Book Review: Shutter Island

I had been counting down til this movie's release, as I love Martin Scorcese and Leonardo DiCaprio.  Like many other things in my life, seeing this movie fell by the wayside as I got busy with work and other pursuits coughMalabrigoMarchcoughcough.  I was pretty excited when one of my book clubs choose Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane as April's book.  I didn't even realize it had been a book originally.  I've heard that the book and movie are very similar, but if you've only seen the movie you should still definitely pick up the book. One of my friends who had enjoyed both said that there is one scene in particular in the book that is more vivid and creepier and worth reading all 300+ pages to experience it.

The library's copies were all out and reserved, so I wasn't sure if I would get the book in time.  I intended to buy my own copy, but I got busy and didn't get a chance.  My library copy arrived the day before book club, which left me 26 hours to read the book while still working all day and doing all other little pesky daily life tasks like sleeping and eating.  Well, I tore through this book in 3 hours, despite knitting while I read!  Like Lehane's other bestsellers turned blockbusters (he wrote Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, and the recently optioned The Given Day), Shutter Island kept me frantically turning pages and left me surprised at the end. 
 
The story begins in Cold War era America as U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels arrives at Ashecliff, a mental institution for the criminally insane secluded on a Boston Harbor Island, Shutter Island to investigate a mysterious missing patient.  A hurricane keeps him and his partner, Marshal Chuck Aule detained on the island and puts their lives at risk when the electricy goes out and the institution's electic locks fail.  The two Marshals explore the island and begin to uncover a Nazi-esque human experimentation conspiracy--or do they?  Daniels is running for his life in his pursuit to leave the island lest his brain become fodder for LSD and lobotomy experimentation.
 
I predicted a twist at the end, but my pieced together clues weren't even close to the "truth."  I loved that the ending was a little open to interpretation, because I don't want to let go of my theory!  Either way, I think there is an underlying, subtle commentary on the standard procedure and overmedication rampant in American mental healthcare today.  If you've read the book, I'd love to hear what you thought.

Stitch and Sip at the Ale 'N' Wich

This past Thursday, my Stitch and Sip group explored a new watering hole, The Ale and Wich at 246 Hamilton Street in New Brunswick. Some group members said that as they arrived they thought, "Hmm...this isn't like where we normally meet..." but I think we all had a great time. The Ale and Wich is the quintessential pub. With a wide selection of craft beer, TVs playing everything from Iron Man competitions to Spaceballs, darts, pool, foozeball, a digital jukebox, and non-pretentious bartenders, this is pretty close to my dream bar. One note of caution I will give to anyone planning a visit: don't come hungry. Although one might believe that the "Wich" part of the bar's moniker stands for "sandwich," no food is served here. However when I asked about food, the bartender handed over a huge stack of takeout menus. We ordered Chinese, but considering that it was a Thursday evening in a Rutgers neighborhood, it took about an hour for our Chinese to arrive.

Chinese food aside, we had a fabulous time. Most of us didn't have work or school the following day, so we, (well, ok, I) stayed out a bit later and drank a bit more. There was a nice selection of seasonal brews (seriously, how could you have Sam Boston Lager but not Sam Seasonal, like some bars do??), and a new one that I enjoyed was Otter Creek Seasonal Ale. No matter what the season, I love a good blueberry beer, and luckily the A and W has Seadog Wheat Blueberry, which smelled and tasted just like blueberry muffins! I know that's not what most people look for in a beer, but blueberry beer takes me back to my college days at the BU Pub. Oh, how I love that Wachusett Blueberry! I also tried the new Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and Firefly Lemon Tea Vodka. If you are a fan of Nantucket Nectars Half and Half or Arizona Arnold Plamer, you will love this stuff! I think it will be one of my summer party beverage staples.

If you are looking for a very casual place to sample some creative brews, definitely stop by the Ale and Wich.

Book Review: The Magicians by Lev Grossman

When I saw The Magicians on the shelf at Borders a few months ago, I was drawn to the mysterious gray, gold, and green tones on the cover. We've all heard about judging books by their covers, but after reading the reviews on the back cover that indicated that this story pays homage to the works of J.K. Rowling, and C.S. Lewis my initial attraction was justified. Imagine Harry Potter's mental state in book 5, lost, alone, and persecuted. Imagine that that Harry goes to a magical university in upstate New York, meets equally misguided young magicians, and grapples with his place in the world, both magical and not. Harry Potter this book is not--the tone is much darker and the author's voice mirrors that of the young pro(ant?)agonists.

Grossman explores the value of relationships, growth, and forgiveness by following the development of Quentin, our main character, and his fellow magical prodigy Eve. However, Quentin's personal quest for happiness and self-fulfillment overcomes their relationship. I could see the archetypal highly intelligent yet selfish 20-something who doesn't know what he wants in Quentin.

In a nutshell, this story is Harry Potter meets the Chronicles of Narnia meets Reality Bites. Although my omnipresent desire for a picture perfect ending wasn't fulfilled, I would still highly recommend The Magicians to anyone who has ever gotten lost in a fantasy story or felt lost in the real world.

