Adventures of an Intrepid Knitter

Less is More

2012-01-02T15:36:00.000-05:00

Less is more, I've been hearing that a lot lately. I haven't totally figured out what it means yet, but I'll get there. Meanwhile I've made some plans for January. I plan to work in 15 minute segments, very Flylady-esque, but it's a system that has worked for me in the past. A 15 minute segment keeps me from getting overwhelmed and crashing. It also fits in with my energy level right now.

Household goals: Master bedroom
1. Declutter closet, dressers, dresser tops, banish piles o stuff
2. Move computer desk to the den to create sitting area
3. General cleaning-dust, dog and cat hair

Crafting goals: Knitting
1. 3 WiPs: Gansey Socks, Knee-high Mandelbroit, and Mittens de
2. Organize my tools: Needles, hooks, darning needles, stitch markers, cable needles, notebooks, calculators...
3. 2 long term projects-FLS and Goldberry at Dusk

Personal goals
1. Make my bed every day
2. Walk for 30 minutes every day

And my priority for this week is to solve the missing camera battery issues because Pictures or it didn't happen is the rule!

It's a start.

What's on your plate this month?

Yakira

Set-Backs and Forward Momentum

2011-12-23T10:37:00.001-05:00

I managed to put myself back in the hospital. I am so talented. However, a few x-rays, a few days of NPO, tons of blood work, and being able to tolerate clear liquids, got me home again.

Tonight we light the fourth candle on our menorahs. I had this whole post about bringing light into the world and peace on Earth and all sorts of stuff like that planned out in my head. I have managed to misplace it somewhere in the recesses of my brain. Alas and alack.

In any case, may the season bring joy, peace and love to you and your family.

Yakira

Good Things

2011-12-18T13:52:00.000-05:00

I am home from the hospital and doing well.

Surgery was successful in removing All The Things from my abdomen. According to my doctor, aside from my weight, I am in good health.

A few things that occurred to me at 5:00am while debating whether or not to wake Larry to bring me pain meds:

1. Crying, like laughing and farting, uses abdominal muscles.
2. When one cries with a sore abdomen one sounds like a beached whale.
3. When one laughs with a sore abdomen one sounds like a beached whale.
4. I never looked at pooping as an all encompassing life goal before.
5. Getting your panties in a twist is not as fun as it sounds and harder to fix when you can't lift your butt.
6. Life is good.
7. I have amazing friends and family.
8. I am looking forward to the coming year.

I have also been working on making other lists, project wise. I have some ideas on where I want to start in the next few weeks. I will write on that later this week as I improve in my ability to sit up for longer periods of time.

Yakira

Year of finishing stuff

2011-12-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

I posted this on G+ yesterday:

The Great Finishing Things Journey

In the personal reflection that is happening as I face major surgery next week I realized that I've left a lot of things unfinished. Now this is not meant to be morbid bucket list or a lamenting pile of regrets. It's simply a reminder for me to shit or get off the pot.

I start a lot of projects. I do a lot of planning. I get caught up in the 'oh shiny'. One of the things I've always admired in some people is their ability to finish things. Don't get me wrong, I do finish things, just not as many things as I start. You know, I do the one step forward, two steps back. Cha, cha, cha.

I'm a great project manager. I know how to plan, delegate, motivate; I just have a hard time doing it for/to myself.

I took inventory of uncompleted projects, I've already deleted ones that I will never finish, won't use, are no longer relevant, etc.

Knitting projects-25
Spinning projects-5
Sewing projects-8
Cleaning/decluttering projects-4
Writing projects-10

My goal is to change my Cha, cha to two steps forward, one step back. For every project I want to start I must eliminate two, by either finishing it or deleting/removing it.

I haven't decided if I'm going to blog this journey or talk about it here. Any suggestions?

What do you use to motivate yourself to finish things? How do you push through the tedious part of projects? Are you secretly envious of folks who finish things too?

I got a few nice replies a some great suggestions. I spent the evening thinking about it more and what I really wanted to achieve. I ended up coming up with a few things that I don't want to happen.

I don't want to loose my creativity. In other words I don't want to be so stifled with schedules and 'must do's' that I loose the free-form thinking and doing that I love.

I don't want to spend my time griping about my family who seem to undermine all my efforts at cleaning and decluttering, and getting stuff done. They don't get things dirty or not put things away simply to piss me off and their demands on my time are legitimate and deserved most of the time.

So what do I want?

I want peace. I want accomplishment. I want beauty. I want love.

I desire to work towards a life rich with these things.

I am going to start to put my projects together with goals, task lists and time lines. Hopefully I'll be able to do that part while I'm on restricted movement during my recovery.

I would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, ideas. I'm over at G+ as Yakira Heistand. I hope to have an ongoing discussion about simplifying one's life here and over there.

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yakira

Lots of Goings On

2011-09-22T18:25:00.003-04:00

Haven't written in a while, been busy living life. Kinda.

I figure with NaNoWriMo coming up that I ought to do more writing.

There's a lot going on around here. Good and not so good. I'm not going to try to do a recap of the past year. I'm just going to jump in and start writing.

Of course I always choose to do these things when I should be doing something else. So while I go make dinner take a look at our new Etsy store. The link is at the top of the page.

Yakira

Criminal Vegetables

2011-07-08T11:16:00.002-04:00

A very good friend of mine from Israel with whom I lost touch is going to court because of a vegetable garden. As a homeschooling mother our vegetable garden was the basis for our Earth Science studies. I'm just totally speechless. I'll probably wax eloquent later when I can digest the absurdity of it all.

Here's a link to her blog: Oak Park Hates Veggies

Here's a link to a local news station: Oak Park battles city over vegetable garden

Yakira

More Yarn Porn!

2011-03-19T13:00:00.003-04:00

Two more glorious skeins so show off!

Spunky Eclectic, Eclectic Jam on BFL/Silk, 3oz, N-ply, 12-14 WPI, 240 yards, 35 gram top whorl spindle. It's by far the best spinning I've done to date.

Spunky Eclectic, Retreat on Domestic Wool Blend, 4oz, attempt at 'rustic' thick and thin spinning, 9 WPI, 240 yards, 1.5oz bottom whorl spindle. It's so hard to go back to uneven drafting after trying for a year to get my yarns nice, even and consistent. It's like trying to color outside the lines. It was a fantastically quick spin though, instant gratification at its best. It's chunky, floofy and oh so squishable.

My next project is to build a light box so I can get more consistent lighting for my photographs.

More fibery goodness coming soon!

Happy Pi Day!

2011-03-14T20:46:00.003-04:00

I count Pi Day as the anniversary of my aspinneration. One year ago today I posted this yarn:

I went on to spin this:

And I spun several more lovely yarns learning about twist and plying. And I spun my first plied yarn:

And my second plied yarn:

And then I just HAD to knit with my own handspun:

And, of course, I had to design something specifically for handspun:

And finally, today's Pi Day presentation:

I did it!!!

2010-10-12T13:04:00.000-04:00

Black Sheep Studios

Yup, I did it.

Happy!

2010-09-29T11:50:00.000-04:00

September 29, 2010

Spunky Eclectic fiber is awesome. Amy's colorways always make me happy. I especially fell in love with Twenty-Ten. I bought 4 ounces in superwash BFL. When I got it in the mail I couldn't help but smoosh it.

It wanted to be a chunky, chain-plied yarn. I obliged.

And that soft, warm and bright yarn wanted to be fingerless mitts. Again, I obliged. I mean really, how could I not?

I call them Happy, as in 'They make me'. I designed them with the new spinner in mind. The yarn required is chunky; a much easier yarn for a new spinner to produce. Because it's plied the flaws in the singles don't show up as readily. And it's quick. And fun. And Happy.

I spun the yarn on the very first spindle I ever owned; a bottom whorl, 2.5 ounces. I call her Old Faithful, my workhorse. She is the spindle I pick up when I've got a fiber I've never tried before. I pick her up when I'm frustrated with one of my other spindles. I can ply up to 4 ounces on her. She has been dropped many times and doesn't mind it. A little bit of fluff shimmed in between the shaft and the whorl and she is as good as new.

Fiber used: "Twenty-Ten" on Super Wash BFL by Spunky Eclectic
Yarn details: Singles spin direction-Z, 22 wpi, Chain plied, spin direction-S, 8 wpi,
Method of finishing: Warm soak in a wool wash, warm rinse and light 'thwacking'
Fiber prep: Started with combed top, split down the middle to preserve color progression, enough pre-drafting to loosen fibers
Drafting method: Short forward draw
Spindle used: 2.5 ounce, bottom whorl
Yarn classification: Bulky
Suggested commercial substitutes: Mirasol Yarn Sulky, Plymouth Encore Chunky, Rowan Purelife Brittish Sheep Breeds Chunky, Noro Iro

Yardages: I spun 4 ounces in two skeins of about 46 yards each. I used 3.8 ounces for the mitts and had about 12 yards left.

Happy Fingerless Mitts
Women's Medium
Gauge-4 stitches and 6 rows=1 inch
Needles-US 8-5mm, or size required for correct gauge
90-120 yards Aran or Bulky weight yarn
Notions-stitch markers, tapestry needle
Approximate finished circumference, measured around palm, just above thumb-8 inches
Both mitts are made exactly the same and each mitt can be worn on either hand.

Stitch definitions and techniques
M1F: Pick up bar between stitches and place on left hand needle so the 'short' leg is in the front, knit the short leg, this makes a left leaning increase, also called M1L.
M1B: Pick up bar between stitches and place on left hand needle so the 'short' leg is in the back, knit this from the back, this will twist the stitch and make a right leaning increase, also called M1R.
Visual tutorial here

Cuff:

CO 32 sts, join for working in the round.
PM at beginning of round and work K2, P2 rib for 3 inches.
Change to St st and increase 1 st in next row, 33 sts.
Work 2 more rows in St st.

