by Kat | Oct 12, 2016 | General, Making
After spending the weekend in Knitting Time out (both me and the sock!) I ripped back on Monday and started the process of adding more inches to the Sock of Doom.
I fearfully began the decreases and stopped. There would be NO MORE RIPPING of this sock. I waited for the Large Footed Recipient to get home from work and try it on before I went any farther.
Sock One is done. Now all I need to do is cast on for the second one.
Perhaps a queuing up of the Gilmore Girls on Netflix (which, by the way, I never watched…) will make the second sock less painful than the first.
In the reading department, I have two books in the finished column:
- Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes by Per Petterson
- The Shepherd’s Life: Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape by James Rebanks
I loved both of them! They were dynamically different but each were fantastic reads. I highly recommend both of them.
I am listening to Clara read Knitlandia to me; I am about halfway through and I am thoroughly enthralled!
I begun The Year of Living Danishly and I also started reading another Karin Fossum novel – The Murder of Harriet Krohn. No thoughts on either yet as I am just a few pages in on both.
However, the reading might have to wait because on my task list for today is to turn these beauties into an oven roasted applesauce.
What’s on your agenda today?
by Kat | Oct 11, 2016 | General
Leaves turning. Early fall farmers’ market. I’ll buy apples, pork, kale, squash, and spend the weekend dancing in the kitchen. Cant’ wait. ~ My Kitchen Year, Ruth Reichl
Last summer I was fortunate to have read Ruth Reichl’s book, My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life. To say I loved it is an extreme understatement. And, inspired by Ruth – Tuesdays here at Casa del KatKnits are going to have a new focus.
Each week I will share with you a recipe from her book, or a recipe inspired by her book. Because that was what really came through for me in My Kitchen Year – being inspired.
To kick it off this week is the perfect Ruth Reichl inspired fall supper:
Pumpkin Ravioli with Turkey Mascarpone Sauce
Now, if you want easy – this is it. I get my pumpkin raviolis from a small local market and they are so good and are only available in the fall. However, if you are inspired to make your own – please, by all means do!
Turkey Mascarpone Sauce:
- 24 – 36 pumpkin ravioli (I used 6 raviolis per serving)
- 1.5 pounds ground turkey (I used 93-7 Turkey)
- 1.5 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 – 8-ounce container of mascarpone
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1 to 1.5 Tbsp. fresh sage leaves, minced (reserve 1 or two leaves for topping the pasta)
- Grated parmesan cheese
Serves: 4-6
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to prepare the ravioli.
Brown the ground turkey, seasoning it with the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. When the turkey is almost browned, add in the fresh sage and cook for a minute, until it begins to soften a bit. Once the turkey has browned add in the mascarpone, stirring to combine. Add in the half and half and the grated nutmeg – stir to combine and simmer over low heat a few minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
While the turkey sauce simmers, cook the ravioli – following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Drain the ravioli well before dishing up and topping with the sauce.
Sprinkle the pasta with the reserved minced sage leaves and some grated parmesan cheese.
This is really such a super easy dinner to make. It is done in less than 30 minutes! I hope you enjoy! I would love to know if you try this!
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by Kat | Oct 10, 2016 | General, In This Moment
The weekend just FLEW in my neck of the woods, which could be directly related to the amount of rainy weather that filled the days.
There was no outdoor cocktail hour because it was raining so hard. This also put the kibosh on a backyard bonfire, however, the indoor Tapas were excellent!
Saturday we had a successful trip to the local farmer’s market, managing to get in and out in between raindrops as well as a bit of retail therapy. (Yay for indoor activities!)
There was not much knitting, but there was some reading – although I did not finish any books.
There was a tiny bit of spinning though – this Whitefaced Woodland from Sheepspot is just amazing!
Today, I think will spend part of the day ripping back that darned sock while I catch up on Poldark. I hope you have Monday off, and if not, then may it be one you can ease into and it is over before you know it!
by Kat | Oct 7, 2016 | General
Most of the time a short week is a good thing – but a short week after a vacation was perhaps not the smartest idea. My list barely has a dent in it! (However, laundry is almost done and yogurt is made!)
I had what I thought was a brilliant idea to get one of Steve’s socks for length so I could perhaps finish sock numero uno yesterday. That might have worked if he cut his toes off. Seriously, I thought about suggesting it for more than half a second! Today will find me ripping back the toe and knitting another inch (really, I am knitting WAY more than an inch and hoping they will be just a bit too big!!) Promising him and his size 14 feet a pair of hand knit socks was perhaps the most epic disaster of my knitting life. Really. I will persevere and finish these suckers, however painful it is. And trust me, it is plenty painful! I am trying to avoid the urge to put these socks in Knitting Time Out.
Rather I am going to focus on the beauty that is the Frankfort, Michigan beach.
