Jul 31, 2013

D134: Risotto for Bambino

Today I experimented with an idea I've had for a while - chicken & corn risotto for Bub.

Here is the prototype recipe I did tonight:

1 can of creamed carm (310g)
1 small can of corn kernels (optional)
300g minced chicken
1/2 cup arborio rice

1. With a bit of oil in a medium saucepan, fry the chicken and break it up as much as possible.
2. Add the corn and rice.  Stir until all the rice is wet.
3. Add the creamed corn and combine. Stir until it's reduced a little.
4. Add about a quarter cup of water and stir. Continue adding water and stirring until the rice is cooked. 
5. Blend or process to a consistency your baby prefers (or not).

Variations
Use chicken stock instead of water
Add chopped omelette* or peas at the end
Begin by frying an onion

I've found chicken stock to be quite salty and a very strong flavour for Bub.  Although I bought salt reduced stock for this meal, I decided to skip it and go conservatively for a new dish.

Another variation I'm considering is to fry the rice a bit first, add at least half a cup or so of water and then corn, and then the chicken.  Cooking the minced chicken in water would break it up more finely, I think, and make it less chewy for Bub.  The creamed corn would go in as the second batch of water.

I don't yet know whether Bub will take to this one, so cannot report any success.  She likes chicken by itself but hasn't had corn before.  We'll see after a week or so I suppose.

In other news, I've completed the parts of the Baby gift I'm knitting and have begun the decorating.  I'm choosing to decorate it while it's flat, rather than once assembled, as I think it'll be a bit easier that way. Especially if I make mistakes or make changes.

*If I were to add egg it would make it a very fowl dish indeed - the chicken, its food and its egg!  I should call it Chicken Coup Goop.

-----
Next day update:  Bub says nnnnope. But, you know, I've got about 20 tbp of this so don't worry Bub THERE'S TIME.

Fortnight later update:  A few days ago Bub ate two cubes of this - about 3 tbp!  I've been giving it to her for lunch and, at half way through the batch, I've eaten most of it myself.  However, these last few days have been a success and she's getting some good food into her!  Hurrah!

Jul 29, 2013

D133: Not quite...

With only the collar of this garment to go, here's what I had left after finishing all the other pieces...

The gauge for this garment is 24sts x 24rows over a 10cm wide/tall section "when slightly stretched".

My gauge is very different, with many more stitches fitting into the 10cm breadth, so a lot more yarn used over the distance.  It takes quite an 'assertive stretch', I suppose, to get the my stitches to match the gauge.  But I do have 25 rows in height, which is very close.  (I might look into the difference between row and stitch tension and how to influence that. Sigh.)  

I don't know why anyone would include stretching in establishing gauge.  What's 'slightly'?  A centimetre?  When it doesn't bounce back?  So you can see the hidden rib?  It seems like a terribly fuzzy thing to introduce into what's meant to be your guiding parameters.

I'll confess I didn't do a swatch, and it seems I could've done this garment in a 6.00mm or 5.5mm needle and benefited.  It's also why I went off to my oh-my-goodness-I'm-so-lucky-to-live-in-this-area local yarn store today: one more ball. (Brownie points to me for only buying what I needed.  Mind you, choosing yarn I want would require bringing a snack.)

Jul 28, 2013

D132: Tip of the Day - Cutting Mandarins for Babies

Mandarin pieces need to be halved for babies, both to prevent choking and to remove pips.
Chop first! It's hard to see here but I've already removed the pips from this one.  

I'd let Bub have a go at pulling them out by herself if only she didn't play Chubby Bunnies* with all her favourite foods.

In other news, we're up to the neckline in our knitted baby gift.  Hopefully I'll finish the front tonight.  :D


*Remember the Chubby Bunnies party game? Stuff a marshmallow in your mouth and say "Chubby Bunnies". Repeat. Whoever can still say Chubby Bunnies with the most marshmallows in their mouth wins.  I'll be putting my money on Bub.

Jul 27, 2013

D131: Saturdelights - not a particularly crafty post...

Today didn't start out that well. Well, actually, it was a glorious morning, weather wise, but my plans were thwarted early on.

