December 01, 2006
Ryan Wrests Control of the Blog Back From TMK With Minimal Police Involvement
Two days held hostage chez mois by thickly iced roads (including one day with what I think was a migraine, although it ran from my neck to my jaw to my ear to my eye, which was, um, innerestin’) and The Mysterious K immediately shanghais the blog. Whuh?! Feigning great innocence, she argued that since I hadn’t posted for two weeks already in November and was all of a sudden not posting again because of snow, ice, no computer, blahblahblah, she was merely preventing the heads of my Dear Readers from exploding. Her blog posting was, she insisted, strictly medicinal. Suuuuuuuuure. (Anyone remember way back in the day when I called her just “K” and tried to protect her and her privacy from my insane decision to live my life in a blogily public place? Who woulda thunk it would come to this?)
But I forgive her her lies and machinations and, as proof, I post a picture she didn’t include, a close-up of her merino-BFL combo. This captures the colors pretty well although the yellow is perhaps not quite so wincingly acidic.
(TMK called the dyed merino roving “Tropical Juice.” Perhaps the finished yarn can be called “Tropical Juice Smoothie?”)
She churned out about 500+ yards of the “TJ”—which I immediately grabbed and licked all over so no one else would touch it (sorry, Nancy O; it’s all spoken for, unless, of course, you’re not afraid of my cooties). And now I have no frickin’ idea what to do with it. Suggestions? It’s a very light yarn, lace-to-fingering weight (occasionally dipping down into cobweb lace) and, as TMK said, is a scrumptiously soft merino-BFL combo. What do you think? A lace scarf (although the combination of the colors, the variegation, and the lace-y bits may be too over the top)? Find a matching yarn and make a striped scarf? Find a matching yarn and make a kid’s sweater (although it may not be warm enough for Dulaan)? How about knit a white angora or angora-mix (or white merino or merino-mix) hatband for a soft, feathery accent, and use the Tropical Juice for the crown? Or ditto for the ribbing and body of a sweater? Oh, the possibilities!
And, now, to backtrack a bit: Our Thanksgiving.
Despite the fact that we didn’t have Thanksgiving at our house this year, somehow the holiday still seemed to involve an endless parade of cooking (cream of wild-rice soup for before-and-after-Thanksgiving noshing—me; everything else—TMK) and washing of the pots, pans and utensils (mostly me, since that is how we work things in the kitchen, although TMK chipped in when she noticed I was about to heave her ultra-heavy Calphalon dutch oven through the kitchen window. It’s those kinds of things that keep a relationship going. And the kitchen windows intact.)
Despite my kvetching, I am pleased to share with all of you (especially my long time readers), this:
Any guess what the little flag says?
Yep! Happy Pie!!
Is that pie not gorgeous? What I didn’t remember to photograph, though, was the homemade caramel sauce TMK made to drizzle on top. I would write about the caramel sauce but then this would legitimately qualify as a porn site, it was that good. I believe Elaine and Leslie, who partook of the Happy Pie and Caramel Sauce, will concur. Cigarettes all around.
Next week, a wonderful new Avalanche Yarn hat pattern, and a designer who is contributing $1 to F.I.R.E. every time someone buys a specific one of her patterns. Things are happenin'!
I'm glad the ice had no lasting effect, and that pie definitely looks good enough to eat. The yarn, too, except for the cooties.
Posted by: Joan in Reno on December 1, 2006 10:33 AMI think TMK should spin another whole humungous truckload of that yarn and then you should make a gigantic blankie to snuggle under on the couch!
But if that's not gonna work, a scarf. Simple, like just a row of yo, k2 tog, then knit a row. Yup.
Posted by: Mary de B on December 1, 2006 10:39 AMLMAO @ cigarettes all around. Mmmmmmmmmmm pie.
*I* have no fear of your cooties and would steal that yarn off the back of a Dulaan orphan to unravel it and knit another kiddie sweater if only I could get there.
Howsabout holding it with some sock yarn and knitting thick housesocks with it?
Is TMK willing to reveal what type of shortening was used in the crust? I went with a non-hydrogenated, no trans-fat equivalent of Crisco this year and my pie crusts weren't too far from rock-like. And I do know how to make crusts!
Oh yes - Amy at Boogie Knits (Google it - easy to find) just published a free pattern for kids mitts made from bulky yarn - go down the page a little and you'll see it. A great pattern for Dulaan! I was thinking of making some bigger ones out of worsted weight as well, and felting them.
Posted by: no-blog-rachel on December 1, 2006 10:47 AMWhat is wrong with yarn porn and food porn? Tell me more about thsi caramel sauce. I like reading people who like their food.
