well. The downside to my pattern is that you get raw fabric edges where the drawstring comes out. If you want all your edges hemmed, trot on over to SE. Step 1: cut out a rectangle of fabric and iron it flat. I used about 8"x10" pieces. Put the rectangle on your ironing board, wrong side up. On the long side of the rectangle, fold down a hem about 1" wide and iron it flat. Now, get your drawstring. It should be about twice as long as the long side of your rectangle. Tuck the drawstring in the hem, against the crease. Now, sew the hem, making sure not to sew over your drawstring. Then, fold your pouch in half, wrong side out. Now you're going to sew an L-shaped seam and finish the bag. Starting at the fold, sew the bottom of your pouch shut. When you get to the corner, simply lift the sewing machine foot, turn the pouch 90 degrees, lower the foot, and go! So now you've sewn all the way up to the top of the bag where the drawstring is. Turn the pouch right side out, tie the drawstring ends together, and you're done.

Happy Sugardays!

2004-12-13T10:03:00.000-08:00

For the past few years, my husband and I have made some sort of crafty stocking stuffer for our family members at Christmas. Last year it was holiday marble magnets, a la Not Martha. The year before, we made a blend of mulling spices for apple cider. This year, it's hot cocoa mix in little holiday sacks. I used the hot cocoa recipes listed in this month's Sunset magazine, but there is something terribly wrong with their ratios. The first batch of cocoa was quite salty. Since I didn't want this year's gift to be remembered as "The Salty Cocoa Disaster of 2004", I changed the ratios and made my own mix. I would suggest 1 C powdered milk, 1 C cocoa powder (we used van Houten brand from Trader Joes), 1 C sugar, 1/2 t salt, 1/4 C mini chocolate chips, and 1/4 C white chocolate chips. When I doubled the recipe, I also threw in a packet of vanilla sugar. For mocha cocoa, I added 1 T instant coffee to the basic recipe. To make cocoa, combine 1/4 C mix with 1 C boiling water. Voila! For the stocking stuffers, I'm putting 3 servings of mix in ziploc bags, then tucking each one inside a drawstring pouch. Instructions are printed on photo paper and attached to each drawstring.

2004-12-13T10:02:00.000-08:00

Stocking Stuffers

I said it was quick

2004-12-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

Here's the Cuzco poncho, all laid out and blocked on Friday. Recall that I started knitting on this thing Wednesday morning. Now it's all dry and ready to be seamed, but I don't know if I can concentrate enough during the Survivor finale (and obligate reunion special). Who will it be? Manly Chris (I have partially begun to forgive him for that awful tank top), Annoying Eliza (aka Skeletor), Paranoid Twila (she swears a lot, have you noticed?), or Leathery Scout (should have been gone ages ago)? Whatever happens, I will just thank the powers that be for Jeff Probst's totally hetero choker necklaces. Long may they... choke.

2004-12-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

Blockhead

It's now or never

2004-12-10T16:38:00.000-08:00

Cuzco poncho, or something Elvis pulled out of his shower drain?

Quick like a bunny

2004-12-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

If anyone has need of a quick holiday gift project, I can highly recommend the Cuzco poncho, free pattern available from Elann. I've worked on it for about 4 hours (watching TV, on the bus), and I'm almost a third of the way done. I think it will look very nice, the yarn is wonderfully soft, and it would make a great scarf in a few hours as well. The stitch pattern is very easy, and on #15 needles, it flies. I'm very tempted to get another batch of yarn to make a poncho for myself...

Tick Tock

2004-12-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

I didn't get home until late last night because I was out knitting, but there's always time to queue up Amazing Race on the TiVo. Jonathan and Victoria were especially well-behaved in Senegal, perhaps it was the calming effect of Jonathan's furry blue Gilligan hat, kinda like this, but leopard print. I feel nervous about Don and MJ - it's just a matter of time before they keel over. And did that ferry to Ile Goree remind anyone of those ferries that are always sinking, taking hundreds of passengers to a watery grave? Heebie Jeebies. Oh, and I got my poncho yarn from Elann in record time - I placed my order Sunday, and it was waiting on my doorstep last night. When the USPS says priority mail, they really mean it!

