Sweet Tweedy Mitts and Tracy's Princess Cupcakes

There's nothing terribly interesting about these mitts, save for one thing.  I'm oddly compelled to knit them.  Again and again.  I have knit these mitts four (4) times which is surprising because typically I knit a pattern once and then pretty much move on and lose interest in knitting it again.  And yet.  There is something about this pattern paired with these two yarns that renders it a deeply satisfying, soothing and thoroughly enjoyable knitting experience for me.  And the mitts ain't too bad either.

I've always maintained the key critical factor to a successful knit is to match the right yarn to the pattern and these mitts are a perfect example of that axiom.  When you do that you can take a relatively simple pattern and elevate it to something special.  Which is the case with these mitts.  I can't think of a simpler pattern.  Basically it's a tube with no shaping except a thumb hole.  And yet.  There is a brilliance to the design in its very simplicity, functionality and how well these yarns work together. And the brilliance should be no surprise as it's designed by Anne Hanson (Knitspot) who paired it with one of her rustic in-house yarns and a hand painted variegated yarn. And it all works together beautifully.   These aren't fancy "date night" mitts, but they will be well worn and loved, especially on cold morning hikes!    

To be honest I didn't care for the original contrasting color that came with this project (a manly orangy/gold).  And yet.  I loved knitting them and Steve happily swooped them up hot off the needles.  But I knew I had to have my own pair after having tried them on.  So the next pair I knit thinking they would be for me so I chose a pretty contrasting yarn from stash  And yet.  There was something about that pair that I couldn't put my finger on that I didn't like as well.  So I gave them away.  And I might have stopped there but for the fact that the recipient of those mitts loved them so much they requested another pair.  For this pair I bought the same variegated yarn chosen by the designer but in a colorway that appealed to me.  And when I finished that pair I knew that the only yarn to use with this pattern were those that it was designed for.  For my 4th (and definitely not final) pair I switched to a light main color (of the original yarn) paired with a blue variegated color (of the original yarn) and I love love love this pair.  And I'm keeping them.

As I suspect the foregoing might be probably was confusing to read the bottom line is that the designer's choice of yarn is what makes this pattern work so well.  The rustic solid yarn has both strength and memory to provide excellent structure while the variegated yarn knits up in a beautifully tweedy way.  Call me impressed.

Particulars:  Sweet Tweed Mitts, designed by Anne Hanson (Knitspot), US 1 DBN, 1 skein Bare Naked Wools, Stone Soup Fingering (blend of 80% rambouillet, columbia, lincoln, churro; 15% alpaca and llama, 5% combination of tencel, bamboo, silk and bison) ~ colors shown in both River Rock (dark) and Marble (light) paired with 1 skein Lorna's Laces, Shepherd Sock, multi, (colorway Crater Lake ).  I made the medium size with no modifications whatsoever.  I don't recommend substituting yarn in this pattern (as discussed above) but if you do I would only substitute the contracting color.  The main color - stone soup fingering - has great memory, spring, and stitch definition which these mitts need.  It is a rustic yarn that does soften when washed.

To see additional Anne Hanson (Knitspot) projects see Hectare (a cowl) and my gorgeous Longshadows scarf.   

Tracy's Princess Cupcakes ~

This cupcake recipe is shared with permission from Tracy who used to write the blog Pink Purl.  It's no longer available online as Tracy's blog has sadly disappeared into the black hole of the blogoverse.  But fortunately I had an old copy!  It wasn't easy but I tracked Tracy down on Instagram where she now shares her inspiration, recipes and creativity.  She was amused and astonished that I still had a copy of her cupcake recipe and gladly gave me permission to share it!   She is still knitting but is vegan now and shares lots of delicious vegetarian recipes.  I encourage you to follow her (Simple Gifts Pictured) as she'll uplift you and keep you health too.  It always makes me a little sad when think back at all the wonderful blogs that have disappeared.  Once upon a time there was a knitting renaissance fueled by the ascendance of knitting blogs and the bloggers who created a community unto themselves.  A few remain but that community has shattered, fragmented and forever been changed by new platforms, changing times, and changing needs.  But I still remember when. 

I wanted to share this recipe because it's very easy to make and a quick fix for a cupcake craving.  A simple pleasure in trying times.  I  hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  Without further ado, here's Tracy's recipe:

Princess Cupcakes with Dreamy Cream Frosting

Yield ~ 12  cupcakes

1 112 cups all purpose flour

 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup white granulated sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk (see Note 1)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Note 1.  I generally buy buttermilk but recently I read that buttermilk you create with lemon juice and whole milk actually performs better in baking.  Your choice.

