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Knitting, books, photography and life.
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Avocado Gelato
I have lately been inspired to try more new recipes. I have always loved to cook, but with my small kitchen and work schedule and I am sometimes not in the mood for innovation in the meal prep department.
I broke out the ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer last night to make this unusual Avocado Gelato.
The original recipe is here.
I substituted 1 tbsp fresh lime juice instead of the vitamin c tablet and grated the peel of 1 small orange instead of the strips. I left the peel in instead of removing, but this makes the orange taste a bit overpowering, so if I was to make again I might not use as much peel or I might try to strain it out after cooking.
Over all, this has an unusual and enjoyable flavor and delightful color!
Sidetracked
Just a quick one today. Those of you who are EZ fans should recognize this one.
And yes, this means the baby Mary Janes are on hold for a bit. I just couldn't get excited about them with those Size 0 needles and K1 P1 ribbing. This new project was a welcome diversion and I have already made quite a bit of progress in just one day.
Getting closer.....
I am dangerously close to having no projects on my needles, except for the long-term Never-ending Sock Garden Blanket, that I expect will be a project for years to come.
Today I show you my completed Electric Fruit Loop Socks, which are now dry after blocking.
Pattern: Fruit Loop by Kristi Geraci from Knitty, Spring 2008
Needles: US 1 Circular Yarn: Knit Picks Bare Superwash Merino/Nylon Fingering Weight - hand-dyed with Kool-Aid (for details on how to dye your own see my tutorial) Started: October 24, 2009 Completed: December 3, 2010  The yarn is delightfully squishy and soft knitted up and I think the hand-dyed yarn worked well for this pattern. And just in time for some very cold weather, I will definitely be getting some use out of these socks sooner rather than later.
Another One Bites the Dust
I have been frantically working on Lotus Blossom Tank over the last several weeks. I am not sure if it is the weather (I love the brisk fall days) but I have really been on a knitting kick over the last month.
I am not sure why I liked this pattern, as like many others, I found the pictures in the original pattern to be ill-fitting in a boxy sort of way.
I have worked the modifications that Lickety Knit describes on her blog. These modifications make the tank longer and give it a much more feminine fit.
The only additional modification that I made was to make the armholes a full inch smaller than the pattern called for (versus the 0.5 inch modification that Lickety Knit made), to make the armholes 7 inches instead of 8 on the 39 inch size. In keeping with the smaller armholes I picked up slightly less stitches for the armhole edging (86 stitches per armholes) and 32 stitches for each side of the neck. I solved the disconnected flap that is formed by the picked up neck edging by knitting it together at the junction with stitches from the top of the knitted on front edging.
Although this pattern took me awhile to complete, it is actually a very quick knit, and once my summer knitting hiatus was complete (reading a book was just more appealing to me when sitting by the pool), it knit up rather rapidly.
Pattern: Lotus Blossom Tank by Sharon Shoji
Size: 39 inches
Made for: Me
Yarn: Artful Yarns Cliche, 7 skeins
Needles: US Size 4 for body, US Size 3 for front neck bind-off, and US Size 5 for first 9 rows of the pattern.
Started: April 29, 2010
Completed: November 19, 2010
The yarn is a linen/cotton/acrylic mix, and I love the color and thought the fiber content perfect for a summer tank, but it was prone to splitting. I got a great deal on this yarn at Slip Knot in Newtown Square, when the yarn was discontinued.
I worried that the 39 inch size might be a bit big for me, based on comments from some other knitters, but it ended up being a pretty good fit. I could have tried to modify it the be a custom size, but going down a full size would have likely been way too small.
Sorry for the indoor photos, but I couldn't stomach an outdoor photo in a tank top with the recent cold weather.
All I have left on my needles right now are two pairs of socks, so it will be time soon to pick my next big project. I am thinking of doing an easy Elizabeth Zimmerman sweater that would provide hours of stockinette which although boring, does allow me to give my attention to other things at the same time (namely reading a book). I have a perfect yarn whose beauty lies in the variations of thick and thin, but could not easily be used for say lace or cables for the same reason.
I also have enough yarn for two other sweaters that could be more patterned. Plus some shawl options! I need to think about what I want to do next.
In the meantime, I may be starting some baby knitting for friends soon. I love starting new projects!
Kool Socks
A quick one today. My fruit loop socks have been in hibernation for a bit but were pulled back out and I completed the first sock and cast on for the second sock today.
