Pearl Harbor - Battleship Missouri BB-63

This was a morning of nostalgia for Rob. We went to Pearl Harbor to visit the Battleship Missouri BB-63. When Rob was in the Navy (seems like an an eternity ago) he was on the same class ship - New Jersey BB-62. He was a Surface Weapons Officer on Turret 3 for part of the time on the ship. He didn't need the tour guide to show us around the ship as he knew the way on his own! From the teak deck, ladders, officer's quarters, ward room, mess hall, bridge, bathroom and showers - everything was the SAME as what he remembered from his time on the New Jersey17 years ago. I was taken back by the very retro bright blue linoleum tile lining the floors on the Missouri but he said it was the same as on the New Jersey too. Rob's friend, USN Capt. Paul V. gave us a tour of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis CVN74 when it was stationed in Bremerton about two years ago. I recalled quite a contrast between the two ships. The battleships are definitely vintage. The New Jersey was commissioned in 1943 and the Stennis in 1995. The battleships seemed old and ancient by comparison to the modern options and technology on today's fleet. They may be old but the 16 inch guns and the historic past of the battleships at Pearl Harbor and afterwards are impressive. We ended our time on the Missouri by going to the ships bridge and sitting in the Captain's chair on the starboard side of the ship and then going to the site where the the signing of documents proclaiming the end of WW II were signed. We quickly toured a memorial for submarines on eternal patrol. From my days long ago working at Sub Base Bangor and around submariners, I had heard about the USS Scorpion and USS Thresher but I didn't know numerous others, including the USS Cisco never returned from a voyage under the sea.

Waikiki

We left Maui for a stint of less than 24 hours to be spent in Honolulu before heading home. We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village at the far end of Waikiki beach. I was a bit suspicious of a "28 acre resort" site unseen but since I was using Hilton points rather than being a full paying customer I wasn't in a position to be too particular. It turned out to be a beautiful resort and we truly enjoyed our brief stay there. The grounds were lush and full of tropical plants and animals such as swans, penguins, turtles and birds. Rob found a great source for affordable food at the Army compound adjacent to the hotel. He liked it so much we ate both dinner and breakfast there. Never let it be said that I am not a cheap date! That evening we viewed an energetic hula and fire dancing show and were treated to a short but spectacular fireworks extravaganza on the beach behind the hotel.

Last morning in Maui

Yesterday was a relaxing day for me. Rob continued his trek around the volcano and I did a yoga class, a water aerobics class and then lunch at a beachside restaurant. I found the small birds to be fairly aggressive - at one point 4 of them had landed on the table trying to pull morsels of food from an abandoned plate. Not quite as bad as Alfred Hitchcock's drama "The Birds" but the images did cross my mind. Last night we ate at Kahuna Kabobs in Lahaina. It was a yummy, casual meal in proximity to boutique vendors of arts and crafts, jewelry, tour packages and beachwear. We ambled down Front Street, window shopping and watching the people who have come from near and far to enjoy this beautiful island.

This is our last morning in Maui - we are leaving in the afternoon to head to Honolulu for one night and then back to Seattle on Saturday. Even though it has been a fabulous vacation, it will be good to get back home and see Whimsy dog and our families. Rob went to the gym this morning and then we took a walk along the beach for an hour. It was fun to watch the surfing lessons being conducted offshore and to enjoy the sculpture and beautiful flowers along the pathway of our walk. He went snorkeling and I am gathering up the various bits and pieces of my knitting projects. Rob and I quite often have divergent goals when it comes to "vacation time". He wants mini adventures and every days is packed from dawn to dusk with activities. I want a measured amount of activities but am more interested in relaxing, resting, reflecting. Even though I had the best of intentions otherwise, I managed to fit in very little reading or actual knitting. Despite that, this trip has to be recognized as one of the most restful vacations I've had since my honeymoon 15 years ago. Thanks to the very capable Sara (who is doing a yeoman's job in handling all items related to work!) and has provided me real opportunity to take a break from work. For a change. A welcome change.

