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