mosaic madness

My creation, originally uploaded by jodi at caffeinated yarn.

Sarah's post on the game designed by cast on cast off prompted me to join mosaic madness.

The rules:

Using fd’s Flickr Toys,

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker).

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

Note: I actually owned a Little Professor calculator once upon a time.

kitchen knits swap + a trip down memory lane

Emily was my partner in the lovely Kitchen Knits Swap organized by Marisol. What a wonderful parcel of kitchen-themed goodies!
All sorts of things that I like and will use! Coffee, fancy champagne vinegar, a clever kitchen shopping list pad, silicone muffin liners (incredibly handy), dried chili peppers (as well as a chili pepper puzzle), Silky Wool in a lovely light grey-blue. There was also some delicious chocolate, but I'm afraid that has already disappeared. Emily even knit me a dishcloth! I love handknit dishcloths, but have too much wrist trouble knitting with cotton to make them for myself.

A few of Emily's favorite recipes:
Quinoa salad, Tomato Lentil Soup, Tomato Spinach Risotto, and Greek Spinach and Orzo Soup. Exactly my kind of cooking!

I whipped up the quinoa salad for dinner tonight. Very delicious and healthy.

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As I was cooking the quinoa, I remebered my first experience with this ancient grain. When my eighth grade "nerd class" (AKA g&t lang arts) organized a future fair, my partner and I designed a booth on "foods of the future," complete with poster presentation, nutritional info, and samples. The two highlighted foods? Soy milk and quinoa. Back then our regular suburban supermarket didn't sell prepared soy milk, so we reconstituted a powdered mix and served both plain and chocolate. We also served very blandly flavored quinoa (hey, it was Minnesota in 1991 after all).

Can you guess how the soy milk and quinoa went over? One word -- poorly (or four words -- like a lead balloon). We were visionaries, I tell you. ;-)

summertime

Not only is today the last day of classes for the quarter, the temperature has climbed into the 80s! I've already turned in grades, and I'm free from teaching until late September. It truly feels like summer now. This summer I'm working only ONE job, and only part-time -- what a luxury. That means more time for my research and writing, as well as for knitting, hitting the farmer's market, going for long walks, and petting all the neighborhood dogs. ;-)

I picked up a couple delicious heirloom tomatoes at the Green City Market yesterday, and put together a Parmesan Tomato Tart for lunch today. Wonderful recipe -- it's all about simplicity and high quality ingredients.

I've switched to Trader Joe's frozen puff pastry rather than the standard Pepperidge Farms stuff after reading Nicole's review. It's packaged flat (rather than folded), so it's much easier to use; also, the ingredient list is much less frightening.

Other recent successes in the kitchen:

- Low Fat Fudgy Brownies ~ semisweet Callebaut chocolate worked very well

- Chicken Souvlaki (from Cooking Light) ~ I doubled the amount of chicken so that we would have leftovers for lunch.

Alison (AKA brainylady) sent me this beautiful sage-green yarn as part of her laceweight leftovers swap. It's just lovely! There's a pretty good amount leftover -- perhaps enough for a whole scarf.

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Is anybody else having trouble with Ravelry and Gmail in Firefox? I've had to use the dreaded IE lately (shudder).

redefining "air"

Project Spectrum is partly about trying new things; however, the "air" theme of grey, white, and yellow for the next couple months is just not doing for me. Grey just makes me think of dirty city smog, and white is not practical for crafting.

When I think of air, I think of the sky. So this round of Project Spectrum is going be all about the sky here at Caffeinated Yarn.
Exhibit 1: Denim Sky
It's a belisama scarf, designed by Lori Law of Oceanwind Knits. I purchased this as a kit from her website, but I don't think she sells them anymore. The silk noil yarn has a neat, slubby texture, and the "denim sky" colorway is an amazing mixture of blues with hints of pink, purple, and even green. Lori's truly a color whiz.

I added Peter Rabbit Buttons to the little Mason-Dixon baby kimono just in time, as my friend gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on Friday.