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a - say that 3 times fast! It is the name of the restaurant Rob and I went to at the Grand Wailea Resort when we met my manager Thomas, and his wife Denise for a delicious dinner. The humuhumunukunukiuapua'a is also unofficially recognized as Hawaii's state fish - a colorful, pig shaped animal. Pronounced as "who-moo-who-moo-new-coo-new-coo-ah-poo-ah-ah" but shortened to humu by those in the know! We got back quite late last night so I faltered in my plan to meet Naomi for breakfast and sleepily told Rob to "just take the car" when he attempted to rouse me to drop him off for a hike near the Haleakala volcano. I had a great chat with her this morning and look forward to seeing her when we return to the mainland. Lucky lady - her and Greg are going to the Big Island on Friday and will have the pleasure of a few more days in paradise. For the day, I ended up staying close to the hotel and having a fairly productive day. I went for my usual stroll along the boardwalk, ventured into the pool, listened to an audio book, and worked on Nihon Vogue calculations for V-neck decreases and sleeve increases. Getting past the Nihon Vogue math hurdle was a real break through! Now all I have to do is knit, knit, knit. When Rob returned back to the hotel we walked over to Whaler's Village and watched a delightful hulu dancing show by 3 different groups of students. We feasted on fruit salad and outstanding fish tacos at Leilani's On The Beach. We laughed when recollecting the prime view properties livestock on the island enjoy. So far I have been especially attentive to the sounds of the tropical birds and the magnificent flora. Hard to believe the Maui vacation hourglass is quickly running out of time.

Yarn in Maui

After I went for an hourlong morning walk along the water this morning, I drove to Lahaina to check out the waterfront shops. There were many art gallerys, jewelry stores, shops selling tourist clothing and trinkets. It is big business on the islands to sell tour actitives such as helicopter experiences, whale watching, diving adventures, Lu'au's and more. As one might imagine, there are a dearth of yarn stores in the Hawaiian Islands. I stumbled upon one with a focus on knitting, crocheting, needlework and sewing. It was a very small store and not surprisingly, predominantly carried cotton and novelty yarns. In this small store, I saw something that is definitely intrinsic to the Hawaiian Islands. They had crocheted, spiraled rope like lei's that had smooth crocheted "knots" interspersed with fuzzy yarn. I was quite intriqued by them. I strive to support LYS and this tiny store seemed to cry out for support (or at least that was my reasoning to Rob when I returned back to the hotel with a bag of yarn). The color is a rich tropical blue-green and is tactile reminder of this beautiful , wonderful location. I built a cairn of yarn and took a photo from the hotel room lanai . As luck would have it, one of the yarn balls fell off the balcony to the roof 4 stories below. I sheepishly had to call Westin security to conduct a rescue operation to retrieve my yarn. Needless to say, Rob found my plight quite amusing!

Countryside in Maui

We continued our "Road to Hana" journey towards Kipahulu. We stopped at 7 Falls and Rob went for a hike. On the southeast side of the island, we stopped at a little church that had a tiny graveyard in the back garden facing the ocean. Charles Lindbergh lived his last days on the coast of Maui and is buried behind the Palapala Ho'omau Church. It was a serene and extremely peaceful location. The road from Kaupo back to the Eastern side of the island was damaged in an earthquake two years ago so we were unable to continue on the route we had planned earlier. We turned around and drove back to Lahaina along the same winding road that we had traveled earlier. Because we returned back to the hotel a few hours later than originally anticipated.

The Road to Hana

We decided that Monday would be the best day to embark on our adventure to Hana. The road to Hana is a notorious road on the North-East part of Maui - the scenary is beautiful and there are stops along the way that makes the time commitment all worthwhile. Since I easily succumb to motion sickness I took two dramamine. The pills helped a bit but there was a good portion of the drive that I was slumped in the front seat trying not to heed the rapidly changing trajectory of the road. Rob did a masterful job of handling the car - despite frequent yielding o oncoming traffic at single lane bridges, avoidance of oncoming cars that seemed to pay no attention to the center line and a winding road that seemed to go on for miles and miles. Our first stop was at the only Black Sand Beach on Maui. We had thoroughly enjoyed our first Black Sand Beach encounter on the Big Island 15 years ago. We had a picnic on the beach and Rob waded in the water. The undercurrents were too strong to swim so we admired the waves from the beach. It was a spectacular location.

