See the dog and butterflies

I've been working on my July "Art Nouveau" Phat Fiber Sampler Box pattern, having finally settled on a butterfly theme. The song from Heart "Dog and Butterfly" kept running through my head. I liked this version on youtube:

Here is DD's dog, ears in flight, seeming ready to take off:



And finally, some knitting:



DH made the suggestion that transformed this pattern from moth-like to a lacey butterfly. He is so smart.

The Dorable KAL is entering week 3. Giveaways continue.



Take care and keep your yarn dry.

Durable Pattern is ready

Durable is a garter stitch variation on Dorable, replacing the mesh, lacey center with garter stitch. The eyelet and garter stitch borders are the same for both patterns.








Durable is available on Ravelry for $3:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/durable-in-diamond-triangle-and-hexagon--shawl-scarf-prayer-shawl-stole-head-wrap



Take care and keep your yarn dry.

A short pause in knitting for some cooking content

Surprise - This is not baked beans!

I love to cook and come up with my own recipes. DH loves boiled in the shell peanuts. I had not encountered this delicacy until we went on a trip to Florida soon after our wedding. There were boiled peanuts stands everywhere once we reached Louisiana. I did not care for them and he got to enjoy them all.

Because his enjoyment of meals drives me to create new and different things as well as old favorites, I was always on the lookout for a way to make boiled peanuts a dish the entire family could enjoy.

Watching Korean dramas had opened a door to a cuisine I had only experienced through kimchi previously. I started buying gochujang (fermented red pepper paste) by the 3 kilo tub (that's over 6 pounds!) and using it whenever I wanted some spice on anything - eggs, pizza, cheese sandwiches.

Mulling over the boiled peanut question, one day I decided to try to boil shelled peanuts (the kind you might use for peanut brittle) with gochujang. About 1/2 cups or so to 1/2 pound of peanuts with enough water to cover the peanuts, brown sugar is optional, if you want it, add about 1/4 cup. The salt content of the gochujang kept the peanuts from becoming too mushy, I cooked until the peanuts were done and the sauce was reduced to a nice thick sauce, not quite a paste.

This is now DH's favorite banchan (side dish). I like it in bibimpap as well as alone. I've even reduced it down, adding double the sugar and made a spicy peanut cluster candy. Dipped in dark chocolate, it is yummy!

If you're looking for authentic Korean recipes, check out http://www.maangchi.com/. Her videos and cookbooks are great!

Back to our regularly scheduled knitting. Check out my group on Ravelry and join the Dorable KAL - you could win the giveaway on June 8:

Dorable KAL

Take care and keep your yarn dry.

Join the Dorable KAL!

I've created a Ravelry group for a Dorable KAL:

http://www.ravelry.com/groups/dorable-kal

Buy the pattern (or wait to see if it's in your June Phat Fiber Sampler Box). There will be giveaways! Join in the fun. If you aren't on Ravelry yet, it's free, so sign up today!



Also working on a garter st center version of the Dorable that I call the "Durable". The pattern will have 3 shapes - elongated hexagon,  triangle and diamond. Here is the Durable Diamond in progress:



Many thanks to the fiber partner, Interlacements for this terrific yarn. Check out the website:

www.interlacementsyarns.com


Here are some previews of the Durable Diamond (knit of an ebay purchased wool on cones "Lemieux", made in Canada):















Pattern for the 3 versions of Durable coming soon!

Take care and keep your yarn dry.