Year: 2022

a pink shawl

finished! twists & turns shawl

Published by fairfaxhill

Oh my goodness, you guys, I did it! I completed the @westknits mystery knit-along and I am now the proud owner of a crazy, bold, stripy shawl! This was my first-ever Stephen West MKAL and I must confess, it was tough! The knitting itself was not super difficult, although I did learn some new techniques (more on that below), but the amount of knitting needed to complete each section (the different clues) was way more than I’d EVER attempted in my life in a single month.  As much as I wanted to be on track to complete the shawl in 4 weeks, I fell behind from the start. The first clue was published on Thursday, October 6, but I wasn’t able to start until Sunday, October 9. I spent the next three days knitting at my fastest speed (and what felt like around the clock) for the first clue, but I quickly realized there was no way I would finish part one by the following Thursday, when the second clue would be revealed. That was …

october mood – adding string lights for a little whimsy

Published by fairfaxhill

Every year, I look forward to the beautiful light that October brings… soft, cool, and a little mysterious. Halloween is just around the corner and spooky decorations can be seen all over town. I especially love the orange string lights on people’s porches at night. I also love how something as simple as string lights can make everything feel special. I’ve set a few orange lights on my porch, but I am having some technical difficulties. It looks like I need a longer extension cord. I am hoping to get it fixed by tomorrow! I’ve been out & about more than usual this month and drove into the City a few times. Here are a few pictures: And now I need to go buy some candy! Happy Halloween! 💛 Gabi

quick pasta with fresh tomato sauce

Published by fairfaxhill

Hello there! Ina Garten’s recipe for Summer Garden Pasta was trending on my feed for several days and I wanted to try it, but after reading you had to let the tomatoes rest for four hours, I knew it wasn’t going to happen. If you know me, you know that my favorite recipes are quick and easy to prepare. Waiting four hours? Not for me! But later I found a similar recipe – also by Ina – that could be prepared in just a few minutes. Much better! I’ve made this two times already in the past two weeks, and can see this joining our weekly staples, like Mustard Seed Chicken, Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki, and other favorites. Ultra sweet, summer tomatoes, the kind you can only find at the market during this time of the year, are the best for this recipe. And don’t skimp on the Parmesan cheese, or my own little secret that I learned from my grandmother: adding one (or two) pats of salted butter right before serving! It makes a …

have you heard? westknits’ mystery knit-along launched today

Published by fairfaxhill

Not too long ago I mentioned how much I love Stephen West’s colorful shawls, and this year I have decided I absolutely need one in my closet. So, this morning, just a little after 7 a.m. San Francisco time, I joined the 2022 MKAL and selected my yarn. Now I’ll sit here patiently and wait until my kit crosses the Atlantic and reaches my mailbox all the way from beautiful Amsterdam.  Last year, the MKAL (short for mystery knit along) was a pattern called Shawlography, which might be my favorite @westknits design – so far! I love all the different textures and colors. I have been dreaming of making one exactly like the one Stephen West is holding in this photo, but this morning I ran into this one by Domic, and well, I might need both! photo credit: @westknits It makes me wonder what this year’s pattern will look like. It’s called the twists & turns shawl and there is a cable needle included in the kit, so I guess there will be some …