Cake or Felt? Cake Please

Bonus points if you can figure out what humorist I'm bastardizing in that headline..............and since this entry is about dinner last night, there's nothing about felting herein.

Third Thursday rules! Be sure to stop by Matt's blog for a different type of recap. This site is dedicated to delectable delights of the evening. All ho-made, and I'm the ho that made 'em (with Matt's help as sous chef/head chop and dicer)

First, the nosh-ables--hummus, kalamata olives, pita (from the Middle Eastern market here in town, authentic! with Arabic on the package), and in the back--baklava. Matt's a convert to baklava now, as he endorses this stuff enthusiastically.

Now, for the main event--chicken in phyllo and Greek salad.

Yes, that's moussaka on the right, and Greek potatoes on the left.

Anyone for briam (roasted veggies) or spinach pie (spanikopita for the lazy who don't want all that folding)

And on to desserts.........why isn't Dolores in this picture?

Bundt cakes RULE! Rachel's chocolate bundt, my sour cream/lemon pound cake bundt, and Greek wedding cookies, complete with the whole clove in the top, and Deb's Ghiradelli brownies.....(swoooooooooon)

Galakatabourko (Greek milk pie), and a trifle of angelfood cake, berries, dark rum, and fluffy (originally to be an angel food bundt, but it went HORRIBLY wrong--never try to make an angel food cake in a bundt pan).

Ok, I lied.............I found this amazing pic of a finished project using goodies from us over at Mare's blog, knitted wings. Earlier this week I knitted my version of this felted day pack using a fun lime green with bright blue stripes. After seeing Mare's, I'm racing home tonight to felt mine, as hers is awesome! I really REALLY like this pattern. Pics of mine, felted and finished, in a couple days. I promise.

Tonight brings an evening of learning how to spin over at our friend Patsy's home. She was around last night for the madness and tonight it's time for some solace and quiet and spinning. A welcome respite from a LONG week. Be well, take care........

An Off Day

I say an off day because there won't be any pictures, and definitely none of my pontificating about stuff. Tomorrow is THIRD THURSDAY and we're doing My Big Fat Greek Thursday, or an evening of Greek food, multinational fiber, and good friends. You've been warned--still plenty of time to pick up a last-minute ticket via your favorite airline and drop into Indy (we'll get you here to Bloomington if you get that far by air--seriously).

Of course, we decided on the theme for the food about three weeks ago (most months have an ethnic theme, but others are things like all soups and home-made breads, or casseroles, or picnic in December--my answer to Christmas in July). Typically I'm obsessing about a theme a couple days in advance of the evening, but this month it was an easy one to nail down, but I don't have a single recipe pulled, nary a grocery item purchased (that's what tonight's for, right?), and only one dessert made (typically there's four--right Dolores?). Menu so far--sour cream/lemon pound cake. That's it. Otherwise, I have bupkus (sp?). Off to go Google me some recipes. Suggestions welcomed!

Oh, and be warned, May's theme is Indian food--I make MEAN samosas. Plan ahead.........But for April? Who knows........

Of course, you have pictures to look forward to on Friday, in the aftermath. (burp).

Welcome Back, Old Friend

There's nothing quite as rewarding as getting together with a good friend from your past--but this isn't about my sistah/faux-brother Paul, formerly of Atlanta like Matt and I, but now sentenced to Wilmington, Delaware. This is a knitter's blog, so of course I'm talking about a project, silly!

Felted Market Bag--the genius of Linda Cyr

The pattern is from the Summer 2001 issue of Knitter's Magazine, one of the last great issues in recent history. This version is freshly felted (came out of the washing machine about 12:30 this morning) and is a little rough around the edges, but Matt will work his magic with it after it completely dries and it will be another fantastic work of art (yeah, I like my knitting). He's responsible for the colorway--he's amazing at that, yet he doesn't realize it because it comes so freakin' naturally to him. He sits with a few skeins of yarn, mulls over combinations, and POOF--there's a stunning group of skeins that work up into something incredible. Or, like a recent consult for Chris in Evansville (IN), he is given some guidance and then lets the muse hit him.

The reason for the title of this entry is simple--this particular bag was started last August, when I was teaching a class for a local knitshop (prior to our going full tilt like we do now, and other related factors........). I have another underway that I used as knit-along models for class (I always have several semi-finished items to use as props, not unlike a cooking show where they can pull out a meal in various stages of completion as an example along the way). It will be finished soon as well. These bags were sidelined in favor of other items I was knitting for sale, and it's an old friend because I made a couple dozen of them about a year and a half ago for gifts and such before the holidays in 2001.

I like the entrelac technique Linda used to design this project and I really like using so many colors together. And I like the fact that I can knit backwards instead of flipping the work over and over when working all these shorter rows of stitches (no row has more than 12 stitches in it--so there would be TONS of flip/flop if you didn't knit backwards). And when I taught the class, people really enjoyed learning how to do this fun little knitting trick. I always try to include something extra in my teaching--beyond the pattern and the project. A new technique, a novel way of doing something, or an unusual finishing technique (especially if it is a sweater). Again, this is the educator (my original calling) in me coming to the surface.....getting more than just the obvious subject at hand. I believe the French-Cajuns in Louisiana call it lagniappe. Look it up using Google. Flex your brain..........

We've Been Exposed!!!

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