Here Today, Gone to Maui

On the morning of our departure I ran out to the driveway in sandals and capri pants to rescue the Sunday paper from 2 inches of snow. We departed the Northwest under snowy conditions that have made it into the record books! We stopped at the Alaska Board Room for some morning snacks of toast and yogurt and then headed to board our direct flight to Honolulu. We had an exit row and lots of leg room for the 5 hour flight. We landed in Honolulu and waited for the Wiki Wiki shuttle to take us to the inter-Island terminal. Wiki is supposed to mean "fast" but it certainly wasn't very fast! We were quickly growing accustomed to Island time and the slow pace was an invitation to relax. I had a carry on bag filled with knitting projects and books. Thankfully, Rob helped me carry the bag for most of the trip. Who would have guessed yarn weighed so much? We picked up the rental car and made a quick stop at Costco to purchase snorkeling gear and some food essentials. Costco has $1.5o hot dogs EVERYWHERE - not just Issaquah! I met a women in the Costco food court who lost her husband 3 years ago and decided 8 months ago to move to Maui with her 10 year old daughter to get a "fresh start" and seemed to be quite happy. She gave us recomendations of places to eat breakfast or lunch that are favorites of the locals. We arrived at the Westin Maui on Kaanapali Beach with warm welcome of lei's and a spacious room overlooking the resort property and the beautiful ocean beyond. The people are warm and friendly and the trip is off to a fantastic start!

Hail storm!

Hard to believe it is almost the end of April and we just had a hail storm. The weather forecasters have been predicting some snow - Everett already has a few inches on the ground. I had taken the day off as we had planned to take an trip up to Skagit Valley to see the tulips but decided against it once we heard the weather report. I took the day off and ran errands but didn't feel as though it was a very productive day. Probably because I took a nap for 2 hours in the late afternoon! I bet I'll be awake half the night now

I'm making a list of what to pack and bring with me on the trip - books, IPOD, DVD player, knitting, knitting, knitting. I'm obsessed.

Oatmeal, Blueberry and Orange Muffins

Here's another recipe that I got out of a soppy but mindlessly entertaining book called "Friday Night Knitting Club". I made these on a Sunday morning using a mini-muffin pan. They were yummy, healthy and all eaten by noon!

Dakota's Oatmeal, Blueberry and Orange Muffins

Ingredients:

1 C plain rolled oats
1 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 Cups flaked sweet coconut - note: I used unsweetened and the muffins were fine
Grated rind of one large orange
1 egg
1/2 C liquid pasteurized honey
3 T canola or extralight olive oil
1 T vinegar
Juice 1 orange and add water to make one Cup of liquid
1 to 1 1/4 Cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line a muffin tin with paper cups Note - I didn't have paper cups for my mini-muffin pan so I sprayed non stick on it

Combine the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl: oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the coconut and orange rind to the dry ingredients.
Get a separate bowl and beat the egg. Then incorporate the wet ingredients: honey, oil, vinegar, juice and water.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry mix and stir until just moist.
Fold in the blueberries.
Pour batter into muffin cups, about 2/3 to 3/4 full
Bake in a pre-heated oven 20-25 minutes.
Remove muffins from pan and cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Recent convert to Brussels Sprouts!

Earlier this spring Linda, Scottie and myself joined Arlene at her beautiful waterfront home on Camano Island. We had a magical weekend of knitting, laughter and cooking together. The shared company, beautiful scenery and food was wonderful. I have life long aversion to brussels sprouts but this recipe made me a convert! My mother would be in disbelief if she heard this since I absolutely detested the small cabbage-like morsels when I was growing up. I have made this quick and easyrecipe a few times since that memorable weekend trip - the final result is delicious and best of all - healthy!

Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

3 Tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 Tablespoon minced shallot
12 large brussels sprout (about 1.5 lbs)
3/4 Cup shelled unsalted natural pistachios
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Trim and separate brussels sprout leaves from cores (about 8 cups). Discard cores
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and stir 20 seconds. Add brussels sprouts leaves and pistachios and saute until leaves begin to soften but are still bright green - about 3 minutes. Drizzle lemon juice over. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve. Serves 4-6

Cyclist alert!

