Tduck Gook Revisited and a Bavarian Twist Reckoning
We ate the Tduck Gook leftovers tonight, and I managed to snap a few pictures just after I assembled everything and before I rushed it to the table. First, a note on pronunciation. To an untrained american ear, Tduck Gook sounds like "duck gook". I got the particular spelling I'm using from a korean cookbook that I have, although I'm sure that it's spelled other ways by other english-speaking sources. Just as asian people sometimes have a hard time differentiating some sounds that we westerners make (think Ls and Rs, for instance), we westerners can't even fully comprehend the subtleties of some of their sounds. The T is in the beginning of Tduck in an attempt to show one of these subtle sounds. Instead of the D at the beginning of the word, it's really a sound that's sort of a cross between the TH in the and D. Sort of reminds me of the way certain east coasters say "da" when they mean "the". As a compound word, Tduck means the dumpling/noodle things I'm about to show you and Gook is the generic word for soup.
Here's a picture of the tduck thawing in a bowl of water before I boiled them. As I said before, they are eighth-inch thick slices of a sort of dough-type substance made out of pounded rice. Sort of like mochi, if you've ever had it. They are very pleasantly chewy when cooked.
Here are the bowls I used to serve our soup in tonight. The ones on the left are part of a set of mixing bowls, and are not at all the traditional serving vessels for this soup. The one on the right is about what I was looking for at the store the other day. I don't remember why I bought only one of these bowls when I bought it several several years ago. I have a vague feeling that I may have bought it before I knew Joe, and at one point I used it to store fruit in. So now I want more, and I am in no hurry, and I will eventually find something like them around town somewhere. In the mean time, the mixing bowls work just fine.
Here's the soup itself fully assembled. My presentation is neither as artistic nor as beautiful as my MIL's usually seems to me. But she's been serving it for a lot longer than I have, and I was in a hurry to get some hungry, tired kids fed.
Here's Sophie's dinner - pureed sweet potatoes and rice cereal. She ended up being too tired to eat and instead had a melt down while I tried to eat my soup as quickly as possible and get her to bed. On the bright side of that, she did have a nice, long nap this morning and a shorter one this afternoon, and last night she slept, well, like a baby.
Okay, it's time for a reckoning with the Bavarian Twist sweater. The last time I showed it to you was on September 17, and it looked like this:
Now, a month and change later, it looks like this:
The body has not grown at all, and I think I've actually decided that it needs another inch or so before the underarms. All I have accomplished in just over a month is that teeny tiny portion of a sleeve! Yes, it is true that this has been a month of slowly going insane with sleep deprivation and lack of any time to myself to speak of, let alone quality knitting time. Still, this is a sweater meant for my three-year-old who grows like a weed to be wearing now! This is a sweater that coordinates with the one my 8-month-old who grows like a weed IS wearing now. Yikes! Last night I knit for over an hour on that darn sleeve and only made it through a little over one repeat.
I feel that I am at a crossroads. Either I have to decide that it is really really important for me to finish this thing as soon as humanly possible, which might mean temporarily banishing the blankie from my sight (it is very hard to sit and work diligently on Bavarian Twist when the blankie is calling to me from across the room, begging for just one more square before bed time). Or - and it hurts to even admit this out loud. Maybe the Bavarian Twist needs to take a time out in the stash closet. Maybe I need to hide it away and think about it oh, say, in six months when the pressure is off to make it in time for Julie to wear it and I can focus on getting it done in time for Sophie to wear when she is three. Here are some of the pros and cons that have been circulating through my brain for the last week or so:
Reasons to get it done now:
-I would love to have an adorable picture of my girls wearing intricately carved coordinating sweaters that I knit for them with love. If I can get them to sit still together. Wouldn't it make a nice holiday card?
-I've put so much effort into it already, shouldn't I make sure to finish it in time so that both of my girls can get some wear out of it?
-I really hate to admit defeat on any project, and am not in the habit of hiding projects in the stash closet (except, maybe that one intarsia sweater for me that is constantly peeking out giving me dirty looks and reminding me how great it would look on me now if only I had kept up the good work)
Reasons to shove it in the closet:
-I'm tiiiired of this thing already!
-There are projects for me waiting in the wings - the Blue Shimmer cardigan is calling most loudly. Maybe if I started that one now I could wear it by, say, next winter!