Preheat oven to 200 C/400 F.  Line a 12-cup muffin baking pan with paper liners, and set aside.  In large mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Gradually beat in the butter into the flour mixture using an electric mixer.  Beat until you have a mixture that resembles coarse bits of sand.  Gradually beat in the sugar.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Add the vanilla and buttermilk.  Beat until just blended, do not over beat.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffins pan, filling each cupcakes paper 2/3 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cupcake tops are slightly golden, and a toothpick test in center of cakes comes out clean.  Cool cakes completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Dreamy Cream Frosting ~ makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes (with plenty left over) or a one 2-layer cake, about 2 cups frosting.

1/3 cups (76g) unsalted butter, softened 

3 1/2 cups confectioner's/icing sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch salt

3-4 tablespoons milk

food coloring and decorations, as desired

With an electric mixer, mix together the butter, vanilla and salt until creamy and fluffy.  Gradually beat in the sugar, beating well after each addition.  Mix in enough milk to make the frosting a desirable, spreadable, smooth consistency.  Color frosting and decorate cakes as you wish.

For the cupcakes pictured in this post I skipped the vanilla extract and instead added 2 tablespoons strawberry jam and only used 2 tablespoons milk to achieve the consistency I wished.  I did not add any food coloring but decorated with sprinkles.

This is a knitting blog and I try and stay on topic but I do not exist in a vacuum and I want to address the protests taking place here in the United States.  There are two sides to every issue and certainly there are wonderful police officers just as they are bad actors within every profession, ethnicity, and walk of life.  But to watch the murder of George Floyd cries out for more than past promises of reform.  While abolishing the police is a bridge too far for me there are things that can and have to be done such as creating independent community oversight boards to hear and judge excessive force complaints; appoint private attorney generals to file criminal charges when appropriate; make wearing body cameras mandatory; eliminate choking or choke holds of any type; and fund programs that build bridges between the police and the community they serve.  What I am not in favor of is race being used to divide or define us as a nation.  We are one nation of people under G-d and our strength is from our melting pot culture.  But we have to do a better job at providing education and opportunities for the underprivileged and low income who are primarily of color.  It is unjust and inequitable for generations of families to live in poverty with no path out and a good education is the best way out of poverty.  I have always focused my charitable giving on organizations overseas that provide education and healthcare for children.  But now I see that there is a need here in the United States as well.  I encourage everyone to research and find a charity in the U.S. that speaks to them and this issue.  Let's make George Floyd's murder a permanent reminder that we all have a moral responsibility to speak up against and eliminate inequality wherever we find it. 

Until next time be well, love well and treat others as you would have them treat you. And maybe add a little sweetness to the world while you're at it by sharing some cupcakes or surprising someone with mitts.

Fingerless Mitts and Simcha's Corner

You'll laugh when I tell you how long ago I began these fingerless mitts.  It was back in June 2009 and the only reason I recollect the date is that I added the project to my Ravelry notebook!  I'm not sure why I waited so long to finish them up.  They are super soft and will be fantastic to wear this winter. I guess it was just a case of too many WIPs.

Which brings me to the topic of knitting and "work in process" otherwise known as WIPs, UFOs, or generally "projects on the needles."  I have been thinking about this topic lately after Andi (MySistersKnitter) brought up the subject on her blog.  You see some knitters are very prone to having many projects on the needles at one time.  The down side of this obviously is that it takes much longer to finish any one project.  I used to be very prone to having WIPs as evidenced by how long it took me to finish these mitts.

But lately I've cast aside my wild side and consider myself a monogamous knitter. Partly this has come about because of my recent spat of KALs which has forced me to focus on a single project.  But I have also come to realize that I like being current with projects as I feel my projects are more contemporary. Well, as contemporary as knitting can be.  Although some things are timeless.  Like these mitts.  Still, I am happier having fewer projects on the needles and have begun being more selective of what projects I begin.  But as I look around me I can see that I still have more than just one or two projects on my needles.  I can see that I'm still a WIP.

Particulars:  Veyla designed by Ysolda; 1 skein Blue Sky Alpaca, Royal Alpaca (leftover yarn from my Swallowtail Shawl); US 3 needles.  I knit the small size and my only modification was to knit an extra 2 rounds after the cuff (i.e. instead of K10 I knit K12 rnds).  Like all Ysolda patterns this was easy, fun, and gives a wonderful result.  I've knit many pairs of fingerless mitts so instead of linking to them all, I'm just going to point out the ones that I wear the most Kyla Mitts; and those that I enjoy wearing the most because they are so soft and cozy Wild Wild West Gauntlets (my original design) and Lace Me Up Mitts and oh yeah, my favorite handspun fingerless mitts Albina Armwarmers.  To be fair I've given a fair number of fingerless mitts away so just because I don't mention them doesn't mean they haven't been worn and enjoyed.

