Having finally finished the body of the wrap, I am now pondering what fringe to put on it. I’m leaning towards the lavender yarn. I think it will be softer. Although the aqua is a bit wilder, the texture will probably overpower the delicate quality of the wrap. So….lavender it is. Well, that was easy! I know that I promised to show you how to put the fringe on today, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. So much to do and so little time! A friend dropped by for a poolside visit the other day and brought an interesting bottle of Spanish wine, a 2004 Gran Viu Finca Santiago Carinena. It is very aromatic, but not overly so, with a wonderful earthiness to it. Berries, pepper, leather and a hint of tobacco and spice seemed to be the take away. Grapes used are Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Garnacha. I recommend it! The invitation is open to come and sit poolside with me and taste wine!
Until tomorrow… Cheers! Penina The sun is shining and the start of summer is only five days away. My knitting needles are clacking again in a rush to finish my wrap. I’m envisioning a beautiful summer evening wearing the perfect dress and wrap of course, sipping wine with that special someone. Sound good? I’m on the last leg of the wrap. I’m keeping it short and then I will add some delicate fringe and a little bling. Here is what I have so far. It will look very different once the fringe is added. And, I will show you how easy it is tomorrow. Click on image for a closer look. Did anyone open a bottle of wine this weekend worth mentioning? Would you like to share your experience? A friend of mine highly recommended this little gem. Gruner Veltliner is the signature grape of Austria. It is light and refreshing with lemon, grapefruit and a hint of white pepper. Serve it chilled, but not cold. I’m certainly going to try it! It sounds like the perfect wine to serve with appetizers or cheese and fruit. Enjoy the day!
Cheers! Penina We knit for many different reasons. For some it is the creativity, for others it might be a way to relax and de-stress. Whatever the reason, the way you knit usually reflects your current mood. If you are angry and upset, or distracted, you might start holding the yarn tighter without realizing it. If you’re working on a pattern that needs your attention, and you’re in la la land…well, we all know what that outcome will be. After a few rows of “taking it out on the yarn”, your stitching and rows will stand out like a sore thumb. And your pattern could have a new meaning to it. My advice is to walk away from your project, have a glass of wine and chill! Or do some deep breathing exercises and then try again. Many years ago, I was knitting a sweater with a very complicated pattern. I was stressed out about “life”. I unconsciously took it out on the sweater. At the time, I was working on the sleeve. After knitting about 30 rows, I stopped to check my gauge and admire my handiwork. Yikes…the pattern was unrecognizable and the rows were so tight, it was actually laughable. It was a lesson learned. Which now leads me to the real reason for telling you all this. Stressors in my life have been a little on the high side for the past few days. So, I am gently going to walk away from the wrap that I’m knitting. I’m going to take a “chill pill” so to speak and embrace a beautiful weekend surrounded by love, laughter and wine! I will be back on Monday! Wishing all the daddies out there a Very Happy Father’s Day! Cheers! Penina Mercury is in retrograde…it’s a full moon AND Friday the 13th! I need to hide my knitting needles today and stay away from toxic situations. The full moon tonight is called a Super Moon because of its position in the sky. It will appear lower and larger. It is also called a Strawberry or Honey moon because of its unusual color. This won’t occur again for another 35 years. This is a must see. I might suggest a light amber or pink liquid to celebrate this event. Perhaps a nice rose or pink champagne would be a good pour. And if amber is more appealing, then head for scotch, rum, whiskey…. I, myself, will be drinking champagne and doing a moon dance. But whatever you do, beware of the wolves tonight that might appear in human clothing at your door. Remember, he doesn’t come dressed showing his silvery hair and amber eyes. He comes as everything you’ve ever wished for… And on that note….have a very happy Friday, the 13th. Drink up and embrace life!!
Cheers, Penina After spending a good part of the day yesterday without electricity, the “powers that be,” finally fixed the problem and I was able to communicate with the world again. It amazes and scares me how dependent I have become on the use of Internet, phones, TV, running water (I have a well) and lights. During my “down” time, I took the opportunity to knit a few more inches of my wrap. Normally, I can crank out a project in one day, but my other jobs have been demanding attention. As you can see, the pattern is really starting to “pop”. I’m not so sure that I want to turn this into a large wrap. I’ll keep going for a while and see where this takes me. This is part of the fun with my knitting projects. I’ll start out with a concept and pattern in my head and as I go along, I might end up with something totally different. Since the Stanley Cup was on last night, I wanted to make an easy and quick meal that didn’t demand much kitchen time and could be eaten while watching the game. One of my “go to” recipes is salmon en papillote (or any other fish). I just add whatever veggies and herbs I have on hand, toss in some wine and lemon, then throw it in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes. We opened a bottle of Cheverny, White Loire wine which is 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Chardonnay. It was light and crisp with the usual grapefruit, a hint of pear and earth. It went well with the meal. Until next time…
Cheers! Penina Last evening I went out to dinner with my “ya ya” sisters to celebrate friendship, birthdays and life. We laughed, reminisced and shared stories. The restaurant overlooked a magical waterfall and we were transported to another world for a few hours. We started our evening with perfectly made vodka martinis served in a wonderful glass. I’m all for the traditional stemmed martini glass because I find it so decadent and “old world”. However, there is something to be said for the “stemless” martini glass. It is easy to hold and the chance of spilling any precious liquid is practically non-existent. I’m definitely going to buy some! We had a sumptuous meal and drank a very nice bottle of Stags Leap Chardonnay 2011. It was light in color and full-bodied with hints of citrus and honey. It had low acidity and was the perfect accompaniment to our dinner. All in all, a perfect evening.