Rob was out cycling when I got home from work tonight. He was on Team Zoka last year which had brown and blue colored jerseys. This year the sponsorship of the cycling team changed to Cucina Fresca. Red, Green and Black Jerseys. Yes - can you believe it? He has artistic images of tomatoes on his jersey! He is in great shape and is committed to health and fitness in a way that I truly envy. We live midway up Cougar Mountain so depending on which route he rides home he encounters 6-10% grade incline for 1-2 miles straight. He has been especially supportive of my knitting indulgences and I am soooo appreciative! I have literally taken over the media room with my projects . There are knitting projects, assessories, patterns, and books strung from one end of the house to the other.

Anticipation!

Today is the 12th anniversary of my employment at Cisco. Rob asked me if I wanted to go out and celebrate but I declined. Twelve years at a high tech company could be considered a milestone of sorts but certainly doesn't merit a celebration like a birthday or wedding anniversary would. After leaving the office I stopped by Dahlia Lounge bakery and picked up panini sandwiches for dinner and rhubarb tarts for dessert. Even though it is pouring down rain and gloomy outside, it will be fun to reflect back on the changes I have witnessed in this industry as well as lament today being the deadline for filing Income Taxes. Rob was hard at work finishing up our returns this afternoon and then went for a ride on his bike before dinner. I am in the midst of finishing up two immediate Nihon Vogue projects - both cardigans. The round neck cardigan needs sleeves and button bands. The V neck cardigan needs quite a bit more than that as I have to finish a few inches on the back, the last half of the fronts and two complete sleeves. The V neck will definitely be on the docket to travel to Hawaii with me when we leave on Sunday morning. Amusing how I spend more time figuring out what knitting projects to take with me on a trip than I do in determining what clothes to bring! Thankfully, this trip will be easy from a wardrobe perspective since it is a vacation in the tropics - swimsuit, shorts, Tshirts, sundress. Whoo hoooo!
I am planning to make a baby sweater for a dear friend who is due in the fall. It is from Dale of Norway and is called "Marihone". I had to source the yarn from three different stores in order to find the exact or approximate colors I needed. SpinBlessing in Oregon provided most of the colors and the darling lady bug buttons, Cultured Purl had the purple and So Much Yarn had the black skein. I have made small fair isle bags but haven't tackled a fair isle garment, so I am looking forward to learning some new skills and techniques. The size 2 needles will be a first for me as well as I like working with worsted weight the best. Another project I have to spend time thinking at length about is the Project 8 for Nihon Vogue which is "Design My Own". I don't know that I will be up for another cardigan so soon after projects 5 and 6. I am extremely fond of texture and aran style sweaters and am attracted to the cables in this sweater that I discovered in a Japanese book I purchased at Kinokuniya Bookstore in Seattle. I have several stitch pattern books I'll be studying over the next few weeks as Jean wants us to review our Project 8 plan with her in the next class which will be the end of May. I am finding great enjoyment in the planning and design process. Sad to say, harder to admit - I have a staggering amount of yarn and purchased patterns that do not hold the same appeal for me today as when I initially purchased them.

Summer for a day

Saturday was an exquisite day. Record high temperature of 84 degrees in Seattle. Now that we have been tempted with the possibility of summer, I can't believe there was frost on the ground about two weeks ago! I was at Nihon Vogue all weekend and Rob helped with a cycling event at Volunteer Park on Saturday so unfortunately, neither I nor Whimsy were able to fully enjoy the beautiful weather on Saturday. Rob took her to Lewis Creek yesterday and she wasted no time heading for the mud bog . Of course, she had to have a bath when she arrived home. It is moments such as this that remind me my gentle, furry companion is such a "DOG" after all. Two of my Nihon Vogue "classmates", Scottie and Arlene completed the LavaMan triathalon last week on the Big Island of Hawaii. They trained with "Team in Training" for the last several months (rain or shine) and it was wonderful to hear of their accomplishment of finishing the entire race strong. The event is a fundraiser for such a good cause - Leukemia and Lymphoma. They are true inspirations to me and I am so proud of their commitment and dedication.