Simcha's Corner ~

It's been a long time since I've shared any pictures of Simcha or tales of his adventures!  This should by not be taken to mean he does not still get into mischief.  Part of his charm is that he loves to play err tease and will never completely give up his aspirations to rule this roost.  However, he has finally graduated from sleeping in his crate at night and has complete unfettered freedom of the house when we are out and about. This coming of age came at age 6.5 years and, frankly, wasn't a day we were sure would ever come to pass. Surprisingly while we are away he doesn't rip apart the house, get up onto the furniture, or snoop in rooms where he shouldn't be as we feared he would.  Instead he lays at the front door and patiently awaits for our return. It's such a joy to drive up and see him watching for us through the windows.  It's almost as if he's been on the lookout for us.  Hum.  That reminds me of when I was a kid and we would watch for our parents to return so we could quickly turn off the TV and straighten up the house.  Maybe I should qualify this by saying that I don't think he gets into mischief while we are out and about.

And as you can see he's still full of vim and vigor and loves to engage in rousing play with his buddies.  We try and give him a full life and opportunities to express his energy, knowing that he really would have preferred to have been a police dog or had some such manly occupation.

Until next time, be well, love well and enjoy these lazy days of late July as soon there will be a touch of fall in the air.

Catching Butterflies ~ and Blueberry Pie

How many pairs of fingerless mittens does a person need?  If you love them like I do, then apparently a lot of them!  They are cute, wearable, and are perfect for a climate like Southern California from early fall to late spring. What's not to love?

These are my Catching Butterflies mittens and were a natural choice for me because I'm a self described "nature lover."  That is someone who appreciates the beauty of the outdoors and likes to feel close to nature. 

And these Catching Butterfly mittens are a great way to bring along nature wherever I happen to be. 

It is too easy these days to spend our lives indoors in front of a computer or absorbed in other electronic gadgetry and forget the importance of being outdoors, sans cell phone.  It is only then that time can slow down and you can truly be "in the moment" and enjoy the simple pleasure from standing in the shade of a tree, or sitting with the warmth of the sun on your back, or feel a breeze caress over your skin. And if you stay still long enough you will see nature come alive around you as the birds and other garden inhabitants slowly resume activity as they become used to your presence.   These are simple things that restore the soul.

And naturally all of this can be much more enjoyable if you are properly attired with some cute Catching Butterfly mittens.  I truly enjoyed making these and I know I will love wearing them this fall.  I did have to modify the pattern because the gloves run on the small side (probably intended more for children but don't let that stop you - as it didn't stop me) and I have written out my modifications below.

Particulars:  Catching Butterflies design by Tiny Owl Knits; US 2 and US 3 double pointed Needles; Sun Valley Fibers 80/20 merino/nylon fingerling.  Because this pattern seems to run a little small I made the following modifications:

1.  I only used the smaller (US 2 needles) for the cuff.  After than I switched to US 3 (even for the ribbing on the hand I stayed with the US 3 needles);
2.  I used a twisted rib for both the cuff and hand ribbing;
3.  For the thumb gusset increases I increased to 16 stitches (versus only 12).  Then when it was time to knit the thumb I picked up the stitches with US 3 needles + 3 additional stitches in the gap (total of 16+3 = 19 stitches).  I then knit 3 rounds and then switches to US 2 needles for the twisted rib (a total of 4 rounds). On the first round of twisted rib I decreased 1 stitch to have an even number of stitches (19-1 = 18 stitches) for the ribbing; and 
4. I knit an addition 6 rows in pattern on the hand before BO;


Incidentally, the nail polish I'm wearing is "Some Lilac It Hot" by Sumbody which is a skincare line that I'm in love with.  If you want to splurge on some soap I recommend their Milkyrich and you too can feel like Cleopatra. I have no affiliation with the product, obviously.  I'll also give a plug to my current favorite bath soak which is Nectar (whole milk bath soak) by FHF Farmhouse fresh , going along with the milk and Cleopatra theme.

Classic Blueberry Pie Recipe ~

In the month of August blueberries are always bountiful and relatively inexpensive and so I like to make a pie around this time of year.  This is my father's favorite pie and might be mine as well although cherry pie is a strong contender too so maybe not.  But I do love a blueberry pie, no question about that.  I hope you will enjoy it too.

