On the mend...

I came down with a bear of a cold. The worst cold I've had in years that resulted in me taking a sick day and closing the shop for the first time in the nearly 4 years we've been in business. But... I'm on the mend and slowly getting back up to speed.

In the week before my cold attacked me, I had some super fun stuff on the horizon with the new class schedule and a new toy that I had just picked up. The response to the classes was overwhelming and it was so exciting to have classes fill in just the first couple days they were posted! I have wait-lists for several of the classes and now that I'm feeling better, I'm looking at dates for additional sessions. Super. Exciting.

As for the new toy I mentioned in my last post... well, we packed this happy guy in the car and went on a short trip to a sewing machine dealer...

 Where, I got this:

And this is as far as it's made it. Kind of sad, but there just hasn't been time to unpack it and play with the being sick in bed and all. So, it's patiently waiting in the box and I'm hoping time will cooperate in the next couple weeks. My first project will be the Patricia Cowl by Shannon Cook - I saw her pattern and tutorial over a year ago and I've had it on my mind since then for a perfect first project! I'll keep you posted!

I've spent a good portion of the last week napping, but between naps, I've been OD'ing on Desperate Housewives and working on these:

Jane Richmond's Linden Mittens in Crazy Zauberball for Jane's Linden KAL, but I decided to get even crazier and do this:

I split the ball in half and I'm working 5-round stripes from each and the end result is fabulous:

I have the first one done now and I'm getting ready to cast on the second mitten. The thing I love - and hate - about Crazy Zauberball, is the striping is totally random. I like things to match, so this yarn really pushes me to just let go and let it be what it will be. I know I'll have mismatched mittens with mismatched thumbs, but I'm trying to not care and just go with it because there's no way I can even try to make them match. I'm walking on the wild side. lol!

I'm also still hard at work on this for the Journey-along:

I'm about 1/3 of the way done and now that I'm feeling better, I expect to make some good headway on this project so I can get it out on display at the shop. I love the regular rhythm of Onward, it's a very relaxing knit.

As usual, I've been up to a few other things, but I'll save those for next time.

Until then... Cheers!!!

Off the Needles | Journey-along

Today I want to share a couple Journey-along FO's with you...

First up is my Swift and a very rare selfie. I seriously love this hat - both the knitting and the wearing! This is the second one I've knit since the first is a shop sample and I just had to make another for myself!

Pattern: Swift by Shannon Cook

Yarn: Sport Weight by Blue Sky Alpacas (color 510 Black)

Raveled: Swift in Black

Another project I want to share with you is this fabulous pair of socks from Journey that were knit by the talented Sandy for the Journey-along:

Aren't they great?! I love the color combo!

Pattern: Climb by Jane Richmond

Yarn: Sock by Shibui Knits (color Jackie) and toe in Fine by Spud & Chloe (color Shitake)

Raveled: Climb Socks

It's been a lot of fun seeing the Journey projects online and in the shop, and the enthusiasm for immediately casting on new projects has been contagious! I'm currently down to one Journey WIP, so I'm trying to decide on the next project to cast on. Probably one of the sweaters, but we'll see....

February was a whirlwind with class prep for Firefly Fibers and now that March is here and the spring classes are posted, I have a little breathing room. Hubby is home today, so this afternoon we're headed out to pick up a toy for me (I'll share the details on that soon). I better gather up the car knitting so we can be on our way!

Cheers!

In the Kitchen | Pho and Eggs

It's been refreshing to think ahead to spring and warmer weather as I'm finalizing the details for the upcoming classes at the shop. I tend to go into hiding right before posting a new round of classes as all the loose ends get tied up, but I've been trying to find some balance by spending a little time in the kitchen. A couple weeks back, I decided to make Vietnamese Pho - a soup with a spiced broth, rice noodles, herbs and we enjoyed ours with beef. I've never made Pho before and decided to take the completely from scratch route, including making broth with beef bones. Granted, this was a lot more work than just using beef stock - it had to simmer for hours for the flavor to develop, then it had to be strained and cooled skim off the fat - but it was totally worth it!

When the broth was ready and the Pho was assembled, it was beautiful meal full of delicious light and fresh flavor.

I love fresh veggies and herbs on just about everything, and this soup had plenty with bean sprouts, red bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, basil and a nice squeeze of fresh lime juice.

I used this wonderful recipe and video tutorial for the broth and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to make Pho completely from scratch. Sure, it took more time and effort, but it yields a stockpot quantity of delicious broth and we have plenty frozen for future use now - I can't wait to enjoy it again this summer with fresh garden goodies!

On a less time consuming and complicated front... a friend of mine has chickens and she very generously shares her super-fresh eggs with me on a regular basis. I love hard-boiled eggs, but the eggs from my friend are SO fresh that half the white - along with half my patience - is lost when trying to remove the shell after boiling. So, I asked her for advice - I figured there has to be a better way, right? She suggested baking them in the oven. Well, I'm happy to report that it works and it really couldn't be easier!

Here's how you do it:

• Place one dozen eggs in one muffin pan (a mini-muffin pan might work better so they can stand up, but this is what I have).
• Bake in the oven at 325 for 30 minutes.
• Using tongs (careful, the eggs are HOT), transfer the eggs in an ice bath until they're cool enough to handle.
• Eat right away or store in the fridge. The end.

These eggs are perfectly cooked with a creamy texture that is so much better than traditional boiled eggs and they peel SO easily! Honestly, I don't know that I'll ever boil eggs again.

I guess I better get back to my class prep, shop knitting and the Journey-along, but maybe I'll sneak into the kitchen later to make some deviled eggs - I'm sure hubby would love that!

Cheers!