Rob and I are going to Maui on Sunday! I can't wait. I am sooooo ready for a vacation! Previously, I have been to the Big Island, Kauai, and Oahu but this will be the first trip for both of us to Maui. I plan to spend a lot of time with Rob, but to also rejuvenate and focus on creating a plan for a more healthy lifestyle for myself. Embarrassingly, I have procrastinated on that very important item for too many YEARS now. We are using my many Starwood points to stay at the Westin hotel in Lahaina so there will be plenty of opportunity to swim in the pools (shallow end only since I can't swim!) go to the beach (SPF 50+ sunscreen!), drink tropical concoctions with pineapple and coconut juice (sans alcohol!), listen to audiobooks and knit, knit, knit. More on that later!

Nihon Vogue - Raglan

Here is another completed work from the Nihon Vogue class. It was the first project that we started at our first class in June 2007. It is a Raglan style sweater that was knit from the top down. Every other sweater I have ever made was knit from the bottom up so knitting from the neck down was new adventure. I used a Cascade Yarn called Pastaza which is a half wool, half llama blend. I am not fond of the color brown but for some strange reason I still can't fathom, the cozy yarn 'called' to me when I stumbled upon it at Cultured Purls in Issaquah. Like all of the other Nihon Vogue assignments, this project one was a self designed pattern - all calculations and no pattern drafting. Even after double checking my calculations I did find that the sleeves from the elbow down to the wrist were more snug than I would have liked. So... after much consternation I ripped back each sleeve, added a more comfortable amount of ease and then knit back down to the wrist. Jean showed us an invisible bind off which was very confusing at first. After ripping out the entire bottom edge of the sweater I finally got it right the second time around. It has ended up being a time consuming but quite satisfactoy edging and the more I do it, the more I am pleased with the end result. We didn't learn some of the final techniques needed to complete the sweater until November so it was quite odd to have a work in progress on needles for 6 months! I've worn the sweater quite a bit already - it was toasty warm when Rob and I were in New York City during frigid January.

Cascade

Two weeks ago I suspected the hard drive was going out on my work laptop. (the "click click click" sound was an ominous indicator of what was destined to happen). The on site tech in the downtown office replaced the hard drive and re-imaged my machine. Unbeknownst to me, he erroneously selected a UK keyboard layout - I had been struggling with the keys on my machine typing different characters than intended. The mystery was solved today and is now back as it should be! He also fixed a frustrating issue with Day Light Savings time in that some of my meetings in Outlook were showing up an hour earlier than really scheduled. I was at the point where I had no idea what meeting started when. Happy to report that PC issues are now solved! I took half a day of vacation while my laptop was out of commission and drove to Tukwila to visit Bob and Jean of Cascade yarn. They recently remodeled their office and it looked wonderful - it is a very pleasant working environment. It was good to spend some time with them - they are a delightful, gracious couple and I enjoy hearing of their travels and activities. As soon as I get a break from Nihon Vogue homework I am going to try out the beautiful blue sock yarn Jean gave me. In the past I have always knit socks on double pointed needles but I am eager to learn the "Knitting Socks on Two Circulars" method. It will be refreshing to have a method for knitting socks that have fewer pointed ends for my fellow airline passengers to recoil from! Have any of you seen the latest "Knitter's" magazine? I have subscribed to it for the last few years and eagerly await each issue. The Spring 2008 publication was a big disappointment to me. I saw the cover and gasped "what is that?!". Perhaps I sit squarely in the category of "traditional knitter" but more and more I find many of the fashions presented in the knitting magazines are not attractive to anyone other than a lithe fashionista. The garments are curious oddities or striving to be defined as knitted couture. Not something I would wear. Not something I would knit. Life is far too short to have to knit ugly garments.

Rainy Day Sunday

This is what dogs do when it rains outside - TRY to be content with the toys inside the house! It didn't happen in the case of Whimsy this morning. Rob went to the gym in Redmond and I suited up to take Whimsy on our usual walking loop to Montreaux and then to Lakemont park for some 'off leash let's go chase the ball' time. Midway through our walk the gray skies opened up and it started pouring. I know that dogs live in the moment but she was so disappointed we had to come home early. Unfortunately, the toys did not generate the same excitement as all the wonderful smells around about the neighborhood. My excursions with Whimsy pale in comparison to the sensory exaulting expeditions Rob takes her on.

