Quiche me once, then quiche me twice...

This may well be the most delicious Quiche Lorraine I've ever baked -- or eaten, actually. There was no skimping with this baby. Real Swiss cheese, real bacon, and real (heavy) cream. My eight-inch pie pan made for a deep-dish experience. I folded the crust upward, forming a wall that held the custard in place.

My oven is funny. It runs at least 100-degrees high. At least. Things that should bake in 20 minutes frequently take 10, even when I adjust the dial for the heat difference. But my quiche would not be hurried, so I was forced to turn the oven down, down, down...250, 225, finally 200 degrees, plate-warming temperature. All the while chatting with my mom via Skype.

Toward the end, I removed the aluminum foil protecting the crust's edges, turned the oven off, and just let it sit in there for a while. When I pulled the quiche out, I was rewarded with a clean fork when inserted an inch from the center. And when Chris came home and we sliced into it -- well, it was pure heaven.

The custard was absolutely tender and light. The balance of bacon and cheese was perfect. Even the crust seemed happy . This was no average love-you-and-leave you quiche, oh no! After a slice of this baby, you might feel a lingering desire for more of its savory goodness. But the richness was deceptive, threatening to turn a blissful experience into a slightly-headachey one after just one bite too many.

No average quiche, this.

In the interest of full disclosure: I used a Pillsbury rolled-up, refrigerated pie crust. So, what did I do with the other crust? Apple turnovers...

I finished Froot Loop Sock #1 today, and immediately cast on the second one. These are for ME :-) Happily, I love, love, love this Araucania Ranco Multy sock yarn!!! Wooly and lofty, plump and delightful to work with, the colors are mesmerizing. They actually seem to change with the light. Working on this sock in direct sunlight (last fall) left me besotted.

And when I put this sock on, it hugged my foot with comforting warmth. Great pattern, perfect yarn = relaxing knitting. (FYI: I'm using a US#1.5 KnitPicks Options nickel-plated circular needle)


Talking of colors, take a look at this gorgeous roving! Meghan (host of Stitch It! Podcast), sent it to me as a prize for a contest I won last autumn (here's her Etsy shop). Just look at the saturated hues, the way the peacock blue and plum colors seem as iridescent as the feathers on a Mallard duck's neck.

I also received a lovely basket of gifts from BethanyG (that's her "Ravetar"), who came up with the contest idea and coordinated it. Tasty goodies, spicy cinnamon-scented soap and candle, pumpkin-pie scented lotion and lip balm, and a catnip toy for Katja and Charley...it was literally a cornucopia of autumn goodness for all of us :-)

And, finally, speaking of Katja and Charley, here's the ultimate cuteness: a kitty version of Yin and Yang (in more ways than one!)...

Take advice from the experts: Stay warm and cozy, snuggle with a friend, and enjoy a little time for napping, spinning, knitting, or whatever floats your boat!

Quiche me once, then quiche me twice...

Take it Easy

Now and then you just need some mindless knitting. A project you don't have to think about at all. One that you don't have to rush to finish, because it's for you.

I find this to be especially true during mid-winter and mid-summer, when you're often "trapped" in one place because you're traveling, or because it's freakin' freezing or bloody boiling outside.

Enter the humble sock. This isn't a fabulous look-at-me lace sock. It's not a startling crazy-colored sock. It's modest, yet warm. Comfortable, like your favorite jeans. And oh-so-easy on a tired brain...

Yarn: Shalimar Yarns Zoe Sock; needles from KnitPicks

The stitch pattern is a double-garter rib (you'll find it in most stitch dictionaries and in the fun Blueberry Waffle pattern). It's stretchy and allows some air to be trapped in the little "pockets," keeping your feet nice and toasty.

This sock has no secrets. It's a plain old cast-on-64-stitches-and-knit pattern, allowing your hands to fall into the rhythm and your mind to wander. No need to urge yourself to relax, to focus, to hurry, to do anything. No need. Just hang out with your knitting. Just take it, as The Eagles advised, easy.

Why not grab a skein and give it a try -- use plain old stockinette stitch or K2 P2 ribbing, if you want. All I'm saying is, give yourself permission to cast on something easy once in a while. Like now. Go with it. See where it takes you.

Take it Easy

Malabrigo Lace: Santorini in a Skein

The instant I saw Veronik Avery's Lace Ribbon pattern, I fell in love. Had to knit it. Now!


So I headed up to Y2Knit -- wonderful store, by the way! -- where Susan kindly hooked me up with two skeins of Indigo. All the blues of the deep sea, from navy to violet to cobalt, the color was exactly what I had pictured...Like a trip through the Greek Isles...

When I got home, I carefully wound the skeins into tasty little yarn cakes :-)

After a false start with US#3 Addi Turbos, I switched to the ultra-pointy Knit Picks US#3 circular, and from there on it was smooth sailing.


Lace Ribbon will be a leisurely knit (I figure I'll finish it in time to wear it next fall). But that's OK. Because when you're holding a whisper-soft cloud of Mediterranean paradise in your hands, you want to savor every delicious moment.

Malabrigo Lace: Santorini in a Skein