Mango Kiwi Cooks and Bakes and Knits and Reads!

Finished a sweater... Well more like a sweater shrug thing...

2011-12-29T11:00:00.003-05:00

This sweater is made out of garnstudio drops alpaca and it is knit with two strands held together. The design is a bit unusual, but unusual is good when it comes to creating a knitting creation!

Visited States

2011-05-22T21:40:00.001-04:00

create your own personalized map of the USA
o

Visited Countries Map

2011-05-22T21:29:00.002-04:00

create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide

Banana Bread

2010-07-31T22:27:00.002-04:00

My roommate had some super overripe bananas so I thought it was time to make banana bread. I had previously tried one from smitten kitchen and another one I am not quite sure about, maybe this one? But since they were 6, oh yes SIX, whole overripe bananas in my kitchen, it was time for a new recipe: Banana Sour Cream Bread. I made no modifications to this recipe. All I have to say is it made COPIUS amounts of batter and THREE loaves of 9x5 bread. Next time, I might try to make a crumble topping, add some nutmeg and ground cloves and possible reduce the amount of sugar. I used natural cane sugar instead of regular white sugar. Not sure there makes a huge difference. I am going to be eating banana bread for a long long time I guess! Banana bread is cooling now :)

indian cooking

2010-07-29T11:30:00.004-04:00

I thought I would try my hand at Indian cooking since I am in fact Indian. I made Rajma and Aloo Gobi. Typically I am not the biggest fan of Aloo Gobi since to me, it is the most boring of the Indian dishes. But this time, I followed a recipe off of Smitten Kitchen, that involved baking the potatoes and cauliflower instead of pan-frying them and the result was most delicious! I like it better because the potatoes and cauliflower were crispy and and less soggy than with pan frying. These were the ingredients I used:

1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp mango powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475°F.

Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 3 tablespoons oil, cumin seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 25 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, and ginger in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in roasted vegetables. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add the garam masala and mango powder last. (Add lemon juice? (optional)).

Garnish with fresh cilantro.

I also made rajma, another "meat and potatoes" Indian dish, but I love rajma! How can anyone dislike anything with beans? This might have turned out too spicy. I also took a recipe from Smitten Kitchen and modified the amount of spices. I might reduce the amount of cumin next time.

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp mango powder

1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes and their juice
~30 oz dark red kidney beans
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a deep sauce pan over medium heat for one minute. Add ginger, garlic, onion and cook until onions become translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt and remaining spices and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the kidney beans plus one additional cup of water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Add garam masala and mango powder at the last minute. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice if desired. Garnish with cilantro.

I have a lot leftover! Thank goodness for leftovers! As a kid I never liked leftovers, but now I love love them! Probably because it saves me time as I write my thesis.

Zester

2010-02-10T03:01:00.001-05:00

I am loving my new microplane zester! I have to say it is officially the best thing ever. Can't wait to make more recipes that call for lemon, lime or orange zest!

Oven Roasted Potatoes!

2010-02-06T16:45:00.003-05:00

Okay, maybe it is a boring thing to post about oven-roasted potatoes, but I made some and they were good! And I finished the last of my Boston Organics potatoes. The recipe called for a lot of spices, I did not have the basil or the dill weed so I left them out and did everything else the same, it was still good! I actually wonder if it would be too busy with the basil and the dill weed! So now I am down to one small head of broccoli, which I will use to make the Double Broccoli Quinoa again since I have a fair amount of pesto left, 2 carrots (which will be come Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple and Red Lentil Soup, hope it's good!), mushrooms (thai green curry?), beets (side-dish?), and watermelon radishes (south indian sambar?). Hope I can finish all this food before it goes bad!

Double Broccoli Quinoa

2010-02-05T19:37:00.001-05:00

Today I made the Double Broccoli Quinoa from 101 Cookbooks with the broccoli I got from Boston Organics. I was surprised at how delicious it was! It was SO GOOD! Luckily I have sauce leftover and some broccoli left over, so I will just steam some broccoli and make some more quinoa and voila! at least a few more meals... I will be making this recipe again for sure!

sopa de lentejas

2010-02-04T21:14:00.003-05:00

I made my lentil soup again with carrots and potatoes, this time it turned out better than last time. I did add an extra 3/4 cup of lentils which makes the carrots and potatoes sparser, but I am not so happy about that! I think it is better because it is spicier (more cayenne) and the potatoes are starchier, which I like. I do have to say the carrots that I get from Boston Organics are pretty phenomenal. I still have a lot of produce left: 4 potatoes, 2 carrots, 2 heads of broccoli, 2 watermelon radishes, 4 beets, 1 box of mushrooms. I wonder if I can finish it all!

new shipment of boston organics today

2010-02-03T16:06:00.002-05:00

Today I got a new shipment of boston organics. It's my first shipment after switching to the half fruit/half veggie box. Today I got:

1 lbs of Fuji Apples (3 of them)
1.5 lbs of bananas (5 of them)
3 Bosc pears
2 Temple oranges
3 Satsuma Mandarins
1 grapefruit
2 watermelon radishes
1 box of white mushrooms
1.5 lbs of potatoes (7 of them)
1 lbs carrots (4 of them)
2 heads of broccoli
1 lbs beets

Unsure what to do with this stuff! Kind of wish I got collard greens again to make the fab tofu recipe :)

Last of the Boston Organics!

2010-01-28T00:19:00.002-05:00

Today I cooked with the last of the Boston Organics, making sweet chili lime tofu again, this time with broccoli instead of collard greens. I think it is generally better with collard greens but the broccoli made me feel super healthy! I guess I still have the lettuce left, so maybe I will eat a few more salads with the lettuce. Lettuce is definitely going on my no-list, I am bored of salads!

This weekend I will try to make a red lentil, sweet potato, carrot and apple soup recipe I found on all recipes.

