Happy Trails

Knitterly Progress

It has been a relaxing day--one spent in my study with the sunlight streaming in, listening to jazz while Salmaan was out doing some last minute Christmas shopping. While he was away, I rediscovered my loose brew teapot (actually gifted by him a few Christmases ago) in the back of one of our seldom used cupboards. I love English Breakfast. So good.

Also happy to report that I couldn't put down the Winter Storage shawl that I cast on yesterday, using the Barefoot Rooster's handspun.

When I read the name of the colorway, the first thought I had was of a pantry full of jars of fruits and veggies that had been put away to enjoy over the winter after harvest. If you keep up with Amy's blog, you'll understand why my mind went there first. She is a savvy canner and pickler! 

Last weekend my Auntie Lala gifted us a jar of her own Damson plum jelly--one of Granny's recipes. She also brought a jar of her own pickles (again, Gran's recipe), and I couldn't get enough of them. So, I went digging in the stash for some yarn that reminded me of those two things: something plummy, and something pickley. I came up with a skein of STR in jade, and Jitterbug in velvet plum (perfect!). 

I'm going to alternate a stripe each of plum and pickle throughout the shawl as the colors transition from the gorgeous green to pink and back again. It'll be an homage not only to the rooster's yarn, but also her kitchen escapades that I always enjoy reading about, and which remind me of my Granny. 

So far I'm halfway through the second round of Chart B. I might put this down for the rest of the evening and keep working on the body of my GYC shawl, which is determined to stay at 11 inches for the rest of its existence. ;-) Happy knitting!

Snow

 Lots, and LOTS of snow. So far I'd say we've gotten about 8-9 inches, which is a big deal for here. It took us almost two hours to shovel the monster driveway, (which, by the way, I'm REALLY feeling today) and therefore we felt totally justified in scarfing down this delicious soup and grilled cheese for lunch.

I love this soup. It's made an appearance here numerous times, and I've pretty much come up with my own version of it:

Tuscan Soup: (adapted from Food to Live By)

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• as many carrots as you like, peeled and diced (I normally do 4 large)
• about 3-4 ribs of celery, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 sliced of reduced fat bacon, diced
• about 2 Tbs garlic, minced
• 2 cups dried great northern beans, picked over and rinsed
• 6 cups reduced fat chicken stock
• about 6-8 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 Tbs fresh diced rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp good balsamic vinegar

heat up the olive oil, and throw in the onion, celery, and carrots. Allow the mirepoix to sautee until soft and slightly browned. Then, throw in the bacon for 2-4 minutes, until the fat begins to render and brown. Toss in the garlic for about two minutes, before adding the stock, beans, tomatoes, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 2-3 hours (time depends on how long it takes the beans to soften up--older ones will take longer. You can reduce the time by soaking the beans in water overnight the night before). When it's done, season to taste and add the teaspoon of balsamic, and serve. 

YUM.

Today, like yesterday, will be spent clearing the driveway, knitting, and cooking. Perhaps I'll be able to work in some catch-up posts, as well. It's been too long, friends. Oh, and speaking of friends, check out this gorgeous gift from the barefoot rooster!

The chronicle of its creation (and better photos as well) can be found here and here. It is being turned into the Milkweed Shawl, so far I'm through Chart A, and hope to get even further today to share some pictures--it's gorgeous!

FO: Fall Festival

A shawl for fall (dare you to say that one three times fast). Started this project a while ago, and was pleased that I finished it within about a month.

This is the Simple Yet Effective Shawl (fingering weight) pattern by CosmicPluto. A really simple pattern, with quick, satisfying results. The only thing I did differently was purl the center three stitches on every WS row--I thought it made the center YO's cleaner looking--more uniform. Knit this on #5 Addi Turbo circulars (my GOD, I LOVE those needles!!!!!)

The Yarn is Autumn Cherry superwash merino sock yarn by Pigeonroofstudios over on etsy. When I saw this photo, I couldn't resist it.

There ended up being more brown and yellow in this skein than I anticipated, but I really like how it turned out. The colors remind me of one of my best friends, and it is packed and ready to be shipped as I write this. It's a neat thing when you see someone else in an item you create. I think it helps remind me that the people I love are and always will be a part of me. A comforting thought.

