Oh look! I know how to knit!

So this is the first thing I've knit without a real pattern. Well, I got the cable pattern from Heather Gibbs but everything else was my own genius. And because I like to share (and prove to the world that I'm good at things), here is what I have deciphered from my chicken scratch of notes taken whilst knitting.

Ariel’s Arm Warmers

by Dara Kay Merz

Skill Level: Easy-Moderate-ish.

Size: Medium. They do give a bit, so could fit bigger forearms if needed. Or you can add/subtract stitches in the mossing part to make them fit better. Your call.

What you need

Needles – set of 4 US8 (5mm) and one cable needle of appropriate size.

Yarn – I used a worsted weight wool, but use whatever you find comfortable.

You’ll also need something to hold stitches for the thumb; I usually use a bobby pin because I typically have one handy (in my hair). But a safety pin, paper clip, or an actual stitch holder would work too.

Vocab Lesson

Moss stitch (M) = alternate (K1, P1) then on next row (P1, K1), so the stitches are always opposite what is below. Get it?

Right Cross (RC)= put 3 stitches on cable needle and put behind, K3, K3 from cable needle, K3

Left Cross (LC)= K3, put 3 stitches on cable needle and put in front, K3, K3 from cable needle.

How to do it

Cast on 50 stitches

Cuff – K2, P2 around for 8 rows

Base 1-4 Moss (K1, P1) x 15, K3, P2, K9, P2, K3, Moss x 16

(Distribute first section of moss stitches on one needle, cable pattern on the second and remaining moss stitches on the third.)

Standard Pattern

1,2 Moss 15, K3, P2, K9, P2, K3, Moss x 16

3 Moss 15, K3, P2, RC, K3, P2, K3, Moss 16

4 K2tog, Moss 13, K3, P2, K9, P2, K3, Moss 14, K2tog

5, 6 Moss 14, K3, P2, K9, P2, K3, Moss 15

7 Moss 14, K3, P2, K3, LC, P2, K3, Moss 15

8 K2tog, Moss 12, K3, P2, K9, P2, K3, Moss 13, K2tog

Repeat 1-8 until only 20 Moss stitches left, then continue pattern without the decreasing until the 8^th set. If you want shorter arm warmers, do less sets, longer – more.

Right Arm

Begin increasing on the last needle on row 1, but continue the regular pattern for the other 2/3.

1 M2, KBKF, M1, KBKF, Moss to end (12 stitches on this needle),
2 M2, KBKF, M3, KBKF, Moss to end (14 stitches on this needle)

3 M2, KBKF, M5, KBKF, Moss to end (16 stitches on this needle)

4 M2, KBKF, M7, KBKF, Moss to end (18 stitches on this needle)

5 M2, KBKF, M9, KBKF, Moss to end (20 stitches on this needle)

6 M2, K1, put next 10 stitches on pin or clip, M7

7-8 M10

Left Arm

Begin increasing on the first needle on row 1, but continue the regular pattern for the other 2/3.

1 M5, KBKF, M1, KBKF, M2 to end (12 stitches on this needle),
2 M5, KBKF, M3, KBKF, M2 to end (14 stitches on this needle)

3 M5, KBKF, M5, KBKF, M2 to end (16 stitches on this needle)

4 M5, KBKF, M7, KBKF, M2 to end (18 stitches on this needle)

5 M5, KBKF, M9, KBKF, M2 to end (20 stitches on this needle)

6 M5, K1, put next 10 stitches on pin or clip, M4

7-8 M10

Finish as followed:

1 M10, K3, P2, K9, P2, K3, M10

2 M10 K3, P2, K9, P2, K3, M10

3-7 K2, P2 around

8 Bind off, cut yarn (leaving a bit of a tail), weave in ends (and any stragglers you’ve left behind).

Thumb

Using 3 needles, distribute 4 stitches on each needle, picking up 2 stitches from the main hand piece on the last needle.

K2, P2 around for 8 rows, bind, cut, weave, wear!

Congratulations! You have successfully completed a pair of cozy cute arm warmers! Enjoy!

PS: Please let me know if there are any errors with this pattern! If anything sounds like gibberish or just doesn’t make any sense, let me know and see if I can clear it up. But I would also like to hear success stories!

Thank you!

Find me on Ravelry!

Or email me here: dara.kay.merz@gmail.com

The Hazards of Tacos

I hope everyone had a festive Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo is such a funny holiday. To me, it’s on par with St. Patties Day – just another ‘holiday’ for kids to go out and get schwasted. Most people even think that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s independence day. Wrong! The holiday is actually only celebrated in a small Mexican community in remembrance of………..

I had originally planed to do nothing for this not-holiday, but once I got home and was looking for recipes for dinner I stumbled across this beauty : http://www.imadedinner.net/2010/04/15/tax-day-tacos/ I saw the thick avocado slices and I was sold. So with a pannier in tow, I biked in the evening sun to the store to get my loot.