Spicy White Bean and Turnip Soup

2010-01-25T20:52:00.003-05:00

I had a lot of food in my fridge still, but I made spicy white bean and turnip soup to use my turnips, the last carrot, the last onion, and the last potato. It turned out quite good and it certainly is spicy. Though I did use cayenne instead of hot paprika and I used 1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes instead of half a tsp. It made a lot, I may freeze some of it.

Tomorrow I may make the sweet chili lime tofu over broccoli with rice and then I will finish the last of my vegetables from Boston Organics.

Cooking has been really fun and I think I lost some weight, woohoo!

an interesting salad recipe

2010-01-24T20:49:00.003-05:00

I tried this today:

Romaine Lettuce
1 Avocado mashed up with a tbsp of olive oil, splash of lemon juice, some garlic powder and salt
and sunflower seeds

That was my salad, I mixed it up so that the avocado mixture was coating my lettuce like a dressing. I also added red pepper on top, but perhaps it didn't quite go with the rest of the salad. Perhaps it should have been roasted to go with the rest of the salad.

Hearty Lentil Soup!

2010-01-22T20:22:00.003-05:00

Today I made lentil soup from some of the vegetables I got. I used 3 potatoes, 2 carrots, 2 onions from the shipment! I suspect this soup is going to last me for a while. I didn't really follow a recipe. I used the following spices: garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, black pepper, salt and fresh cilantro (added at the end). It is a bit spicy in the back of your throat, but not overpoweringly so. In addition to the lentils (about 2 cups) and the ingredients mentioned above, I used 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes and their juice, so the soup is colorful and healthy.

I still have 1 onion, 1 carrot and 3 turnips that will go into a spicy white bean and turnip soup (will be made on a date yet to be decided). My roommate and I finished the last of the sweet chili lime tofu with collard greens and wheat noodles today. She loved the dish and so did I! I think lime zest makes everything delicious!

So what to do with green bell pepper, the broccoli and the romaine lettuce? Perhaps I should tell them that I don't want lettuce because I am not a huge fan of salads in the winter time. It is hard to make the substantial enough. I was thinking I could make a dinner salad of romaine lettuce, avocado, roast red peppers and maybe my own dressing involving garlic, mint, cilantro, lime juice and olive oil? I have no idea if those things taste good together.

I can't believe I have almost finished all the fruit in my shipment. But mostly eating my own food for the last week makes me feel really healthy and thinner in fact. Sometimes I feel like my own food isn't fatty enough, because I often find myself craving fatty food. But maybe they will go away after a while! Anyway, that's all for now folks! :)

2010-01-21T22:51:00.002-05:00

So far made sweet chili lime tofu with collard greens and whole wheat linguine from the stuff I got from Boston Organics. Next time I will use soba noodles instead, I'm not sure I liked the taste of the whole wheat linguine. But the sweet chili time tofu was fab. I got the recipe from here.

I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow, what should I make tomorrow evening? A salad with my romaine lettuce? Perhaps I should put that on my no list since I am not sure I like salads.

Boston Organics

2010-01-20T14:46:00.002-05:00

Got my first shipment of food today from Boston Organics, in the $29 dollar 2/3 vegetable, 1/3 fruit shipment, which turned out to be:

3 carrots ( = 1 lb)
3 turnips ( = 1 lb)
3 red onions ( = 1 lb)
4 potatoes ( = 1.5 lb)
1 bunch of collard greens
1 head of romaine lettuce
1 green bell pepper
1 bunch of broccoli
3 Macintosh apples ( = 1 lb)
4 bananas ( = 1.5 lb)
2 oranges
2 pears

Anyway, excited to cook with it!

prismatic scarf

2010-01-17T18:57:00.001-05:00

prismatic scarf
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I love this scarf! I made it for my sister out of manos del uruguay silk blend. Too bad I gave it to my sister :), I should have kept it for myself! :)

Finished projects so far...

2009-11-11T15:16:00.003-05:00

I kind of wanted to quantify my knitting progress this year, so I am making a list. I should do that image gallery that Grumperina does of finished projects in a year... (hmm, how do I do this?). Anyway, here are the projects finished in 2009, so far.

1. Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts (although this is definitely not a last minute project)
2. The kit that my friend Minh got for me from La Droguerie (oh, how nice is the alpaca!)
3. Tanzanite Hedera
4. Handsome Mittens from IK Winter 2008
5. Embossed Leaves Socks in STR 24 Karat
6. Prismatic Scarf in Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend
7. Elm Row Scarf in Sundara Sock Cranberry Over Punch

The sad part is that I have even more projects in progress! Sigh! Need to finish some things! I will finish a few more things before the year is over. Namely, I will finish a pair of jaywalkers and who knows what else!

Xmas knitting

2009-11-08T15:34:00.002-05:00

Can't wait until Xmas is over so I can finally display the images of what I have knitted recently!

Koigu purchased from Purl!

2009-10-10T11:25:00.001-04:00

koigu 001
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I had such a hard time picking what I wanted since they had such a great selection! Now the question is what to do with this...

Prismatic Scarf

2009-10-10T10:59:00.002-04:00

I started knitting the Prismatic scarf for my sister for christmas (so I won't be posting any pictures just in case she is reading). But I do have to say that the design of the prismatic scarf is ingenious, especially the I-cord edging. It looks really polished and professional, if I may say so myself :) The pattern is not hard at all and is easy to remember. Some might find a bit boring, but since I am working with Manos Silk Blend, it is hard to get bored of it!

Went to Purl!

