Overheard at Thursday knit night:
"So I attended the Tigard Knitter's Guild meeting last week, and during 'Show and Tell' towards the end of the meeting, a grown woman stood up in front of a room full of people and told us she wanted to 'show us her beaver'. Now, I'm laughing through the tears, then I realize I'm THE ONLY ONE LAUGHING. I do my best to quiet down, the woman pulls out a life-sized knitted beaver and proceeds to describe it in detail."
Okay, that wasn't word for word, but you get the idea. Theresa, I think, had about four of us laughing for about ten minutes on the various details of that story. The description of the Knitter's Guild wasn't one that made me sit up and decide to join either.
From the looks of things here and here, Represent is off to a great start! Oh to be in NYC.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
FO: Charity Blanket
Project details here. Along with two hats in a lavender cotton, I've now got a 12"x12" blanket to contribute to my new charity interest. Thing is, the blanket was supposed to be 15" square, but I managed to forget that my gauge is different on straights than in the round. 
Here's the project after weaving in the ends and while blocking (still very wet). I'm trying to work on my picture quality. When I find blogs like this, I find myself wondering just how the heck I can achieve even 1/10th that quality. I have my eye on this new camera, which I think might help a little.Next FO: the blue green monsters, also known as "grow a pair".
Broccoli Beef w/Dark Soy
Concocted this evening:
1 head broccoli
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 bell pepper
1 to 1.5 lbs beef (london broil?)
1 pkg medium or wide rice noodles
2 tbsp minced basil
1/4 cup cashews
1/2 cup dark mushroom soy sauce*
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (no sodium)
1 tbsp corn starch
pepper and sriracha to taste
toasted sesame oil for sauteing
Sear steak on both sides. You can do this straight out of the freezer, and then let the meat rest on a cutting board for a few minutes. Cut steak into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch slices. Saute sliced steak in sesame oil, making sure that both sides of each slice get lightly browned. Set aside.
Prepare noodles according to directions. While they sit, start the veggies.
Wash, trim and cut pepper, broccoli and onion into approx. 2 inch pieces. Mince or crush garlic. Saute in sesame oil - you can use the same pan as the beef. Ladle about 1/2 of the rice noodle water into the veggies, then cover and steam until things begin to tender.
Combine soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, siracha and corn starch and mix until dissolved.
Place meat back in the pan with the veggies, then pour the sauce over the top. (Now you can drain your noodles.) Simmer meat/vegetable mixture until sauce barely begins to thicken. Toss in cashews and basil. Taste and adjust for salt and heat.
Serve meat over noodles.
Oh yeah, didn't I mention I like to cook?
* If you're lucky enough to live near a Uwajimaya, you're set.
1 head broccoli
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 bell pepper
1 to 1.5 lbs beef (london broil?)
1 pkg medium or wide rice noodles
2 tbsp minced basil
1/4 cup cashews
1/2 cup dark mushroom soy sauce*
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (no sodium)
1 tbsp corn starch
pepper and sriracha to taste
toasted sesame oil for sauteing
Sear steak on both sides. You can do this straight out of the freezer, and then let the meat rest on a cutting board for a few minutes. Cut steak into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch slices. Saute sliced steak in sesame oil, making sure that both sides of each slice get lightly browned. Set aside.
Prepare noodles according to directions. While they sit, start the veggies.
Wash, trim and cut pepper, broccoli and onion into approx. 2 inch pieces. Mince or crush garlic. Saute in sesame oil - you can use the same pan as the beef. Ladle about 1/2 of the rice noodle water into the veggies, then cover and steam until things begin to tender.
Combine soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, siracha and corn starch and mix until dissolved.
Place meat back in the pan with the veggies, then pour the sauce over the top. (Now you can drain your noodles.) Simmer meat/vegetable mixture until sauce barely begins to thicken. Toss in cashews and basil. Taste and adjust for salt and heat.
Serve meat over noodles.
