The E Train Mistake Headband

The baktus scarf is now the baktus headband.



While I was working with this gorgeous yarn--Road to China--it felt very soft in my hands. BUT then I rubbed it against my neck. Razorblades! OK it was 90+ degrees -- not the conditions the scarf will be worn in. So I blasted the air conditioning in one room, sat right in front of the air and wrapped the fabric around my neck. Barbed wire! I tried this over a few days. No change.

I do have sensitive skin. Others rave about Kid Silk Haze and liken it to a cloud--a dream. Not me. KSH feels like nightmarish thunderbolts on my neck.

I suspect the alpaca and/or the camel may be the offending yarns. I'd never knit with either before--so now I know.

But what to do next? Frog it? Then I had an idea--I took what I had knitted and wrapped it around my head. Felt OK. My scalp and ears didn't itch. So I decided to repurpose it into a headband to be worn on the coldest of winter days.

Meanwhile, if you take a close look--you'll see a mistake:



Yep, one of the darker gray rows is wider than it should be. But that mistake is going to stay. When I noticed it, I laughed. This is the easiest of mindless knits and I make a freaking mistake?! Let this be a reminder to me to pay attention. It doesn't bug me at all--I actually find it funny.

I made this error while on the subway going to Queens to have lunch with two very old and dear friends. So I'm now calling it the E Train Mistake Headband and when I look at it, I'll remember the fun afternoon we had.

While this mistake doesn't bother me--I made one on something else that does. More about that later.

Something Different

At the Greenmarket, I saw a flower-looking thing being sold and asked the vendor/farmer about it. She told me it was a zucchini blossom and that it had to be cooked. Here's how:

Pull out the stamens (or is it the pistils?), trim the stems and rinse the blossoms. There may be dirt or creepy-crawly things in them. Pat dry.



Then dip each blossom in a beaten egg and dredge in flour. I use Wondra. Breadcrumbs can also be used. Heat up olive oil in a pan and fry up the blossoms till golden brown.



It doesn't take long. About 2 to 3 minutes on each side. When done, drain on a paper towel and salt.

Delicious! Crunchy, salty with a light and delicate zucchini taste. It made a perfect appetizer.



In my next posting, I'll have something truly different--some knitting!

Greenmarket Goodies

I approach the Union Square Greenmarket in much the same way as I go to Rhinebeck. I have a plan. First I do online research and take notes. What vendors do others recommend? What's looking good? When I arrive there, my plan is to walk around, look at everything and to jot notes on the places I want to return to.



Then I get to Union Square (or Rhinebeck) and become overwhelmed



by the merchandise and colors. Notes? Plans? What notes and plans??? Yep, just like Rhinebeck!











I go to the greenmarket for the ostrich eggs---NOT!



I went for the tomatoes. I just love, love, love tomatoes this time of year!



Here's my bounty--tomatoes and a few other things.





I immediately made myself lunch from some of these goodies



At least I controlled myself enough that I didn't start gobbling tomatoes before I got home.

One time I went to Rhinebeck and wound yarn in the parking lot. And if I had needles with me, I probably would have started knitting something from the yarn. I'm not known for my restraint when it comes to yarn (or tomatoes.)

Last Day of Fun

One more sunset



and one more sunrise. And then our vacation will be over.



You know it's gonna be a good last full-day of fun by the lake when one has cold pizza for breakfast.

An Adirondack Birthday

Yesterday I had an excellent



While hubster and I are spending the week at one Adirondack lake, one of his brothers and family are spending the week at Lake Placid. That's about an hour away from us. We had planned on getting together one day this week and then another brother and sister (hubster has four of each) who live sort of nearby decided they also had time to come to Lake Placid for a day. Schedules were consulted and yesterday--my birthday--was the day. Many thanks to the BIL and SIL who coordinated and hosted the gathering.

I can't believe I didn't take a photo of the lake! But if you look past the hubster and a BIL, it's there in the background. (BTW, the lake is Mirror Lake not Lake Placid.) It's really a gorgeous view from their place.



Much to my surprise there were some birthday festivities --cards



and, after a delicious lunch, I was presented with a huge, tasty birthday cupcake!



And we held an "orange food" tasting. There has been some dispute in the hubster's family as to who makes the best puffy orange cheese food snack. So this seemed a good opportunity to settle this.



The winner? Wise Cheese Doodles. However, there is much controversy surrounding the result because there was some vote changing and one of the voters may not have tasted all the puffy snacks. Plus only a small sample present participated in the tasting. And only four of the nine siblings were there. This doesn't seem very scientific to me. (My favorite? Snyder's of Berlin Cheese Curls. Not that I'm a sore loser or anything.)

Hubster and I then went into the village of Lake Placid for some birthday gift shopping. It's been a birthday tradition to add a charm or two to my silver, summer charm bracelet every year. This year the moose and the pine tree were added.



And a perfect birthday wouldn't be complete without a visit to a yarn store. Nice store with some lovely yarns. No yarn was bought, though. But I did pick up the new issue of Interweave Knits.



When hubster and I returned to our cabin, we enjoyed a birthday dinner of cheese (the real stuff--not "cheese food") and some homegrown (by a BIL) tomatoes and cucumbers. I love, love, love homegrown tomatoes and I really enjoyed these. And while watching for and hoping for a magnificent Adirondack sunset, I sipped the Vermont chardonnay that was a gift from a SIL.



The sunset didn't get the memo that it was supposed to be spectacular. But it was still a pleasant way to end the day.



And even if I don't win the 64 million dollar lottery (ticket thanks to a SIL)--I would say my birthday was a winner!

More than Knits and Purls

There's always been something about the stitch pattern on the Jackie Sweater and the colors of the Briar Rose yarn that reminded me of something. Never could quite put my finger on it till the other day. . . .






An accident that the Jackie Sweater went into the knitting bag when I had to decrease what was coming on vacation? I don't think so. Some Knitting Power must have been the one who switched the two knitting bags and made me realize that I'm knitting the water, rocks and sand of this very special place.

Changes

In the last Snit n'Knit post, I decided to bring five projects on vacation. Two bags worth of projects.

But when it came time to load the car, our building's elevator broke. We live on the sixth floor. It would have been impossible to schlep our ton of stuff down six flights of stairs. So we had to edit the boxes, bags, suitcases down to about half a ton and the knitting was a casualty of this downsizing. Two projects --- one bag.



I thought I had grabbed the striped baktus and the almost-completed clapotis.



Yep, that's the striped baktus and the Jackie Sweater. OOOOPS!

An unexpected change in my knitting plans. But that's OK.

Another change:



Look at that temperature! That's what it was when we arrived at the lake. Downright chilly then and, during the night, it got even chillier. Big change from the 90+ NYC temperatures!

However, there are some things that never change. And, for this, I'm happy!

Packed

Packed and ready to go. . .



Well, yes, just the knitting is packed and ready for vacation. The lucky ones going to the mountains:
the Clapotis (I'm so close to finishing!)
the Jackie sweater (Before we know it, fall will be here and won't it be nice to have a new sweater.)
the striped baktus (I always intended that to be the vacation knitting.)
the Giotto scarves (No particular reason except they might be cute when finished.)
the mini lace things (Vacation seems a good time to try something different.)

I've also set aside a few woolen things--socks, shawl and a sweater. The temperatures promise to be a bit chilly.

Seen in NYC

In the window of a vintage store--



a repurposed Aran knit sweater. Not my style--especially the gauzy frou-frou on the front (hard to see in the photo--click to enlarge) --but somebody had a vision that this would work as a purse. The price? $100.