If you examine the following photo closely and compare it to the previous photo of the Feather and Fan Cardigan which was posted last time, you’ll see that the knitter is actually behind where she was before. This might because she is quite possibly an idiot who may or may not be good at following directions.
It’s not exactly knitting, but check out this artist’s amazing portfolio. She uses needle felting to create life-like wool sculptures. Beautiful.
I don’t know about you guys, but we had some crap weather here today. It was a typical New England spring day: misty, cloudy, gloomy–perfect weather for making a nice lamb stew! I’ve cross-posted the recipe on my other blog (didn’t know I had two, eh?)
Core Plan Beef (or Lamb) Stew
1-1/2 lbs lean beef (or lamb), cut into chunks for stewing
1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
1 medium onion, frenched
3 carrots, cut into large chunks
2 ribs celery, prepared similarly
4 parsnips, ditto
4 or 5 medium-ish red potatoes, again, cut into chunks
2 cups beef stock
2 cups canned, diced tomato
2 Tbsp tomato paste
Garnier Bouquet (I used bay leaf, thyme, and sage, but any old seasoning combination that plays well with beef’ll work. Dry herbs are OK, too.)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Meanwhile, in an oven-safe dutch oven, heat oil over med-high heat on the stove. Add the meat (seasoned with some salt and pepper) and sear it. When it’s got some good color, remove it from the pan and set aside. Toss in the onions along with a good sized pinch of salt and saute them until translucent. Add the remaining vegs (and a little more salt) and saute them for 5 minutes or so–just to give them a little jump start. Then, add the broth and the tomatoes and tomato paste, along with the herbs. Bring it up to a boil and throw in the meat. Cover and move the whole operation into the oven for 2 or 3 hours. Yummy! And enough for eight 1 cup servings!
If you’re following the Flex plan, there’s 4 points* in each 1 cup serving, leaving enough points left over to enjoy with a hunk of soft and chewy bread brushed with a little olive oil (and still be a relatively low point and hearty meal).
Next time I’ll add a tablespoon or so of mashed potatoes to help thicken it up a bit. Otherwise–delish!
*points calculated with the WeightWatchers.com eTools recipe builder.
E: lemme go! Let go my foot!
J: E, I’m trying clean your tushie. You have poop all over your scrotum.
E: I wanna see the poop.
J: (holds up a wipee) See? it’s really stinky.
E: (laughing) Eww! It’s really gross.
J: (finishes up) There, all clean now. Up you go.
E: (stands) I wanna see the turd!
J: (opening the soiled diaper a little so E2 can peek in) See?
E: Eww! Don’t eat it!
J: (snork) Don’t worry.
**scene**
The sign-ups for the Summer of Socks opened today and close on May 15th. I participated last year and it was a blast!
The Feather and Fan Cardigan:
I am in over my head, people. Way over. Way, way over. I hope to have it finished by the first day of Summer of Socks so I can turn my focus to sock knitting. Optimistic? Probably. Possible? Not likely. And yet, I soldier on.
My oldest, dearest friend and her family have been evacuated from their home which is threatened by wildfire. Please send happy thoughts their way. And maybe some rain, if you have any to spare.
Today was the 99th annual CT Sheep Breeder’s Association Sheep, Wool, and Fiber Festival. I had a blast. It’s not nearly as big as Rhinebeck, but it has all the requisite features of a good event.
AFBC (Assorted Fiber Bearing Creatures)
RRGF (Really Really Good Food)
FR (Fellow Ravelers)
VLFP (Various Local Fiber Producers) (not pictured)
Also not pictured is the fleece sale, the Sheep to Shawl competition, and the sheep dog trials. I know, Bad Blogger. Next year, I promise.
The great thing about this particular event is that the crowds are minimal, so you can get into the various booths without having to elbow your way in and actually see what the vendors are offering for sale. Also, you can maneuver a stroller without people glaring or rolling their eyes at you. In fact, people actually smile at your children which is generally more pleasant for everyone.
Anyway, I picked up my TAS this morning and we all headed up.
We grabbed an early lunch (since we all skipped breakfast)
and a good time was had by all.
Pretty much.
Did you go to the CT Sheep & Wool festival? Did you have a good time? Did you score anything awesome? I know that Divine Bird got some incredible fiber for spinning. Anyone else?
Dear Sen. Obama,
I believe in change. I believe we can heal this nation and seize our future. I believe in Yes We Can. But, sir, right now, I want to know how you’re going to help us with this:
Respectfully,
Jen
Think globally, act locally–small changes can make a difference. That seems to be the battle cry of Earth Day this year. I have been working to make small changes in our home. I only use reusable shopping bags–even if that means I bag my groceries or purchases in the car or at home (because I forgot to bring my bags with me). I no longer use disposable plastic water bottles–I have a Sigg which goes with me everywhere. We only use CFLs–even though we have to save the dead ones for recycling. There’s a lot more I want to do, but change is hard, especially in our culture of consumption and convenience.
No Impact Man did an intense experiment:
For one year, my wife, my 2-year-old daughter, my dog and I, while living in the middle of New York City, are attempting to live without making any net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no carbon emissions, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no plastics, no air conditioning, no TV, no toilets…
Back in November, BipolarLawyerCook posted a list of small changes she has made. You can really see how small changes add up. My friend the Egghead is buying nothing new. I am going to celebrate Earth Day by making one more small change–I’m going to give up the Dunkin’ Donuts latte in which I’ve been indulging. I’ll make my own at home. The homemade ones taste better anyway. I may even join the Egghead in a “nothing new” pledge. How do you plan to celebrate Earth Day?
The goddesses of knitting are truly smiling upon me.
The swatch behaved just as I thought it would, giving me a gauge of roughly 6.1 stitches per inch after I laundered it the way I would launder the finished garment. Hooray! Now I’m looking around for something to sacrifice so that my work on the actual sweater goes as smoothly. Any suggestions?
Knitting Interrupted 
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