Blueberry Pie filling (recipe very slightly adapted from the Minute Tapioca box):

4 heaping cups of blueberries or more depending on the depth of your pie pan.  You want a generous filling.
1/4 cup Minute Tapioca
1 cup Sugar
1 Tbs. Lemon Juice
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbs. Butter

Pie Crust Recipe (my own recipe compiled from various sources):

2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp. salt
1 TBS. sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter - cold and diced
1/2 cup shortening - cold and diced
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
Splash of white vinegar

Egg Wash:

1 egg white
1 tsp. water
(whisked together)

Garnish:

1 Tbs. sugar (approximately)

Steps:

A. Make pie crust as follows:

1.  Prepare ice water by adding ice cubes to a small bowl of water.  Add a splash of white vinegar to water mixture.
2.  Add flour, salt and sugar to a mixing bowl.  Whisk together.  Add butter and shortening and using a pastry cutter or your fingers work into flour until you achieve a consistency of small flecks.
3.  Begin adding water 1 tablespoon at a time.  Using a fork toss the water with the flour and shortening mixture adding water until it comes together as a dough.  Divide in half and shape into 2 flat disks.  Wrap each disk separately in saran warp and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling out to make crust.

B.  Make Blueberry Filling as follows:

1. Toss blueberries with Minute Tapioca, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon.  Let stand for 15 minutes.  The butter will be added later.

C.  Assemble Pie:

1.  Roll out the bottom crust between 2 sheets of wax paper covered lightly in flour.  Remove the wax paper and transfer to your pie dish.  Add the blueberry filling and dot the top of the mixture with 1 Tbs. butter.
2.  Roll out the top crust similar to the bottom and use any extra for decoration.  Cut slats in the crust to allow steam to escape.
3.  Brush the top of the crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar garnish.

D.  Baking:

In a preheated 425 degree oven bake the pie for 10 minutes.  Then drop the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes.  Make sure to bake pie until you can see the juices bubbling in the slashes made in the crust. After about 20 minute baking time begin checking to make sure your crust is not browning too quickly.  If it is, the loosely place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the pie to prevent burning/over browning until finished baking.

Cool in pan on a wire rack.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Until next time, be well and love well and may your late summer days be filled with the beauty and bounty of nature which is as close as stepping outside your door.

Wild Wild West Gauntlets and Cowboy Baked Beans

It's hard to believe it's that time again.  Fall weather and the change in seasons are being felt even here in Southern California where some think there were no changes to the seasons.  But there are changes and the longer I've lived here the more apparent they are.  It's not just that the stores are selling corduroy pants and foil wrapped chocolates shaped like leaves.  It's the tinge of coolness in the mornings, the emergence of rust colored flora, and the golden cast to the light in the evenings.  I treasure these small changes.  Until it gets down right cold in another month or so at which point I start wondering why exactly it was that I wanted cooler weather.  

Over the years I'e found that gauntlets are one of my most used fall/winter accessory and every year I knit several pairs.  The gauntlets I am wearing today I call my Wild Wild West Gauntlets because they are inspired by my love the outdoors and the America west.  And since I was particularly pleased with this design I have written up the pattern which I've made into a free download (link below).  I hope you will enjoy making them and wearing them as much as I have.

Particulars: pattern by Claudia Bugh available as a free pdf download  Wild Wild West Gauntlets; 2 skeins Organik worsted yarn by The Fiber Company (approximately 200 yrds); US 8 circular needles and DPN.

Cowboy Baked Beans Recipe ~

Cowboys practically lived off cooked beans while on the trail.  I know this to be a fact based on my extensive reading of western romance novels.  Ahem.  Intrigued by the notion I have often attempted to make bean soup or baked beans but I've been disappointed with the recipes I've tried.  So I tossed aside my recipes and came up with this way to cook them and I was very happy with the result.  I liked the soft texture and rich flavor and hope you enjoy them cooked this way too. Incidentally, while we try and eat healthfully all the time this is probably one of the healthier recipes I've shared on the blog.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups dried Anasazi Beans (found in organic section of grocery story or health food stores)
32 Ounces Chicken Stock
1 diced fresh tomato
1 diced sweet yellow onion
2 Tbs Olive Oil
Kosher sea salt to taste

Steps:

1.  Wash and sort Anasazi beans.  Not only is this variety of bean very flavorful, it requires no advance pre-soaking.  Place beans into a large stock pot and cover with water and boil for approximately 1 hour or follow package instructions for cooking beans.

