Here is a rather terrible photo of a delicious dessert I had this weekend.

Sunberry frozen yogurt garnished with ground cherries (all berries home grown)and black sesame seeds.  Without the benefit of an ice-cream maker, this was made using the tried-and-true method of a baggie full of yogurt inside a big bag of ice and salt. We loved this all-natural purple color… but the flash turned the ground cherries yellow gold, and they were really the best shade of chartreuse!!

A friend made this for me on Saturday night after a delicious meal of homemade Som Tam with roasted peanuts (my friends used green tomatoes instead of papaya, since we’re in a temperate zone!), peanut-oil-fried tofu with sea salt, and coconut rice.

Last night we had our lovely friends Cindy and Xander over and I made (from scratch!) a spread of yummy Indian dishes.

Friends:

I used all nice bowls and glasses and even my serving dishes came out of the china hutch!

Napkin Rings:

Biryani:

The biryani recipe comes from my co-worker, who is from Hyderabad.

Naan and Coriander Chicken:

The meat dish features crushed coriander seeds as well as pureed fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), along with other spices and yogurt. I made fresh naan dough, but ended up shallow-frying in butter because I couldn’t bear heating the oven to 500 degrees on a hot July night. The texture was lovely! Both of these recipes come from the VahChef, Sanjay Thumma, my favorite  chef at YouTube. I’ve made so many of his recipes, and they are always delicious!

Potato Masala with Panch Phoron and Coconut:

This potato masala recipe was inspired by a recipe for garlic mashed potatoes, from Modern Spice by Monica Bhide. All her recipes sound good!

Condiments served alongside:

I also put out hot chili paste and yogurt. The tamarind dip is also from the VahChef.

Afterward, there was fragrant espresso brewed fresh by Cindy and Xander, various teas, and a small dish of fennel seeds. Featuring a new teaset that I got for my birthday last week:

Cindy brought yummy eclairs from the Beau Brummel bakery, which were gobbled up before I remembered to take a photo.

Cindy also opened a little present from me, a new mug that called my name and whispered “for Cindy!” in my ear.

The last shot of the evening was this pic of the Boogedy, pouring his own herbal tea and cream back and forth from pitcher to cup. This happened over and over! He drank 5 mini cups of Sleepytime Tea and still took 45 minutes to get to sleep after the excitement of visitors.

I’ve found that you can control the beautiful place setting all you want, but your kid will invariably smear potato masala all over his face and after you download your photos, you’ll realize he was wearing a dopey tie-dyed shirt and no pants.

Hoorary for friends who appreciate your cooking!

The Boogedy’s 2nd birthday was actually in February, but the house was in shambles under construction, so we opted to wait and hold the party once the house was decent again. It was part birthday, part grand re-opening of the house party. The theme was snakes and frogs, inspired by this great hat I made for the Boogedy and a cute froggy invitation we sent to everyone.

Here is the awesome coral snake I made using two chocolate bundt cakes and cream cheese frosting. This was ideal for our family, most of whom do not care much for frosting. The dark sections are unfrosted. This snake is enjoying his frog dinner.

We played a great balloon stomping game where everyone tied a small balloon to their ankle and took off their shoes. Then, they tried to pop everyone else’s balloon while keeping their own balloon safe. The last person to remain unpopped is the winner. This was really fun, but the little kids in attendance were a bit overwhelmed.

Then, we played pin the fly on the frog, using a frog face modeled on the invitation we’d sent out and using hand-drawn flies.

We had visited the wine store the day before and picked out wines based on their labels (the wine specialists on-site do not approve of picking wine by our criteria). Here were some of the possibilities:

We couldn’t find any with snakes on the label! Lots of bicycles and kangaroos. Lots of estates and abstract color blocks. Lots of hoofed animals. But no snakes. So we went with the Nathanson Creek because they had white and red wines for a good price.

