Annie's Blog

Whew. The kitchen is steamy with all the water bath steam. This is the second batch of marmelade, and so far I’m batting 1000–the first batch gelled perfectly. Now I’m just crossing my fingers that this second batch gells too. I’m sure it will….at least, I really hope it will.

The job interview went well–Not sure if I’ll get the second interview (I hope so!), but at least so far I haven’t heard a “no.” I think that’s good news. No, it is. The woman I interviewed with promised to notify candidates either way (that’s pretty classy in the job hunt scene), so at this point I think no news is good news, especially given the holiday weekend.

Hannah and I will make apple pies this morning, and then Luke and I will make sweet potato biscuits this afternoon. And I have another loaf of sourdough bread proofing on top of the microwave for baking this afternoon or tonight. The mix I used last time (2 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp sugar, 1.5 tsp salt, and 3 cups of flour) worked really well last time. The bread was very tasty, with just the right amount of sour/tang without being overwhelming. And it was amazing toasted with breakfast the next morning.

I think I might try to make some yeast rolls (maybe some classic cloverleafs?) today as well to cater to the more traditional bread yearnings for the dinner tomorrow. That might be a little ambitious though.

I’m making good progress on my knitting project. Finished the neck on the toddler cardigan (and am facing sewing sleeves today–wish me luck), got to the toe on a 6 x 2 ribbed woman’s sock, and got to the point where I need to figure out the thumb gussets on the Hansa mittens. The whole thumb gusset thing is throwing me though. I understand where it starts, but do I just increase two stitches every row? What type of increases? The instructions are very vague (“make new stitches”). What’s the most appropriate type of increase? Front and back of each stitch? Time to do some research–first place to check will be with the Starmore books Sylvia lent me–but only when I can clear a totally clean and child-free block of time for myself, like after bedtime tonight.

Anyway, that’s the update for now. I’ve been taking pictures, but they’re on the high-density card, and only the laptop will access them. So I’ll need to carve out some time on the laptop to download and resize them for posting.

Ta!

Holy crap, I’m nervous. I spent most of the evening last night studying the website for the organization I’m interviewing with today, and watching youtube videos they produced as a sort of “annual report.” I think I’m ready–now to just calm the nerves before I go. No more coffee for me!

Kneaded sourdough last night so that it could rise overnight (and until after the interview). I figure that gives it at least 18 hours, which should be about right. I’ll punch it down at lunchtime, then let it rise again for the afternoon (which is when the kitchen is the warmest–it’s on the south side of the house) so that I can bake it tonight.

I think I’ll make chicken noodle soup tonight for dinner with italian meatballs. I know the kids really like it, and it will give me something to do to keep my hands busy today.

I’ve finished all the pieces for a toddler’s cardigan, and so now I have to venture into finishing territory–which has been one of my weaknesses. I’ll have to force myself to be patient and careful. It will be a Christmas present for one of the small boys in our lives (the recipient will be determined when I figure the final size of the garment). It was supposed to be a 2T size, but it’s looking kind of big…

I also need to contact my sister in law to find out what my favorite nephew’s favorite color is. He needs something warm and cuddly….

Lots of Christmas knitting plans–now just to get them all done.

Cast on for the stranded mittens last night, but holy cow–80 stitches is coming out HUGE. Kind of hard to tell what the gauge is yet (tiny stitches on DPNs), but I’m going to keep going with it regardless because ultimately this pair is being knit to learn/master technique. I think I’ve got the two-handed thing now. It’s still a little awkward, but it’s getting a little smoother. The braid is kicking me a bit–managing the yarns in front and purling is a little tricky. But it seems to be going well, so we’ll see. These may end up being a present for a woman with large hands. Or maybe fulling/felting will help. We’ll see. Worst case scenario is that I’ll knit only one and it will become a Christmas ornament.

K, that’s enough nervous rambling for now. Wish me luck.

Woot! Made some excellent basic chili tonight for dinner. Last night’s feast was a citrus/achiote-marinated salmon. It was… interesting, but we probably won’t make it again.

Pics and such tomorrow.