Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Possible projects ahead!

I'm over it now - that whole sock ordeal...for the time being. For now I'm consumed with ideas for Christmas gifts.
My side of the bed is littered with books and lists (ok, I'm ocassionally distracted by a crossword puzzle.)
I'm copying patterns from library books (that section in the library is starting to look pretty sparse, too) and going through my basket of yarn. I'm matching the project to the yarn and trying to make do with what I already own. It's time for me to get organized and creative.

This should be, as the book above says -"simple" - it's a menagerie of knitting & purling mixed in with a December deadline and picking the right project for the right person.

This is going to be fun!

Sock 101

I have failed Sock 101...not once but twice. The first time the first 6 inches worked out fabulously. How can I go wrong with knit 2, purl 2 on circular needles? My friend got me started and sent me away with my homework assignment. Good enough - I was born to Ace Sock 101. In elementary school my teachers always told my parents that I was a bright student, a bit chatty, but definitely the potential to excel.
How can this be different?
So the next lesson was a disaster. I did what I was told but always had more stitches on my needle than I should so we...cheated...we'd put one stitch here & one stitch there then knit 2 together here and purled two together there to try to get back to the pattern...what happened?!!! I was going through the motions but wasn't quite grasping the concept. I wanted to finish the one sock but was afraid I wouldn't be able to knit the pair on my own. If only I had a wand. I'd conjure up a spell similar to what Mrs. Weasley would...if only.
So for a year this - that "sock" above - sat in a knitting bag.
Say farewell - I started over.
I had to.
Sorry dear friend - oh Professor of Sockology.
I 'enrolled' in her Sock 101 again but to learn the toe-up procedure.
She converted and hasn't turned back since. She has numerous toe-up socks under her belt - er, on her feet.





I have absolutely no progress to report...my brain won't retain the information.
Maybe I should take notes.
Maybe I need to record our sessions together.
Maybe I was not made to knit socks.
Maybe that's why there are stores like "Sockshop".

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Baking for Equinox

For our Après-Dîner Equinox Party I baked for 2 days. Boy did my feet ache at the end of each day! My sampling here & there through the course of 2 days helped ease the pain though ;)

I baked 3 dozen carrot cupcakes from Martha Stewart's 2003 'Everyday Food' magazine - issue #3. I used my palm peeler on the vibrant-caution-neon carrots and sliced into our freshly picked oranges. The aroma was irresistable! I made some cupcakes bite-size and some a-heaping-cupcake size. The coconut sprinkles added texture - a little 'crunch' to it.
I also baked Mochiko - a Filipino cake using mochiko flour. My Mother's recipe is slightly different than the recipie I found here. We haven't added sour cream and only on a few occasions has my Mom added coconut milk. I prefer just sugar, eggs, butter & milk. The absolute piece de resistance or the matamis part of Mochiko is...wait, that's revealing my secrets ;)
That morning, with just enough eggs, I decided to make Leche Flan (my recipe is similar.) So matamis & smooth! Yum! My Mom gave me all of her copper molds and yet I rely on just one. This one mold has never failed me. Since I was a young teenager, it has helped me create a beautiful leche flan.
For a few days after our Equniox Party we had un-frosted carrot cupcakes for breakfast (ok, so a few of mine had frosting) and I snacked on Mochiko while Dan & the girls were gone during the day. :)