A lace giveaway?!

I can't believe it's already here!  The KAL starts tomorrow!  What should we do to celebrate?  Do any of you have ideas?  How about a giveaway?  Ok!

I have two skeins of Misti Alpaca lace 2 ply to give away!   The color is a bit confusing to me.  Sometimes I think it's a periwinkle color, other times I think that it's just plain grey!  Anyway you see it, the yarn is beautiful and oh so soft!

What do you have to do?  Just leave a comment.  That's it!  Any and all of my readers can be entered into the drawing- I don't mind shipping internationally at all!  You all have been so amazing during all of this- posting on your blogs about the KAL and really spreading the word!  Our little KAL has grown, and I'm so excited to have met all of you.  I'll randomly draw a winner on the fourth of February.

OH.  One more thing.  You know that amazing Malabrigo I was so excited to be working with?

I guess I'll be using a different yarn.  I found three breaks, and who knows if I would find more weaknesses in the yarn while knitting.  I have some backup yarn that will be just as nice.  Maybe this will be my wedding shawl, after all!

Are you ready for the KAL?!

Roasted Squash and Sunflower seed Risotto

Oh my good god.  I had one of the most amazing meals of my life last night, and I made it.  Don't you feel so proud when you make something wonderful?  I just couldn't believe that I created something that tasted like heaven.

Before I met My Mister, I was afraid of cooking new things.  I was afraid of using too much fat, over-cooking, over-seasoning and using new ingredients.  Watching him in the kitchen helped me to conquer my fears and become a more adventurous cook.  He's not afraid of anything!

I used the Joy of Cooking recipe found here, but modified it slightly.  I used 2 cups of rice instead of 1 1/2; shallots instead of onion; and about 7 cups of stock.  And the wine?  I used 2 cups.  I'm such a boozy cook.

I finished my risotto in the same way, but added a whole acorn squash(about three lbs.), broken into pieces,  and about 3/4 of a cup of toasted sunflower seeds.  I roast my squash with 1/2 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and dark brown sugar for each half.  You could really put anything you wanted on your squash-but I really like the sweetness and the parmesan together.  Throw the squash in the oven for about an hour at 400 degrees.  Let cool, then remove from skin.

(Isn't he just the cutest thing?!)

We've been talking about how to improve this dish, and the only thing we can think of is to try a squash with a stronger flavor and color.  The acorn was pale and subtle in flavor, but tasty and sweet still.  It really would be more visually stimulating if it were a brighter color.

I've had such a good time queueing up all of your movie suggestions!  Thank you so so much for taking the time to share your favorites with me!  It's so funny how many of your favorites are mine also!  I fell in love with Juno the first time I watched it- and the same goes for sweet Amelie.  I heart Huckabees, Kiki's Delivery Service, Being John Malkovich, Thank you for Smoking, and all of those BBC period programs are all things that I love!

I'm watching North & South right now on Netflix Watch Instantly, and it's so good!  There's all this buttoned up sexual tension that I think is so much fun to watch!  I've moved 500 Days of Summer to the top of my queue, since a couple of you suggested it!  I love Zooey Deschanel, so that was one that really stood out to me.

The Wrestler is another film that I've been meaning to see.  I just love the director, Darren Aronofsky, who did Requiem for a Dream, and one of my all time favorites, The Fountain.  If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it.  It's a little sci-fi, but I think it's just great.  I introduced it to My Mister when we first started dating, and we were both blubbering crybabies halfway through.

How are you all doing this weekend?  Have you had any wonderful meals lately?  Any news on the upcoming KAL?  

Lace lace lace hurray!

It's getting close to February 1st, isn't it?!  I'm starting to get so excited for our little big KAL!  The resonse has been huge!  I can't even believe how people are getting into this!  Thank you thank you thank you for knitting along!

I've been out and about today, picking up some fiber for a commissioned job!  A woman found some handspun that I had made to sell at the LYS where I used to work, and she decided that she wanted 9 more ounces of it!  I'm so excited to have some extra money, and to have a reason to spin again.  I've been really uninspired lately.  I'm not sure why, exactly, but I just have to trust that I'll feel that same passion that I felt for fiber arts for so long.