It was awfully chilly when I was outside snapping these photos--surprisingly so. I wore a coat to work for the first time today, and have noticed myself looking more and more at sweater patterns. Not to mention that my taste for white wine as decidedly declined, and all I want are big, bold reds. Ahhh...winter. Here you come. Welcome back. 

Mais Oui!

I am 1/4 French Canadian. (I know, I know, not necessarily something to brag about (I'm also Polish--doh!)...but it's a true statement, and is relevant to today's featured cuisine). When it comes to French cooking, especially quiches, I really love to dig in and go all out. There's no doot aboot it! That's why, when I saw this recipe, my mouth began to water, and it went on the list of things that had to be created this weekend. Voila!

Now, it must be noted, despite how easy Deb makes it sound on her site, this recipe is NOT for the faint of heart. It took a really long time. The onions take 40 minutes to caramelize, the crust has to chill for 30 minutes, and the bake time noted in the recipe is a joke--it took this bad boy an hour to bake and firm up, and even then, I think we pulled it out to soon. But, by that time, we were HUNGRY, dude! I would recommend upping the oven temp to 375.

T'was absolutely delicious. The crust was an interesting venture--I've never made pastry before. I did in the food processor, which was super easy, but I had a hard time rolling it out--it didn't really want to stay together. I think my egg was on the smaller side, which likely had something to do with it. Tasted great, though.

Oh, and since it's been a million years since there was some knitting content on this blog 'o' mine, here's a progress shot of my GYC. I'm hoping to get beyond the waist shaping today, and I think this rainy weather and Harry Potter will help me do just that!

There's also an FO post on its way, just as soon as we get some weather nice enough to take a few shots of it...Happy Sunday! 

October: When Festivals Abound

Last weekend, we enjoyed what I believe will be a new yearly tradition: the Fall Festival at Carter Mountain Orchard, outside of Charlottesville, VA. 

Even though I lived in C'ville for four years, we never made it out to the orchard. Having driven past it many times on our trips wine tasting, we knew we wanted to check it out this season. Saturday morning we got up early, took River for a long walk so she'd be set for the day at home, and we headed out. It was very, very crowded, but the view was stunning.

These are shots from both sides of the mountain. This last one is from the slope where we picked our apples--we chose to focus primarily on Golden Delicious and Jonagolds. The GD were incredible--they tasted as though they were basted in honey, and were firm and juicy. We picked about ten pounds of those. The Jonagolds ended up going into an apple crisp (I thought they would be good baking apples--but they ended up turning into something much more akin to apple SAUCE). 

Even so, they look pretty beautiful on the branch, don't they?

We stayed for a while, enjoying the views and the plinkety plink of a bluegrass band. There is also a vast vineyard on the top of the mountain, and while I wish I could have walked through the vines, the electric fencing served as a successful deterrent.

In addition to the apple picking, there was also a nice selection of mums from local greenhouses, and other types of organic produce from local farms. We picked up some acorn squash that I'm hoping to stuff with something delicious very soon, and a pint of homemade apple cider. The pièce de résistance if you will, was the apple cider doughnut--OH. MY. GOD. We were eating them on our way back to the car, and the ecstasy must have shown on our faces--a complete stranger came up, jabbed me in the arm and said, "Like a little piece of heaven, ain't it?". Oh yes. Divine. 

This weekend we met up with my parents at a local eatery in Waynesboro, VA, and checked out the Fall Festival there. I'd like to say we enjoyed browsing leisurely among booths filled with unique and beautiful art, but alas, we were kicked out! One block in, we were approached by a local police officer, who looked at us like were were dumbasses, saying, "Um, I'm not sure if you've seen the signs, but we aren't allowing dogs at this event." Well, maybe he was on point, because I was pretty damned dumbfounded. It's an outdoor event, a FESTIVAL for God's sake, in VIRGINIA!!!!! And you're not allowing DOGS!?!?!?! And of course we didn't see the sign, we were busy looking at the booths--it isn't a SIGN festival bub, it's a CRAFTS festival. *deep breath*. I was peeved. And River felt bad, I know she did. We left. But not before a very nice lady came up and said, "I think it's RIDICULOUS they're not allowing dogs this year, especially one as gorgeous and well behaved as she is!" Lady? I don't know who you are, but I like you. Power to the dog people!