Rewind

2004-12-07T11:10:00.000-08:00

Last night as I was trying to go to sleep, I was hit with the realization that there will probably never be another season of Average Joe. The producers did a really good job of filming Average Joe 1 and 2 simultaneously so as not to give away the premise, but darn it, why couldn't there be Average Joe 3? It was such a wonderful guilty pleasure, and I felt such glee (and perhaps a touch of schadenfreude) when the "hunky" guy who got the girl eventually dumped the girl when her dark secret was revealed - she used to date Fabio. Oh, if only we all could have such dark secrets! Anyway, I guess I'll have to get my weekly dose of love/hate glee watching the Jonathan and Victoria melee tonight on the Amazing Race.

New new new!

2004-12-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

Hooray, the new winter knitty is out and boy, there are lots of good projects in there! I am a huge fan of small projects, due to their portability and (theoretical) quick finishing time. Just the other day I put in an Elann order for 6 balls of Peruvian Collection Cuzco to make their Cuzco poncho. My sister requested a poncho for Christmas, and maybe I'll have it finished by the 12th day of Christmas. It's fitting to make her a garment out of yarn named Cuzco - she has happy memories of altitude sickness in Cuzco (gateway to the Inca trail) a few years ago. This yarn is lofty, but not enough to give you a nosebleed. Here's to adventure!

Here's a little thing

2004-12-04T10:04:00.000-08:00

I made this little pouch with some Noro Kureyon I had leftover from making a Booga Bag. I just knitted a long rectangle, then sewed it together into a long pouch. Into the washer for some felting, then I sewed in a fabric liner and added a zipper! I had never done linings or zippers before, but I found that if you sort of hold the pieces together and stitch them to stay where you want them, it works out ok. Of course, if you look closely, you can see that I am the worst hand-sewer ever. Luckily, no one ever looks closely. In a related project, I made a Booga Bag for my sister, and made a little lined zip-up coin purse out of the leftover Noro from her bag. I may never have leftover yarn again!! Yeah, right.

2004-12-04T10:03:00.000-08:00

Goody bag

Uncaged melody...

2004-12-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

I utterly forgot to mention one hideous and hilarous detail of Thanksgiving. So I ordered my turkey from the aforementioned Larry's Market. I had the choice of a free-range, hormone and antibiotic-free turkey, the same from California (la di da) OR - the Northwest Natural, a turkey without all the hype. All I really cared about was that my turkey not be injected with a saline solution, a la Butterball, so I went with the cheaper Northwest Natural. All was fine until I drove the turkey home (named her Midge, by the way), and unwrapped her. Midge was a wee bit gimpy. Her right wing was fine, but her left wing terminated in a stub halfway down. It was hard to tell if this was a congenital anomaly, or if Midge was a fightin' turkey (Rizzo, perhaps?). Of course, all I could think of was the fact that Midge was raised in a cage, probably with dozens of other turkeys, and perhaps one day after feeding time, Farmer John tried to close the cage, but found that there was no room for Midge's wingtip. Can't you just see it, a huge cage stuffed with turkeys all topsy-turvy, Farmer John beating back the birds with a broom or an upturned stool? ("Back, back, ye turkeys!") Ultimately, Midge in toto wouldn't fit, so Farmer John got the clippers and snip, there it went. All I can say is that it was a good thing I didn't have my heart set on the magazine cover-caliber turkey presentation. And next year, I'll spring for that imported bird - la turkey. Or is it, L.A. Turkey?

Baby, it's cold!

2004-11-29T08:51:00.000-08:00

So wintertime has hit Seattle full throttle, and it's hard to stay warm. This little number helps. It's the Loopy Velez cowl from Stitch 'n Bitch, and it's a little hard to wear in public. I'm tempted to glue on googly eyes and run around the mall like a muppet on parole. I like wearing it when watching TV - I arrange it so only my wee eyes are exposed, and that's just about perfect.