2009-09-30T13:59:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I was in New York to give a talk in the business school and since I was in the area, of course I had to go to Purl! What a nice little yarn store! The yarns are presented really well and they have a lot of selection. I wish I bought more actually, but was feeling a bit conservative and didn't want to buy something that I didn't have somewhat of a plan for it (except for sock yarn). I bought some Manos Silk Blend in the Violets colorway (to make a scarf - but what pattern? oh the choices!) and two different colorways of Koigu (one of which with tons of bright colors, the other of which I like to call Halloween yarn). Perhaps I should come up with a plan for the Koigu that doesn't involve socks. My housemate commented on the fact that I should make more mittens rather than socks so that I can show them off more :)

White Witch Mitts

2009-09-19T11:30:00.001-04:00

mittens 004
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

My first fair isle project. Frankly it looks a little sloppy. The tension on my left hand is much looser than the tension on my right hand. Also I used DK weight yarn when the pattern called for sport weight yarn and still used US 3 needles which I think was a mistake. Another weird thing is that when I stick my hand in the mitten I can feel all the yarn that was carried across in the back when I was using the other color for a while.

Hedera Socks

2009-09-14T18:07:00.003-04:00

I finished this a while ago and started them much longer than that ago. But here are the pictures. I think I am bored of regular sock patterns and need to work on sock patterns that teach me a new trick (such as two at time) or give me more practice with fair isling! Notice the color difference with flash and without flash :) The yarn is STR Tanzanite, I think I like real Tanzanite better :)

White Witch Mitts

2009-09-13T17:19:00.001-04:00

I started working on these again and I have started to realize that I really like fair isle. Probably because it it something new and different, it still seems challenging to me. I seem to have gotten the hang of these continental + English style knitting too. And the end product seems like it will look very professional :)

handsome mittens

2009-09-13T12:09:00.001-04:00

handsome mittens
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

One of the handsome mittens! These were incredibly fast to knit! Too bad I can't show you the other ones with the brown cuff and the orange thumb! :)

broadstreet mittens

2009-09-13T12:07:00.001-04:00

broadstreet mittens
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I promised my friend Minh that I would upload some knitting pictures so here they are! By the way, it is really hard to try to photograph both hands when you are showing off mittens! Anyway, I started these mittens 3 years ago probably and I finally finished the base part. Just need to do the shell. I wish I had picked a more interesting color or used variegated sock yarn!

Handsome Mittens

2009-09-02T10:54:00.003-04:00

I started making the Handsome Mittens from IK Winter 2008. They are certainly a quick knit! I think I will make mine the complete opposite of each other instead of just having the thumbs opposite of each other. Mine are in fall-ish colors: orange + brown. Pictures soon!

back to knitting

2009-08-17T11:39:00.002-04:00

This weekend I attempted to work a bit and thankfully, I did get some work done, not as much as I would have liked, but I took many breaks and actually got some knitting done! I finished the blanket I was making out of Noro Kureyon. Finished in the sense that I finished all the squares, but the ends need to be woven in, I need to block the squares and sew them all together. I also resumed working on my Tanzanite Hedera socks while watching some of the Tudors! I like everything Tanzanite :)

In the two weeks I have also finished the scarf I was making out of Sundara sock yarn and the scarf I was making out of the kit that my friend Minh got me from La Droguerie. The Sundara scarf needs to be blocked. I wish I had a blocking board!

Too bad I haven't started anything new lately, too many old projects are sitting around. Funny, I feel the same way about research!

Got my Fall IK!

2009-07-31T12:40:00.002-04:00

I got my issue of fall IK in the mail yesterday! woohoo! I haven't been knitting that much lately, but the pictures are so pretty maybe I want to keep a subscription to this magazine forever. Things that caught my eye in this issue were the Maple Street Cardigan (if I knit this, I will make it longer), the Freyja Sweater, the Bandelier Socks (but how can you put something so pretty on your feet!), and the Slanting Gretel Tee (though I never really understood sweater t-shirts). Sadly, I probably won't knit any of these in the near future, too many unfinished projects that I need to take care of first and many projects still in the queue!

Perhaps I can take some yarn to Argentina and work on something there!

i have seen only a very small portion of the world

2009-05-29T11:52:00.000-04:00

create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide

i want to go to spain and greece and sweden and finland and...

2009-05-29T11:01:00.001-04:00

create your personalized map of europe
or check out our Barcelona travel guide

wasting time...

2009-05-29T10:59:00.001-04:00

create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

Chevron Scarf is finished!

2009-02-19T12:40:00.002-05:00

It sure took a long time and got boring at times, but I'm actually debating whether I want to knit another one. Or not! Perhaps my STR mediumweight should be turned into Baby Surprise Jackets. Now if only my friends were having babies fast enough...

spring IK preview

2009-02-11T16:12:00.002-05:00

It's up and I can't wait to get my copy in the mail. Lots of nice patterns! I am going to knit the Fountain Pen Shawl eventually! I haven't knit too many shawls, I'm afraid they look a little matronly, but they can look very elegant wrapped around the next with a dress. I think the Silk Cocoon Cardigan is my favorite of the sweaters! I may consider this one as well, the Millefiori Cardigan since it calls for a yarn made of 30% milk protein! I also like the Zickzack Tunic, but I don't know if it will look good on me, maybe I can make it for a sister of mine eventually!

24 karat

2009-02-10T19:22:00.001-05:00

Mustard Yellow is my new favorite color, that's why I bougt this skein of STR! But I'm kind of disappointed by it. The center is more yellow that the outside, which is more brown. I do like a tad of variegation, that's why I like the STR Watercolor Wave choices, but I wish this skein was mixed more uniformly. Because with this skein, one sock will end up being more yellow than the other which is kind of disappointing.

I am still knitting the Chevron Scarf and I'm kind of disappointed with the skein of jailhouse rock, it could have been spun better, but I suppose that it doesn't have any knots.

FOs of 2008

2009-01-22T23:50:00.004-05:00

Thank god for Ravelry, which makes this so easy to keep track of!