2.  Drain beans from water and remove any excess water with a tea towel.  Set cooked beans aside while you perform step 3.

3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Saute onion in olive oil until slightly caramelized.  In a separate deep pot (oven safe with a lid and preferably cast-iron) combine cooked beans along with the diced tomato and the chicken stock (I use slightly less than a full 32 ounce container of chicken stock).  You want the chicken stock to cover the beans and tomato mixture by approximately 1 inch.  This should be enough moisture to keep the beans moist and still allow the beans to develop a thick sauce as they bake in the oven.  Lastly stir in the sauteed onion and cover pot.

4.  Bake for approximately 2.5 hours and salt to taste.  The beans should be soft at this point and the chicken stock cooked down until level with the beans.

And here's my little buckaroo.  He enjoys these beans too and ate a pot while standing on his hind legs as they were cooling on the counter just the other evening.  I hope his time spent in his crate reflecting on his actions will prevent this from reoccurring.

Until next time, be well and love well and may these days of fall be filled with color, texture and anticipation of the holidays to come.

Snowflake Fingerless Mitts and Rustic Pear Tart

Hum hum ~ girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes; snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes; silver white winters that melt into spring ~ these are a few of my favorite things ~  I'm sure most of you recognize this refrain from the Sound of Music.  Alas, without a proper Winter I have no snowflakes on my nose or eyelashes.  Instead I've embroidered snowflakes onto my fingerless mitts.  A wise person makes do with what one has, so I believe.  After a particularly severe cold snap our Winter has apparently come and gone in a matter of weeks.  Yet it's still cool enough in the mornings to need fingerless mitts and shall be through May!

It's the ability to add my own touches that makes knitting so satisfying and a unique expression of my personal taste and style.  And I find embroidery a quick and easy means to beautifully embellish my knitting.  I added this snowflake to the mitts by using a simple combination of the basic running stitch and detached chain stitch.  That combined with using a sparkly yarn for the embroidery helped turn these ordinary mitts into something more special.  

Particulars:  Snowflake Fingerless Mitts; this is a person pattern that I'll eventually share as a free pattern but first I want to test knit it again to eliminate any mistakes. I used 2 Skeins Manos del Uruguay (silk blend); US 5 & 6 DPN.  Over the years I've knit many many pairs of fingerless mittens but a couple of my favorites are my Kyla Fingerless Mitts and Welted Fingerless Gloves  For this design I thought the finished mitts were a bit limp so I slightly felted the finished mitts in the dryer to firm them up and make the yarn more dense and that worked beautifully.  I used a sparkly metallic yarn to embroider the snowflakes to give it some sizzle and shine.  You can find many embroidery templates online; I used this snowflake design as my guide.  

Rustic Pear Tart ~

After consuming way too many sweets over the holidays it's nice to change things up with a savory and mellow dessert and I found this pear tart to be just the ticket.  Along with pears it has cranberries and hazelnuts and has a nice kick of citrus.  However I found it does not keep well and is best eaten the same day baked.  The recipe is inspired by the nutty cranberry pear tarts published in the 2009 Southern Style Christmas Cooking magazine but modified to reduce sugar and fats and ingredients I have on hand.  My version is shared below.

Rustic Pear Tart

Tart Ingredients:
2 ripe pears (pealed, cored and diced)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 Tbs. melted butter
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts (skins removed and finely chopped).  Plus extra for garnish
1/2 cup dried cranberries (I used whole organic cranberries)
2 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. orange zest
1 Tbs. orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch ground cardamon
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Egg Wash:
1 egg white mixed with 1 tsp water

Pie Dough Ingredients:
I used the dough recipe I used for my raspberry tart but I think any pate brisee (pie dough) recipe would work such as Martha Stewart's.

Orange Syrup Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs fresh honey

Steps:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper;
2.  Combine tart ingredients;
3.  Make Pie Dough and roll into a large circle.  Transfer dough to baking sheet and spread pear mixture in the center leaving approximately 1 inch to fold over for crust;
3.  Brush egg wash over crust and sprinkle with sugar;
4.  Bake approx. 30 minute or until fruit mixture is bubbling.  Check tart frequently and to prevent burning cover with foil after crust is golden brown; and
5.  Serve warm with orange syrup.  Orange Syrup: combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.  Can be stored in refrigerator.
6.  Garnished with fresh mint and extra chopped hazelnuts and/or cranberries.

Until next time be well and love well and don't forget Valentine's Day is soon approaching.  Valentine's Day is a fun and whimsical holiday to celebrate anyone who is special in your life.  So have fun and please don't be restricted to traditional ideas of who can be a Valentine!