Thumb gusset:

R1. K16, pm, M1F, K1, M1B, pm, K to end of row.
R2. K 1 row plain.
R3. K16, sm, M1F, K3, M1B, sm, K to end of row.
R4. K 1 row plain.
R5. K16, sm, M1F, K5, M1B, sm, K to end of row.
R6. K 1 row plain.

Continue alternating increase rows with plain rows until there are 15 stitches between markers. Last row should be a plain row.

Usually at this point, when making mittens or gloves, you put the thumb stitches on waste yarn and work the rest of the hand. I wanted to preserve the colorway progression of my yarn as best as possible; I didn't want to come back to make the thumb in a totally different color.

Next row: K16, slip these 16 sts onto waste yarn, K across thumb gusset (15 sts), slip rest of hand sts onto waste yarn, they will not have been knit this row. They will be the first sts you knit when starting the hand.

Thumb:

Join 15 thumb sts for working in the round.
K 4 rows even.
Work 2 rows in K2, P2 rib.
BO in pattern.

Hand:

Starting at thumb, return stitches from waste yarn to needles. Beginning of row will now be where the thumb is, pm. Join for working in the round.
Join yarn and K 1 row.
At end of row, PU and K 1 st to close gap between thumb and hand, 33 sts.
At end of next row, K2tog, 32 st.
Continue in St st for about 1.5 inches or until mitt is 1 inch shorter than your preference.
Work 4 rows in K2, P2 rib.
BO in pattern.

Weave in ends with tapestry needle. All they need is a damp blocking to look awesome! Rinse and repeat for second mitt.

Don't they make you Happy too?

BFL Handspun

2010-09-27T11:22:00.002-04:00

So soft and warm.

Pattern coming soon.

Just Sayin'

2010-09-26T00:04:00.003-04:00

I Should be Cleaning

2010-03-21T14:50:00.006-04:00

I should be cleaning for Pesach but the day is so beautiful that I just had to get some pictures in the sun.

I'm on the last 8 or so rows of Legolas. Almost ready to add the leaf tips.

Here's a picture of my Evenstar circular lace shawl. In about 13 rounds, when I switch to a longer cable I will pin it out so you can see the design. This is my first project in lace weight yarn and my first circular shawl. I'm so excited it's turning out so well! Sometimes I amaze myself.

Speaking of amazing myself:

Yeah, I spun that. About 56 yards, 2 ply, light worsted weight. I still have a few more grams of fiber to spin up and ply. Can't wait to see what my final yardage is. I might make myself a pair of lacy fingerless mitts or a cowl, dunno yet.

Yakira

Happy pi Day!

2010-03-14T22:20:00.002-04:00

In honor of pi day I picked up my spindle and spun some amazing fiber and totally blew myself away with my talent.

That is all.

Yakira

Nothing Better to Do

2010-03-10T20:02:00.005-05:00

I am knitting lace. Yes, lace.

Amazing.

Some of you will remember the Revontuli that got frogged because I messed up on a YO. Then there was the lace purse that only took a few days to knit but most of a year to block and line. I finished that last week BTW. I love it.

Well I'm going for another shawl. Two really, from the same designer, Susan Pandorf of Sunflower Designs. They're from her Lord of the Rings series and the entire set of patterns looks to be totally amazing. I signed up for her Mystery KAL for her shawl called Evenstar. I was the 960th to sign up and I won the entire set of 7 patterns! One of the patterns I won is called Legolas. It's a small triangular shawl with undulating leaves running through the whole thing. I'm about half way done. I love this one too.

And socks. Of course.

Yakira

Three Months and Counting

2010-03-06T17:13:00.002-05:00

::facedesk::

It's almost Pesach. We're talking three weeks from now. That's just over 21 days. So why do I decide to start writing in my blog now? It's waited this long, what's another few weeks? I could talk about how it's helpful to have a record of my cleaning progress or accountability or my pre-Pesach knitting or my guest list or my menu plans...

Nope.

It's simpler than that.

Procrastination.

In our morning prayers we ask the Almighty to remove the 'evil' inclination not only from behind us but from in front of us. Behind us is self explanatory, it's the way we allow ourselves to be pushed into eating food that's not healthy, or having one more drink, or letting our anger yell at our kids; I could think of thousands of examples. But why do we ask for the 'evil' inclination be removed from in front of us? This is the classic example of doing good things for all the wrong reasons. It's the idea that we really need just one more kugel for Shabbos when we know we have enough food, or when we decide to sit down and write that thank you note when the dishes need washing up. It's what makes us say yes to a friend even though we know we won't have time to make dinner for our family.

It's also what makes us say: I'll get to whatever it is soon, my admiring followers (all 9 of you) have been waiting three months for me to show off my FO's and chat about my plans for my garden and talk about what I'm making for Yom Tov. I have an obligation. Right?

Baloney. But we all know I'm going to do it anyway.

Yakira

Must. Keep. Shopping.

2009-11-29T00:42:00.002-05:00

Though I have no clue how we're going to get anything home. I am the packing queen however, the only problem is we have to be able to actually *lift* the suitcases.

Here are the promised pictures of productive knitting.
Vine and Lace Beret:

Since I took the picture yesterday this has actually been completed and is blocking as we speak.

Peaks Island Hood:

Since I took this picture yesterday I have completed a total of 22 inches. I have to get to 28 to begin the increases for the hood.

Dad's Socks:

Haven't worked on them in two days but that's okay, they're really car or airplane knitting.

Now I have to get to bed, we have another shopping marathon scheduled for tomorrow. Larry's mom could possibly out shop my mom. I'm hoping to never test that. Then again as long as I'm not paying who cares!

Yakira

Gratitude

2009-11-26T22:52:00.003-05:00

Today I am grateful for family and friends. I am grateful for the people in my life who give me opportunities every day show my love and appreciation. I am grateful to have children who are growing up to be amazing people. I am grateful to my parents who have raised me to care about others and have helped me become the person I am. I am grateful to my step-parents who love my parents and who enrich my life with their love. I am grateful to Larry who puts up with my shtuss and my knitting and fiber obsession (and my heathen children.) But I am most of all grateful to the Almighty who formed me in His image and gave me the intelligence, talent and skills so that I can help create a better world.

Speaking of skills, I have had an amazing 3 days of productive knitting!

I will post pictures tomorrow. For some reason my computer is not letting me upload images today.

Tomorrow we shop.

What are you grateful for?

Yakira

Flight of Fancy

2009-11-25T17:52:00.007-05:00

I mean to write last night. By the time I remembered Larry told me to go to bed, it was late. He was right, as usual.

The flight to Chicago was fine. Everything went smoothly from packing,

to the airport taxi, to check-in, (I love love love curbside luggage check, I love printing my own boarding pass.) to a quick line through security. Even Larry didn't seem to suffer too much anxiety, though I know he had a few rough patches.

I started a project in the terminal while waiting for our boarding call, this is how much I got done during our travels:

It's a pair of socks for dad. I'm using KnitPicks 4" sock needles. Aren't they cute?? The yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy. It's just like the name says, smooshy. It's a superwash merino and is knitting up nicely on US#2's.

We landed on time, baggage came down the chute in one piece, the shuttle to the train arrived not three minutes from stepping outside the terminal, we waited about an hour for the train which was on time and Larry's folks were waiting for us with smiles on their faces. We had a lovely evening and dinner and relaxed and caught up with family news.

Tuesday we hijacked Larry's mom, Tanya, and took the car into Wisconsin to that cheese place we had visited when I visited last spring. Yay Mars Cheese Castle!

They had EVERYTHING Wisconsin.

They're calling me to dinner. More later.

Yakira

Chicago Blogging Take Two

2009-11-22T16:28:00.005-05:00

That is a picture of an incredible package I won from posting a comment on another blog. Larkin of The Lady Knits held a contest last month and I won! Unfortunately I did not get a picture of everything in the package before my heathen children got hold of it. Aside from the three magazines and the orange Blue Sky Alpaca Melange and the cranberry Malabrigo Merino Lace, there were some candies and cookies, and a small candy corn candle and a pencil with an orange troll like thing at the top, some orange bath salts and some amazing orange stitch markers. The contest's theme was 'Orange and Other Fall Colors,' can you tell? Thank you Larkin!!

Tomorrow we fly out to Chicago for a whole week. I'm really excited. Larry is a nervous wreck. He doesn't fly well. It's endearing in an anxious kind of way. If that makes sense. Me, I like adventure, I like to travel, see new things and meet new people. Larry is a self proclaimed cave dweller. I think the only thing making this trip possible is the fact that we'll be staying with his folks where he already has built his pseudo cave. Meanwhile I'm doing my best to curb my enthusiasm and just do what he says and avoid conflict. The man does not need any more stress.

So we had already decided not to take Rachel with us, a week with absolutely no kids, bliss. Late last week he told me how worried he was about me being away from Rachel for 8 days, the longest I've ever been away from her. He was really concerned about how I would handle it. We both know that Rachel won't even know I'm gone, she'll be having way too much fun with Bubby and Zaidy. He was worried enough to actually check flight prices for her. You didn't hear it from me but I'm thinkin' it's he who is going to miss Rachel more.

We haven't hammered out our visiting agenda yet, we figure we'll play it by ear. But I have planned my own personal down time agenda, knitting and more knitting. I'm going to make Ysolda's Peaks Island Hood for Chana. She will love it and it is knit up in heavy worsted weight on fairly large needles so it should be a pretty quick knit. I'm also taking along yarn for a hat and mittens for Nachman. For the plane I'm taking another pair of socks. Why? Because I finished my Monkey Socks!

They're mine, all mine. And soooo comfey.

So what's left for holiday knitting? I have to finish Miriam's Snapdragon Mitts, the Tam is done. Chana gets the hood/scarf thing. Nachman gets a hat and mittens from yarn he picked out. Rachel has the Cupcake Purse filled with knitted foods that I have to work on when we get back. Nosson wants an earflap hat. I have some really nice charcoal gray yarn I just haven't found a pattern I like yet. I'll take ideas, I'm open to color work but he's a teenage boy and doesn't want anything 'fussy.' I was going to try this skull pattern that I thought was really cool. He looked at it and said no way. I may make it for myself. I'd use only one row of skulls though.

