sweater girl

i stopped in my tracks when i saw this sweater

on Anya Ziourova

as posted on Stop It Right Now

i need to make a version

anyone know the original maker of this sweater?

and photo?

knit inspiration

rachel roy

giant crochet stitch stool

love this

via just be splendid

jean hack man

inspired by Stop It Right Now

thrifted Rag & Bone jeans

hacked

After examining my friend's vintage beige mohair turban that her aunt knitted, I realized how easily I could make one on my own.  I also remembered 1.5 balls of vintage beige mohair that had been languishing in my stash yarn since I first learned to knit -- I'd come across a great bag of yarn leftovers at Goodwill while thrifting one day in college, and grabbed it for a few dollars, telling myself that one day I'd know how to use the stuff.  Mission accomplished!

the bag basket

I've been working on crocheting this basket out of sliced and spliced loops of grocery bags.  It's giving me a callus, but I love the random colors showing up from the printed bags, and the rough, sturdy structure it's building up to be.

Quick & Easy Lotion

Julie asked what recipe I used when making my lotion the other night, and the answer is...I don't remember where I got the recipe.  Sorry!  But I can tell you, it was the simplest set of instructions and I emailed myself the gist of it and just followed along:

First off, I had two big bottles of oil I bought at Madina in downtown Brooklyn.  They have an online store!  So easy.  For the last year I've been using dribbles of the plain oil to moisturize my overly dry hands and shins.  I use Sweet Almond Oil and Jojoba.  From these, I measured out a 1/2 cup blend of the two and put it in a double boiler on the stovetop.

Then I shaved roughly 2 tablespoons of beeswax off a 1 pound brick I bought online (although you can easily buy beeswax at your local farmer's market), and tipped that into the oil in the double boiler.

I watched, gently stirring for about 10 minutes as the wax shavings melted into the oil.  Careful not to douse yourself in hot oil and wax!  Then, I turned off the heat on the stove and kept stirring the oil/wax mixture with a whisk while slowly drizzling 1/2 cup of distilled water into the bowl.  Each time water hit the hot mixture, the oil and wax hardened a little and it became easier to whisk with more intensity.

Once all the water was added, I continued to whisk the mixture for about 10 minutes until the blend met my desired consistency.  To finish it off, I put a few drops of peppermint oil in the bowl and whisked it until fully incorporated.  Then I used a spatula to fill two small wide-mouth containers (I used Lush soap tins) with the lotion, and stored in my bathroom.

Fin!

Note:
I've been using the lotion every morning in lieu of the plain oil, and it is so much easier to apply/spread.  Also, it seems that it absorbs into my skin more quickly, and I don't feel nearly as greasy.  I'd love to try making lotion again, and maybe next time I'll try getting a little fancier with the scents I add.  I may also try whipping the mixture a bit longer over a very controlled, low heat, because I notice that some of the distilled water separated from my lotion after a few days of sitting.  I may also try adding slightly more wax next time to help everything set.

Another note:
The wax is so annoying to try to clean off a good knife, so use a craft knife or maybe a thrifted cheese grater or something you won't use on food to shave your 2 tablespoons of beeswax.  Or!  Buy the granulated beeswax from your local bee keeper.  :)

this week's obsessions

patio dining - it is currently 61 degrees!

home made lotion made with bees wax, jojoba and sweet almond oils

recently knitted

made today

-bed
-French Press coffee
-english muffin with marmalade
-to-do lists
-little painting
-popovers with nutella

made this morning

-bed
-jasmine tea
-ginger/sugar infused cocktail ice
-chicken/carrot/bok choy/napa stirfry with brown rice
-grocery list
-coffee
-oversized knit sweater

warmest wishes from wall street

bull sweater by Olek

radiator humidifier

According to my iPhone, it's going to snow tonight and tomorrow in New York City.  It's certainly been cold enough around here.  Our landlord has cranked up the heat accordingly, which I'm grateful for, except when it comes to dry sinuses and skin each morning.  I whipped up this radiator humidifier this evening out of an old rum (?) bottle and some cotton yarn, which I crocheted freeform around the glass.  I'm kind of in love with the way it looks, cobwebby and imperfect like a Rodarte gown.  I'm making another for the bedroom radiator out of a green Jameson bottle and probably a finer golden yellow cotton I have lying around.

csa week 6

pizza night

Inspired by a section of the book I (and, it seems, everyone else in the world) am reading,

I made pizza on Friday night using some pantry and freezer basics, and CSA vegetables that NEEDED to be used (a giant baby bok choy, flat leaf parsley and chives).

It turned out delicious!  I love a deep dishy pizza crust that's chewy and bready,

but my other prefers a thin, crackery crust.  

Any suggestions for a good thin crust recipe?  I'll try that next!

kohlrabi kimchi, 24 hours later

two things i love

flowers and cheese.  yum.
squash blossoms courtesy of our CSA.

summer fare

We decided to join our neighborhood's CSA this summer, and are enjoying a fridge OVERFLOWING with fresh, local, organic produce.  We've got so many vegetables, in fact, I'm already searching for ways to keep them beyond their normal refridgerated life. 

My answer is always: make kimchi!  The variety I made last night was seafood-less, so technically, I'm not sure it can be called kimchi.  Maybe a spicy Korean-inspired pickle?

Recipe:

Group A

-3 or 4 tblspns Sea salt or Kosher salt

-3 or 4 Kohlrabi hearts, trimmed of outside layer and sliced into bite-sized pieces
Group B
-3 Radishes, finely minced
-2 Hakurei turnips, finely minced
-1/2 Spanish onion, finely minced
-4 Scallions, finely minced
-4 or 5 cloves of Garlic, finely minced
-1/3 c Parsley, finely minced
-3 or 4 tblspns dried red pepper flakes
-2 tblspns Sea salt of Kosher salt
-cracked black pepper to taste
-fresh squeezed juice of a lemon or lime

Dump all peeled and sliced kohlrabi pieces in a large bowl and sprinkle generously with salt, tossing in bowl to ensure that all pieces are coated. Set aside for 30-45 minutes to allow the salt to draw water out of the vegetable.

In a separate, smaller bowl, mix all ingredients from Group B, beginning with the radishes, turnips, onion, scallions, garlic and parsley and lemon/lime juice and the salt. Toss to ensure the salt gets on everything, then add the pepper flakes and black pepper and toss some more. Set to the side to let the juices mix.

After 30-45 minutes, a significant amount of water will have been drawn from the kohlrabi slices by the salt. Drain all of this off and lightly rinse excess salt off the vegetable and put back in the large bowl. Now mix the spicy mixture of Group B ingredients (with juice) in, tossing until thoroughly encorporated. Move mixture from bowl to a clean and dry airtight container, cover and put in a cool, dark place for a minimum of 2 weeks. The salt will continue to draw water from the kimchi until the veggies are completely covered in their own fluid.

This is the fluid level in my kimchi last night, right after making it.  Already (I excitedly checked this morning) there's about two inches of fluid in there. 

make your own

I came on to the trend of kombucha way late in the game.  Like, I drank it for the first time two weeks ago when I was sick with a never-ending cold.  Now I'm hooked.  And NOW, thanks to this article, I will be attempting to make my own.

scissors, sister

Martha Stewart fringe scissors

via Roxy Marj