This month I’ve been working on the Geogradient Mystery Knit Along by Stephen West and I haven’t had time for much else. Books I want to read, and recipes I want to try are piling up! But I’m close to done, and I predict the shawl will be finished within a week.
Photos: a pinhole cast on; the start of clue one; clue two in the works; clue 2 finished; clue 3 first side.
Reflecting on the colors I chose.
I signed up and purchased a kit online because I thought that would be easier than trying to pick out yarn at the local yarn store and putting together my own gradient.
Looking back, I wish I had taken a bit more time to think about my colors. I knew I wanted to use Holst yarn because that’s what I used for my last shawl and I really liked the result. (This yarn is also quite affordable, and considering you have no idea what your final project will look like when you join a mystery KAL, it was a no-brainer for me!)
But the thing is, I had recently ordered shade cards from Holst to have handy for new project ideas (for that day when I actually try to design something myself!). So, it would have been easy to create and order my own color combination. What kept me from doing that was that I worried I wouldn’t get the yarn before the first clue was released. (I didn’t want to fall behind! I’m a slow knitter, already.) So, I chose the easy route and purchased a kit.
Don’t worry, I don’t regret my color choices, and I like the way my shawl is turning out. These colors go perfectly with jeans and a white t-shirt (my go-to uniform). BUT, I know that the next time I work on one of these shawls I’ll be thinking about my colors way in advance, because I want to absolutely love the result.
One month of knitting needs an amazing ending, don’t you think?
Today is November 8, and I’m about half way through the fourth and final clue. I can’t tell you how excited I am about finally getting to block and wear my new shawl. It’s funny, because I’d never considered myself to be a shawl person, but I do like to wrap myself in big scarves and cowls when it’s cold outside – and it’s definitely getting chilly around here.
I’m picking up takeout for dinner tonight, so I can focus on completing a few more rows.
What are you working on this week? Let me know in the comments!
I love Marin in September. The mornings slowly get darker and the air crisper, but the afternoons are still warm. Late summer fruits and vegetables are also at their peak and their fall successors are getting ready to be harvested — just look at the grapes I spotted in my neighbor’s front yard on a recent walk!
(It was so hard not to take one and try it. I didn’t. I couldn’t.)
After admiring my neighbor’s gorgeous grapes, a couple more minutes into my walk, I saw a plum tree growing on the side of the road. This is the main road that leads to downtown. The tree was full of plums, and this time I couldn’t resist the urge to taste one. The tree was so full of fruit that the branches were hanging a bit low. This tree wasn’t planted in anyone’s yard, it was planted outside a fence on a hill that seemed like public land, at least that’s what I hoped!
So I ignored the cars driving past me and what the people inside them could think of this woman possibly stealing plums in plain sight, and focused on stepping up the hill a bit and stretching my arm upwards to gently pull down one of the branches to take a few of the beautiful plums – one for each of us. It was a little difficult to do this one-handed while holding Estelle’s leash with my other hand.
I thought I should wash them first, so I walked home cradling the plums in one hand, but somehow still managed to drop one. It was getting hot and my hands were sweaty. I wish I had grabbed a few more, they were so sweet! I thought they’d be perfect for a quick cake or galette. I contemplated going back to see if I could get a few more but figured I could just buy some later at the store.
It seems like everywhere I look, there is a tree or a bush bursting with fruit: pears, grapes, blackberries, plums, pomegranates … It makes me want to plant a few fruit trees in our garden.
a famous plum cake
With plums on my mind, a recipe for Plum Torte in my inbox later that day felt like a sign. The recipe had 5 stars and 11,476 reviews on NYTimes Cooking. Wouldn’t you have tried it, too?
The story behind this recipe (Marian Burros’s famous Plum Torte) and how many times it’s been published was interesting. Apparently, after publishing it for seven years in a row every September from 1983-1989, the New York Times decided that was enough, but soon readers got mad and demanded to get the printed recipe back. The newspaper then promised to publish it every year around this time, when plums are at their best.
Probably the reason the cake is a hit is that it’s pretty much foolproof, so feel free to get creative by switching out the plums for other types of fruit. I read in the comments that someone had used mangoes instead of plums; someone else used bananas, others blueberries, cherries, and the list goes on. I think you can’t go wrong with your choice of fruit.
plum torte (a recipe by Marian Burros, published by NYTimes Cooking, slightly modified)
Ingredients 3/4 cup sugar (The original recipe calls for one cup. I could have used even less. I’ll try 1/2 cup next time.) ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup flour (sifted) 1 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt 2 eggs 24 halves of pitted plums, or as many as you can fit in your pan (I could only fit about 14) juice of 1/2 lemon 1-2 Tbs sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to sprinkle on top before baking
Method Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the sugar and butter with a hand-held or stand-up mixer. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and eggs and beat well. Scoop the batter into a 9-inch springform pan (a slightly smaller or larger pan will work, too). Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice (from half a lemon), depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Bake for approx. 45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before moving to a plate; refrigerate or freeze if desired.
