Titillated? Well, so was I, but mostly by the awesome buffalo yarn that I found at Kid 'N Ewe fiber festival this past weekend. See what I did there? Just a little fiber humor to start you off.
Every year, yarn events just get better and better around here. This year in Boerne, there were even more indie dyers with yarn and fiber that I just had to squoosh. I ended up walking away with five new skeins for my stash. Two came from Knitting Rose, a 10% bison yarn that was really intriguing. Apparently it gets softer as you use and wash it, and it's super-warm. That's one reason that she said she sticks to 10%, because any more and it might just cause a Texas knitter to burst into flames. Plus, it allows her to keep the colors vibrant, which I love. So I got one skein that was a mix of brown and fuschia, and another with brown and teal. Never tried it before, but now I'm planning on striping up some mitts, and probably a matching shawl or cowl.
The rest of the damage was with Heavenly Fiber. I met these guys first at Yellow Rose earlier this year, and I was on the lookout to see them again. We missed them in our first loop of the vendors, but finally spotted them, and I'm so glad we did. She had lots of her gorgeous sparkly yarn, which I bought last time, and sparkly batts, which I haven't tried yet. Next time. What I did get this time around was a skein of worsted weight, a fingering tweed in a Firefly-inspired colorway, and a cake of deep red yarn that progressively will get darker. It's going to be a gorgeous shawl.
There are some pics in my Examiner article. Sorry, not too many of the specific yarns, I'll have more once I've actually knitted some of these things up. If you happen to be one of my Texas readers, I highly recommend stopping by for next year's event. And if not, I highly recommend taking a peek at these two online stores in particular. They are making some beautiful things and they are also great people.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Tokyo tales: Avril yarn store
Just before I found Karel Capek tea, I found Avril yarn during my day of wonder in Kichijoji.
I used this helpful post as well as their website to guide me, and found that as long as you just trust that you are walking in the right direction, you'll get there eventually.
I experimented with various combinations, including a color-changing one-ply yarn in various shades of brown along with a strand of what sort of looked like sprinkles to perhaps make a chocolate cupcake cowl. But in the end, doing something like that had the downside of doubling the cost, so instead I chose to just take 40 g of a heavy fingering (maybe DK) yarn that reminded me of Noro in the coloring, along with a little grab bag that had a short amount of a pre-made art yarn concoction that seemed to complement it.
In one of the crafting department stores (I hope to outline a few in a later post) I found a plain black in the same gauge also from a Japanese yarn company, called Puppy. So these will likely be combined to create a shawlette, with the tiny yardage of art yarn going towards a knitted flower or other embellishment, possibly to act as a closure for the shawl.
I highly recommend a trip to Kichijoji and this store. It was a really interesting experience to find something that felt very much like a local yarn store in the US, with people knitting in the side room, etc. The other yarn sources I was able to make it to were all more like department stores, so this was absolutely worth the journey out, especially because Kichijoji itself turned out to be such a gem of a little town for wandering and shopping.
You know, when you next happen to be wandering around Tokyo wondering what to do with yourself.
I used this helpful post as well as their website to guide me, and found that as long as you just trust that you are walking in the right direction, you'll get there eventually.
I experimented with various combinations, including a color-changing one-ply yarn in various shades of brown along with a strand of what sort of looked like sprinkles to perhaps make a chocolate cupcake cowl. But in the end, doing something like that had the downside of doubling the cost, so instead I chose to just take 40 g of a heavy fingering (maybe DK) yarn that reminded me of Noro in the coloring, along with a little grab bag that had a short amount of a pre-made art yarn concoction that seemed to complement it.
In one of the crafting department stores (I hope to outline a few in a later post) I found a plain black in the same gauge also from a Japanese yarn company, called Puppy. So these will likely be combined to create a shawlette, with the tiny yardage of art yarn going towards a knitted flower or other embellishment, possibly to act as a closure for the shawl.
