Amelie Escargot in Alaska

Amelie arrived in Whittier, Alaska yesterday via snail mail! Melanie Silcott, my niece, called me in the evening to thank me and tell me how much she liked her. Knitters know how much that means! Melanie is an awesome person and Amelie is in good hands.

Victorian Lace Valance Pattern

I have always wanted to knit lace valances for my windows. I thought I would start with a small window in my bathroom before I moved into the dining room which has 3 large windows.I used Araucania Lonco Multy which is a kettle-dyed fingering cotton on a #4 needle. I am very happy with the results. The pattern is very easy to modify for any size window which makes it a "one size fits all" pattern. And I love the yarn, it's gorgeous! My pattern is available on this blog for purchase, or from Ravelry.

Amelie Escargot

I would like to introduce Amelie Escargot, who I knit for my niece Melanie who travels the world. I never travel, so as in the movie "Amelie", Amelie Escargot will travel with Melanie and her boyfriend Morgan, and I will see pictures of her travels. She represents Oregon well, where it rains slugs and snails, and Eugene where we crown a Slug Queen each September during the Eugene Celebration. She will head to Alaska on Monday to begin her journey. I will post photos from Amelie's travels.
May 24, 2010 - Amelie Escargot arrives in Whittier, Alaska via Snail Mail

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Puerco Pibil, or slow-roasted pork, is a dish we make each year as we celebrate Cinco de Mayo in honor of my husband Dennis' maternal grandmother, Elise Conde, who came to this country from Sonora, Mexico. Dennis' mother, Marquita Pearman, has wonderful stories to tell of her mother's sense of humor and her love for playing the guitar. She died at the young age of 49 from uterine cancer, so Dennis did not have the pleasure of knowing her. Dennis is an amazing cook and makes this dish. We got the recipe from the movie "Once Upon A Time In Mexico". Robert Rodriguez, producer and director of the movie, shares his version of this amazing dish...try it, you'll love it! At the link above you'll find the recipe in written form. Dennis does use banana leaves to wrap the meat in instead of foil, it helps keep the meat super moist. We are able to purchase banana leaves at our local Asian market in Eugene, Or. Enjoy!!!