Christmas Sweater Project - May/June Update

Welp, it's been awhile.

Luckily, I have been keeping up with my knitting despite (or possibly as a result of?) not keeping up with my blog posts. I'm calling this one a May/June combined update. I had originally planned to knit only half of the first sleeve in May, then finish it up in June. Why I planned so much time for a single sleeve is now unclear. It's such easy stockinette that I powered through the whole thing without really realizing it about half way through May. No matter, though, and I haven't touched this project in June at all but have focused on others instead. Maybe because I knew I was ahead of schedule and maybe because I was just feeling really into making progress on other things (more on that later).



So, here it is! Body and first sleeve. Check and check. I plan to cast on the second sleeve this coming week and will most likely just knit the whole thing without interruption again like I did with the first. It just feels silly to set it down half-sleeve-way through. Plus, then I'll leave myself more time for the yoke, which might end up taking more time then budgeted. And if it doesn't then this will be the first project I've ever finished before it's deadline!! Wait, that's not entirely true. I made a handful of project for my good friend Lindsey while she was still pregnant with her adorable son Levi that were don waaaaay ahead of her due date. But I think baby projects don't count because they're so cute and quick that it's impossible to stop knitting them. And then make three pairs of wee baby socks when you had planned to make one because wee socks are just about the cutest thing ever (see here and here)

I've mentioned that I've been knitting this Christmas sweater along with two other projects and decided I should provide some photographic evidence of this. From the top down we've got a super special traditional-ish Aran sweater I've been working on for Kevin, a flame (I refuse to say blaze) orange waffle-stitch cardigan for me, and the Christmas sweater. They are all in different states of completion and I love them all at once.

Here's the list of accountability with some very satisfying strikethroughs...

• March - Knit 7" of body (half of 14")
• April - Finish last 7" of body to the armpits
• May - Make half of first sleeve
• June - Finish first sleeve
• July - Make half of second sleeve
• August - Finish second sleeve
• September - Join sleeves to body and start the yoke
• October - Finish the yoke
• November - Seaming, finishing, and blocking
• December - Wear it every friggin day

Piemaking Season

I've been making soooo many pies lately. Like. A pie a week. Fruit pies are my favorite - even though pumpkin and pecan pie are also fabulous - so summer is piemaking season in our house. Plus, I've been getting lots and lots of fruit in my weekly produce box. More than we could simply eat out of hand in a week so what's a girl to do but make it into pie? 

Also, I got a haircut. 

Kevin got me this cool pie book for Christmas (Or was it my birthday? Being ten days apart they tend to run together...) and I've been working my way through several of the recipes. I tend to be of the mindset that a summer picnic isn't complete without a fresh pie, either, and thus in recent weeks there has been apple pie, peach pie, cherry pie, raspberry-blackberry, and most recently this quite adventurous Skillet Stone Fruit Streusel pie. 

Here's the think about stone fruit. I do like it. I think. Sometimes. But...in my opinion it's just got this really short window of deliciousness and if you miss that window it's either way too tart or too soggy to eat out of hand. And even then I'd rather eat citrus, or mangos, or plain 'ole apples. 

So, when I opened my produce box this week to find a slew of apriums and plums I immediately thought of this pie from my Four and Twenty Blackbirds book. This recipe was a first for me in many ways. First pie made in a cast iron skillet (what's not to love about that!), first cornmeal crust, and first streusel top. Oh yeah, and first aprium/plum pie. Actually, first experience with apriums at all. You weird fruit mutant you. 

The result? A+. As usual I cut the sugar in half because we like our pie nice 'n tart. Plus less sugar makes it just perfect for breakfast with a cuppa of course. The filling was lovely and spot on in terms of flavor and consistency. I did have a bit of trouble with the crust, though. One reason could be that I only had medium ground cornmeal and should have used finely ground. I also got lazy with the butter and didn't take it out of the freezer with enough time to partially thaw so I cheated and used the microwave. This was a bit of a fail since it only semi-melted the outside and left the inside completely frozen. Thus, my dough was harder to roll out than normal and turned out a bit more rustic. No matter. I'm fine with a "rustic, raw edge crust" as they say.