Orangina for the Spring

Good sun = good picture taking, so I've got a couple of old projects to show you for the next couple weeks. Here's an old knit I finished back in 2006: Orangina by Stephanie Japel, knit with about 4 or 5 balls of Filatura Di Crosa Millefili Fine. It was my first lace project, and I remember how challenging I thought the stitch pattern was - losing count of how many stitches I had and where I was in the pattern, and being confused about how to pick up the YOs when I ripped back. Ah, those were the days of wanting to tear out my hair. It still happens now, only it's a little less dramatic.

Strangely, I've never worn this knit. It was the middle of winter when I completed it, so weather-wise it wasn't wearable. And I didn't have the right tank top to wear underneath - with black you couldn't see the lace pattern at all, white was too bright, and all the other colours had straps that were too wide. So then poor Orangina got tossed in a drawer, forgotten. Until I dug it out this week, just in time for spring. I love re-discovering things.

This morning I went to pottery class alone and finished my coil jar - it was more or less pear shaped, so I turned it into a pear with a lid. We learned how to make a little lip for the jar lid so it will stay put. Fun stuff. When D gets back, I can start taking photos at pottery again.

And, the baking quest continues. I stopped by Pistachia Vera today in hopes of finding some work in the pastry kitchen. Yes, I know, I just started at a bakery last week, and I do like it very much, BUT, the more I'm there the less I am excited about their baked goods (they don't even use butter, they use vegetable shortening). Their cakes are just...nice. Not Wonderful and Amazing. And since I have about 8 months left in Columbus I might as well try to aim high and see what I can find.

Pistachia Vera is the most beautiful dessert shop I have seen in Columbus (and maybe Toronto) and would be a lovely environment to work in - lots of natural light, clean pristine kitchen. I happened to bump into the manager, who was ever so kind and even gave me a quick tour of the pastry kitchen and introduced me to one of the pastry chefs and the pastry staff, who all waved hello! How nice was that? I liked the people and the place immediately. I found myself wanting to work their so badly that I said I would be willing to volunteer there if there were no positions currently. No kidding. I'm ready to leave my other jobs for this. Fingers crossed!