Nihon Vogue - Vneck Pullover Sweater

Here are photos of another recently finished creation for the Nihon Vogue class. I am especially proud of the complexity of this stitch with the hourglass shape by yarn overs and ktog's to form the mini cables and lace eyelets. It took much longer to knit this sweater than I had anticipated - mid way through I was beginning to regret my decision to take on such an involved garment with so little spare time to complete it. I have always shied away from lace patterns. Actually, 'running from the room screaming' when I see a lace pattern is more like it. Other than two puny scarves I made for my sisters a few years ago, I have not had the courage to tackle any project involving lace stitches. I steadily kept at it on the Vneck and after several late nights over a few weekends, I was able to declare victory! In the end, I am pleased with my choice of stitch pattern as it provided quite a learning experience in pattern matching on side seams, decreasing around arm holes and V neck diagonal lines the front. I graphed EVERY SINGLE stitch in pattern for shaping on the armhole curves, neckline and shoulders. The sweater is made of an alpaca and merino wool yarn and I had to keep in mind the lack of 'memory' or natural tendency for alpaca fibers to 'stretch out' when designing the pattern. I'm not especially fond of Vneck type sweaters (although they seem to be a favorite style of Rob's) . The techniques used to center a stitch in the bottom of the V (in alignment with the center stitch of the front garment pattern) and to adjust the ribbing on either side of that single stitch is one I hope to have mastered for future projects.

Nihon Vogue - Pullover Sweater - round neck

This red sweater is one of my favorites completed thus far in the Year One Nihon Vogue course of study. The stitch pattern was a simple waffle stitch that added overall texture but which also made it very easy to line up the side seams evenly when sewing together. It was the first sweater in which we were to design a set in sleeve. That technique requires a bit more planning and is more complicated than a drop sleeve but the results are well worth the extra work. A set in sleeve sweater fits better and is has a more tailored look to it. I finished the sweater with a one by one rib banded by a rolled stockinette stitch on the neck, sleeves and bottom. The yarn is from my stash - Cascade 220 in a red heather. Cascade 220 is one of my all time favorite worsted weight yarns to work with and it comes in huge choice of colors. My friends Jean and Bob are the owners of Cascade Yarns and it is a such a joy to work with their products!

Nihon Vogue - Round Neck Cardigan in progress

I spent most of Saturday afternoon knitting on the round neck cardigan project for Nihon Vogue. We have class this coming weekend April 12-13 and I was making fairly good progress but ran into an obstacle... We are required to complete Japanese Short Rows for the shoulder sloping on front and back garment pieces and I haven't figured out how to do short rows without disrupting the double moss stitch pattern. Since a good portion of what will be short rowed is over the cable pattern perhaps I shouldn't be agonizing over it as much as I have been. It is understandable why most textured or aran sweaters have straight shoulders instead of sloped shoulder seams. For the round neck cardigan homework I still need to complete the neck shaping, short rows on front and back, ribbing on all 3 pieces and the neck band. I started the sleeves and they are each about 1/4 done but I am not going to push to finish those before class since they are not a pre-requisite to do the button band which we will be doing in class. The yarn for the cardigan is my favorite Cascade 220 worsted in color Amethyst Heather. Purple is my favorite color and this yarn is especially pretty - it has blue and pink flecks in it.

Recipe for Chocolate Graham Cracker Marshmallow Cupcakes

I seldom watch Martha Stewart on TV but I recorded today's show since Jennifer Shea, the owner of Trophy Cupcakes was featured because this week is "Cupcake Week". I had no idea there was such a thing as "Cupcake Week"! Trophy Cupcakes is in the Wallingford Center on N 45th St in Seattle. Her cupcakes are delightful indulgences made to artistic perfection using the freshest, top quality ingredients. Attention to detail and exquisite taste of both cake and frosting make them a very special treat.

Recipe courtesy of Jennifer Shea - Trophy Cupcakes

Ingredients
Makes 2 dozen
2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Marshmallow Frosting
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.
Sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on low speed.
In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add boiling water and stir to combine; set cake batter aside.
Place graham cracker crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl; stir until well combined.
Place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use the bottom of a small glass to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Reserve remaining graham cracker mixture for topping.
Place 2 teaspoons chocolate in each muffin cup. Transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until the edges of the graham cracker mixture is golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter. Sprinkle each with remaining chocolate and graham cracker mixture. Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.
Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large plain round or French tip (such as Ateco #867 or Ateco #809). Pipe frosting in a spiral motion on each cupcake. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet. Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the frosting, taking care not to burn the cupcake liners. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container, up to 2 days.