Exhibit 2: Sky

Pattern: One-Piece Baby Kimono by Cristina Shiffman

Yarn: Manos Cotton Stria, Sky, just under 2 skeins
Needles: US 5 bamboo circs

Anybody else catch Death Cab for Cutie at the Pritzker Pavilion last night? It was a pretty good show, but the real scene stealer was the beautiful Frank Gehry pavilion, partially shrouded in fog, reflecting the setting sun.

ruby slippers

So I planned to knit up these slippers for my Mom and put them in the holiday gift stash, but I'm not sure I can give them away!

Pattern: Plain or Flowery Slippers, by Sarah Hughes
Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 wool, poppy, 2 skeins
Needles: US 6 Knit Picks Harmony circs (love the Harmony needles!)

So cute and cozy! I really like the Mission Falls wool. It's one of the best superwash wools I've worked with, and the color selection is fabulous. It's a heavy worsted, much thicker than Cascade 220. It's neither plastic-y (Swish) nor scratchy (Lamb's Pride superwash). These slippers fit my big ol' size 9 feet much better than the pocketbook slippers I knit last fall.

So, do I make these flowery or leave them plain? Any thoughts? In Sarah's original pattern she includes a flower that's very fiddly; she recently wrote up another flower that looks more my speed -- the Simple Knitted Rose and Leaf.

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Speaking of knitting for my mom, Gust is nearly done! I'm knitting it much longer than the pattern calls for. I want Mom to be able to really wrap it around her neck. I'm still loving the yarn -- The Plucky Knitter Merino single ply merino lace. As soon as I bind off (which should be within the next day), I'm sending off the leftovers to Joline as part of brainylady Alison's laceweight leftovers swap.

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More baby knits for the gift stash:

Pattern: February Baby Sweater, by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Yarn: Rowan Wool Cotton, "Hiss," 2.25 skeins
Needles: US 5 bamboo circs

Notes: While my gauge swatch was close, I forgot to take into account how loosely I knit lace. So the finished cardi is a little bit cropped. I'm hesitant to frog back the bottom and add a couple inches, but I probably should.

I followed the pattern very closely this time. Next time I'd put the sleeves on waste yarn and knit the body, then come back and knit the sleeves in the round. EZ doesn't mention the buttonholes until you should have already made a couple. I just went with one button.

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The 5 (more like 9) Hour Baby Sweater now sports a white grosgrain ribbon.

cats and sweaters...

a match made in heaven?

Have you seen this cat sweater pattern? The poor dears... they look none too thrilled, but they're so darn cute! I predict that someday, when I'm feeling very blue, such a project may be attempted.

Check out the Ravelry project gallery, too.

Back with actual knitting content tomorrow. Apologies to anyone who received spam from my hotmail account -- I think it's fixed, but keep me posted if anything else weird pops up.

land of WIPs

ETA: This agreement between VCU and Philip Morris is very, very sketchy. It goes against the entire ethos of the research university, especially the public research university.

Last weekend I headed out with some friends to the Indiana Sand Dunes along Lake Michigan. The lake was the most beautiful shade of aqua. Surprisingly, I saw quite a few butterflies!
This one was determined to be underfoot and nearly got stepped on.

The knitting is almost done for the Brea Bag -- just a few rows left on the gusset.
The finishing's going to be finicky. I had no idea purse straps were so expensive and hard to find (not to mention that most are bizarre looking)! If I had done my homework, I would have realized how pricey these were and bought enough yarn that I could knit the strap, too. Alas, it's not in the cards this time. On the flip side, I'm looking forward to picking out some cute fabric for the lining!

Speaking of fabric, have you seen Amy Butler's new Birdie Sling bag pattern? Very cute!

Bianca's Jacket is underway, in some good ol' Cascade 220:
The cats are having a wonderfully lazy morning. Lucky girls...

a challenge

Can I knit a 5-hour baby sweater in 5 hours?
The answer is no. However, it really is a quick knit (just not 5 hours).

Pattern: Quickie Baby Sweater
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, just under 2 skeins
Needles: US 9 Clover straights

Notes:
A fairly easy pattern that yields a cute, tiny sweater. The fabric is very loose and floppy at this gauge. I would use a chunky yarn if I were to knit it again. I still need to pick out a ribbon to put through the eyelets at the neckline.

baby kimono, books, and movies... oh my!

