Latest Projects

I am really in love with the patterns in Made in Brooklyn by Jared Flood. So far I've made these three projects and have loved them all. The patterns have enough challenge that they keep me interested and wanting to keep going rather than bouncing to the next project. I did knit one mitt twice, the second time on bigger needles. A big failing; I don't generally check the tension on small projects. It backfired on the mitts. I had to go up another needle size or wear slightly tight mittens which in the middle of winter might not have been so nice. I would say the green tam was my favourite of all these. I'm not sure a tam really is my thing but it was definitely fun to knit and when it's really cold outside the level of caring whether it really suits or not declines dramatically! I could give it to someone for Christmas I suppose but the only person on my shopping list who might like it goes to Florida for the winter so probably wouldn't need it.

Anyway, next up is the shawl from the book and there are a couple of sweaters I am thinking about. I'd really like to finish a couple of sweaters on the needles before I get to those though. I am really trying to reduce the buried in yarn and fabric feeling by finishing some projects. Completely exciting yarn, fabric, patterns will still be at the store for me later. It might be different yarn, fabric and patterns but still just as exciting as the stuff I see now. I will keep repeating that to myself and see what happens.

Also a big first for me yesterday. I made a great chicken braise from the book All About Braising which I bought to go with my fantastic new braising pot. The first wasn't the braise. The first was lighting brandy on fire. I've always been intimidated by this when I've come across it in recipes, and ignored the instruction, but actually did it this time. Quite the flame and I hadn't yet read the part of the instructions where it said the flame would last for a couple of minutes so I was a bit worried when it did. But of course, it extinguished itself after about a minute and I continued on. Very fun.