A few substitutions were in order, though. While at the store in the Mexican food aisle, the shiny bags full of eccentric spices hanging on the shelf was quite overwhelming. After a good minute searching for bag or can or something labeled ‘smoked serranos’, I gave up (I’m impatient, ok? Deal.) and went for the fresh ones. I knew it wouldn’t be quite the same and my tacos would be now be referred to as Smokey Spicy Steak Tacos. Of course, later I found out that smoked serrano peppers = chipotle peppers, and there were ALL sorts of those in the little shiny baggies. OH well.

Also while at the store, I picked up a sixer of Coronas, how could I not?

Other substitutions included my lack of garlic powder, subbed for by fresh garlic. I also used 1 ½ limes, because the other ones were commandeered by the Corona.

Quick HORROR story: so there I was, minding my own business and choppin away at some fresh serrano, dicing em up real good. I stubbornly ignored the internet when it told me to always wear gloves when chopping these dudes because they are, like, 10x hotter than jalapenos. Really, I don’t have open wounds on my hands, I’ll be fine. About a pepper and a half in, a spot just below my eye starts feeling hot. Hmmm… I don’t remember touching my eye, maybe it will go away. 1 ¾ peppers in, my eye is still hot. Maybe if I wipe it down with a wet paper towel (don’t worry, I made someone else get it for me so I didn’t get pepper juice all over a nice clean paper towel that’s going into my eye). THAT only made it worse! It’s now burning my eye! So I put my whole freaking face under the sink and run cold water on it, seems like a good idea, yeah? NO! I don’t even know how, but it spread to my entire eye, which is now on FIRE. And I’m cursing and hollering at people to google ways to make it stop, and by now that eye is watering enough to make my nose runny, which somehow carried the spiciness INTO my nose so now my nose is burning. Great. How bout makeup remover? Nope! That only made my eyebrow start burning. The only solution I found was to stop trying and just put a cold beer on my eye. I’m pretty sure (at least, I hope) I learned my lesson.

Horrors out of the way (well, besides stabbing my finger in the blender… don’t ask.), the tacos turned out flipping AWESOME. I invited a neighbor up, plus my normal roommates, and the tacos were gone in a flash. I also served them with black beans and normal fixins for the kids who like the such. I fancy mine with just steak, beans, cheese, avocado, sour cream and a quick squeeze of lime. And maybe a shake or three of good ‘ole Tapatio. And when all the steak was gone, veggie tacos ftw!

Make again? You betchya. What would I change? I’d wear goggles while chopping, and also like to try the smoked serrano peppers a.k.a. chipotle peppers.

Happy holidays y’all.

Dara

Best meal ever. EVAR.

Do you ever think of what meal you would have served the night before you would be sent to the electric chair? A little morbid, I know, but I think about this often. Since I know have expendable money for food (ahem. food stamps. booya.). I've been being quite adventurous in the kitchen. I love to cook for people, and make people happy through food. I strive to make people happy, because that's what makes me truly happy. That and, of course, seismology, sun dresses, bicycles and pictures of cute animals on the internet.

Anyways, back to my kitchen adventures -- since I haven't been good about blogging, I'll give you the low down of my great kitchen feats and disasters in bullets points and internet links. Ready?

• Creamy Potato Kale Soup -- http://cookeatthink.blogspot.com/2008/08/creamy-potato-kale-soup.html It was sooooo good that I made it again! The next time with lots of substitutions because I was too lazy to go to the store and just used what was on hand. Subs were - garlic, onion, green curry paste + soyrizo (chorizo, but it's soy!) for a nice kick and then random spices and such. Also, I don't have a food processor, so a blender works just fine in this case (note to self: blenders don't always work so lovely in place of a food processor...).
• Eggplant Parmesan -- after being defeated by the frying oil and my cooking euphoria brutaly shot down by roommates complaining of smoke, I ended up bake-frying the eggplant. Covered with marinera sauce, thick delicious slices of mozzerella and a heavy sprinkling of grated parmesan, baked to perfection, this meal has definitely been put on the "oh geeze, I need to make this again" list.
• Reuben Loaf -- I knew this one was a winner before I even started. Of course, it had been made for me before and I remembered there was never much leftovers. I mean come on, it's a reuben sandwich, but BAKED INTO A LOAF OF BREAD. It can't get much better than that, can it? OH YES IT CAN! The second time I made it, I actually cooked (for 6 hours, mind you) a log of corned beef. As delicious as this one turned out, the work that was put into it was a bit much. I think next time I'll stick with my deli sliced corned beef.
• Veggie Pot Pie -- I don't remember much what was in this one. Lots of veggies. It got ok reviews, but I'm skeptical that they were just being nice because I made it from scratch. Not unlike how your older sister says your fridge hodge-podge concoction when you were 5 was the best thing she's ever tasted. Sweet - yes. Helpful to my goal of becoming Julia Childs - no. Overall, I thought this pot pie was crap. Oh, I ate it alright. I do not accept defeat that easily (or give the impression that I do). I think the general idea of a veggie pot pie deserves another shot, next time with steak.
• Irish Soda Bread -- http://happinessinapot.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/rustic-irish-soda-bread/ Oh, day-um. Warm bread right out of the oven is almost as good as a bicycle ride on a sunny day in a sundress to see a cute baby animal and something to do with seismology. Almost. With a bit of butter melted on top, and some of Nana's freezer jam, this takes place on my "I love to eat this after school or doing something else mind exerting" list.