I'm not knitting for Larry. The man hates socks, doesn't wear hats or scarves and only sometimes wears a sweater. Forget about it.

I'm already planning knitting and crafts for after the holidays. I'm insane. Here's a hint at what I've got in store:

Can you guess??

Tomorrow I'll blog from Chicago!

Yakira

Time

2009-11-19T14:56:00.004-05:00

I have to tell you this whole time changing thing knocked me flat on my arse. It's been about three weeks and I still can't fathom why it's dark at supper time. Okay, I KNOW why, I just can't convince my brain to process it. Whatever, I'll get over it, or not.

Holiday knitting is taking over my world right now. I've got something for each of the kids with two mostly finished and one going on the needles to knit while in Chicago. You've all seen the Snapdragon Tam and the Mitts to go with it. I just have to knit up the second mitt and get the finger flaps on both of them. There's also the Cupcake Purse which I'm filling with knitted and crocheted foods.

One mini cupcake down.

Meanwhile in a fit of whimsy I made this:

No, it's not a salad, it's a scarf.Yes, I have nothing better to do with my time so stop asking. I'll sell it to the highest bidder. It's 100% wool, hand wash, hand knit/crocheted, about 5' long and 6" wide and some of the yarns I dyed myself. Bidding ends December 15.

On another note, I've got three close friends who have been trying to conceive for a while now. One has had two misses. I would like to make them a 'Mommy Blanket.' I am collecting 8"x8" knit or crocheted squares from mommys and grandmothers to seam together to send to my friends. Hopefully the love and prayers from other mothers all knit into a blanket will bring them comfort and, G-d, willing their own little soul to take care of and love. If you would like to participate please email me.

We're off to Chicago next week!

Yakira

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2009-10-23T15:03:00.005-04:00

Me and my Bar Mitzvah boychick.

All of us.
My beautiful girls.

Have a great Shabbos.

Yakira

How'd I Do?

2009-10-22T18:17:00.005-04:00

Not too bad, thank you for asking.

Didn't quite cut my food budget in half, but was within $20 of the mark.

I only filled three of those reusable bags that Giant and Safeway sell. That's a first. I own seven and almost always fill all of them.

Final grocery list looked like this:

Chicken
Chicken bones
Chuck roast, small
String cheese
Pizza cheese
Sliced cheese
Gallon milk
Yogurt
Pizza sauce
Flour
Lettuce
Cuces

Things I bought that were not on the list:

Eggs-we can never run out...
Panko-fancy breadcrumbs for the eggplant, impulse purchase, I know
Avacado-was on sale and vegetables are never a bad thing, I just have to remember to use them
Organic sliced cheese-I'll save my organic kosher rant for another time
Leben-not yogurt, slightly more expensive, yum
Crazins-when my kids ask for healthy snacks I can't say no

All in all I only went down two aisles, the canned goods aisle and the baking aisle. The rest of my shopping was along the perimeter of the store. Half an hour, in and out, ahhhh bliss. Leaves more time for knitting, right?

This week's recipe:

Chickpea, rice and spinach casserole

1C raw chickpeas/2C cooked chickpeas
1C raw brown rice/2C cooked brown rice
1 large onion, diced
2tsp oil
1/2 lb chopped spinach

I use my pressure cooker to make the rice and chickpeas. (Actually I use two pressure cookers, I own three. I'm already planning a 'I love my pressure cooker' blog post.) A 19 oz can of chickpeas is fine, rinse well. In large pot, or pressure cooker, saute onion in oil, add salt, pepper and garlic to taste. Add rice and 3 1/2 C water, cover and bring to pressure. Cook for 15 minutes. If not using pressure cooker, follow package directions for cooking rice. Stir in chickpeas and spinach. Serve hot. This is not only vegan but macrobiotic too. All the flavor is in the seasoning. Tons of onions and garlic are awesome. I've also added cumin for a Moroccan flavor.

I am going to rant now. Just a warning.

Before Yom Tov I bought a box of instant oatmeal. It was Quaker Maple and Brown Sugar, yum, right? Usually I use regular flavored oatmeal and we just add our own flavors, I find the packaged stuff way too sweet. So why did I buy this? Because it said 'Half the Sugar.' Let's try it, I thought. Might not be too bad. Happily I read the box before I opened it. I was suspicious, how did they get it to half the sugar and still meet most American's need for super, sickeningly sweet crap?

Splenda.

I am just beside myself. How is this any better? When I brought the box back to the store I took a closer look at other products in that aisle. Every product listed as 'healthier' in some way, had an artificial sweetner. I cannot express how completely full of rage, irritated, and upset I am and still keep this blog PG.

I am of the opinion that artificial sweetners are the leading cause of most health problems in America, including obesity and diabetes and depression. Pretty broad statement, I know, but it's how I feel. And I beleive in 50 years when science and the people who have been consuming this garbage, finally catches up with the FDA, on this I will be proven right. They've already proven that Nutrasweet, when consumed in quantity by pregnant women, can attach itself to the spinal cord of the fetus and cause permanent damage. What do I mean by quantity? One 2 liter bottle a day of diet soda. (While most folks don't drink that much soda they do drink coffee and tea to which they add their sweetner.)

And now that they're putting artificial sweetners in everyday food without telling you with HUGE LETTERS, who knows how much we'll be consuming. NOWHERE on that oatmeal box did it say ARTIFICIAL SWEETNER, nowhere. How did I find it? The ingredient list had sucralose listed right after caramel color.

Who is the FDA serving?

One teaspoon of sugar has 16 calories. I put three in my coffee. I drink two cups of coffee a day. That's 96 calories a day. I'll live.

I'm done ranting. Today.

Yakira

Here's What I've Got So Far

2009-10-21T11:59:00.007-04:00

(Edited for format)

Thursday dinner: Chickpea, rice and spinach casserole, don't have to buy a thing.

Friday/Shabbos dinner: Challah, Matzah ball soup, Chicken, broccoli, potato kugel, carrot kugel, chocolate chip cookies, apple cake. I need flour, chicken bones and a chicken.

Shabbos lunch: Challah, cholent, salad, kugels, cookies & cake. I need cholent meat and salad veggies.

Melave Malka: Pizza and board games with the kids. I need pizza sauce and pizza cheese

Sunday brunch: French toast from leftover challah. Don't have to buy a thing.

Sunday dinner: We will probably be at Renn Faire so I will pack tuna and PB&J sandwiches
I need potato chips, bread, and a few snack treats to nosh on during the day. We will buy drinks there.

Monday dinner: Eggplant parmesean, salad. I will set aside a bit of cheese from the pizza, otherwise don't have to buy a thing.

Tuesday dinner: Cheesy polenta, fried onions, eggs over easy or scrambled. Don't have to buy a thing.

Wednesday dinner: Leftover night and sometimes pasta, depends on what's got to be eaten

Shopping list:

Produce:
lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, grapes, mushrooms, dill, baby carrots, celery

Meats:
chicken bones, chicken, chuck roast

Dairy:
pizza cheese, parmesean cheese, milk, string cheese, yogurts, sliced cheese

Non perishables:
potato chips, bread, maybe another snack or two that transports easily

That's what I've got. How about you?

Now for the fun stuff. I've got one mitt mostly done. I have to knit on the flip top. These will go with the Snapdragon Tam.

Now I have to actually get something done today.

Yakira

A Challenge

2009-10-20T10:33:00.004-04:00

Yom Tov is over even though the Sukkah is still standing. We didn't get it down before the rain hit us. Yesterday was the first full day without rain, today it is supposed to be sunny and in the 70's. Tomorrow is supposed to be the same. Everything should be dry by then, so tomorrow we raize the Sukkah. Raize, reminds me of Clinton and his whole 'it takes a village to raise a child.' I used to say, "It takes my children to raize a village." I crack myself up.

So here's the challenge, it's called 'Pantry Shopping.' For the next two weeks I am challenging myself to live from my pantry, freezer and fridge. My goal is to cut my grocery budget in half by planning meals from what I already have. Can she do it? 'Yes she can!' Wednesday is my day to make my meal plans and shopping list. I also usually rummage around in the fridge and get rid of Shabbos leftovers and the like. So, tomorrow I will give you all my menu for the week and my proposed shopping list. As always ideas are welcome and everyone is invited to join the fun. Leave me a comment and let me know how you're doing.

Okay, business done, now for the fun. You have to see this. I made it Sunday.

It's for Rachel for Channukah. If I have time I'm going to fill it with crocheted sweets like ice cream cones, cookies and donuts. If I don't have time I'm going to the dollar store for pony tail holders, barretts and the like.

I'm off to do some laundry and of course more knitting.

Yakira

Chicago Again

2009-10-14T11:34:00.009-04:00

My four older children will be with their father this year for Thanksgiving. For a while it looked like it was just going to be Rachel, Larry and I at mom's for turkey. Until Larry's brother called. He's got the whole week off and invited us to come to Chicago. So after much discussion, about five minutes, and much angst, more than five minutes, for my mother who won't have her kids or grandkids this year we decided to go to Chicago and gift my mother with Rachel for the week.

Clever solution no? I love my mom.

While the prospect of November in Chicago does not really appeal to me, I am excited to go and see the Windy City again and visit my brother. Larry's family is very nice and his brother is pretty cool. We should have a grand time. We're going for 8 days, not the 4 we had last time. Plenty of time to visit family, friends and yarn shops. Plus I've got a little over a month to plan as opposed to two weeks like last spring.

What am I knitting you ask? Tons of stuff. I'm on a Ysolda Teague kick right now spurred on by one of the ladies I talk with in a Ravelry group I belong to. Last week I knitted up her Snapdragon Tam in a yarn I dyed myself.

I love the way the cables wander over the hat and the flames just shoot out of the junction of crossing cables. It is a very well written and designed pattern.