You know what's bringing back the fire?  LACE!  Everyone's enthusiasm is just contagious!  I picked up a box bag today- doesn't it look like it wants to hold Malabrigo lace?  I just thought it was the sweetest, most ladylike fabric I've seen, and knew it had to be my mate for this Haruni shawl I'm about to make.

I've decided that tonight is the night that I will hand wind the yarn, just to get to know it.  Do you guys ever do that- hand wind to get a feel for how the yarn reacts to the touch?  I really am excited to start this project and see how the yarn works with the pattern.  I hope it will work beautifully!

I also picked up a book that I have wanted for ages.  Hopefully my next project will be from Magnificent mittens.  The patterns have everything I like- mittens, sore thumbs, colorwork, worsted weight yarn.  I think that I'm already planning another project!  I'll say it right now- the Haruni shawl insists that I be monogamous, and I recognize that.  I'm a one project girl- for now!

Tidbits- Work Edition.

I brought my little camera to work today, and shot off a few frames whenever anything caught my attention. Welcome to my little world of vintage collectibles and antiques!  I have a feeling that this might turn into a regular theme!  
   









Could I ask you guys a favor?  I feel like I'm in a movie viewing rut.  I just don't know what to rent!  What have you all seen lately (past couple of years) that you've loved?  What are your favorites?  I'm up to watch anything, really, as long as its good!  I can't wait to hear what your favorite films are!  

Just another lazy Wednesday!

I'm not sure if you all have realized this yet, but I really love a day off.  Really, really love a day off.  I love to sleep in, have a nice lazy morning drinking cup after cup of coffee and to just do whatever I please.  This morning was one of those days, and I opted to knit a while.  My owl sweater has been rescued from hibernation, and I have imposed a deadline of January 31st.  I'm tired of having UFO lying around, taunting me!  I only have the ribbing of the body to do, and both sleeves.  Piece of cake, right?

I also watched the live blogging updates of the Apple Event where they presented their "latest creation".  I know that information is so telling of my geeky status- but what the hell!  The most impressive thing about the new Ipad , for me, is the price.  How are they selling these things with such a relatively inexpensive price tag?  Anywho....

I've started a Ravelry group for our Adventures in Lace KAL banter.  Not only can we use a message board, but there's a space to chat live!  I guess it's been a while since I've spent a lot of time surfing Ravelry- I had no idea that they had that function.  Feel free to use the Flicker group, but I really do think that Ravelry is a more comfortable space.  Do you agree?  If you don't please don't hesitate to say so!  This is the first time I've coordinated a KAL, so I'm not really sure what the standard procedure is!

I've decided to knit the Haruni shawl- it's just so beautiful and not too complicated!  My goal was to knit something unique and beautiful, but at the same time to be able to enjoy the process of knitting lace with a group of wonderful people!  I think that with this pattern, and all of you, we'll accomplish just that!  Are you all still excited for the KAL?  Have you made your final pattern decisions?  I'd love to hear all about it!

Decisions, decisions!

I've been so excited to see what you all were deciding to knit for the Adventure in Lace KAL, that I hadn't even begun to think about what I would knit!  Today I did a thorough searching of Ravelry and now have a few patterns to choose from.  Wanna see?

Haruni (photo: Emily Ross)

Laminaria (photo: Elizabeth Freeman)

Hanami (photo: Pink Lemon)

Fountain Pen Shawl (photo: Interweave Knits)

Percy Shawl (photo: sandralice)

Honeybee Stole (photo: dixierae)

So what do you guys think?  I love  Haruni (My favorite!) and Laminaria and Percy, but the Fountain Pen  Shawl is nice too.  I've decided that this project will not be my wedding shawl- I was just getting a little too worked up about it.  I guess those three are my top choices, and the other two I have just decided are out of the running.  You see- this is helping me already!

I have two skeins of Malabrigo Lace in my stash, in a pretty white color.  I think that I'm going to knit from stash, since it's there already and I don't have to leave my house in all of this cold, cold rain.  I've never worked with Malabrigo Lace before, so I'm really excited to see what everyone is talking about!

I can't believe that I haven't decided on a pattern yet!  So, tell me tell me!  Which project do you think that I should I choose for our KAL?  Tell me your thoughts!

We have another member to add to the blogroll!  Roxanne from The 60/40 has decided to join us!

One good reason.

Last night, while working on my daily blog post, the lights flickered and then went out.  I'm hoping that this is an acceptable reason to have missed a day!

