The Diary of the Lazy Knitter

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms

The cold front moved in and temps dropped to lows in the 30's with a highs in the 60's last week.  I have been hungry for some chicken soup and this is one of my crock pot favorites.  I usually throw it together the night before and and my wonderful Smart Pot keeps it warm and ready for me to eat the next day.

 

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms

Makes 5 Quarts in a slow cooker

One large rotisserie chicken (4lb approx), skinned, deboned and cut up

            Add any drippings from chicken to slow cooker

1 celery hart sliced thinly 1/8”

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1, 13oz and 1, 4 oz  cans of Stems and pieces mushrooms with liquid

1 cup dry, wild rice (soak in water to cover 1 hour then drain)

1.5 tsp Morton Nature’s Season salt

1 Tbs, and 1 tsp, of Mrs. Dash Original blend seasoning

1 Tbs dried parsley

1 tsp dried sage (or poultry seasoning)

3 quarts water

4 Tbs. (rounded) Tone’s Chicken Base

 

Add all ingredients to a 5 quart slow cooker, stir and set on low for 8-10 hours.   Stir occasionally.  I normally make this at night and serve for lunch the next day. This may go longer if needed.  May be cooked on high for a same day meal – cook about 5 hours.

Correct spices if desired and, cook additional ½ hour.  Serve with a shredded sharp cheddar topping, and a crusty herb bread side.

 

Left overs may be frozen or refrigerated for later use.

 

Random Rantings

Have you ever run into someone that you cannot communicate with?  I’m normally able to communicate with almost anyone.  I’ve taught classes, on various topics, in the US, Mexico, Canada, Europe, and even in Turkey and my audience has always “got it”, whatever the “IT” was.  I find it amazing that there is someone, (who speaks English as a first language), with whom I cannot communicate.  We even share several common interests, and we still cannot communicate!

After about four sentences, I feel like I have been attacked by fire ants, and I turn into an angry idiot.  I try to avoid this person, sit outside of their immediate space, and when possible outside of the range of the voice.  I don’t like the effect this person has on my temper.  I cannot and will not avoid the place where we meet, but strive to put as much distance as possible between us.  Sometimes the cosmos aligns against me and we end up in the same orbit. 

The group was small the other day and this person sat down next to me and started the questions.  Each was a fire ant sting eliciting a veritable allergic reaction on my disposition.  I’ve worked a lot on being patient and easy going, which is not a natural trait, but something I have fairly successful at cultivating.  I visualize water flowing around me without touching me.  I will be the calm in the middle of the storm.  I cannot visualize things flowing around me without effect, around this person.  I try, I want to be a better person, and I fail in this person’s presence.  Why oh why, cannot this person feel the same aversion I do, and ignore my presence as I try to avoid theirs?  The voice is irritating, the comments annoying, and the questions . . . . .  At this point; my answers make as little sense as the questions. 

Please Lord, give me strength, give me patience, or at least strengthen my coping mechanisms.  I want to be a better person.

Hearty Soup: Cream of Chicken with Artichoke, Mushrooms, and Leek

Hearty Soup: Cream of Chicken with Mushroom and Leek

Back to the Kitchen: Salmon Cheese Spread

Besides the kids, I took a salmon spread to knitting on Wednesday.  It was a hit and I served it with toasted garlic rounds, but pita chips or grainy crackers work as well.  Several of the ladies wanted the recipe so here goes: 

via marypmeyer.typepad.com

Some have asked for this recipe again so here goes!

Wandering Cable Baby Sweater and Hat

My friend is having a baby boy.  He is due in November and, I usually struggle with boy, or unisex  baby gifts.  Not because they are harder, but because it's so much fun to make lacy and frilly baby girl stuff. 

 I wanted to make something special for this baby and having finished my emerald green tank and shrug had four skeins of Cascade Ultra Pima (cotton) left over.  Not enough for a big project, but plenty for a baby project.  My friend is picky about what colors she dresses her boys in, and it needed to be a color she viewed as a boy color.  Emerald certainly works for a boy and is a lot more interesting than the standard blue. 

Next the design choice!  My basic drop shoulder pull over would work, but I wanted texture to make it fun.  It had to be "boy friendly" again!  My wandering cable to the rescue.  Cables would work for a boy.  Out came the sizing charts and I cast on the sweater in a 12 month old size.  It looks pretty tiny to me, and I have a feeling the new baby will be in it by Christmas (withthe sleeves rolled up) but this gives my friend some time to get some wear out of it.  The newborn stuff, seems like they grow out of in about a week.  If you are lucky you get two wearings and washings before it's outgrown. 

The Cascade yarn is a light DK or sport weight and wonderfully soft.  It also washes and dries like a dream so wouldn't be a pain for a new mother with two little boys under two. 

This will be a winter baby, so a hat was required to match, and I had plenty of yarn.  I was able to knit from the top down and add the same cables to the hat. 

My Latest Pasta Salad for Vegans, Vegetarian, or Meat Eaters

Make a great pasta salad and avoid cooking for a few days! 

