i like this idea. there are other blogger-ly things i like, such as end of the month check ins with instagram and stuff, but i can barely manage to get my years worth of knitting in within the first month, so quarterly kind of things feel slightly more attainable. once more inspired by a girl named leney, here’s a list of some of the things i’d like to do before it gets proper wintery:
–make chili from scratch
-also sunday night stew
-cups of tea
-cardigans
–carve pumpkins
-dinner with family
-finish aidez cardigan
-see the book thief & catching fire in theatres
-start christmas knitting & shopping
-try making candles
-walk in the rain
-i’ve been coveting deep red mums this autumn, but we’ve been so dang busy, and now it’s freezing at night so that won’t happen, but i still thought i’d mention it here, because what is a wishlist for if not a smidgen of wishful thinking?
what’s on your to-do list? or your wishful thinking list?
thrifted ALL OF IT! – but more specifically: swapped thrifted blouse – mudpony vintage shoes
i love it when i have an entirely thrifted outfit! especially an outfit like this. this could be my uniform. i love every part of this: sweet blouse, chunky cardigan, basic palette, some favorite accessories.
i swapped with a friend for this shirt. i had the idea when i was weeding my closet, and i realized i was pretty much over my sleeveless lacey blouse. i remembered a beautiful sleeveless blouse that a friend of mine had, so rather than send the blouse packing, i thought i’d offer up a swap first! she agreed, and now we both have new(/old) blouses! i think this is a fun way to extend your wardrobe.
and indeed it is. we had our first frost last week, and i am suffering mixed feeling about it. on the one hand, the hoar-tipped greenery is quite pretty, and freezes should be bringing an end to my autumnal allergies, with have been especially active this year. but on the other hand, we started filming all of the external scenes for pops episode 8 so that we wouldn’t have to film outside in the frigid freezing ridiculous cold. only, we’re starting to have to do that anyways. in october. yeesh.
FO: winter is coming <– ravelry project page
pattern: the humble sock goes toe up using the elongated corded rib pattern from sensational knitted socks
yarn: wooly wonka in colorway winterfell (hence the name of the socks)
needles: size 2
mods: well, this is a mash-up pattern. i prefer to knit socks toe-up, two at a time, although i don’t use the two circular needle method, just grab 8-10 of my scads of size 2 double pointed needles and switch back and forth between the two socks. i feel that i have more control knitting toe up, in terms of using yarn up evenly, making the two socks identical, avoiding second sock syndrome (i have two or three single socks hanging around my wip basket). but i miss the gusset from top down socks. short row heels without a gusset always feels like it’s really pulling at the heel. this is the first time i’ve tried the instructions from the humble sock goes toe up. they aren’t the only toe-up with gusset pattern out there, but they were definitely the first ones i ever saw!
these have rekindled my interest in knitting socks, and i’ve already cast on for another pair (the hermione’s everyday socks that i mentioned). however, i’ve worn these twice since finishing them, and it’s reminded me of the reasons i am ultimately less of a sock knitter. while i love the ability to create useful objects, the soles of these are felting after two wears… which feels a little defeating. i guess socks just have a smaller lifetime then other knits, and if i’m going to knit socks, it’s just something i’ll have to get over.
book thief trailer! have you read it? are you excited for the movie? i adored this book, and this trailer really excites me!
i’ve expressed it before, and no doubt i will repeat myself in the future, but i have the highest respect and enjoyment for kate davies’s jaunty researches into the history of garments, and this one on the pocket is no exception!
David Wilkie, The Refusal (1814) © Victoria and Albert Museum
i am a huge fan of julie‘s style and knits, and her most recent autumnal solaria is an absolute knock out. i’ve been wanting to knit one of these since the pattern was released, but i haven’t quite managed to get around to it yet. you’d better bet this FO made it climb the queue quite a few spaces! i’ll be quiet about it in a second, but this fall i am having a major love affair with deep bricky reds. i’ve always been a fan, but now that it’s fall, it’s all i want! oh, and please please please follow the link over to her blogpost, because the pictures of her baby girl’s displeasure at apple picking are PRICELESS. plus the family pictures look straight of a glossy model catalogue.
two videos in one post?! ah, but how could i not? i loved loved loved the lizzie bennet diaries (i went to the panel while we were at vidcon!), and was very pleased when they announced that emma was next project they were taking on, and now! now it has begun!
what are you into this week? anything obsession-worthy popping up on the internet? any fun weekend plans? we’re carving jack-o-lanterns tonight! if they turn out well, i’ll document them for you!