In keeping with the autumnal festivities, here is a WIP that I've enjoyed knitting to and from these fun events--I'm calling it Fall Festival.

Hopefully it will be done by the end of this month, so I can wear it while the leaves are still on the trees. I better hurry.

Fall is Here

I'm loving October, although I have no idea where September went. It slipped by so fast, but I'm determined to enjoy this month to its fullest. 

We've done a bit of seasonal decorating, which has been a blast! The mums are planted, and there are little touches of autumn all over the house. The smell of pumpkin spice, orange and red decorations...I'm even enjoying the way the light comes into the house. This is our first fall here. 

 

Nothing says autumn like good homemade soup. This is a Tuscan White Bean soup, a new recipe that I tried out of Food to Live By. I've mentioned this cookbook before--it's truly a staple, as is this soup. I couldn't find dried cannellini beans, but the great northern beans I used worked out really well, and the soup made the house smell wonderful.

Speaking of wonderful smells--yesterday was full of them. I baked these corn muffins for brunch, and dang--SO GOOD. I think we'll be having these with thanksgiving dinner. I followed the recipe exactly, the only difference was that I subbed "I can't believe it's not butter" baking sticks for the real butter called for. I couldn't tell a difference, so go for it! They were moist and delicious.

We also had goat cheese scrambled eggs and hash-browns for brunch. I have to say, I haven't mastered hash-browns yet, and I really want to. They always end up being raw, or in the alternative, get totally starchy and disintegrate. I'm hoping to master them by the end of the season. As for the eggs? No goat cheese in the morning, thanks. We'll reserve that particular dairy product for after 5 p.m. only. 

Last weekend we saw Julie & Julia, and it was SUCH a good movie. Of course, yesterday we had to cook boeuf bourguignon in honor of Julia. This was how it looked before it spent 3 hours in the oven.

As it cooked, we saw on the front porch and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. Me with my knitting, Salmaan with a new novel. He had just finished cutting the grass, so the breeze was full of that smell, so reminiscent of summertime, and then every once in a while, we'd get a whiff of the beef stew. I couldn't stop smiling, it smelled so good.

Speaking of knitting, it is high time for an update on my GYC KAL progress. The Rooster has been so amazing at cataloging her progress, it has been quite motivating for me. Friday night I finished the yoke portion, and yesterday I began to work on getting through to the divide. 

I'm using Jo Sharp DK Tweed on #7 needles. I had a difficult time getting gauge, but I think I finally managed it. I love the flecks of red and purple, and the yarn, while a little twiggy in some sections, is soft and easy to work with. The colorway is Granary.

For someone who normally knits with bright colors, I'm enjoying the muted earthiness of this yarn. I think it'll look fabulous with jeans!

Here was dinner.

I can't describe how delicious this was. Instead of using the pearl onions (which I'm not such a huge fan of), we used the sliced onions recommended in the master recipe, but still added the traditional sauteed mushrooms at the end, with the butter/flour thickening agent. The thyme was fresh out of the garden, and the beef became incredibly tender. There are plenty of leftovers that I can't wait to devour. 

Today we're heading west to the mountains to enjoy a fall festival at an orchard. We'll come home to a marinated pork tenderloin ready for grilling, and a new recipe for roasted butternut squash. Apple crisp, anyone? Happy Fall!

FO: Firsties

A knitting milestone was reached this weekend. I finished my very first pair of socks.

*SoopaStah!*

I started these a while ago, back on Father's Day. I drove all the way to Orchardside Yarn Shop in Raphine, VA to attend a sock knitting class with my mom for two Sundays in a row. Socks really intimidated me, even after I bought the books and intensely studied each numbered instruction, each illustrative picture. Taking a class really helped, and I've finally done it! Once I got through the heel turn and wrapping rows, it was a total breeze. 