-Julie did get a pair of knit pants for this winter already, and is very happy with them, I must say.
-Julie does not even enjoy wearing sweaters. Even on days when I can convince her to put one on, she wants it off almost immediately.
-I'm a little nervous about how it's going to fit her even now. I know that she will squeeze into it, at a minimum, but I am going to be really unhappy if there are gaps between the buttons when I button it up. You know what I'm talking about. I do think it looks narrower than it should at the moment because it's not blocked yet and it will spread horizontally when I wet it.
Okay, there were other arguments going round and round up there, but now that I'm trying to write them down, of course they have quieted down. I think most of them involved whiney please to "just let me work mindlessly on the blankie, please!" I swear, I have done much more intricate things than this stupid sweater. But that was when I had more of my brain cells before my girls fried them all. I hope they will one day regenerate and allow me to resume the full enjoyment of complicated knitting.
In the mean time, any thoughts? Care to cheer me on? Help me set a deadline? Figure out some reward system for completing parts of the sweater? Anyone got a really good hiding place for a half-finished project? I'm going to go plug in a DVD and toil on the damned thing some more for now, I guess.
Here's a picture of the tduck thawing in a bowl of water before I boiled them. As I said before, they are eighth-inch thick slices of a sort of dough-type substance made out of pounded rice. Sort of like mochi, if you've ever had it. They are very pleasantly chewy when cooked.
Here are the bowls I used to serve our soup in tonight. The ones on the left are part of a set of mixing bowls, and are not at all the traditional serving vessels for this soup. The one on the right is about what I was looking for at the store the other day. I don't remember why I bought only one of these bowls when I bought it several several years ago. I have a vague feeling that I may have bought it before I knew Joe, and at one point I used it to store fruit in. So now I want more, and I am in no hurry, and I will eventually find something like them around town somewhere. In the mean time, the mixing bowls work just fine.
Here's the soup itself fully assembled. My presentation is neither as artistic nor as beautiful as my MIL's usually seems to me. But she's been serving it for a lot longer than I have, and I was in a hurry to get some hungry, tired kids fed.
Here's Sophie's dinner - pureed sweet potatoes and rice cereal. She ended up being too tired to eat and instead had a melt down while I tried to eat my soup as quickly as possible and get her to bed. On the bright side of that, she did have a nice, long nap this morning and a shorter one this afternoon, and last night she slept, well, like a baby.
Okay, it's time for a reckoning with the Bavarian Twist sweater. The last time I showed it to you was on September 17, and it looked like this:
Now, a month and change later, it looks like this:
The body has not grown at all, and I think I've actually decided that it needs another inch or so before the underarms. All I have accomplished in just over a month is that teeny tiny portion of a sleeve! Yes, it is true that this has been a month of slowly going insane with sleep deprivation and lack of any time to myself to speak of, let alone quality knitting time. Still, this is a sweater meant for my three-year-old who grows like a weed to be wearing now! This is a sweater that coordinates with the one my 8-month-old who grows like a weed IS wearing now. Yikes! Last night I knit for over an hour on that darn sleeve and only made it through a little over one repeat.
I feel that I am at a crossroads. Either I have to decide that it is really really important for me to finish this thing as soon as humanly possible, which might mean temporarily banishing the blankie from my sight (it is very hard to sit and work diligently on Bavarian Twist when the blankie is calling to me from across the room, begging for just one more square before bed time). Or - and it hurts to even admit this out loud. Maybe the Bavarian Twist needs to take a time out in the stash closet. Maybe I need to hide it away and think about it oh, say, in six months when the pressure is off to make it in time for Julie to wear it and I can focus on getting it done in time for Sophie to wear when she is three. Here are some of the pros and cons that have been circulating through my brain for the last week or so:
Reasons to get it done now:
-I would love to have an adorable picture of my girls wearing intricately carved coordinating sweaters that I knit for them with love. If I can get them to sit still together. Wouldn't it make a nice holiday card?
-I've put so much effort into it already, shouldn't I make sure to finish it in time so that both of my girls can get some wear out of it?
-I really hate to admit defeat on any project, and am not in the habit of hiding projects in the stash closet (except, maybe that one intarsia sweater for me that is constantly peeking out giving me dirty looks and reminding me how great it would look on me now if only I had kept up the good work)
Reasons to shove it in the closet:
-I'm tiiiired of this thing already!