I highly recommend a trip to Kichijoji and this store. It was a really interesting experience to find something that felt very much like a local yarn store in the US, with people knitting in the side room, etc. The other yarn sources I was able to make it to were all more like department stores, so this was absolutely worth the journey out, especially because Kichijoji itself turned out to be such a gem of a little town for wandering and shopping.
You know, when you next happen to be wandering around Tokyo wondering what to do with yourself.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Tokyo tales: Fast food adventures
Japan has so much amazing food. Sushi, ramen, yakitori, steak. So maybe it's a little heretical that I actually sought out fast food on this trip and ate it not once, but twice. But stay with me here, I did have a reason. Before this, it had been about two years since I had actually eaten a burger and fries. So it wasn't that I couldn't survive two weeks without pink slime. It's that there are things that these plastic palaces only put on the menu in certain places. And I find that intriguing, seeing and tasting what has been designed for this particular place and this group of people. It tells you something about what they eat in 'real' food. And it's kind of fun.
Fall was in full swing while we were there, including Halloween decorations. I had always seen Halloween as an American holiday, but I guess it's another one of those cultural exports we're sending around the globe. But in Japan, pumpkins aren't just for carving into jack-o-lanterns or even filling pies. They can also be put on burgers.
Burger King has a limited edition BK Pumpkin, a 'harvest time' burger, basically a bacon cheeseburger with slices of roasted Japanese pumpkin. I believe that technically that's a squash, but let's not get picky. I was very intrigued when I read about this, because I love pumpkin in all of its sweet forms and regularly stir a little puree into puddings, oatmeal, and baked goods. I had also had some raw sticks of pumpkin amongst the veggies at another more traditional Japanese dinner. And so, it was the season to try this out.
See the pumpkin? You can also order a 'Bomb Pumpkin' to get ten slices on this, or in fact any, burger. But I think two slices was adventurous enough.
Actually, this was pretty good. Well, the bacon cheeseburger part was, like most fast food, not as satisfying as it smelled, but the pumpkin part was good enough to make me think that I might try and add some to my own sandwich sometime. Something about the bacon and the pumpkin together was good. Who knew that pairing was out there?
And then, for lunch one day, we popped into a McDonald's. Nothing against Burger King, but for my generation at least, they just don't have that deeply, disturbingly engrained connection. McDonald's had the happy meals, so when I think of quintessential fast food, that's where I think of going. This is not difficult to manage, since there is one literally on every corner in certain neighborhoods, particularly in the vicinity of public transportation.
And each of these locations, unlike the locations in the US, has an Ebi Filet-O. Basically, it's a shrimp burger. Shrimp ground up into a patty, coated with Panko and fried up, with lettuce and a sauce derived from Thousand Island.
I think this was more interesting, just because it was a completely different kind of burger. Again, it was still fast food, so it could have been better, but I would eat another if I found myself locked in a McDonald's around mealtime. And again, it made me want to try it myself at home, though I'm not sure I want to actually fry it, and I'd be worried about baking it and overcooking the shrimp.
There you have it. Japanese fast food. And if you're ever there, make sure you ask for ketchup at the counter, otherwise you're going to have to eat your fries naked.
Fall was in full swing while we were there, including Halloween decorations. I had always seen Halloween as an American holiday, but I guess it's another one of those cultural exports we're sending around the globe. But in Japan, pumpkins aren't just for carving into jack-o-lanterns or even filling pies. They can also be put on burgers.
Burger King has a limited edition BK Pumpkin, a 'harvest time' burger, basically a bacon cheeseburger with slices of roasted Japanese pumpkin. I believe that technically that's a squash, but let's not get picky. I was very intrigued when I read about this, because I love pumpkin in all of its sweet forms and regularly stir a little puree into puddings, oatmeal, and baked goods. I had also had some raw sticks of pumpkin amongst the veggies at another more traditional Japanese dinner. And so, it was the season to try this out.