Sinful Chocolate Truffles

Last night my wrists needed a break from knitting, so I decided to use the Ghiradelli chocolate I've been hoarding since February to make truffles. I intended to make these for Valentine's Day, but as I was single this year and suffering from from a wicked wisdom tooth infection that week, I wasn't feeling especially motivated to cook, bake, or eat much of anything. Now my mouth is healed and in need of chocolate, and it seemed like the perfect time to get cookin'

I haven't made truffles in about 3 years, and I can't recall where I found my last recipe, so a little googling led me to a Joy of Baking article where I learned that truffles were intended to look like actual truffle mushrooms in the dirt. That's not especially appetizing, but it made me feel better about the organic, non-uniform shape of my truffles. Even when I use a melon baller to shape them they come out looking slightly misshapen.

This time I made three different flavors, almond, mint, and raspberry. Yum!

Here is what I did, adapted from a Ghiradelli and Food Network recipe:

Ghiradelli Sinful Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients

1/3 C Milk

7 Tbsp Butter

1 C Semi-Sweet Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips

1C Bittersweet Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips

1 tsp mint extract (optional)

2 Tbsp Chambord (optional)

1/4 C Raw Almonds (optional)

1/3 C Dark Chocolate cocoa powder

1. Combine milk and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir often and heat to boiling.

2. Toast raw almonds in a dry pan over high heat. Pay close attention, as they can burn very quickly. You will know they are done as soon as you can smell them. I find that toasting nuts really brings out the flavor.

3. Pulverize toasted almonds in a food processor (I used my little Magic Bullet). Set them aside.

4. Pour boiling milk mixture over chocolate chips in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine and melt chocolate. You may need to microwave the mixture for a very short period of time to get all the lumps out.

5. At this point I divided the chocolate mixture into three different bowls and flavored each separately. The above measurements for mint extract, Chambord, and the almonds are approximate. I didn't actually measure anything; I flavored each mixture to taste. Be sure to reserve some almonds for coating the truffles.

6. Set your chocolate mixtures aside to harden. About thirty minutes in the refrigerator did the trick for me.

7. Dip a melon baller in a glass of warm water and scoop out balls of each chocolate mixture. Drop the balls into a small bowl or lipped plate of coating. I coated the almond mixture in the finely chopped almonds and the mint and raspberry mixtures in dark chocolate cocoa powder. You may wish to clean your tools in between flavors. This is the messiest yet most fun part of the process.

8. I store the truffles in a wax paper-coated container in the refridgerator. That is, if there are any leftovers.

If I use this recipe again, I think I will use cream instead of a mixture of butter and milk. These candies tasted great to everyone else, but I would do something differently next time. I dislike buttery chocolate, and I tasted the butter especially in the almond truffles. I don't usually keep cream or even half and half in the house, but I suppose it would be worth buying for this recipe. Actually, maybe next time I will try using silken tofu and exclusively dark chocolate to make vegan truffles. I bet my friend Marietta has a great recipe for raw vegan chocolate truffles. Now that should be tasty!

Total Eclipse!

I am excited to announce that my very first pattern is available for free! Presenting Eclipse! I am still waiting for ravelry's designer hook-up, so for now I'm hosting the pdf in Google docs. There's no need to have a Google account to access it, just click on the link in this post on on the photo in the sidebar. Then you can view the document online or download it.


As a few people have asked, no, Eclipse actually doesn't have anything to do with the Twilight saga. The idea for this design came to me while I was driving, to wear while I was driving, my little Mitsubishi Eclipse, hence the name. I never thought I would drive a convertible, but last fall I was lucky enough to get a great deal on my current car, so I seized the opportunity and I've enjoyed it a lot during the warmer months. The fall and early spring are great times to drive around with the top down. The sun is usually shining but not beating down on me like some sort of punishment. However, during this time of year the wind can still deliver quite a chill. I needed something to keep my hair neat and my neck warm without flattening my hair or blowing away at high speeds. A lacy snood provides the perfect coverage and look. I didn't fall in love with any patterns I found, so I designed my own with one of my favorite lace patterns, Milanese lace from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. I adapted the pattern for knitting in the round. Lace or fingering weight yarn work equally well for this quick project.


Pattern Specs

Yarn: 1 skein of Malabrigo Lace or Malabrigo Sock (sample is knit in Malabrigo Lace in Amoroso)
Gauge: 6 stitches per inch in lace pattern
Needles: US 5 16" or whatever needle you need to achieve gauge
Sizes: 20" (22", 24") around, the length is customizable

Please contact me with any questions about the pattern.

Happy Knitting!

Worldwide Knit in Public Day

Today is Worldwide Knit in Public Day. Although I knit in public just about every day during my lunch break at work, at a LYS, a coffee shop, and sometimes even a bar, I felt compelled to represent my fellow crafters by checking out some new yarny stomping grounds with one of my knitting groups, the Northwest NJ Knitters. We met at the Panera in Phillipsburg and headed to Bethlehem, PA to visit two yarn shops and have lunch. Bethlehem is pretty close to New Jersey, just a hop, skip, and a jump over the Delaware River.

