Cook ALL the Pumpkin!

We have purchased a 30# plus pumpkin recently from a wonderful pick your own place near us. (www.freconfarms.com) I spent HOURS the next day cutting this thing up, then boiling it down and mashing it. I now have over a gallon of pumpkiny goodness to cook NOW or else. SO in the course of trolling the internets, I have found a source of recipes- Better Homes and Gardens. I have many to try, and will be linking the pages. I will post pictures, and opinions, both mine and friends and family. They run the gammut from sweet to savory, soups and stews and desserts and breakfasts...it all sounds good, and the hubs is slavering for them, the pumpkin fiend. So...expect an update a day until I use it all up.

Here goes nothing (but pumpkin).

Nerdy Knits: Doctor Who Fob Watch

So. Recently I made a steampunk outfit for my adorable niece Vi to wear to a theme wedding. It was fun and easy to make, and holy crap is she cute in it. I mean, vomit inducing cute. Pictures to follow as soon as I have them, I promise.

Her father is possibly a bigger Whovian than I am, so when I got the idea to add a pocket watch to her costume, I knew which one it had to be. The Doctor's watch. The Fob. Since the idea made me giggle, I figured the finished project would be fairly epic. It was also an insanely quick knit, finished in one evening. I simplified the map of space time to be easier to embroider with something as bulky as yarn.

DISCLAIMER: Only I have knit this and only once. If there are mistakes, let me know and I will happily fix them. This is my very first written pattern, so be gentle.

Materials used: Caron Simply Soft in heather and black, the back of a plastic grocery bag, cut to size

Gauge and needles: About 4st/inch. I used size 3, use whatever you need, or size up or down for desired size.

Abbreviations used: co-cast on; st-stitches; k-knit; p-purl; k1fb-increase by knitting into the front and back of one stitch; k2tog-knit two together. Got it? Good, moving on.

The pattern:
For both the back piece and the watch cover start here-
Using the longtail method, co 5st
Row 1: knit
2:k1, k1fb, p1, k1fb, k1
3:knit
4:k1, k1fb, p3, k1fb, k1
5:knit
6:k1, k1fb, p5, k1fb, k1
7:knit
8:k1, k1fb, p7, k1fb, k1
9:knit
10:k1, k1fb, p9, k1fb, k1
11:knit
12:k2, p11, k2
13:knit
14:k2, p11, k2
15:knit
16:k1, k2tog, p9, k2tog, k1
17:knit
18:k1, k2tog, p7, k2tog, k1
19:knit
20:k1, k2tog, p5, k2tog, k1
21:knit
22:k1, k2tog, p3, k2tog, k1
23:knit
24:k1, k2tog, p1, k2tog, k1
25:knit
(Bind off here for cover, keep knitting for back)
26:k1, s1, k2tog, psso, k1
27:knit
28:purl
29:knit
30:k1, k1fb, k1
31:knit
32:k1, k2fb, k1
33:knit
34:k1, k2tog twice, k1
35:k2tog twice
2 stich icord 2 inches or so
k2fb
4 stich icord 4 inches or so (to fit the baby's hand)
k2tog twice
k2tog
trim yarn, pull through final loop
double over the 4 stitch icord, sew down end

See diagram for picture to embroider w/contrast color

Sew two pieces together w/cc, stuffing with plastic bag, adding rattle if desired.

For more Who goodness, check out my new Doctor Who font!

From My High School Journals: Jesuse The Masseuse

Jesuse the Masseuse
Owns a pet moose.
He sits on his own,
drinking his juice.
He reads of Spain's truce
in a good Dr. Seuss.
His goose worships Zeus
with a big branch of spruce.
When he plays cards (with Bruce)
wild is the deuce.
Jesuse the Masseuse's
goose is out loose.
So he puts on a noose.
(He's pseudo suicidal)


[All spelling and punctuation faithfully recreated from my journal]

OmNomNom: Scotch Eggs

You know what I love about scotch eggs? (Besides their ease, simplicity, convenience and delicious flavor?) Even hard boiled eggs this ugly:

End up this pretty:

And it's way, way, ridiculously simple.

We own a Butterball electric turkey fryer. If you've ever wanted to try frying a turkey, but were scared of oil fires, this is the unit to buy. Really. Every so often, we like to fry up something other than a turkey though. And when it's out, I do many things, because it's just easier that way. Tonight, I made a deep fried chicken, with sweet potato fries, and I experimented with frying some brussels sprouts (I broiled the rest, as usual). While it was out, I made these breakfast balls of awesome, too.

First, you need the boiled eggs. I use this recipe by Alton Brown, Because Alton Brown is amazing (I don't care if you disagree). But any method works.

Then, you need loose sausage. You can be lame and use a roll from the grocery store, but we like the good stuff from the farmer's market, which we season simply with salt, pepper, and paprika. You can use anything you want, really: sage, oregano, garlic, whatever you like.

Finally, you need breadcrumbs. Seasoned or not, your choice, style doesn't matter. I like the crunch of panko.

Now take a small ball of sausage, and sort of make a dip in it.

Then, place the egg in the middle and try to ease the sausage around it in a more or less even layer.

Roll it around in the bread crumbs until coated.

Repeat until sausage is gone, or you run out of eggs. I ran out of sausage first.

Drop them in your briskly rolling oil (I heat my machine to 375 Fahrenheit).

Fry for about 5 min or so.

They should look like this:

If the sausage has pulled away from the egg in places? Oh well!

Let cool for a bit, then tuck in! They're great the next day, too. Reheat in the toaster oven, or eat cold.

OmNomNom.

Nerdy Knits: Potter Alphabet for Knitting

I have been knitting some Hogwarts inspired items lately, and wanted to incorporate lettering. I looked high and low, but, to my astonishment, I couldn't find anyone who had charted the lettering for my knitting use. Therefore, I have spent the last couple of days hunched over my laptop, recreating, as faithfully as possible, the iconic Potter font in knit chart form. I know my fellow crafty fans will make great use of it, so I wanted to freely give it to you.

With a few exceptions (M, W, etc...) I have tried to block them in a simple 15x15 grid. This might make smaller items impossible, but you can't get a whole lot smaller without losing too much detail. If there is demand, I can post individual letters, but the resolution will be the same. I hope you guys enjoy using these!

Update:
I have also posted a chart for a Twilight inspired font for the Twi-hards, and a Doctor Who font for you Whovians.