And now back to the task at hand…knitting. Cheers! Penina As we enter into yet another dreary and wet day, my “drive” to work on the summer wrap is waning. The dampness that I feel makes me want to start knitting a sweater! However, I have knitted a few rows of the wrap to show you that by doing a simple knit and yarn over technique it can create an open and airy feeling to any project. I will hopefully have more to show you in the next day or so…time permitting. I’m using size 11 US needles to give the pattern a little more “drama”. As you can see by the close up, the stitching lends itself to highlighting the different colors in the yarn. And now for my “go to” drink of the day…in this case, evening. One of my favorite cognacs is Pierre Ferrand. This is a Reserve 1st Cru de Cognac. It is aged up to 20 years. It is smooth with a bouquet of vanilla and a soft nutty flavor. As you can see by the bottle, it is almost time for me to buy another. Give it a try! Cheers!
Penina It’s a rainy day, which translates into starting a knitting project and then rewarding myself with a glass of wine. I’ve finally chosen the yarn that I will be using to create my next wrap. I want it to be open, airy and playful. I’m definitely adding some flavor to it with a touch of “bling”. I usually combine a few textures, but for now, I’m going with just one yarn. The yarn is Crystal Palace Yarns “Bamboozle”. It is 55% bamboo, 24% cotton and 21% elastic nylon. This should make a nice wrap. The larger the knitting needle, the more open the work will be. I may play with the size until I have the effect that I want. So get your knitting gear out and start a project and then reward yourself with a glass of wine! Here is my recommendation for today. Keeping with the light and airy theme, you might want to try this delicious Vernaccia grape. The aromas and flavors are crisp with hints of lemon and flowers. The owner and producer is Simone Santini and the winery is certified Organic by ICEA. This is a young vineyard, but it is already making an impact! Until next time!
Cheers! Penina Its Sunday…I’ll make this a short one. Here is a scrumptious Cuban Crusty Whole Wheat bread that I made yesterday and served with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Yummy! This Malbec from the Familia Marguery vineyards in Argentina is a perfect accompaniment to the bread. With its ruby color and soft tannins, one can taste dark cherries, fig and a touch of pepper. Price is right…$12 to $14 a bottle I am gearing up to start my summer wrap tomorrow. I know that I keep saying that. I made this one about 2 years ago…reminds me of the Caribbean. If you need help getting started on a project, please contact me! As I said, short and sweet today!
Cheers! Penina What a beautiful day! I gathered up some luscious yarns this morning in the hopes that I would start my summer wrap. I piled up all the colors that spoke to me, but obviously they were not speaking loudly enough! As you can see, they are the colors of summer and the textures evoke mystery and excitement. I can already hear you saying….”seriously?” I do tend to get carried away. In fact, I was so much carried away, that I abandoned the yarn and knitting needles and started planning a summer evening meal with exotic drinks instead. I’m sorry to disappoint my knitting and wine readers today, but I did warn you that my blog is an adventure that will sometimes take you down different roads. There are days that I will just post one of my poems or just post a video of me knitting or drinking wine. (yawn) Anyway, I’m thinking of fresh mozzarella, sweet tomatoes and basil from my garden to start with. If the spirit moves me, I might make a Cuban crusted bread to serve with it. I haven’t decided on the main meal yet, but this is a good day to grill. I was served an incredible drink over Memorial Day weekend. Beautiful photo, right? And so festive! I am going to try and recreate it. I know that it is made with fresh strawberries, Vodka and crushed ice. But there is one secret ingredient that I am still trying to wield out of my host. If I can’t get him to divulge it, then I will experiment until I get it right. This could be fun. Anyway, it all goes in a blender and Voila! Enjoy the Belmont Stakes…. and GO RANGERS!!!!
As always, comments welcome! Cheers! Penina |
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