Sounds exciting, no? Well the real reason(s) for writing this post was a) to try and make myself blog more. I need to practice writing non-scientifically/facebook-y. b) maybe if I start writing about food, one of my many loves, I'll be inclined to write more. And c) my roommates and close friends are probably tired about me verbally salivating about the meal I made last week. Please, let me tell you all about it.

Freshly (frozen, but caught in the actual ocean, not on a farm) caught chinook salmon. Butter. Lemon juice. Dill. S&P. Cooked to perfection.

Red potatoes steamed then coated with olive oil, rosemary, garlic and a dash of basil then roasted to perfection.

Steamed asparagus with just a bit of olive oil and s&p.

Oh. Em. Gee. This is the meal I want the night before I visit the chair-of-death. But only if I get to cook it.

A note on romance.

Yesterday for my dear friend Sarah's birthday, we went out to see Leap Year (a typical chick-flic, girly movie, romantic comedy, however you chose to describe the genre). It was adorable, romantic, funny, predictable, everything I expected and enjoyed. After the movie, Sarah and I were talking about how these movies have come to raise our expectations for real life. They've set the bar for romance, they've made us believe that what we see on screen is true love, and anything less is nothing.

Later, someone brought to my attention that that kind of romance is not realistic. I felt a little bummed, because I knew they were right. But after I thought about it for a while, I changed my mind. Why does romance have to be unrealistic? Of course it's every girls dream to have a Disney romance, find your one true love, who helps you out, blah blah blah, and everyone lives happily ever after. But who said it couldn't happen? I could do without the singing birds, and the villan perhaps.

Why not?

Why can't people do selfless acts, just to show they care?

Who said we can't kiss in the rain?

What the hell happened to chivalry?

Are we not allowed to leave sweet notes to each other?

Why can't there be candles at dinner tonight?

Is it hard to say "you're beautiful" every once in a while?

Why is romance so unrealistic??

Maybe I just need attention.

Regardless, I'm going to make it a personal goal to live my idealistic romantic life. I'm gonna do it. Just watch me. Watch me be unrealistic.

Oh Academia, How I Love Thee.

I love school!!

I really do.

I love the structure, learning new things every day, being surrounded by others who thrive in the academia, all of it. Ok, maybe not all. I could do without having to write papers, or staying up late at night to study, or having to take incredibly hard tests (alright, maybe I love these things too... What of it?).

After the holidays, I realized it was time to go back to school when I spent my monday doing the following:

-Cleaning the apartment

-Running errands around town

-Straightening my hair (which takes like 1+ hour)

-Reading for fun (!!)

-Finding more things to clean

-Playing videogames

-Playing boardgames

-Anything to keep boredom as far away as possible...

And still I got bored. Go figure.

So I was very much relieved to have school start again. I did well in my classes last quarter, so I've been all psyched up for this quarter. I have super interesting classes, which are also quite challenging, as well as a less interesting class, which creates the challenge to stay focused during lecture and actually pay attention. Hopefully I'll do as well this quarter as last, maybe even better! And I know if I apply myself and stay focused, that shouldn't be a problem.

In other news, I've been quite knitty lately. I managed to pick it up pretty fast! I started like a year ago doing the basics, nothing fancy, and then dropped it after a few months and forgot about it. But then last quarter I decided to pick it up as a distraction from school, and realized I'm not half bad. So far I've finished a long scarf for Mia (started over a year ago), two headband/ear warmers (both failed, too big), a pair of mittens for Stoo (success!!!), and now I've started a pair of arm warmers for my roommate Ariel (complete with fancy cables (the twisty looking awesomeness)). This summer I tried sewing a skirt, and failed. I'm no seamstress, turns out. So I was excited to find that I actually can be crafty! Moral of the story: be expecting knit gifts from me for a while :)

That's it for now folks.

Mittens!

Freewheelers to Alger

The Freewheelers biked to Alger today! We left the county, it's kind of a big deal.
13.5 miles, 62 F, about 1 hour, Ariel Kellen and Dara (we've expanded!)
The trek was much more oscillatious than expected, so I was tuckered out by the time we got there. It was one of those rides where you are so glad to get to the top of the hill and you start to coast down, and then you turn a corner to find an even bigger hill looming in the distance, and you just have to say "ah fuck" and then pedal harder. But even when you realize your body hates you for subjecting it to this torture, when you finish you feel so accomplished and can't wait to do it again. But perhaps another day.

Stoo drove and brought us sandwiches! He's such a good fella, I'm a lucky duck <3. Then we whimped out and called Sarah to pick us up in her minivan. And then ate ice cream.

More bike trips to come with this amazing spring weather!

Finally

Every so often, maybe once or twice a year (give or take once or twice, depending on the year) I have a day where it just hits me: I am happy.

Today is one of those days.

I woke up in a wonderful mood, after falling asleep smiling, the sun was (almost) shining, I was not running late (as typical), and I was completely content with my life at that very moment. I have so much to be grateful for, and I am so.

Things are good, and I am happy.