I started on the flip top mitts that go with the tam this week. These will be a Channuka gift for someone who likes orange. I also started another pattern of hers, Ishbel. It's a lovely little shawl that I'm knitting with the yarn leftover from my 'Those Purple Socks.'

It's a quick knit, or would be if I hadn't made a counting mistake causing much cursing and frogging. I had to rip back to where the lace begins. It's irritating because the lace is an easy pattern and it's organic, it grows in an obvious way from each row. I wouldn't have made the mistake if I'd been paying attention to the previous row.

I'm almost done with my Monkey Socks. Just the foot and toe of the second sock to go. These will also be a Channuka gift.

Yakira

Up and Down

2009-10-05T15:48:00.006-04:00

It's been an up and down last two weeks. Had a lot of fun. Had a lot of stress. Shepped a lot of nachas.Weird face on the Bar Mitzvah boy. I'll put up a better picture when I get them.Me, three of my children and a friend and her baby. That's baby Eden of the Eden's Bonnet fame. I can't stop knitting for her. I made her a sweater using the 5 Hour Baby Sweater pattern. Took me a little over 6 hours so it's about a close to instant gratification as you get.
I've got a head cold. I'll write more later.

Yakira

Dear G-d

2009-09-24T08:44:00.002-04:00

Dear G-d,

Your sense of humor is not appreciated. Hiding the lid to my coffee grinder behind the knife block and making me think it fell behind the refrigerator was just not kosher. Having to move the fridge twice because I trapped a cat behind it was just untenable.

I'm sure you're aware that after shul on Shabbos I've got close to 30 people coming over for lunch. I still have a ton of cooking to do and even more cleaning. At this point I need your help not your practical jokes. I know it was you who moved the coffee, made me search the kitchen for 5 minutes while you put it back where I had set it.

Thirteen years ago, yesterday, I had my third child smack dab in the middle of the busiest time of the year. I know that was your doing. The whole pregnancy was one of your practical jokes really. I found out I was pregnant during one of the worst snow storms Baltimore had seen in years. I was stuck in a tiny apartment with morning sickness and two toddlers for days. I was sure I had strep throat but couldn't get to a doctor for a test. I finally called my midwife who, after a series of questions on the phone decided I needed antibiotics and she called in the prescription. It took another 24 hours for me to get hold of the pills and by then I couldn't swallow a thing. I almost dehydrated.

In my eighth month we moved into a larger apartment. In August. In August in Baltimore. Miriam had just turned 3 and Chana was 16 months. Did I mention it was August? My midwife decided I needed to be on bedrest. Now really G-d, was that necessary? I had to unpack and cook for Rosh HaShana. I had two toddlers to take care of and the laundry was down two flights.

About the only thing that went smoothly was my labor and delivery. It went so quickly that I almost had him in the parking lot of the hospital. It went so quickly that my midwife was still putting her gloves on while I caught his head.

So G-d, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from any more practical jokes until after Shabbos. Thank you.

Your servant,
Yakira

Photo Op

2009-09-14T08:58:00.011-04:00

Spent a lovely day at Renn Faire yesterday. Could not have asked for better weather! Gotta love Rachel, she'll never miss a photo op.

Face painting for the princess? Something in pink please. Oh, and make it a butterfly.

Wait! Pony ride too, every princess needs a pony!

"I'll never be your beast of burden..." Ummm, can I take that back? Gotta love a man who'll tote a five year old around, especially one that's not his, and one that proclaims she doesn't like him.
Next year we'll all be in garb. This year was a tough one and I didn't get my sewing machines out. Plus I've been on a yarn kick not a fabric kick. Not sure which is more expensive really, yarn or fabric. I will have to do a comparison one day. Hmmm...

Got little knitting done this weekend. Ah, well.

Yakira

So, You Ask

2009-09-10T19:47:00.003-04:00

Why didn't I write yesterday after adamantly proclaiming I was going to start writing every day to rebuild my writing habit?

I was busy. Really.

Today was the deadline for numbers to get to the accountant for the fellow I work for.

I do have some good news. Remember when I said in about a week I was going to start walking at 7:00 so we didn't have to drag HRH with us? Well we decided to start yesterday. We walked our normal route and what took us almost 40 minutes with a five year old took us a little over 20 without her.

After that I sat at my computer most of the day arguing with Quick Books and fighting with a slow connection to the server so I could get stuff done. I didn't get up until right before dinner time. I made dinner, cleaned up from dinner, bathed a 5 year old, put a 5 year old to bed and sat back down at my computer. We had everything as cleaned up as it was going to get at about 9:00 last night and off it went this morning to the accountant. I hate doing shoddy work but there was a lot to go through. I did my best in the time allotted.

Larry and I watched Devil's Advocate last night. Creepy movie. Fun but creepy.

We walked again today. Two days in a row. And I spent money today. Not on fun stuff. I bought paper goods for the Bar Mitzvah at BJ's then I went to the market and bought all my meats for Rosh HaShana and the Bar Mitzvah.

I wanna buy yarn not chicken!

This weeks recipe:

Yakira's Challah

7+ C flour
2 1/4 C warm water
2 packets yeast
1/2 C sugar
2 Tbs salt
3 eggs
1/4 C oil

I use my stand mixer for this recipe. My mixer has a 4qt. bowl. Pour yeast sugar and water into bowl. Let sit for a minute or three while it bubbles. Add 6 C flour, salt, eggs and oil. Turn mixer on low. Slowly add 7th C flour. Keep more ready in case the dough needs more flour. Depending on humidity you may need to add up to a whole C of flour. The dough will be sticky but will hold it's shape. Let the mixer run on low for about 4 minutes to knead the dough. Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel to rise for about 2 hours. Divide in thirds and braid loaves. Let rise another half hour. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Yakira

Habits Revisited

2009-09-08T12:53:00.016-04:00

It's been 7 weeks today since I hurt my shoulder. They said it would take 6 to 8 weeks to heal. They were right. Who'd a thunk it? I still have a twinge now and again when I move my arm in certain directions but other than that I'm really doing well. I've started doing some upper body strengthening and am now walking every day for half an hour with my neighbor. We take HRH with us so we're not out for speed yet as she walks at a snail's pace. I'm hoping in the next week to move our walking time to 7:00 so I can sneak out before Rachel and Larry are awake. My neighbor and I haven't decided yet what we'll do when the weather goes south but hopefully by then the habit of walking every day will be established and we'll keep moving. Hopefully.

Speaking of habits, I've been really terrible with my writing habit. I think it's time to reestablish my writing goals and just get writing. I will start writing every day again.

I've done a lot of knitting in the last few weeks. Some good, some I'm not going to talk about.

Remember the knitted purse? I finally sewed it up today and got it on a giant pickle jar blocking. It's a giant CLEAN pickle jar mind you. Inigo is inspecting my work. I put in a flexible blocking wire to give the points more definition. I have to make a drawstring and a lining and it's done. I hope it doesn't take me another two months to get to that. This is going to be a Channukah gift so I really do want to finish it before then.
I also finished one half of a pair of socks for a Channuka gift. I got the second one cast on before I got bit with Second Sock Syndrome. Phew...
I am making myself another bag. It's a French Market Bag, knitted then felted(fulled.) I'm making it with Noro Iro. It's not my first choice for this yarn as it's expensive and has silk in it that won't felt well but I've had the yarn in my stash for over a year, I don't have enough to make a garment for myself, and I love the colors. So I might as well use it and make something I'll love and use often, no? As for the silk not felting, I'm not too worried. The bag is knitting up into a nice tight fabric and will be pretty sturdy with only a little fulling. However what I didn't take into account is the size. It's going to be larger simply because it won't shrink as much during it's round in the washing machine. But that's okay, everyone needs a large bag in which to carry things.

AND after the success of my knitted purse, above, I decided to have a go at knitting a larger lace project. It's a Revontuli shawl. Yes, the link takes you to a blog in Finnish. Eat your hearts out Kim and Jason. Revontuli in Finnish means Northern Lights. I'm knitting this up with Noro Kureyon Sock. I still think it looks like cat vomit but other experienced lace knitters keep telling me that it looks like it's supposed to, just keep knitting. The blocking will cure everything they tell me. The jury is still out but I'll take that first step in faith, thank you Dr. MLK Jr. This too will probably end up as a Channukah gift as I can't ever see myself wearing it and with kids and cats in the house, using as a lap shawl and leaving it on the sofa is completely out.

Yakira

Size and Scope

2009-08-11T20:14:00.005-04:00

I'm feeling much better now. A huge relatively pain free hug to all my well wishers. Thank you.

Having spent two weeks with only one functional arm, that being my left and me being right handed, and then another week and a half with fairly limited use of said right arm, I learned a few things. Some of the things I learned were akin to the lessons I learned when I was busy having babies and taking care of toddlers; prioritization, lowering expectations, dealing with what is and not what I want it to be. And some things I learned were new; prioritization, lowering expectations, dealing with what is and not what I want it to be, and it's not as bad as I think it is, really.

I call it the Shrinky Dink theory. As a child I would take that magical polystyrene sheet and color and cut and bake and watch it shrink about 35%. I would stare through the oven window and watch it go through bizarre contortions as it writhed on the cookie sheet. There was always this fear that it would fold over on itself and be ruined forever. And sometimes it would require a second baking with a metal spatula pressing down on it to remove the last of the wrinkles. Oh, the anticipation, the awe, the agony! Finally the contortions would stop. Our shrunken piece of plastic could be attached to the key ring, neclace or zipper pull for which is was destined.

And so, it's not as bad as I think it is, really. It only took me a few days to get the kitchen back to normal and the laundry caught up. A few minutes of straightening up and a good sweeping and everything was back to it's relatively neat normal.

During my convalesence I spent time going through my stash (yarn weighs next to nothing,) organizing my patterns (binder and page protectors, and some .pdf files on the computer,) and putting my queue of holiday gifts together on Ravelry. I was able to do some knitting provided I only moved my wrist. A good thing too because I needed those endorphins!

