Knitting Gail

So I knitted up Gail (AKA Nightsongs) and I love the pattern! It did take a bit to figure out and I had to make a couple minor mental changes to the pattern to make it work for me. Not really changes to the pattern it self but things to make it "click". You can get the pattern free on Ravelry but I don't think it's available off the Rav site (though Ravelry is free to join).

For starters the pattern has a left and right side chart. You don't need both these charts as the shawl is symmetrical and one chart works for both sides. And as for the double YO's at the peak, I purled into them so as to twist each stitch. this worked much better than knitting and purling, makes a cleaner, more consistent stitch.

Then the pattern says to repeat it 7 times. I had one skein of yarn so did 6 repeats as one is not quite enough to get 7.

It says to repeat the chart. But you will make the full chart on the 1st repeat and then after that you will only need to repeat rows 23-37. I made a line to mark this on my chart. This is a small clip of how I drew my lines for the repeats. I repeat the center part as many times as needed and when headed twards the peak or end I then followed the chart to the edge (ignoring the stitches in the yellow poriton). This is my marked on chart but you can transpose the lines to your chart.


The pattern says to repeat and end on row 33. I ended on row 35. On the last 2 pattern rows you need to do the peak slightly different. On row 33 make 1 YO instead of 2. and at the peak on row 35 I did yo, k1, yo. this will set you up to easily make the border.

Because by knitting up to row 35 you will need to start the border chart on row 5.

Here is a photo before blocking. You can click on them for super sized images.


And after blocking. I, again, used my steamer and blocking this way was really fast, I was able to unpin it as soon as I was done steaming it.

Sausage gravy and biscuits

One of my son's (and mine) favorite breakfasts! Easy to make and well worth it.

For the gravy I brown and crubmle a 1lb. roll of sausage. I always make this in one of my cast iron skillets. When that is browned I add 1 stick of butter and pour milk into the skillet to reach the bottom of the pour nub indents on the sides and simmer. I dissolve several tablespoons of corn starch into cold water and add to the gravy till it's the desired thickness.

For the biscuits I use this recipe. You can add some flavor by substituting what ever amount of the shortening for reserved bacon fat/drippings if you happen to save them for cooking. I also like to sprinkle in some garlic powder and Italian seasonings. If I have it I also like to shred in some cheddar cheese. I generally double this biscuit recipe when I make it for the family as we are a family of 5.

I prefer to roll the biscuits in my hands and drop them onto the baking stone (I bake on stones). But you can also roll them out and cut them with round cutters or what ever you desire.

I like to hard fry an egg and break open a biscuit or 2 and then smother the plate in gravy. I used to buy white gravy mix till I was reading the side of my corn starch box and realized how simple it is to just make it.

Baking Powder Biscuits

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breads Breakfast
Side Dishes

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups all-purpose flour -- see notes
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tabelspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk

1. Heat oven to 450

2. Cut shortening into flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium
bowl, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture looks
like fine crumbs.

3. Stir in milk until dough leaves bides of bowl (dough will be soft and
sticky)

4. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead lightly 10 times, Roll
or pat to 1/2" thickness. Cut with floured 2 1/2" round cutter. Place on
ungreased cookie sheet about 1" apart for crusty sides, touching for soft
sides.

5. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from
cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Source:
"Betty Crocker's NEW cook book"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 165 Calories; 9g Fat (50.3%
calories from fat); 3g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 2mg
Cholesterol; 307mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2
Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : *Add a bit of extra flavor to your biscuits by stirring in
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
or basil with the flour.

*If using self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0

My son loves to help make this and here is a photo of him kneading the dough.

Irony

So last night at work we decided to get subs. There is a 24 hour Subway not to far from work. A lady called them to see if they would be open at 3am (I work 3rd shift and that's before last break).

She gets to Subway and.... they are out of bread! How does a sandwich shop run out of bread?