The cake can be served plain, but it’s best with ice cream or whipped cream. It also tastes better if you let it sit for a couple of hours.
latest audiobook
I finished listening to Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett, last Sunday. The audiobook is narrated by Meryl Streep and I found it easy to listen to while I worked on my latest knitting project. It is a story within a story with some unexpected twists. If you are curious about the book, I enjoyedthis review.
photo credit: books cumbria
I have a goal of reading 10 books this year. I know that isn’t much, but the thing is I also want to knit a lot because I have too many unfinished projects. Audiobooks are great when it’s safe to multitask (easy garter stitch, straight edges) but I also love quiet, so I don’t always want to be listening to someone talk. So unlike other knitters who can listen to a few books a week, my listening is also slow; little bits here and there are all I can handle, but it is a great way to “read” more when your hands are always busy. Five more books to go; I can do this!
off the needles: a green shawl
I’ve named it the Falcon’s Shawl. The original pattern is called Trista. This is an easy project for an intermediate knitter or an adventurous beginner. You start out with one stitch on your needles and gradually add more stitches until you have a triangle that measures about 21 inches along the middle. Mine turned out bigger because I was using thicker yarn than the pattern recommends. You then decrease at the same rate you increase to end up with one stitch. You can make this shawl as large or small as you like with pretty much any yarn. I chose wool because I already had some yarn in the perfect green shade to match my son’s football team colors. Now I feel ready for fall – and for the next game!
Green Flash: art exhibitby Rachel Kaye at the Sarah Shepard Gallery at the Marin Country Mart. Runs through Oct. 31 (Love seeing how others combine colors.)
Grateful for a very special family gathering this evening.
I never imagined I’d be considering joining my second WestKnits mystery shawl knit along, but I am! This year’s pattern is called the Geogradient and as usual, the goal is to knit the shawl in a period of four weeks in the month of October — that is if we can keep up with all the speedy knitters out there! I still don’t know if I will buy my yarn locally, or order one of the kits that will be on sale starting tomorrow morning.
WESTKNITS MKAL GRADIENT MKAL IMAGE
Last year was my first-ever MKAL, which I knit using very bright pink colors. This year I’m leaning towards blues and greens, but the pinks have a way of calling my name! (I’m looking at you, “Flamingo” & “Miracle” gradients! 🤩)
One of my favorite kits going on sale tomorrow is the “Wave Gradient” shown below. Aren’t those blues gorgeous? Blue is a super safe color, I think, especially for me, since you’ll often find me wearing jeans and white tops. But doesn’t everything go well with jeans and white?
Green tones might also be a good idea since they’d match my son’s school colors and I’ll be able to wear my shawl to his football games. The “Sage Gradient” looks super soft, but I like the bright yellow in the “Mythical Gradient” a lot. I’m excited!
Here are my top 11 kits. I still can’t decide which one I love the most — I want them all! And these aren’t even all the colors. See the full list of options here, or check out this video.
Which one would you choose?
And now I’d better go set my alarm. I don’t want to be the last one to sign up. Last year the kits sold incredibly fast.
Things to note:
Sign-ups and kits launch tomorrow, September 2 at 16:00 Amsterdam time! That is 7 a.m. PST, Marin!
Have you ever made no-churn ice cream? I had always been skeptical about whether you could get good results, but after watching a few of my favorite chefs make theirs without a machine, I decided this was something I had to try.
And guess what? I’ve confirmed that you don’t need special equipment to make delicious ice cream at home. No, really, not even a beater. I made this with a little handheld whisk, and so can you! Have a large crowd to feed? Make sure to save this recipe!
After watching this Jaime Oliver video, I immediately knew this was the recipe I wanted to try. It has strawberry sauce, crushed meringue cookies, and dulce de leche – who could resist?
And the tray he used to serve it… Well, that was love at first sight for me, so I had to get one just like it. Once it arrived, I was ready to make the recipe. It even had a lid! I love my new tray.
To ensure the berries were super fresh and ultra sweet, I bought them at our local farmers’ market on the weekend. I love any excuse to go to the farmers’ market.
I couldn’t find ready-made meringue cookies at any of the local supermarkets, so I used Amaretti cookies instead. I thought they’d have a similar texture, a bit airy…
I must say, the Amaretti flavor combined with the strawberry sauce worked out great. So, if you can get these cookies where you live, I totally recommend them, and if not, you can go with store-bought meringues.
The only problem I had with this recipe was how much ice cream I ended up with, especially now that our household is shrinking with one kid off to college (I miss my baby girl!) and the other members of our family too busy to stop and grab a cone, a bit dangerous for me and my sweet tooth!
So, I’m contemplating making a huge sign that says “Free Ice Cream” to hang outside our door and get a box or two of sugar cones to hand out to anyone who walks by.
What do you think? Would you accept ice cream from a total stranger?
I read later that the ice cream can last in the fridge for about two months, so I may not have to do that after all. But if you are in our neighborhood and want a little sample, just knock on the door. I’m happy to share!
No-churn strawberry ice cream with crushed amaretto cookies (serves 12)
ingredients
3 cups of strawberries (washed, hulled and sliced in halves) ½ cup sugar 2 Tbs. water 1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar (optional) 2 ½ cups heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.) 1 cup crushed Bonomi Amaretti cookies
method In a saucepan over medium-low heat make the strawberry sauce by melting the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. When the mixture has a nice amber color, carefully, add the strawberries. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the strawberries have reduced to syrup. (If using balsamic vinegar add it just after you add the strawberries.) When ready, strain the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve, and let cool completely.
Place the cream in a large bowl with the vanilla extract and whisk by hand until soft peaks* form, then stir in the condensed milk. Crush over the cookies and fold gently.
Pour the cream mixture into a freezer-proof container. Drizzle over most of the strawberry syrup, leaving pools of the syrup intact. You don’t want the strawberry syrup and the cream to blend together completely. Doing so will get in the way of the ice cream setting.
(BTW, I did not use all the strawberry syrup. I have about a cup left to drizzle on top of pancakes or waffles—yum!).
If your container doesn’t have a lid, make sure to place some plastic wrap or parchment paper right on top of the mixture before placing it in the freezer.