I also read some books that I had aquired and wanted to look at. One of them was a cookbook on canning and preserving food. This is a skill that I wanted to learn one day. I decided that this was the figurtive day. The local fruit stands are selling peaches, cherries, plums, apricots, blueberries, strawberries and every other summer fruit at very reasonable prices. June Cleaver I am not, but I made a yummy mango raspberry jam and a cherry orange marmalade, both of which went into jars and into a water bath yesterday. Tomorrow I am going to make apple pie filling and peach butter. I would publish pictures but my oldest took my camera to document the last week of summer camp and her horrible five year old male charges. Also on my list is cherry berry jam, the berries being blue and straw, and apple butter. Yum.

Well at least I'll have a default Channuka gift if I don't get my knitting done.

Yay me.

Ouch

2009-07-26T20:11:00.002-04:00

Just an update. I probably won't be writing for a few days. In the spirit of no good deed goes unpunished, in the process of doing some volunteer work for Girl Scouts I did something to my shoulder. I either sprained it badly, tore the ligaments, or tore my rotator cuff in my right shoulder. The x-ray showed that there was nothing wrong with my bones so I need an MRI and have to see an orthopedic specialist. Meanwhile percocet is your friend.

Yakira

Harvest!

2009-07-21T10:32:00.008-04:00

Nothing beats fresh green beans! We harvested about three times this. We were eating them right off the vine. These are the only three that made it into the kitchen.

Yummy scallions. This is the last of that patch. I will trim these and throw them in omelets or something. If I don't eat them first. I've got one more harvest from the loose leaf lettuce and I'll dig that bed up and plant beets and collard greens.

Our fist zucchini! There are two more green ones that will be ready in a day or two. There are also three yellow ones that will be ready in two or three days. The acorn and spaghetti squash vines have started flowering and I expect to see fruit growing on those vines soon.

Look how well two of the tomato plants are doing. One vine has at least 4 tomatoes and the other has 5 that I could see with plenty more flowers on both. Amazing how well they do when planted next to the compost pile.

My only real disappointment is my romaine lettuce. It is supposed to form heads. It didn't. They decided to bolt. I think they got too much sun, because it hasn't been that hot yet here in Baltimore. Next year I will plant the romaine in a shadier spot in the garden. Truth is it's not too late to try that now. I will have to think about that. Meanwhile I am going to dig them up, salvage the leaves that aren't too bitter and harvest the rest of the loose leaf lettuce next to them.
This week's recipe is Mushroom Barley Soup.

1lb white mushrooms, sliced
1lb baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C barley
8 C vegetable broth, I like Trader Joe's
2Tbs olive oil
2Tbs butter
Salt and pepper to taste

In large soup kettle or stock pot saute onions and garlic in olive oil and butter until clear. Add mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through. Pour in broth, add carrots and barley. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally and season to taste. I like to add a pinch of fresh chopped dill right before serving.

Soup in the summer you say? Try it, it's refreshingly light. This recipe is good for the crock pot too. I would suggest sauteing the onions and mushrooms first though.

Heading to the basement now. If you don't hear from me tomorrow, send a search team.

Yakira

Playing Tourist

2009-07-20T08:55:00.015-04:00

Okay, so maybe his parents don't think I'm certifiable. We had a blast, and I was having too much fun to drag my knitting out. The funny thing is I shlepped it with me, I had a sock and a scarf in my little canvas bag. I tucked my wallet, phone and keys inside and off we went. I didn't pull it out once. Weird, I know.

And yes, that is the Stellar Bamboo Lace Scarf on the right. I did a few more inches and had too many mistakes to keep going. I frogged it and started over. It's a quick and easy knit so I'm not worried about finishing it.

The left is a sock I started a month ago, almost finished it and then frogged it. It's my first attempt at a toe-up sock. I realized a few weeks later that I had made a mistake on the heel wraps. I couldn't understand why I had to YO while I was bringing the old YO and stitch pairs back into the sock. It didn't make sense to increase stitches while I was trying to decrease. Had I read the pattern all the way through... And so, I didn't follow the advice of another knitter. At any rate I kept going and almost got to the cuff (it was supposed to be a knee-high) when I realized that I had forgot to increase needle size (twice) in the lace pattern to accomodate my chunky calves. And neither of my older daughters have stick-like calves so I couldn't even give the finished socks to them.

Larry and I were watching some show about alternate and parallel universes on the History Channel when I started ripping the sock. He stared dumbfounded as I tucked the toe of the sock under my hip and started winding it back into a ball. I told him my alternate, and evil self made me do it. I just happen to agree with the advice of Grumperina and her five favorite techniques. As funny as it sounds, unabashed ripping can feel good. I know when I start that pattern again, or find a different pattern for that yarn that it will turn out better than expected.

So what did we do in the lovey city of Baltimore with Larry's folks? We wandered around Inner Harbor and then took the Water Taxi to Fort McHenry. For those of you who don't know Fort McHenry is where Francis Scott Key wrote the National Anthem.

We got lucky on our timing too. It was a fee free weekend and we could not have ordered better weather!

I think the really exciting part was the fact that they had reenactors in the uniforms of soldiers of the war of 1812. I love that geeky kind of stuff. They even fired the cannons, well one anyway.

Only two of my kids came with us. After looking at the pictures the other three wish they had come too.

Yakira

Visitors From the Windy City

2009-07-16T10:29:00.008-04:00

Larry's folks arrive today. We're picking them up at the airport this afternoon. So of course we spent the last two days cleaning like mad. Housework is not my forte. I keep telling Larry I want my own housecleaning slave. His response is, "Yeah, I'll get right on that." Then he tells me, "It's not that you're bad at housework, you're really good as a matter of fact. You just don't do it often enough." I'm still trying to sort that one out. Anyway, the first floor is neat and tidy, and the upstairs bathroom is clean. We will shut the bedrooms' and basement doors.

Which brings me to my next project, the basement. I've got a Bar Mitzvah coming up this fall and I need to have a place to put people. On top of that I just want my living room back. Right now it's the office, playroom and TV central. I've been in the house three years and the only thing I've used the basement for is storage. Which is a shame because it's a nice sized, finished room. There is this path from the stairs to the laundry room, which reminds me of my bedroom growing up. Nuff said.

My goal is to turn the basement into a nice place to hang out. I want to bring the computers down there and set up an office space. I want to bring the TV and video game stuff down there too. There is a large area covered in linoleum. I want to set that up for crafts. It would be nice to have a dedicated area in this house for crafts and sewing. It would also be nice to have a place to play boardgames. So, for the sake of accountability I am going to document my progress here.

I started this Reversible cable and eyelet scarf from Luxury One Skein W onder s. I am less than thrilled. Usually cables aren't reversible, but they make the cables out of a 1x1 rib. Rather clever I thought, but at least to my eyes, not quite what I thought it would be. Now you should know that I did not use the yarn they suggested so that could play into it, but I'm still not impressed. Just for grins I did a few more inches and two more cable twists. Meh. I frogged it.

Instead I started the Stellar Bamboo Lace Scarf, from the same book. Again, I'm not using the yarn called for, and I added an extra repeat in the lace pattern. I'm liking this a lot more.

I wanted these pictures horizontal. I've no clue why Blogger turned them vertical. Blech.

Okay, quick run to the grocery store and off to the airport. Rachel has a date with Bubby to go swimming this afternoon, she'll be here in a few minutes to pick HRH up. And this evening Larry's folks are taking us out to dinner.

Yakira

Knitting With Kittens

2009-07-14T09:48:00.017-04:00

That's MY yarn. Do you see how they're looking at me??

They're on crack.

Here are some new pictures of the garden. It's growing wonderfully. I can't wait to harvest! I'm already planning next year's garden. I should write a book, Gardening with ADD, or Learn to Wait Darnit!

So here is my squash bed. Back row is yellow and green zucchini. Two center mounds are spaghetti squash and the front three mounds are acorn squash.

Here is the lettuce and onion bed. The Romaine is forming nice heads. We've already had at least four harvests of the leaf lettuce. It's almost expired. Once the leaf lettuce and scallions on the left are done I will plant beets on that side of the plot.

This is one of the items I made from the yarn I purchased from Wendy Bernard of Knit and Tonic when she was having her grand destashing sale. The Rowan Damask in colorway Molasses, oh lovely green and gold/brown is a rayon, linen, acrylic blend. It is a It's a shame it's discontinued, it's a lovely yarn to work with. I still have 8 complete balls to work with, about 920 yards. I could make a lovely shawl, or a scarf or two, or a shell/tank top.... What to do, what to do.

The pattern is from Knitting Little Luxuries. It's a pretty little drawstring purse. I have some pale teal silk I dyed a few years ago that I will use to line the purse. It's about 6"x9". It's also my first attempt at lace. Not too shabby I say.

I also made a bonnet for Eden, my friend's new baby. She is adorable, and I don't often say that about newborns. This is the first time I've ever crocheted anything other than granny squares. Yay me.

There are a bunch more items going on needles in the next few weeks. However, I'm in a quandary. I want to show off my work but some of what I'm knitting are going to be holiday gifts. So here is what I'm going to do, I'm going to show the items, and talk about them but I'm not going to say if it's a gift, and I'm certainly not going to say for whom I'm making it.

Now about the The Scarlet Letter contest. My pattern is lovely but I think I overestimated my willingness to knit a garment in fingering weight yarn. To the non-knitters who read this blog, I'm knitting angel hair pasta on toothpicks. I like the pattern I've designed so I'm going to keep it but use a heavier yarn. Meanwhile I'm going to start over with my TSL pattern. I think I will go for fingerless gloves instead of a full hood with short cape attached. There are still a few weeks left so we will see.

Yakira

June was a Wash

2009-07-08T20:00:00.007-04:00

To my faithful followers, all two of you, I'm sorry.

