A New Love...

I have been spending a lot of time with this

                                 ...Cascade Quatro 
(color: 9432). 
This is my first experience working with (any type of yarn from) Cascade and I have to say,
I love it!!! 
I really can't wait to try other yarns from this company but at the moment I am a huge fan of Quatro. 
I got this yarn as a birthday present from my husband...he really knows the way to my heart! I went on a search for just the right pattern to use for this yarn and finally I came across the Saroyan (a scarf/shawl type of thing) by Liz Abinante on Ravelry. It is a perfect match. The yarn is a pleasure and the pattern is fun and knits up really quick. I am on the last stretch of the pattern so there will be FO pics real soon!

Roses Are Red...

                                                    
                      HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!

Does it get any better than enjoying a glass of Pinot Noir, a box of chocolate and working a luxurious red cowl on the needles for Valentine's day? Well, only if it's paired with a steak dinner and an evening spent cuddling on the couch with your better half watching movies!
Hope everyone had a day filled with love and of course lot's of chocolate. XOXO

You May Have Noticed...

You may have noticed some new things about this blog...
Let's start with the header. This was designed by my husband. I said I needed a logo and he provided.
What can  I say, he's pretty awesome!
This of course prompted a color change. The side bars I think will end up black but for now I'm just using bloggers template. It goes well, so I can live with it for a bit.
This leads me to discuss the other addition which is my button. Obviously it has my new logo for the image and I would be honored if you grab it!
The last thing I want to discuss is the addition of the podcast link. This is brand spankin' new so there isn't anything recorded yet. It was "born" late last night and I'm still getting familiar with how things work. However...I plan to discuss my current projects, likes/dislikes about said projects as well as other creative paths I take. I am also considering some videos for the podcast as well. Maybe some how-to's...not too sure. As I said this new. At any rate, I hope you like the new additions. Once there are some actual recordings, I welcome all comments and suggestions pertaining to the podcast. It's important to give your viewers/listeners what they want so don't be shy!

Birthday X's 2

Every year my in-laws celebrate my birthday with my husband's...
 I don't mind. I get my own cake! Our birthdays are only a few days apart (his 15th & mine 20th) so this makes things easier, especially after the holidays. Not to mention the fact that my father in-law's is the 22nd.
We no sooner come down off the sugar high and it's February. That means we are celebrating another birthday. This time my sis in-law's. We spend a lot of time together between December and February...eating cake.
Did I mention cake?

What you see here are the remnants of said cake. The ice cream cake is my husband's. He requests one every year. I on the other hand have many tastes and this year I had a hankering for turtle cheesecake. I have to say, it was especially yummy!
This year I was blessed with gift cards so you know what that means...more yarn! I am also feeling the need to explore other craft venues such as resin casting. At the moment I'm thinking magnets & jewelry but only time will tell what the creative muse has in store for me. Now, for another slice of cake...

Totally Addicted

I have to come to terms with the fact that I am completely addicted. To knitting slippers, that is. Actually they are called duffers but look like a ballet slipper. I stumbled upon this awesome pattern on Ravelry thanks to a blog post by Amybel. She shared this pattern by Mindie Tallack, who was kind enough to put it on Ravelry free.  I like free, that's why it's in bold!!!
Anyway, once I saw this pattern, I knew it was the perfect thing to make as far as Christmas gift knitting goes. They are really quick to knit, don't require too much concentration ( I can knit in front of the T.V.) and they are useful. However, I had no idea when I started making these slippers that I would ultimately have no urge to knit anything else. To be honest, if I had known I probably would have gone ahead and knit them anyway. That's just how I am. I can already hear myself saying "Oh no, that won't happen to me. I have too many projects on the needles for that to happen". Yeah right! Guess I have to learn the hard way sometimes.
In hindsight I should have had an inkling that this was going to happen. All I had to do was look at my knitting history. I am predisposed to sock knitting. Compulsive sock knitting I might add. I have been able to keep this little slipper addiction a secret from my family but only because I have been giving away the evidence. I know at some point I will not have the will power to give them away anymore. I'm already thinking about coordinating them to all my cozy p.j's  At this point, I can't stop thinking about various color combinations and all the ways in which I can embellish these slippers...constantly.
I guess I could have worse addictions. This particular one doesn't seem to pose any health risks at the moment. The only side effect is that everyone I know will eventually have a pair of their very own! I've heard you have to hit rock bottom before you can reach out for help, I'm not sure I'm there yet. Then again, I could be the last to know.                          

 

These are what I've made so far with the exception of two pair (no pics yet). I have another pair in progress that will be completed tomorrow and then of course...another pair will be immediately started. I will continue to update pics of all the slippers I make on Ravelry.          

Sunny with a Chance of Toast

 I have a confession folks, I don't like the white of eggs.

 I don't care if the white is firm or runny, I'm not eating it. It doesn't matter if the egg is boiled, fried or poached. Bottom line, if I see anything that resembles the white of the egg, I'M NOT EATING IT! I am aware that it really doesn't have a taste. It may really come down to the texture of the thing. Whatever the reason, is not the point. The fact of the matter is, that due to this peculiar culinary dislike of mine, I have spent most of my life finding the perfect egg. I don't mean organic, free range or any of those popular labels, although I do prefer a local farm raised egg. If given a choice, I will also pick the brown egg every time. To me they just taste better. But when I say The Perfect Egg, I mean the best way the egg can be prepared that will ultimately lead me to the golden, delicious center with the least amount of dissection. I have cooked eggs in a variety of ways and here are the results of my quest;

Hard Boiled- This has always seemed to be the easiest way to eat an egg as I am able to remove the white and keep the yolk intact. The problem with this method is that the yolk is usually over cooked. If I reduce the boil time, the yolk and the white are too runny and become too involved with each other.
Scrambled- This is also an easier way for me to eat eggs. However, the eggs must be beaten with vigor and scrambled well in the pan to rid the sight of any egg white.
Sunny Side Up- This has become my absolute favorite way to eat an egg. The downside? There is a ridiculous amount of dissecting time involved with this process. Not to mention the effect it has on those watching the process! The white is usually firm enough that I can cut it away from the yolk. I then gently remove that jelly-like film that coats the top of the yolk. After I have successfully done this without breaking the yolk, I flip the yolk over and remove the last of the white from what once was the bottom of the yolk. What I am left with is usually a golden, runny yolk ready for the dipping of buttered toast. White... free.
I have spent a lot of time thinking about all the different methods in which I can cook an egg with the best possible outcome. What I have come up with today is
                                          
This is what I call The Perfect Egg.

  This egg was a result of me thinking about the possibilities of an over poached egg. I figured if I over poached the egg, the white would be firm enough to remove but would also allow the yolk to remain intact. I have to say, I was hopeful but never thought the result would be this dreamy. There was a bit of dissection involved but the time required was certainly minimal. The yolk was a perfect balance of firmness and softness. It could hold its shape for the white removal but was supple enough for a good toast dipping. My quest may be over but the future is certainly sunny. 

A Day Late and A Dollar Short...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!
I know it's a bit late but I was hoping to get some pictures on here with this post. However, my models were all busy celebrating the new year. I have one more gift to give this month so unfortunately I can't reveal the details of what I actually knit everyone. And so the suspense continues...