2004-11-29T08:50:00.000-08:00

Brrrrr...

Holiday aftermath

2004-11-28T10:34:00.000-08:00

Well, Thanksgiving was a success chez Pensive Frog! The guajillo-tamarind turkey turned out quite nice, though the sweet-n-tangy gravy was a bit of a surprise. A good surprise, but very different than your typical gravy. We made the leftovers into turkey colorado, which is currently chillin' in the fridge waiting for me to make a batch of flour tortillas. For now, I'll leave you with the formula for the evening's aperitif - the Ruby Cocktail (taken from the Dec 2004 issue of Sunset magazine). Place a sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne flute, add 2 T pomegranate juice, then fill the flute with champagne or some other sparkling wine. Stir, and voila!

Silk Garden Question

2004-11-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, now a brief hiatus from chopping and cooking and baking (oh my!). I'm trying to think of quick, nice knitted holiday gifts, and I was thinking that ribbed hats would be a cinch. I'm really pleased with how my Kureyon Kap turned out, but the wool is too itchy for most people, I think. So, Noro Silk Garden has the same cool color effects, and the same yardage/gauge as Kureyon. But I can't find any info about the softness of this yarn! Has anyone out there used Silk Garden? Is it soft enough to be used as a hat or scarf? Wool Needlework Discounters has a great price for Silk Garden, so I think this would be an inexpensive, hopefully appreciated, gift for lots of people on my list.

An eye for a pie

2004-11-24T09:22:00.000-08:00

Since I can't find any of the snaps I've taken of my previous pies, here's a bit of calm before the storm. This photo was taken a few weeks ago on Rainier Vista Way on the University of Washington campus.

Anyway, today is the final chapter of my Thanksgiving treats trilogy. Last but not least, the pie. This year I'm making pumpkin and pecan pies. Pecan pies were never part of my family's traditional table, but my husband's family always had them (with bourbon whipped cream, no less), so I've adopted the sticky, tasty tradition. The recipe comes from Mark Bittman's tome How to Cook Everything, which is an excellent resource for basic and fancy recipes alike. It's custard-based rather than corn-syrup based, so it's decadently sweet rather than teeth charringly sucrose-y. The pumpkin pie will be a new recipe this year, from Maida Heatter's Pies and Tarts. The recipe calls for an interesting array of spices, including black pepper and mace but no cinnamon! In past years, I've made Martha Stewart's Maple Pumpkin Pie, which is also quite good. And to think, when I was growing up, we always just made the recipe from the back of the can of pumpkin - which was always verrrry tasty itself. I've come to the conclusion that it's nearly impossible to mess up pumpkin pie. Okay, time to start the preparations. I'm sorry that none of these recipes are available online - but I'm sure these books are available either at your library or local bookshop. Cold comfort, indeed! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

2004-11-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

Ah, the serenity of fall

I heart carbs!

2004-11-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

First things first, here's the link to the caramelized onion roast turkey I mentioned yesterday.

Today's entry is a salute to the bottom of the food pyramid - carbohydrates! Here's a cavalade of my most beloved starchy side dishes, including sweet potatoes, stuffing, and rolls. My roasted sweet potato recipe comes from Bon Appetit, and if you look at this recipe on Epicurious, pay no attention to the reviewer who says to cut down on the butter. She be insane. The butter melts with honey and lemon juice to form a delectable, plate-lick-inducing glaze. All right, cut it down to 4T if you must.

I cook my stuffing outside the bird, using the bread chunks and recipe provided by the Grand Central Bakery. The recipe comes on the back of the bag, but is also available on their website, God bless 'em. A few more steps than your basic Stove Top, but infinitely better, especially with toasted pecans (and I do like Stove Top...). You could probably substitute any toasted bread chunks from crusty, artisan-type loaves.

My favorite roll recipe is actually a "Top Secret" recipe that duplicates the wheat bread served at Outback Steakhouse. (I leave out the food coloring called for in the recipe). This slightly-sweet bread can either be shaped into 8 oblong rolls or 32 round dinner rolls. The recipe calls for cocoa powder and instant coffee, which makes the finished product very complex and tasty. Caveat - there's something a little off with this recipe - I always end up adding lots more flour than called for, but it always turns out great!

