Soup to Nuts

All in one post we go from...

...the receipt of the May Yarn on the Month Club which contains the newsletter, a tank pattern, and yarn (clockwise from upper left):

• Bamboo by Be Sweet
  5 sts/inch on US 6s
  100% Bamboo
• Pomaire by Araucania
  5 sts/inch on US 7s
  100% Pima Cottom
• Pima Silk by Frog Tree
  5 st/inch on US 5s
  85% Pima Cotton, 15% silk
• Bali Sky Sarong by Mango Moon
  3.75 sts/inch on US 9s
  

Frog Tree is a not-for-profit that supports herders, spinners, dyers, and knitters all backed up with a Fair Trade pledge.

Mango Moon works with women in Bolivia, Bali and Nepal who dye and spin this recycled silk yarn.

I've mentioned Be Sweet before. They have great impact in South Africa with job creation and school support programs.

Auracania was started with the goal of introducing traditional products to the world beyond Chile.



... to the completed swatches. Next month I'll pay more attention and lay them out in the same orientation for both photos.

• Bamboo by Be Sweet - I knit this at 6 sts/inch on US 6s. Supple and fun to knit although it did split quite a bit. I have a skein of their laceweight mohair that I'll swatch soon. Destined for a beret (no surprise there)
  
  
• Pomaire by Araucania - This swatched at 4.75 sts/inch on US 7s. Also very soft and a beautifully subtle color change that I don't think captured well in the photo. This would be easily wearable and durable (I expect). Would be nice for some knit softies.
  
  
• Pima Silk by Frog Tree - My gauge at 5.5 st/inch on US 5s. Another winner. Soft with a nice sheen.
  
  
• Bali Sky Sarong by Mango Moon - 3.5 sts/inch on US 9s in my hands. This one's puzzling, fun, like a little yarn party, but to do with it? Could easily end up featured on What not to Knit.
  

In the future, in addition to the YOTM posts, I'll be doing monthly yarn reviews for Knit's a Beautiful Life.




Z and I recently made pizza. A big hit. Dough from Trader Joe's (so worth the long trip, for us), Newman's sauce, Shredded Mozzarella, Fresh Ricotta, and Avo.

Like that little Avo smeared face?

My advice: Get that dough as thin as humanly possible and crank that oven ALL THE WAY UP. We kept the baking sheet in the oven the whole time and transferred the pizza in and out using parchment paper and a cutting board.

I also advise reading Jeffrey Steingarten's essays - one of which focuses on trying to cook pizza on his Weber grill and getting it so hot that it melted the paint off!

He's the food writer for Vogue magazine. No really, I get it for the articles :-)

Shrug and Snacks

C'est fini! I may add a little more embellishment, some flowers or bows.

You'll also have to imagine the sweet babe occupying that space.
Everything is cuter when it's wrapped around a kid :-)

Have to say that I don't LOVE garments knit mostly in garter stitch.
Maybe I'll make another and *gasp* amend the pattern.

Alas, perhaps not as "fini" as I thought :-)


Chocolate Oblivion Truffle Torte. A recipe for certain demise.

Reminder: It's only 1 lb. chocolate, 1/2 lb. butter, 6 eggs. "Only"!

One of my favorite things about baking cakes for folks (besides baking cakes for folks) is delivering them is this luscious carrier gifted by the famed Miss Julie.

Used to have another vintage carrier that lacked an effective securing mechanism.
The blasted thing had the habit of unleashing its contents in transit.

Many cakes were traumatized.

As was the baker.


Banana Walnut Muffin Magnetism - one of the strongest forces known to boy.

This recipe from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.
Highly recommended (both the muffins and the book).


Chinese Five Spice Kettle Korn. Traditional stovetop popcorn adding a little salt and couple tbsps sugar to the oil and kernels, straight in the pan before popping. Sprinkle and stir in Chinese Five Spice powder when popped.

I'm embarrassed to admit I got this recipe from Rachel Ray.
Luckily, the snack has no residual perkiness.

Tractor cake success! One happy boy, one yummy cake, another year passed!

Added 3/4 cup of pureed strawberries and 6 drops of Wild Strawberry Essence to the America's Test Kitchen (aka Cooks Illustrated) All-Purpose Buttery Yellow Cake.

Rather than icing, which would have obscured some of the "tractorness", I used a glaze made from milk, powdered sugar, and food coloring followed by sugar sprinkles.

When we asked Z what he wished for when he blew out the candles he said "Candles."
You're in luck little man!



Yarn of the Month - February Edition
(clockwise from bottom left)

Aurora 8 Spaced Dyed by Karabella
4.5 st/inch on US 8
100% Wool

Soft Tweed by RYC
3 st/inch on US 11
56% Wool, 20% Viscose, 14% Polymide, 10% Silk

Country by Rowan
2.5 st/inch on US 13
100% Wool

Smooth DK by King Cole
5.5 st/inch on US 6
100% Acrylic

with a pattern for a little XOXO cardigan. No newsletter this time.

I really love this club - I get to try yarns that I would have never on my own. This month has more range in terms of both composition, color, and gauge. Have a few gaps in my needle collection so off to the LYS today for some 11s (which I never had) and 13s (which the short one disassembled :-)

Swatches to follow shortly.

Check this out! One seriously DOOMED Sock of Doom. This is the sock that killed me in the Sock Wars tournament. I'm sad to have returned the favor (please no comments on the equally sad state of my rough heels :-)


Lots of WIPs - this the most recent. A sweet little shrug for a tiny new girl. Setsuko arrived on January 30 (the day before Z's bday) at 7 lb 9 oz. Can't wait to meet her in person!

This is a vintage pattern and so sweet and quick. All these photos make me realize that if I posted more regularly I could share incrementally.

Ah... another goal :-)

No Sleep Till...

Remember when that ended with shouting "Brooklyn!"?

Now it ends with "Strawberry Tractor Cake".



The short one turned 3 on Wednesday. We had presents (of course) and a small cake for just the three of us on THE DAY.

The REAL party is Saturday.

The tradition is a lovely party with Z's godmothers - the illustrious (how DO you pluralize that word?) Miss Julie and Anna Nanna.

They've requested (as Z frequently does) blueberry pancakes. My specialty :-)

Can't believe how quickly these three years have passed or that we'll do this a meager 10 more times and suddenly he'll be 30. Heart-breaking and -warming at the same time.

Here's my goal - live in the moment.

Our current moment involves the ever patient Hammie who loves Z even as he's being decorated with stickers.




Makes him a less intimidating stalker of small woodland creatures.

Mice are lulled into a false sense of security by the piglet sticker and then WHAM!

Reminds me a little of Roberto Begnini's character in "Down By Law" demonstrating his Mothers approach with the rabbits.