I’ve been on a cleaning frenzy for the past week or so. It all started when Bruce decided to research how to get oily spots out of some of our kitchen towels. He happened upon an instructional video that showed copious amount of embedded dirt being boiled out of towels that no amount of regular washing could touch. It totally creeped me out, so with Borax and Washing Soda in hand, I’m about to take the plunge. (Actually I’ve already finished that with reasonable results).

Fortunately (or unfortunately) this coincided with a New Year’s breaking out of a new set of flannel sheets (to replace ones that I put my foot through where they had completely worn out), and a periodic mattress rotation with heavy vacuuming to get rid of dust mites, etc. Then I started on the bathroom rugs…not the little mats that get washed often, but the big ones that require space and a scrub brush since they won’t fit in the washer. That was followed by shower curtains, living room cushions and the living room rug. That rug has faded so badly in the sun that I’m considering doing an overdye to refresh the color (it has gone from a lovely burnt umber to sickly yellow-green. I’ve been trying to ignore it, but it’s getting on my nerves. I’ve actually ordered some dye to see if I can get an approximation of the original color (or at least something somewhat better than the current icky color),

Three days later…

I’ve lost a bit of my frenzy after cooking for 3 days straight and several loads of laundry. That and overnight (and all day today) it has been snowing. A big snow demands more sitting and knitting (and reading) time, and a cup of hot cocoa. 

It’s still snowing, but the flakes seem to be slowing down, so it is unlikely we’ll go much over a foot of accumulation. Still, since it’s really the first measurable snow of the winter, I’m loving being inside, looking out.

I’m doing fully enjoyable knitting right now. I mentioned the Henry VIII mitts and hat in my last post, and I’ve gotten going on them just for the pleasure of knitting something slightly complex but fun. 

Knitting Alice Starmore designs always is challenging to me. Her patterns are loaded with details that might catch you off guard, but if followed carefully, do not fail to produce wonderful results. It is a little like reading a really good book, where you can’t wait to turn the page, and yet want to read slowly so that the tale will not end. I find myself saying, “just one more row” to see how the next bit of color unfolds. In particular, I’m completely taken with the very subtle color changes in the section I’m working right now.

As you can see if you look carefully at this close-up, the red-brown has segued into a darker brown. Unless you look very closely, it looks like a trick of the light because of the subtle nature of the color change. The colors in this piece vary between subtle and dramatic as you can see from the overall photo. It’s really eye-catching, and when I was knitting it during my Wednesday group meet-up this past week, it drew people over to look more closely at what I was doing. I’m also so fixated on it that I haven’t been working on anything else for the last few days, but I’ll need to break away soon to go back to my other pending projects.

Life goes on…

It has been a very long time since sharing any recipes here, so I thought I’d take a minute to post this soup I just made. It’s yummy and rich, and full of warmth on a cold day.

Squash Soup +

• 1 Butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 large winter squash (like Buttercup or Kabocha) prepared as with the Butternut
• 3 large carrots cut into chunks
• 2 cups (or more) vegetable broth
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 2 tsp curry powder (garam masala)
• 1 tsp (or more) salt
• 1 brick of cream cheese
• 1 cup applesauce
• pumpkin seeds (optional)

Place squash, carrots and broth into a soup pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until all of the vegetables are soft, adding additional broth if necessary. 

Add spices and salt and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes.

Using a hand blender, puree the vegetables into a smooth consistency, adding any additional broth to your liking.

Add in the cream cheese and applesauce stirring to fully incorporate and heat through.

Serve topped with pumpkin seeds and a crusty country bread.

Meanwhile….

I was actually planning a longer post, but the hat is calling me, and I’d like to get a few more rounds done before the natural light fades for today.

So meanwhile, stay calm and craft on. I know it’s so easy to get caught up in the trials and tribulations of our frenetic world, but knitting helps. See you next time.