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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!

a pink version of the twists and turns shawl

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. 

a pink shawl

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 a bit disappointing at first, but I quickly got over it and embraced my own pace. It still blows my mind how fast other knitters are!

a pink shawl

Nevertheless, I am proud of myself for completing the project and not giving up (even if I did take the early bind-off option Stephen provided). Finishing became the most important thing for me. I tend to get bored and leave things unfinished, so I thought that working on developing some grit would be good for me, and perhaps serve as motivation for other areas of my life. 😉

After a little over 6 weeks of knitting (a lot!), I finally blocked my shawl yesterday and boy did it feel good! I think I might add some tassels or i-cord decorations to the loops, but at this point, I’m considering it done.

Will I wear it? Uh, maybe. As you can tell from these photos, the shawl is bright pink, not exactly something you can wear every day. I wasn’t so sure about my color choices from the start, but as I knitted, they slowly grew on me. I can see this becoming a nice cozy wrap for hanging around the house on chilly days. I don’t think I can give it away — at least, not yet.

a pink shawl

Things I learned by participating in the Twists & Turns MKAL

  1. Stephen West’s shawls are huge! You are going to be knitting a lot. I enjoyed this video (https://youtu.be/NPiB8pzBLSA) by Knitty Natty, who tracked the hours it took her to finish this shawl.
  2. Your color choices matter! Not only are you going to be staring at the same colors for hours on end, you should want to wrap yourself in them after all your work is done!
  3. These shawl projects are a great way to sharpen your knitting skills. Plus, Stephen West’s videos are incredible, like sitting right next to the teacher. This shawl will teach you about i-cord, short rows, and more!
  4. If you don’t like surprises, a mystery knit-along is not for you.
  5. There are some incredibly fast knitters in the world! 🤯 I am not one of them. 
  6. Embrace your pace!
  7. When you finish your shawl, it will feel like you’ve earned a new belt in Karate. 🥋
  8. It feels great to be part of a large community of knitters around the world. On Ravelry the group has over 11,000 members.
  9. It’s quite possible you will become a “shawl person” and will need to mark your calendar for next year’s MKAL.

Did you knit this shawl? What do you think I should knit with my leftover yarn? (I have almost enough to make another one.)

Let me know in the comments.

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!

String lights at Town Center. Mt. Tamalpais in the distance.

I’ve been out & about more than usual this month and drove into the City a few times.

Here are a few pictures:

String lights, Maiden Lane, San Francisco, Calif.
Classic car, North Beach, San Francisco, Calif.
Mural at Town Center by artists Suzy and Cleo Papanikolas and Karen Frey
Fairfax Variety, Fairfax, Calif., window decorations

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 huge difference. Go on, try it! 😉

love putting dinner on the table in under 20 minutes

If you find yourself out of basil or red pepper flakes, don’t despair. The second time I made this dish I realized I didn’t have either. So, I substituted ½ teaspoon of Herbs de Provence spice mix for the herbs, and a little cayenne for some heat.

My eye doctor has told me I need to eat more dark leafy greens to keep my eyes healthy. So, I mixed in some arugula right before serving the pasta. I got my vitamins and that wonderful green contrast, similar to basil.

Quick Pasta With Fresh Tomato Sauce
(adapted from Ina Garten)

1 box of spaghetti or linguine (I used Barilla)
2 Tbsp. Kosher salt (to salt the water for cooking the pasta)
6 cloves of garlic, finely sliced (at least 2 Tbsp.!)
¼ cup of olive oil
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 pints of grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
Basil, about 10 leaves sliced thinly
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated; more for serving)
2 tablespoons butter (preferably salted)

**In a pinch (if you are out of fresh basil and/or red pepper flakes):
substitute with 1 tsp. Herbs de Provence spice mix, ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, and handful of arugula for each plate.

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta following the instructions on the box. (I used Barilla and like to add salt to the water. I find that 2 Tbsp. is a good amount.)
  • Finely slice the garlic and prepare the tomatoes by cutting them in half.
  • In a large saute pan, heat the oil, add garlic and red pepper flakes (herbs de Provence and cayenne, if using**), salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add the tomatoes and let them cook in the flavored oil for about 10 minutes.
  • When the pasta is al dente, remove the noodles from the pot, add them to the pan with the tomato mixture.
  • Add ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, butter, and fresh basil/arugula.
  • Toss well and serve with some extra Parmesan cheese, to taste.

Note: This dish is great hot or cold, so you can save any leftovers in the fridge and make it a quick lunch the next day. Perfect for school or work lunches.

Enjoy!


💛 Gabi

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 cabling? I cannot wait until October 6 when we get our first clue to get started.

With so many yarns and colors available in the world, choosing materials for a project like this one can be a bit intimidating. Thankfully, Stephen gives a lot of information and guidance for choosing the best colors for the shawl, or you can do what I did and buy the full kit with color combinations handpicked by Stephen himself.

Perhaps because it’s still summer and super warm where I live, I’ve been drawn to pinks and peachy colors all season long. So, when I saw the Holst Pink combo, I immediately knew it was the one for my future shawl.

This will be my first ever Stephen West knit-along, and so far I’ve been quite impressed by how well organized it is. From videos explaining how the KAL works, to information about the yarns you can use and color selection, and even a must-watch video by Stephen West covering FAQs that had me laughing out loud, especially the part about having to buy more needles because all the other ones were holding other WIPs. (So many of us can surely relate!) 

I must admit, I am a tiny bit nervous about the KAL. The shawl is knitted in sock weight yarn and I am a pretty slow knitter. So I hope it’s not too difficult, and that I can keep up with everyone else. Have you seen his other shawls? Not exactly easy-looking.

I couldn’t believe the kit I chose this morning was already sold out when I checked the site again later today. Lots of people all over the world will be knitting this shawl. So, if you are interested in joining the KAL and buying one of the ready kits, you should do it soon!

Of course, you can always create your own bundle from yarns you have in your stash, or find them at your local yarn store. Luckily many stores around the world have already prepared for this KAL. 

I promise to post updates of my progress. Maybe you’ll join me?