Spring Zweig Sweater and Chicken Vegetable Instapot Recipe

This is a knitting blog and, as always, I have a project to share.  But first I want to talk about the COVID-19 crisis and how anxious and worried I am for our neighbors, community, world and of course our family.  I wish everyone could stay home and avoid exposure to the virus but I know there are those who perform essential roles in providing healthcare, food, supplies, and leadership and my thanks and prayers are with each of you and your families.

I think it will be many months before a vaccine is widely available.  Those of us who are older, have underlying health conditions or family in those risk categories will likely have to take precautions for longer than others.  This means staying at home and not leaving for any reason and that can be isolating and lonely.  But there are things you can do to stay connected and be part of your community.  For example I have joined a group on Facebook (Milk Street Community) that shares recipes and tips and our Temple (Makom LA) has a variety of live services streamed on Facebook as well.  Both are welcoming and friendly communities.  Other options include having a virtual happy hour on Zoom and other creative uses of social media platforms.  Look around and find those that interest you and join in.  This is also a good time to touch base with friends and family and rebuild relationships that have drifted apart.  And of course you should absolutely keep knitting!

In this post I am wearing the very popular Zweig Sweater designed by Caitlin Hunter.  It's a unique design that combines texture, lace, and colorwork and yet still manages to be an easy and straight forward knit.  That's the magic of Caitlin's patterns - they look a more complicated than they are.  I chose to use Spring colors as I don't have many sweaters for that season as Spring in Southern California feels like summer anywhere else.  Ironically it's really cold this Spring but as we are confined to home I'll just have to sashay about the house in my new sweater.  That's okay because next year I may break down and wear this in the Winter as well and make it a two season sweater!

My mother would laugh at that as she is always telling me I am too rigid and I need to be more flexible.  But I like each season to shine for it's own special reasons and I resist crossing over seasons in clothing or food.  Spring is a time for lemon flavored baking, pink flowers, Easter baskets, enjoying the sound of birds singing, baby lambs, longer days and rediscovering the miracle of regrowth and renewal. I'd love to hear what makes your heart sing about Spring.   

I won't go into my tips for colorwork or how to achieve a custom fit for a sweater because I have shared those tips in previous posts.  My tips for knitting a sweater are in the post Knitting a Sweater and Tips to Achieve a Custom Fit and my colorwork tips are in the Hebe hat post (an Alice Staremore design) and to be honest I think there are now a number of Youtube videos that would probably make great free tutorials for colorwork.  But I still stand by my advice to practice, practice, and practice more on a swatch holding two strands in your hand and get very used to knitting that way before you embark on your first project.

Particulars:  Zweig Sweater, designed by Caitlin Hunter (Boyland Knitworks); yarn by A Homespun House (merino/cashmere blend).  This was a very easy sweater to knit.  I made the smallest size (XS) and made no modifications.  I chose the amethyst color and Molly (the dyer behind A Homespun House) helped me pick the contrasting color of stardust and I think that was the perfect choice. 

Other patterns that I've knit by Caitlin Hunter are her Kobuk hat and Sunset Highway Sweater.  I love all her designs and I'm sure I'll be knitting more.  Other projects knit using a homespun house yarn include the beautiful shawl in my last post and All the Angles, a shawl designed by Stephen West that I have yet to photograph.

Before I switch gears to cooking I have just realized that I am approaching my 13th Blogiversary.  That's a long time.  My very first post Welcome to Mr. Puffy and Claudia's Blog! was back on May 5, 2007.  I want to thank you for reading along on this journey and for the comments and private notes that I've received.  I'm glad that I embarked on this journey and I know there are many more projects and recipes that I want to share and I hope you will following along with me and find some inspiration along the way.  

Instant Pot ~ Chicken Vegetable Soup ~

Steve and I have been practicing self isolation long before it became popular.  Largely a result of living in the mountains and working long hours at home.  And when you spend a lot of time at home your meal repertoire gets to be pretty large by sheer necessity.  I know many of you are not used to cooking meals at home and the COVID-19 crisis is making you consider how exactly do you stretch that chicken or use up bags of legumes.  So I thought this would be a good time to share a recipe that will help on both accounts.

A quick word about the Instant Pot (pressure cooker).  No you don't need one to make this recipe.  You can simply cook the chicken and legumes on your stove top and adjust the cooking time.  However I think you'll have to cook it long and slow at a low heat to achieve the same texture and melding of flavors.  