I'm skipping the mashed potatoes this year because we only have four dinner attendees, and I can never get those taters to stay hot anyhow. If anyone has a killer mashed potato recipe or a foolproof method of keeping them hot, please share!

Let the gluttony begin!

2004-11-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a brief hiatus from knitting content this week, as I begin my preparations for our big Thanksgiving feast. I'll post information about my plans for a different dish each day - today, the turkey! I've put in my turkey order at Larry's Market - their birds have treated us well in the past. Since I first started cooking Thanksgiving dinner three years ago, I've brined the turkey overnight in a saline solution recommended by Alton Brown, who usually has his head on straight when it comes to cooking (except for his pizza dough recipe - utterly bonkers). Anyway, in previous years, I've roasted the turkey according to a great Bon Appetit recipe, in which you roast the turkey atop a bed of thinly sliced onions, yielding a wonderfully rich caramelized onion gravy. And I used to be very anti-gravy before I discovered this recipe. Always on the lookout for something new, I spotted a very interesting recipe in Sunset magazine - a guajillo chile and tamarind-glazed turkey. I usually turn turkey leftovers into spicy turkey colorado (turkey stewed in ground dried chiles, stock, spices, and garlic), so why not have a southwestern kick for the main event?

2004-11-21T09:07:00.000-08:00

Setting the table

Get Lost!

2004-11-19T08:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, let's put on our thinking caps, and see if we can figure out what's really going on with all those people on Lost. Lynette had the optimistic thought that everyone is already dead, and are just manifestations of one person's psyche, a la Identity. There also seems to be a little Life of Pi vibe going on. I have a theory about the previous history of the island: a long time ago, a French-Canadian circus ship was marooned on the island, and all the polar bears and elephants escaped and had a grand old time trampling the jungle and being non sequiturs. Sadly, all the humans affiliated with the circus died. But, this would explain the Frenchwoman's distress transmission, as well as all those leotards that keep washing up on shore. Well, that hasn't happened yet, but give it time. Does anyone else have any ideas?

I don't know about you...

2004-11-17T11:30:00.000-08:00

But I just love spending hours and hours on 2x2 ribbing for a sweater before realizing that it is going to be too big and fugly. Why did I invest all that time? Oh well. The embryonic sweater you see here has since been transformed into several neat balls of unfurled acrylic yarn. I originally bought the yarn on sale, back in the days before I realized that a one or two balls of yarn are practically useless for anything other than a hat. And I have tons of hats already. Any ideas about what I should do with this stuff? At least it's a pretty color. (Did someone say poncho?)

2004-11-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

Sweater begone!

Mangia!

2004-11-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

One of the nice things about living in Seattle is that there is no shortage of tasty restaurants. Every so often, a gaggle of the best eateries offer a 25 for $25 promotion, which is a great deal for some great food. First course, entree, and dessert for $25. I just love that the question of dessert is resolved from the beginning. Last night we ventured to Ballard to try out the Market Street Grill, after a fun afternoon watching The Incredibles from our favorite seats at Cinerama. It was a very nice meal, the kind of food that makes you eat more than you should. Luckily, I only had one gooey lemon-filled Valley Girl donut at Zeitgeist before the movie. Today, I'm on an all carrot-stick diet.

They say apples are a healthy snack...

2004-11-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

I've drowned the healthy goodness in caramel! Caramel apples have become a fall staple in our household, but I only make a half-recipe to keep the decadence to modest levels. Plus, that leaves me with leftover sweetened condensed milk for cafe sua da. Yummmm...

