Knitting Meme (plus bonus ice cream recipe!)

I have a couple of things that are more interesting to post later this week, so I cast around for some content to post along with a fantastic ice cream recipe, and thought...meme! This meme, which String Bean posted, reminds me of a less-intoxicated, G-rated version of a popular drinking game. So, here it is, Knitter's I-Never:

Bold the things you have ever knit
Italicize the ones you plan to do sometime
Leave the rest

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Shawl
Knitting with metal wire
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Drop stitch patterns
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fibre yarn
Domino Knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting ***Do I even know what this is???
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting ***I have to look this one up, too
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publish a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dyeing with plant colours
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) *** Hahahaha! Other tubular items.***
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cottonc
Knitting smocking
Dyeing yarn
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Entrelac
Long Tail CO
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed Toys
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

If you read this and feel like doing a meme, consider yourself tagged. For extra fun, do a shot for every line you bold!

Other knitting: Still going on good ol' placket-neck. My dad has been here, so we've been busy. I did want to announce that I have switched from using cable cast-on for practically everything to the double cast-on. Is that what it's called, the one with the fiddly hand movements that uses both ends of the yarn? So much stretchier, yet still neat-looking. When I first started knitting, I could NOT get the hang of it, so I switched to the (much easier) cable cast-on. But it's often too firm, so I tried the double cast-on and I couldn't be happier. Well, I could if I had a million dollars, probably.

Reading: Lots of Joan Hess's Claire Malloy mysteries. Now I'm reading the last Jane Austen mystery by Stephanie Barron, which I've been hoarding. I might go on to a big pile of juvenile fiction, or I might switch to Jane Austen related fiction.

Writing: Nothing at all.

Cooking: At the totally dysfunctional place I used to work, another employee and I were once asked to leave so the artistic director and executive director could continue their "discussion" (read: shouting match) in our one-room, multi-person office. We ran a couple of work-related errands, then came back. We could hear the yelling down the hall, so we headed to the newly opened Ben & Jerry's. A flavor I liked every once in a while (that I don't recall ever seeing in pre-packed pints at the store) was a coconut ice cream with almonds and chocolate. Yum.

Coconut Ice Cream (Light-ish)

1 can coconut milk plus enough whole milk to make 4 cups
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped chocolate-covered almonds
1/2 cup finely shredded coconut*

Place first three ingredients in bowl of ice cream mixer (make sure they are chilled). Process until almost firm. Add remaining ingredients and process until well-mixed and desired consistency. This, like other light ice cream recipes, freezes rather solid. I just zap it for 30 seconds before serving, or set it out for a few minutes. I might try coconut-flavored rum in this next time, as that would make it a bit softer.

* I actually would leave this out last time. It's coconutty enough without it, and it's sort of chewy and dry. Maybe I could try letting it sit in hot coconut milk to absorb moisture, then chilling the whole thing, but that sounds excessive.

Notes: Use up to 1 cup whipping cream in place of the whole milk if your arteries are too healthy. I happened to have chocolate-covered almonds on hand, but chopped dark chocolate and roasted chopped almonds would be great, too.

And six years ago today:

Tag, you're it!

Annie Knits tagged me with this little meme:

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

In June 1998, I was home from my junior year in college, working at The Best Summer Job Ever, a fun, laid-back software company, as a sort of intern, floating as needed.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

1. Pay car insurance (this involves going to our State Farm office, with really, really nice staff who will drive me nuts trying to sell us even more insurance for various purposes)
2. Wait for our handywoman to come clean and repair our gutters
3. Water poor plants, which are wilting in the extreme heat we've been having (my cilantro looks unbelievably sad)
4. Get the mail
5. Feed Lilah and the cats. Oh, and me.

3) Snacks I enjoy:

Pistachios (I was eating them way before South Beach Diet came along), Triscuits and Laughing Cow, edamame. And chips, which I try not to keep in the house.

4)Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Pay off school loans and house, treat family to whatever they need. Open a cafe/bakery. Hire Mary Poppins so I can have time to write. Start a foundation, because who wants to spend all their time deciding how to spend their money?

5) Places I have lived:

Bakersfield (CA), Atlanta, Chicago, Madison (WI), Atlanta again

I'm not sure who's done this and who hasn't, so I'll say if you read this, consider yourself tagged!

Knitting: A finished object picture would be nice, huh? Geez. I can't believe I forgot to do that.