These were knit out of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Heavyweight. I knew I wanted to knit my first pair with a bulkier yarn--and I'm glad I did. It made for a faster project, and this yarn is dreamy (isn't all BMFA yarn dreamy?). It's round and soft and I adore the color--Mustang Sally. I used #4 needles, and the pattern is one of the basics out of "Getting Started Knitting Socks" which is a wonderful book. I don't remember the gauge.

Which, while we're on the subject, is probably why my gauge ended up being a little bit off, so the socks ended up being much larger than I intended. The best part about that was they fit Salmaan like a glove, "Like FEET MITTENS, Laura, like FEET MITTENS!" Oh, alright. Like "feet mittens", and truth be told, they look super cute on him. Given the *ahem* not-so-masculine hue, he promises he will enjoy wearing them around the house. On days when we aren't expecting company. Ah, Good enough.

These are pretty much perfect, expect for one....glaring....mistake....(two, actually).

The gussets on both sides of my second sock ended up looking like this. (Oddly enough, the first sock looks great). I'm a little confused by these holes, as they seem to be more a function of the fact that I picked up a stitch through a badly situated existing stitch. Is that how gusset holes are created, or is this something else entirely? Eventually I will look through my books, and figure out how to repair it, but for now I'm too distracted as I can't seem to get a knitting rendition of a particularly funny song out of my head...

"There's....Uh.....HOLE in your gussets....Dear Laura, dear Laura, there's a hole in your gussets, dear Laura, a HOLE." 

And, you know the rest. If you don't, you must watch this, as it was my first introduction to this very "MmmmmBOPish" song.

GiddeeeeeUP!

Recently I made a new friend at work, and she happens to own two horses. Two beautiful, well mannered horses. Here's A. with Dakota, the two year old.

The other is a seven year old named Nevada. I've been out riding with A. twice this past month, and it's been really fun. Nevada and I have developed a good relationship, and we're starting to trust one another.

Ever since I was young, I wanted to learn to ride. I grew up very close to the Virginia Horse Center, but never got the opportunity. I'm literally GIDDY to be able to do this now. I'm learning to ride Western, and got a feel for Nevada in a small pasture by the stables. (And, just as an aside, because I KNOW you're in panic mode right now, Mom, when we leave the pasture I always wear a helmet. A. Is actually right out of frame here, she was walking Nevada around while I learned how to use the reins. Yes--yes, I PROMISE). 

A few days ago we went on our first trail ride. We saw lots of wildlife, and I loved navigating Nevada along the narrow path. I even got to ride her bareback, which I actually like a ton more than Western. I feel more secure riding this way--nothing between her muscles and mine. I think you're able to get a better feel for the horse, and can adjust your body to every move she makes. It's beautifully natural. Next go round we'll do a ride bareback, and I'm really looking forward to it! 

Along with riding, there has still been plenty of knitting going on, including an FO: Funky Monkey. 

This was a mindless garter project that finally came to completion last week. I used superwash merino hand dyed by Unplanned Peacock Studios--a skein that I bought at the Sedalia Fiber Festival. The colorway is Columbine. There's something funky and carefree about the garter bumps of color--nearly every stitch transitions to a color different from the one preceding it. It will be gifted very soon. 

As it's rainy cats and dogs outside, I'm organizing my WIPs (there are more than I realized) to bring with me to the beach. We're leaving this weekend, and we're both very ready for it. I'm looking forward to taking some time to relax, reflect, and hopefully, have a few FO's to share by the time we return. I am determined to knit while sunning on the beach--sunblock and sand, be damned! 

Happy Friday!

FO: Autumn Sunset Ishbel

This is another catch-up post, as this particular shawl has been complete for at least a few weeks. 

Let me be completely fair, and start out by saying that this is the most ghetto-ass piece of lacework that I have ever done. Ever.

The most beautiful part of this pattern that I completely destroyed? I don't think you can really tell. Coolio. 

