Monday, January 16, 2006

Cables, Socks and Snacks

Today’s musical accompaniment: Theme song from “Pinky and the Brain”. Narf!

Friday was an absolutely gorgeous day - temperatures in the high 50s - low 60s and loads of warm, beautiful sunshine.  Saturday was rainy but maybe even a hair warmer than Friday.  We’re back in the deep freeze now, in fact there were cold warnings last night because the effective temperature outside (factoring in wind chill, etc.) was -25/-35 F.  It is, however, supposed to go back up to the 40s by mid-week.  Whee!!  Welcome to the January roller coaster :)

Now, I remember saying something about working out the problems with the Saxon braid cable :) I didn’t do that, I abandoned it.  I decided to try something (stop snickering back there!) I’d been wondering about.  The fuschia cable is nearly my favorite of all time and I’ve been wondering for a while now how it would looked if it was worked upside down.  So I made a chart that vertically mirrors the original and went to work…


Fuschia cables - up and down

Fuschia cables - up and down




It turned out remarkably well and I love the result.  This swatch has been washed and blocked and I’m thrilled with the look and feel of it.  It’s still not what you call soft exactly - well, it’s not merino, is it?  But it has a silky hand to it that I really didn’t expect.  I used a combination shampoo/conditioner on it and am pretty pleased with the results :)

In fact that experiment was such a success that I decided to try another (I have never swatched so much in my life!).  So I took the open braid cable and made another chart that horizontally mirrors the original…


Open braid cables - left and right

Open braid cables - left and right




I’m nearly as in love with the way this came out as I am with the first one.  These are going to be my main cables for the sweater.  Up until now I’ve been playing around, sampling this and that - but these two really make me happy so I think I’m finally settled.  Well, I also think I’m going to trade the 4-stitch honeycomb for a 4-stitch rope cable.

I have to start work on my saddles now and I expect to begin that this afternoon after I’ve double checked my measurements.  This is fun, you know it?

In other news…


Terra cotta socks

Terra cotta socks




...that is, the color looks like terra cotta in the morning sunlight in my kitchen.  But at other times the color has looked more pumpkin-ish, and still other times almost an orangey-gold!  Have I stumbled on the alexandrite of the yarn world here?  View it in different lights and watch its color change?  Dichroic yarn, anyone?  Heheh…

Now, let me pass along a stupid little something I did over the weekend being desperate for something a little sweet and having nothing in the house that fit the bill.

To a 1/2 cup of sugar (I’ll have to try brown sugar too), add:

2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Less than 1/8 tsp cloves

Mix this all together till it’s well blended.
Take a piece of pita bread and split in half along the outer edge so that you wind up with two round pieces of bread.  Put one piece back in the bag or give it to a friend :)

Spread with a tsp of butter, sprinkle with a tsp of spiced sugar and place on a paper towel in the microwave.  Nuke it for 30 seconds.  Take it out of the microwave (and be careful, the bottom will be very hot) and roll it up while its still warm.  This tastes like Christmas and only costs 110 calories.


Spiced sugar roll-up

Spiced sugar roll-up



Yummy!
Babbled by Robbyn on 01/16 at 12:31 PM
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  1. hey, the ‘sugar thing’ works nicely on a plain flour (flour not corn!) tortilla too-

    i love the color of the little alexandrite sock too- that’s definitely a color to break anyone out of their winter blahs-

    i like the idea of finding the perfect cables that will please you- i enjoy looking at the lavold designs because she is so innovative with her cables-

    stay warm and happy-

    Posted by  on  01/16  at  01:59 PM
    Location : still right here...

  2. An addendum to the sugar rollup is when you want a savory snack:  sprinkle a tortilla (or half a pita) with garlic powder, onion powder, and shredded cheese made with skim milk.  Nuke, roll, and eat.

    I am still resisting the call of the FLAK.  Mainly because anything that calls for casting on 100 stitches doesn’t qualify as a “swatch” in my book.

    Posted by Colleen  on  01/16  at  02:32 PM
    Location : Worky, worky

  3. Barb - A tortilla!  Now see, I’m just in the wring part of the country for that to have ever occurred to me.  Very neat - I will try that out :)

    Yeah the sock color (in whatever aspect it happens to be showing when you look) is pretty cool.

    Posted by Robbyn  on  01/16  at  03:06 PM
    Location : At the saddlrey :)

  4. Colleen - Oh boy, that sounds good too and will be dutifully investigated :) I am the world’s biggest cheese freak!

    You know, the 100 stitch swatch idea kinda made me twitch too but it wasn’t bad.  Because your moving from cable to cable and so doing different things every few stitches, it didn’t feel “long”.

    Posted by Robbyn  on  01/16  at  03:09 PM
    Location : At the saddlrey :)

  5. I love what you have done with the fuschia cables.  It looks very effective - sort of like a goblet with little pearls in it.

    Posted by Pamela  on  01/17  at  10:20 AM
    Location : UK

  6. Dichroic yarn?  What a cool idea! The closest real-world thing I’ve heard of is the glow-in-the-dark stuff.

    Posted by Ryan  on  01/17  at  01:57 PM
    Location :

  7. Pam - What a cool description!  I’ll think of it every time I look at the cables now :)

    Posted by Robbyn  on  01/17  at  03:39 PM
    Location : At the saddlrey :)

  8. Ryan - Wouldn’t that be just the coolest thing?  Indoors it would be all woodsy russets or deep, muted greens and outdoors in natural light it would look like New Year’s Eve at the Ritz!

    Posted by Robbyn  on  01/17  at  03:41 PM
    Location : At the saddlrey :)

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