Anyway, Yarnthrower, I wore the headband ALL DAY and it didn't budge. My concern is with the cotton stretching out so it'll eventually be too big for my head. Cotton might not have been a smart choice, but I can always try washing in a bit of hot water to get it back to size. When you decide when to bind off, make sure you stretch the headband slightly so the diameter ends up being a smidge smaller than your head. That'll help it stay in place.

The Details:
Pattern: Arrowhead Lace Headband by Persnickety Knitter
Yarn: Pakucho Organic Cotton in Chocolate (much less than one skein)
Needles: Size 7
Notes: This was a nice, quick pattern, but this skein of Pakucho was really splitty, so every ssk and psso was a nightmare. It took much longer than it should have. I only had Clover circulars in that size, and the tips are very blunt, which didn't help. Bad needle/yarn/pattern matchup. But I like the finished piece, and I've already worn it. The pattern is simple without being boring, and was really the best headband pattern I found.

Reading:
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star
Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo

I loved Fablehaven and the sequel, and I'll have to pick up book three. But I was really disappointed by Leven Thumps, which I expected to really like. After my juvenile fantasy kick, I'm reading Murder at the Murder at the Mimosa Inn, the second Claire Malloy mystery by Joan Hess. These are fun. I have a lot of books in my piles (someday, I'll frighten you all with a full list), but mainly I'm reading the Joan Hess books, Kate Kingsbury's two series, and I have the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett to read.

Writing: Lilah's done a bit better sleeping lately, so I've had more energy, but a lot going on. I've also been easily distracted lately.

Cooking: Not really anything interesting. I threw together a stirfry that was okay, but not really worthy of posting a recipe. I made lasagne for friends expecting a baby soon. They can keep it in the freezer and have food ready for when the baby's born. I'm making them enchiladas as well, then I will have exhausted my casserole repertoire.

Go ahead, make my day!

I'm not ready with real content to post today, but MLE Knits gave me the Make My Day Award, which really, well, made MY day. So I wanted to say thank you and continue the award:

"Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times."

MLE
Knit Pastis
TurtleGirl
String Bean
KnittyPants
Stefaneener (Reading While Knitting)
YarnThrower
Marie (A Knit's Tale)
Rachel (Lickety Knit)
Annie

It's hard to limit the number of awards, isn't it? Anyway, you guys all make my day!

Bonus Post for the Day: Tagged!

String Bean has tagged me with a sock meme, and though you guys know I am a pretty lame sock knitter, I shall try to play!

1. What's your favorite sock yarn? (please note that the word 'yarn' is singular. Just pick one. I know it's hard.)

I guess I'll go with Lorna's Laces. They're just so soft and a little sproingy. My experience here is limited, understand.

2. What's your favorite type and brand of sock needle?

Clover bamboo dpns. I am afraid of knitting socks on either one or two circs, and I hate metal needles. Someday, I will conquer the fear of circs for socks, but metal needles hurt my hands.

3. Do you knit your socks toe up, cuff down, or sideways?

I've only done cuff down, but want to try toe up next time, whenever "next time" shall be.

4. Do you knit both socks at once or just one at a time?

One at a time.

5. What's your favorite toe and why?

There's more than one kind of toe? Hee hee. Nah, I know there's more than one, but I just do the sort of basic one. Now that I read there's a short-row toe, I have to try that!

6. Favorite heel?

I've only ever done heel flap, but I want to try short row "next time" (see #3).

7. Do you prefer plain or patterned socks?

I've only done a couple of pairs. I loved the patterned socks with Lorna's Laces, but I love the plain socks I made with Sunshine Yarns Gryffindor stripe yarn. So, to make a long story less long, it depends.

8. Who do you knit the most socks for?

It's 50-50 right now, between me and my husband, but my next pair will be for me.

9. Do you darn your socks? If not, what do you do with them?

I darn them (or worse!) when I drop a stitch or break a needle. Oh wait, I see what you mean! I haven't had to yet. Probably will when I need to.

10. Do you only wear handknit socks?

No, I have my one handknit pair, and everything else is from the store. Obviously, I need to knit more socks! I don't even have handknit slippers right now (I covet my husband's Fuzzy Feet).

Bonus question: What pattern, if any, is your basic "I-just-need-a-pair-of-socks" sock pattern based on? Do you keep it written down or memorized?

I guess the Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns socks. That's what I used to make the Gryffindor socks (more or less) and I am not a good enough sock knitter to have it memorized!

I tag Tim and KnitPastis. Haha, just kidding Tim!

By the way, since I forgot in my last post, Happy Halloween and/or Samhain to everyone!