I started this project in the car when we went for our B&B weekend getaway a few weeks ago (post to come). I was excited about it because so many Ravelers had made the comment that it was a super fast project, and after laboring over the BGM Ulmus for a few months, I was ready for a quick knit. Happily, it ended up being a fast knit for me, as well. I finished the stockinette portion by the end of the weekend, and completed the lacework in less than one day. I know that I messed up probably on the 3rd or 5th row, when I didn't slip a stitch (or 3) over, and from there on out my stitch count was off every other row. Oddly (and very uncharacteristically) I didn't give a flying fart, and kept knitting. Normally I would have taken the time to rip out the rows and get it right, but I was enjoying the knitting too much to do that. While any knitter who has made this shawl would realize upon closer inspection that this little garment is far from perfect, I like it a lot. 

Lately I've been discovering how important it is to love people, things, moments, despite all of their imperfections. A difficult thing for me to do. A most rewarding ability once acquired. A necessary life skill for anyone seeking Happiness. As you can infer, there's a lot more behind those statements, but suffice it to say that the completion of little Ishbel was significant for me in a lot of ways. And that's one of the reasons I love knitting so much. 

I named it Autumn Sunset, as the colors remind me of the burnished purple of the mountains on a clear autumn evening, as the sun is heading to bed. The yarn is Malabrigo Sock Yarn, the colorway is Archangel. Knit this on #5's. I'll be making another--perhaps with a little more attention to detail. ;-) Despite my screw-ups, it's an easy pattern--one that I would recommend as a first lace project. 

Ah, sweet little Ishbel. How I love thee.

FO: Bluegrass Mountain Ulmus

I've been looking forward to writing about this project since I cast on at the end of May. First of all, it's a great pattern. After taking over a year to complete my first shawl (Susan Lawrence's Forest Canopy Shawl), I was excited to see a shawl that involved lace, but whose body could be worked up in a relatively short period of time. The slipped rib pattern of the body is easy to memorize, and makes it simple to see and correct any mistakes. As with my last shawl (and probably any pattern from here on out involving a pattern repeat), I made a flip chart for the body, which was enormously helpful.

Once the body was done, the border presented more of a challenge for me. I have never knit from a chart before, and this time, I really had no choice. There were no written directions for each row of the chart, and about 22 of 34 rows of the border are different. So, I blew up the charts, and hammered my way through it. I knit thru about row 10 of the border before I realized that I had begun the border too soon--I had started with two few stitches (damn you, glass of wine before bed!). So, I ripped out, and began again. I was super excited that the ripping out worked--it was a little tricky finding the right stitches to thread onto before I frogged, but it worked out beautifully (thank you, Stitch N Bitch!). Once I got past row 22, the border pretty much flew, and it was simple to see which stitches I needed to knit, and which to purl.

I bound off on Saturday, July 4th, and it was done and blocked by Sunday. These pictures were taken this morning, before I left for work. 

I was SO EXCITED to be able to wear something like this to my job. Normally my work wardrobe consists of black suit, black suit, black suit, AH, EXCITEMENT CITY, GREY!!!!!! suit....you get the idea. While I suppose I could make more of an effort on the "fashion front" to dress professionally AND colorfully, suits are pretty standard fare when it comes to court attire, and, at the moment, a mix and match wardrobe makes the most economical sense. I've had this shirt for some time, and it's a little big in the bust, so this shawl was prefect to cover that up a bit, and I think the colors match beautifully. I received so many compliments on it, which made it even more fun.

This shawl was knit out of Malabrigo Sock Yarn, which is a superwash merino that is deliciously soft, and the colors are so saturated and gorgeous. The Bluegrass color is Solis, and the Mountain color (so reflective of my beloved Blue Ridge) is Cote d'Azure. Wrapping this around me feels like wearing my heart on my sleeve, in a wonderful way. I used #5 circulars, and had about (x oz) of the Solis leftover. I think this will be enough to knit at least one square of the Barn Raising Quilt from the book Knitalong that I plan to make (over the course of a million years).

And, as promised, here's a sneak peak at my next shawl in progress: Truly Madly Deeply Ulmus. 

I think I'll be using the red for the border. I plan to make the medium size for this one, and yes, there is likely going to be another FO in the smallest size on the near future, using what's leftover of the Cote d'Azure, and some Auracania Ranco Multi. I. Just. Can't. Stop. Sock yarn=bliss. Happy Wednesday.