I've not been feeling strong enough, or 'back together' enough to go back to the exercise I did before becoming pregnant.  Jaunty swing dancing and bouncy running just feel beyond my ankles and strength right now. There's this phenomenon that occurs for some people after pregnancy: weak wrists. It's gotten me good and I think it happens to the ankles too. Every time I try to break into a jog I just marionette into the ground.  I was thinking Pilates might be a good option.  I've done it before and it's challenging enough, but after talking with my osteopath I'm flummoxed as to why I hadn't yet properly considered his suggestion of yoga.  Yoga!  I can do yoga!

So an online search said there are yoga classes at a joint nearby.  Within walking distance.  On a Saturday morning! This Saturday morning!  IT WAS A SIGN PEOPLE.

I arrived to a locked door.  I was that person peering into a clearly dark, empty and closed business, checking for another entrance, reading all the posters about Wednesday night's class but seeing no sign of the Saturday class their Facebook page promised.  And then, as I texted hub to see if he'd mind me taking a second brekky, the instructor turned up to let someone in and explained how there had been signs announcing the cancelled Saturday classes.  Hmmm, not on the online places though.  In good form, she offed me a freebie class for Wednesday.  I'm yet to decide...

So I went to the new cafe a few doors up.  By pure coincidence, I took the table the yoga instructor and her friends abandoned (too small) and felt only slightly awkward about her being across a small room.  I enjoyed a very good coffee with an almost perfect French toast and had a good uninterrupted think about the opinions of The Age readers and editors.  Silver lining win thanks to small pleasures.

And the day continued on that curve...
Some warm sun, finally...

...post-pool fuzz...

...good quality ingredients - juicy sultanas and apricots.

Mmmm, buttery sweetness. Or sweet buttery butter. Ghhhhh....

Cookies!

And a good long-tail cast-on.

Jul 26, 2013

D130: Second sleeve done!

That is all.

A little compensation:

Little Kimono Booties, in French.I'm thinking of making a pair of knitted slippers for Bub.  She has these great, cosy little boots, but they're a bit of a struggle to put on.  I'd like something I can chuck on her feet without the fuss, but with a bit of warmth.  I have a French version of these Baby kimono slippers, which looks rather quick & appealing.

Years ago I made a striped cushion in a Linen Stitch.  It's a lovely woven stitch, easy for anyone familiar with stocking stitch, and looks glorious with variegated yarns.  While you have to do about 130% of the rows to get the same height as regular knitting, its density pays off.  I thought I could use this stitch in a little slipper to add warm and strength.  With a firmer sole, I can more easily put some puff paint or something on a slipper sole so Bub has a little grip.


Click this picture for a tutorial I found via Pinterest
The other appeal of the kimono shoes is that, as they are knitted flat and are very simple, I suspect I could adjust the dimensions as I need, which would be necessary since I'd be using a different stitch.  Hmmm..... ponderponderponder...

Jul 24, 2013

D129: Sleeve done!

I finished the first sleeve today, with only one error. (I did the 4.5mm section two rows too long, but that's easily repeated on the other sleeve for symmetry.)

The shoulder castoff using a double-rib,
and the knit-wise castoff on the arm
In the name of Murphy's Cousin, I cast off the shoulders rib-wise, planning to manage some give in the seam and have it relax a little.  I thought, too, a ribbed cast-off might have less bulk than knitted cast-offs seem to have.  Why they should be any more, or less, bulky than a ribbed cast-off is beyond me and I'm probably wrong.  

However, I cast-off knit-wise for the arm thinking it would stretch it out and help with easing the difference.  Now I'm thinking I should've just cast-off knit-wise back at the shoulder so that I'm not dealing with a bouncy length or introducing droop in the seam - maybe it'll be harder to match with all that stretch...  Then again, maybe some bounce will allow the garment to size up in the future... 
Over thinking in much? Shyah.

I also realised today that Silly Me gave away the colour of this gift in a previous post, so thought some pics to help explain couldn't hurt.  One day I will remember all the things!

Jul 23, 2013

D128: Tip of the day - Joins in knitted cuffs

Sometimes yarns have a bulge where a ply (a little thread within the yarn) begins and ends and they've been worked together, such as with weaving or an attempt at felting.  Sometimes there's just a little knot with two little tails.  This yarn I'm currently working has given me a knot and it's landed in the cuff of a sleeve.  (These knots pretty rare:  in the two balls of yarn I have left I can't even find one to photograph for you.)