Oh yeah, didn't I mention I like to cook?
* If you're lucky enough to live near a Uwajimaya, you're set.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Second Sock Suckage
I sometimes hesitate to make the second sock. Eventually, it gets done because I'm addicted to the F.O. feeling and I don't like U.F.O.'s in my knitting basket. But I swear (and I do mean swear) when it comes to second socks, I have a handicap. A second sock handicap, comprised of the inability to make the second sock match the first in either gauge or length, and sometimes in a really bad week, both.
Take, for instance, the current bane of my knitting life, the Blue Green Monster. I find that my gauge is different in the round than on straights, so my swatches are nearly useless. Now, it seems that I'm have a tight gauge night and the second sock is going to be less of a monster because it won't be quite so loose. It will still be a men's size 10 1/2 sock in stockinette, but at least this one won't bag out at the ankle, unlike it's mate.
Yes, this is rant, which I am sometimes prone to. I am so irritated (same problem has happened with my last three pairs of socks) that I'm not even going to take pictures. Why bother documenting something that makes me want to put down my needles and read a book!
I think "Aspire to Knit" suits just fine.
Take, for instance, the current bane of my knitting life, the Blue Green Monster. I find that my gauge is different in the round than on straights, so my swatches are nearly useless. Now, it seems that I'm have a tight gauge night and the second sock is going to be less of a monster because it won't be quite so loose. It will still be a men's size 10 1/2 sock in stockinette, but at least this one won't bag out at the ankle, unlike it's mate.
Yes, this is rant, which I am sometimes prone to. I am so irritated (same problem has happened with my last three pairs of socks) that I'm not even going to take pictures. Why bother documenting something that makes me want to put down my needles and read a book!
I think "Aspire to Knit" suits just fine.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Bouncing 'Round the Room
Words like sylvan, pastoral, sublime and columbia have been jostling my brain for a shot at the new blog title. I can't get them to make sense, especially with knitting. I don't knit trees, and I don't knit in an edenic setting.
You know what I think does work? (But I don't like the sound of it)
"Aspire To Knit"
There's a certain amount of humility there that I think is appropriate considering my desire to become a world-class knitter. I know I have a long way to go, and I know there are a ton of people out there who are much more experienced than I am. I guess I think "Aspire" recognizes that. I googled the phrase and found that pretty much all the blogs I've heard of or give any credence to at all have used that phrase in at least one post. Knitting is one of those things with limitations and a constant learning curve, so you're never as much of an expert as you think. I can be good at one thing, but there will always be more for me to aspire to.
So how do I work a tree in there?
You know what I think does work? (But I don't like the sound of it)
"Aspire To Knit"
There's a certain amount of humility there that I think is appropriate considering my desire to become a world-class knitter. I know I have a long way to go, and I know there are a ton of people out there who are much more experienced than I am. I guess I think "Aspire" recognizes that. I googled the phrase and found that pretty much all the blogs I've heard of or give any credence to at all have used that phrase in at least one post. Knitting is one of those things with limitations and a constant learning curve, so you're never as much of an expert as you think. I can be good at one thing, but there will always be more for me to aspire to.
So how do I work a tree in there?
Full Calendar
We're having an abundance of must-attend author reading/signing events here in the Portland area. Not to mention several important books that I want pre-order from Amazon. Should I be thrilled that there's so much fun stuff coming up? Or should I be dismayed because I barely get any hours at work as it is and asking for time off is a quick way to a $0 paycheck? (Zero Simoleans means Zero books, friends) Here's what's coming up:
March 28th - LYS #4, Abundant Yarn and Dyeworks has garnered the marvelous privilege of hosting Ann and Kay of Mason-Dixon Knitting fame. Since the hubster isn't much of a yarn store buff, I'm hoping to pack him and the small boy off for some guy time during this one.