Of course, with no electricity I had to get the camera out and photograph the candle flames.  What else was I going to do?

Oh, what do you guys think of my new blog setup?  Is it too thin?  Are the proportions wrong?  I've been tinkering with it, but now I think I've looked at it too much, and I can't see it the same way anymore!

Today I love...

My new alarm clock.

I am so excited about my pretty little clock!  I haven't had an alarm clock for three years now!  My old one broke, and instead of going out and buying a new one, I've been using my cell phone!  How sad is that?  Every time I walk into the bedroom I smile because this thing is so cute.  Surprisingly, I found it when shopping at LL Bean, and had a gift certificate in just the right amount!  Score!

A warm reception.

As soon as I came home from work and sat down at the computer, Harold was on my lap. It's really nice to have someone so excited to see you when you come home after a long day.

Dinner.

And just so you guys don't think I make amazing dinners all the time, here's a snapshot of what's for dinner tonight. Bon Appitit!

We have another member in our KAL!  Why don't you go say hi to Rachel of With Every Stitch!  Welcome, Rachel!

Felafel Night!

Felafel night is a special night here at the home of LazyKateCreates. Because this meal is so labor intensive, it only happens once and a while, and that's a shame. Felafel night is goooood. Not only do I make the felafel from scratch- I make the lemon tahini sauce and the pita bread too!











I used Molly Katzen's book, The Moosewood Cookbook for all three recipes.  If you've never had felafel, you really should try it!  Made with chickpeas, spices, scallions and parsley, this dish is so damn good!  Felafel is so easy once you add the ingredients to the food processor.  Just blend it and form the mixture into patties, and let those suckers fry!  I love how the outside is crunchy, but the inside is creamy and soft and warm and just so good!

When I first made pita bread I was so nervous!  It seemed like it would be challenging, but as long as you follow the directions, you will be fine.  I have a pizza stone that I throw the rolled out dough onto, and the bread just magically puffs up in its own!  It's like magic!  I always thought pita bread was gross, but all I had ever had was the stuff in the grocery store.  Homemade is a million times better- I promise!

Excuse me while I tinker with the blog.  I'm feeling like things are cluttered or unattractive, and until I figure what it is that I don't like, I'm going to play with the format.

We have another member of the Adventures in Lace KAL!  Allison at Dominant Hands has joined us for the lace madness!

My friend fishie.

Thank you all for inspiring me!  One of the recurring requests was for photos, so I've decided to keep my camera with me at all times, when I remember it.  Yesterday at work, Mr. Fishie and I had an impromptu photo shoot- and let me tell you- he worked it.  Hard.







Fishie is not well liked among the other employees.  Before I started working there, he was introduced to a few "bowl buddies" and did not prove to be a sociable little carp.  He ate his friends, and my coworkers were appalled by his actions.  I try to see past this, and think of him as a misunderstood soul, just trying to protect his little domain.

FO: Hooky Fingerless Mitts

Thank you so much for all of your inspiration! I have so many ideas about what I'm going to talk about that I'm just bursting! Thank you thank you! Things are really looking up, and now I can't believe that I ever felt like I had a lack of things to talk about!

While enjoying my morning coffee, I  noticed a few balls of my own handspun waiting to be turned into something wonderful.  I was inspired to make a pair of fingerless mittens- with a crochet hook!  I think I've burnt myself out with all of my Christmas knitting- so a little hooking is a great relief for me now.  I love knitting with all my heart, but sometimes I need a little break to feel refreshed and become enamored with the craft again.

I've used three small balls of handspun.  The first was Spunky Eclectic fiber in the Celebration colorway, in a two ply.  The second is Another Spunky Eclectic colorway, another two ply, called Acadia.  The last fiber I spun singles and is from Maine Woods Yarn and Fiber, in a colorway called Erin.  I found the last fiber in a local gift shop and just had to buy it to support local fiber people- plus the colors were gorgeous and subtle and oh so yummy!   

I learned how to crochet a year ago when I took a class at my LYS, Purl Diva.  In two hours I learned the basics- enough to make a granny square!  Knitting is still my first love, but I do like to play around with a hook every once and a while, just to mix things up a bit.  I didn't use a pattern.  I just chained enough stitches to fit around my wrist, then just single crocheted around and around until I got to the finger holes.  Then I just chained a few stitches and then kept going around and around and around.  Crochet for me is just about improvisation and free form and just going with the flow.  