-There are projects for me waiting in the wings - the Blue Shimmer cardigan is calling most loudly. Maybe if I started that one now I could wear it by, say, next winter!
-Julie did get a pair of knit pants for this winter already, and is very happy with them, I must say.
-Julie does not even enjoy wearing sweaters. Even on days when I can convince her to put one on, she wants it off almost immediately.
-I'm a little nervous about how it's going to fit her even now. I know that she will squeeze into it, at a minimum, but I am going to be really unhappy if there are gaps between the buttons when I button it up. You know what I'm talking about. I do think it looks narrower than it should at the moment because it's not blocked yet and it will spread horizontally when I wet it.
Okay, there were other arguments going round and round up there, but now that I'm trying to write them down, of course they have quieted down. I think most of them involved whiney please to "just let me work mindlessly on the blankie, please!" I swear, I have done much more intricate things than this stupid sweater. But that was when I had more of my brain cells before my girls fried them all. I hope they will one day regenerate and allow me to resume the full enjoyment of complicated knitting.
In the mean time, any thoughts? Care to cheer me on? Help me set a deadline? Figure out some reward system for completing parts of the sweater? Anyone got a really good hiding place for a half-finished project? I'm going to go plug in a DVD and toil on the damned thing some more for now, I guess.
posted by Shelly Kang at 9:14 PM
16 Comments:
The soup looks wonderful!! I'd love to make it sometime.
As far as the sweater goes? Here's a lesson I'm still trying to learn, and it's easier for me to preach it than practice it. But for what it's worth - don't beat yourself up getting the sweater(s) done. You have such a big amount on your plate, and the lack of sleep can't be easy. Do what you can and what makes you happy, but don't forget to take care of yourself! I can't tell you if taking care of yourself means doing the sweaters or not, but just really think it over and see which option stresses you the least. I'm not sure if this makes any sense or not (I'm high as a kite on cold meds) but I hope it helps in some way! :)
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Put the sweater away. Try to finish it in time for Sophie to wear when she's three. Assuming you finish it, say, next year, that gives you another two years to knit a matching one for Julie to wear when she's six — if you still feel the love for the sweater at that point. That way you still get the photo of the girls wearing those gorgeous matching handmade sweaters, but the pressure's off.
I'm with Rachel on this one. Whatever brings you real peace in a sea of too-much-to-do with too little sleep is the thing to work on. Sometimes "mindless" knitting is the only thing that helps us keep on top of things!
The soup looks delicious.
If you are feeling the need for mindless knitting then that is what you should do, come back to the sweater when it's a joy rather than a chore. A little mindless knitting never hurt anybody. I don't know how you get as much done as you do with two kids!
I'm a relatively new knitter, and a faithful reader, but this is my first comment.
Hmm. Tough one. But, I think the sweater will tell you when it wants to be finished. You could always try putting it in the closet - if the thoughts stop swimming in your head and you find you're breathing a sigh of relief - leave it there until you can't wait to pick it back up. On the other hand, if you find it's calling to you, you'll know what to do. (I had to finally do that with an ambitious blanket that was supposed to be a x-mas gift. I know after the holidays I'll happily pick it back up and it'll be done when it's done.)
Either way, your sweater is beautiful, good luck!
I also can't help but mention that I just love your blankie! I'm looking forward to starting one after Christmas.
I agree with the folks who said "good grief, woman, you've got enough on your plate; maybe you need to do some mindless relaxation knitting and let the 'cute but torturous picture where my eldest child keeps trying to wrestle out of her lovingly-crafted sweater, frowning and whining, while child #2 spontaneously learns to crawl...' go for a while."
Put the knitted pants on Julie and take a picture of them smiling ;-)
As a mother of a four year old myself, I've found that I don't knit for her that often. Too many disappointments with her not liking/refusing to wear it and/or the finished item not fitting. I did just finish a poncho for her, and she seems to like it, but I have a feeling she'll outgrow it way too fast (considering the effort I put into it).
I say follow your heart. You do have a very full plate these days and your knitting shouldn't be added to the chore list. The sweater can always wait, and a picture of your beautiful daughters snuggled up together under the finished blanket would make a gorgeous picture too! (and, the mindless knitting of that will soothe mommy as well!)
