Posted on

What I’m Working On

I’ve inexplicably been compelled to knit a sweater, which honestly doesn’t happen that often.  I don’t like purling that much, I really only like cardigans (in which purling is pretty much a must) and I just REALLY REALLY love making socks and shawls more than anything else!

So, EXHIBIT A that I’ve lost my mind a wee bit:

DSC03134

Is it not super pretty? I realize that I’ve already added the buttons, but that was to try it on. I still need to sew on 2 more but I don’t really need them. And I’ve knit another three or so inches on it since I took this picture last weekend. The inside is finished as well – I’m weaving in ends as I go. (Since this picture was taken I’ve finished the body of the sweater and started on the sleeves.)

It’s an extremely painless process, I am amazed to report.  That Ysolda really knows how to write a pattern, and Liesl is no exception. The Vanna White yarn is nice to work with and seems to have a nice drape.  Also, *ahem* only cost me $10.81 for four skeins, which will be the perfect amount. IN FACT, the yarn was the cheapest thing, the notions and the US 10.5 circular needles (a small circular for the sleeves and a large one for the body) will have cost about $16, hah – and I used a coupon at JoAnn’s for the larger needle.

I am enjoying the knitting and I do like sweaters, so I may make an attempt to make another one, but the construction would have to be interesting and not too purly (I’m thinking Manon from Norah Gaughan, maybe). On the other hand, I would also like to try a yoked sweater, so I dunno.

I must be out of my mind, wanting to knit sweaters.  But I did go through my closet and pulled out a bunch of yarn for various projects. I apparently really like kelly green Vanna yarn because I counted fifteen (15!!!!1) skeins in the closet, so I would just like say WTF about that. And also: ugh.

Anyway, I also finished a pair of socks, like, a month ago. Six weeks ago even.

DSC03132

Another pair of Lacunae Socks from Anne Hanson/Knitspot. I really love this pattern. I think it might be my new “Monkey” or vanilla-type sock. Quick, easy, interesting and super comfortable.

Next time: I’ve been obsessively crocheting snowflakes for a Christmas themed decoration that I am planning on affixing to my ceiling. Good times at my house.

Posted on

Fake Butter Friday #3

I swear I have a blog post floating around in my drafts that ISN’T a Fitness Friday but… this has been a busy week with a Lost Day (Wednesday), house guest (Tuesday), and Unexpected Vegan Discoveries.

Now, no lie, I like meat.  However, I’ve mentioned before my interest in vegan recipes, and when I was browsing the internets I came across a few recommendations for Earth Balance “butter” so I thought I would try that out when I happened upon it at Trader Joe’s yesterday. Since I needed new butter anyway, having almost finished a container of my very favorite spread, Country Crock. Usually a margarine spread like CC lasts me pretty long since I don’t use it for much except on waffles and sometimes on bread or when I make brussel sprouts. I don’t eat that much bread, though. But I was at Trader Joe’s getting cheapish groceries – I love their fair trade Pajaro coffee and organic evaporated cane sugar – and saw this butter stuff I’d just read about.

I got the fake-butter, which is made of soy byproducts, I guess, took it home, tried it out on some artisan bread I also picked up at TJ’s and came to the conclusion that fake non-dairy butter spread is just okay. It’s no Country Crock, people. But it’s decent, and for a non-dairy soy product I will actually use, I will give it a B grade. Not bad.

EXCEPT: and here’s the big surprise that shocked me! VEGAN FAKE BUTTER IS TWICE AS FATTY AS REGULAR FAKE BUTTER.

More than, in fact.  I don’t really look at the ingredients or fat content on stuff (I probably should do this more) and I was always under the impression that Country Crock was not super great for you, but I like the way it tastes 100% better than I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter or Smart Balance. Country Crock has 5 grams of fat per serving (tablespoon) – and I would rather eat my favorite in moderation than waste my time on stuff I don’t like.

Earth Balance, woo woo vegan product has 11 grams of fat per serving.

WTF, vegan product!!!

I was alarmed. So I will be more careful about future vegan products, that is fo’ sho’.

At any rate, the vegetable oil content is quite high, so I think it will be good for baking. You can use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter in baking because of the vegetable oil content (talking about food chemistry here) but you can’t use Country Crock because the veg oil content is too low (too delicious I guess).

A quick Google brought up the fat content of regular butter, which is identical to Earth Balance at 11 grams per T serving.  So if you actually eat real dairy butter (I don’t) you could theoretically substitute Earth Balance for that and not see a difference in the amount of fat percentages in your life.

So, I guess my point here is that you DO need to pay attention to what you are doing when it comes to vegan products/cooking or you will be the fattest vegan in town.

And yes, I do realize that I just wrote an entire entry on FAKE BUTTER.

buttertoast

Posted on

Fitness Friday #2

This week was harder than last week for whatever reason.  I had a lot of errands to run right after work, which is the best time for me to work out.  On Monday I got an email from the library saying I had a bunch of books weeks overdue and I was like, WTF LIBRARY, YOU DIDN’T TELL ME THEY WERE DUE! I usually get an email from them saying they’re due in two days. Anyway, having to rush home and find those books to return them so I didn’t have to pay more than the $21 I wound up paying sort of set the aggravated tone for the week. Tuesday I had something else I had to do, Wednesday I had a long work day because I had a meeting, Thursday I can’t remember what stupid thing I had to do, but every day I didn’t get home till almost six (I know, whiny, whatever. If I leave work on time I’m home around 4:45 and done with my work out by 5:45 or 6, not starting at 6).

HOWEVER, I still managed to get in at minimum 31 minutes on the Wii Fit every day I had scheduled it. So, good for me.

Food-wise, I didn’t do particularly well, but I’m not starting on that phase until January, when I will detox with two weeks of Atkins after New Year’s.  I’m just going to go on the way I have been but with more fruits and vegetables and more milk. I bought a gallon of milk. Let’s see if I drink it.

I like milk, I just don’t seem to drink it all. Meh.

Anyway, so week 2 was a minor success, all told. I’m down about 4 pounds since starting this on 10/19.

Now to have some tomato soup for dinner and then knit on my latest project, a Liesl, and it ACTUALLY FITS, which is nice.  I’ve never really made a sweater that fits before – they’ve all had something wrong with them before. I haven’t made a sweater since 2007, so I must be out of my mind, since I don’t really like making sweaters – I prefer working with fingering weight yarns and I don’t have the patience to knit a sweater out of little yarn.

It occurs to me that I still haven’t shown the Lacunae socks that I finished for myself like two months ago. I’ll take pictures of that tomorrow when the light is better.