j crew teal cardigan – target grey t-shirt – thrifted belt, skirt – minnetonka moccasins
i dunno if i’ve mentioned this before, but i was one of those teens who was unwilling to demonstrate enthusiasm. especially aesthetically. days where color schemes were recommended (pep rallies, valentines day, st patricks) made me want to wear opposing colors. it’s taken me a long time to outgrow this, and one way which still makes me feel a little weird is wearing school colors for a school i haven’t attended for 10 years. my school colors were gold and blue, if you hadn’t already gotten there yourself.
i went to a college without school colors, or teams, or sororities/fraternities. it was not a deciding factor, but i did definitely felt it was a bonus.
it’s been a slow process, but if i continue on my current swing, in another ten years, i will be the person with holiday-specific earrings, or different wreaths for every season. this idea doesn’t bother me in the least, but no one tell the 16 year old version of me. she’d pull an annoying face.
what about you? were you a team-spirit teen? what were your school colors?
but mostly needles!
i’ve become rather terrible about sharing projects that are in progress, rather than done! so let’s see where i’m spending my time right now.
i picked up this lovely skein of pagewood farms chugiak sock yarn (colorway mardi gras!) from a cute shop in san diego in august. i originally cast on for the 2×1 rib sock you see above, inspired by hedgehog fibres effusive and colorful beauties. but i wasn’t 100% convinced about the pooling… and then i began re-reading all of the harry potter series from the beginning for the first time since the publication of the 7th book, via audiobook. sooooo gooooood you guys. anyone want to majorly nerd out and discuss harry potter in detail? then i found out about the free pattern hermione’s everyday socks, and i realized that the predominant colors were red and gold (for gryffindor!) and that clinched it. knitting was pulled out and re-started accordingly.
this has been queued for a long time. i fell in love with the aidez cardigan when it was first released, and i saw how good it was time and time again as other knitters made it. this yarn has been in my stash forever, too. why the delay? who knows! but it’s happening now! i finished the back, and i’m knitting up the fronts simultaneously. i’m pretty close to finished with the fronts, and then on to the sleeves!
the thing that i love most about the knitting of this cardigan is the inclusion of what i’m calling ‘cheater cables’. in every panel that you knit, there is only one ‘real’ cable that requires an extra needle. the rest are tricky little stitches that look more complicated than they are. which is ingenious! they contribute greatly to the aesthetic of the sweater, but not to the workload! i didn’t realize this before i started knitting it, so it was a nice surprise!
lastly, here’s a horrible picture of the orchids and fairy lights hat i’m almost done with. another pattern i’ve admired practically since its inception, but never gotten around to making! i’m using another dreamy skein of tanis fiber arts for this. the picture does absolutely no justice to it’s beauty. better pictures when it’s an FO! i’m loving the way it’s knitting up, but i do think bobbles are best served by single ply yarn, to increase puffiness. i’m hoping the blocking will help these bobbles fluff up a bit.
anything been in your queue for eons before you actually got around to making it?
who’s your favorite harry potter character? i find i love molly weasely more and more everytime i go through it. i also forgot that the majority of my fondness for snape derives from alan rickman’s casting and performance. he’s such a jerk in the books! i always thought he would ultimately be a good guy, though, because of dumbledore’s confidence in him…
there was a photobooth at martha’s wedding!
we went location scouting around chicago. we had a fabulous time inadvertently playing tourist in our own city, going several places we just never really think of going.
along the river in chinatown is ping tom memorial park. i love the views of the city skyline from the near southside.
since we were already in chinatown, we figured lunch would be a good idea. we ordered two entrees, only to find out that it was family style dining, and we’d accidentally ordered closer to five meals. it was delicious though!
we walked along the bloomingdale trail (which will someday be the 606). it is lovely up there! if you ever try it yourself, though, make sure to wear close toed shoes.
st. mary of the angels. earlier this summer, when we were playing tourist with my cousin, we walked to this beautiful catholic cathedral.
we kicked filming off in this warehouse (it featured heavily in episode 7, part 1). this place is so decrepit and beautiful and amazing and so so so photogenic.
i had to hold myself back from taking alllll of the pictures.
we started filming on jake’s birthday, so his celebration got kind of spread out over the course of a few days.
leaves are turning, and i’m very casually attempting to participate in a photo a day challenge. except i’m trying to take the challenge part out for myself. because otherwise, i get hung up on it, and i miss a day, and then i stress out about it. so this is a more hodge-podge go at it, but i think it’s more successful from my standpoint? if there’s anything worth showing you at the end, i will. this leaf is from a burning bush, which are some of my favorites to watch turn, as they turn a unique reddish pink.
mint tea and mermaid nails. tea and i have been taking an amiable break for a while, but now we’re back with a vengeance!
and we can’t have a general life post without some kitty-ness. baiza finds mornings particularly challenging, and usually opts to sleep them out. i can’t blame her.