We put out some decorations:

And I made a baked potato bar with lots and lots of toppings. About halfway through the evening, Zach lit a bonfire in the backyard firepit and sent someone to the store for s’mores fixins. The weather was just right for sitting outside at night, just nippy enough to appreciate a fire.

It was the nicest (and biggest) party we’ve ever held, and the Boogedy received so many adorable presents. Thanks everybody!!

Zach and I took Mosca and the Boogedy to our friend’s house last night, ostensibly to take a walk with them and their dog. Once there, though, I completely lost my steam.

Shea took charge and decided we would have a picnic instead. I had packed a few snacks for the walk, in case my little boy got hungry. Paul was making a Mediterranean feast, so I added my stash to the fare. We packed our blanket and walked out to the back of their property, which  sits on the Jordan River.

We unfolded this great feast, honestly the best meal I’ve had in ages. Shea and Paul order fantastic fair-trade olive oil from Palestine, and this entire meal was flavored with that yummy liquid gold.

We took turns taking the Boogedy to the river bank to throw rocks and sticks for the dogs. Here is Mosca, intently trying to figure out if that is a plastic bag stuck on a log or a duck swimming in the middle of the river.  (Plastic bag, unfortunately for him and for the river).

I made a personalized tea wallet for several loyal readers, tea drinkers all. Now that I know all have been received, I can post pictures here.

For Kristin: Marbelized fabric that reminds me of book endpaper. With a super cool tortoise-shell-esque button.

For Maria: The cupcake queen, with a button that has Sprinkles.

For Sonya: A little something bold and retro. The big button should get itself caught on everything in her purse.

For Jen: Why, FISH, of course!! Swimming against the current.

For my mama: Cherries. I always think of my mom when I see cherry fabrics. She used to live in a little town in Florida called Cherry Lake, and I know so many childhood stories that happened to her and her band of sisters there.

I found this amazingly simple pattern by way of Whip Up, from a tutorial by Christy’s Creations. SO EASY and fun.

Yep, this blog is one year old today!

I thought of posting a retrospective of projects, or photos. I thought of outlining a new direction I’d like to take my blog. Instead, I think I’ll just ramble on and on, like in the Oscars.

I wanted to thank a few people in particular:

Sonya, who has served as great inspiration in many facets of my life, including opening my eyes to the experience of homebirth, and including me on her earliest blog mailing list. She probably cannot know that, even while we live in different states, her style and smile and remembered laugh and compulsions lift me up on a regular basis. More than a year ago, when I was suffering from anxiety due to post-partum depression, she said “It sounds like you need to drop the baby. Once you’ve seen that they’re really more durable than you think, you’ll stop worrying yourself to death.” It was the first belly-laugh I’d had in a week.

Maria always comments and sends me encouraging remarks. I’ll always think of Maria as Uber-enthusiastic. That woman will get behind any project, as long as it’s “neato”.

My talented and creative mom Nancy and my sisters Marian and Jeaka. I always feel like we’re a force to be reckoned with when we’re in the same room (not often enough, given Marian’s life in Dallas). Other DIY valentine makers eat your hearts out…fear these doilies!

So you think your W.O.W. quilt is nicer than this one by my other sis? Not even! It’s been great to have a family that instills such Confidence! When someone asks if I spin, or weave, or leathercraft, I say “no, but how hard can it be?”. Confidence. It runs in the family.  (Actually, spinning is harder than I thought, and leathercrafting is not simple. But who admits defeat? NOT US!)

I’ll thank Zach, too. He rarely reads my blog, but since he is forced to look at every single thing I stitch or create ad nauseum, you can imagine how he has “commented” on everything so far. He started his own blog, too, along the way. He’s gone through periods of being far more prolific than I, and he’s written a few things that almost made me pee my pants. On top of it all, the man is a great and supportive husband, and the very best stay at home dad for our little guy.

You may wonder why, as the mom of a toddler, I don’t write more about my mothering adventures. It isn’t because they aren’t amazing, or numerous, or any other number of superlative adjectives. It’s maybe because motherhood is the creative project that overwhelms me, humbles me, and knocks loose my confidence. I am, perhaps, not as sure of myself in this arena. (Can we get back to talking about knitted presents?!?).

