mmmm, weekend cooking

Posted on annePosted in designing, food and garden, projects

january is drawing to a close already . . . for a while, it seemed to be dragging and now suddenly it is only a few days to february.
wow. i never even made any resolutions or goals for the coming year.

yesterday . . where did that go? i totally lost any semblance of knitting time, and that’s rare for me. but we had a dinner date with friends for whom i promised to make eggplant parmagiano

and that takes a few hours so i made enough that we could have a pan or two for later (this would look even better if it was bubbling hot, but it’s been in the fridge overnight).

then i taught a class at the library and when i came home we headed to our friends’ home for a wonderfully relaxing evening with them.

i realized by friday that i needed to get some cooking done this weekend as we were getting low on meals to pull from the freezer. so this morning i fired up the stove again and put a pot of black bean stew on to bubble

and i think i’ll try to make one of those easy spinach pies this evening—i made enough crust last time to put one in the freezer and i can just roll that out, fill, and bake. that should get us through the week and put some portions in the freezer for future meals.

readers often ask how i have time to get so much knitting done, and this is one of the ways . . . i don’t waste time on repetitive domestic tasks. if i am setting out to cook, i rarely cook just enough for one meal—that’s almost impossible if one is cooking for just two, anyway (at least for me . . i grew up in a large family, i’ve cooked in restaurants and catering, and small meals just aren’t in my vocabulary). so when i cook, i tend to make two or three big batches of food, portion them out, and freeze some. this makes weeknight dinners a breeze, and ensures that we always eat well.

as with all months i got done more and less than i’d hoped . . . like those socks above. yes i’m almost done, but i’ve been almost done for ages it seems. i think though, that tomorrow during classes i can finish. then i’ll have just one sock languishing on the needles and i’ll try to get that one done during february (hopefully, during the first week of february or so . . .).

otherwise, it has been a pretty productive month, and i’m happy. i’m wearing a new sweater, which i never expected to finish so fast.

i love it, and it’s toasty warm; i’ve hardly taken off during the last few days. the handspun yarn made a lightweight, cozy fabric with plenty of air to trap that real good warm

it’s a simple sweater really, but the cable makes a wonderful, boldly organic statement

placed on all four sides, it invites a close inspection (and even a squeeze or two) without making the wearer feel self-conscious (just ask beckie!)

it has enough shaping to be flattering but enough ease to be truly comfortable. there is one thing i would tweak—i went back into the yoke after ripping the sleeve for a second time and increased the top some more. this was good for the width but added underarm length that i don’t truly need. if i had known ahead, or been willing to rip back a large quanttity of the yoke (i wasn’t), i could have put more increases in a shorter space to solve the issue. here, it’s not enough to be disappointed over, but i would tweak that next time.

it’s a winner for me and my needs; i’m happy to have it off the needles and doing its job. and i am SO going to start another handspun sweater soon.
(oh boy did i need a haircut the day . . but since then i’ve been to renée, and she hooked me up)

and now, i think i have some swatches and a snow shawl calling my name . . . and some shoveling.

56 thoughts on “mmmm, weekend cooking”

  1. The sweater looks organic, comforting, delicious, most flattering, and perfect in Nature’s way — just like your meals. Life certainly is good in your home. Happy knitting and dining!

  3. The sweater is lovely. Looks like it is reallly comfortable. I know I’d probablybuy it if I saw it in a store. 😉

  4. The sweater has me wondering what it would look like in a 2X size … actually, I think pretty fantstic. I love the drunken cable and the fact it graces the north, south, east and west of the sweater. Also like the yoke treatment.
    The eggplant parm, hmmmmm… well, I have two fresh, lovely eggplants waiting at home so this may inspire me to do that Italian thing with them.

  6. Gorgeous cable. I love that it looks more like something growing than like a precise path. Beautiful. And that food is totally inspirational — I’m heading off to the kitchen now to plan some soup 🙂

  8. That sweater is beautiful. I agree about the cables. And that black bean stew looks yummy? Is it vegetarian? I’ve never had eggplant in any form, but that looks good!!!!

  11. I do the massive cook and freeze thing too. I work full time (school starts again tomorrow… boo hoo) and I have 4 boys, so the meals in the freezer are an absolute godsend some days.

  12. Yum…I’m heading to your house for dinner. 😉 I’ve thought about cooking up and freezing dinners to make meals quick and easy.

    Your sweater came out beautifully. I love all the cables. I’m on a cable kick right now.

  13. I love it! It is very flattering. I avoid cable knit sweaters for myself because I always feel they add bulk and I am always striving to “look” thinner. Your sweater is gorgeous and slimming (not that you need it) 🙂
    question…. I am anxious to order the scarf pattern and yarn for the blue/brown atlantic ocean? colourway. When I initially clicked on your link to the site for the yarn, it was there. I waited until I knew how much I’d need and clicked again… 🙁 its gone. Any idea of another colourway that would work and….. when the pattern will be up for purchase…
    also
    was wondering… is knitting part of what you do for a living? You are a fabulous knitting designer I was just wondering if you have a job that is not knitting related or if you get to revolve around yarn as work…. (its my dream!)