Actually, this was pretty good. Well, the bacon cheeseburger part was, like most fast food, not as satisfying as it smelled, but the pumpkin part was good enough to make me think that I might try and add some to my own sandwich sometime. Something about the bacon and the pumpkin together was good. Who knew that pairing was out there?
And then, for lunch one day, we popped into a McDonald's. Nothing against Burger King, but for my generation at least, they just don't have that deeply, disturbingly engrained connection. McDonald's had the happy meals, so when I think of quintessential fast food, that's where I think of going. This is not difficult to manage, since there is one literally on every corner in certain neighborhoods, particularly in the vicinity of public transportation.
And each of these locations, unlike the locations in the US, has an Ebi Filet-O. Basically, it's a shrimp burger. Shrimp ground up into a patty, coated with Panko and fried up, with lettuce and a sauce derived from Thousand Island.
There you have it. Japanese fast food. And if you're ever there, make sure you ask for ketchup at the counter, otherwise you're going to have to eat your fries naked.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Cubicle kitchen: Not Terry's Chocolate Orange Fudge
Well, Halloween is over, and you know what that means? Christmas! At least that's the impression you get from walking around the stores. The aisles are starting to be filled with ornaments, layaway programs have already begun, and soon we shall begin the countdown to madness as Christmas music comes pouring through the speakers. In Tokyo they were already starting to erect Christmas trees in one of the plazas. I suppose without Thanksgiving, there isn't even a theoretical gap between Halloween and Christmas. Even here, it seems like only grocery stores really care about turkey day, since they are the ones selling you the turkey.
Anyway, one thing that I associate with Christmas that I will always welcome coming early is a Terry's Chocolate Orange. They aren't particularly Christmas-y, but like cherry cordials at Valentine's Day, they tend to come out around that time of year, and make yummy stocking stuffers. This was my reasoning for turning my super-simple base fudge recipe into a salute to the delicious coupling of chocolate and orange.
This recipe is so simple, it takes literally a few minutes to make. Then a few more minutes to cut up after it's chilled. Perfect for when you've cultivated a reputation for bringing in treats but between jet lag, shopping, and 5k runs you didn't really have time to put a lot of effort in. Keep in mind that this can be adapted into almost anything. White chocolate with peppermint extract (also good for Christmas), milk chocolate with almond extract and chopped hazelnuts for a kind of Nutella fudge. You will see this pop up again and again over the course of this blog.
And as quickly as this comes together, it disappears just as fast, because it is so delicious. That's the best combination, easy and impressive!
Not Terry's Chocolate Orange Fudge
(adapted from Sparkpeople)
Makes about 40 squares
Ingredients:
Anyway, one thing that I associate with Christmas that I will always welcome coming early is a Terry's Chocolate Orange. They aren't particularly Christmas-y, but like cherry cordials at Valentine's Day, they tend to come out around that time of year, and make yummy stocking stuffers. This was my reasoning for turning my super-simple base fudge recipe into a salute to the delicious coupling of chocolate and orange.
This recipe is so simple, it takes literally a few minutes to make. Then a few more minutes to cut up after it's chilled. Perfect for when you've cultivated a reputation for bringing in treats but between jet lag, shopping, and 5k runs you didn't really have time to put a lot of effort in. Keep in mind that this can be adapted into almost anything. White chocolate with peppermint extract (also good for Christmas), milk chocolate with almond extract and chopped hazelnuts for a kind of Nutella fudge. You will see this pop up again and again over the course of this blog.
And as quickly as this comes together, it disappears just as fast, because it is so delicious. That's the best combination, easy and impressive!
Not Terry's Chocolate Orange Fudge
(adapted from Sparkpeople)
Makes about 40 squares
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 can of fat-free sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp orange extract
- sprinkling of dried orange zest (optional)
Directions:
- Line a 9 x 13" (or similar) pan with parchment paper.
