Another Present Finished

I finished another Christmas present this morning...These are the Tantilizing socks from Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters book. They knit up quickly, maintaining my interest long enough to finish them! They are a men's size 7, knit on 2.5mm needles and using Colinette Jitterbug. I used nearly the whole skein!

Christmas Scarf/Shawl Finished

One of my SIL is nearly always cold. As such, she is a great candidate to receive hand knits for gifts. In my quest to knit something for every one, this year, I found 3 balls of Rowan's Tapestry on a good sale and my favorite LYS, Village Yarn and Tea. I really liked the look of the Double-Bordered Scarf with Diamond Borders Adapted from Weldon's by Jane Sowerby that is in the book Victorian Lace Today. I cast on for this project months ago, but with an inappropriate yarn. After about 1 repeat, I ripped it out and made a completely different pattern with that yarn. However, Tapestry was perfect for this project. I have decided not to block it before gifting it. I really love the look as it is and am a little afraid that there would be too much of a halo effect after a good wash and block. I cast on for this project on 11/7 and finished on 11/12! People always tell me that I am such a fast knitter, but this was so enjoyable that it almost seemed to knit itself. I used a dk weight yarn and size 9 (US) needles rather than the pattern's lace weight and size 3 or 4 needles. :)

November Malabrigo Kit

Last Thursday, I received the latest installment of the Malabrigo Projects club from Eat Sleep Knit. There are 2 skeins of Lace in Applewood, beads and a shawl pattern that uses both. It is beautiful, and yet not a typical color choice for me. I am sure to use it and love it any way, though! I am rather excited to find something to knit with the yarn. I will probably not knit this pattern as I have already made 2-3 projects with the same or similar motif as the one the designer chose for the center panel. Frankly, I am tired of knitting it and I still have about one third of my current project left! (This current one uses a different stitch pattern of which half of it is the one in the new pattern.) I do love it, though, and know that ESK has created another big hit.

Great Recipe

I recently worked with Monica Woolsey, trying out her recipes for a nutritional counselling service that she was getting ready to launch. One of those recipes was Kung Pao Chicken. I didn't feel like that meal on the day that she intended, but did make it last Wednesday. (This was a few weeks after she sent me the recipe.) I made some changes, like using canola oil instead of peanut oil, as I already had it in the house. I also added broccoli to the dish. It was spicy and delicious! The flavor was similar to the orange chicken at Panda Express, but I am sure that it was much healthier! With all the carrots, celery, onion and water chestnuts, along with chicken and peanuts this was a tasty, high protein and low carbohydrate meal that was thoroughly enjoyed by both my husband and myself.