1. Springgrass Socks in Purple Koigu (they were actually started in 2007, but finished in 2008)
2. Baudelaire Socks in Cherry Tree Hill Supersock (i love the pattern + yarn combination!)
3. Karaoke Cable Scarf
4. Argosy Scarf in Noro Silk Garden Lite (which I gave to my sister Sonia)
5. Drop Stitch Scarf in Lady Godiva (what heavenly yarn!)
6. Multidirectional Scarf in Artyarns Supermerino
7. Go With the Flow Socks in Brownish Koigu (also started in 2007, but finished in 2008)
8. Yarn Over Cable Socks from Sensational Knitted Socks in STR Henpecked
9. Monkey Socks in STR Carbon
10. Baby Cable Rib Socks from Sensational Knitted Socks in STR Chapman Springs
11. Some Generic Socks in Silkie Socks that Rock Eggplanted
12. Anastasia Socks in Claudia Handpainted (Claudia handpainted is so awesome! Wish I had some more of this... should not buy right now :) )
13. Knotty or Knice Socks in STR Sunstone
14. Bacchus Socks in STR Mossay
15. Lace Ribbon Scarf in Classic Elite Alpaca Sox

This year I knit 5 scarves and 10 pairs of socks, holy crap! I need to get a life. Not to mention all the things I started and didn't finish. They will be finished!

Lace Ribbon Scarf

2009-01-18T22:55:00.001-05:00

Lace Ribbon Scarf
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

This is my lace ribbon scarf that I started way long ago and recently finished. It needs to be blocked and that will likely take me another million years :) But I do have a feeling it will look rather fabulous once it is blocked. I will post a picture of me modeling it once I have blocked it :) The color might be a bit problematic. Hopefully I have something to match with it.

It uses 1 and 1/3 skein of Classic Elite Alpaca Sox. I like this yarn and how it doesn't have as sharp stitch definition as other sock yarns like STR. Hopefully one day I will actually knit a pair of socks out of it :)

Chevron Scarf

2009-01-18T22:52:00.001-05:00

knitting 004
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

This is the scarf that I complain about that it is so boring. Looks pretty, but too simple. Perhaps it is good to knit while watching a movie or something since it's pretty brainless. I am not sure who to give it to yet. Hmmm....

Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn

2009-01-17T17:22:00.003-05:00

I just got my copy of this book in the mail. I'm excited about knitting the Chevvy Socks and the Spot Check Socks. There are a number of other interesting patterns but I think these two are my fave. For the Spot Check Socks I am thinking of STR Spinel (or In the Navy) and STR Spawn of Braun. I almost forgot to mention the herringbone socks which look very attractive, but since it first appeared in an IK, I may subconsciously consider it an IK pattern!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-14T18:17:00.003-05:00

It's a been a while since I updated my blog, so let me do that now. I didn't knit for a while over the break, since I didn't have any room to fit my knitting into my luggage, oh the sadness. Let me just tell you what I have on my needles now and what I recently finished.

What's on the needles right now:
1. Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts - this is really boring actually, I just wanted to use up some of STR Mediumweight, the scarf looks nice, but so BORING!
2. Hourglass Socks in STR Jade - these are fun! I like the pattern, I like the way it's turning out! These are my friend Katrina.
3. I recently decided to resume knitting the Broadstreet Mittens I had started over 2 years ago. They are nice, but they are in black. Kind of boring.
4. Some generic socks in STR Mediumweight Scottish Highlands for my mom. My mom likes the really thick socks so these are made especially for her.
5. Hedera Socks in STR Lightweight Tanzanite for me. This is also boring me. I wonder if I will ever finish these. I started this project I'm guessing over 6 months ago.

Some stuff that's been idle for a while that I need to finish:
1. My Wheat Ear Cable Yoke Sweater. Just needs to be seamed. I don't know how to seam and it's boring. Maybe I will get to it eventually.
2. My Wrap Sweater from Knitting Pure and Simple. I believe just a sleeve needs to be finished and the some finishing work.
3. STR mediumweight socks generic toe-up in STR Mediumweight Dutch Canyon.
4. The Wisp Scarf from Knitty in Rowan Kidsilk Haze, for my sister. Also started over 6 months ago.
5. The tilted duster I started way long ago.

What I recently finished:
1. My Lace Ribbon Scarf. I had started this a while ago, "finished" it with one skein and the decided I wanted to make it longer, so i made it ~80" inches instead of ~60". Now I have finished it for good, though it needs to be blocked.

And to further distract me from my goal of finishing these projects, I've decided that I want to try a fair-isle project. I bought some yarn from Woolcott to make a pair of fair-isle mittens (specifically the White Witch Mitts), two colors of Classic Elite Fresco and two colors of Debbie Bliss Rialto, hope they turn out nice! I'm getting kind of bored of socks the way I traditionally knit them, so I am eager to start knitting some mittens (I have my eye on the two Eunny Jang patterns in addition to the one above) and some hats (I have my eye on the beaded one by Grumperina and a beret that was in the IK a few years ago) or socks two at a time.

I also need to buy a 40" US 1 circular needle so that I learn how to knit two socks at the same time using my awesome new book that my friend Minh got me!

When am I going to finish the 10 projects I have listed above!?!

Another View of the Bacchus Socks

2008-12-06T20:42:00.001-05:00

Bacchus Socks
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

Bacchus Socks

2008-12-06T20:37:00.001-05:00

Bacchus Sock
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

A picture from a funny angle, but I wanted to fully capture the bobble action. These are quite possibly my most favorite socks that I have ever knit. Knit out of Socks that Rock Mossay on 2 Addi Turbo Size 1. I love love love these socks! The pattern, the yarn, the bobbles, maybe I should stop knitting socks now :)

mustard yellow

2008-12-04T18:27:00.000-05:00

bought some 24-karat STR, not mustardy enough!

i have never bought any sundara

2008-12-02T14:19:00.002-05:00

how weird is that? I think I may sign up for one of their collections next time they have one because the pictures look oh so irresistible.

maybe they will also encourage me to knit other things besides socks!

sunstone socks

2008-11-21T20:24:00.004-05:00

These are my most recent pair of socks. The Knotty and Knice Socks from the Fall 2008 IK. The yarn is STR lightweight in Sunstone. The pattern went surprisingly quickly considering that I am now a master of cabling without a cable needle. I think I was playing it on the risky side with the yardage as I barely had any yarn left. I am currently knitting the Bacchus Socks from the same IK. The Fall IK had two really great sock patterns, when I saw them I knew that I had to knit them. (The orange of the sunstone is not quite so bright, I think the flash of the camera is making them look brighter than they actually are.)

women in theory socks

2008-11-21T20:14:00.002-05:00

I knit these socks on the way to the Women in Theory workshop way back in June. I like socks that rock and I like the baby cable rib pattern from Sensational knitted socks, but I hate the way these pooled! Oh well, they will be warm to sleep in. The yarn is STR Chapman Springs Lightweight.