- In a microwaveable bowl, mix the entire bag of chips with the can of condensed milk. Stir in some zest.
- Place in the microwave and melt carefully. I started with 30 seconds, then stirred, and back in again in 15 second increments. You don't want to scorch it, just get it smooth. Stir in the extract.
- Pour the mixture into the pan, spreading a little to get it evenly in there. Sprinkle with a little more zest if desired.
- Place the pan into the fridge and leave to chill. Once firm, cut into squares.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Tonight's to-dos
I have various tasks which I would like to make progress on in the three hours or so I have between now and sweet, sweet slumber:
- Cutting the fudge into squares for bringing into work tomorrow (recipe post forthcoming)
- Otherwise prepping other foods to eat while at work tomorrow in order to be nourished beyond risk of fainting after donating blood in the afternoon
- Getting as close as possible to finishing my first knitted item for this tea-themed swap, so I can start on the second tomorrow
- Writing at least a sizable chunk of my NaNoWriMo novel, because so far I have amassed a woeful total of less than a thousand words. Entering into this challenge directly after a trip is not a good idea. But I refuse to give in!
- Hopefully not obsessing over watching election results come in, since I'm pretty sure there's no way they'll have declared a winner by the time I go to bed.
As a result, I'm afraid I cannot be witty and engaging, or share any more details on my Tokyo trip. I will tease you, however, with hints. I will soon share the details of yarn stores, Halloween parades, and food both fast and slow. Until then, happy Election Day , my fellow Americans! And happy watching the insanity from the outside and marveling to the rest of the world.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Tokyo tales: Karel Capek tea shop
It's so hard to know where to start in regaling you with tales of Tokyo. But I suppose all of the best things start with a nice cup of tea.
I'm currently in a tea-themed swap on Ravelry, so it was on my mind throughout the trip. I had a few ideas for places to find a few bags, but funnily enough, my favorite find came once I was in Tokyo. The first day we had to wander around, my dad and I went to a department store that mostly carries electronics, but also had a floor of books and magazines. I love Japanese magazines because, apart from interesting fashion editorials, they tend to come with fun freebies like little tote bags. While browsing through these for the best free gift, I found one magazine that was more like a catalogue for a Karel Capek tea shop.
For those who don't know, Karel Capek was a Czech author. He's most famous for coining the term 'robot', but I think he's worth reading for more than that. For example, The Gardener's Year is a short and sweet little book that is hilarious for those with or without a green thumb. Though he's not a household name, he apparently made enough of an impression on Utako Yamada, a Japanese children's book author and illustrator, to name her tea store after it.
Now in it's 25th year, there are multiple locations around Japan, mostly in the Tokyo area. I decided to venture out slightly to Kichijoji to visit the original. It's a few stops by train outside of the city center, and there's also a great yarn store here (more on that later). Getting there is like getting anywhere in Japan for a foreigner. It requires a some research and a little luck. Their website provides a little map sketch for each location (this is the translated page for Kichijoji), which when combined with an additional map of the area gave me a sort of idea of where I was going, several blocks from the train station. Mostly, though, it was luck that had me turning onto the correct streets. And thankfully, on the corner of the final street there was a building with a sign for ASA, which was also on the online sketch. After walking half a minute I spotted the telltale signs.
It was so hard to decide what to bring home with me. The mugs were lovely, but I knew that they wouldn't be the easiest things to pack. Plus, the tea was expensive enough on its own. In the end I settled for a sort of sampler pack with about a dozen flavors, and a reusable shopping bag. I should have gotten one or two more, because they were the best deal and are a very cute way to remember the store. I plan on carefully cutting the tea bags for later display, because the illustrations are worthy of wall space. They also have a lot of really cute brochure and catalog things. Really, this is a feat of merchandising genius mixed with good brew.