Chicago was awesome. I wish that there had been more time to see more of the city. I finished my purple socks the evening before we left. I'm positive Larry's parents think I'm nuts. I knitted in the car, I knitted while watching TV, I knitted while visiting with them, I knitted while waiting to be served at the restaurant. Whatever, the fact is I finished THOSE purple socks and wore them home! Yay me!Remember that second skein of yarn that I had whined about? It turns out that I only needed enough to finish the toe on the second sock. I ran out of yarn about three rows before the toe decreases began. I have almost a full skein of this yarn. Unbelievable.

Tons more to write about but I'm pooped from spending way too much time trying to get this new blog theme to work properly. Don't get too attached to it folks. If I can't get it to behave it's gone.

Yakira

Hectic Last Two Days

2009-05-20T08:58:00.021-04:00

The last two days have been busy. Yesterday I sat down for a bit and did some writing. I didn't have the time to clean it up and publish it so I am adding it to today's blog. Come to think of it, last Tuesday was the same way. Let's see what happens next week.

I worked like crazy on my design for the Scarlet Letter contest. After eliminating a bunch of ideas that just wouldn't work with the yarn specs we're supposed to use I finally settled on two ideas. I'm going to spend some time on both over the next few days and see which one I like better. There is nothing in the rules to say we can't enter more than one design. For the sake of my own paranoia I am not going to talk about specifications until I've submitted them and the deadline for entry submission passes. Then I will regale you with all my stories, thought processes and woes.

I also finished my Knithulu. I'm a bit underwhelmed. It's just gay. I made some adjustments to the pattern that work better but in the process I made the monster bigger. I followed her design for the wings and they look like, well, have you ever see A Bug's Life? do you remember Heimlich the caterpillar? At the end of the movie he comes out of his cocoon with these really tiny wings that just won't lift his fat ass off the ground. That and the fact that he's perpetually happy throughout the whole movie. Well here are some pictures of my Knithulu.

Cthulu as a vegetarian. There's just something wrong with that. See those lettuce like wings? Are they gay or what?

He's such a wimp he needs a five year old to help him down a slide.

Damn tree huggers. If you look close enough you can see the decreases I made on his snout. They look like he's smiling. Tentacles like those don't come from an Elder God who is smiling! Gah!

Whatever. When I get back from Chicago I am going to work on this pattern.

Today was a busy day too. Don't know about you but when I go away, even for a weekend, I like to come home to a clean house. I spent the morning cleaning up and doing laundry. This afternoon I did my banking, picked up a few things at the grocery store and grabbed a suitcase and backpack my mother is loaning me. I'm only going for four days, everything I need can fit into a carry-on and a backpack. The funny thing is, I'm taking more knitting than clothes. Hey, I know where my priorities are!

This evening Rachel, Miriam's friend Devorah and I worked in the garden. Lookee:

On the left are my tomatoes, plum and cherry, cuces and eggplant.

Rachel is watering the squash, zucchini, acorn and spaghetti. And the bed in front of the compost is the onions and lettuce. I will be planting collard greens once the onions are harvested. The lettuce will be rotating all summer. Yum!

Here is this week's recipe:

Never use pancake mix from a box again!

1C flour

3 TBS corn meal (optional, but it just makes them taste better)

1tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 TBS sugar

Mix in bowl until blended. Make a well in the middle.

1C milk, room temperature, or a bit warmer

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 TBS oil

Mix together until blended. Pour into well in dry ingredients. Mix together with as few strokes as possible. Lumps are fine, in fact they are great. If you have no lumps you mixed too much, honest. Set aside and let the batter rest while pan heats up. Cast iron is best for these, a non-stick heavy pan works too but I don't like non-stick coatings. Too much off-gassing. Anyway, heat your pan on medium. Lightly coat with oil. You will know your pan is ready when water bounces off of it. If the water spits then your pan is too hot, you just want it to bounce. Using a ladle or dry measuring cup pour 1/3 to 1/2 cup of batter into pan. Turn when edges look dry and bubbles start to appear on surface. Cook one minute more. Makes about 6 or 8 pancakes depending on how big you make them. The recipe doubles and triples very well.

Tomorrow I will be blogging from Chicago!

Yakira

"I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau.

Open Your Mouth and...

2009-05-18T21:22:00.010-04:00

Close your eyes and I will give you a big surprise! Could you resist that face? Do you see what's on the plate? Aside from the chicken nuggets that is. Do you see that lettuce???? Do you see it? That, my friends is our very first harvested crop of the season! That is the reason for Rachel's cheesy grin.

That and the fact that she is completely irrepressible.

I've started following a podcast recently. Craftlit.com is the website, you can click on the spinning wheel to the right or the link I've added to my Places to Go sidebar. Heather Ordover speaks weekly from her home in upstate NY. She is an English Lit teacher and loves to read, but like most of us who craft with our hands, we can't read at the same time. Audio books are a boon but there is a limited selection of what is out there. Heather has managed to put together a wonderful series of classic literature combined with her insights into the narrative, her enthusiasm for knitting and spinning and some fantastic reviews of yarn, websites and books. I'm enjoying listening to my hour a week with her. A few weeks ago we started reading The Scarlett Letter. Not one of my favorites but still a good story for reflection. Heather and the Craftlit crew have dyed up an amazing deep red wool and silk blend yarn and have challenged their listeners to create a pattern using that yarn, the themes in TSL, the time period of the novel and of course the 'A' that Hester wears. The designs have to be entered by the time the last chapter is podcasted.

I've been thinking over the last few days that it is time to push myself into another one of my goals. I want to learn to design. I've been doing a lot of reading about design. You should see what I checked out of the library. I am also putting together a wishlist that I will post to my blog. (Just in case you're out of ideas about what to buy me for Channukah.) Anyway, I drew up a few designs yesterday and today have started to do a few sample swatches and such. I'm actually pretty excited. Even if I don't win, the experience of putting something together inside a deadline will be good for me.

I will tell you more about what I'm working on once I've got more done on my samples.

As for my trip on Thursday, I have charged all the batteries for my camera. Made sure all the cords and stuff are in one place. I loaded my ipod with music and podcasts. Now I just Have to go through which projects I'm bringing to show off and which I'm bringing to work on. I'll worry about clothes later.

Yakira

Two Week Anniversary

2009-05-17T09:44:00.013-04:00

I have been writing for two weeks. Pretty good for a college drop-out no?

Okay, remember when I said I wouldn't start another project? I cheated. All the cleaning and sorting and ripping and salvaging of yarn that I did last week got me taking a look at my stash. I've got a pile of one or less skeins of all different weights and fibers.

That's not even all of it. Can you tell I like green? Anyway back to my confession. I started another project. Just a quick one. One itsy bitsy toy. It'll be finished by today. Honest. I mean really, look at all the half skeins of yarn I have, I really need to use up some of it, no? But it's so cute and Larry will love it! It's not every day one gets to work up a knitted Cthulu, or to use the vernacular, a Knithulu. I'm going to make one for my brother too. Better watch out or I'll make an Elder God for you too!

There's his head. That was the hardest part. The body will be a breeze. Look at him in all his tentacled glory. Must... Knit... Elder... God...

Here he is reading my blog. Looks kind of like a cockroach. I have to make his body today, then he'll look like himself. But that gives me an idea. Think anyone would like a knitted cockroach? A knitted ladybug would be so much nicer. Hmmm... Oh all the stash-busting ideas I'm having. Larry will be so happy, it's not going to cost him a dime. Just his sanity as he listens to me jabber about my designs. What about a Flying Spaghetti Monster?

Speaking of Larry. He's in Chicago this week meeting with his business partner and two prospective clients. I'm flying out there Thursday to visit my brother, meet Larry's family, romp around the Windy City as I've never been there before and generally wreak havoc. Sunday and Monday we are driving Larry's car home and he will be officially moved in. This marks our first ever Blog Road Trip! I can't wait to be your Knit-centric, yarn spinning, roving reporter. (bad, bad puns) To continue with my habit of writing every day I will be regaling you with tales of my adventures while traveling and visiting Chicago. Unbeknownst to Larry, I'm hoping to sneak in a visit to a LYS while there, just to keep on topic of this blog, one of them anyway. His mother likes to shop, I think I shall enlist her help. Muwhahaha.

The thot plickens.

Yakira

As Promised... drum roll please...

2009-05-15T14:34:00.014-04:00

THOSE purple socks! Snazzy no? I did it, I did it, I posted pictures to my blog like I said I would, and by the end of the week. Doing my silly dance...

As you can see I took this picture before I started the heel flap. I will take more this weekend when I have more time so you can see how far I've gotten.

Here is another picture of one of the most challenging projects I'm working on. It's the Hooded Shawl from Nicky Epstein's Knitting Beyond the Edge. I absolutely love her books and projects. They have inspired me to create my own things. This shawl is only about 1/10th of the way done. The cables are easy it's just that I have to move stitches every row for the center pattern. I've repeated the pattern almost enough times to have it memorized. As soon as I do have it embedded in my brain I should be able to go a bit faster.

And here is an 'oops' project that turned out just fine. I made a sock for Rachel and it's just a tad short. I was going to rip it but there is still enough yarn on the skein to make a pair of child's socks so I decided to use this sock for my iPod. I am going to make an I-cord for the handle. I am a genius. ;)

I have to go gather library books now and pick up the kids in an hour. Busy busy weekend.

I'll post more pictures soon, I promise.

Yakira

Oh Soggy Day...

2009-05-14T18:34:00.005-04:00

Rachel has occupied herself so nicely today. Therefore one would think one could get a lot done wouldn't one?

I actually did get a lot done, it just doesn't look like it. I've pulled myself back to Flylady routines and worked on the bathroom today. Yech. It's not spotless, but that wasn't my goal, I just needed to start clearing off the counter and clearing out the clutter in my linen closet. I'll do a cleaning while I'm stuck in there when I bathe Rachel. Yay me. The kitchen is on par and the dining room is doing fine too, a bit of clutter on the table but I'll get that tonight when I do my hot spot fire drill. The living room on the other hand is a mess. I've got my toys and Rachel's yarn everywhere. (That was a typo but is so freaking funny I'm going to leave it!)