Finishing Touches ~

At this time of year our thoughts turn toward the holidays and I find it helpful to have a few quick and easy gift ideas and reliable recipes to make the season a little less stressful.  To dispel a common perception, a knit gift does not have to be fancy, expensive, or take weeks of complicated knitting to be a gift you are proud to give or wear.  It's all in the finishing touches.

Both pairs of gloves in this post are based on a basic pattern that has used a simple but effective design element to elevate it to gift giving or holiday wearing status.  All that is required is a single skein of yarn, a tried and true pattern that has been made successfully time and again, and a few notions in the way of buttons or beads to add a finishing touch or two!

Lately I've been thinking about finishing touches and not just in the context of knitting.  It strikes me that of late I haven't devoted nearly enough time (truthfully no time at all) to reading good literature, listening to fine music, or devoting my efforts to a worthy cause.  In other words, I'm in serious need of some finishing touches!  One's self is the most important work in progress we have.

The second pair of gloves is a personal pattern utilizing design elements from a variety of patterns.  I love to wear something a little fun and frivolous when I'm out and about over the holidays.  The contrasting reverse stockinette border and flower embellishment are just some of endless ways to personalize a basic pattern to your taste, just as your choice of yarn and buttons will personalize any pattern.  Adding a faus black pearl bead to the flower's center is the final finishing touch.

Particulars: Blue Gloves:  Welted Fingerless Gloves by Churchmouse Teas; US 5 and US 6 DPN; Mandos del Uruguay - Silk Blend; no modifications whatsoever.  However, as I have a tiny wrist, if I were to knit these for myself I would reduce the number of stitches cast-on and probably use the smaller needles throughout the project.  These gloves were gifted away to the lovely Dilshani (Rav Profile) as part of a German Shepherd Lovers swap hosted on Ravelry.  The second pair of gloves (Brown Gloves) is knit using a composite of several patterns and is very similar to the evening gloves I knit last Winter for Christmas.  I used a single skein of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino; US 5 needles; and a small amount of contrasting yarn.  I knit the flower using a pattern I found in the book Knit 2 Together.  Using resources you already have or that are free on the internet is a great way to find ideas to embellish patterns.

Dried flowers in the fading Summer sun are a reminder that time is always passing leaving only traces of what once was behind.  Wet felted flower made by following the Tutorial by Ingermaaike. 


Pistachio and Currant Biscotti

A seasonal recipe that I make this time of year is Mary Kay's Pistachio and Currant Biscotti.  I like to have a few cookies on hand that go well with coffee or tea.  Try serving them on a paper doily ~ it adds a nice finishing touch.

I will be away and busy much of the coming months and will be spending less time online, although I will still be knitting and continue to add posts.   So until next time, be well and love well and I hope this season of holidays is a time for you to reconnect with what is important in your life.

All That Glitters ~ Evening Gloves

We can't always be traipsing about in heavy woolens, now can we? At this time of year when there are Christmas parties and family events to attend it's nice to have a little something extra special to slip on.

Not that I have all that many opportunities for getting dressed up.  The realities of my life would depress you so I try and spare you the many mundane details.  But there are those few occasions that will arise and when they do I like to be prepared!

And these sparkly gloves are just the ticket.  Although I had to make significant modifications (noted below) to the pattern I am very happy with my gloves and am hoping to have an opportunity to wear them soon.  The cream colored yarn at the top has prestrung beads already added but I snipped off a few beads from the leftover yarn and used them to sew a band of beads just above the cuff.  I love that detail as it ties the design together and gives these gloves that little extra finishing touch.

Particulars: La Doche Vita Gloves by Tili Tomas; 1 skein Milan (partly cloudy colorway) and 1 skein flurries (natural colorway); US 5 needles. It's probably more accurate to say these gloves were "inspired" by the pattern as I made significant modifications including adding a picot turned hem for a cuff; adding shaping (increases and decreases); substituted a 1x1 rib and picot BO for the ruffle; and adding a band of beads just above the cuff.  While I loved the original pattern, sometimes you just have to use your common sense when knitting and, in this case, what I was seeing as I knit the pattern made me realize that simply following the pattern would not result in gloves that I enjoyed wearing.  But because I loved the yarn, and the basic idea, I ripped back and rethought the design and made the above changes. For those interested I'll add more specific details on the modifications on my Ravelry notebook page.

P.S.  Theresa of TDoesWool has published a free pattern for a gorgeous pair Crossed Lines Fingerless Mittens that are also fancy enough for a night out or just being cozy at home sipping eggnog and brandy.

