Knitting makes it to our newspapers!

There was on article printed by the New York Times on July 12th - titled "The Knitting Circle Shows Its Chic". The article can be found at the NYTimes site (registration required), and it's also referenced at this blog.

News articles about craft and knitting in USA are gradually getting more attention as people all over search for individuality & meaning in this 'self-enrichment' era. However this time, this same article was re-printed in Singapore's very own 'URBAN' supplement that was out this week Thursday! The article even had a picture of Teva Durham, sitting on a couch & surrounded by her knitted pieces. It was unbelievable, I'm almost tempted to write in to Straits Times & congratulate them for finally getting an editor that realises that knitting in Singapore is not limited to only aunties in Chinatown and/or sleazy little shops in remote HDB heartlands. There are many knitters here, most of us have not had bifocals (yet), and we're all well connected to the web & the blogosphere, and we can even operate iPods, DS Lites and PDA phones. Woot!

All I can say is - well done, Straits Times.

Crochet Ripple Baby Blanket

I've recently had the attention span of a gnat.. This means no energy to follow the Madli shawl lace pattern that changes every other row. This means no energy to search for the next perfect pattern, dig in my stash for the perfect yarn, swatch & cast-on... Therefore, this means zero knitting action for the past 2 weeks.

I'm developing a theory that this has to do with the way I knit. Since I'm a relatively new knitter, I tend to hunch over my knitting and bring the work rather close to my eyes, which tires me out very quickly versus something like crochet, where I can crochet lazily in an almost horizontal position. Crochet also suits my current ADD-like frame of mind, where I can just quickly put in a couple of double-crochets and then put it down without trying to finish the row.

So here's what I started on last night - a crochet ripple baby blanket in colours that remind me of the mediterranean sea, in soothing shades of greens and blues. I have no idea if the recipient will be a baby boy or girl but who's to say little girls can't wear blue - I mean, look at a mermaid's tail. It's blue, and green, and a mermaid is undeniably female. So there. (Yes I know I lost the logic there somewhere but such is my lethargy that I'm not editing that)

This is done in a very simple ripple pattern, in sirdar 4ply cotton. In order to prevent the dreaded stiff & crunchy crochet texture, I've gone about 2 sizes up on the hook and am using a 3.9mm hook. The resulting fabric is airy, drapey and very soft. I hope it will be a nice summer blankie for our humid tropical weather.

Knitting funk.. & a recipe

I'm in a knitting funk lately. Only 1 WIP on the needles - the Madli lace shawl - which I've knit maybe an inch since my last post. And I have no urgent desire to cast on for anything new. Been busy with life lately and my knitting is taking a little backseat for now. I need a kick-ass project to get me off my butt!!

In return for no knitting and no pictures, I thought I'd post a 'Cheaty Udon Soup' recipe that I make for dinner pretty regularly. It's slightly tangy and salty and soupy and takes only 20min to cook - really good for those days when you're dead beat but don't want to eat outside food. I call it cheaty cos I don't use authentic chicken stock (& i hate the fake taste of stock cubes), but the preserved vegetable acts as a readily available soup base.

Iro's Cheaty Udon Soup Recipe (portion for 2)

Ingredients
2 tomatoes (slice in half)
2-3 clove garlic (slightly mashed to release the taste)
1 small packet of preserved vegetable or 'szechuan vege' (can be found in cold storage)
Vege of choice - I usually use Japanese cabbage
1 packet beef (the Japanese shabu shabu beef is especially yummy but any sliced beef will do)
1 packet of enoki mushrooms (rinsed well & with base trimmed off)
1 packet tofu (cubed)
Chilli padi, usually 3-5 depending on chilli tolerance (sliced)
2 packets udon

1. Rinse preserved vegetable well to get rid of surface oil
2. Put garlic & preserved vegetable in pot & add about 2-3 bowls water. Bring to the boil.
3. Add in tomatoes, enoki shrooms, and vege and boil for another 10min
4. Add in beef and cook quickly (so it's not overcooked). Remove beef from soup once brown.
5. Add in tofu, udon, chilli padi and let simmer for few more minutes.
6. Add pepper & a little salt to taste (the preserved vege & tomatoes are already salty).
7. Serve steaming hot :D