Very Random Post

I'm covering all the bases tonight -- vegan food, knitting, and comic books!

It's been unseasonably warm for February, but that hasn't deterred me from making more soup! Last night I made a piping hot Black Bean and Tomato Soup from Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook. It was easy enough to pull off on a weeknight, even on a Thursday night when my energy level is usually low. More importantly, it tasted great. I had a cup with a smoked Tofurky sandwich. 

There's a few tomato slices tucked in there, but no lettuce. Our fridge has been freezing all of our lettuce lately, which is an annoying problem I haven't been able to fix yet. 

I finished the cardigan! Here is a picture of it blocking. I tried to enlist J in taking a picture of me wearing the cardigan, but no luck so far. Maybe tomorrow, when the sun is out. 

Overall I'm pleased. I did spaz out when I was making the raglan decreases (I was paying attention to Captain America on the blu-ray when I should have been looking at my knitting!), so the neckline turned out to be off-the-shoulders instead of a traditional scoop-neck. I added a black button in an asymmetrical position to make it look intentional  (not shown in the picture).

Here are the details:

Pattern: Vinelle by Voolenvine (you can download it from Ravelry)

Needle size: 8

Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted (in Eucalyptus) 

My newest project is a shawl in striping colors. The pattern is Athena, by Kate Ray. I love stripes, but I hate weaving in all the loose ends. Sigh.

And finally ... I didn't get to my local comic book store this week. I think Animal Man came out this week, so I have to go there soon to get my copy. But in the meantime, I've been reading Terry Moore's Strangers in Paradise. I'm on the fourth volume of the pocket book edition.

My introduction to Terry Moore's work has been unusual. I read the first few issues of Rachel Rising first, then the first trade volume of Echo, and then finally picked up the first volume of Strangers in Paradise. SIP is like an addictive soap opera in comic book form. Katchoo and Francine are best friends who may also be in love with each other ... except there is everything standing in their way, from a sweet boy named David to gangsters, plane crashes, and pregnancies. SIP is over-the-top, bittersweet, addictive fun. 

Chew and that Aforementioned Vest

Remember that vest-that-became-a-knitted-tee I mentioned last time? Well, here is a photo:

Pattern: Ms. Marigold by Sarah Moore (you can purchase a copy on Ravelry)
Needle: 5
Yarn: Schulana Sierrra

I really liked this pattern; the yarn, not so much. It was very splitty, and I had a hell of a time weaving in the ends and then keeping the stitches I weaved them under from looking bumpy and obvious. 

Oh, and one obvious alteration to the pattern are the addition of the sleeves. The pattern calls for a crocheted ruffle around the sleeves that looked very cute on other people, but I didn't think it would have been flattering on me. 

And now for a comic book endorsement: Chew by John Layman and Rob Guillory.

Tony Chiu is an FDA agent who is also a cibopath, a rare individual able to solve crimes by tasting the evidence. Tony's world is one in which the FDA rank higher than the police, and chicken is a contraband food, so illegal and coveted that some people will commit crimes to get their hands on it. 

I loved this book! The story is riveting, witty with great pacing, and the art is wonderful. There is a panel where Tony is trying (and failing) to fall asleep that blew me away with its innovativeness. Let's just say that white space was used. I've never seen white space used in a comic book before. 

I also read Alpha Girl #1, which I picked up from the comic book store last week. I'm behind in my reading. 

Anyway, this one seems interesting. The pacing isn't that hot -- I think they could have done a little more with this first issue. But the premise is certainly intriguing. Judith is a teenager living in a world overrun by female zombies. There's a nefarious cosmetic company involved in the outbreak, which we see in detail. What we only get in glimpses is Judith and her brother's sad, sordid past. Her brother is currently locked up in juvenile detention, and I'm assuming Judith will head down there to get him out. 

It wasn't a riveting read, but I'm interested enough to buy a copy of #2 next month.