For dinner last night I make shrimp spring rolls (with my own peanut butter-hoisin-rice-wine-chili dipping sauce!), and he makes chocolate chip cookies.

Prey Meets Predator

In the middle of a lively game of cat and cat

The boys get frisky after one finishes his business in the litterbox. Cat gives away his whereabouts by noisily scratching the box, alerting the other cat to quickly take low position behind the doorway or the scratching post. Cat exits litterbox, and is immediately aware that he is being stalked. He waits, sniffs the air, pupils dialating a little, and finally puts one tentative paw forward. That's when cat behind doorway or scratching post reveals himself with a savage spring and BOING! Eight paws go thundering across the room!

Conehead Meets Domehead

Look! Knitting! So grumperina laid the smackdown last week when she posted the nipply conehead properties of the shining star hat, mine in particular, and in so doing, exposed my knitting slackness for all to see. I knew something was iffy about the pattern but chose to let it be. I am not a perfectionist, at all. Ever. Never. But thank goodness someone is. Better her than me to improve upon the pattern. I made another shining star sans nipple and it is sooooo much better. Much more like a skull cap, which I like.

During this process I've come to the decision that I don't like cashmerino anymore. While it is very soft and luxurious, it's also very limp and saggy, and doesn't hold its shape. You should see my bolero aubergine and how sad and lifeless it is. I blame the microfiber component for that. The new creme hat I made using 100% wool, and while the size and gauge is the same, the cashmerino version fits way too big. It just stretches and stretches.

Rabbit Meets the End of the Rainbow
Happy Chinese New Year again! I was born in the year of the Rabbit. I am a LUCKY rabbit who eats CLOVERS all day and...plays with LEPRECHAUNS. I just received news from the Irish Consulate that my application for citizenship has been approved - woot - and now all I have to do is send them exactly 126.97 Euros, drawn from an Irish bank. What. The lady at the consulate said, "Just get a friend in Ireland to do it for you." Ha ha what friend?

Comments [10]
Filed Under: Life | Shining Star

Monday, January 30, 2006 1:10:12 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Heh - now you're going to find out if anyone from Ireland is reading your blog! :) (sorry, I'm in Minnesota...)

The spring rolls look delicious!

I think part of the cashmerino problem is the cashmere, which doesn't have any memory, so it just stretches and doesn't spring back like wool would.

Chris | silkAT NOSPAMonvoymail dot com

Monday, January 30, 2006 1:10:59 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

I am jealous of that nationality bit :) But will still wish you a happy new year!!

stinkerbell | kkeenan2AT NOSPAMhotmail dot com

Monday, January 30, 2006 2:33:51 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Happy belated New Year. I haven't knit with Cashmerino and based on this anti-recommendation (and other issues I've heard of in the past), I may never get around to it. I do agree with Chris that the most probable culprit is the cashmere, not the microfibre.

Anmiryam | abudnerAT NOSPAMNOSPAMcomcast dot net

Monday, January 30, 2006 4:09:42 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Pity about the payment thingy, but congratulations anyway!

Leisl | jorthAT NOSPAMbigpond dot net dot au

Monday, January 30, 2006 4:25:59 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

so, what will it take to get you to post the recipe for the dipping sauce? (aside from irish citizenship, of course.)

kate | kateAT NOSPAMkatesonnick dot com

Monday, January 30, 2006 6:30:23 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

[hides in shame] sorry for picking on your hat...

Seriously, I'm a slacker, too - I didn't bother to block that thing before deeming it unacceptable, so who knows... at the same time, a few little fixes really do the trick, don't they?

I'm still making up my mind about Cashmerino, but I'm feeling positive, unlike you. I need more experience, perhaps.

grumperina | grumperinaAT NOSPAMgmail dot com

Tuesday, January 31, 2006 7:18:26 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

ummm, spring rolls, and peanut sauce! yes, post your special recipe. i've been doing a lot of cooking lately, and those yummy wraps have been on my mind a lot.

graylagran | denisegossettAT NOSPAMhotmail dot com

Wednesday, February 01, 2006 1:47:44 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

The Shrimp Rolls and the Chocolate Chip Cookies both look amazing - yum! Happy Belated Chinese New Year by the way. My friend Inica sent all this candy to the office - they taste like Chinese Werthers - speaking of which...I think I'll go grab one right now. Mmmm...

Vicki | knittenknotsAT NOSPAMhotmail dot com

Wednesday, February 01, 2006 8:42:48 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Yum, spring rolls and shining star hats. Both look delcious! I'm glad to be disallusioned about cashmerino--I was feeling bad for planning to substitute Elann for Debbie Bliss for the Wrap Style spiral lace wrap, but now I won't!

sarahbchicago | sbwillsonAT NOSPAMhotmail dot com

Tuesday, February 07, 2006 9:59:36 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

That's an interesting conclusion about the microfiber. I used Plymouth DreamBaby DK for something baby-ish, and it was soooooo soft in the ball, but when I washed it, it lost the softness and body. I thought it hadn't been rinsed enough, so I washed it again. Then I washed it again with fabric softener. Now it just feels like any other yarn, and not even a good one.
So, thanks for the heads up and I can cross a couple yarns off my list for my next baby blanket!

TracyKM | TracyKMAT NOSPAMyahoo dot com

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