2004-11-14T12:03:00.000-08:00

Messy but good

Cotton Checks

2004-11-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

So here's what I decided to do with that Cotton Fleece. I decided against the Irish Hiking Scarf for this yarn because the pattern is not reversible. Since the yarn is not fuzzy at all, the WS would look pretty horrid. Sometimes you can get away with an ugly WS if the yarn has enough of a halo. I made up this super-complex scarf pattern last night, and I think it works pretty well. I think it will need some blocking to drape correctly. The pattern is just 30 stitches of K5/P5 basketweave with a 6-row repeat, flanked by 2 garter selvage stitches on each side to help the scarf stay flat. I guess I'll just keep going until I reach the end of my yarn - but I think this pattern just screams for end tassels of some sort.

2004-11-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

Check it

Crisp days call for crisp snacks

2004-11-11T14:12:00.000-08:00

I was watching Family Feud last night (oh Richard Karn, how the mighty have fallen) and one of the final showdown survey questions was "Name a crisp vegetable". I do believe that lettuce was the number one answer, but if the question was posed of the fruit kingdom, you can bet that apples would win. Fall is apple season in Washington (and probably everywhere else), and my crisper is full of Granny Smiths and Fujis. These beauties narrowly escaped transformation into apple crisp, and I bet they have no idea what fate is about to befall them...

2004-11-11T14:09:00.000-08:00

An apple a day...

Exhibit A

2004-11-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

So my husband said I should really post a photo of the orphan Cotton Fleece yarn, so here it is. I've been getting lots of great feedback about what I should do with these skeins, and I think it would be great to turn them into a project where softness is key. Even though I said I didn't want to do cables with this yarn, maybe the Irish Hiking Scarf would be okay. The cables wouldn't be forced to stretch and retract as much in a scarf as in a hat, and the cables are pretty simple. The hat I was planning is the Fiber Trends Braids and Bobbles hat, which is kind of, ahem, hardcore. At least for me. Plus, there's a knitalong for the Hiking Scarf, and I've never joined one of those before! Intriguing. But I'm still open to better suggestions!

2004-11-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

Alpine Lilac

Any ideas?

2004-11-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

I have two skeins of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in 'alpine lilac', and nothing to do with it. I was originally going to make them into a nice cabled hat, but now I'm afraid that the non-stretchy cotton is poorly suited to cables. Sure, it's 20% merino wool, but it just doesn't seem that elastic. So two skeins is a terrible number - I guess I could make a cropped tank top, but ewww. Maybe another hot water bottle cozy? Someone help me! I have 430 yards total, and the suggested gauge is 5 stitches/inch on size 6 needles.

Last chance for spooky treats

2004-11-07T16:28:00.000-08:00

Before I forget, let me share this great sweet - meringue harbor seals! I mean, meringue sea lions! Well, at Halloween time, they look like wee ghosties. I guess if you're having a marine life themed party, these would do the trick as well.

2004-11-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

Meringue ghosts

Itchy

2004-11-05T10:00:00.001-08:00

Okay, so the Kureyon Kap is done - and yes, it is itchy. But I love the way it matches other articles of clothing so well! Solid colors can be hard to mix-and-match, but these heathered stripes coordinate with lots of solids. I've worn this hat with a dark turquoise scarf, and a medium purple scarf, and it worked with both. I wonder if some other Noro yarn wouldn't be as itchy. I haven't looked into the fiber content of Silk Garden, but something tells me there's silk in it. And it's twice as expensive as Kureyon, and $$ = soft, right? Eh, we'll see. Of course, the new yarn shop by my house doesn't carry Noro yarns, so I'll have to go farther afield to check it out.

2004-11-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Kureyon Komplete

I've gone completely hatty

2004-11-03T09:18:00.000-08:00

The other night I met a friend for a knitting date at the Starbucks on 120th and Lake City Way. That Starbucks is always weird - but I found that if you complain about the weird things they do (like bring in a team of 12 cleaners to obsessively wipe down every surface in the store (shelves, floor, walls) while wearing motorcycle helmets (okay, that was only one of the cleaners)), you get free drink coupons in the mail! Now I visit that Starbucks almost hoping that they will do something weird. This time, a barista brought around a tray brimming with turkey sandwich samples. Come back with the cookie sample tray, cookie! I don't think that merits a complaint, though. Just a "huh?"
So anyway, I started this hat on my knitting date. Let me just say I heart making hats! They're so quick, even with 6 inches of 2x2 ribbing. I used to just make roll-brim hats, but they make my already sizeable head look ginormous. This hat is 80 stitches of Noro Kureyon, knitted in the round on my 16" 10.5 Inox needles. For some reason, 10.5 works perfectly for almost any yarn I want to turn into a hat. I'm a trifle worried that the Kureyon will itch my forehead. I may have to experiment with a fleece insert, like all the knit hats at Banana Republic.