Shelly,
I would put it away. Especially if Julie would not enjoy wearing it. It will end up being one of those bitter "Istuckwiththisthingandyouregoingtowearitifit'sthelastthingIdo" type sweaters.
It's the number one reason why I won't knit anything for my husband. He thinks knitting is a waste of time. Your daughter will not realize all the love mommy put into that sweater (most likely not until she has kids of her own...LOL) and could possibly hurt your feelings if she's adamant enough about NOT WEARING IT.
Save yourself the misery of finishing with a short deadline and put it away for a month or so!
The soup looks delicious. My kids had sushi the other day (supermarket sushi, if you can call that sushi) and my son just LOVES it. My daughter liked the cucumber rolls, but not anything else.
I'm thinking of starting a worsted version of your blankie, or even an acrylic baby weight version, since there are 4 pregnant people in my life right now. Ooooh...that's such a good idea. I might just have to cast that one on tonight! LOL.
I guess I should add that the seaweed in the soup made me think of the sushi.
Also, it cut off part of my post which was:
"I stuck with this thing and you're going to wear it if it's the last thing I do" type sweaters.
Love your blog....keep it up!
If it's not fun, don't knit it! Knitting is supposed to be enjoyable and rewarding. Not something that stresses you out!
The sweater already looks beautiful and a photo opp sounds like a good reason to perservere... on the other hand, the fact that Julie doesn't love sweaters is a good reason to save it for Sophie.
If you decide to go forward, don't just set one deadline but several goals... like two repeats a week... and be sure to factor in time to finish and block.
Always happy to cheer you on if that's what you need!
If, like me, you knit for cheap therapy, either (a)knit a simple, coordinating sweater for Julie so they can be cute in pictures together but you won't have knocked yourself out for something she might not like or fit for long or (b)shelve it and work on something that makes you happy (and will make Julie happy, it looks like the blanket makes Julie happy too).
We do have those bowls in our Vietnamese shops in Orlando (I realized later that, oh, yeah, the internet and strangers and home addresses is a little freaky. duh). But I can see some online sources too with a search for "red longevity melamine" - there's at least an ebay seller and www.wokshop.com.
It is not "defeat" to put the sweater away for awhile. In the bottom of the linen closet maybe?
Take the time to knit something you are enjoying, like the blankie. You deserve it.
Helly Shelly!
My name is Laura and I am 23 living in Eau Claire, WI.
I have a few comments I would like to make to you. So I've been reading your blog for a few weeks now, and I haven't commented on a few things that I've been meaning to. First of all, I just read the comments that you recieved after your Eau Claire visit. I was in line with the pumping lady, actually I was right in front of her. In my honest objective opinion as someone who knows neither of you. . . I didn't think you were that loud in the first place and your comment was very innoncent and in no way offense. She did act as if the word pumping was something to be hush hush about. Like you said she only made the rude remark after you applogized for yelling. Really, as mature as we all want to be I don't blame you for your comment back.
The second thing I wanted to comment on was your posting the other day about being asked if your daughter was yours. As someone who works with adoption, and someone one with 7 biological biracial nieces I would have to say that people just shouldn't ask that question. For biological children its offensive because it suggests that there's no way a person might be in a multiracial relationship. As an adoptive child it suggest that the child is less then a biological child. Adoption isn't an infliction. It is very rude to ask someone if their child is adoptive. I view this as similar to asking a woman if she's pregrant. Just don't do it and you won't have to feel like an ass.
I have enjoyed your blog though. My boyfriend/husband type (We've been together for 7 years) and I talk about having children, and it is interesting to watch how others handle them. We are also a biracial couple. He is Hmong and I am caucasian. So I really feel strongly about what I said earlier. I think people will first assume a child is adopted or not yours before they consider that your partner is a different race.
Most often when I put a project away for a while is when I am unhappy with it for some reason, or there is some problem that I haven't been able to work out, so I let it rest until the answer comes to me. How long it sits is a mystery, however long it takes for me to feel good about the project again, I guess that's the zen of the thing.
If I suspected that the sweater would not fit her after all that work, I would probably put it away. Make another larger sweater for Julie next year and then finish the other sweater for Sophie. But that's just me.
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