The older I get, the less I like cooking.  Don't get me wrong, I still like eating great food, just not cooking routinely.  In the winter I make large crock pots of turkey chili, or some type of hearty soup.  I'd forgotten how much I loved a good pasta salad with all the ingredients for a complete meal.  It is impossible to make a small pasta salad . . at least not if you use a "whole" anything, like an onion, green pepper, or celery heart.

My latest was no exception and the final product was about two galleons of pasta salad or would have been if I hadn't decided to send some over to my 80 something vegetarian neighbor.  I put everything together, leaving out the meat, dressed it and set aside a good sized bowl for Nancy's house, before adding the meat, for us.  It's nice to have a dish that can swing both ways with a  minimum of effort!

1 bottle Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette

12-16 oz dry whole wheat pasta (I used a cork screw shape) cook per directions Al Dente and cool with cold water and drain

Mrs. Dash Original seasoning (to taste) I used between 1/2 to 1 tablespoon (but add slowly and sample)

Morton's Natures Seasoning (to taste) (add slowly and sample)

1 package fresh sugar snap peas cleaned and blanched and plunged into Ice water (drain when cool)

12 oz broccoli florets also blanched and plunged into Ice water (drain when cool)

1 medium sized onion sliced and rough chopped

1 celery heart sliced

1 green or other sweet pepper cleaned and rough chopped

8 to 12 oz drained Kalamatra Olives (if using with pits still in, warn family/guests about Pits!) 

1 lb White Vermont cheddar, cut to 1/2" cubes (Regular Cheddar will work too)

         (Tofu might be an interesting substitution for the Vegans)

Optional:  1 lb of either precooked Ham or Turkey cut into 1/2" cubes  (add this last, after dressing and seasons are adjusted if making pasta salad for a mixed crowd of vegitarians and meat eaters. 

By blanching the brocclie and peas this salad will keep for up to a week. (Assuming it doesn't get eaten)

 

 

Fir Cone Lace Tank and Shrug

IMG_1053

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I made my first shrug!  After studying two different patterns and debating them with myself I set out to make a hybrid of the two. . . size and shape wise.

DH reminded me that we were going to Asheville for a business dinner which included me and a two day conference that didn't.  After almost three years of retirement, my wardrobe is decidedly lacking in semi dressy clothes.  This spring as I was unpacking a box I came across a two piece dress that I had never taken the tags off of or shortened to a wearable length.  I shortened the dress and noted that one of my yarn samples was a great match.  That was the last I thought of it till DH's reminder that we were leaving in eight days! 

The dress was sleeveless, a No-No, in my former business circles, but a shrug would fill the bill.  With 7.5 days till departure, I started swatching. I wanted a lace that was easy, fast, and one I was familiar with.  I chose the Fir Cone Lace pattern.  Two pattern rows and one was only a half drop!  You can get a lot of look for your time and effort with this lace.  I cast on enough stitches for 18 repeats (39") and decided to make the body bands in seed stitch.   I was kind of like designing on the fly.  In the end, I was finishing the shrug on the drive to Asheville so had no opportunity to try it on with the dress before it was needed for dinner that night.

It apparently went off fairly well.  One of the ladies, asked me if my dress was custom made.  No I explained it was from a small company the produced limited quantities of had painted silk garments, and sold them on line and at art fairs.  My dear husband piped up at that point and pointed out that the shrug was so custom, it had been finished on the drive up!

I also had enough yarn left over (This was an Elann.com full bag blow out yarn, from my stash and I'd bought two bags!) to make a matching tank.  The yarn by Gedifra, is called Frisetto, and is a 100% cotton.  It may be discontinued by now. 

I have my process down for making tanks now and was able to cast on and start it on the trip home. 

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The tank was finished about a week and a half later and it was back to work on Anna's birthday sweater. 

Thankfully, that too, is now finished all except for the button.

Fir Cone lace is a great place to start if you are a beginner with lace.  Easy to work with and a lot of impact for you efforts.  Give a scarf a try with five or six repeats and garter stitched borders.  Fir cone does need to be blocked hard to show off that pattern.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fir Cone Pattern

Multiple of 10+1

R 1          Purl

R 2          (right side) K1,*YO, K3,sl 1, K2 Tog, Psso, K3,YO, K1; repeat from* to end

R 3          Purl

R 4          K1,*YO, K3,sl 1, K2 Tog, Psso, K3,YO, K1; repeat from* to end

R 5          Purl

R 6          K1,*YO, K3,sl 1, K2 Tog, Psso, K3,YO, K1; repeat from* to end

R 7          Purl

R 8          K1,*YO, K3,sl 1, K2 Tog, Psso, K3,YO, K1; repeat from* to end

R 9          Purl

R 10        K2tog, *K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, sl 1, K2tog, psso;  repeat from * to last 9 sts, K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, sl 1, K1, psso

R 11        Purl

R 12        K2tog, *K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, sl 1, K2tog, psso;  repeat from * to last 9 sts, K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, sl 1, K1, psso

R 13        Purl

R 14        K2tog, *K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, sl 1, K2tog, psso;  repeat from * to last 9 sts, K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, sl 1, K1, psso

R 15        Purl

R 16        K2tog, *K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, sl 1, K2tog, psso;  repeat from * to last 9 sts, K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, sl 1, K1, psso

 

 

It's June and More Warm Weather Knitting

Sorry it's been so long since I update you on what is going on around here.  The weather is in the 90's and my focus has been on knitting, swimming, sunning, and hosting friends from back in Michigan. 