The little blighter
Initially, I wasn't fussed about it.  I planned to work it so that the tails would appear at the back of the fabric, if at all.  In fact, joining a new ball by tying the two threads at the back of the work is perfectly acceptable and has been done since time cast on.

However, there are at least two places where this shouldn't occur: the collar and the cuff.

I'm pretty sure I can still weave this little tuft into the work, but I can't be sure it won't pop out in the future.

I should have cut out the knot and rejoined the yarn at the side.  The side seam is an easier place to hide an end and this is important because cuffs (and collars) often have both sides exposed, especially in baby items where lengths are turned back for growth.  I forgot that when working on a sleeve the 'right side' really applies to the arm and shoulder part because often both sides of the cuff may be the 'right side'.

So let it be known people: if you're working on a portion that may have both sides showing during its use, keep knots out of the work by rejoining at the seams.

In other news, and for my own records, I made another fruit purée with the following stats:
6 medium/large apples, two pears & 1 banana = about 42 tbsp of purée (840ml or a bit over 3 1/3 cups)

Jul 22, 2013

Hello Forgetful Head

I just got back from visiting my friends and their gorgeous new little boy.  Their teeny weeny itty bitty human. I gave my friend the jar of little baby decoy cookies that are meant to keep the dad and kiddliwinks away from her lactation cookies.  I didn't intend for the baby ones to get so... well.. done but they're fun never the less.

My friend told me when her little boy was born that he was 3.2kg, only a little bigger than Bub's starting weight...  Where was my brain?! I know she started in 0000s and the thing I'm making IS HUUUUGE!  It will probably fit Bub better than him! I'm making the smallest size already...

Good news: I need a new woolly something for Bub and this will do nicely.  
'Bad' news: I need to choose and make something else for the new little guy.  Oh heavens, more choices, more knitting, whatever shall I do? Alas, alack, the hardships I face. 

The biggest question: do I pause this project to complete something for the new baby, or power on.  Option B I think, and it will give me more time to decide on what to make him.

Ed note: 
Actually, after measuring it against Bub, it will be a little snug for her yet she's  11mo and it's a 3-6m size.  If the Lil Guy grows as she has, it'll probably still fit him come the Autumn weather when he's 9-10mo and even in the the old cool snaps over summer.
It's meant for him so to him it shall go.  I might make the next size up for Bub later.

I should still make him something he can wear before Christmas though... Yeah. Prolly should.

Jul 21, 2013

D127: I lost track of when this got out of hand


I blame the new icing syringe.

In other news, I'm up to the shoulder of the back part in my knitting :)  See? I'm perfectly sensible.

Jul 20, 2013

D126: What?! And not knit?! As if.

As I mentioned earlier, one of my BFFs has had her third baby - a little boy yesterday morning.  While I've no idea how quick another baby project will be (the last one took 2 weeks) it won't stop me from beginning something for this little lad.

Bub began swimming lessons today.  It turns out she's a little elderly for her group.  At a seasoned 11 months, she's the oldest there (although by no means the hairiest - she's still a fuzzlebug on top).  It was a roaring success and we were able to stop by the yarn store on the way home, putting the whole outing under 'Winning'.


I thought having Bub & Hub waiting in the car would help me make a speedy decision.  Speedy? Yes.  Best choice? Not sure.  I'm afraid the grey I've chosen is too dark, even though I plan to decorate it with a light blue.  I can't even ask your opinion because, like I said, my friend reads here* and I'd like there to be some surprise to the gift.  (Hence the lack of pics.) Ah well, shall just have to trust he's a cooler kid than I.

In terms of the work, I'm knitting the garment as directed and not converting it to in-the-round.  Although I am using the Continental style, with circular needles, this pattern has sleeves and I don't fancy attaching set in sleeves on a knitted garment.  I'd much rather sew up the sides from cuff to waist at the end.

So, before I go wrap up the house for the evening run, here are the best bits of news for today:
  • This Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran is devine to work with; and
  • I began the back this afternoon and I think I'll be up to at least the armpits by bed!  Who knows where the day will take me!
*She's, like, a quarter of my readership!  Gotta look after my peeps!!

D125: In retrospect...

I made some lactation cookies on Wednesday night.  I was miraculously organised, doing parts of the recipe as I prepared dinner, which made the rest of it easier once Hub was out rock climbing and Bub was in bed.

Some of these cookies have been frozen for a dear friend of mine who was pregnant and is now a third time mum!  So much can happen in the space of a few days!

