Woefully Behind Wednesday

Yes, I know, it’s been a while. But don’t worry! I’m not planning on leaving the blog this time. Unfortunately though (well, unfortunately for the blog, fortunately for me), it’s been a bit crazy around here. Not to say too much, but I’m hoping to change up a few things in my life in the near future. Oh, and I’m hoping to get officially published by someone who isn’t me as well. Wish me luck, time’s about here!

In addition to all the other stuff going on in my life… I did THIS:

on the way  to whitewater rafting (how’s that for irony?) last weekend. I got to lay in a chair while everyone else did THIS:

So jealous. But they had fun, and actually, I did too. Next year, people, next year! Am more than ready to get this stupid boot off, let me tell you.

 

Whittling the Queue – Wednesday

Today has been one of those “shove 12 hours of work into 8 hours” kind of days. Tiring, but much better than the “find a way to turn 2 hours worth of work into 8 hours” kind. Those are horrible. Of course, this excess of real life means that I haven’t had much time to really think about today’s queue post, but that’s alright. I already had the knitting queue chosen! Please pardon the shameless self-promotion. 🙂

September Sunset – by Heather Hamilton

The name for this sock came during a particularly brutal volleyball game this week. We lost. We lost big. It was one of those games where you realize your whole purpose in playing is to make the other team feel good about themselves. But the sunset was lovely.

Sign-ups for test knitting start this (long) weekend! I’ll be sure to post a notice up on twitter and on “Free Pattern Testers” in Ravelry. Keep an eye out if you’d like to participate!

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Saphir – by Marion Crivelli

Can I be completely honest? I probably won’t even consider making this until the beginning of next year, as I’m already in the middle of a fingering weight sweater. However, this sweater has been in my queue for at least a year now, and it will be made eventually. The stitch pattern is easily memorized but complicated enough to keep your interest. Three quarter length sleeves and a wide boat neck are two of my favorite attributes in a sweater. And it’s top down. Those are the positives. The negative? There’s an absolutely excessive amount of purling. I’ve never been a fan of purling.

The yarn I’ve put aside for this project is Knit Picks Palette in Eggplant. It’s a lovely, deep, dark purple. You should be warned that Palette is a very addicting yarn due to all the amazing color choices. If you want to make an inexpensive, color-work heavy project, Palette is your go to. Just be sure to hand wash.

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Autumn Cheesecake – by Stephanie (Allrecipes.com)

Do any of you have recipes that are an annual tradition? Along with chili, salsa, and strawberry tart, this one is mine. My folks have two apple trees in their backyard and around this time of the year they deliver a big bucket of apples to my door. When that happens, making this recipe is my first order of business. I once had a boss tell me this tasted better than one made at the Cheesecake Factory. It looks store-bought too. You basically make a standard cheesecake with a nutty base and then top it with cinnamon spiced apples. The sugary, cinnamonny, appley goodness seeps into the cheesecake layer and results in this heavenly autumn-in-cake-form dessert. Make it. This week.

BEFORE MAKING THIS RECIPE:

• Double the cheesecake filling because the recipe is wrong in that respect.
• Cook the sliced apples in the microwave for at least 30 seconds – long enough to release at least some of the juice. Then discard the extra juice. This will prevent your cheesecake from becoming too moist.
• Both walnuts and pecans are a good addition to the crust base.
• Doubling the cinnamon never hurts either.

Happy baking!

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BTW – I probably shouldn’t mention this yet, but I’ve been racking my brains trying to come up with a new sock design. The newest one is the lineup… AWESOME!