India Socks

2008-11-21T20:04:00.004-05:00

I knit these in India. My first and only Claudia Hand Painted. I really like Claudia Hand Painted. It's a tad more expensive than STR, but it just looks so beautiful knit up! I'm not sure how exactly to describe the fact that they are different from STR. Maybe the stitch definition is sharper and the lighter colors in the handpainting pop a little more. The pattern is the Anastasia Socks which can be found on ravelry.

Some socks!

2008-11-21T20:00:00.003-05:00

I knitted these in Italy on the numerous train rides we took. My first Silkie Socks that Rock, maybe my last! I don't like the fact that the different strands are different colors. This colorway is Eggplanted. The pattern is one of the simple rib patterns from Sensational Knitted Socks.

sweaters...

2008-11-05T21:37:00.001-05:00

I feel like knitting a sweater, but I don't feel like blocking and I don't feel like seaming, gosh I'm picky aren't I? I think that rules out 95% of all nice looking sweater patterns!

Happy Birthday to me!

2008-05-25T19:51:00.002-04:00

I recently got some STR in the mail -- I guess it was a birthday present from myself to myself. Anyway, I got some Lightweight and then I thought I would try a skein of Silkie Socks that Rock. Honestly, I don't know how I feel about this yarn. It's a bit weird because (I don't know how to explain this but I will try) it's like two ply but its very obvious that it's two ply because the different plies aren't the same color. It's definitely very soft, but I think any pattern would be totally obscured by this weird ply thing so I will knit it up in regular stockinette.

Monkey Sock

2008-05-22T14:19:00.001-04:00

Monkey Sock
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I only have one of these done so far and I knitted them while procrastinating studying for my exam. I like the monkey pattern a lot. This is my second time knitting the pattern (maybe I will take a break from the pattern after the second sock is done). Yarn is socks that rock Carbon.

Yarn Over Cable Socks

2008-05-22T14:17:00.001-04:00

Yarn Over Cable
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I'm finally posting some pictures... I'm so bored of studying for my exam (which I'm going to fail). This is the yarn over cable pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks in Socks that Rock Henpecked. They are fun :)

One skein of Koigu?

2008-05-14T18:53:00.002-04:00

I wonder what to do with one skein of koigu. I have three single skeins... it's weird I bought two as a pair and suppposedly they have the same dye lot which was suspicious looking at the hank... but after winding its apparent that they are not from the same dyelot. (The other is leftover from a shawl I made my mom...). I know that I can match each skein to a solid color and do a pair of socks with toe, heel, and ribbing in a different color but that would involve purchasing 6 more skeins of yarn which I don't really want to do esp since Koigu is so expensive.

I wonder if one skein is enough for a pair of fingerless gloves?

Or I suppose I could knit every two rows for the two skeins that are approximately the same color but that's kind of a pain with the heel and the toe...

You know it's a good day when...

2008-04-29T14:51:00.002-04:00

you get yarn in the mail!

I didn't realize that the cotton glace I ordered would be fluorescent orange. I thought it would be a pale orange. I wonder what I should do with this... I like all the other colors that I ordered, I think the Mission Falls Cotton in Fennel might be my favorite. But the pale purple and deep orange Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece are also very nice.

IK Summer 2008!

2008-04-27T16:20:00.001-04:00

So excited that the preview is out! I have my eye on the folded cowl tee and the apres surf hoodie. I guess the rest of the patterns are trying to tell me that I need to learn how to fair-isle!

I just ordered a bunch of yarn!

2008-04-25T11:16:00.002-04:00

I ordered 14 skeins of Mission Falls Cotton 1824 (in Fennel) to knit the Dovetail Pullover from IK Spring 2008, 3 skeins of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece (in Orange) to knit the Rusted Root top from Zephyr Style, 3 skeins of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece (in Light Purple) to knit the Green Gable top from Zephyr Style and 6 skeins of Rowan Cotton Glace (in a Light Orange color) to knit a Knitting Pure and Simple fitted T-shirt! And I got a really good deal on it all since I ordered from Webs! And I'm super excited about the colors! It's so weird, I haven't knit with cotton yet so it's going to be my first few experiences knitting with cotton and cotton blends.

IK Summer 2008?

2008-04-23T16:07:00.000-04:00

I wonder when the IK Summer 2008 preview will be posted. Should be soon right? I can't wait to see what fun patterns they have! I have no life. All day I dream about what I am going to knit!

Multi-directional Diagonal Scarf

2008-04-15T14:09:00.001-04:00

Multi-directional Diagonal Scarf
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

And finally the last post of today -- this I finished sometime in January. I had been wanting to do this pattern again so I did it and now I'm going to retire it for a bit :) It's knit with Art Yarns handpaint stripes.

Currently I'm knitting the Lace Ribbon Scarf from the most recent issue of knitty. It's kind of slow knit for a scarf because its on US 3 needles, but I think it's going to look really nice when it's done. I like it because I get to try Alpaca Sox which I really really like!

Lady Godiva Drop Stitch Scarf

2008-04-15T14:06:00.001-04:00

Lady Godiva Drop Stitch Scarf
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I love Lady Godiva! It is heavenly! It may quite possibly be the best yarn ever. This scarf was a super fast knit and I love the color. It may be kind of delicate for a scarf but of course feels great around the neck.