The first shop we visited, Kraemer Yarns in Nazareth, had their own yarn line, which seemed to dominate their stock. While browsing this store we discovered one lone skein of The Sanguine Gryphon, some Dream in Color, lots of baby yarn (yawn) and pondered the usefulness of sock blanks. Not for me, thanks. Even though I think she was kidding, I liked Jeanne's suggestion of adding an afterthought heel, a toe, and a seam instead of actually knitting from the blank as intended. Overall this was a pretty cute store. There were several tables for knitters to sit at, and the staff was very helpful. I did buy two skeins of yarn (Kraemer's own wool/silk/silver blend undyed sock yarn and some Conjoined Creations laceweight soysilk in the colorway "Lonely Bull"--I kid you not) and some buttons (wood with little sheepies on them), but I'm not sure if I'd make the trek out there again.

Next we had lunch at the Apollo Grill in Bethlehem, PA. I don't usually quote the teeth-grittingly annoying Rachel Ray, but YUM-O! I had fish tacos with salsa fresca and guacamole, and some of us split a bottle of Sea Glass Savignon Blanc, a yummy fresh-tasting (i.e. herbal/vegetal/citrus--not very sweet) white wine from Santa Barbara County. Barbara (no relation to the country in CA), who lives in Allentown, told us that the Apollo has a pretty popular happy hour. From the classy ambiance, yummy food/drink, and extensive appetizer menu, I can see why! Too bad my office is so very far east.

Here's my sock in progress (SIP) with my food:


That sock sure did get around! I think she may have a story to tell...

Our final stop of the day was Knitter's Edge, also in Bethlehem. Despite being momentarily disturbed by the building's resemblance to a funeral home (sorry, but I couldn't get that association out of my head!) I had a good time there. The open space and natural light in this store is phenomenal. Even with a storm rolling in, there was plenty of light streaming in the gigantic bay window that framed the cozy sit-and-knit area. I took more pictures for my Sock Knitter's Anonymous WWKIP Day Scavenger Hunt, and if I hadn't specified otherwise it would look like we were sitting in someone's living room! This store had a pretty large selection of different weights and fibers (too much babyand novelty yarn IMHO but I am probably alone in that thought), but there wasn't a whole lot that grabbed me. That was probably a good thing, because I still managed to find some sock and lace yarn that I couldn't live without. Some of it was even on sale! I probably would return to this store, especially if they were having a sale! Or perhaps to pick up a sweater quantity of that Plymouth Llama Silk...or a skein of the Eco Cashmere...

Here is the day's haul:

The two skeins on the left are the previously mentioned yarn from Kraemer's, the four skeins in the middle are Plymouth Happy Feet (on sale for $3 a piece!), next is an au natural skein of Plymouth Baby Alpaca Lace and two lovely skeins of Prism Merino Mia, which I could not put down. That picture does not do the color justice, so here's another!



That brown and blue/green combo slays me every time.

If we didn't get hit with such a rain storm in the late afternoon and evening, I would have gotten more fun pictures of my sock, but I still have quite a few. Perhaps I will share them tomorrow.

Flewn

It is hard to believe that nearly 6 weeks have gone by since my last post. I have been keeping myself very busy with knitting, work, and some new friends and time has just flown. It brings to mind a quote I recently read in one of my sock groups on ravelry:

How did it get so late so soon? 
It's night before it’s afternoon. 
December is here before it’s June. 
My goodness how the time has flewn. 
How did it get so late so soon? - Dr. Seuss

I don't have socks to share today, but I do have some other gorgeous FOs to show you. These shawls and shrugs are just the thing to keep my shoulders warm in over air conditioned buildings or cover up the decollete created by my summer tank tops.

Here is my Whisper Cardigan, which I whipped up in about 3 weeks of on and off knitting so I could wear it at this year's NJALA conference this week. It was so warm in the conference center, I couldn't wear it at all! I know this sweater will get plenty of play this summer.





Yarn is Malabrigo Lace in Butter

These photos are pretty bad, but I was very anxious to share this finished knit with the web, almost as anxious as I was to wear it. That is probably why you may notice that I made this cardigan a big shorter than some other people. The whispery little tails are almost invisible from the front thanks to my chest, but I'm still very happy with the sweater overall. I think the flowy, cropped back actually lengthens and whittles my busty, boxy figure. I can't wait to make another in a dark color!

Here are my second and third Ishbel shawls.





The multicolor one (Malabrigo Lace in Azalea) is mine and the solid gold one (Claudia Handpainted Yarns Silk Lace in Honey) is my coworker Maria's. Both are modeled here by my sister, whose long, lean physique looks good in everything. See how much better I am at photographing other people? I suppose our backyard is a far better setting than the library's staff bathroom!

Hopefully I will have more finished knits to show you before even more time has "flewn" by.