A Yoda costume, I made....yes.

This costume was easy to put together--it is not the one causing angst.  Some brown knit fabric for a robe, no pattern necessary.  I just cut it in the same fashion as Max's wizard costume from a couple of years ago, opening up the front and adding a belt and hood.  For the Yoda look, I felted an old sweater to make a quickie hat and added triangular shaped Yoda ears.  

Will wore his costume today in his preschool's parade.  It was an unseasonably hot day--much too hot for a wool hat. 

The poor thing spent more time sweating and scratching than waving.  I may need to line the hat with cotton if the weather doesn't cool off.

He fussed and tugged and suffered, but he would not take off his hat, bless his heart.  And when his little friends (who do not have Star Wars obsessed older brothers) questioned who he was, he replied, matter of factly, "Master Yoda, I am."  You can imagine how happy that made me.

And, now...to keep my momentum going, I will try to channel my resolute little Yoda.

Do more sewing, I must!  Every year I procrastinate, why?  Hmmmm.

Sandra

One cowl up. One hat down.

I knitted a cowl to match my hat.  I used the same cable pattern as the star crossed slouchy beret, just knitted it even (without increases or decreases).  There are a few more notes on my Ravelry link. 

It was a super quick knit and I just love it. 

rocking my nonchalant, no-makeup, but who cares because I have a cowl to cover my face, look.

But I lost the hat. 

My mother and father stopped by to spend some time with us before leaving for overseas--they are off to live at their place in Thailand for four or five months. 

I was planning to knit my mother a hat so I showed her mine to check the sizing.  After trying it on, she immediately tucked it into her purse saying something like, "oh, this is exactly what I want, the color and everything."  And just like that, I am down one winter hat.

I'm certainly not cross.  I can't think of a higher compliment than someone taking one of my handknits quite literally off of me to keep for themselves.  And besides, it looks darling on her.  And she did give birth to me.  But I'm hiding my cowl. 

Sandra

Halloween Flashback.

Still working on Halloween costumes and have nothing worth showing just yet.  But in case you need a last-minute idea, here is a shot of Charlie and I from last year--I realized I never posted a picture.

We went as sushi.  Specifically, shrimp nigiri and salmon roe roll.

I think mine is pretty self-explanatory--raided my stash for orange fabric to make a stuffed shrimp, white minky chenille for the rice, and black felt for the nori.  Charlie's head piece is a  large sheet of black foam wrapped around more chenille--we built this on top of his motorcycle helmet for stability.  We stuffed it with newspaper and taped small orange balloons on top to serve as the salmon roe. 

We look ridiculous, I know.  But we won a prize for most original costume at our annual neighborhood Halloween party.  This was a second win in a row--Charlie won the year prior dressed as a nun (I should dig up those pictures!).  Not sure if we can pull off anything this year.  But we're trying.

Sandra

p.s.  Linking up here

 

Winter hat 2 of 5.

 

I loved knitting this hat.  It was my first go at the magic loop method as well as working cables without a cable needle (so fast).  It was also my first encounter with Malabrigo yarn.  

It was a dream to knit--incredibly soft and I adore the subtle variations in color.  I now understand the self-proclaimed yarn snobs I've recently met.  I am pondering going back to work to fund an upgrade of yarn choices for everything in my knitting queue.

The pattern is the Star Crossed Slouchy beret by Natalie Larson, available free on Ravelry.  It is knit in Malabrigo's merino worsted, in the Tuareg colorway.  I did not modify the pattern and like the amount of slouch I got after blocking the hat.  I can wear it pulled down over my ears but it also stays put sitting back a bit. 

It was a perfect choice to knit while on vacation in Puerto Rico--super quick and the colorway will remind me of the beach and the beautiful clear blue water.

  

Once home, I cast on for a cowl to match using the same cable pattern.  I hope I have enough yarn left over to make a pair of hand warmers.  Oh, and I think I've settled on a pattern for the boys' hats--Thorpe from Through the Loops, also on Ravelry.  Not 100% sure but it's the front runner. 

Sandra 

{this moment} Homecoming, every school day.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual.  A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.  A simple, special, extraordinary moment.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Go to Soulemama to play along.      

Another random tip (I need to start numbering these).

Last year, as I recapped Halloween, I promised myself that I would finish costumes early.  See this post because I even had the gumption to write it down.  Well, the 15th has come and gone and there are exactly 0 of 3 costumes finished (0 of 5 if you count the adult costumes but I'm not going to because then I might really panic).  It seems I do not respond to artificial deadlines.