Happy Spring Day

I bought these flowers over the weekend and even though I forgot to add more water yesterday, they survived my neglect and still look pretty! I am enthusiastic about all seasons but am certainly ready for a change to nicer weather in the Pacific Northwest. I enjoy the flowers and trees blooming and especially the greater selection of fresh fruit and vegetables that come with the season. Rob took Whimsy on a 6 mile hike on Mount Si yesterday. I went for a walk with my good friend JoAnn in the evening and Whimsy was eager to join us which surprised me as I would have thought she would have been tired from her day hike. Near the end of the walk she was definitely slowing down and predictably did not have quite as much energy! She is 9.5 years old and is a wonderful, intelligent dog with the sweetest personality. She is happiest when on a trek in the woods or when swimming in nearby Lake Sammamish.

Speaking of flowers, I sent roses to my sister Teresa in Anchorage, AK last week for celebratory congratulations of her getting a new job with the Dept of Labor. For many reasons it was welcome, fabulous news and I am so proud of her for being a model of grace and dignity under extreme adversity in both her personal and professional life this past year. I am not at liberty to mention her previous organization but I sure wish I could warn others who might be considering taking a job there. Recent leadership of her work group was thoughtless, capricious and just plain cruel. I am so glad she had the courage to escape that hostile, toxic working environment.

Introduction to Nihon Vogue

For the past 9 months I have been taking the first year of Nihon Vogue's Certificate Course in Knitting the Japanese Way. This rigorous course of study uses exact methods established through standards as defined by NAC, the Nihon Amimono Culture Association. Nihon Vogue established their school decades ago and was accredited in 1961 by the Japanese Ministry of Education. The school building is 13 stories high and each floor is devoted to a separate discipline. To date, Nihon Vogue has trained over 50,000 instructors in fiber skills. To be accredited, they must study 7-9 years in all disciplines of handcrafts and are renown for "stunning....groundbreaking designs in their approach to texture, motif and composition." Year One teaches techniques and methodology for measurement, drafting and drawing of patterns in metric, adjustment for proper fit that is customized for wearer, various garment features such as collars, necklines and sleeves. At the end of Year One (100 hours of instruction), a certificate is applied for and awarded if the requirements of 8 projects and near perfect attendance has been met. There are 6 levels of certification. Jean Wong who taught for Nihon Vogue 9 years in Taiwan, now resides in Vancouver, BC Canada and is certified to teach in North America. Jean has taught Year One and Year Two at Wool & Wicker in Canada for the past few years. For the first time, this course is now offered in the United States through Suzanne of Madrona Fiber Arts. Suzanne welcomes Jean and 15 ardent students to her beautiful home in at the base of the magnificent Cascade mountains for an entire weekend approximately every 4-6 weeks. I must say, the women who have signed up for this first year of Nihon Vogue with me are accomplished knitters and amazing women. In the class are dedicated knitters who have careers in the high tech industry or related to technology, medical field, teach knitting and spinning classes, airplane pilot, small business owners, or blissfully retired. My knitting tenure of 6 years is dwarfed by them and their skill set. I rated myself a 'pretty good' knitter before the course, but Nihon Vogue has humbled me! The class is a serious undertaking as it requires dedication and commitment of time and resources. It can also be a bit stressful as there can be A LOT of homework between sessions since we work on multiple sweaters simultaneously as concepts are mastered in sequence. I believe the class is held every 1-2 weeks in Canada so they don't have such wide slices of time between instruction. With so much time between our classes, one has to discard trepidation, jump in and begin the experiential learning journey. Despite my initial misgivings of whether or not I had gotten in over my head - I am quite pleased with the progress I have made thus far and realize I have learned so much. The program has been more rewarding than I had ever imagined!
The first year projects are:
1. Top Down Raglan
2. Pullover vest with no shaping (completed garment shown)
3. Pullover round Neck, Set in Sleeve Sweater
4. V neck, Set in Sleeve Sweater
5. Cardigan, round neck
6. Cardigan, V neck
7. Crochet vest
8. Design 'my own' creation