About this project

My Kickstarter project goal is to raise enough money to self publish a beautifully photographed book in hard cover for knitters, cooks and people that like to entertain. 

About the Updates:  I have chosen to share updates with supporters only.  Each update includes a recipe and sneak peek of some of the knitting items that will be in the book.  When you pledge to the project at any level (every dollar helps!) you'll be able to go back and get some fun recipes!

The Progressive Dinner--an evening of food, knitting and friends follows a group of friends on a progressive dinner.  Have you ever been to one?  Each person hosts a course in their home.  And the group travels to each home throughout the evening.  They are a fun and inventive way to eat dinner and show off your style.  This book will show five completely different home styles and knit or felted designs (and their patterns) that would be appropriate to those homes.  The cookbook portion will have several recipes for each course with drink pairings.  There will be photos of each of the dishes and crafted projects so it's easy to see how you can create the presentation for your party.

How about starting your evening in a Victorian home drinking champagne cocktails with a goat cheese stuffed grilled peach served on a lace doily cover plate?  Then we'll stroll on over to the Spanish Revival home on the corner for an asparagus and green garlic soup in a knitted cozy covered soup pot with a nice clean Pilsner beer.  Next, let's hop a cab to get over to your friend's with the funky Post Modern Eclectic house.  They are serving an amazing shrimp salad with spicy aioli mayo and a Thai basil infused soda sitting on fun felted drink mats.  And down the street from them we have the main course at the Arts and Crafts home--Oregon Black cod in parchment with ginger, green onion and baby bok choy.  Perfect with an Oregon Pinot Gris.  And you can take a rest and work on the community knitted blanket while you wait to move on to dessert.  For dessert?  We better walk off the last few courses as we travel to the modern loft with its Miro inspired afghan across a minimalist couch.  They will be finishing off the evening with an espresso semifreddo and marionberry liquor.  Want to join them?

This last Winter my book proposal was accepted by Cat Bordhi for her Visionary Retreat.  This self published author mentors  those that want to self publish knitting (and related) books.  After attending the amazing week with other Visionaries on San Juan island I now feel I have the final pieces of the puzzle to bring my project to fruition!

PAD Publications already has its first project heading to book and knitting stores this August.  We have used the skills gleaned at the retreat to publish a 2012 knitters datebook.  A collection of knit patterns and recipes all celebrating Oregon's creativity with areas all around the state as a backdrop.  Buying that bar code was the best feeling ever!  This was the stepping stone for the big printed project.

Your help will make it possible for me to hire a layout artist, professional photographer and be able to print this locally.  The final book will be a little more expensive than most knitting books as it really is two books in one and I really want to keep the carbon footprint of printing as low as possible.  It is my goal to be sending the book proof to the printer by the end of January 2012.  I hope you will support my project!  

And what do I bring to the table?  I've owned a restaurant in Portland, Oregon with my husband for 15 years where we promote good, local food with an Italian style.  A couple of years ago I decided I needed a break from the kitchen and changed my focus to include my favorite hobbies--knitting/spinning/dyeing.  My friend Stevanie Pico (a local dyer) and I created Pico Accuardi Dyeworks.  We dye yarn and spinning fiber (often using the gleanings from the restaurant), host a sock club with lunch at the restaurant six times a year and write articles creating a spinning club with the emphasis on learning about the animals and details of fiber that is being spun and the dye plants used to create the colors.  I've been talking about all these things as well as growing food and raising fiber animals on a podcast for the last 3 1/2 years.  I've been designing knitted items for PAD projects including upcoming smaller publications.

Please continue to follow the journey for my book A Progressive Dinner--an evening of food, knitting and friends blog