Instead of feeling bogged down like these poor benches, buried up to their necks in sand!
How about a double dose of Friday Links?? There has been plenty of good stuff over the past couple of weeks:
That is all I have this week. Tonight, there will be a Grand Traverse Distillery Manhattan or two to usher in FriYAY and Steve is taking a half a day – so while it is technically not a “long weekend” it will be starting a wee bit early! The weather is calling for a backyard bonfire too!
I hope your weekend is fantastic, see you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Oct 6, 2016 | General, Words
Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice or, if you are seeking a pleasant peninsula, look around you.
These words completely describe the beauty that is Michigan, but most especially in the Leelanau Peninsula between Empire and Glen Arbor.
Nestled there along the shore is the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive – a must-do IMO and we went more than once – a study in contrasts, as it were. Our first visit on a gloriously sunny day and a return visit on a very overcast day, with dark, broody skies.
Each day was gloriously beautiful in its own way.
I hope your Thursday is filled with pleasantness around you.
by Kat | Oct 5, 2016 | General, Making
The vacation is over and believe me when I tell you it just went too fast, but more on that later.
Today, I am here to share a bit of knitting and lots of reading.
Sadly, there was little knitting done on vacation, but I did get manage to get through the color work and the short rows on Rock the Lobster! I think I am going to switch things up and do the sleeves next. Yes, I am taking some good advice and getting them done and out of the way!
I am also still knitting these socks. I have about 3 inches to go before toe decreases on sock one.
However, I have a couple of good Audiobooks queued up – Clara Parkes Knitlandia (which I have already read, but having her read it is something I have been looking forward to!) and Per Petterson Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes. Perhaps, this can help me get my knitting back in gear!
I also received a book I won from Stephanie of Woolythyme – Elizabeth Hay Late Nights on Air, which came with a lovely card and tea! Thank you so much Stephanie!! I am eager to read this and then pay it forward.
I did finish two books on vacation – Karin Fossum Don’t Look Back and Jussi Adler-Olsen The Hanging Girl – I loved both of them! Karin Fossum is a new author I discovered and it was a book I could not put down. A quick and easy read that kept me engaged from start to finish. The Hanging Girl is the most recent Department Q novel – Carl Morck’s team has really become a well working unit and the book might be my favorite for that reason.
And, now a pile of work awaits me, but tell me please – what have you finished reading or knitting this week?
As always, linking up with Ginny and her Yarn Along!
by Kat | Sep 28, 2016 | General
The view from my front porch.
by Kat | Sep 27, 2016 | General, In This Moment
Grey skies, wild winds, and chilly weather – fall is absolutely here in Northern Michigan!
However, the beer is good.
And, so are the burgers!
The diet… not so much!
by Kat | Sep 26, 2016 | General, In This Moment
Packing for a trip can be a challenge. There are so many things to take into consideration – weather, activities, etc. However, if you are a knitter then you have an added layer of things to think about.
Knitting projects.
For me, this is perhaps the most crucial item to take (outside of my Bialetti because good coffee is crucial!!)
Enter Woolelujah!
Fill this sucker and I should not want for things to knit right? Trust me – I (over)filled it!
Hope your weekend was grand, mine sure was!
by Kat | Sep 23, 2016 | General
When one of my absolute favorite designers collaborates with some friends and they put together a collection of “Drop-Dead Easy Knits” I was excited to see what the collection would include. I pre-ordered the book and it was delivered on Tuesday – at which point, I dropped everything and started to page through.
Paging through turned into reading and before I knew it an hour had passed and I had a list of items to add to my Ravelry queue.
I had foolishly assumed the book would contain a collection of accessories, and while it has some really lovely accessory knitting pieces, there is so much more. Sweaters, baby items, and even a MDK Log Cabin blanket!
The thing I love the most about the book though is how the patterns are written.
How many times have you begun knitting a pattern and wished that some parts were highlighted boldly with the read ahead instructions? For me this has happened numerous times and it generally means frogging back several rows to correct the thing I have either omitted or kept doing but should have stopped.
In Drop-Dead Easy Knits the patterns have a special call out for “Concentration Zones” cluing you in to what is coming ahead. Likewise, they clearly mark areas where you can click on “Cruise Control” and knit on without worry (and it even tells you how long you can knit without worry!!)
Another bonus for knitters everywhere is the reference section where they give “alternate yarn suggestions by pattern”! Yes, really. And, the list is not compiled of one alternative – there are multiples for every project!
I was especially happy to see that it is number one on the Amazon Best Sellers in Knitting list this morning so if you buy only one knitting book this year, this would be an excellent choice. Seriously! Your knitting library will thank you!
Now for some Friday Links:
That is all I have for today! Have a fantastic week and see you back here on Monday!!