2004-11-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

Kureyon Kap

KPPPM UFO

2004-11-01T10:07:00.000-08:00

This Koigu glove is going sooo slowly. I have this one finished up to the index finger, and the matching glove has progressed almost to the thumb slit. I'm using size 3 5" Brittany birch needles. The short needles are tricky to use at first, but once you get used to them, they're much less awkward than longer needles, especially when working the fingers. You can almost see that the cuff is decorated with beads - I incorporated them in the cast-on row every 6th stitch.

2004-11-01T10:05:00.000-08:00

Hey, over there!

2004-10-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

Candy corn and pumpkin hats

It's officially hat season

2004-10-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the high temperature was 48F. It's foggy, drizzly, and all over hot chocolate weather. It makes me really glad I spent a lot of the summer knitting. Although now I'm having regrets about giving my knitted candy corn hat away to Goodwill. It was traffic-cone orange Red Heart yarn, plus I got the stripe order wrong. I swear I've been eating candy corn long enough to know what they look like. I even nibble one stripe at a time! I'll see if I can dig up a photo...

La Donna e Mobile

2004-10-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went to see the Seattle Opera’s production of Rigoletto. It was quite good – Verdi is one of my favorite composers. The performance had a bit of a bumpy start – the supertitles didn’t kick in for about 15 minutes, and one of the performers had laryngitis, so while he acted out the part, another singer sang the part from off stage. That was a little distracting. For the first time that I can remember, they had costumes from the previous production (Lohengrin) on display in the lobby. It was very cool to see the details of the costumes, and makes me wish I had the time to learn how to sew and make myself an Elsa costume before Halloween. Ah well. In any case, the best part of going to the opera is our post-show tradition – late night happy hour at McMenamins pub.

Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

2004-10-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

Adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything

2 C pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried (from about 2 pumpkins)
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t salt
1/2 t sugar
dash cumin
2 T olive oil

Toss the pumpkin seeds with the other ingredients until evenly coated. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350 F, stirring every 20 minutes, until toasty brown and crisp. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

2004-10-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

This year's Jacks

2004-10-24T12:03:00.000-07:00

Last year's Jack

Today is the day

2004-10-24T11:57:00.001-07:00

We carve our pumpkins today! Woo-hoo! I certainly hope they aren't moldy inside, because we bought them over a week ago, and just the other day I noticed a white velvety mold growing on the stems. Gargh! I washed it off, and then coated the stems with a slightly diluted dishsoap solution. All appears to be well. We shall see what horrors lurk within, Halloween is supposed to be scary, right?

Coming soon to a mailbox near you

2004-10-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak preview of the projects in the Winter 2004 issue of Interweave Knits. I am drawn to these Nordic mittens. That might be because I've been making a lot of hand accessories lately. Either that, or I enjoy fair isle frustration. My first and only fair isle project is still not done - all its little yarn tails are flapping in the breeze. I should count the tails and see how many there actually are...

Fair isle flippers ...

2004-10-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

...from Interweave Knits Winter 2004

It's not a crappy photoshop effect...

2004-10-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

That makes this blue hat look like it's floating above my kitchen counter. It, in fact, is an ethereal hat. I can't remember what the yarn was - I bought it from Smiley's and the color was blueberry ice. 100% acrylic, to be sure. The best part is that it knits up in about 6 hours. When I wore this on the bus last spring, I received a complement from my bus driver. When I proudly said that I made it myself, she replied, "yes, it looks homemade." I still haven't decided if that was a complement. You be the judge.