Argosy

2008-04-15T14:05:00.001-04:00

Argosy
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

This is another scarf that I finished not too long ago, made out of Noro Silk Garden Lite. The pattern is from Knitty and was pretty fun. I didn't realize just how colorful the scarf would be, perhaps too colorful to wear? My friend Lolo says it can be my gay pride flag, ha! Anyway, I think it could use some blocking!

Karaoke Cable Scarf

2008-04-15T14:03:00.001-04:00

Karaoke Cable Scarf
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I said that 2008 was going to be year of the sweater, but I think it might be the year of the scarf. I've been into braindead knitting lately so I guess scarves are the most braindead of all and they are a fun and short way to try a new fiber. I really enjoyed this project because I got to try Karaoke (half wool, half soysilk - no, not soy milk) and I learned how to cable without a cable needle (it actually goes pretty quickly when you get used to it). This scarf is so fun and happy to wear, I've been wearing it a lot in this Boston spring weather. Probably not good for the winter since the scarf is pretty thin like a rope!

for my next scarf

2008-02-22T13:00:00.001-05:00

I'd like to work with soysilk or bamboo (does bamboo make for a nice dress scarf?), because I haven't worked with either of these materials.

I'm knitting the Karaoke Cable Scarf

2008-02-20T13:35:00.002-05:00

and it's so much fun! Part of why it's cool is that I get to work with a new yarn (SWTC Karaoke which is half wool, half soysilk and 100% heavenly!). I think that I'm going to try knitting with pure soysilk at some point too, probably another scarf such as the Dayflower scarf. It's also really cool because I learned how to cable without a cable needle and it's not nearly as complicated as Grumperina's tutorial looks. The striping of the Karaoke is also really awesome, the scarf is going to be SO pretty, I will wear it with pride! Who would have thought knitting a scarf could be so fun? I think that knitting scarves can be useful to test out a new fabric or a new technique, because it's small, goes quickly and there's not a lot of committment involved.

I just got some Lady Godiva (in the Peridot colorway - so awesome!) and some Noro Silk Garden Lite (for the Argosy), so more scarves may be in my future!

I guess I'm totally into the brainless knitting these days because I've been working really hard and been kind of exhausted lately!

noro squares take 2

2008-02-18T22:58:00.001-05:00

noro squares take 2
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

These things knit up so quickly -- I'm done with the second pair. I'm so amazed at how two squares that come from the same skein look NOTHING alike. Knitting the squares is more fun and less boring than I thought partly because the noro is so colorful, has an interesting texture that goes from thick to thin (much like Manos), I like the double decrease and the way you end up knitting two sides of a square in one row.

First two Noro Squares

2008-02-17T23:13:00.001-05:00

Noro Squares
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

Can you believe that these two squares are from the same skein. In case you were wondering what colorway it is, it is 180.

Noro Kureyon

2008-02-17T23:11:00.001-05:00

Noro Kureyon
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

This will soon become a blanket! Two skeins are missing...

I am knitting Noro Squared

2008-02-17T12:02:00.002-05:00

I just started knitting Noro Squared. I recently bought 12 balls of Noro Kureyon for the project and so far, I've been through one ball. One ball = two squares. I think the project is going to be really not fun to sew up, but it will be cool nonetheless. I like Noro although people say that it is really rough. The colors are so bright that its interesting to see how the stripe-age will occur. Maybe after this if I'm not sick of blankets and squares, I will do lizard ridge!

Should I knit a scarf soon?

2008-02-13T14:10:00.002-05:00

Browsing the popular patterns on Ravelry has made me a little more excited about knitting scarves. I don't typically like knitting these because they can be kind of boring and I already have a lot. You can never have too many socks, but you can have too many scarves!

But anyway, I think I may knit a scarf in the near future. I really want to knit the karaoke cable scarf that was posted on kpixie because then I get to try out SWTC Karaoke and I've never worked with soy silk before, which could be very interesting. Other possibilities for scarvjes include the Dayflower Scarf (what yarn? something silky?) and Argosy (is Silk Garden Lite nice?).

Other things that I have thought about but won't do immediately are: the Drop Stitch Scarf and the Montego Bay Scarf (IK Summer 2007). Probably those patterns are good from the perspective that they let you work with Lady Godiva and SeaSilk respectively.

Baudelaire Socks are finished!

2008-02-13T14:03:00.003-05:00

I finished them the day we submitted our paper since my mind was so numb to do anything else. Then I cast-on with STR henpecked (lightweight) and am knitting the Yarn-Over Cable from Sensational Knitted Socks. I'm happy that I'm reducing my sock yarn stash!

IK Spring 08

2008-02-09T11:38:00.000-05:00

I got my issue of IK in the mail and honestly I'm not sure I like a lot of the patterns. What's this issues obsession with reverse stockinette stitch? It looks kind of flea market to me. I did like the La Luz cardigan however it is going to be extremely expensive to make. I do like the Slyph Cardigan but I wonder if it will look funny on me since it is a bit of a strange design. I probably won't knit this actually since I have two sweaters to get to first. I did like the stoles in this months issue however, I wish they were knit as once piece rather than knit as two pieces and then grafted together. This can get kind of messy with lace...

Karaoke Blanket

2008-02-08T22:05:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking of making this blanket with SWTC Karaoke:

http://www.canknit.com/free/ns.html

I would need 12 skeins of Karaoke to make a 4 by 6 blanket. I could order it from Webs so that I get a 20% discount, but it will still be kind of expensive and perhaps I've spent too much money on yarn these days. Also, it may be a pain in the butt to graft the 24 squares together. But it looks so cool! Like an optical illusion. And I have never worked with SoySilk before. And the pattern is easy to remember and the squares are portable.