I'm constantly impressed by this friend.  She is one of my 'What Would She Do?' inspirations (inspirators?).  As I am with all parents who take this great leap, I'm terribly impressed with them officially tipping the balance of their family into Outnumbered.  While thinking of even no.2 makes my toes curl (I know, one is easy in comparison), I'm sure these guys are going to romp it in.  I'd be under-selling it to say they're pretty gosh-darn good, but I know she reads my blog, so I'll save her modesty and reign it in with a gentle 'fecking awesome'.  Congratulations lovie!  Mwah!

Jul 14, 2013

D124: Tip of the day - Hang your ball low!

Does your ball hang low? Well, I should, in some way or another.

While working on this garment, knitting left-handed in the Continental style I usually use with circular needles, I had patches of loose stitches.  Sometimes, this was due to dropping the tension when doing purl stitches - I'm still developing my reliability with tension when switching between stitch styles.

However, during the arms holes and neck bands I realised how this was happening.  (I knit faster than I think, it would seem...)

Here's a picture of how the tension is meant to be held when knitting Continental:
The wrapping and hold or traditional Continental knitting

This yarn is lovely and smooth.  in these winter months my fingers are slimmer, cold and smooth and the yarn just slips through like ribbon. Here's how I held it for this project:
The way I wrapped and held my yarn for this project.

And here's how those loose patches turned up:
The ravelled loop already in my hand, and what the little blighter looks like when drawn out.

As the garment is turned the yarn becomes ravelled*, sometimes into it's twist and sometimes against.  Either way, a little loop sometimes evolves and travels towards the work as I knit.  Soon, it's inside my fingers and I haven't even noticed it's there until it's too late, slackening my work - even just one or two   stitches, and developing a loose bunch of stitches.

In my hurry with this project, I haven't taken the diligence to go back, unstitching suspect bunches and reknitting them with better tension.  I also let my work space be very crowded, with bags, needles and my book, because I was keeping it from little hands.  This meant the yarn got wrapped up in things sometimes - another tension trap!

The solution is to anchor the ball of yarn somehow, and some distance and gravity would suffice.  So whether it's next to your feet or in a container, hang your ball low so that the yarn doesn't loop on itself before it gets to the thing that should control the yarn: your tension hand!

*yup, I choose to use that word this way

Baby Dunn Vest Done

Made it! Delivered and complete! Button and all :)


Pattern: Vest
Source: Debbie Bliss Baby Essentials
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino - colour 202, light blue
Needles: 3.25mm & 2.75mm

Jul 13, 2013

D121-123: Pant! Pant! Puff! Puff.... Woooow!

I finished the data work on Thursday and threw myself into this. Scrabbling around guests, errands and a baby cruising the furniture, I'm somewhat pleased with what it is so far. 


I had hoped to be doing a ridiculous late-night blocking effort with a complete vest. But, alas, there is one armhole to go. Hopefully I can have the blocking begun by the time Bub finishes her first nap.  

While I was working, I had a daydream of my friend pulling the vest out of the gift bag, dutifully complimenting me on the work, and me saying "Thanks....  pass it over and I'll sew on the button."
Wish me luck. 

Jul 7, 2013

D120: Yes, I am that mother.

I made hummus for my baby.  Not just purée or mash.  I made dip. For the baby.  Coz she really like crackers!

It has no garlic, even though she likes the flavour, because I think it gives her a nappy rash.  It does have a little sugar in it to help the lemon.  Hopefully this will work in place of banana and other sweet fillers, as well as be something for the crackers she likes.  Otherwise: dips ahoy!  And hurrah for an exceptionally well chosen jar!


Jul 6, 2013

D119: Waste not...

Oh, you like it now!
Today's creative effort was spent using up foods that Bub shows no sign of eating in the near future.

These are filo party triangles filled with our veggie mashes and spare vegetables.

First, I fried a diced red onion with the shredded remaining half wombok cabbage. Then I defrosted the ill-fated mashes (sweet potato and chicken; carrot, pumpkin, potato and cauliflower mash; and mashed peas) and mixed in the cooled fried food.

Then I prepared the filo by sandwiching three layers with melted butter and slicing that into three strips. After arranging a tablespoon of mixture at the end, the strip was folded along its length into a triangular wrap, with the end sealed and the top brushed with melted butter.  They went into the oven for 20mins at 375°F (about 180°C).

