Teaching Boys to Knit

Lately we've been spending time every other weekend getting together with a group of friends, many of whom are starting to expand their families. Needless to say there are generally a few little ones running around when we are all together. As a knitter with no time and a gift schedule, I try to bring projects with me when I know there will be time to knit (sitting around, drinking, playing games and watching movies, etc....note to self: don't bring lace projects to drinking parties, bad idea). Now that the weather is getting nicer, and my bike is beckoning, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find time to knit. Anyway, a three year old friend has decided that he likes to help with my knitting (again, leave the lace at home). So I've started bringing projects that are a little easier, so that he can sit on my lap and help (he likes to wrap the yarn around the needle and help count the stitches). His brother on the other hand, likes to turn a nice, neat skein of yarn into one big, tangled mess. I think it is cute that he is showing interest, his father (Jake's best friend), is not as amused. I try to counter by informing that it helps develop motor skills, math skills and creativity, and that historically men knit long before women. Sarcasm soon follows. I will not be dissuaded, however, in fact I'm planning to bring big, fat needles next time, better for small hands (of for shoving...well, nevermind).

Kno Time to Knit

So this week has not been very condusive to knitting, or blogging. Pesky things like long hours at work have been getting in the way. It doesn't help that by the time I get home, ride the bike, walk the dog, and eat, there is very little time or energy to do anything else. So, now well rested and looking out at the rainy day, I have time to catch up on my other obligations (no, not laundry...blogging). Last Sunday I finally gifted Sophie, however, I decided on Saturday that I wanted to felt it more (very smart) and ended up having to gift a slightly damp bag. It looked much better, though.

Too much wine to knit...properly

I came home this evening with a hankering for linguine with clams, not quite sure why, as seafood, in particular shellfish, is not something I normally crave. Don't get me wrong, I like fish, crab, lobster, etc. as much as the next person, but it is not on my usual repertoire of cooking recipes. It just so happens that my personal chef (also known as my live-in) was not up to cooking tonight. He recently received an invitation to meet with the head brewer of Iron Hill, in North Wales and was giddy with excitement and working on his resume. Fine. I didn't want him messing up the dinner I was dreaming up anyway: Linguine with Red Clam sauce. Open cupboards, linguine, canned chopped clams (score). The fixin's were all here, no need to run to the grocery store (which I loathe anyway). So I grabbed my Rachel Ray and got started. Confession, I am not the type of foodie who can gather a bunch of ingredients, throw together and have a wonderful meal turn out (like my chef)...I inevitably screw something up in the process. I like to have recopies as a guide. I don't generally follow to the letter, but I like the guidance, and I think I am a better cook because of it. Anyway, I used Rachel's recipe for Linguine with Red Clam Sauce, however, some substitutions and omissions needed to be made. I had the garlic, not the anchovies, crushed red peppers, but not the fresh parsley and thyme, no clam broth either just chopped clams in their juice. Oh well the key ingredients were there, clams, pasta, garlic, crushed tomatoes...shit! Only whole peeled tomatoes (not the right consistency) and Ragu....Ragu it is. Enter wine. The recipe calls for wine...but we are down to our last two bottles, one a novelty and the other, the last of my Olympic Peninsula wine from my trip back home. Our wine selection appears to be drying up, mainly due to the fact that our alcohol budget has been going towards beer for the past several months. The recipe only calls for 1/4 cup...a very necessary 1/4 cup... so I sacrificed the Lost Mountain Syrah (2001) (which is highly recommended to anyone who can find it, which pretty much excludes anyone who lives anywhere other than the Pacific NW). Beer lends itself nicely to many a dish, but not the one I was preparing. By this time dinner is shaping up nicely and a couple of glasses of wine are down the hatch, when the boy emerges...