Part of the problem is that the boys are waffling a bit.  I guess there are too many Star Wars characters to choose from.  But tonight I make them commit!  And if you've ever tried to pin down a two-year-old, you know what I'm in for this evening.

Speaking of the iron will of a two-year-old, I thought of something recently that made my life a tad easier so I thought I'd share. 

Two of our boys are crazy over yogurt.  The oldest, however, runs screaming (I am not exagerrating) from the sight of yogurt--dunno.  The five-year-old has the dexterity to handle yogurt tubes...something I frankly don't get the fuss over but he loves them.  And of course, once the two-year-old saw yogurt tubes, there was no deterring him.  Does he have the dexterity to eat them mess free.  No, not at all.  Instead, the tube contents are routinely flung about the kitchen as he struggles, insistently, to feed himself. 

This is an unwelcomed mess in any household.  But if your home is also a yogurtphobe habitat..well, you can imagine how much nicer it is for everyone if yogurt bits are not dotting random surfaces.

This was a very long way of introducing you to this idea--stick a straw into the yogurt tube before you hand it off to your two-year-old.  It gives the tube some much needed structure as well as ample access to the yogurty contents. 

So there you go.  Merely a week and a half to go until Halloween and I have nothing to show for it.  But at least I'm not scrubbing yogurt off the ceiling tonight!

Sandra 

Puerto Rico, the highlights.

We left last Sunday for a quick trip to San Juan to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary.  I took along my fancy new Android smartphone to take some on-the-go pictures--I soon learned that I do not know how to work 85% of my fancy new Android smartphone, so please pardon the quality of many of these photos. 

In an impulse move the day prior, I bought some Malabrigo yarn to take with me.  After working with it, I fear I am now forever spoiled by its delicious squishiness and will not be able to go back to other yarn brands that previously suited me just fine. 

I wound it on the outbound flight and got some funny looks.  But as a new knitter who knits often in public, I'm getting used to it.  And I was able to cast on and knit a couple of inches of winter hat 2 of 5 on the plane (this hat is for me--a fun slouchy, cabled pattern).

We stayed at the El San Juan in Isla Verde.  It was nice, but I think if we go to Puerto Rico again, we'll stay in the Condado area.  We had a lot of fun poking around the neighborhood to find eateries beyond the hotel offerings.  It totally paid off as there are now several regional dishes I consider all-time favorites (Chuletas Can-Can and Mofongo especially).  I also took my margarita tasting duties quite seriously.

We spent one day hiking through the rain forest.  We used the adventure tour company Rocaliza and could not endorse the company more.  The guides were fantastic and gave us an experience of a lifetime.  We knew we were in for a serious hike when they immediately pulled out our helmets and harnesses and pointed up the river.  I foolishly looked for a foot trail, but no...we were climbing up stream through the river and rocks.  

Now, I consider Charlie and I as fairly fit individuals--we work out, we run, ya da ya da.  And yet we had challenges aplenty as we hiked.  It was no joke and not for the faint-hearted--we have the bumps and bruises to show for it. 

On our descent, we rappelled down an 80 foot waterfall.  The guide told me to not worry when one of the walls of the cliff "just disappears"--ummm, excuse me?  I was instructed to free hang in my harnass for a few feet until I saw another wall to my side and then just proceed rappelling down. 

Alrighty then. 

I was of course nervous but it was amazing--the water fall to my back...the mental exercise of making my fingers move and work my gear (they were happier holding on)...the crazy rush of adrenaline.  I'll never forget it.

We also did three zip lines.  I crashed into one of our guides on the first go because I didn't really understand how to stop...here is a shot of me bracing for impact on the second zip line.  He got out of the way that time.

At the end of the hike, we stopped at the home of a family who live in the mountains.  They cooked us a delicious meal, a sampling of simple, home cooked Puerto Rican dishes.

The next day, we rented a scooter and drove to Old San Juan.  We visited the Forts and the many shops in the quaint town.  Charlie, who is used to riding his Harley, and I had plenty of laughs on our sad little scooter as it topped out at 35 MPH and struggled up the steep hills of the city.

 

 

We put in some pool and beach time, but honestly not a ton.  We both managed to read a couple of books and I finished knitting my hat--I'll post finished pictures of it soon. 

