MY ‘NIGHTFALL’ CRAPPED TOP
Yesterday sucked. I had just given in to my jones for Wenlan Chia’s latest book, Twinkle’s Weekend Knits, last Friday. Since my LYS doesn’t carry any of Twinkle’s yarns and I was supposed to hold four strands of Twinkle Cruise (sportweight) together to make the darling “Nightfall Cropped Top” pictured on the cover of the book, I decided to use Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. I have a ton of it, having overbought for a multi-colored ripple afghan, so I had enough to make the very same color combo that lured me into buying that book. Cotton Fleece is more like worsted than sportweight, so I did a gauge swatch, a good-sized one, and got gauge holding three strands. Yay! I was a little unsure about how my, ahem, round figure was going to rock this little item, but figured it would do fine over some of my droopy, shapeless Flax dresses (note to self: must change my look this summer) and maybe even give them some shape.
Worked on the little top all weekend. Finished it yesterday, and, what a coincidence, I just happened to be wearing one of those shapeless Flax dresses. Here’s my cute little “Nightfall” top.
Isn’t it precious? I was very happy with how this turned out … for about half an hour, as long as it took to get out to Dillard’s at Savannah Mall and start shopping for my daughter’s prom dress. First the straps started slipping down, then the whole thing began looking like a California mudslide. I finally realized my “Nightfall” had stretched so badly it would fit an SUV. 😦
So, off to the frog* pond it goes.
After I got home, I sat down here and started recounting this disaster at length, I’m sure way more than you’d ever want to know. Phone rings, I slip while hitting SAVE, and lose my whole post. As I said, yesterday sucked.
We did find a gorgeous prom dress, by Jessica McClintock, and it’s on its way from Dillard’s online. Here’s a picture from the website. Isn’t that apple green just scrumptious with the black?
* To frog: In knitting, to rip out a completed project and give up on it
ABOUT THAT RHUBARB …
Until this spring, I don’t think I had ever eaten rhubarb, much less cooked it. But it’s in the stores now, so I decided to make the Rhubarb Crisp from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food cookbook. After the first one ~ and my husband’s complaints about the price of rhubarb ~ I worked up my own little recipe for a variation, Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble. It’s mostly Martha, but I like it better with the berries, and it so happens they’re way cheaper than rhubarb when they’re in season, which is now.
This is so easy, just thinking of it made me throw one in the oven for dinner tonight.
STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB CRUMBLE
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice 1 lb. rhubarb into chunks about 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick. Trim 1 lb. strawberries and combine with rhubarb in a 9×13 baking dish. Toss with 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour.
In a food processor, pulse 1/2 cup flour and 1 stick unsalted butter, ice cold and cut into pieces, until the ingredients are small clumps. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup rolled oats and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and pulse until combined. Sprinkle over the rhubarb and strawberries.
Bake for about 35 minutes or until the rhubarb and strawberries are bubbly. Best served with Edy’s No-sugar-added Vanilla Ice Cream, or your diabetes will act up.
My Savannah Cottage 