Just seaming and ends to finish up on a little Mason-Dixon baby kimono:
The yarn is Manos Cotton Stria, which has a texture like ricrac, albeit very soft and fluffy ricrac. It seems a bit odd for seaming, so I may use perle cotton. The color is just beautiful! The yarn's from a swap with Sonya. Thanks again, Sonya!

I'm also enjoying my new eco-friendly Simple sneakers:
Hemp, organic cotton, recycled car tires... pretty sweet.

From the bookshelves:
- Publish and Perish: Three Tales of Tenure and Terror, by James Hyne (definitely written from a male POV, but very funny, esp. the 2nd "tale." Hyne writes perceptively about academia and its egos and general lunacy)
- One Good Turn, by Kate Atkinson (not nearly as good as Case Histories)
- The Anubis Gates, by Tim Powers (a classic time travel novel that manages to involve 19th c. English poets! The Egyptian bits are silly, but a good read nonetheless)
- Rose Cottage, by Mary Stewart (a light "cozy" read, perfect with a cup of tea after a long day)

On the small screen:
- Death at a Funeral ~ A funeral turns to chaos as family secrets are revealed. Funny and light, and very British.
- 27 Dresses ~ Bad writing, bad acting... but I didn't really expect too much from it.
- The Pursuit of Love ~ Beautiful BBC miniseries adaptation of Nancy Mitford's "The Pursuit of Love" and "Love in a Cold Climate." The acting is pretty good; the only bad part is that it's fairly compressed and much is left out. I enjoyed the books, too.

spring at last

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments on my first design! Please do let me know if you have any problems or questions (I know a chart for the owls would be helpful). The baby owl vest pattern is now available as a Ravelry download in PDF format, too. Figuring that out was perhaps more of a challenge than the design itself!

Something light and airy is on the needles:

Pattern: Gust, by Anne Hanson
Yarn: The Plucky Knitter Merino Lace, "Dashwood"

It's a lovely pattern, but I'm getting a little tired of it already. It's destined for my mother, who ooh-ed and aah-ed over my Woodland Scarf and requested something lacy for herself.

Even the cats have spring fever. Kylie has taken up her regular warm-weather position at the open window, stalking passers-by.

Despite her advanced age, she's also indulging in some wild hunt-the-belt action:
Sarah tagged me for the 6 Random Things meme a while back, and I'm finally getting around to it. What can I say, maybe I don't play well with others?

1. I love cars, especially classic cars. I can outlast the guys at the auto show. My dream car?
A classic VW Karmann Ghia (or maybe a Thing or an MGB 2-seater or a 1966 Mustang convertible). Sadly, I drive a tan Chevy Malibu.

2. Nothing makes me happier than a day spent outdoors in the mountains or by the lakes, with plenty of sunshine and fresh air. Sadly, I live in the heart of Chicago.

3. I was afraid of cats up until I was 10 or so. My aunt's cantankerous old tabby (with the oh-so-misleading name Tinkerbell) gave me a thorough scratching when I was little.

4. Dark-haired men, especially ones with beards or mustaches, also terrified me when I was little. I would run away screaming and crying. Apparently I'm good at conquering my fears, as Paul has dark hair and we have two cats! I'm still not big on facial hair, though.

5. I love cheese. You know how some people are wine snobs? I'm a cheese snob. I blame it on my years spent in Madison, WI.

6. I'm a very fast reader. I often devour novels in just one sitting. Nowadays I'm a little afraid to open up a book, as I know I can't stop once I get started. As soon as the quarter is over, though, I'm going to read with reckless abandon!

Want to share some random things? Consider yourself tagged!

Owl Baby Vest

Owls are all over the ancient Greek world. Not only do they symbolize wisdom, they also stand for the goddess Athena and the great city-state of Athens. Why not start a baby off on the path to wisdom and erudition right from the get-go?

Owl Baby Vest

ETA: now available as a Ravelry download in PDF format!

This is my first pattern to share. It's an easy pattern, knit in the round. I'm sure there are errors, evidence of my own lack of wisdom. Let me know if you have any troubles. I'll try to put the PDF up as a Ravelry download, too, but it may take a couple days.

Size: 9-12 months

Yarn: DK-weight superwash wool or wool-blend yarn, ~240 yards.