They could've done with some seasoning but I couldn't decide on which way to go - I was thinking either Indian or Chinese flavours, but I'm not practised enough with either to wing it.  A teaspoon of curry powder probably would've been enough to make it more interesting.

Bub was a bit more interested in the food in this form, of course, but found the pastry a bit tricky to manage.  ("It's hot... paper..?") Either way, I was pleased with the result and glad that the food hasn't gone to waste completely.


Oh, and a quick one: a little creative effort showing off Bub's latest development in getting around.

Jul 5, 2013

D118: Intense knitting

A bit more done.  Hmmm... those stitches really are leaning to the right...
Another inch or so complete and a pattern has emerged...

There's a ridging in the stocking stitch.  Here's a horizontal shot that I think better reveals the tilt.
See what I mean?

I think my tension, combined with the way I pick up a stitch to knit Continental style, has helped twist the yarn in each stitch.  The right-hand needle enters the stitch at the base and as the needle slides up it pushes the wrap of the yarn upwards, unwrapping it a bit below the needle and tightening the wrap along the back of the loop and behind the left needle.  That's my theory anyway.  I haven't had this happen with my right-handed knitting style.  I think, in future projects, I'll change my yarn hold and hopefully that'll keep it from being pushed around so much.

I'm not sure I can do much about it other than easing the tension so that the entered stitch will slide around the new stitch more easily.  However, at 27sts per 10cm, it's only slightly tighter than what's prescribed by the pattern, so I'm reluctant to change that, especially this far in.  It may mean I have to go get another ball, but I could use the contrasting yarn to do the neck and arm holes... Whether I do that or not probably depends on the time of day I get to that stage: if it's after the shops close, ecru contrast it is!

Anyway, at this stage, I'm happy to let it be an aspect of an individual garment.  Worse things have happened, right?

Jul 4, 2013

D117: Putting the luck in 'pot luck'

Fennel, Chicken & Veggie risotto
I've led a pretty sheltered life in the world of food.  Life on the farm was mostly meat-and-three-veg.  Italian was spag bol; Indian was kedgeree; Chinese was fried rice.   This is not me complaining - I made spag and fried rice myself.  And I loved Mum's cooking.  Every single meal, in my memory, was a comfort meal.  From the crumbed lamb cutlets and roasts to the fish fingers, egg bread not to mention the desserts. 

Have I not mentioned this before?  Well, if I had to choose I think my favourite would be crepes, which we had with syrup and with lemon & sugar.  I would have seven: three with each topping, one rolled and cut, one cut flat and one rolled and eaten with fingers, plus one that way I felt like today. Self-saucing chocolate pudding was good too. And chocolate steamed pudding, or college pudding, or upside-down pineapple cake, or chocolate cake, or a crumble, or golden syrup dumplings, or baked apples, or apple sponge, or lemon delicious... and if, somehow, a hot desert wasn't on the cards, there was always a bottled fruit in the pantry to go with ice-cream.  Or we could make ice-cream sandwiches with wafers and Milo.  Or have bananas and ice-cream... I'm telling you, life was grand.  Mum is awesome.

Anyway, I digress.
Here's what I was trying to get to today...  What the hell do you do with fennel?!

So, I was going to go into great detail about my slow adaption to a regular food delivery service and how our household shopping habits have had to adjust.  I'll cut to the chase though and admit that today, after our third delivery this morning*, we went to the supermarket to buy meats and a few more fruits for the week.  I wish I'd been able to get these from the delivery, but the fruit and veggies arrive after Thursday's order closes, so when I don't know what's coming I'm not sure how to prepare.  Maybe, one day, we'll be one of those households that always has some chicken and beef in the freezer, just in case.  At the moment though, our fresh food is bought as needed.

Last week, our Aussie Farmers Direct Couples box included half a red cabbage. This is starting to look a bit forlorn in the fridge's bottom drawer, as I've not yet  found a use for it.  (Yeah, live up to your name now, Crisper.)
This week we got apples, bananas, mandarins, oranges (which Bub has just cottoned onto), a Chinese wombok cabbage, another bag of carrots, another bag of potatoes, celery, coriander, red onions, lettuce, tomatoes and a fennel.  The potatoes are fine; I'm planning chips with those now that I know Bub will eat them.   The carrots and onions will keep, and the fruit is easily taken up with purees, brekkies and desserts.  But the rest?  Hmmm... I really didn't want another abandoned veggie in the fridge!