Go With The Flow Socks

2008-02-08T00:23:00.001-05:00

Go With The Flow Socks
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I am also working on the second sock in this pair (on my dpns, the others are on my addi turbos). These are top down and I just finished the leg on the second pair so maybe I will also finish these by the end of the month! This is also Koigu and I really love the colorway... There is nothing that I love more in the world than Koigu!

Baudelaire

2008-02-08T00:19:00.001-05:00

Baudelaire
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I just finished the heel of these socks (these socks are toe-up), so I guess I'm pretty close to being done. This is a pretty easy pattern to remember and but the leg uses a cable needle and I don't know how to cable without a cable needle. I'll probably finish these by the end of the month!

Springgrass Socks

2008-02-08T00:17:00.001-05:00

Springgrass Socks
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I finished these sometime in January with the bulk of the knitting done during my family vacation in Vegas. I love Koigu and the colorway, but I only wore these once and they were pilling/felting :(

Wheat Ear Cable Yoke

2008-02-08T00:08:00.001-05:00

Wheat Ear Cable Yoke
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I started my Wheat Ear Cable Yoke and there was a knot in one of the balls of yarn. It's bugging me because its making the knitting look not smooth. I'm wondering if I should frog it and redo. What do you think?

sweater yarns

2008-01-29T16:36:00.001-05:00

sweater yarns
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I love the days where I get yarn in the mail. Of course, I ignore the fact that I paid for it! I was really happy with the price that I got for this yarn. I got it at 25% off so it was a really good deal in my opinion. Got to love Webs. I got the mauve Tahki Torino for the Wheat Ear Cable Yoke and the Berroco Peruvia for the Tilted Duster. I'm not sure I like the color of the Tahki Torino as much as I thought I would. It's darker and not as bright as I thought it would be. I like the Berroco Peruvia quite a bit. I think the color is nice and the texture of the yarn is really nice. I think I may start one of these at Katie's knitting group.

I restarted the Artic Diamonds Stole

2008-01-18T21:21:00.000-05:00

While it's a nice pattern and looks nice and isn't boring, I find myself dropping stitches a lot because of the loose nature of lace. I wonder if I'm just out of practice when it comes to knitting lace. The frustrating thing is because it's lace I can always figure out how to pick up stitches so that it looks exactly the way it's supposed to. Oh well, hopefully no one will look closely.

Knitty Socks

2008-01-17T00:41:00.000-05:00

In this season's Knitty, I noticed the Azure socks (these look so awesome!) and the Lighthouse Gansey Socks (I'm not sure I've seen anything like them before!).

I need to start using my self-striping sock yarn but I'm not really in the mood to knit a plain sock. Maybe I will knit a Broadripple using my self-striping sock yarn because I don't feel like doing a Jaywalker again. I think SKS also has a few patterns for self-striping sock yarn.

Multi-Directional Diagonal Scarf

2008-01-16T13:31:00.000-05:00

I'm making a multi-directional scarf for myself out of Artyarns HandPaint Stripes because I loved the pattern when I knit it for Esha and I love Artyarns Merino. I like it because it's a really fast knit. It feels a lot faster than knitting socks!

Waving Lace Socks Take 2

2008-01-13T00:41:00.001-05:00

Waving Lace Socks
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

Another look at the Waving Lace Socks with Anchal in the background.

Waving Lace Socks

2008-01-13T00:39:00.001-05:00

Waving Lace Socks
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

Again a sock I finished last year but am uploading now. I think I finished it during one of the numerous snow storms in December. Maybe not the best picture, but I really like this pattern. Perhaps the colorful colorway obscures the pattern. I will probably knit this pattern again in a solid colorway to see what kind of effect it has in a solid colorway. This is also an example of a pattern that looks complicated but is easy to remember.

CTH is AWESOME!!! I love it almost as much as Koigu.

I have two socks in progress right now: Springgrass socks in purplish Koigu and Go with the Flow socks in brownish Koigu. In both I have one sock done and am working on the second one. I started these on the Las Vegas trip and got a lot done in a short while!

Jaywalkers

2008-01-13T00:32:00.001-05:00

Jaywalkers
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

Do you love my Jaywalkers? I do. I also finished them last year but am posting them to my blog now. They took a really really long time to finish. I must have started them in March of '07 and finished them late November '07. I finished them over the Thanksgiving break with the travel. I like how the toe is really short and the leg is really long. They are knit out of LL tuscany so they are a really fine knit and fabulous!

Check out tyra banks in the background. ANTM was on in the background!

Monkey Socks

2008-01-13T00:27:00.001-05:00

Monkey Socks
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I finished these last year, but I'm finally getting around to posting them. I loved this pattern, it was so easy to remember, looks nice, and was fun to knit up. I love these socks, they feel great on. Of course they took a really long time to knit since the yarn is so fine. It probably took 3 months or so to finish knitting them... I will deifnitely knit the Monkey pattern again. Cookie is genius!

Monkey socks in an almost solid color?

2008-01-09T23:28:00.001-05:00

I'm thinking of knitting the Monkey socks again in this beige-y brown color (my other skein of Fleece Artist Merino), because I love the pattern and I like the size of how the other pair turned out. The only thing is I wonder if the Monkey socks will look good in an almost solid color... can't hurt to try I suppose!

2008 is the year of the sweater

2008-01-06T19:50:00.000-05:00

Things I have my eye on are: the Titled Duster from IK Fall 2007, the Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke from IK Summer 2007 and the Refined Aran Jacket from IK Winter 2007 (though this may be too short for me).

Lotus Blossom Tank

2008-01-03T16:05:00.000-05:00

I'm finally going to knit the lotus blossom tank in Fiery Red. I'm excited since I've never worked with Bamboo before, it's not a very expensive project, and hopefully it will look fab when it's done.

Knitting in the New Year!

2008-01-03T01:21:00.000-05:00

My knitting new year's resolutions are to knit more things besides socks and to go to Katie's knitting club at least once in a while! Perhaps I should finish that Knitting Pure and Simple sweater I started because god knows that yarn wasn't cheap. I also have yarn for the Artic Diamonds Stole that I could also do at the knitting group... I think that's a really fun project since I love lace! I also must finish my second "fetching". I should also knit more fingerless gloves... ok, i should stop this post right now! ha.

