SuperEggplant

Because I have no knitting news to report (I have about a dozen more rows to knit before I begin the shoulder shaping on the Becky Wannabe sweat-urr), I feel the need to talk more about chocolate. Could it be because I just read a wonderful article at the San Francisco Chronicle web site about a former NASA tech who started a gourmet chocolate business called Cabaret Chocolates? How cool is that?!?
One of my New Year’s resolutions was to try more types of gourmet chocolates (as if I need to put it down on paper). I think I’ve only had a few new kinds, though. In NYC we went to Richart Chocolates, which was super fancy and delicious, and then of course there’s the Recchiuti chocolate we just tried. Other kinds I like are Dolfin and Michel Cluizel. Both are available from Chocosphere (incidentally, my insane brother worked at Chocosphere over the holidays packing up boxes of chocolate for lucky people. Yes, Chocosphere is based in Portland). So what kinds of chocolate do you like?
Life is short, my friends, so go out there and eat some chocolate!!!

Today was the first day of school for Peter’s district (he’s a high school English teacher). He came home unscathed. To celebrate, I prepared Chocolate Gelato, which was very thick and hard and pretty darn tasty. I also grilled some pizzas on the bbq. The crust comes out wonderfully chewy on the bbq, but I still haven’t quite figured out how to get the toppings hot enough.
No knitting update, really, since I only knit a couple rows last night. I started falling asleep while knitting, so I decided I should just put it down. I picked up Cook’s Illustrated, which I had forgotten to read all the way through (!), and then I fell asleep! Oy vey, this old age …
Funny that Kerstin should mention L. A. Burdick, because I just received their catalog today. Let me tell you a little story–I spied L. A. Burdick the night we arrived in Boston/Cambridge. The very next morning, I went by there, but to my horror they were closed for remodeling for the ENTIRE DURATION of our vacation. How sad was I, and how much more sad am I now that I have the catalog and see all the wonderful goodies they have? Ahhh, well, at least I’ll get to go to Moonstruck Chocolates when I am in Portland.

In honor of any visitors from Bonne Marie’s site, I’ll pretend I’m a good knitting blogger (and not the unfocused, random thoughts blogger that I truly am) and begin with a wee knitting update. I finished the stripe in the Becky Wannabe sweater and just have to continue with the pink to finish the back:

Those of you familiar with the sweater will notice that I have a BLUE stripe where the white stripe should be. Why? Do I have a thing for pink, orange, and blue combos? In truth, the Canadian store from which I ordered my yarn did not have white, so they suggested blue. I rather like it, so I’m not complaining.
Now, on to chocolate. Some friends went to San Francisco last week and very thoughtfully and generously brought back some Recchiuti Chocolates, which I have been dying to try for some time now. The box was a sampler of a few dark chocolate varietals, and there were INSTRUCTIONS for tasting! We were to go in order from mildest to strongest, so Peter and I sat down and had our chocolate tasting. It was very fun and delicious:

By the way, I am working on a gallery of completed projects, but since I am trying to code the whole thing in html (I took an online class on beginning web design at the beginning of the summer. I know, completely dorky), it will most likely take me, ohhh, a million years! If anyone has any simpler and more efficient suggestions, please let me know.

I’ve been looking online for plane tickets to Portland, and last week they were really cheap, $142 to be exact. Well, I waited, and yesterday when I checked, they all went up to $242 or more! What gives? So aggravating!
I have been working a little bit on the Becky Wannabe Sweater. I am having some needle issues. I started it on Addi Turbo circulars, but the purling was going kind of slowly (I’m a slow purler), so I thought maybe I could speed things up with some straights. I ordered some Addi Turbo straights in 14″ length, and, well, they are a bit long for my taste. I like to jab the end of the needle into my side, sort of, and the 14″ is too long. It forces me to outstretch my arms in an awkward position. I think I’ll switch back to the circulars, since I discovered they discontinued the 12″ version (which would have been a perfect length). I know I could switch to bamboo or something, but I want to be sure I have the correct 4mm sizing, and it just seems too risky to switch brands.

BEFORE:

AFTER (that’s a match of Benjamin Moore “Alexandria Beige,” an historical–or hysterical–color):

Stay tuned for photos of the completed ChicKami! I tried it on pre-wash, and it fit with a little room for shrinkage, so we’ll see how much it actually shrank. Oy.
P.S. Happy Birthday to the Hedster today!

Just have to knit up the straps and ChicKami will be complete:

If I get it finished tonight, maybe I’ll wash it tomorrow and see what happens!
It’s been one of those days. Peter was all set to paint the house today, and what happens? It RAINS. It’s August in California, for goodness sake! So now I am still sealed up in the shrinkwrapped house! Also, tomorrow we were planning to go to San Francisco for the day, but our plans had to be changed at the last minute. Now Peter will paint either tomorrow or Saturday, and we’ll go to SF Sunday, hopefully. Positive thinking.