So this is what I came up with: Risotto!

Need**:
  • 1 onion (any colour), diced
  • 1 fennel bulb, grated or minced
  • 300g chicken mince
  • 3 small carrots, diced
  • Half a wombok cabbage, sliced or shredded
  • 1/2 cup of baby peas
  • 1 1/5 cup aborio rice
  • 1.5L chicken stock
  • A lemon
To make:
  1. Fry the onion and fennel in a large frying pan till soft, add minced chicken and stir till cooked.
  2. Add carrot and cabbage.  
  3. Add rice and stir till that all wet.
  4. Add 1L of the stock and stir till its absorbed.
  5. Add peas.
  6. Add one cup of liquid at a time, stirring till each is absorbed.  Stop adding liquid when the rice is cooked.
  7. Serve with a slice of lemon.
I almost added dill, but I'm even less familiar with that flavour and didn't want to find out it was a bad idea on a big pan of made food.  Of course, you should season your meal as you like.

As soon as the box arrived, after I'd looked at the contents with Bub and said "Last one of these I think!", I started searching with "fennel cabbage recipe".  Amongst all the coleslaw recipes, I saw someone had written something like "Don't be put off by the fragrance of the fennel, it lessens on cooking."  Thank goodness, because I found it quite aniseedy when chopping and I wasn't a fan at all.  But this?  This I'd have again.  Good thing too, coz there's about 6 serves of it!

Maybe we will do another Couples box though... We'll see what's left come Tuesday! :)


*So, quick note: AFD deliver fruit & veg on Wednesday only.  Diary, bakery things, meat, deli, meals, pasta, and all the rest are delivered on Monday and Thursday.  Monday's order closes Sat @1pm, but the other two are 1pm the day prior.

**This risotto is cheese free.  We can't do cheese at the moment with Bub's tummy, but I'm not sure it would work with this recipe anyway.  The creaminess is still there thanks to the frequent stirring of the aborio rice.

Jul 3, 2013

D116: While she napped

A few more rows completed.  I'm using a single-stitch cable to indicate the side seam.  It's my compromise between adding a purl stitch (which would be fine) and they way the seam tends to be reinforced when sewn.

I'm glad to be working it this way, actually, because when I sew seams the vertical give at the seam is less than in the body and the way it drops over time is different.

Must go get some laptop work done so I don't feel guilty when I have another go at this tomorrow! :)

D115: Today I learned...

Today I learned that you really do need room-temperature eggs when making madeleines. Beating the eggs could take 3mins, apparently*, but if the eggs are cold you have to beat them until they warm up. That's when they start to thicken and 'ribbon' off the beaters. I kinda knew this before but now I think it'll stick. I think next time I'll even think to take the eggs out well before I start baking.

Today I learned that my continental style knit stitches aren't as slow as I thought.

I also learned that as gorgeous as this yarn is, it's not my favourite ever.  The best thing about it would be the range of colours, especially for a baby yarn. Shepherd does a lovely range of 4ply baby yarns too, but for a lightly thicker range these are delightful. It is, however, easy to spear this yarn as you go. I wonder how it will wear in the long run.

Right, off to tray-up this batter! I'm soon to learn if Maple Syrup Madeleines are a good idea!

*Suppose it depends on the room.

-------------
Ed's note:
Oh yes indeedy-doody Sharon, maple syrup is a very subtle yet very pleasing flavour.

Jul 1, 2013

D114: I was so good

Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in ecru & light blue
I found a park right outside the woolstore and I thought "I'll just pop in and see what the range is like." The yarn I needed was right there, where I remembered it.  And it's really nice, and not as expensive as I thought it would be.  

So I chose two balls of something similar to what I've been using, not over thinking the choice, plus a contrast colour in case I needed it.  I paid with swiping and didn't look at anything else.  Not a thing.  Barely raised my eyes while I waited at the counter, looked straight at the door as I left, nothing else. 

See, even though I've already done a few rows of the vest, and lost a few productive days on what I have, once I saw how lovely this yarn feels - so much nicer than the pure wool I'm using - I couldn't in all good conscience, not give it a red hot go.

Gee, its lovely.  Wish me luck.