Boy: "Something smells good"
Me: "Its all the garlic"
Boy: "Did you just open that wine?" he asks...beer glass in hand (did I mention I live with a fantastic home brewer)..."I thought we were saving it"
Me: "For what...we've had it two years"
Boy: "I dunno...You're cooking with it?"
Me: "Yes... we need it to add depth and character...otherwise it's just clams and Ragu"
Boy: "What about the rest of the bottle?..."
Me: "What bottle?"

There was really no real point to this entry, no knitting, just a girl all warm with good pasta and a bottle of red wine.

(Note: Please overlook any spelling errors or incoherent sentences)

Jaywalking....

Meet Jaywalker...

Jaywalker is a lovely sock cuff, soon to be sock, knit from Regia sock yarn. I'm a little concerned for Jaywalker. First, the color. I picked this yarn from my stash to attempt Jaywalker, however I'm afraid the color pattern will obscure the stitch patter. I have read that stripes are okay, but faux fair-isle may be difficult too much. I can see the pattern, but I don't know if I am disillusioning myself because I "want" to see the pattern. I guess only time will tell.
My second concern for Jaywalker is the fit. I have read that a few other knitters experienced the slouchy sock or baggy ankle problem. I still haven't decided if these are going to be gifted or kept, but either way, I don't want them falling down. As a novice sock knitter, I am concerned that I will not know how to fix this problem, should it arise. Any Ideas?

The Yarn Harlot in Philadelphia

Forgot to mention that the Yarn Harlot was in Philadelphia last weekend...

Actually, in a Doylestown Book Shop. BJ from my knitting group was there also. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee is so nice (and funny), she took time to really talk to people, while signing their books. I bought a copy of her newest book.

Speaking of that day, I think my webbed feet are starting to grow over. Growing up in the Pacific NW, rain never bothered me. Last Saturday, I found myself complaining about the rain! And it wasn't like there was consecutive rainfall, just a rainy day. I'm turning into a 4 season's wimp.

(by the way...for those who care, I fixed the email address on my website)

Disclaimer...

As you may or may not have noticed, I have not posted anything in about a week. This is not due to lack of interesting happenings in my household, as there have been several. The lack of posts are mainly due to boredom. I must confess, my blog is boring. I have noticed that several of the blogs I read are very entertaining and engaging, which keeps me coming back and reading on a semi-regular basis. Mine, not so much. I took some time to ponder why this is and came to this conclusion: I am a business writer. Years of business courses have beaten me into technical writing submission. I have been trained to be factual and concise, omit any filler or minutiae. It is the minutiae and filler which make for an interesting blog, otherwise it becomes what I have here

Today I did/got/had ...The end.

It may as well be a bulleted list, for as entertaining as it is. For that I apologize to you, my reader. From this point forth, I will try to: (uh-oh, here comes the bulleted list)

• Be more engaging as a blogger
• Write about the trivial nonsense that is my life in an effort to entertain you, the reader
• Post more frequently to entice said reader to return and possibly leave a comment
• And, try to portray my funny, witty, clever self in written form (ha! yeah, right)

We shall see how I do...

Twinkies...finally

I made Twinkies this weekend with my Twinkie bake set. They turned out okay, but not very twinkiesque. I used one of the recipes that came with the bake set, it was supposed to be the sponge cake recipe, however, it was more cakey than spongy. Next time I will use the recipe in the Top Secret recipe book...I did use the filling recipe from this book, which did taste like Twinkie filling.


Spring has sprung in PA! Living in a state with four seasons makes one understand why everyone gets so excited for spring. Growing up in WA, I never really got excited for spring, it generally only meant more rain. Now that I live in PA and am exposed to cold winters (including snow you don't have to drive to) and the dreaded brownness of all vegetation. After the holiday excitement has worn off....mid January... it sucks, everything is dead for months. This weekend is beautiful...warm weather, sunshine, and flowers and trees starting to bloom. We went for a bike ride this weekend, we saw a huge hawk fly right over us and land in a tree nearby. I love spring!