eep! my first recipe! a couple of weeks ago i made a ‘more veg than risotto’ to try and clear out some of the over abundance of veggies we’d picked up at the farmers market, and to use up the tiny bit of arborio rice in the pantry. i posted a picture on instagram, and got two requests for the recipe. for me, that is a positive stampede!
maybe you all have made risotto forever and are super used to it, but i really only started this year, and i was intimidated by it’s high-maintenance reputation. but it’s not hard at all. arborio rice is the usual base for risotto, a highly absorbent rice that requires not infrequent stirring. the other base elements, as far as i can tell, are onion, a little bit of white wine, and some variety of broth, heated separately, and added a few spoonfuls at a time until it absorbs. that’s it! after this, practically any variation is possible!
the cast of characters:
more veg than risotto
yields approximately 4 servings
1 quart vegetable broth
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup Arborio rice
¼ cup white wine
1 ½ cup chopped carrot (2 of my mutant huge carrots, probably 3 more normally sized ones)
1 cup chopped green beans
½ zuccini
½ yellow squash, 1 ½ cups chopped combined zuccini and squash
1 cup sliced mini bell peppers
1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup parmesan cheese, additional parmesan for a garnish
salt and pepper to taste
on one burner, heat a good amount of the vegetable broth in a saucepan to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. i used about 3/4 of the quart.
on another burner, heat a medium sized (i used a 3.5 quart) pot over medium flame. add olive oil. chop onion and garlic, add to pot. cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. add arborio rice, cook, stirring until well coated, 1-2 minutes. add wine, cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.
add a cup of vegetable broth to the rice, stir to combine, and cook a few minutes to absorb. continue adding broth, a few spoonfuls at a time, waiting until it’s absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally.
in between cupfuls of the broth, chop and add vegetables. i added them in approximate order of density/cooking time. first carrots, then greens beans. zuccini and squash went in at the same time. sliced peppers and lastly the halved tomatoes.
cook until rice is creamy and just tender, maybe 45 minutes. feel free to test it as you go! when the risotto is cooked, remove pan from heat. add butter, stirring until it’s melted and distributed, and add parmesan, stirring to combine. serve immediately! (risotto thickens as it cools)
garnish with salt and pepper to taste, and additional parmesan, if you feel as strongly about cheese as i do.
for the most authentic experience, put on the shins wincing the night away, pour yourself (and your cooking partner) some wine, utilize dance moves that you never would in public, and possibly try to convince your kitty to dance. do not be surprised if your kitty is not having it. at all. but if you give her chin scratches and pet her nicely, she’ll forgive you quite quickly.
my family encourages use of butter, and my personal desires never resist the allure of cheese, but exclusion of these would yield a very tasty vegan dish. if your desires lean the opposite way, chicken broth instead of vegetable broth is delicious. and i bet a 1/4 lb of italian sausage (casings removed), browned at the beginning with the onion, would be excellent!
if you try this, let me know how it turns out! what are your favorite risotto ingredients?
thrifted hat, shoes – handknit swallowtail – j. crew teal cardigan
forever21 dress – target belt – topshop tights
this shawl is one of my more frequently worn knits. it’s really hard for me to know in advance which knits are going to get a lot of wear and which aren’t. logically, i can look back at this and say ‘ah, yes, it is a quiet and flexible neutral that compliments much of my wardrobe’, but i can’t seem to look forward and think that way.
also, you can probably tell, but i looove these shoes.
what’s going on with you today? got any insatiable crushes on new purchases?
FO: pops hat <– ravelry project page
pattern: my own
yarn: berroco vintage: blue & black
totally unknown: gold yarn (probably mohair) for embroidery
needles: so long ago, i can’t be sure, but probably US 6 (4.0mm) & 8 (5.0mm)
images for the hat were roughly based on the end screen that ryan (our co-producer, director of photography, and in this case, visuals man) created for the platoon of power squadron ages ago. somewhere in one of my graph-paper notebooks, i have the charts for these blocked out, and if there’s any interest, i may try to dig them up.
screenshot pulled from (and then mildly edited) the end of episode 7, part 1.
the hardest part of this hat was the embroidery, honestly. it took many tries to get things looking correct. i tried many wonky versions of lightning bolts before i landed on these. i’m not certain that this embroidery is literally the best i can do, but after a dozen or so tries, i got to a point where i was willing to stop at ‘pretty good’.
this was my first project working with berroco vintage. i was curious how this 50% acrylic/40% wool/10% nylon yarn would knit up and feel, and i was pleasantly surprised. it acts like wool whilst knitting. it is soft, and should satisfy most wool-picky people you might be knitting for. it has only a very slight ‘non-wool’ sheen to it. plus, it’s economical with decent yardage. what i mean to say is, when i’m planning a project for people who react to the idea of wool with ‘but it’s so scratchy!‘, this will be one of my first lines of defense.
ifandany 