Typical Karoline Dilemma

I've had this dilemma innumerable times. I'll start a project, even a sweater or something that takes a lot of time and effort without being sure that I have enough yarn to finish the project. At least this time, I'm only talking about a small project. I bought Kristen Kapur's Twizz Mitts pattern earlier this fall and have been anxious to start a pair.  I thought I might have enough of the cashmere yarn that my friend Diana brought back for me from Montana, but I'm feeling a little unsure now. It's an easy pattern, but I've managed to mess it up at least four times and have had to re-start. Luckily, I had lots of time because we have a week off for Thanksgiving and spent our first day at the beach, which meant some serious "car" time.

 We started the day with a stop at Gohper Glen for some apples...and some cider....and an apple pie. I justified the pie purchase because Paige is usually our Thanksgiving baker, but she was thinking that she wouldn't make it home for Thanksgiving this year. Of course, this evening, she called me and said that she thinks she wants to come home after all since the Tahoe trip she had planned with her friends had fallen through. We're happy she may be coming home, and I'm sure I can find lots of other baking duties for her to perform.

After making a stop in San Luis Obispo at the Phoenix Used Book Store to see if they had any copies of Les Miserables so that Russ could re-read it before we go to see it on Christmas Day, we headed to Morro Bay for a little hike. We've hiked Black Mountain more time than we could every count, but we've never hiked it from the very beginning of the trail at the State Campground, which is quite a climb. It's not an easy hike, but it's a beautiful one. My only problem with today was that it went by too quickly!

Davis Weekend

The other day, one of my students was trying to get me to do something...I can't remember what, probably extend a deadline. Anyway, he said, "I'm thinking about applying to U.C. Davis and going out for swimming in the spring." His classmates all thought it was a pretty funny joke about how to get on my good side. Maybe I do mention how awesome I think U.C. Davis is "occasionally," and I know I tell them how much "fun" they'd have going out for swimming quite often. Our latest visit to Davis proved to me again that I know what I'm talking about concerning Davis!

We left on Saturday at about 5:30 A.M., and arrived in Davis by 10:00, in plenty of time to pick up Paige and indulge in the Davis Farmer's Market. My first purchase was a reasonable $3.00 bag of tomatoes, cauliflower, and beautiful,  creamy white turnips. It was all downhill from there, fiscally speaking, at least We each had a $3.00 cup of coffee from a "fair trade" coffee booth, moved on to the Mediterranean food booths, which are always incredible. After spending about $15.00 on hummus and "hummus-like" products, I spied what I'd been waiting for since my last hurried visit in September...the fiber confections yarn booth.

Even though I recently claimed to be finished with bowls, I imagined the orange as a nice, chunky bowl for a Thanksgiving decoration. The teal and purple yarn will eventually make some nice, wintery socks.

Sunday morning, we got up at about 6:30 (because we're weird), and went to the "Arboretum Trail for a nice, little four-mile run. Along the way, we came upon a "yarn bomb." I made Paige walk back with us later, so we could enjoy it in all of its quirky greatness. It was a project for a design class at U.C. Davis, totally useless ostensibly, but "enjoyment inducing," so a totally worthwhile pursuit in my estimation.

This last one was my favorite, even though it didn't photograph very well. Besides the white on the trunk, it had little, tiny flowers and hearts hanging from the branches.

Enough Bowls

Ok, I think I'm finished with bowls for a while. This one needs to be felted a little more, but I think it will be pretty. I'm thinking that I'll give it to a friend around Valentine's Day with some soap or candy in it.

Mission Accomplished

Russ sent our daughter a little college gift box last week and included the bunny for her friend Melissa to give to her nephew. Melissa sent me this picture tonight. Her nephew actually lives in our town, which is five hours from them, but Melissa got to see him this weekend and deliver his bunny personally. What a darling little boy. I'm so happy he likes it.

Book Club

 

I've just been aching for an excuse to show off this M.A. Hadley platter on my bog, which is ostensibly about knitting, but sometimes about cooking and eating. I found my excuse today. First, let me brag about how I found it. I went to the Bakersfield Peddler's Fair a couple of weeks ago with a friend and saw this platter for $50. I haven't seen one just like it anywhere, so it's probably not even being manufactured anymore, but I'm sure I'd have to pay at least $100, maybe even $200 for it online if I could find it. I had to borrow $20 from my friend because I didn't even have $50 on me, and I didn't try to dither the sellers down at all because it was such a good deal.

Well, today was our monthly book club meeting, and we had read Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson, who was raised in Sweden. I made smørrebrød, which are Danish open-faced sandwiches, which I thought  close enough to be appropriate, and I used my...platter. Everyone loved the sandwiches, which was only a tiny bit surprising because my friends are adventurous. I've made quite a few smørrebrød before, but I found two different recipe on NPR to try this time. I made roast beef with arugula  and horseradish with creme fraiche and blue cheese and apple with bacon. I pretty much ignored the fact that I've been trying to be really healthy and ate a ton of them. I've had a cold all week and haven't exercised much, so, of course, it makes sense that I would also ruin my diet this week too, sigh!

 The roast beef smorrebrod were topped with a radish and a little grated carrot.

The blue cheese and apple ones were supposed to applewood smoked bacon, but I just used prosciutto, and it tasted wonderful. Food can be so much fun. I enjoy eating healthy, so I'm not dreading going back to being a little more disciplined, but it was fun to fall off the wagon for a day or two.