April 3rd - Powell's is bringing Ms. Annie Lamott to the Bagdad Theater to speak about her new book, Grace(Eventually). The whole fambly loves this woman dearly. If you scroll down just a bit on the Bagdad link or up just a bit on the Powell's calendar link, you'll notice a famous Senator and his wife on the docket just the day before.
June 8th - Cast Off Tour makes it to Portland and gets a decently sized venue. Nuff said.
June 14th - Kushiel's Justice released. No tour dates yet.
Dare I even get started on how excited I am that Harry Potter #7 is nearly here? I won't even bother with appropriate links, because you either know or you don't care.
This is going to be an excellent summer for reading, my friends.
March 28th - LYS #4, Abundant Yarn and Dyeworks has garnered the marvelous privilege of hosting Ann and Kay of Mason-Dixon Knitting fame. Since the hubster isn't much of a yarn store buff, I'm hoping to pack him and the small boy off for some guy time during this one.
April 3rd - Powell's is bringing Ms. Annie Lamott to the Bagdad Theater to speak about her new book, Grace(Eventually). The whole fambly loves this woman dearly. If you scroll down just a bit on the Bagdad link or up just a bit on the Powell's calendar link, you'll notice a famous Senator and his wife on the docket just the day before.
June 8th - Cast Off Tour makes it to Portland and gets a decently sized venue. Nuff said.
June 14th - Kushiel's Justice released. No tour dates yet.
Dare I even get started on how excited I am that Harry Potter #7 is nearly here? I won't even bother with appropriate links, because you either know or you don't care.
This is going to be an excellent summer for reading, my friends.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Got Projects?
I find myself with four live knitting projects to choose from at the moment. First, the kilt hose that aren't going anywhere because I can't work on them when hubby is home. Second, a quick aran sweater for my son, which I cast on just as spring is really kicking in and the days are noticably warmer. Third, in honor of second-sock syndrome, I've stalled out in the ribbing for the mate to b/g monster. Fourth, this. If you hadn't guessed already, I'm bored with my current sock projects, so I've begun several others.
When Yarn Garden's newsletter arrived today, I finally found a charity project that hit me where I live. Although my son was nowhere near premature (10 lbs, the crazy child), he is the thing that has given my life a lot meaning and nothing is more important to me than his health and welfare. If I could help smooth things a bit for someone's precious new baby by doing something I do every day anyway, what could make more sense?
So far, I've knitted two hats for this charity project. Tonight, I went to Knit Night at LYS #1, Knit Purl, and bought some Dale of Norway Stork in an adorable varigated blue, a pair of 12" US 2's made by Crystal Palace (lurv! lurv! lurv!) and started a blanket that is supposed to measure approximately 15" by 15". There are things about these tiny knitting projects that both shock me and make me question my own perceptions, but I probably don't want to write about those parts for fear of being insensitive. Let me just say that I only had to buy one skein of yarn for a blanket and leave it at that.
(Sorry about the utterly crappy pictures. My mother's phone has more megapixels than our Canon Powershot. Needless to say, I also suck at photography.)
When Yarn Garden's newsletter arrived today, I finally found a charity project that hit me where I live. Although my son was nowhere near premature (10 lbs, the crazy child), he is the thing that has given my life a lot meaning and nothing is more important to me than his health and welfare. If I could help smooth things a bit for someone's precious new baby by doing something I do every day anyway, what could make more sense?
So far, I've knitted two hats for this charity project. Tonight, I went to Knit Night at LYS #1, Knit Purl, and bought some Dale of Norway Stork in an adorable varigated blue, a pair of 12" US 2's made by Crystal Palace (lurv! lurv! lurv!) and started a blanket that is supposed to measure approximately 15" by 15". There are things about these tiny knitting projects that both shock me and make me question my own perceptions, but I probably don't want to write about those parts for fear of being insensitive. Let me just say that I only had to buy one skein of yarn for a blanket and leave it at that.
(Sorry about the utterly crappy pictures. My mother's phone has more megapixels than our Canon Powershot. Needless to say, I also suck at photography.)
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