In search of more bags, I tried to visit their location in Ginza, but unfortunately it was being renovated at precisely the time I was in town. I did find them again in Jiyugaoka, after a lot of wandering around with no idea what I was looking for. They didn't have any bags at this location, it was a bit smaller, but they did have another flavor of tea, Marron (like a chestnut, seems to be a popular fall flavor here) so I decided to splurge and get a tin of this one. I've brewed one cup of it so far, and it's very nice.
It's going to be tough drinking these teas knowing that I can't really get any more, but I'm going to try and just enjoy what I have and hope that online ordering becomes easier. Until then, happy memories and a few aww-inducing photos like this one.
I'm currently in a tea-themed swap on Ravelry, so it was on my mind throughout the trip. I had a few ideas for places to find a few bags, but funnily enough, my favorite find came once I was in Tokyo. The first day we had to wander around, my dad and I went to a department store that mostly carries electronics, but also had a floor of books and magazines. I love Japanese magazines because, apart from interesting fashion editorials, they tend to come with fun freebies like little tote bags. While browsing through these for the best free gift, I found one magazine that was more like a catalogue for a Karel Capek tea shop.
For those who don't know, Karel Capek was a Czech author. He's most famous for coining the term 'robot', but I think he's worth reading for more than that. For example, The Gardener's Year is a short and sweet little book that is hilarious for those with or without a green thumb. Though he's not a household name, he apparently made enough of an impression on Utako Yamada, a Japanese children's book author and illustrator, to name her tea store after it.
Now in it's 25th year, there are multiple locations around Japan, mostly in the Tokyo area. I decided to venture out slightly to Kichijoji to visit the original. It's a few stops by train outside of the city center, and there's also a great yarn store here (more on that later). Getting there is like getting anywhere in Japan for a foreigner. It requires a some research and a little luck. Their website provides a little map sketch for each location (this is the translated page for Kichijoji), which when combined with an additional map of the area gave me a sort of idea of where I was going, several blocks from the train station. Mostly, though, it was luck that had me turning onto the correct streets. And thankfully, on the corner of the final street there was a building with a sign for ASA, which was also on the online sketch. After walking half a minute I spotted the telltale signs.
Inside it was positively bursting with teas that each smelled delicious and had the most precious packaging ever. Plus, you are greeted with a small sample cup of tea and half a biscuit to snack on. I tried Milk Caramel, and it was so good.
In search of more bags, I tried to visit their location in Ginza, but unfortunately it was being renovated at precisely the time I was in town. I did find them again in Jiyugaoka, after a lot of wandering around with no idea what I was looking for. They didn't have any bags at this location, it was a bit smaller, but they did have another flavor of tea, Marron (like a chestnut, seems to be a popular fall flavor here) so I decided to splurge and get a tin of this one. I've brewed one cup of it so far, and it's very nice.
It's going to be tough drinking these teas knowing that I can't really get any more, but I'm going to try and just enjoy what I have and hope that online ordering becomes easier. Until then, happy memories and a few aww-inducing photos like this one.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Domo Arigato, Japan!
I'm back! Not only was I allowed back into the country, but so was my suitcase full of tea, yarn, fabric, Hello Kitty, and other goodies. I have many tales to share, of searching for yarn stores, slurping Ramen, and doing it all with a camera around my neck. Because there's no pretending you're not a tourist in Tokyo, best to just embrace it.
I arrived back home yesterday afternoon, so for Halloween I was a jet lagged zombie. And between that, returning to work and starting NaNoWriMo today, I'm just not prepared to break all of the awesomeness down for you yet. I'll try to whip something up tomorrow to start the series off, but for now, my update is just that I'm back. Hi!
I arrived back home yesterday afternoon, so for Halloween I was a jet lagged zombie. And between that, returning to work and starting NaNoWriMo today, I'm just not prepared to break all of the awesomeness down for you yet. I'll try to whip something up tomorrow to start the series off, but for now, my update is just that I'm back. Hi!
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