P.S.S. The shawlette I'm wearing is a Dove shawl that I began but decided the yarn was too fragile to risk knitting a full shawl only to have it snag.  I used Filatura di Crosa Superior which is heavenly soft.

P.S.S.S. The ornament I'm holding is one that I made with paper mache (thecraftshop) and glitter (Meyer Imports).  We don't have a tree up this year because it would be to much excitement for Simcha, but I still enjoyed setting out a few decorations. 

Is Simcha a Police Dog?

If you have been reading along then you know that Simcha is our German Shepherd puppy who is almost a year old now.  And while he wasn't bred as a working dog, there are signs emerging that he might just have a bit of working dog in him.

Clues indicating Simcha might be a police dog:

1.     He follows me about with the intensity of someone guarding the crown jewels.  This is flattering but am starting to feel like I ought to pretend to be about more serious business than what I'm actually doing.  I hope I don't develop a complex.

2.     He instinctively knows to give a "suspicious package alert."  Any box and/or object found anywhere in the house that is out of place (i.e. not part of the regular furnishings) triggers a "suspicious package alert" which is in the form of deep ominous growls punctuated with thunderous barks until we respond.  I've not seen this level of concern for unattended packages since I was last at LAX, where the security guards aren't nearly as smart or as handsome. 

3.     He really likes to follow orders.  This is great because I really like telling others what to do.

4.      He's a natural at "search and rescue."    I think I would have been more impressed by this if I had actually been drowning when he attempted to "rescue" me from the bathtub by pulling me out by the towel wrapped around my hair.  Note to self: lock the bathroom door during baths.

There you have it.  The clues are mounting up.  What do you think?  Is Simcha a police dog?

Until next time, be well and love well.  We'll be away over the holidays so I'll take this opportunity of wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New year ~ and may the spirit of Christmas always shine in your heart and home.

Cranberry Gloves and Cranberry Swirl Coffee Cake!

I love immersing myself in the rhythm of the Seasons. The colors and flavors of Fall particularly resonate with me. There's just something about this season that touches the inner Pilgrim in me. I know that Steve would disagree, but I'm sure that I would have made a good Pilgrim. For example I could have made all my own clothes, like the gloves that I'm wearing!

These gloves are not what you think, though. There is no knitting involved. They are my own design and I made them with my own handmade felt! While handmade felt is very popular in Norway and other European Countries (probably something to do with the climate) it is rarely seen or used for clothing in the United States. For those interested, I'll be explaining more about the process of making handmade felt in upcoming posts and I'll explain how gloves like these are made. But I want to see how well these wear and any changes that I need to make before I do that.

Particulars: Cranberry Felt Gloves (my own design); handpainted merino tops purchased from Ingermaaike on Etsy; this is a seamless design using a resist; the cuffs are embellished with sheep locks. My inspiration for making handmade felt has largely come seeing the beautiful designs by Ingermaaike who writes Daily Felt and Sherry who is known as Pink Knitter on Flickr and Ravelry. For a great beginner resource that I found helpful I recommend Uniquely Felt by Christine White.

P.S. If you love wearing fingerless mittens as much as I do, then I recommend you look at the beautiful selection of free knitting patterns for fingerless mittens just published by Theresa at TDoesWool. I'm having a hard time deciding which one to make first!


Cranberry Swirl Coffee Cake

It is the practice in American college towns for the local residents to open their homes as informal Bed & Breakfasts to handle the influx of visitors that descend on game day and for graduation events. My parents flew to South Bend, Indiana to see me graduate from the University of Notre Dame, School of Law, and stayed at one such B&B where they served this Cranberry Swirl Coffee Cake for breakfast. It's a taste of the American Midwest and I hope you enjoy it!


Ingredients:

1/4 C. Butter (unsalted) - softened (1/2 stick)
1 C. Sugar
2 eggs - well beaten
2 C. All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 C. Sour Cream
1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
* *
8 Oz. Whole Cranberry Sauce 
1/2 C. Chopped Walnuts 

Garnish: powdered sugar (optional)



Steps:

1. Cream butter and Sugar together. Add beaten eggs and mix well.
2. Combine dry ingredients. Then add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream stirring with wooden spoon after each addition (begin and end with dry). Stir in Almond extract.
3. Add 1/2 batter to a greased tube/bunt pan. Swirl 1/2 of the cranberry sauce over and into the batter. Sprinkle 1/2 of the walnuts over the sauce. Repeat layers once more. 
4. Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees 55 to 60 minutes. Start checking after about 45-50 minutes as you don't want to over bake this.
5. Cool for 10 minutes in pan and then turn out on a wire rack (you may have to loosen with a knife). 

