All Good Things Must Come to an End

I have had such fun knitting with the Bad Cat Designs Group, Summer Sangria!   After Back to the Garden and Sugar Plum Fairy this felt like a much more laid back, straight forward knit.  Not that there weren't challenges, there were, but in my mind this pattern was much more intuitive than the other two.  But, as we all know, when you are having fun in the sun, eventually the days start getting shorter and Back to School Sales start , and local stores are filled with frantic parents all looking for the same calculator that no-one has in stock any more, and you know that your Summer Knitting Time has wound down.

Mine wound down yesterday and this morning.  Which can only mean one thing, I have Finished Object Shots to share. (But not cheesecake photo's, we can't walk in the living room as things are still wet and blocking!)  But, without any further blabbering, let me present :

Summer Sangria, White Sangria!

Yarn:  Bernat Baby, the old one without nylon added in Antique White
Needles : US 4
Beads?  Not on this one, she is destined to be a baby blanket.
Edging? Absolutely, but I changed it up a little and made all the loops the same number of chain stitches.

Finished size?  Uhhhhhh, well you see I have this tape measure that is AWOL right now!

Special Handling?  I steam blocked this one so that she can run through the washer and dryer and come out looking just like this!

But where, you may ask, can you get White Sangria?  Isn't it traditionally a red wine mix?

 How's about a recipe?

Ingredients:

• 1 Bottle of white wine (Riesling, Albarino, Chablis, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc)
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 3 oranges (sliced) or may substitute 1 cup of orange juice
• 1 lemon (sliced)
• 1 lime (sliced)
• 2 oz. brandy (optional)
• 1/2 liter of ginger ale or club soda (ginger ale for those with a sweeter tooth!)

Preparation:

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the orange,lemon and lime into the wine, add brandy if desired. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving. If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled white wine and serve over lots of ice.

(Cue your best Late Night Infomercial Voice)

But, wait, that's not all, scroll down now for :

Summer Sangria, in Lara's Creations ColourWave Sangria.

Yarn : see above, it is wonderfully magic stuff but a true terror if you ever decide that you are going to knit until the color change!  I couldn't find it happening, but it sure does transform beautifully from a pale pinky tone to the deep burgundy we all associate with Sangria.
Needles : US 3

 Beads?  Oh yes, three kinds and let me tell you trying to photo the ones above was a testament to my still having some patience, contrary to what my kids think!  Those gold ones are throughout the piece, adding just a hint more glint to the sparkle the yarn already has.

There are three of these purple ones, each edge and center, just to be different.

And these big sparkly ones anchor the edge.  But this time around I skipped the crochet edge and went for a more simple bind off.

What, you want a recipe to go with this one too?

Oh, alright, you twisted my arm!

Ingredients:

• A bottle of cheap red wine
• A similar quantity (or slightly less) of 7up, Sprite or other sparkling lemon drink
• A glass of liquor (ideally brandy, whiskey or cointreau)
• A peach
• An apple
• An orange
• 5-10oz of sugar
• Cinnamon

Preparation:

1. If you plan your sangria a day in advance, you could chop the fruit and soak in the liquor in the fridge overnight, though this is far from necessary. Any liquor will do (well, perhaps not vodka or gin). If you are worried about mixing your drinks, stick to grape-based beverages and choose brandy. You can be adventurous with the fruit - kiwi is popular and I've seen banana used. But peach is always good - the flavor nicely infuses into the drink.
2. For presentation reasons, you should strain the day-old fruit before preparing the sangria and add fresh fruit shortly before serving.
3. Pour the wine, liquor and lemonade into a punch bowl and add lots of ice. If you are preparing immediately before serving and you'd like it to stay slightly fizzy, pour the lemonade into the bowl first and pour the other ingredients in slowly.
4. Add half the sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Taste. If it doesn't taste sweet enough, add more sugar. You'd be surprised how much sugar is necessary.
5. Add ice and fresh fruit.
6. Serve

Note that the quantities are not very exact. There is no science to making sangria. Just see what tastes best!

There is just one sad thing about this entire post.......I now have to make a choice about what to cast on next!

~M
Recipes stolen verbatum from the internet!  About.com and About.com