Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Challenge-day three




Like the little engine that could-I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...I'm still trudging away. Now, what's today's/yesterday's excuse? "Apparently" I talk too much! *Gasp! WHAT A SHOCKER!* ahahahaha...

While knitting in public yesterday during my 'waiting' time, a lady from across the room commented that she liked my knitting and wondered if I was making a sweater. Nope, a baby blanket for my Niece's first baby due on Christmas Day. By then she came over to touch and feel the blanket and gave her ooo's and ahhh's (*sigh, if only my kids would learn to do so well...) and added her compliments for the chosen yarn. She not only liked the color, but the bits of colors as well.


Now, with all the sitting on the fence that I've been doing about this yarn, that did it for me. I am now convinced that this will be a finished project in the very near future. So long as I don't stop to talk. Because while I can knit and watch TV, knit and go to the movies in the dark, knit and watch my kids' soccer games, or UCLA football games at the top of the Rose Bowl, watch baseball games and knit, or read the paper and books and emails while I knit...APPARENTLY, I can't talk and knit at the same time. *Sigh*....go figure! (did you hear my kids just roll their eyes and groan????)

Now, before I go hit the needles for today, I need to clear up a little something about my Mom's birthday. What she was given originated in Cornwall, England. They are properly called a Cornish Pasty or Cornish Pasties (plural). They are not the items worn by exotic dancers. I'll promise you she'd never do that! Now, to explain....As one of many Great-Granddaughters and Great-Grandsons of a Quincy Copper Miner, we all grew up on these things. (That also means we came from Yoopers) They are pastry filled meat pies that the miners took down into the mines for their dinners. My whole extended family (except for my kids...sheesh..where did I go wrong?????) love them! In fact, with the family loving them so much, Grandma and her four daughters started making them in deep dish pie plates and serving up wedges ala apple pie style rather than in individual servings. Traditionally they are made with beef, rutabagas and potatoes in the pastry and shaped like half circles and dipped in gravy. We grew up with a lot of ketchup on them rather than the gravy, but today I prefer BBQ sauce.

Near my house, is a place called the Pasty Kitchen which makes them in both beef and chicken. When my parents were younger and able to travel, they'd come out to see us every 6 months to make sure they spent time with their only grandchildren (at that time). Dad decided it would be 'too much' for me to make dinner that first day, so it became a tradition for him to run over and pick up dinner. (Personally, I think he didn't want to wait for dinner once he got off the plane with the 3 hour time difference.) For awhile they also made vegetarian pasties as well, but I haven't seen them lately. Guess they didn't go over so well.

Man oh man, am I getting hungry just thinking about them! So, I think what I'll do is to make that a goal for finishing up this blanket. Once it's done, I'll pick up a few and post pictures of them on the blog for you to see what they look like. (thought I had some pictures already, but I guess I deleted them-rats) To quote Rachel Ray...YUMMO!

(Dangit. I'm now really hungry!)

4 comments:

Yankee Girl ~ Missy said...

Now remember your supposed to be knitting not eating! ha ha your making me hungery too.

Anonymous said...

Glad you clarified that pasties thing. I just figured your mom had a wacky sense of humor and it
was a joke gift.

On the knitting side, I'm making your KBB baby afghan using Bernat softee baby in a circus colorway along with a strand of Bernat baby in a lavender colorway. It's coming along but seems to be taking forever - not a quick knit even tho' the pattern is an easy one to remember - must be my poor choice of yarns.

leda

Lil Knitter said...

I admit I was kinda on the fence with you about this yarn but now that you've gotten a bit of it knitted up...I really, really like it. The little flecks of color add a lot of interest. Stick with it, I think this is gonna be a winner. No more talking! lol
You're making ME hungry with all this food talk. I can't wait to see what these pasties look like. Still trying to get rid of that mental image of the "other" pasties. :P
Maybe we can talk you into sharing a recipe for em. hint hint
Hugs!

elizabeth said...

Oh I used to have a neighbor that would have several of us ladies over and serve pasties. I know I have a recipe somewhere around here and need to go find it.

I'm knitting this same blanket (from your pattern of course!) out of Simply Soft and it's coming out so nice and squishy soft. When I finally get it finished I'll send a picture. Right now I'm waiting on my mom to come to town next weekend because a few rows back I accidentally did a few rows of purl on the border and didn't see it til now. I tried to go down and change the purls to knits, but made a mess of it and need her help now! We're never too old to need help from our mothers. :)