I am actively trying complete all my UFOs.
Bell Sleeves Waiting for a Zipper
Par for the course, Bell Sleeved Jacket has been finished for awhile now and waiting for a zipper. I have even worn it a few times. But alas no pictures were taken until the zipper was in it's place (and that place is not on my bookshelf collecting dust where the zipper has sat for months)!
Well, the final task is done and here are the photos to prove it.
The yarn was something I picked up on sale at knit picks and I love the color and stitch definition, but it is a little itchy. Not such a problem as this is a jacket, and will almost always be worn with a long-sleeved shirt underneath. It should see a lot of use this fall and winter.
This was my first attempt at a Vogue Knitting Pattern, and I do have to express my dissatisfaction with the many pattern errors that were not even listed in the Errata. I also was shocked that the pattern's largest size was only a medium!?!? I added stitches on each side to make what I call a medium plus size. I kept all other sizing the same (I am petite, but a needed a bit more room through the bust).
Pattern: Bell Sleeved Jacket, Vogue Knitting Holiday 2006
Size: Medium Plus (modified medium)
Needles: US Size 7
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes - Color Hush 15 skeins
Started: January 2008
Completed: November 6, 2010
I Dream in Green
After a relatively unproductive summer of knitting, the cool weather has me in a fiber-friendly mood. I have been working on Lotus Blossom Tank over the last few weeks.
Too bad this is a summer top. I always seem to be a season off when finishing projects!
I am hoping to have this completed by the end of the weekend.
The Neverending Story
I have had my eye on a pattern for awhile that is perfect for sock yarn scraps. I cast on for it last night, although I forsee this being a long-haul type of project that is pieced together a little at a time as I acquire more sock yarn scraps.
The pattern is Bobby's Garden, which is available for sale on Ravelry. I changed to size 2 needles due the lighter weight of the yarn.
Likely will be a baby blanket size, as I think any larger in fingering weight yarn might be maddening, or I might still be working on it when I am old and gray!
Not Quite Ripe 5/52
This week's photo is a bunch of bananas we picked up at the grocery store today. Not quite ripe, just the way we like them. I thought they made an interesting subject through the lens of my 50mm f1.8 lens.
Homemade 4/52
 Strawberries are in season, so this past week I decided to make my first attempt at homemade jam. I was supprised by how well it went and that all of my jars sealed on the first attempt. Jam is deceivingly simple: fruit, sugar, pectin and a little water boiled up into deliciousness. If I were to do this again though, I might add more pectin than 1 packet as the jam is a little thinner than I was expecting. And of course when I had completed the canning process, I had to snap a picture. I just love mason jars!
Blue Mountain 3/52
On the way back from North Carolina, hubby and I took a detour to drive a section of the beautiful Blue Mountain Parkway in Virginia. Although it made our drive back long, it was well worth it for the stunning views!
Relaxing 2/52
Despite being on vacation last week, I took very few photographs and did not blog at all. We visited friends in North Carolina last weekend and I snapped this one of their dog, relaxing while we all enjoyed catching up.
52 Weeks in Photographs: My Morning Ritual 1/52
I love the idea of the 365 days in photographs that I have seen on many blogs as a way to improve your photography skills and look for creative subjects. Perhaps my photo foray to Tyler Arboretum this weekend has inspired me. However, I know that a photograph every day is just not feasible for me. On my days off this is not a problem, but I work 12+ hour shifts and on those days it is tough to muster enough energy to feed myself, let alone find a suitable photography subject.
It then dawned on me that I might have an alternative that would serve the same purpose, but not be quite as time consuming and demanding.
What if I did one photograph per week? This would give me flexibility to shoot on my days off, but still give me the benefits of improving my skills.
So here is the first of what I hope will be a year in pictures.
I thought I would start off with one of my favorite times of day: my morning cup of coffee. I love coffee, and having a cup in the morning is in my opinion the best part of the day. I love the smell, the taste, the caffeine. I am both a coffee snob and a coffee junkie. I prefer freshly ground whole bean, and luckily have a machine that does all the steps for me (grind, brew). But given a tight spot, I will drink almost any coffee.
Spring Photo Foray
  Yesterday was the Spring Photo Foray at Tyler Arboretum. I thought I would share a few of my photos with you. It was nice to be out with others who linger to get a good shot. The hubby doesn't appreciate it in the same way. |
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