long time no post

whew!  it’s been forever!  since i went home to visit my parents things have been bu-sy.  and not a ton of cooking or knitting has been done either.  highlights include:

-finishing the madge hat (which is sadly too big on me.  and i have a big head! i like the pattern though and might try again)

-missing tp’s birthday celebration because of stupid work

-having a lovely birthday here with a.  which involved seeing modest mouse at the very strange nokia theatre, and receiving a very nice pair of earrings (along with another pair of very nice earrings) from this designer

-starting a scarf using a lovely silk yarn.  i’ve never knit with silk before, and it feels very nice on the fingers

-making this

-making burgers at home that for once weren’t dried out lumps of overcooked beef.  sounds appetizing, eh?

all thrilling stuff, i know.  so for thanksgiving we’re going to my aunt’s house and i’ve committed to cooking a few dishes.  i’m making this gratin which looks delicious.  and i’m making two desserts: a pumpkin caramel cheesecake and a free form apple tart.  i haven’t actually picked out recipes for either of those, so any suggestions are appreciated…

don’t forget

go vote today!

yawn-o-rama

back from good old asquared and i am tired!  my mom loved the clapotis, and even brought it with her to the hospital (of course, she is a mom, so anything i make for her is much loved even if it’s no good).  she’s on the way to healing and should be out by tomorrow which is, of course, a great relief.

last night a and i went to here for a nice meal after i got home.  i had the mini meatloaf and a had the braised pork ribs.  both were quite tasty, and a’s had long beans which i love.  in an effort to have a lighter dinner, we had moules provencale tonight with roasted brussels sprouts and crusty bread.  the recipe was really good, but i think the actual mussels weren’t that great.  i bought them from a local fishmonger who has a good reputation, but they seemed pretty bland and tasteless.  they were cultivated–are cultivated mussels a good or bad thing?  i have a hard time keeping track of what should be farmed and what shouldn’t…

i’m still (still!) working on the so-called vintage scarf.  i thought i was going to finish it in ann arbor but i ended up playing too many games of gin, crazy 8, and fish with my dad.  my new project will be the madge hat, knit in the same manos (in jupiter.  does anyone else think that mallard looks like the coolest color ever?  i have to check that out)  that i’m using for the scarf…   i’m still going to work on the somewhat cowl, but the hat is a more pressing need (and a much quicker knit).

et voila!

the clapotis, she is finished!

ok, so i have to weave in ends.  and yes, that’s a bunch of crap on my couch (and floor!) still leftover from tp’s visit this past weekend.  but still, it’s finally done!  i think it turned out pretty well.  i made it narrower and shorter than the pattern called for because it’s for my mom who is a tiny (tiny!) woman (and cause i’m lazy and i can’t imagine having done the whole thing).  my dad is little too.  seriously, people wonder where i came from when they meet my parents.  it’s like they were immigrants from a blight-stricken country and i’m their strong, strapping, american child.  except they’re not.  and i’m not so sure i’m happy i just called myself ”strapping.”  anyway, i think my mom will like it as it’s some of her favorite colors and made out of her favorite yarn.  guess i’ll find out for sure when i make the trip home to asquared tomorrow.

though the reason for my visit home is not so wonderful (my mom’s back surgery) i’m still looking forward to seeing my parents and visiting home.  we’re going out to dinner tomorrow night here for a late celebration of my mom’s birthday and early celebration of mine.  it’s a new restaurant and sounds quite lovely.  

so no cooking this weekend but hopefully lots of knitting on my long-neglected “vintage” scarf.  or maybe i’ll just revel in the fact that i finished something larger than a hat…