Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Scarves Galore!

This winter, it became clear to me that I have failed my husband. He did not own a single solitary scarf! How can the husband of a knitter not have a scarf? Well, it took me a couple months to complete it, but he is now the proud owner of a hand knit scarf.
I followed the This Way Up pattern found on Ravelry. It was a really nice pattern with the perfect amount of interesting changes. Scarves can get awfully boring after awhile! I also took this as my first opportunity to try out blocking. Blocking is basically getting a garment wet and then shaping and stretching it to your desired shape and size. It makes things look really pretty and finished, and can give length when you stop short on a scarf, which I am prone to do! This scarf was definitely not too short, but the edges were curling in on themselves, so I thought I'd give it a shot! I used my iron on steam setting, and I think next time I do it, I will use more pins and more steam, but it worked pretty well.

All laid out for drying after being steamed and set into place.

See the pretty chevron pattern?

Damn having such a tall husband!


In the middle of the scarf, it switches directions so that both sides point up. This was the hardest part of the pattern, but eventually I figured it out!

But the scarf excitement doesn't end there! Last week, the Seattle Sounders FC did a campaign around the city, putting up scarves in several neighborhoods for people to take and show their pride with! They canvassed Phinney Ridge, and Kevin went out to see if he could get any for us. Most of them were way out of reach, on the tops of light poles and such, that one would need a ladder to get down, but he did find on in the community center's garden. That one may have been dropped unintentionally, but he took it and was very excited to have his own. That afternoon, my friend Danielle and I were heading out for a walk around Green Lake, and tried to get the few left that we saw down, but they were too high up for a couple of shorties.

Then later this week, I came into work, and sitting on my desk was a present from Danielle! She had found one of the scarves outside of work the night before, and nabbed it for me! What an awesome friend!!! I was so thrilled (especially because I really didn't want to have to knit one for myself after spending so much time on Kevin's scarf!)

Well, the excitement continued yesterday. When Kevin was biking through Fremont to go to school, the Sounders had struck again! He said there was somewhere around 40 scarves hung up in various areas of Fremont, and he had come prepared with his pocketknife to cut some down! They were all ziptied to posts and whatnot. So he cut one down, and then waited a little while, then cut another down and waited awhile. He didn't want to look greedy, but he needed 4 more scarves to deck out the family for our first match next week! So all told, we now have 6 scarves: me, Kevin, Adam, Erin, Neal, and Susan! No mini ones for Corbchops, but maybe an auntie will have to remedy that! Are scarves safe for 9 month olds? Perhaps some wristbands or a hat? :)

Look ma, it's reversible!
Apparently, Kevin has a scarf pose!

So we are looking forward to the first match on Thursday, should be a very exciting event! Everyone root for the Sounders! WOOOOHOOOO! Oh, we also got our tix for opening day for the Mariners, so let baseball AND soccer season begin!

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Football Fever!!!

And by football, I mean soccer. I haven't figured out what is the appropriate term for the sport in the US! I prefer soccer I think. Anyway, Kevin and I are super excited for the start of the Seattle Sounders FC season on March 19th. We decided to get a 7 game package for the first season of the team with Adam and Erin, and I think it is fair to say we are all pumped!!!

Last week, Kevin and I went to the George and Dragon in Fremont for a fundraiser for Seattle Scores hosted by the Sounders, and got to see the GM, the coach, and the goalie, who happens to be Kasey Keller, who has been on 4 World Cup teams, and some Olympic teams. He also was the first American to play in Europe on an American passport. And he's funny as hell! It was really cool to hear them talk about the upcoming season, but I didn't have my camera, so no pics with Sigi or Kasey :(

Then this afternoon, Kevin and I headed to Tukwila to see a scrimmage game of the Seattle Sounders Super Search team versus the Seattle Wolves FC. The Sounders FC will be picking one person from the Super Search team tomorrow to get a spot on the roster. I was really excited to see the talent, and was a little disappointed with the caliber of playing that went on, but it was a fun game anyhow! The Wolves looked pretty awesome, but the Search team never really got it together. There were a couple players who stood out to me, so I'll be rooting for Oliveira in the final tomorrow!


My totally rockin' Pumas that match the Sounders colors!

The Super Search team

Seattle Wolves FC



We're considering going to the live announcement tomorrow night after the Super Bowl, but it depends on how exciting the game is! Go Cardinals!!!!!

I also made a really excellent soup a couple of nights ago that my dad gave me the recipe for. It is Farro with white beans and chard soup, and it turned out really yummy! We replaced the farro with wheatberries because we couldn't find farro, and it seemed like a good substitute for size and texture. One note, wheatberries really should be soaked overnight, which I didn't realize until after I'd nearly finished making the soup! Other than that, I have no complaints! I'm not sure where he got the recipe from, but here it is:

Farro Soup with White Beans and Swiss Chard
Serves 6

1 cup farro
2 (15oz.) cans white beans (any variety)
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 medium carrot chopped
1 rib celery coarsely chopped
1 sprig rosemary
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups swiss chard chopped
1/2 tsp. ea. salt & pepper

Rinse farro. Puree 1 can of the beans with the liquid in food processor or blender. Drain remaining can of beans. Pour oil into a heavy, 6qt. pot. Heat over medium-high heat and saute onion for 4 minutes ort until softened. Add garlic, carrot celery and rosemary sprig. Saute for 8 minutes. Stir in farro, tomatoes, bean puree, whole beans and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until farro is almost done, about 30 minutes. Add chard, salt and pepper. Continue simmering until farro is tender. Remove rosemary sprig and serve.


Yum yum! Tonight we are having some sort of lamb roast that Kevin is making and it smells sooooooooo good! Making me hungry!