Got some annuals planted and hibiscus, and tomato plants now grace my decks.  Karen gave me a Topsy turvy tomato planter for my birthday and for the first time in my adult life, I'm growing a vegetable!  The Nico Blue hydrangeas are gorgeous this year and have filled many a vase for the last month with little signs of slowing down.  DH reseeded the lawn where the grass died from lack of water after the sprinkler system was knocked out by lightening while we were spending a summer in Michigan.  It currently looks pretty tacky with patches of bright yellow straw covering the seeded areas.  Hopefully, soon, we will have a nice lawn again but DH says centipede grass is slow to take root.  At least there is a plan and action to correct the problem.

New front door was ordered and installed.  Still too tight for my liking, but DH keeps saying its getting easier to open.  Can't see (or feel) it myself but I'm trying to be patient, never, an easy task for me.

Since I wrote last, I finished my purple tank, knit a matching short sleeve lace cardigan (complete with a good button hole), started and finished two other tanks, and figured out how to shape the bust with short rows!  I've made major strides in fitting tanks!  Sweaters I figured out years ago but, my tanks always, fell short of my expectations.  Each one since the purple bamboo have been and stride forward and all are things I'll wear in public.  At the moment the fifth edition sits on the patio table waiting for me to complete the finishing. . . . its calling my name. . . .

I'll have to get back to you later.  . . And yes!  I'll get pictures as  soon as the emerald tank is done.

 

 

Warm Weather Knitting

Spring has arrived in North Carolina.  Temps have been in the 60s and 70s for the last two weeks with the occasional colder day.  On the corner of Mackenzie Mill Road and US 73, the peach trees are in bloom.  I make a special detour to check on them at this time of year, just to see the spectacular blooms.  The pear trees on Seven Lakes are equally spectacular at this time of year.

I finished my alpaca "Fir Cone" sweater on the first day the temperature hit 75 degrees.  I have had an opportunity to wear it once, but if finishing this sweater triggered spring, I'll be happy to delay wearing it till this fall.  The spike in temps demanded that I dig through my stash of Summer Yarn, you know, the cottons, linens, and bamboo.  I found a UFO started two summers ago and put aside as temps fell to into fall weather.  I had also reached a point on that project where I wasn't happy with the results.  I was working with a diamond lace pattern and trying to manipulate it into a sleeveless tank or shell.  The pattern wasn't cooperating.  Since finishing a UFO is always a good thing, I tightened my belt, ripped a couple of inches, and started over.  The results are a shell that is OK, but not what I had in mind when I started.  Still a little to big in the arm holes and not fitting at the shoulders as closely as I would have preferred.  It's currently in the washer with HOT water in the hopes that a little shrinking with help the situation.  This particular lace is much more suitable for a more rectangular project such as a drop shoulder top.  Next time.

My next project, (a new start) in a Bamboo, cotton, acrylic blend in purple was cast on.  I decided I'd start with a smaller repeat lace and chose Vine Lace for bottom edge.  I'd change to stockinette below the bust, which is much easier to shape and, better for modesty than an all over lace garment.   Summer is coming, and it gets HOT, down here.  This will be our first full summer in the south and I want some hand knits suitable for the climate. 

Purple was cast on, and leaving my options open, I didn't commit to the final design until I reached the point where I had to make a decision.  To shape or not to shape arm holes?  I decided to give another try at shaping a tank that would provide the coverage I wanted, and still be bare enough, for sunning and wearing in really hot weather.  I always hesitate at this decision.  In public, I prefer something that sort of covers the upper arm, but want the coolness and comfort of tank at others.  I thought of a tank I had made from a Bruda sewing pattern a few years ago.  This is the best fitting tank I have ever had.  Bra friendly, and still bare enough for cool, I often wear this in public.  I decided to use this tank as the pattern for the shape I was trying to achieve.  Of necessity, tanks need to be closer fitting than I usually make my sweaters.  To get the fit I wanted at the bottom of the shell, with the Vine lace repeat, I needed to make it slightly A line.  My gage was 5 stitches to the inch in stockinette.  I decreased 4 stitches evenly along each edge of the stockinette section, making the fit under the arms just big enough not to have to stretch over the bust (I think).  I continued decreasing at the arm  edges until the front matched the shaping of my fabric tank.  At the shoulders, I had 18 working stitches left and decided I needed short row shaping to give them the angle of my fabric tank.  The front was done!  

Best of all, the front only took 4 skeins of yarn.  I had purchased two bags of this yarn, and may have enough left over to make some sort of matching cover/shrug for those times I want more coverage!  I'll have to be careful to choose something that will look good with my size figure and still not take too much yarn.   

The final results remain to be seen, but I'm hopeful that this tank project may yield the results I hope for.  Don't be afraid to use an existing and well fitting garment to help you design the fit you are looking for. 

Welcome to Yedda - People. Sharing. Knowledge.

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