6.  Garnish with powdered sugar, if you wish.

Serve warm with fruit and coffee.

Until next time, be well and love well ~ and look around and enjoy the bounty and beauty of the harvest ~ Fall is here and will soon be gone.

P.S. Thank you for all your comments and concern about Simcha. His surgery went very well and he is doing great. He had a somewhat unusual condition where neither testicle descended so his neutering required abdominal surgery, but I was very motivated that he be neutered for a variety of reasons. I have my fingers crossed because if this doesn't settle him down I don't know what we'll do!

Funky Fall Gloves and Halloween Crafts!

When I first saw these gloves I thought "oh how perfect for Fall!" But then I hesitated. They were knit in pink and day glow white and the effect was just a tad too girlish for a woman of my mature years. But then a kit for the gloves became available in blue and green. Why I could see instantly what a huge difference that made. You can see it for yourself, can't you? These gloves are much more mature and age appropriate...

Okay, so maybe the gloves are teetering on wrong side of the "big mistake" equation. But, it's not like I'm going to wear them to the office. No siree Bob. But they cheer me up and certainly announce the arrival of Fall!

If I wasn't so beleaguered with work these days I would have ripped these back and knit them with bolder stripes and eliminated the orange stripes. Le sigh. Maybe they'll grow on me. I also knit the top I'm wearing. It's knit in Rowan wool cotton on US 4 needles. I knit it years ago, long before I was blogging. I love Rowan wool cotton, it's such a comfortable yarn to wear and holds up really well. The pattern was written out for me by the LYS where I bought the yarn, L'Atelier in Santa Monica. I told them I wanted to knit a top in this yarn and they wrote up a pattern for me. That's one of the nice perks of buying yarn at a LYS.

At the very least, I can wear them to a pumpkin patch to buy a Halloween pumpkin!

Particulars: Dial Up Gloves; 4 skeins Spud & Chloe FINE sock (superwash 80% wool 20% silk) - brown - blue - green - orange; US 2 needles (circular needles and magic loop technique until I reached the fingers and then switched to double pointed needles). I found this pattern frustrating because the color join is very "frugly" despite my best efforts to try and diminish the unsightlyness using various techniques. I'm sure there is a "fix" for smoothing the color join but, frankly, I was just too tired to make the effort, and the yarn did not frog well, so I just pushed forward. These gloves are knit in the round and then turned inside out (i.e. reverse stockinette) and that may have exacerbated the problem. Or maybe it was just me. My only modification was to add some shaping. I began the glove in the large size and then made gradual decreases (1 stitch every 9th row after I was 2 inches from CO edge) until I had the number of stitches for the medium size which took place just before the thumb opening.


Fun and Easy Fall Crafts

As I alluded to above, work has been unbearably miserable lately. I've decided I would not make a good soldier, because when life is reduced to work, sleep, and duty it isn't long before I'm not a happy camper. I do still manage to find time to craft though, as it is necessary to keep me sane. Since I suspect I'm not the only one who is pressed for time I'm going to share some quick and easy craft projects to get you ready for Halloween!

Needle Felt A Magic Pumpkin!

This is a needle felted pumpkin using a "soft" technique and it's perfect for the absolute beginner. I bought this as a kit from Fairie Bling and it came with everything I needed. Instead of making two small pumpkins I opted to make one larger pumpkin. Finished size is roughly 3.5" x 4.5."

Decorate a Vintage Halloween Ornament

The inspiration for this vintage Halloween ornament came from last year's Create & Decorate Magazine (October 2009). It was very simple and fun to make and I'll probably fill this one with candy and give it as a welcoming gift to our new neighbors, once it gets a little closer to Halloween. I haven't actually met these new neighbors yet. I'm hoping they aren't too stuffy. But, if they have moved to the far reaches of Topanga, odds are they are a bit eccentric like the rest of us.

Particulars: paper mache cone (10.5" x 4") sold online at The Craft Shop for $1.99; I painted and decorated it with various and sundry Fall decorations picked up at craft stores. I particularly like the Vampire Blood gift tag (sold as a set of 6). I can also see adding these tags to a wine bottle as a hostess gift or tied onto a wine glass stem like a toe tag/name tag! These ideas just come naturally to me. I think it's my practical nature. Oh, before I forget the tags are made by Crafty Pagan Designs who has an Etsy shop filled with fun paper goods.

Until next time, be well and love well and take the time to decorate for Halloween ~ I know it will make you smile!