Well, this didn’t get posted because the server was down all Wednesday morning and we were out all afternoon. So I am going to expand the post to make up for losing the day :) Don’t worry, the sundae is at the end :)
I started the Entrelac sock from Socks Socks Socks Tuesday night. I found the instructions needed a bit of decoding (and I generally find that to be true with XRX publications) but do-able. I did get a bit nervous when told to turn at the end of the entrelac row (Hunh? I’m knitting in the round here! What gives?) because no matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t figure it out. Eventually I just proceeded on faith and guess what? It worked!
Entrelac sock
I know this is going to be utterly awesome when I find the right yarn for it, but the yarn in the above picture ain’t it. For one thing, the color repeat is longer than I’d like for this and for another…well, I just don’t love this yarn. It will be fine for “plain ol’ socks”, but not for these. So this will get frogged. And eventually I’ll find a good deal on something utterly sumptuous like Lorna’s Laces or Cherry Hill Farm and these will get made. Now that I know I can figure out the pattern, it’s just a matter of finding the right yarn!
A couple of notes. Working entrelacs on double-points is very awkward at first and I kept losing stitches of the ends of needles until I got my bearings. Also, while I very much like the toe (cast on a few stitches, knit a few rows and then pick up stitches all around your little rectangle) picking up stitches on that miniscule scale almost drove me batty. I finally enlisted the aid of a small crochet hook and that did the trick handily :)
On another subject entirely, I stumbled across the Cotton Chenille Boob pattern a week or so ago. I think it’s quite clever - the back and front are made exactly the same way, but the back is done on needles one size smaller than the front is so that it will curve in and fit better against the chest.
I have been wearing a prosthetic in place of my left breast for about four years now. And I wanted to pass along the link in case any of you out there in cyber-land might be interested in trying it for yourselves or a friend or family member in the same boat. The idea of being able to make my own prosthetic that I can tailor specifically to my body and shape is absolutely exhilarating - maybe even empowering (not a word I use lightly or often). Yes, insurance covers prosthetics but I love the idea of my left breast being something that I made for myself and I am very grateful to Beryl Tsang (who designed and knitted it) and to Crystal Palace for presenting it.
Except I don’t want chenille :) So I got this:
Just about the perfect color for me!
Spotlight cotton has been one of my favorites for a long time and when I saw this color, I knew I had found my yarn.
Now, on to the good (read: fattening) stuff :)
This has been an interesting summer, temperature wise, don’t you think? Heat, heat and more heat. The birds have all been flying around with their little beaks open - I imagine that’s their equivalent of panting - and every time you go outside you start to feel funny. Partly that’s allergies to which Myria and I are both susceptible and partly it’s the heat. Thank God the car has AC!
A week or so ago I had a craving for a hot fudge sundae. The only problem was that it was about midnight at the time and I don’t usually have the fixings around the house - just too much of a temptation; all I did have was ice cream. Standing in the kitchen and looking around, my eye lit on this:
Dark chocolate goodness
You’ve heard me talk about Trader Joe’s before - an off-beat kind of grocery store. They carry these candy bars in packages of three for $1.29. This is dark chocolate, my absolute favorite kind of chocolate - and this stuff is good! Rich, very chocolaty and not too sweet. Heaven! Now, how do I turn it into hot fudge? Well….
Mixture
...Break (or chop) about half a candy bar (dark chocolate works for me but you use what works for you) into a microwave safe container. Add about 2 tablespoons of half-and-half (or light or heavy cream - whatever you have) and a couple of teaspoons of sugar if desired. Put this into the microwave at 50% power for 60 seconds. Don’t nuke it on high or you’ll wind up with a curdled mess; ask me how I know :) Take it out and stir well to mix things together.
You could just drink it right out of the cup!
Now in all honesty, this is more like a hot chocolate sauce than a hot fudge because it’s not very thick. On the other hand, the flavor is a lot better than most commercial chocolate sauces and it is actually hot, after all :)
Hot fudge sundae
If you have it available, you could add whipped cream and a cherry. What I had available besides the candy bar was a handful of pecans which I gleefully dumped on top. Nope, it’s not a real hot fudge sundae, but as an emergency fix, it ain’t too shabby :)
And, next time, I may try adding coffee to the chocolate to melt with. Mmmmm…mocha!
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Oh, wow! I’ll have to see if my mother in law would like me to knit her a custom prosthesis. I know whatever she uses shifts from time to time and bothers her, so this might be perfect. This would be a great pattern to make up, unstuffed, and give to groups that help breast cancer survivors. I can only imagine that having something handmade with love and so soft would feel like something extra special. Thanks for the link.
Great looking sock. I know what you mean about picking up on a miniature scale. Like you, I often use a crochet hook. Actually, I generally use a hook for things like a 3-needle bind off too. I’m an awful cheat.
Kathy - Wow - that’s a teriffic idea, making them up un-stuffed for donation! Brilliant :)
Pam - It is not cheating to use the right tool for the job! That tool may not be the same from one person to the next, but whatever helps you get it done is the right tool. Believe me, I was getting so frustrated I would have used a sledge hammer if I’d thought it would help :)
My Mom would’ve loved that prosthesis idea after her surgery - very inventive! I remember she never wore the one she bought - felt too weird & uncomfortable. Of course now (in the Home) it would just get lost or stolen. :( Then again, things like that are far from her mind these days.
Love the sundae idea…I’m sure it’ll stick in my head until I’m allowed to eat such things again!
Bron - Don’t mean to be tempting you off your diet. It’s bad enough that I indulge in this nonsense :)
Have you seen the new solid yarns Knitpick has to offer? They are very reasonably priced. What a great ide with the knitted breast. I will see if my mother in law would like one. I am with Bron on the “sundae idea”. I have been doing so good with Weight Watchers. I am a huge fan of the Spotlight cotton too.
Hi Robbyn, Just a note to say “hi” and that I’ve been thinking about you lately. I’m blogging again after a long absence. Stop by and say “hello”! The entrelac socks look like a blast—and I love that little square toe-up start too. Have fun!
LOVE LOVE LOVE Trader Joe’s! Have you ever tried their “Artichokes in Merlot” or Aiolo Garloc Mustard sauce? Yum…
Maureen - I have seen the solid Knitpicks sock yarns and hope to try them out before long. Yeah, I know sundaes are nobody’s idea of diet food but as hot as this summer has been, I’ve just had no resistance at all, LOL!
Caren - Welcome back :) Yeah, that little toe-up trick is pretty cute. I have the feeling I’m going to be using it a lot!
Beth - Trader Joe’s is where I get my coffee - good stuff :) Artichokes (I love artichokes!) in Merlot? I’ll have to keep an eye out for it - like I need another addiction!
Glad to hear you like the Spotlight. I recently bought a bunch of it and am going to dye it.
Laura - I think it’s the nicest cotton around - really soft and very nice to work with. I hope your dying experiments go well - you’ll post pictures?