What about you guys?  Do you every need a break from your passions- to reignite the spark?  What do you do to "rekindle the romance"with your craft?   

I can't forget to mention that we have two new members of our Adventures in Lace KAL!!   KJ from Musings has joined up, along with lavenderfairy at knit labrinth!  Again, if anyone else wants to join, don't be shy!  

Help me- Please!

It seems as though I've hit a wall. Twenty days into posting every day, and I feel as though things are losing their spark. I really don't want to post just for the sake of doing it every day, so I'm reaching out for some inspiration. Will you help me?

Let me know if there's anything you want to know about- knitting, work, cooking, photography, tools- anything.  I feel like I don't have much more that's interesting to write about, and I still have 11 days!  Are there any themes that you post about, any weekly posts you would want to share with me?  

I'm desperate- please, please- help me out!  

Adventures in Lace- Update!

This KAL has really taken off!  My goodness, I never thought that there would be 14 participants!  This is going to be so much fun!

The general consensus was that a February start would be best.  What do you all think of February first as the start day?  Do you think that's enough time to get your yarn and pattern in order?  Let me know if you need more time for preparation and we can adjust the date.

We have another new member of the KAL!  Aislynn from Knit-Purl-Stitch has joined us!  Hurray!

I've added a link to the Flickr KAL group in the sidebar.  A basic membership to Flickr is free, and I really encourage people to join the group.  I think the Flickr group can be an area where we can bounce ideas around, post picture of our projects as they progress and just get to know each other in a more discussion based format.  I've started a couple of topics to get things going, but I would love for other people to start topics as well!

I'm going to move the blog buttons to this post to de-clutter my sidebar.  It looks as though most of you have already posted them to your blogs!  

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Please let me know if you have any questions or ideas on how to make the KAL better! If anyone else wants to join, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. Anyone and everyone is welcome!

Snow Day!

I got a call from my boss this morning, telling me not to come in!  I know that I should be worried about not getting paid for a day's work- but I just love a good old fashion Snow Day!

So this morning, while drinking my coffee and admiring my little stash, I found some inspiration.  I've been a bit lackluster about knitting lately, so I realized that I should take a break from the needles until the Lace KAL starts.  That doesn't mean a break from yarn, so I busted out the hook and now I'm working on finishing up some small balls of my handspun.  I hate the idea of my hanspun sitting in the stash!

I'm making fingerless mittens, and hopefully I'll have the pair finished by tomorrow!  I always forget just how fast crochet is compared to knitting.  I can't wait to have another pair of fingerless mitts to wear to work- my coworkers will be so jealous!

We have a new member of the Adventures in Lace KAL!  Welcome Jane, from the world according to jane!  Tomorrow I'll have a full post about the KAL.  For now, I have some handspun and a hook calling my name!

Today I will....

Find a pattern for the Adventures in Lace KAL.  Now that I have a dress, I can start my wedding shawl!  I'm so excited that plans are working out now!  We have a ceremony venue, a tentative reception venue and a tentative band!  Hurray for things working out!

I'll christen my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by the Goddess Julia Child.  I'm not sure what I'm going to make, but whatever it is, I'm sure it will be great!  Bon Appetit!

I'm going to start my new book, which isn't really new at all.  The Lovely Bones has been out since 2002, and I bet I'm one of the last people in the world to read it, but what the hell- I'm always slow to catch on.  Or too stubborn to realize that maybe if everyone is reading something, there might actually be a reason for it.

I got my copy of the book through an online service called paperbackswap.com.  It's actually a really great deal where you list your books for trade, and have access to books others have offered in return.  And when you sign up you get two free credits- just to get you started!  You need to have ten books for trade when you start- but who doesn't have ten books waiting to be donated to the Salvation Army anyway?  I've been using paperbackswap for about a year now, and I have no complaints!

Thank you so much for all of your dress love!  I'm so happy that I found a great wedding dress, and I'm so glad that I can share this with you!  This is just a really exciting time in my life!

Tomorrow I'll post all about the KAL!  If anyone else wants to join, please don't hesitate to leave a comment!  The more the merrier- I mean it!