It was such a blessing to have Charlie's folks watch our boys while we escaped without worry to celebrate a special milestone in our marriage.  But we were happy to return, with a rested spirit and renewed energy, to the family and life we've built together.  I am becoming such a sap as I age, I know.

Onward!

Sandra

Tomato Sauce with butter and onions.

Charlie and I took a quick trip to celebrate our anniversary.  We went to Puerto Rico and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  I plan to draft a post full of pictures (not too many, promise) to document the fun.  But right now, I'm swimming upstream a bit as I try to do two weeks of tasks in one (because I was not on the ball enough to get things done before we left).

We were gone for only five days, but it felt like forever.  And I mean that in both a good and a bad way.  The good:  I feel refreshed.  The bad:  I missed the boys like crazy.  I have not been away from them for anything close to that length of time.  It just felt odd and unsettling.  I am sure you know how it is.  It was, however, a long enough time to get me out of the groove of cooking (though you can be sure that I am on the hunt for recipes for some of the dishes we sampled--incredible!). 

I will be raiding the freezer this week for most of our meals, no doubt.  And I've already penciled in a certain pantry-friendly tomato sauce I finally tried (and fell in love with) over the winter.  If you try it, you may wonder if it can really be that good considering its simplicity.  Believe me, it is. 

It made the rounds on many of my favorite cooking blogs:  Smitten Kitchen, Amateur Gourmet, Orangette, and so on.  And it truly is sublime.  I say that mostly because of how it tastes.  But its real star power--in my kitchen at least--is it does not require this over-scheduled momma to go to the market.

Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions
Adapted from Marcela Hazan’s Essentials of Italian Cooking

• 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano, if you can find them--as you can see, I was out.  Any good canned tomatoes will do.  I've also used crushed tomatoes, which was fine, but reduce the simmering time indicated below)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
• Salt to taste (you will likely not need salt if your tomatoes are salted)

Place the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Bring the sauce to a full simmer, then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes.  Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.  Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste, if needed.  Keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Serve with spaghetti, with or without grated parmesan cheese.  I actually prefer the sauce without cheese.  And as I am like a mouse when it comes to cheese, this is notable.

Enjoy,

Sandra

Puerto Rico.

Had fun on our anniversary trip this week.  Much more to share, soon.

Flashback to wedding (10 years) and creative writing class (18 years)--not the best title.

****** 

"Excuse me...we certainly hear the alarm.  But I'm calling to see if this is real," Caryn, one of my bridesmaids, asks.  I can barely hear her over the repetitive shriek of electronic beeps.    

"Because we have a bride here," she continues, "and if this is just a drill, we'd like to stay in place."

After a short pause she simply states "oh," and quickly glances my way before looking to the other bridesmaids, dressed alike in silver and black silk gowns.  She raises her eyebrows and nods and they are a flurry of motion. 

I, in contrast, sit still for a moment more, rooted at the dressing table in the hotel suite and look at my reflection.  My hair is freshly styled, the veil securely pinned in place.  I am wearing my crinoline and other underpinnings because I was about to step into my wedding gown.

Instead, I reach for the same black cardigan I had on just moments ago.  I hastily button it, misaligning the buttonband, and reach down to fasten the straps on my pristine shoes.  I hear someone yell, "get the dress" and see Kristin, my maid of honor, and another bridesmaid, Jenn, hauling it, still encased in its protective wrap, over their arms.  We step into the hallway together but our group is quickly disbanded by the crowd, a hotel's worth of guests descending the staircase at the same time.

We find one another outside, along with my parents and a handful of wedding guests, and gather into a jagged circle.  Nervous jokes and comments fill the chilly morning air as fire trucks race into the parking lot, sirens blaring, as if to punctuate that this is indeed real.  Firemen rush the building.  But it's not long until they give the all clear.  Before they leave, they pause to take a picture with us--the impressively dressed huddle protecting a garment bag.

Two hours later, after the dress is on and I've heard stories from guests whose hotel rooms were flooded by the sprinkler system, I am on my father's arm and walking down the aisle.  I look at the room filled with loved ones and at my best girlfriends lining the front of the church.  And then, of course, I see Charlie.

******

Looking back, it makes sense that our wedding day should have such a start.  Surprises and unlikely events, both good and bad, seem to gravitate towards us.  And now--ten years, three boys, and many, many adventures later--I feel as if we're just getting started.  Happy anniversary sweetie.  And thank you.  I'm glad we have forever to fit it all in.

Sandra