I ripped (frogged, just trying to see if I can add it to my jargon without cracking myself up..... giggle, snort... That's a no.) two more projects. One was a poncho I started a few years ago when ponchos were all the rage. The yarn is gorgous but I just don't need a poncho right now. So that's ripped and balled and put in my stash. I also ripped a rug I had started, I was making the pattern up as I knit. Not always the smartest thing, one day I'll learn. Um... Moving right along... It was all inxepensive acrylic yarn that I would never make anything to wear from. What on Earth possed me to purchase it will forever remain a mystery. Anyway, I will make a rug out of it but this time I will find a pattern.

I feel a little better now about the number of projects I've currently got on needles. Unfortunately these two weren't included in the count. Now before you all start rolling your eyes at me, just for the record, I didn't include them in the count because when I counted projects I had intended to rip them, honest.

Another good thing came out of this. While cleaning out the next to last of my big plastic bins of yarn and projects I found a sock I had made for Rachel and never made the match because the first sock was too small. There should still be enough yarn to make a pair for her, just not a pair for me. Which is a good thing because my socks and fingering gague take too darn long. Anyway, the sock I found is perfect for my mp3 player and my cords and earphones. I'll make a quick I-cord for it this weekend and voilla! Again, yay me.

Meanwhile I keep uncovering yummy yarn that I've purchased over the years and never made anything with. I spent an hour or so searching Ravelry for patterns for the weights and yardages I've got. Hey, it's not the same as actually starting a new project, really. Found some cute ideas that I queued for later. I'll knit some more of my purple socks tonight. I'm on the home stretch.

Yakira

"I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau.

Rachel's Birthday

2009-05-13T11:39:00.005-04:00

For anyone who has never been with a child as they discover their birthday, you have no idea what you're missing. Rachel woke up this morning and climbed into bed with me. I hugged her and asked her if she knew what today was. Obviously she should have because we've been talking about it for weeks but she still took a moment to think about it and then in a questioning voice asked, "Is it my birthday?" I nodded. Incredulous she said, "Really? Really, really? For Real it's my birthday?" At this point I'm trying not to crack up. Again, as if she doesn't believe me, "For real mommy? Is it really my birthday, like yesterday I was four and today I'm five? Am I five right now? All day?" At this point I'm stifling my laughter in my pillow, I don't want to take away her joy. She sits up and looks at her legs and says, "You know mommy, when I was four my legs used to be this long (pointing somewhere just above her ankle,) and now that I'm five they're this long! (pointing to the very tip of her toes)" Her exuberance astounds me. She has such verve that it rubs off on everyone she meets. To my princess, I wish you the best this world has to offer and may your optimism never falter.

Now for those of you who have been following my habit building, I did write yesterday, I just never finished it and therefore didn't publish it. I am going to continue it now and publish it today.

Another award winning recipe:

Couscous, Israeli Style

1 Box Israeli couscous, Trader Joe's is the best and least expensive
1/2 medium red onion, diced small
1/4 C pine nuts
1 C Edemame, frozen (soybeans), you can substitute peas, I just happen not to like peas
4oz Feta cheese
2TBS olive oil
1 3/4C boiling water
Salt and pepper to taste

In 2 quart pan saute onion in olive oil until clear, pour in couscous and stir until toasty brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in boiling water and cover pot. Simmer for 6 minutes then add edemame and stir. Cover and simmer another 6 minutes or until water is absorbed. Meanwhile in a dry heavy skillet, cast iron is great for this, toast the pine nuts until brown, set aside. Once couscous is done remove from heat and crumble feta into pot, pour in pine nuts. Mix well and season to taste.

This makes a fantastic side dish for fresh grilled salmon or tuna. It also makes a great lunch by itself or with a salad. It's pretty good cold too.

My socks are coming along famously. I've turned the heel and am now working on the gusset decreases and will need to start my new ball of yarn soon! It came just in time. I'm going to try the Renaissance stockings after I finish these. I found another yarn that I think will work better. We'll see. Meanwhile I finally got all the projects I'm supposedly currently working on listed in my profile on Ravelry. There are nine, yes, nine of them. I am putting a moratorium on starting any new project until I've finished at least half of them. So there!

I emptied the memory cards for my camera and will take pictures tomorrow. Then I have to figure out how to put them in my blog. I will tackle that tomorrow too.

Yakira

"I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau.

Grand Plans

2009-05-11T13:07:00.004-04:00

Step one: By the end of this week I will be including pictures in my blog.

Step two: I am going to do some research about designing patterns and start making sketches of some of my ideas.

Step three: I am going to continue to write, working toward building the habit of writing daily.

There we have it. More later as the rest of my ideas are still a bit rough.

I learned a new knitting term. I've been knitting for over 9 years and have mastered many skills. I have learned a lot of the vocabulary of knitting and occasionally run across a term that I've never heard before. But this one had me in stitches, to use the vernacular.

Frog or Frogging: To undo or rip out stitches in order to correct an error. It comes from the expression 'rip it.' Say 'rip it' several times. I don't know if I could use this term with a straight face.

My mother bought me a cook book for Mother's Day, The Great Country Inns of America Cook Book. It includes descriptions of inns all over the country and some of their recipes. It's pretty neat. I love to cook and I love to entertain and have thought about running my own Bed and Breakfast for a while now. Several months ago Larry was pitching his plans for a theatre to me and I mentioned that I wanted to run a B&B and a CSA: Community Sustainable Agriculture Co-op. After a few contemplative moments we both did one of those 'Ah Ha!' things. All three would fit incredibly well together. And so our business is born.

Larry already has most of his business plan for the theatre competed. I've been doing research about B&B's and am starting to write my business plan for that. And of course in typical Yakira fashion I am already developing my menu and designing and decorating the guest rooms. Talk about putting the cart before the horse. I also am brainstorming about what our 'catch' is going to be; what is going to make us stand out and make folks choose us over other options. Ideas are always welcome and I would love to hear about experiences at B&B's, good and bad.

Enough writing for today, I am off to work on my purple socks. I will post pictures, I promise.

Yakira

"I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T11:25:00.003-04:00

Oh glorious day! I've opened all the windows in the house. The garden seems to have grown three inches overnight. So have the weeds but let's not talk about those.

I've got a passel of little girls in my back yard playing on the climby thingie. I love listening to their silly stories.

Now I'm sitting here laughing my butt off at something my 14 year old said. Here's the joke: What did the farmer say when he lost his chicken? Answer: Where's my chicken?

I'm not going to find too much time to knit today. I've got some laundry to do. Then shopping for our cook-out at mom's.

Tomorrow I will reveal some of my grand plans for this blog. I've been doing a lot of thinking and brainstorming about where I want this blog to go and it's time to put some ideas into action. Sounds like a great Pinky and the Brain episode...

Keep coming back! I want to hear what you think too.

Yakira

"I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau.

Spritual Renewal

2009-05-09T21:34:00.002-04:00

I spent time relaxing today. Rachel played outside most of the day. It was a marvelous day.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. We're having dinner with my mother and celebrating Chana's B-day, 5/8, and Rachel's B-day, 5/13, and Mother's Day. That's a lot of celebrating to fit into a few hours.

Yakira

Addendum to Hubris

2009-05-08T13:53:00.002-04:00

My yarn is here. I'm going to hang the 'Gone Knitting' sign.

Don't bother me kids, mommy's in a knitting frenzy.

New socks ahoy! I see purple socks on the horizon.

Yakira

Ahhh Hubris or We Have Found the Enemy...

2009-05-08T08:19:00.011-04:00

A few things hit me last night and I'm swamped with a whole bunch of stuff to write about. Sorting through my thoughts is going to be a challenging but worthy exercise.

Larry and I have earnestly started working towards our goals and have been doing research and talking over ideas and such. It's an exhilarating experience to finally have someone in my life who not only has the skills and ability to accomplish what he wants but has the drive. He's really been an inspiration to me.

Last night found us sitting at our computers, not two feet apart. I was reading a blog post published by Steve Pavlina that Larry had emailed to me. It talked about how to make money with your blog and led to another article about how to create a high traffic blog which led to another article about 10 reasons to never get a job, all by the same author. Aside from the fact that I am now a Steve Pavlina addict it led Larry and I into a discussion on how each of us defines success. I learned some interesting things about that guy next to me.

We both believe that successful people have strong family values, integrity and a desire to make the world a better place.

Notice anything missing? If you don't see it, email me and I'll fill you in.

Well, we have the qualities of successful people but what are their habits?

I can think of about a dozen right off the bat; think and see the positive, solution and goal oriented, follow through and finish what you start, see failure as another step in the right direction, take time to play and relax, to name a few. I'm sure you can think of more to add to the list.

Enough about the serious stuff, speaking of balance. Rachel is behind me playing with her princess dolls and her horses and of course her invisible friends the kitty magoos. She's got about ten balls of yarn that I told her I would make into a sweater for her. They're all lined up with a princess and a horse next to each. As for the kitty magoos, apparently they're being bad and are in time out.

Rachel and I spent half an hour last night weeding and today looks as if I might have enough sun to do some planting. And of course I eagerly await my purple yarn!

The other thing that I did last night, inspired by the How to Make Money from Your Blog article, was to google other knitting blogs. I found a few links to blog review pages where the author listed their top ten picks. I spent about three hours reading those blogs and making notes. There are a bunch of common themes. They are chatty but not long winded. They are well written with proper grammar and spelling. They all have pictures of WiP and FO. They talk about their successes and their failures. Most of them are designers and have patterns and yarn for sale on their blog. This is a tall list but at least I now have a direction in which to aim this blog.

And about the title of today's blog, I woke up this morning and went to Google Analytics to see how many visitors I've had in the last two days. It was a whopping 20! I was so thrilled. I immediately clicked on the page that allows you to see the URLs of the folks who visited. Sixteen of them were my URL. Thusly, ahhh hubris. At least I like my writing. LOL

Yakira

"I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau.

Procrastination is makin' me wait... makin' me wait...

