My first pattern test

Isn't it funny how a grown up woman can get so excited about a little achievement like doing her first official pattern test for a Ravelry fellow crocheter in this case? Maybe because my week at work was filled with one little disaster after the other?

Anyway it was on my to-do list for a while to do a free pattern test for a designer on Ravelry - there were many, many, many gorgeous patterns out there to be tested but you have to be realistic if you really have the time to do it on the required schedule ... so sadly I passed opportunity after opportunity month after month... until YESTERDAY!!! There it was - a cute little crochet project designed by Anastasia (check out her Website http://crochetnj.com/) called "Cell Phone Cozy". I was accepted as a tester and got on my exciting new task right away - it took me just under an hour to finish (incl embroidery and weaving in ends).

Here's the result - my Blackberry doesn't want to come out of his new cozy anymore :-)

The pattern will be part of a larger collection and I will update my blog when it becomes available.

What a HAPPY WEEKEND - two projects finished and work done on another. I know, I know, they were tiny but sometimes the small things make all the difference.

1 Hour Bubbles (Knitting)

While looking for one of my WIPs this morning I came across a single bulky novelty skein of yarn (no label attached anymore so not sure of name or yarn company; estimate 70 yards left). As I don't like wasting any yarn in general and actually liked the colours and mix of eyelash and bubbles I decided to make a quick mini scarf.

Here's the easy recipe:
Cast on 9 stitches, continue in in garter for 2 inches, bind off middle 5 stitches in middle of next row and directly cast these 5 stitches back on the next row (creates a hole to slip the other end of the scarf through to keep it snug around your neck) and continue in garter until you run out of yarn.
Easy-peasy mini-scarf that can be finished in less than an hour.

That is what I call a good start into the weekend!

WIPs are hiding from me

For those of you who are not knitters/crocheters and the like (could there still be anybody out there not interested in these crafts??) WIP = Work in Progress projects that I usually tend to well associate with. This week I decided to make it my goal for the remainder of this year to finish up more WIPs than generating new ones... sounds like a good (maybe overly ambitious) plan - we will see.

So off I go to find a particular WIP that would be nice to finish for the fall/winter season as it is a pillow needed for wee afternoon naps on the weekend when the weather is dreadful and knitting & napping is the only sane thing to do. It cannot be found anywhere - I am not hallucinating that I started working on this pillow am I??? I find yarns and needles that I did not even know I had (yippee - all is good) but no in progress pillow. Eventually I give up and decide to check on my gardening supplies to soon start prepping for winter... and who is peeking out behind the bulbs, shovel - yes, my little pillow. Guess it decided that I am serious on picking up work on it again... if I only remembered where I left the right size hook... sigh

I hate WATER

Back from business trip just in time for the big rain - and I mean big rain like soaking - pouring rain & wind... By now it is so bad that my roof starting leaking :-( I don't know why but I am jinxxed with water damages in my apartments wherever I live. I usually get lucky and find nice places to live but water is stalking me - maybe I should file a constraining order??!!

To ease my pain I am going to have "Blood Orange Royal" - yummy:





So easy to make but really delicious.

Bring 1/2 cup of sugar with 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup blood orange juice and orange peel to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Let cool and strain through fine sieve.
1 part blood orange syrup to 4 parts Champagne - voila: "Blood Orange Royal"

Tomatoes and Knitting

Obviously I love knitting and another favourite of mine are tomatoes. I like them raw just by themselves, with basil/mozzarella, feta/oregano, in stews, as a sauce, grilled,... I could go on and on and on.

Not sure if you have tried them yet but heirloom tomatoes are really yummy and they look great too with their different shape and colours - salad made out of them is like a painting in a bowl.

But today something weird happened - my knitting and my tomatoes match:

How great is that?!!!

Bon apetit and Happy Knitting :-)

Singapore

OK - I don't get it... everybody I talked to before my trip to Singapore had rave reviews how nice and clean and interesting this city is.

Maybe my expectations because of that were sky-high... I did not get the vibe at all!!! It was hot and humid (I know to be expected) and other than that it was just another big city with nothing that really caught my eye. I actually think that the issue was that it is so nice and clean - no edge to catch your eye; nothing that made it stand out in a unique way.

Oh well, likely it's me as I had the experience before that for some bizarre reason I like cities better that are a bit less orderly (Barcelona, Rome, Berlin, NYC,...).

Off to Lima in a couple of weeks ... that may be the other extreme ha-ha.

Spoilage alert

Off on business trip to Asia... and almost forgot the veggies in the fridge. Not sure what I was thinking when I bought all of them - likely sub-conscious I was not in the mood to go on another trip so soon ha-ha.

I love my veggies so have to do something about them before they go bad.

POA:

1) Cauliflower soup with curry = freezes extremely well (something to look forward too when I get back)

2) Italian-style mixed veggies with mascarpone melted in

An hour later - all done!! Soup is cooling to go into freezer (not very photogenic but delicious) and the Italian veggies are yummy just as they are - no need for pasta... I eat them right out of the pan hehe.

I love cooking. It gives you instant gratification without a lot of effort - don't you wish all things in life would be so easy?!!