Suggested yarns: Rowan Wool Cotton, Zara, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK, and RYC Cashcotton DK. Also a great way to highlight sport/DK-weight sock yarn, such as The Plucky Knitter’s Sport Superwash Merino or heavyweight Socks That Rock. I used Elann’s Peruvian Merino Luxury Superwash DK (not my favorite knitting experience). A solid or semisolid will show the cable-knit owls to their best advantage.

Needles: US 4 & 5 16” circular needles, US 4 dpns. I’m a loose knitter, so you may need to go up to US 5 & 6.

Gauge: 5 sts/inch in stockinette

Guide to Cables:

C4B: Sl 2 sts to cable needle and hold in back, k2, then k2 from cable needle.

C4F: Sl 2 sts to cable needle and hold in front, k2, then k2 from cable needle.

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Body

With size 4 circular needles, cast on 108 stitches. Place marker and join to knit in the round.

Work 5 rounds in 2 by 2 ribbing. (k2, p2)

Switch to size 5 circular needles. Round 1: kf&b, k53, kf&b, k to end. (110 sts total)

Work in stockinette until vest measures 4” from cast-on edge.

Work owl cable pattern:

The cable pattern is just on the front; the back is worked in stockinette.

Round 1: p2, (k8, p3) x 4, k8, p2, k to end

Round 2: repeat rnd 1

Round 3: p2, (C4B, C4F, p3) x 4, C4B, C4F, p2, k to end

Round 4-10: repeat rnd 1

Round 11: repeat rnd 3

Round 12: repeat rnd 1

Round 13: p2, (k1, p2, k2, p2, k1, p3) x 4, k1, p2, k2, p2, k1, p2, k to end

Round 14: repeat rnd 13

Round 15-16: repeat rnd 1

Round 17: repeat rnd 3

Round 18: repeat rnd 1

Work in stockinette until vest measures 6.5” from cast-on edge.

Divide for armholes:

Row 1: k until 5 sts before marker. BO (bind off) last 5 sts.

Row 2: BO first 4 sts. k 46, move these stitches to holder (for front), BO 10 stitches, k 45. These 45 stitches form the back.

Back

Work in stockinette.

Rows 1-3: Decrease 1 st. at each end of needle every row. (39 sts remain)

Continue in stockinette until vest measures 12” from cast-on edge, ending with a RS row. Place sts on holder or spare yarn. Cut yarn, leaving a long tail (for 3-needle bind-off shoulder join).

Left Front

Join yarn on right side of work. Working in stockinette, k 22; leave remaining sts on stitch holder or waste yarn. You may wish to substitute fancier (i.e., more invisible) decreases!

Row 1: p2tog, p to last 2 sts, p2tog

Row 2: k2tog, k to end

Row 3: p2tog, p to last 2 sts, p2tog

Row 4: k2tog, k to end

Row 5: p2tog, p to end

Row 6: k

Row 7-18: repeat rows 5 & 6 5 more times (6 repeats total)

Row 19: p2tog, p to end (8 sts remain)

Work even in stockinette until vest measures 12” ending with a RS row. Place sts on holder or waste yarn. Break yarn, leaving a 16” tail (for shoulder join).

Right Front

Join yarn on right side. BO 1st 2 sts, then k to end.

Row 1: p2tog, p to last 2 sts, p2tog

Row 2: k to last 2 sts, k2tog

Row 3: p2 tog, p to last 2 sts, p2tog

Row 4: k to last 2 sts, k2tog

Row 5: p to last 2 sts, p2tog

Row 6: k

Rows 7-18: repeat rows 5 & 6 5 more times (6 repeats total)

Row 19: p to last 2 sts, p2tog (8 sts remain)

Continue working as for left front.

Shoulder Join

With right sides facing together, using the long yarn tail, work a 3 needle bind-off at each shoulder (8 held sts from front + 8 sts from back).

Neck Edging

Using size 4 circ needles, pick up 3 sts for every 4 rows along the left front. Pick up 2 sts in the center, pick up 3 sts for every 4 rows along the right front. If necessary, fudge it to have a multiple of 4 sts. K 24 held back stitches. Join to knit in round.

Work 3 rounds in 2 x 2 ribbing. Bind off loosely in pattern.