Also, I don’t have so much time for blogging. I work full-time, and then go home to a toddler the rest of the time, madly knitting and crafting on the bus ride, mostly. And of all that I’ve ever done, writing about motherhood would be the topic most deserving of my writing skill. I could take hours to describe how I feel. How dear my child is. How precious his newest skills (pushing the chair to the counter to gorge on grapes ["greh-pees!"]), how tyrannical his curious streak (it was all fun and Disney until he discovered the “tape” in the “videotape”), how perfect and delectable his tiny toes (“shrimpies!”). But it’s too much. It’s too big and grand and wonderful and scary and worrisome and Personal. So for now, I’ll mostly leave it to others to talk about motherhood.

Having a blog has made me more likely to finish my projects, just for the chance of showing them off publicly. I always photograph things now, before sending them away. I’m starting to communicate regularly with crafty women in other states, and am joining swaps and collaborations. Finally I feel like my creative potential has become my creative lifestyle.

Thanks everyone for reading. Your comments mean so much to me!!

I made these super luxury soft fingerless mittens for my friend Jenn in Half Moon Bay for xmas. She got them late, though, after a back injury mid-December seriously slowed down my crafting. She and I have been friends since we worked together at a small cooking school in Los Angeles a few years ago.

Jenn is a kind soul with a no-nonsense attitude. I made her these downy mittens because she seemed like she needed something soft just now.

I used a lovely heathered oatmeal alpaca yarn called Baby Twist, in a stretchy, one-size-fits-all 1×1 rib. By some stroke of luck, she says they match her winter coat perfectly!

When I got home last night, I found green padded mailer on the table from Maria! Maria and I worked together several years ago at ImagiKnit in San Francisco. She’s quirky. She’s fun. She’s a good cook. She read my post about how I’m always carrying my knitting around in the paper sack the yarn came in. She sent me this gorgeous reversible bag that she made!

It’s already holding my current project, which I’m afraid you just can’t see right now because it’s nearly x-mas, and the recipient of this knittery might just read this post! Ok, a little peek. This photo has better color, by the way:

Thank you Maria!!

Also, she sent me some scraps of some fat quarters she’s in love with. I’ll be finding some coordinating fabrics in my mondo-stash and sending her a little gifty right back.

Hands_Photo courtesy of James Stoddard

So, a few weeks ago my good friend Davina Pallone was commissioned to create a big art installation in Sugarhouse. Sugarhouse is a neighborhood here in SLC undergoing massive development and change right now. Many residents, merchants, and youth in our community feel REALLY strongly about the changes taking place.

Davina conceived of an installation that would be a talking point for the neighborhood, with the themes of change, community, and ownership. The city has given her permission to temporarily block a 20- by 8-ft portion of the sidewalk, utilizing or enclosing two trees onsite, and attaching directly to the chain link fence that surrounds the construction zone.

The Space

When planning her piece, Davina came to me and asked for my technical assistance to create a fiber enclosure for this space. My immediate idea of the two of us trying to knit a six foot tall, 36-ft-long “scarf” using needles was outlandish. So, I came up with a plan to create a human knitting machine.

I had some prior knowledge of how knitting machines work, thanks to a lesson many years ago from Sonya.  I imagined that, with loops 6 inches apart, this fence could be accomplished with just 34 volunteers (68 stitches). Each “knitter” would hold a stitch in each hand, keeping it about 3 inches tall.

Davina wanted to include youth from my school in the project, so she came and presented to our art classes and several students signed up. I also asked our drama department, and got many students from the cast AND crew. I also asked random kids in the hall if they’d like to be involved. In the end, we had about 20 students and 4 staff from my school. Fifteen or so of Davina’s friends arrived to help out.

