It looks like 2005 is going out with a bang. Last night was a stormy one here. There were thunderstorms and tornado warnings almost all night. The kitties would hardly get easy about the storm and come out from under the bed until a loud crash overhead would send them right back. Thank goodness this morning things look a lot brighter and calmer.
Lace Knitting Status
After a long absence during which I got little done about Thanksgiving and Christmas, I still don’t have my Leda’s Dream stole or my Summer in Kansas shawl dressed. I just haven’t felt like getting down on my aching knees to do them right. I suppose I’ll have to dress them on the bed, as it’s nice and high.
As you know, I was undecided about what to do with the edging for my Flirty Ruffles for quite a while. I think I told you before that I decided to junk the idea of the ruffles altogether and use a different pattern, so I’ve knitted the edging almost to the point in back. I must say, though, that it’s slow going. It’s also boring as can be to knit, but I love the look of it–more, I think, than I would have liked the ruffles. At any rate, I’m still working on it. Although the color of the violet isn’t right in this photo (it’s far too blue) and the shawl is undressed, you can see something of what I’m doing. I rather like the way the edging looks at the end of this shawl. I hope it dresses a great deal larger than it looks here. The size of it is beginning to worry me. I’ve been very careful to choose an edging as wide as the original one, but I think the body of the shawl is contracted a lot and that contributes to the impression of the small size. I do know that dressing a shawl makes a world of difference, so with hope in my heart, I’ll forge on.
Machine Embroidery
I did a little machine embroidery over Christmas. I used a pattern for a pocket topper that I got from Covered in Stitches years ago. I had some pillowcases with wide hems which turned to the front, so I unstitched the hems, embroidered them, and then folded the hem up over the design so that it looks like the edge of the hem is the sheet that the cats are under. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of the finished pillowcases, but here’s the sample I stitched on muslin to test it. You can see, I think, how the hem would look like a sheet. Anyway, it was fun to do.
I gave the pillowcases to my daughter. She has two cats who more or less match the colors of these cats, so they fit right into her household. The only thing is that she’s a vegetarian, and if she had her way, she’d have her cats vegetarian too. So I told her that these cats were literary and just loved reading about the good old days.
Eats
Since it was the Christmas holiday, I thought I ought to do something in the kitchen, even if I didn’t feel like doing much. So I found this recipe for Chocolate-Dipped Fruit and Nut Balls, and I made them. John has enjoyed them a lot. He likes the fact that they aren’t too sweet. They were easy to make, and I highly recommend them.
Another recipe I made was my Giant Cranberry Cheese Ball. I found this recipe in the paper years ago at Halloween time made to look like a big pumpkin. It was such a success that I’ve made it almost every Christmas and sometimes again at New Year’s too. It’s different, and it’s a refreshing change from those thick with garlic. It makes a huge cheese ball, so I usually divide it in half and give one away. This gets better as it ages, so make it a day or two before you need it. If you want it to be good, use sharp cheddar cheese and make fresh cranberry-orange relish. Bought relish never tastes the same. Also, I should warn you that this requires a very good mixer to make. It makes a stiff mixture, and a lightweight mixer just can’t cut it.
Cranberry-Orange Relish
(This will make more than you need for the cheese ball, but what is left over is great with ham or other meats you may have. Ours never goes to waste.)
3/4 c. frozen loose cranberries
1 whole navel orange, cut in quarters with the rind
Using a food processor, process them together into a nice pulp.
Then add 1/4 to 1/2 c. sugar. Mix well.
Giant Cranberry Cheese Ball
1 1/2 lbs sharp cheddar cheese, grated finely
2 (8 oz. each) packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 c. cranberry-orange relish, freshly made
Walnuts, ground
Combine all the ingredients except the walnuts in a heavy-duty mixer. Mix well. Form into one giant ball or two smaller ones, and roll each of them in the ground walnuts to coat. Decorate them as you wish, and serve with any plain cracker. We like the original Wheat Thins, Ritz Crackers, or the like. The flavor of the crackers should not compete with the cheese ball.
Books I’m Reading
I am continuing to re-read the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. I am just finishing Drums of Autumn again. I must say I liked it better this time than I have the previous times I’ve read it. I think by now in the story, I’ve learned to like Brianna. When I first read this, I just wanted to get back to Jamie and Claire, but this time around I’ve grown to appreciate Brianna and Roger, and I found their story more interesting. Funny how sometimes reading a book will strike you differently at different times in your life.