2004-10-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

Blue ribbed hat!

Winter is on the way...

2004-10-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe it's 65 degrees out, but it will be cold soon. I'm glad I have my hot water bottle all cozied up and ready for snuggling. The pattern is BAWK, by Rachael, pattern available here. I used Schoeller Esslinger Merino Light in bright pink and orange, originally purchased on the cheap from Elann, but it's no longer available. I bought the yarn in the days when I was just learning how to knit, so I had no idea that buying three balls each of six colors of yarn might not be that useful. Well, it's useful enough for small projects like this, and it's nice and smooth for some great stitch definition. I also used my trusty 10.5 16" Inox circular needles, in case you're interested. It seems like everything that's worth doing is worth doing on 10.5 needles. Though I also like my trusty number 3's.

2004-10-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

I think I'll call her Marlene...

Kool-aid yarn, this is your destiny!

2004-10-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

So I made the Kool-aid yarn pictured in previous posts into a French Market Bag (pattern via Knitty). Here it is pre-felting. I was afraid I would not have enough yarn to make color-symmetrical handles, so I made a sample handle in red and green to "calculate" the required amount of yarn for the four handles. As a result, I have my symmetrical handles, and I had very little yarn left over. Hurrah! It's quite large and floppy.

2004-10-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

French Market Bag, pre-felting

It's probably not a good idea

2004-10-11T08:51:00.001-07:00

To eat random mushrooms one finds in the bushes. These were hiding at the Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens on Whidbey Island. Apparently there is no way to tell poisonous mushrooms from safe 'shrooms, though it's commonly believed that if you dip a silver spoon into the cooking water of poisonous mushrooms, the spoon will turn black (tarnish, I guess). My first question is, why would anyone cook mushrooms by boiling them? Eugh. My amateur guess is that these mushrooms are Pholiota terrestris. I wouldn't eat them if I were you. Unless you like cramps.

2004-10-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

Shady mushrooms

Exeunt tomatoes

2004-10-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

This picture of early summer tomatoes is presented in lieu of a photo of late summer tomatoes, currently dangling in all their moldy, splitty glory from my tomato plants. Since people with heart conditions might be reading this, I thought it would be safer to present the prettier fruits of the vine. Although when Halloween comes, I might post some scary veggies in the spirit of the holiday.

2004-10-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

Early summer homegrown tomatoes.

2004-10-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

Kool-aid yarn dried, wound up, and ready for action!

2004-10-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

Kool-aid yarn swinging in the breeze
Posted by Hello

If God didn't want me to buy yarn...

2004-10-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

Why would He have a new yarn store pop up within easy walking distance of my house? The answer is simple - God wants me to buy yarn. Let's see what I can do to oblige... Today was the grand opening of Village Yarn and Tea Shop in Shoreline, WA. It seems like a nice little shop, and it was certainly very crowded on opening day. They carry standards like Cascade 220 and Rowan yarn$, as well as a very wide selection of novelty yarns. Crystal Palace Squiggle has some potential - I can imagine using it for some fun mitten cuffs. I would have liked to see a greater color selection, as well as more ribbon yarns. I would have also liked to see double-pointed needles in some material other than metal, and in the shorter lengths that I like to use for gloves. There's a nice seating area for sipping tea, and their custom black tea blend that I sampled was very unique and very good. I'm sure I'll be back there again and again, especially if I decide to make a silly scarf.

2004-10-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

My first hat, completed ages ago. Seems appropriate to start at the beginning, yes? Yarn: Wool-ease in grey and pink, Needles: 10.5 (way too big, but what did I know?)
Posted by Hello

Post Number One

2004-10-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

In which I comment on the title of this blog. Well, everything else was taken. I could have done creative misspellings of already-taken titles, but that's pathetic. And frogs are pretty cool. Especially those that live in the arctic. Frogsicles.

Coming soon - Photos and descriptions of all the fun stuff I've been up to recently, including a pile of knitting projects, baking experiments, and home improvement. I know you're all just dying to see it!