Knit Portrait_photo courtesy of James Stoddard

The day of the knitting, I was so nervous! I have never been involved in a big art piece like this, and I was terribly worried that the actually knitting wouldn’t work out the way I imagined. I hardly slept the night before, going over and over the process in my head, working out flaws and trying to foresee problems. I fretted that a knitting machine didn’t work the way I had remembered. It took an incredible effort to wrangle all these volunteers (did I mention that most are teenagers, and hard to get to commit to an after-school project?!), and right up until I arrived onsite, I was concerned that we wouldn’t have enough hands! Because Davina was choosing the materials, I also didn’t know what we’d be using until I arrived.

We used the vast space on the main floor of the Pickle Company to knit the substructure (you can also think of it as a canvas, to be overlaid later) from a thinnish, slippery nylon rope. We used a rectangular steel rod to hold our cast-on row, for weight and stability once we transfer to the site.

Things that went well:

* We had plenty of people. At first we thought that 36 people would be easy to find. But the chosen timeframe (a Thursday between 3-6 pm) was difficult for many.

Knit Panorama_Photo courtesy of James Stoddard

* It worked. It actually worked! The nylon rope was strong and easy to work with. With the help of a parent volunteer who really knew her knitting (Thanks Sheryl!!), it was so smooth and easy! Davina opted to get her hands into the fence, holding stitches and participating in the crush. I traveled back and forth, carrying the ropes to the awaiting hands. My hands or self can be glimpsed in many of these photos casting off, carrying, or moving yarn hither and thither.

* We had students representing all grades at our school (7th-12th grades). Boys and girls came excitedly to participate in the project!

* The pizza was delivered just as the knitting was being cast off, so the volunteers were fed hot pizza right on time. (Never underestimate the power of pizza as a reward for work!)

And some surprises:

* While this was a difficult concept to explain to non- or beginning-knitters, I was amazed at how quickly everyone understood what we were doing as the fence progressed and got taller.  I had a few non-knitters standing by to correct dropped stitches. This was fantastic, since the person who dropped a stitch could not get down low to fix it themselves.

* At any point, a little tug on the strand can be seen and felt throughout the whole piece. Woohoo, theme of interconnectedness perfectly illustrated! If anyone had just walked away…all would have been lost.

Last Stitch_photo courtesy of James Stoddard

* This was like one of those team-building exercises you do when you go to camp. I had not foreseen that allowing only 12 linear inches per person meant they were standing REALLY REALLY close. Too close for comfort, but everyone was able to laugh and joke about it until the fence grew and people could stagger themselves. At some point we had an enthusiasm contest, judging by volume whether the students were most enthusiastic about this project (YAY!) or Davina’s friends were more enthusiastic (YAAAY!).

Beginning_photo courtesy of James Stoddard

* Because of the different sizes of knitters, and different distances they stood from the base of the fence, it was impossible to keep an even gauge. The result is a wavy, organic looking fence that wiggled and moved and morphed into a mostly 6-ft high fence.

* The doorway is round! I allowed six stitches for the door, and it turned out bigger than expected, and round! It looks like a hobbit door. It will partially wrap around one of the trees onsite.

Davina is currently spending every spare moment in the studio embellishing, weaving, sewing, and affixing fiber and other items (moop!) to the knitted canvas. We’ll spend Friday transferring the finished piece to Sugarhouse and installing it onsite. The weight will be supported by the trees (as it is, in the studio right now, it is suspended from eye-hooks and rope from the ceiling). It took Davina, Zach, and I as long to suspend it as it did to knit it (thanks also for the help of Jason, Zach’s brother, who was in town for the weekend).

I can’t even express how cool and inspiring this project was! I felt like the leader of a great big, successful team!

Almost Done_photo courtesy of James Stoddard

Please come and see this installation as part of the first-ever Sugarhouse Stroll. You’ll be able to get up close and see our handiwork in person, as well as works by other local artists.

UPDATE: See articles featuring this project in the Salt Lake Tribune and Catalyst Magazine (see pg.3 of calendar section)!!