Armhole Edging (x 2)

Using size 4 DPNs (or magic loop), join yarn at middle of bottom of underarm. Pick up 5 sts across bottom of underarm, then pick up approx. 3 sts for every 4 rows, then pick up last 5 sts across bottom of underarm. Make sure you have a multiple of 4 sts. Join to knit in round.

Knit 3 rows in 2 x 2 ribbing. Bind off loosely in pattern.

Finishing

Weave in ends. Wash with gentle, baby-friendly detergent. Lay flat on a towel to dry, gently reshaping to make the sides of the cable panel sit even with the rest of the vest (pinning if necessary).

Pattern & images © Jodi Haraldson, 2008.
Pattern for personal and charity use only.

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Apparently the Owl Baby Vest also makes an excellent cat sweater: Thanks, Luscious Luka, for knitting up such a cute vest and letting me share the photo!

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If you just like the owls but don't have any babies to knit for, check out some fabulous patterns that use variations of this traditional cable pattern:

- Owl Hat, by Ruthie Nussbaum
- Owl Knee Socks, by Megan Rogers (I'm dying to knit these!)
- Owl Dishcloth, by Janelle Schlossman

FO: Kanoko Pants

Done and dusted! A very fun knit, but the finished project is a little bit odd. All the Ravelry pictures that show them in use are very cute, though.

Project Details

Pattern: Kanoko Pants, by Yumiko Sakurai
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, Terra Cotta, 1.25 skeins
Needles: US 5 bamboo 16" circs and DPNs

Notes:
I forgot to bring the pattern to knitting night on Wednesday, so I decided just to wing the stitch pattern on the legs. My memory is better than I thought, as they turned out pretty close to the pattern!

I knit an i-cord instead of a crochet chain for the drawstring (crochet's not my strong suit, even just a chain). A cute ribbon might be a better way to go, or just inserting an elastic waistband.

The top half of the pants could maybe use a few more rows for length. I have trouble seeing a diapered baby bottom fitting in there!

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Here's a shot of a Brea Bag in progress. That Norah Gaughan is a genius! I'm using Cascade 220 doubled, and it's so nice to knit with good old-fashioned sticky wool again, rather than all the somewhat yucky superwash and cotton blends I've been knitting of late.

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The Colin Meloy show was great! We managed to get very close to the stage. :-) For me the highlight was "The Engine Driver." He played "O Valencia!" as if he were tiring of it (alas... star-crossed lovers are always my favorite). The tour CD ("Colin Meloy Sings Live") is nicely done; I was not impressed with his Sam Cook covers EP, though. The Park West is a marvelous place to see a show -- good acoustics, climate-controlled, very civilized.

Where do you go to, my lovely?*

Tonight Paul and I are going to the Park West for an evening with Colin Meloy. Though I've seen the Decemberists thrice in the past couple years, I've never seen him play solo. Should be a treat!
*Can you tell I've been listening to The Darjeeling Limited soundtrack a good deal as of late? Not my favorite Wes Anderson movie (Royal Tenenbaums and Life Aquatic are tied), but a great soundtrack. That Peter Starstedt song is just fabulous -- catchy, melodic, and darkly funny.

Speaking of quirky movies, I saw Smart People over the weekend -- OK but not fantastic. Thomas Hayden Church really stole the show (rather than Ellen Page, whom I had expected to do so). Everybody Loves Saturday Night's review captures the essence of the film. She makes an excellent point about its affinities with David Lodge novels (which are not exactly my cup of tea). A little deeper character development would have helped.

My knitting needles have been getting a workout lately. The Wabenschal is done (but needs blocking):

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I'm working on a pair of Kanoko Pants (yes, more baby knits -- one of the delights of turning 30 is that many of my friends are having babies -- yet another Classics friend had a baby last week):

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Also Dragonfly Sock #2:

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And a baby project of my own design. It's blocking right now, but you can expect photos as well as a pattern later this week.