Glad to see you can get back outside. TMK's spinning is really moving along and I am very happy to see the things you BOTH make. :)
Posted by: anj on December 1, 2006 10:55 AMAnj, the successful caramel sauce was, er, Caramel Sauce Attempt #2. Caramel Sauce Attempt #1 turned blackish brown and was burnt and bitter but, in our defense, it was our first time making caramel sauce, we were using a copper sauce pan (which conducts heat indescribably faster than other pans) for the first time, and the second attempt turned out perfect so who cares. :)
If TMK is so inclined, I will leave the details up to her, especially since my role was mainly that of cheerleader and taste-tester. Yum!
Posted by: Ryan on December 1, 2006 11:15 AMmmmmmmmmm pie! oops! Need to wipe the drool off my computer screen...........great now I'm all pie twitchy......... lol!
Ryan, what's a few cooties between friends? For TMK's gorgeous yarns, I'll brave the cooties. And I'd be WAY tempted to snatch that out of someone else's possession.......licked on or not. :) If ever TMK wants to raise money for Dulaan selling her treasures, I'm in!
Posted by: Nancy O. on December 1, 2006 12:04 PMTMK's yarn is fantastic! (So is her blogging! When can we expect "TMKspins.com"?) I would like to defend the acidic yellow by saying that I love it, and it goes very nicely with the pink. I was a teenager in the 80's, so those are totally my colors. :)
Mmmm...pie...
Posted by: Julie on December 1, 2006 12:34 PMThe truth has to come out. On this blog Ryan is charming, witty, urbane, and the doyenne of fiber charity. In person, where caramel sauce is involved, she is stingy, miserly, and nearly violent.
The apple pie was heavenly, and the caramel topping was inspired genius. It was only through TMK's cunning and will that the sauce made it intact to the holiday feast. Portions were supervised by Ryan; any attempt at extra helpings were nipped in the bud by a sharp poke with a knitting needle.
TMK has ensured life-long relationship security by providing hand spun yarn and caramel sauce to woman who would obviously expire without enough of either. The question remains - how do the rest of us get in on the goodies?
Posted by: Elaine on December 1, 2006 12:46 PMAh, I see Elaine has outed you at last. All this talk of food is making me hungry.
I think TMK is brilliant for writing on the blog while you were housebound, and I loved her entry and she can contribute any time she wants to. And, yes, my head WOULD have exploded if I hadn't had anything to read.
Hugs, Mary
Posted by: Mary B on December 1, 2006 01:31 PMFor the record, let it be known that I left the last piece of the apple pie and the remaining sauce for TMK. I am now officially going to be made a saint when I die.
(Notice, on the other hand, that I didn't deny any of the things Elaine said about my behavior at Thanksgiving.)
Posted by: Ryan on December 1, 2006 01:40 PMDe-lurking because I'm worried about TMK's hummingbirds.... Give us an update, please???
Posted by: janna on December 1, 2006 04:05 PMJanna, last I heard, at their worst, and as TMK reported, they were staying very near the nectar feeder, just huddling in the nearby rhodie and flying in for a sip whenever they needed one. I believe, now that the temperatures are up in the 40s, that they are flying farther away for the day and just coming back for drinks as needed, which is a good sign. Ultimately, somehow they managed to survive the record-breaking (18 degree) weather we had.
Do you have any more to add, TMK?
Posted by: Ryan on December 1, 2006 04:33 PMNope. That pretty much sums it up. The hummingbirds appear to have gone back to their normal feeding patterns. And all the other songbirds have come back from wherever they were hunkered down and are eating me out of house and birdseed! TMK
Posted by: The Mysterious K on December 1, 2006 04:55 PMI have decided that TMK should post on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Ryan can continue with the ostensible MWF schedule she claims to maintain.
In a separate decision, I have decided that TMK must publish the recipe for caramel sauce.
I am the Decider.
Posted by: Solomon the Wise on December 1, 2006 05:10 PMGorgeous pie indeed! and the yarn??? after having the wretched 8 day cold I had, no fear of cooties either.....
Posted by: Marianne on December 2, 2006 06:55 AMHi! Sounds like a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I finished my first (of the promised 5) sweaters for Dulaan yesterday. Um. Yeah. I'm not making anymore on size 5 needles!
Posted by: Cece on December 2, 2006 03:46 PMMmmm...pie...and yarn...
Would TMK be willing to post her Happy Pie with Caramel Sauce recipe?
And for the above reader who wondered about shortening for a pie crust, tho' decidedly non-vegan, I have found the best and flakiest crusts are made with lard (yes, lard). However, the unroll-and-use Pillsbury crusts are not bad either.
Posted by: Elizabeth Spinner on December 4, 2006 07:06 AM