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Warmly

Monthly maker post! First up, something I'm really pleased with: this Churchmouse Simple Tee that I knit out of Woolfolk Flette that I had bought for a different project that ended up falling through. I didn't finish it in time for a museum photoshoot, but there are a pretty locations here, too. (This one was also conveniently located across the street from my favorite local coffee shop.)

While there are a selection of simple tee options (both free and paid), I ultimately chose this one because I've knit some other Churchmouse designs and I trust them to have well written patterns with thoughtful details. This did not disappoint - it was beautifully simple, and there was no extra finishing after the main pieces were complete. That clean collar line and nice edge on the sleeve happened in process, which I really appreciate. I used the Flette, because I liked it and even though it was nothing like any of the recommended yarns, I still somehow got exact gauge. It was an enjoyable process and I love the end product - I think I'll make more, with different yarns!

My next project is to finish this Carrot Cardigan from an old issue of Knitscene (back before sweaters were knit all in one piece), that I started in March. I bucked the pattern and knit the sleeves in the round, but I'm still going to have to set them in after the rest is made. At least this yarn will be easier to seam with than the Flette in my tee! I'm nearly there, and it's much more motivating to work on something I'll be able to wear as soon as it's finished.

It is (finally) soup weather! I've made this gluten free chicken noodle soup many times, and it's a family favorite, but this time I switched it up a little. I had some goat cheese that needed eating and a craving for something crunchy, so I left out the soy sauce/sesame oil and put in half a tablespoon of Trader Joe's taco seasoning powder instead. Then I fried a whole bunch of tortilla strips (not on purpose - I put too much oil in the pan and then felt obligated to continue making them until it was used up...) and we topped our soup with those, goat cheese crumbles, and sliced green onions. In the interest of full disclosure, I also always replace chicken broth with veggie broth in any recipe, partly because we not good veggie eaters and partly because I think it tastes better. This recipe makes a lot but we ate the leftovers up within a few days, with no complaints.

While we're in the kitchen: kale chips! 'Tis the season when I see how long we can go between turning the air conditioning off and the heater on, and I've discovered that a great way to stave off the need for heat (besides drinking copious amounts of tea) is making kale chips. You gotta stay by the oven for the whole hour, see, because they need stirring. And then you have a bowlful of kale chips to eat! Since I'm really the only one who likes them, I only make one pan at a time - but bunches of kale are enormous, so that means I can make 2-3 batches out of one bunch for maximum loitering-by-the-oven time. I used a recipe out of Taproot magazine, but I'm sure others exist elsewhere.

Finally, not so much a "made" as a "made do," I figured out how to turn tie on masks into adjustable over-the-ear ones. I got this beauty at Bella Vita and felt like the tassels deserved to be seen, so I tied the bottom string around the top one in a couple of overhand knots (remember those spiraling friendship bracelets? that knot) so the top string could slide through it to adjust. It worked really well, and I did it to my other tie on masks (because they all happened to be my favorites).

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