FO: Green Guernsey

Pattern: Organic Guernsey, by f. pea
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Superwash ~ "Dublin"~ 2 balls
Needles: US 4 & US 6

Modifications: I knit this in a slightly thinner yarn than the recommended Blue Sky Organic Cotton; I went up a size to compensate for the smaller gauge. Seed stitch instead of ribbing on the hems. As written, the sleeves seemed awfully long, so I shortened them a bit. 2 buttons instead of 3. Easy little project. Next time I would futz with the raglan increases to get the lines to look neater. Also, the instructions at the beginning are a little unclear re: the stitch patterns. I think I figured it out, though.
Recipes that get the thumbs-up chez Caffeinated Yarn:
- Giant Ginger Cookies, from Everyday Food
- Almond-Crusted Goat Cheese Salad with Raspberry Dressing
Makes lots of dressing -- could do a half batch of the dressing.
- Lettuce, Orange, and Pecan Salad
I subbed almonds for pecans. Still delicious!

in spring a young woman's fancy...

Argh! Blogger ate my photos. Edited to add the photos again.

As spring finally arrives in the chilly Upper Midwest, my "fancy" is turning to spring flowers, bunnies, and farmer's markets. Madison's fabulous, down-to earth farmer's market has spoiled me forever, I'm afraid, but I still enjoy Chicago's Green City Market. It's less genuine and hippie and far more yuppie, and the prices are high, but at least it's organic and mostly local (unlike the other markets in Chicago, which sometimes sell bananas -- the horror!).

I'm knitting up some Saturday Market Bags with stash yarn.

Pattern: Saturday Market Bag, by Jodie Danenberg

Source: formerly Magknits, now available here
Yarn: Cotton-Ease, "lake," less than 1 skein
Needles: US 13 and US 9 straights

Notes: Inspired by Amy's recent Saturday Market Bag over at Good to Be Girl, I followed Disdressed's modifications for making 2 handles. Worked like a charm! Unfortunately, I did not follow Rhonda's mods for knitting it in the round. If you make one, knit it in the round!!! Seaming up the lacy sides is a huge pain. There's no real border, so it's hard to do it neatly. Like Disdressed, I knit the body of the bag in one piece, folding it in half. I thought it would be stronger not to have a big sewn seam across the bottom; however, a nice cast-on or bound-off edge would make one seam across the bottom quite easy and sturdy.

Here's an action shot:
Spring has also put me in the mood for all things twee. I'm in love with the pink, pompom-bedecked slippers I found on clearance at Target:
They're completely over the top. It's hard to find slippers/shoes that fit my ski-like feet. I think I'll go back and pick up a couple more pairs "to spare." Invariably I step in cat barf or spill coffee on my slippers -- they don't last long here. In fact, Kylie puked in my favorite Puma sneakers last week -- now I need to go shoe shopping.

I also picked up buttons for the little green baby sweater:

trains and things

The whole movie thing was no April Fool's Day joke. Seriously, my block was a movie location all last week. I didn't get to see either Johnny Depp or Christian Bale up close (alas!). Instead, I slept poorly all week because a truck with about 5000 cables coming out of it ran all night long directly outside my bedroom window. Sigh...

Here's a pic of a scene they filmed using a vintage (or reproduction?) El car. If you look closely, you can see that the "riders" are actually mannequins dressed in 1930s garb.
Despite spring fever and lots of reading, some knitting has taken place:

Pattern: Cherry Red Handwarmers, by Creativeyarn

Yarn: Jaeger Extra Fine Merino DK (sadly discontinued)
Needles: US 5 Lantern Moon rosewood straights

Notes:

DK-weight is the way to go with this pattern. The pattern's yarn specifications are slightly cryptic, because Creativeyarn lives in Italy and yarn is categorized differently there. The mesh pattern is slightly looser than the ribbing. The ribbing itself is slightly tight on my arms, so I would go up one needle size for the arm ribbing, then stick with the smaller needles for the lace pattern and hand ribbing. I'm a big fan of this yarn; it's too bad that it has been discontinued. It's very springy and soft.

An old FO that never received a proper post:

Not the best photo, I'm afraid, but it's all I have.

Pattern: Easy-and-Elegant Cabled Mittens for the Whole Family, by Marci Richardson
Source: 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders
Yarn: Mountain Colors, Mountain Goat, Lupine
Needles: US 3 bamboo DPNs

Notes:
What a great pattern! It's easy to follow and well-written. Plus it has a wide range of sizes. I had to go down a couple needle sizes, as usual. The yarn was very hard to photograph, and looks much nicer than the photo. The mohair made me itchy and sneezy though, which is a bummer.

