my heart belongs to the snows of Buffalo and Chicago, and all the dirty cities along the way

Eric Johnson and the Fruit Bats returned to Chicago for a show at Lincoln Hall (Schubas' slick new larger venue) last night. I'm just enamored of this band -- this is my 3rd time seeing them this year! Johnson's also in the Shins (which don't get me wrong, I quite like), but the folk-rock-melodic pop vibe from Fruit Bats is just amazing.

Here's the band playing "Tegucigalpa," a song Johnson wrote when he was homesick for Chicago:



for more, see here and here

Their best show I've seen took place at Schubas in March 2009, and you can download the whole thing at archive.org. Enjoy!

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It really was quite the weekend, as we also hit the Chicago Beer Society's Day of the Living Ales yesterday.

crammed into the loading dock of Goose Island Wrigleyville

44 types of cask-conditioned ale! In my book, the big winner was Surly Darkness, a complex Russian Imperial Stout, a bit reminiscent of 3 Floyds Dark Lord, but maybe even better. And where's Surly Brewing Co. located? Minnesota, of course. ;-)

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Cocoa Swap 3 just drew to a close! Elizabeth sent me the loveliest parcel:
Such soft and cheerful red merino yarn, along with delicious cocoa from a local coffeeshop, chocolate covered hazelnuts, among other goodies. She knit this cute little creature for me out of her own hand-dyed yarn! What a nice treat at this time of year. Kate sent me a book and some awesome glittery Dream in Color Starry yarn, too:
Many thanks to both!

more winter highlights

Brr... it's a balmy 1 degree above zero here.

- cozy winter knitting

Pattern: Knitted Kitty, free at Angry T-Rex Roars
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, grey mix and winter white (oddments)
Needles: US 3 for a nice, thick knit so that the stuffing won't leak out
Stuffing: machine-washable fiberfill

Notes: A cute, quick pattern that's fun to knit. I didn't embroider any details on the faces, since it didn't occur to me until after I had stuffed them! It would be much easier to do the embroidery prior to seaming and stuffing.

Kylie Cat giving the kitties the once-over

- a wonderful Hot Cocoa Swap package from Anne
Not only did she knit me a very cute Kate (who is getting along quite well with Capricha)...
she also sent me some beautiful Petunia sock yarn hand-dyed by Bea at Yarn Pig (etsy):
delicious Fair Trade organic cocoa, lots of yummy fancy chocolates, point protectors...and even "hot chocolate" stitch markers!
Many thanks, Anne! You spoiled me marvelously.

- j'aime l'hiver scarves
I'm smitten with this scarf made by Lulette. I was tipped off to this web shop by Emily at (Inside A Black Apple). All the scarves are knit right here in the midwest. Too cute!

winter delights

What's the best way to spend a chilly winter weekend? Visiting Three Floyds (a local microbrewery just across the Indiana border), watching The Office with friends while sipping pomegranate martinis, knitting...

Tulip Sweater

Garter Stitch Cardi
(Unique Sheep Superwool, Spruce Sprigs)

Watching the Packers lose to the Giants last night was not part of the perfect winter weekend equation. Oh well... at least I taped the new Northanger Abbey.

cocoa swap question of the week
Now that we're in the thick of 'Winter'... has your knitting changed to match the season? Are you moving on from dishcloths, and tank tops to afghans, hats and mittens? Has your yarn changed from silk or cotton to wool, superwash or heavier cottons?

I always like knitting with wool and wool blends; the change of seasons prompts me to change the size of my project rather than the fiber content. A lap full of wool is delightful in the winter, but awful in the summer. A cold snap prompts me into a mitten and hat knitting frenzy!

Winter is one of my favorite seasons -- sweaters, snowflakes, crisp air, mittens, hot cocoa, piping hot bowls of soup, and fresh crusty bread. Here's a delicious soup recipe, slightly modified from Jeanne Lemlin's Vegetarian Classics.

Indonesian Curried Vegetable Soup

Serves 6-8

1 -2 T. canola oil (I tend to go light on the oil)
2 medium onions, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tsp. minced ginger (I use the kind that comes in a jar as it's far easier)
2 C. thinly sliced mushrooms (regular white mushrooms)
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1/8 or 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 C. vegetable stock (I use Better Than Bouillon organic vegetable stock base)
14 oz. light coconut milk
1 tsp. salt
2 large boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1.5 C. green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 C. finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 C. fine egg noodles (No Yolks)
juice of 1 lemon

1. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger, and saute, stirring often, for 10 min., or until the onions are soft and golden.

2. Add the mushrooms and saute 5 min. Sprinkle on the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Cook 2 minutes, stirring often.

3. Add the vegetable stock, coconut milk, and salt, and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook 10 min., stirring occasionally.

4. Mix in the green beans, red bell pepper, and noodles. Cook at a lively simmer for 10 min., or until the vegetables and noodles are tender. Stir in the lemon juice just before serving.

flu-tastic + cocoa swap questionnaire

I was supposed to spend the whole weekend at an academic conference, learning and schmoozing. After two days at the conference, a nasty strain of the flu sent me home, and I instead did the following:

knitting
-Garter Stitch Cardigan, from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies (not yet photo-worthy)
-Tulip Baby Cardigan, still a WIP (kit ordered online from ThreadBear Fiber Arts, a shop I would love to visit in person)

inspired by Nicole's beautiful version quite a while ago

The i-cord bind-off is marvelous! What a great touch -- it looks very classy, and it's much more fun to work than a standard bind-off.

