Step Into My Thimble

I make a million varieties of chili when the weather starts getting colder, and even moreso since we got a slow-cooker last year. There is one going in the pot right now, and though we haven’t tasted it yet, I will share the recipe.

Chili of October 26, 2003

1 lb. ground turkey, browned and drained
2 cans Great Northern beans
1 can diced tomatoes
3 med. onions, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3 cups water
1 tsp oregano
1-2 tsp cumin
1-2 tsp chili powder

Put all ingredients into slow-cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with shredded cheese on top and a crusty roll or two.

Other times I’ve made chili I have substituted beer for the water, but I think that works better when cooking on the stovetop than in the slow-cooker. I also make meatless chili with several varieties of beans, or I add a can of corn, or I don’t put in any kind of hot pepper. I also usually use a tablespoon or two of chopped garlic. Why I left it out of this batch, I’m not sure. We’ll see what happens when it’s done cooking!

Last night we carved our pumpkins. We named them Clarabelle and Gertie.

The above did not quite capture just how up-to-his-elbows Rodney was in pumpkin guts. We had messy fun like every year!

In knitting news, I put in five solid hours on Friday night. I have desperately wanted something to be finished lately, and I’m close on a few things, but I was once again tempted by new yarns in the basket. I started making a hat for my cousin out of Takhi Bunny. I’ve been doing some pattern stitches but I haven’t decided if I like how they look yet, so no pictures…

A slow day at work today left me with a little energy to do some lovely domestic activities this evening. Witness:

1. Butterscotch-chocolate chip cookies!

2. Butternut squash soup! With lots of ginger.

Here are all the current knitting projects (and some little pumpkins). Left to right: Manos del Uruguay mitten for me, Lamb’s Pride cardigan for me, Lang Polar purple scarf for my sister, and Plymouth Indiecita Alpaca scarf for my friend Tom.

3. Up close, the cardigan as it is so far. You can see the raglan increases. This baby is going to be warm!

4. And, Tom’s scarf. Just a hair over one yard long so far, and sooo cozy!

I have a new link on the right: Marie‘s knitting blog. It’s in French, which I can read a little, but her stories and projects are provocative enough to warrant translation in babelfish so I don’t miss a detail. Yes this translation is not flawless, but it is funny! I get the point of the entries, at least, and I’m sorry Marie had to end her relationship with the local Phildar store. My LYS is not a friendly place either.

Tom’s gray alpaca scarf grew another two feet this weekend, as I spent much of it in the car shuttling between various hotels in Saugatuck. Memorial Day weekend is a bad time to schedule a wedding in a resort town…but I think someone will accommodate us. Did you know bed and breakfasts do not like to be rented out completely by a wedding party, because they’re afraid of getting their place trashed? I guess it makes sense, and considering the riff-raff that will likely be attending our wedding (you know who you are), it is probably a good thing anyway.

I cast on and did four or five rows on my top-down cardigan from glampyre last night. I know, I have two scarves and a mitten already in progress. But I couldn’t wait. Carolyn pointed it out the other day that I have hardly made anything for myself. So I hereby declare 2004 to be the year of (mostly) Knitting For Me, and I’m getting an early start with this sweater. I have the yarn already, after all.

One thing that sucks about this is I bought Crystal Palace circulars for the project. I’d never used them before, and the woman at the yarn store went on and on about their money-back guarantee etc. So I bought a couple. The cord between the needles is so stiff and it seems like it’s permanently stuck in the tight coil it was in from the package. I had to wrestle with it during cast-on and those first few rows to avoid a twist. And the joins aren’t as smooth as I’d like. The bamboo parts feel good at least, but I’d really be mad if I spend the whole project cursing the needles. Maybe that money-back guarantee will be necessary…arg, I hate these kind of roadblocks to progress.

The above mentioned Carolyn is my personal hero du jour, because she’s off to the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival this weekend (aka Rhinebeck). Anyway that Tintagel Farms person whose yarn I fell in love with has a booth, so I swatched some of the fabulous green/brown and sent it and some $$ with Carolyn. I am hoping she will be able to get me the hookup!

Rodney and I, meanwhile, will be in Saugatuck with both of our parents making wedding plans. Not as cool as looking at fiber-bearing animals and barn after barn of yarn, methinks.

This week is Chicago Archives Week so I’m kinda busy. [Yeah that's right, my event is the only one that's invitation only because I'm exclusive like that.] I’ve still found time for knitting aplenty though!

The purple scarf needs a decision or two. Help me, fellow knitters!

1. It is already 62″ long, and I haven’t started the sixth ball of yarn yet. It might be kind of cool as one of those trendy long/skinny scarves except A. My sister’s not that trendy, and B. It is so heavy and thick that it would just not be the same sort of thing. That thickness makes it pretty unnecessary to wrap it around one’s neck more than once. SO: Do I end it now?

2. IF I end it now, should I use the remaining ball to make fringe? I have just one left, but I have heard that Lang has discontinued the Polar, so I won’t be able to get more except maybe odds and ends. Also, I am sort of ambivalent about fringe in general. Each ball of yarn is about 55m so it would possibly be enough for a simple little-kid hat, but not much else.

The other project in the works is Tom’s gray alpaca scarf. Sixteen inches are done so far. Ohh this is pleasurable. I want one too!