2009-05-07T09:42:00.009-04:00

Today is the first morning since I've started building my habit of writing daily that I've no idea what to write about. I will just plow through anyway and if I wander you'll know why.

I got a little weeding done yesterday but it was just too damp to do too much. Everything is doing well so I just got the bigger, most annoying weeds out of the garden. Mother's day is supposed to be sunny I should be able to get out there on Sunday. I still have some planting to do too.

Flylady's zone for the week is the kitchen. I've been doing pretty well on that front. The dishes are getting done every night, mostly. The counters are decluttered and wiped down. The fridge was cleaned out. I need to scrub my stove top, that's what I'll probably do today.

I didn't do too much knitting yesterday. I've been going through some of my plastic bins in the basement. I found a few projects I never finished for one reason or another. One is a sweater I made for Chana when she was about 8. That was 5 years ago. The sweater is done it just needs to be blocked and have buttons sewn on. Why didn't I finish? Two reasons/excuses: I was pregnant with Rachel and I hadn't learned how to block a sweater. I'll get the sweater on the blocking board by the end of this week and I'll take Rachel button shopping next week and she will have a brand new dressy cardigan.

I also found a sweater that I had started at least two years before that one. Back when I was learning how to make short rows, decreases and increases. I never finished it because I had made so many mistakes that I got frustrated. I ripped the sweater yesterday and salvaged the yarn. I put it in a zipper bag with the pattern and when I finish my purple socks I will make the sweater for Rachel for next winter.

I've kinda stalled on my Etsy campaign. Partly because I've got a lot of stunning things to sell but they all need something. None of them are finished. They either need ends woven in, to be blocked, handles sewn on, finishing embroidery, fringe tied on, ironing, washing... I should start a Procrastinators anonymous group. I'll do that later. I'm frustrated. I think I'll apply Flylady to this project and use my timer. You can do anything for 15 minutes, she says.

Rachel is sitting behind me watching Sesame Street. Am I the only one who finds Elmo's voice irritating?

Larry has started blogging again, inspired by me. We've both got these grand plans and I'm actually getting excited about things. I finally feel like there's a real possibility that I may reach some of my goals. We'll keep an eye on Larry's blog and once I've got this habit thing down I may just start a companion blog to his as we're working on the same projects. Baby steps, baby steps...

Yakira

"I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau.

Lessons of an Intrepid Knitter

2009-05-06T10:29:00.002-04:00

Lesson: New or better knowledge, some useful or better knowledge that results from direct experience.

There comes a time when every artist must cut bait or fish. When one must look at a creation and make the decision to continue work or stop wasting time and materials. I ripped my Renaissance sock last night. I have learned over the years that even if it's turning out fine, if I don't love it, it won't get worn.

Perfectionism: Demand for perfection, rigorous rejection of anything less than perfect.

I have been accused of perfectionism by myself and others. Again I refute this. I learned embroidery from my grandmother. I didn't realize until much later, too late to say thank you, that I learned much much more. My grandmother was not a perfectionist, she excelled at what she did.

Excellence: Superiority, the quality or state of being outstanding and superior.

I have several pieces of my grandmother's embroidery and without exception each piece of art is as beautiful on the back as it is on the front. Anything worth doing is worth doing well. From start to finish I strive to emulate my grandmother in my art. Weaving in the ends and proper blocking are just as important as the initial cast on.

And so, I ripped my socks. Why? It wasn't because my workmanship was poor, quite the opposite. The sock was gorgeous, yummy and warm. I ripped it because I knew I would not be happy with the finished product. It was a bunch of little things, but I knew I wouldn't wear them.

This lesson I share with everyone: Be excellent at what you do. If it doesn't make you happy, then it's not worth your time and energy.

On the other hand it stopped raining. I am going to play in my garden today. Yay!

Yakira

PS The lady with whom I'm exchanging sock yarn put my purple yarn in the mail yesterday. I should have it by the end of the week. Whoohoo!

"I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau.

Rain, rain go away...

2009-05-05T11:14:00.000-04:00

I want to weed my garden already! It rained all weekend while my kids were here. I was hoping to use my built in slave labor to weed the garden and wash the car. Alas and alack I will have to do it myself. The good news is the stuff I planted is big enough now that I can tell plants from weeds. The bad news is the weeds are still bigger with stronger roots.

Our garden this year is going to be glorious. I have Shasta daises, marigolds, sweet peas, hollyhocks, and nasturtium in the front bed and I have three big pots on the steps up to the porch and another huge pot on the porch. The onions and lettuce I planted in late April are doing well. That is the bed that needs weeding. This week I'm going to plant the zucchini, spaghetti squash, acorn squash and watermelon. I also have plum and cherry tomatoes, eggplant and cuces that are almost big enough to plant. I bought pea and beet seeds too but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to make room for them. We'll see. I have to turn the compost too. It's attracting flies so I have to turn the newer kitchen refuse under.

Now about my promise from yesterday. I mailed the yarn and came home. Then I made lunch and spent time cleaning the kitchen. I spent the afternoon on my stockings. I finished the heel turn and pulled it on just to make sure it would fit. It fits but I'm not sure I really like it. I'm going to stare at it for a while longer before I make up my mind. Meanwhile I can't wait for my purple yarn to get here so I can finish another pair of socks.

Flylady is in the kitchen all this week. Trust me, there's plenty for me to find to do in there.

Last night's dinner was amazing, by the way. I made gravel lox a few weeks ago and we've been slowly nibbling away. But yesterday I found some nori that I had purchased a while back. Inspiration struck and I put up a pot of sticky rice. I sliced cucumbers and avocado. I sliced the lox really thin. I spread the rice on the nori with cuces and avocado and fish and rolled them up tight. Homemade maki rolls! Yum!

My recipe for gravel lox:

2 3lb or larger fillets of salmon, double check to be sure they are boneless
2 Tbs kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper
chopped dill, about a small handful, fresh is best

Combine salt sugar pepper and dill. Rinse fillets well and dry. Rub dill mixture on flesh side of fillets. Place fish flesh sides together, head to tail in a glass or ceramic dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place a weight on top. Leave in the refrigerator for three days. Flip fillets every 12 hours and baste with juice from pan. Once cured rinse the fish to remove excess dill. Wrap fillets separately in plastic wrap and place in freezer. They will keep for three months in the freezer. They are also easy to slice when partially frozen. I take my lox out of the freezer about half an hour before I'm going to serve it and slice it while partially frozen. You can wrap up what you didn't slice and stick it back in the freezer.

I don't have a glass baking dish big enough for the salmon I bought so I used a metal roasting pan that I lined at least three times with plastic wrap. I covered the fish with plastic wrap and then laid three one liter bottles of seltzer on top of it. They just fit, it was the perfect weight too. You can use a plate with a brick or several bags of beans. Enjoy! If you have any questions just ask.

Well it's day three and I'm still writing. This is good.

Yakira

"I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau.

Look mom, I'm writing!

2009-05-04T11:07:00.000-04:00

I'm in a bit of a quandary. I'm obsessed with this pair of Renaissance stockings I'm working on. And the house is a mess. And I've got to finish putting some things together to get up on Etsy to sell.

So about these stockings. I'm almost up to the heel turn on the first sock. I'm making them out of this really pretty gray merino that has a pearly sheen to it. The pattern calls for a DK weight yarn so the socks are turning out pretty thick, warm and yummy. Why am I making woolly socks in May one might ask. Ask all you want, the only answer I've got is 'because!'

As for the house, the Flylady zone for the week is the kitchen. At least I've a room to focus on otherwise I wouldn't know where to start. I love Flylady.

My sister introduced me to Etsy. She sells her hand spun and hand painted yarn there. My inventory so far includes an amazing baby blanket made from Velvet Touch yarn in a creamy white. It's got hearts all over it in a knit and purl pattern. It's yummy. I've got about a dozen rayon scarves I dyed in various colors and about 2 dozen silk sashes also in many colors. I also have two felted handbags, a green woolly hat, several scarves and an entrelac shawl in sunset colors. Mom is going to take the pictures this week and I should have it all up on Etsy by the end of the week. Yay me.

Now back to socks. About a year ago I bought a heathered purple super wash wool sock yarn and started a pair of socks. I used my own pattern and made the leg longer. Now just because I've been knitting for years does not mean I remember things like changing the pattern changes the required yardage. At the time I was a novice sock maker and what I thought was a minor change wasn't. Needless to say I got halfway through the second sock and ran out of yarn. A few phone calls later spelled doom. None of the local yarn shops carried my yarn. I didn't have the heart to rip out the socks so I put them in the back on my closet.

Calm down, we have a happy ending here.

My fellow knitting friends started talking about this website called Ravelry. It's a Facebook for knitters and other yarn crafts. I decided to join and made my profile. One of the applications on the site makes it possible for you to list your own yarn stash, patterns, needles and projects. It also makes it possible for you to search other members' yarn stashes, patterns, etc.

I found it! Five other folks on Ravelry had my yarn in their stash. How dare they, right? One of the ladies I emailed was willing to do a straight up trade. As soon as I finish here I am heading to the post office to send her a ball of super wash sock wool in another color. She's putting my yarn in the mail today too. Yay us!

Okay, off to the post office. Then the kitchen. And then and only then, my Renaissance socks. I promise.

Yakira

"I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau.

To knit or not to knit...

2009-05-03T14:50:00.000-04:00

So I'll start a blog instead.

Adventure: A bold undertaking, an undertaking involving uncertainty or risk; exciting experience, an exciting or extraordinary event or series of events.

Intrepid: Courageous and bold.

Knitter: To interlock loops of yarn using long needles; to bring people or things together in a close association.

That's a fine thing.

Science has proven that it takes 21 days to form a habit. My first goal for this blog is to form the habit of writing every day. Self improvement gurus and motivational speakers tell us to state our goals as if we have already accomplished them.

And so: I am an accomplished writer. I write every day. It is worthwhile to me to take time every day to express myself in my writing. It is important to me to share with others my thoughts, aspirations and experience on a daily basis.

Yakira

"I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau.