Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Lacy scarf and more basil fun

Well, the local weatherman is predicting frost by the end of the month. I must do more with that basil before frost turns into a black yucky mess. OK, I rinsed my basil leaves well then stacked them on my cutting board with a large leaf on the bottom. I rolled it up tightly cigar style.
I sliced it up thin and then ran my knife a couple of times in the opposite direction (that part not shown but you know what I mean)


Next I placed them in a couple of ice cube trays and filled it up with water. Into the freezer they go.

Next time I am making spaghetti sauce or anything else that I want basil in, I just pop a frozen cube or two into the pot--no need to defrost, it will melt in the pot.
While I'm at it, let me give you one of my favorite pesto recipes. Easy and delicious! This makes enough for 4 sandwiches.
Mix about 3 tablespoons pesto with about 2 tablespoons of mayo (adjust to your tastes)
Add about 10 ounces of shredded or cubed cooked chicken and mix until the chicken is well coated with pesto goodness.
Grad some good bread and pile on the chicken. Add a slice of provolone, a slice of tomato and some lettuce to each and enjoy with 3 of your friends.




Now onto some knitting!
I bought some lace weight yarn at the knitting convention in June. I had never knit with this weight yarn and quite frankly, I was afraid to. The yarn is so fine that it is akin to knitting with spider webs. (ok, a bit of an exaggeration but it is very, very fine!)
Well, I took the plunge and bought some--I couldn't resist this lovey blue! My fears were unfounded. Yes, it is a bit tricky getting used to working with lace weight but it was not the impossible feat I had anticipated. Here is the lovely scarf I am making. This is slated for a Christmas gift.

Can you see a thin red line almost halfway down the photo. That is red quilting thread. Mary Grace of Hooked on Needles posted that neat trick recently on her blog. She called it a "lifeline". I have been knitting for years and did not know about this fabulous trick! You run a thread through your stitches at the beginning of your repeat rows. My scarf pattern has a 16 row repeat. At every "row 1" I weave this red line through with a large eye yarn needle. That way, if I make a horrible mistake or if the project should slip off the needles, I can unravel to the red thread and know that that is row 1 and I can pick up from there. Knock on wood, I have not had to use that lifeline but it is nice to know it is there, just in case!

That's all for today. Talk at you later! Rumi

9 comments:

  1. I have frozen basil like that too. It is great to have it during the winter. We don't usually get frost until October but my basil is already looking a little tired. Thanks for the recipe.
    That sure is some delicate looking yarn. That is a great tip about the red thread. I hope you don't have to rip anything out too.

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  2. What a great idea, freezing the basil...never heard of it. I can't believe it will frost tomorrow...it sees like everyone on the blogs were complaining about winter for such a long time and here it comes again. What happened to Summer????

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  3. Great tip on the basil! Will have to try that. What a lovely scarf. Nice and lacy. Cool trick with the red thread.

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  4. Hey Rumi! Great basil trick! I might have to try it! Every summer, my basil just goes to seed. We pick what we need to use and the rest is left out on the plants. Now I know how to preserve them for later use.

    Love love love your lace scarf! Another trick I discovered is using knitting needles especially made for knitting with lace weight yarns. Addi makes the set I bought from my LYS, and what a difference from my regular knitting needles. The points are sharper and pick up the fine yarn so much easier than the regular needles.

    Thanks for linking to my site too!

    MGM

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  5. gosh i love basil and i love pesto...thanks for the recipe! and wow on your gorgeous scarf progress...absolutely beautiful! ☺

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  6. Every spaghetti sauce should have basil fresh or frozen what a difference it makes.
    Thanks for the recipe i will save it for summer along with your pesto reicpe for when our basil is ready.
    The scarf looks so fine and delicate, such a pretty colour. You have been busy.
    Linda

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  7. Some great tips here Rumi. Love the knitting one. I knitted a christening gown from 1 ply pure wool for son. It came out similar to your scarf- as if spiders had been busy. Fantastic job you are doing- love it- a little bit of soft blue clouds for your neck. :-).

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  8. I must try the frozen basil Rumi! We have strong winds where I live and basil plants always dry out quickly. This way I can freeze some so there is no waste.
    Your scarf looks amazing - love the delicate yarn.

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  9. Thanks for the tip about the Basil. I love your latest scarf, just gorgeous!!!

    Jodie :)

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