Friday, November 27, 2009

post turkey day post

we had a very low-key turkey day. a few friends and a deep fried bird.
i know.
before you start moaning about tradition, take a gander:
it was, dare i say? they best damn turkey ever.
i'm a traditionalist. i've roasted my turkey in the oven every thanksgiving for probably the last 15 years. i've balked at frying my turkey in hot oil for probably the last 5. but there is something to this deep frying. it presented the most delectable meat, my mouth is watering as i sit here trying to find the right adjectives. it was moist, perfectly seasoned, crispy outside, tender and juicy inside. YUM! but i will say, getting used to the house smelling like a chinese food restaurant on thanksgiving may take some getting used to.
come and get it!
and no holiday would be complete without gram's banana cream pies.
hope your day was filled with all the traditions you love best.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

manly socks

ken loves his handknit socks so much. i thought he might need an alternate pair to wear while his never ending socks are in the laundry.

for those inquiring minds, this is one of the harry potter yarns by opal - hedgewig, i think. not bad, eh?

Saturday, November 14, 2009

happy fall ya'll

ken has a bad habit of cleaning the garage.
i put stuff out there for storage and next thing i know, i can't find anything. i think it's his way of punishing me for entering his sacred domain.
last weekend, i happened to go outside when he was out there cleaning. he had our storage trailer open and i saw my decorations box sitting right there! christmas wreathes, halloween decorations and who knew i had thanksgiving decor? not me!
we cleaned out boy-child's room last weekend. a craft room is imminent! and i've told ken from now on, all my holiday decorations can be stored in that closet.
but in the meantime, this little lovely welcomes guests outside my front door:

happy fall!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

apple grilled pork chops

i think they looked better than they tasted!
fresh-cut rosemary from the garden. stuffed with butter sautéed onions and crisp, tart slices of granny smith rubbed with brown sugar. this should have been delicious. but neither girl-child or i liked them.
but they sure were pretty to look at.

Friday, November 6, 2009

ribbed lace

i know a lot of people have knit this pattern. ravelry told me so. i've knit this pattern! i don't think it's difficult, per se: it's an 8 stitch repeat with a 24 row pattern repeat. it's a combination of increases, decreases and yarn overs that creates this lovely fabric of lace. i remember it being a bit challenging the first time but the end result was a pair of socks so. . .
since then i have tried no less than four times to create these socks again. and i'm not sitting here with a single pair of ribbed lace socks.
i tried once with some beautiful yarnlove. it certainly wasn't a problem with the yarn: silk and wool. for your feet. delicious.
i tried again this summer in seattle with some lorna's laces. again, lovely yarn but the pattern just wouldn't come off my needles.

the other day i cast on these:

and, here we go again. i'm having trouble already. i know what i did wrong but do you know how fun it is to un-knit three rounds of yarnovers, increases and decreases?! ::maniacal laughter:: do you?

but. i will say, i'm a much better knitter now than i was last year when i knit these socks the first time so fixing should be a breeze. right?!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

remember my sister the rock star?

well, she also writes children's books:

the picture is an amazon link.

my sister is a published author. somehow that makes me seem more awesome!

it's been so fun being part of this process with her. i saw the book in the beginning, when it was just a poem or two, emailed to me with a 'what do you think' subject line. i watched it grow into a whole book. with amazing pictures and everything! her illustrator, christine bennett is so imaginative. she put faces to my sister's words. it's a terrific marriage.

if you need an autographed copy, i can hook you up.