  14. What did you see up there in the corner? I love this photo! your sweater too and your dishes look very inviting indeed, why do I live so far away?!?

  15. I love the sweater…color, cables, fit, the works. Looks great on you. I guess i hadn’t seen you before, nice. and the food, yummy. Love eggplant, any style.

  16. Every time I see that cable, I’m lost in a snarled and tanglewood garden in another world! I love that cable!! I would make the sweater a little shorter, for my own personal taste, but it looks fabulous on you!! If you’re still in the cooking mode, when you read this, could you share how you make your stew? My mouth is watering!!

  19. Your sweater is fabulous; the cabling is super cool!
    And your black bean stew is making me faint with hunger. It’s just DH and I, and we have the same “problem” with cooking for two. You automatically end up with leftovers. But if everything we cooked tasted half as good as everything you cook looks like it tastes… leftovers wouldn’t be a problem!

  22. I really like that sweater Anne! Great job. It suits you very well and it looks comfortable and stylish at the same time. Wow.

  24. The sweater looks beautiful. What a great idea to cook ahead for the week. I think I will clear some room in the freezer and try that idea out.

  25. You are so inspiring.

    When I get to the end of my limited knowledge and become frustrated while trying to knit something of my own design, I see your beautifully executed knits and I know I want to keep pressing forward and push that learning curve.

  27. Yummy food and sweater! Great job on the sweater it looks so cosy! I am inspired to spin up enough yarn for a sweater.

  28. That is such a lovely sweater. I love the statement cable idea. I may noodle around with an idea related to that for a bit for a sweater I want to knit for myself.

  29. I love how the cable extends up into the collar and down into the ribbing. It’s a great touch. Your designs always have wonderfully thoughtful little touches.

  30. The sweater looks great Anne! I can see why you like it so much–it does come across and a nice cozy knitted piece. I really like the shades of grey and white blending in and out.

  31. I love the sweater: the relationship between yarn, overall style, and size of the cable is fantastic. You are tempting me to try an over-sized crazy cable like yours.

    And I second the request for guidance in creating a pot of black bean stew. But at least tonight I cooked enough for leftovers tomorrow for me!

  33. The sweater turned out beautifully! I love it. Are you working on the other languishing sweater on the needles now? 😉

    That’s a good idea for cooking/freezing ahead. I should look into doing that.

  34. Very clever, your approach on how to make meals ! 🙂
    The sweater is georgeous, it has everything in it that I love about a sweater !
    And it suits you really well 😉

  35. that sweater is so wonderful. I love the organic cables.
    and you know, having just gotten home from work, and not having had dinner yet, I think you are totally torturing me with that eggplant parmesan… yummmm. If you hear a small rap on your door in the middle of the night, you’ll know what I’m after (kidding)

  36. The black bean stew looks so wonderful. It is just the sort of thing I like to make.

    Is there any chance you could share the recipe?

  38. What a beautiful sweater. It looks terrific on you! The eggplant parm looks very yummy, too. Very smart of you to cook ahead and freeze—saves a lot of time in the long run. (Unless you have teenagers in the house who eat up everything before it hits the table….)

  39. The sweater looks great on you Anne – even makes your ‘weenie shoulders’ look big! hahahah. I love the unruliness of the cable….

  40. Dear Anne,

    I absolutely adore your site and everything you kniw and design. I’m a huge fan!

    I wonder if you would share if you knit by throwing or picking. I’m curious because I throw, but am debating trying to make the change.

    Thank you!

  41. that sweater looks amazing! the cable is beautiful and really is the highlight of the sweater! mmm – black bean stew….

  42. Anne- How are you such a skinny-mini? You’d look great in a garbage bag- I mean that in the kindest way.

    I need some sweaters like that- just to pull on, and stay warm in. I guess that means I have to knit some.

  43. Mmmmm, the dishes look, well, delicious! I’m hungry now and would eat a bowl of that black bean stew for breakfast! I tend to cook that way also… fortunately for me, although Bobby doesn’t cook a bit, he never ever complains, is only too happy to have food put in front of him and appreciates that it’s Good. :^)
    The sweater is Gorgeous and looks wonderful on you!

  46. The sweater looks fabulous. Earlier today I was mulling over the idea that I could do with one or two pullovers, and as usual, you’ve inspired me.

    My husband, who does most of our cooking, also cooks in large quantities and has the same rationale as you do (it is easy to make many meals and freeze the extra rather than cook the same dish over and over). He also cooked professionally. Believe it or not, this had not occurred to me before I saw him do it. Your cooking pictures are as terrific as your knitting pics.

  47. the sweater is gorgeous (as are you, haircut needed or not!). maybe one of these days i’ll get off the sock kick and finally knit a sweater.

  48. Luckily, I’m eating while I’m reading. I spent most of the day in the kitchen yesterday doing things with chicken. Which all turned out tasty, but now I want a vegetable-filled black bean stew. Or maybe chickpeas? Too bad I’m at work and can’t play in the kitchen today.

    Lovely sweater, and just what I want to make for myself! (slavish imitator, that’s me)

  50. You look wonderful in that sweater! It looks so comfortable and weekend-y, yet the cable is snazzy and dramatic. It’s really neat. 🙂

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