-Newfoundland Mitts, finally achieving FO status

Project Details
Pattern: Newfoundland Mitts, a free pattern by Creative Whimsy
Yarns: Noro Kureyon #156 (2 half-skeins) & Patons Classic Wool Merino
Needles: Brittany US4 birch DPNs

Notes: It's a great pattern, but I had some stress-related gauge issues that made these take much more time than I had anticipated. If you want the contrast colors to be consistent between the two mittens, you need two skeins of Noro. I ended up doing a lot of cutting because one skein had a knot in it that screwed up the color repeats.

reading
-Quartet in Autumn, by Barbara Pym
-Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books, by Maureen Corrigan
-Death in the Garden, by Elizabeth Ironside
-Not the End of the World, by Kate Atkinson

All great books; I highly recommend each one. Mini-reviews may be forthcoming, provided that the beginning of the quarter isn't too frantic. I'm in the midst of reading Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love, and I'm not terribly impressed so far. Kind of flaky and superficial while aiming for depth and enlightenment, perhaps?

watching
-Knocked Up (cute and funny, rather crass)
-Notting Hill
-Love Actually
-Gilmore Girls (a few episodes from season 4)
-The Office (a few episodes from seasons 3 & 4)

Good old flu... nothing beats chills, aches, pains, sniffling, sneezing, and a roiling stomach to increase one's appreciation of the finer things in life -- books, yarn, and the couch.

Mmm… Hot Cocoa Swap Questionnaire
(Unless you're my swap partner, the rest of this post is most likely not of much interest.)

1. What is your favorite way to drink cocoa? Prepared with milk? Water? from home made recipe or store bought?, In a tea cup, or big mug?
My favorite way is for someone else to make me homemade hot cocoa prepared with milk, served in a pottery mug! In reality, I make cocoa with milk and a store-bought mix. Lately I’ve been using Cadbury drinking chocolate or Serendipity 3 mix, but those are splurges.

2. Marshmallows or whipped cream?
Neither! If I had to choose one, I would go with whipped cream and a dash of cocoa powder. A real treat would involve a healthy dose of Bailey's.

Yarn/Knitting/Crochet
1. What is your favorite type of yarn? In what colors?
Soft worsted weight wool in shades of blue. I also like wine, scarlet, plum, chocolate brown, aqua, lavender… Solid or heathered colors are my favorites right now, but I like some variegateds, too (usually ones that are more subtle). Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran and Malabrigo are my favorites, but I also love Rowan 4 Ply Soft and just about anything by Fleece Artist or Hand Maiden.

2. Do you knit or crochet (or both)?
I mainly knit, but do some basic crocheting.

3. What are your favorite type of needles, would you like to try something new?
I like wood needles best. Bamboo runs a close second. My one pair of Lantern Moon straights is my favorite, but they’re too expensive! I always need more 16” circs for some reason (mostly US 5 and 6), and I like straight needles quite well. I don't like plastic or metal needles.

4. Do you have a healthy supply of notions?
Yes – too many fancy stitch markers (I only use plain ones with no dangly bits). I can always use more double ended stitch holders, though.

5. What one thing do you keep thinking you need to buy for your knitting habit (outside of yarn)?
Wooden or bamboo cable needles, like the Brittany Birch ones. I don’t like my Clover plastic ones very well.

6. What is your favorite 'quick knit/crochet' pattern (quick gratification)
Hats! I like Ruthie Nussbaum’s Owl Hat pattern (free on the net).

Miscellaneous
1. What is your favorite thing to do in the Winter?
Go for a long walk while it’s snowing and pet all the neighborhood dogs.

2. What is your favorite animal?
Bunnies! Followed closely by cats, hedgehogs, and puppies. Sheep are nice, too.

3. Do you get the 'winter blahs'?
Not too often. Chicago winters aren’t nearly as pleasant as Minneapolis or Madison winters.

4. What is your favorite way to beat the blahs?
Getting outside and enjoying the snow when it’s nice and sunny. Otherwise, snuggling up in front of my red wood-burning stove with a book or some knitting.

5. What is the thing you are most looking forward to this spring?
Watching all the spring flowers emerge, especially the crocuses.

6. What are your favorite treats?
Good chocolate (especially with mint or hazelnuts), biscotti, scones. Not too many treats, though – I’m trying to watch my waistline. I’m not a fan of gummy or hard candies. I love trying new recipes, too.

7. What is your favorite board game?
Taboo or Cribbage.

8. Do you have any children (furry or human)?
2 beloved tabby cats – Kylie and Capricha. No kids yet.

9. Do you have any allergies or special considerations you partner should know about?
I'm afraid I'm developing a sensitivity to some alpaca -- it can make me itchy. Some types of mohair make me sneeze! I don't enjoy knitting with cotton yarns -- too hard on the hands and wrists.