Recipe Round-Up
Rave reviews go to:
- Chewy Brownie Peanut Butter Chip Cookies over at Baking Bites
- Lemon Artichoke Pesto, by Kristi over at Fiber Fool
I tossed it with thin spaghetti and served it with grilled chicken breasts seasoned with Penzeys' Trinidad seasoning (a mixture of coarse salt, lemon peel, garlic, clove, and ginger).

Guess what's happening in the back alley tonight?

Universal Studios production trucks and camera crews are lining the streets of my neighborhood, and our back alley is hosting all the action. A couple of handsome devils are involved:

Mmm... Johnny Depp. The movie is Public Enemies.

the big 3-0 + pay it forward

After pre-celebrating with friends over Belgian beer last night, I'm celebrating my 30th birthday today in the best possible way -- relaxing with Paul and the cats, knitting, making soup, and watching the new Sense and Sensibility adaptation on PBS.

The Not-So-Organic Guernsey just needs blocking and the perfect buttons:
The Woodland Scarf is also off the needles; it just needs to have its ends woven in and to be blocked. Unable to carry on without at least one lace project on the needles, I cast on for a Wabenschal while watching Angels & Insects yesterday:
The yarn is Elann's Peruvian Baby Silk, which is OK but not quite as nice to work with as their Peruvian Baby Cashmere. The first corner is done! For a long time I didn't like knitting lace or cables from a chart; now I realize that I'm perfectly happy as long as the chart is very clear, easy-to-read, and uses symbols that make sense. Any recommendations for very clear lace charts?

In honor of my birthday, I'm giving three of you a gift! A while back Peaknit posted about Pay It Forward, and I jumped at the chance because it's such a neat idea:

“The idea of the exchange is I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on this blog post requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”

I can't promise a huge lace shawl or intricate socks, but it will definitely be something that matches your tastes! Leave me a comment if you're interested. U.S. only, please, due to mailing costs and my limited grad student budget.

Spanish Feast

I've spent the afternoon in the kitchen, preparing for an evening of tapas, sangria, and good friends. Snow may be falling outside, but in here it seems a lot more like Spain than Chicago.

Russian Salad

Why this is called Russian, I have no idea. It's a Spanish recipe, through and through. While similar to potato salad, it involves more vegetables and features more complex flavors. If you're pressed for time, you could use mixed vegetable giardinara (probably not the hot version, though). You can add capers, if you like.

~ Serves 8 ~

2 lbs. potatoes (I use Russetts)
2 or 3 large carrots, halved lengthwise and quartered
2/3 C. shelled peas (high quality frozen would be work in a pinch)
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed
1/4 C. chopped Spanish onion
1 large red bell pepper, chopped finely
6 small pickles, diced (I use sweet gherkins)
16 small anchovy-stuffed green olives
1 C. mayonnaise (aioli would be delicious substitute)
1 or 2 hard-cooked eggs, to garnish
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Fill 2 medium-large saucepans with water to boil. Peel the potatoes, slice 3/4" thick. In the first saucepan, boil potatoes until tender. Cool, then dice. I boil these separately since the potatoes generally take longer and are a little trickier to time.

In the 2nd saucepan, boil carrots, peas, and beans until tender. Drain and cool. Dice carrot and cut beans into short pieces

Into a bowl, put potatoes, carrots, peas, and beans. Stir in onion, pepper, pickles, olives and mayonnaise while vegetables are still warm. Refrigerate until chilled. Arrange egg and chopped parsley on top before serving.

The rest of the menu?
- gazpacho
- tortilla with red pepper
- shrimp-stuffed eggs
- an assortment of Spanish cheeses and olives

Sangria

2 x 750 ml bottles of dry red wine (I usually use Cabernet Sauvignon)
6 oz Triple Sec or Cointreau
6 oz fresh-squeezed orange juice
3 oz fresh-squeezed lime or lemon juice (or a combination of the 2)
1/2 C. sugar
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16 oz. chilled club soda
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
2 limes, sliced

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large pitcher or punch bowl. Sweeten to taste with sugar, stirring well to dissolve. Add half of the citrus fruit slices. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Stir in club soda just before serving. Serve over ice in large glasses, with citrus slices.