I am also going to learn to fair-isle knit at some point or another in my lifetime.

Finished Projects for 2007!

2007-12-06T14:14:00.000-05:00

1. Waving Lace Socks in Cherry Tree Hill for Minh
2. Springgrass Socks in Fleece Artist Merino for Esha
3. Jaywalkers in LL Tuscany for ME
4. Toe up Socks in LL Fresh Stripe for Reena
5. Springgrass Socks in Koigu for ME
6. Jaywalkers in LL Crazy Stripe for Sonia
7. Charlotte's Web for my mom
8. Clapotis in Lady Godiva for ME
9. RPM Socks in STR for ME
10. Multi-directional Scarf in Artyarns Supermerino for Esha
11. Garland Lace Socks in LL Purple Iris for ME

Not a bad year! And I have two pairs of socks currently going so maybe I will add two more things to the list. (The Monkey Socks and the second pair of Waving Lace Socks).

Socks!

2007-12-04T12:57:00.000-05:00

I am knitting Monkey socks (from Knitty, one of Cookie's patterns) using Fleece Artist and Waving Lace in Cherry Tree Hill (a second pair!). Both are on their second sock. It's amazing how much I knit in the winter time!

waving lace socks

2007-12-02T10:31:00.001-05:00

waving lace socks
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

These are the waving lace socks from the IK book that I recently finished out of Cherry Tree Hill. I really like the pattern. Don't worry the legs of the socks are very stretchy. I can't wait to get started on a few more patterns from the IK favorite socks book (such as the embossed leaves socks!)

Socks that I am going to knit

2007-12-01T20:56:00.000-05:00

From Knitty I'm going to knit the baudelaire socks (with CTH solid), diamante, hedera (again, I already knit this pattern with koigu), kew (with fleece artist), and pomatomus.

From the Favorite socks book, I will knit the Waving Lace pattern (again), embossed leaves socks (hopefully a couple of times), merino lace socks, Mock Wave Cable socks, diagonal cross-rib socks, and go with the flow socks.

Not to mention what I will knit from Sensational Knitted Socks!

self-striping sock yarn!

2007-12-01T15:44:00.001-05:00

self-striping sock yarn!
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

or why I can't quit my day job...

I recently bought some sKNITches since it seems so hard to get. From left to right is Dayspa, Old Fashioned and two skeins of Handsome Devil for knee socks. The rightmost skein is Vesper Sock yarn in Crew. I think self striping sock yarn is great though I have yet to start knitting any of my self striping sock yarn up yet.

In any case, I'm not allowed to buy sock yarn for a very long time since I have way too many skeins of sock yarn. In my defense though, I'm almost exclusively knitting socks these days and I knit on the bus/subway/plane, etc.

Springgrass Socks

2007-11-30T18:38:00.001-05:00

Orchard Socks
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

These are springgrass socks that I finished a few weeks ago out of Fleece Artist/Hand Maiden Merino Sock yarn. I'm not sure why the heel of one turned out way lighter than the other, but it still reminds me of fall foliage!

Socks in Progress

2007-11-10T15:52:00.001-05:00

Socks in Progress
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

Here are the pictures of the socks that are in progress. From L to R we have Monkey Socks (from knitty) out of Fleece Artist Hand Maiden, Waving Lace Socks (from the IK Favorite Socks book) in Cherry Tree Hill, and Jaywalkers in LL Tuscany. I think the Waving Lace sock pattern is awesome and I will definitely do it again!

My first set of regia silk!

2007-11-10T15:48:00.001-05:00

My first set of regia silk!
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

The pair of Regia Silk that I bought from Wolcott recently.

yarn shopping

2007-11-10T00:15:00.000-05:00

I did a bit of yarn shopping... it had been a while so I think I deserved it! My Koigu stash was knitting dangerously low and the color that I had in my stash was pretty close to the fleece artist hand maiden that I just finished knitting. So I bought two pairs of Koigu, one purplish and the other brownish -- both looked very cool from the pictures. I also bought some regia silk since someone on the knitters forum said that regia silk was their favorite sock yarn. I also bought some solid cherry tree hill since little knits was having a sale and selling it for $14. Practically a steal if you ask me! Koigu is my favorite sock yarn of all time but I think Cherry Tree Hill is a close second! I also needed to replace my size 1 dpns and splurged on some rosewood needles, so far they are working great! I need to post pictures of my sister's finished crazy stripe socks and of the fleece artist hand maiden socks that I recently finished. I have 3 socks in progress right now -- I'm knitting a pair of Monkey Socks out of Fleece Artist Hand Maiden, a pair of Waving Lace Socks out of Cherry Tree hill and a pair of Jaywalkers out of LL Tuscany (that I have been knitting forever-ever!!).

Nope, I haven't given up knitting...

2007-09-30T15:09:00.000-04:00

I recently started a pair of Monkey socks out of Fleece Artist Hand Maiden while watching TV. I also have to do the second sock of a pair of Jaywalkers out of LL Tuscany and I recently finished a pair of plain toe-up socks in LL Fresh Stripe in honor of my sister's birthday. Pictures to come soon!

9 to 5 socks from Minh

2007-09-07T12:13:00.001-04:00

9 to 5 socks from Minh
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

My super duper awesome friend Minh knit me a pair of socks in honor of my return from California. I absolutely love them. I don't own Sundara yarn and I think its great. I love the tiny little stitches and the way they feel when I put them on! Thank you Minh!

Appletini and Chocolatini

2007-08-08T23:02:00.001-04:00

Appletini and Chocolatini
Originally uploaded by mangokiwi.

I got my first yarntini yarn! I'm super excited to knit with it since it's self-striping and I love both appletini's and chocolatini's!