I'm obviously a fan of the Instant Pot and this is how it happened.  One day Steve came into the house calling "I have a gift for you."  I was very excited..... until I saw it was a cooking implement.  To say I was underwhelmed is an understatement.  Then I used it.  Now I laughingly say Best. Gift. Ever!  It does take a few times to get comfortable using it and you do have to be careful that you don't overcook things (I found the recipes included waaaaay overstated the cooking time).  But it's worth the effort and now I use mine weekly to make a stew or soup for the weekend.  They are sold everywhere including Amazon, etc.  I have the 6-quart size which is the most popular. 

Chicken Vegetable Soup - Instant Pot Recipe

Yum

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (approximately 4 lbs.), skin removed

1 cup mixed legumes (i.e.split peas, barley, red lentils, and maybe small pasta pieces).  I like Bob's Red Mill vegi soup mix which is a mix of all these.  No pre-soaking required.

1 stock cube - I use Rapunzel vegetable bouillon (low sodium) Ralph's grocery store sells this brand

Assortment sliced/diced vegetables  (zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, red peppers, sweet onion, and small cherry tomatoes)  These should be cut pretty thick or they will dry out during the roasting process.
2 Tbs. Olive oil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano (optional)

Salt to taste

Steps:

1.  About 1.5 or 2 hrs before you want to eat wash and remove skin from the chicken and cut off all fat.  Place the skinned chicken in an instant pot.  Add 1 cup or desired amount of legumes, salt, and stock (I use 1 cube) and water sufficient to cover chicken by approximately 2 inches.  Set instant pot on "poultry" setting and adjust cook time to 7 minutes.  After the timer goes off leave the chicken in the instant pot for roughly another half hour to allow it to continue cooking in the hot liquid.  Open and remove chicken from liquid at this point and check that it is cooked though.  If it is, set it aside to cool.  Close the instant pot until vegetables are ready to add.

N.B. I find the 7 minutes plenty of time to thoroughly cook a chicken but it never hurts to double check and should you need to cook it longer you can always place the chicken back into the hot liquid and allow it to continue cooking until you are satisfied that it is cooked through.    

2.  In the meantime preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss mixed vegetables in olive oil and salt to taste.  Spread out on a foil covered tray and bake for approximately 40 to 60 minutes or until tender and the edges have started to brown.  Cooking time is an estimate.  You need to check and see how fast the vegetables are cooking because If you slice the veggies too thin they will cook faster and you risk they shrivel up to nothing.   When they are ready remove them from the oven and fold the foil over to tent vegetables (keep warm) and set aside until ready to use.

3.  About 5 minutes before you want to eat shred the white meat and remove all bones (I typically don't use the dark/thigh meat but that is your choice).  Set shredded chicken meat aside.

4.  Add 50 to 75% of cooked vegetables to the hot liquid in your instant pot and using a hand immersion bender or any type of blender pulse a few times to break up the vegetables and legumes to make a chunky rich broth.

5.  Taste broth and adjust seasoning (add salt, oregano) as desired.

6.  Add shredded chicken and remaining 25% vegetables to the instant pot and you are finished!

We often eat an Instant Pot soup/stew with a side salad and bread.  The bread pictured above is a Turkish flatbread that I made following this Youtube video.  It's wonderful to scoop up dips and soup.  If you are simply going to eat it on it's own then I suggest you increase the salt.

Until next time stay home, stay safe and may all of you and your loved ones find ways to stay connected during this stressful time.  In the sage words of my mother "this too shall pass" and we will get through this together. 

  

Sunset Highway Sweater and Baking Sweet Breads

This is my Sunset Highway Sweater.  It's a soft watercolor interpretation of the original design which in contrast has striking details and a palpable Viking Goddess vibe.  Not that I wouldn't have liked to have been a viking goddess or indeed that it wasn't my intention to have a viking goddess sweater.  But sometimes fates conspire and what comes to pass is not what you intend at all.  And yet.  This softer watercolor version of the Sunset Highway Sweater is more reflective of my personality and one that I'll actually wear more frequently.  I also haven't ruled out revisiting this pattern someday and knitting one more true to the design.  Then again I probably won't because there are so many beautiful sweater patterns that I want to knit and I rarely knit the same pattern twice.

I knew from the start this sweater probably would not come out the way I had expected.  As soon as the yarn arrived (it was sold as a kit) I could see that it was beautifully dyed but I had a suspicion that it wouldn't have the distinct color definition needed to make the yoke design pop.  And once I began knitting I knew that I wasn't going to get a distinct pattern definition using these colors.  So I considered frogging what I had knit and substituting in solid colors. And yet.  When Steve looked at what I had knit he was in love with the beautiful colors and how they intermingled.  And so I decided to throw the dice and let the colors unfold as they may.  And I'm really happy that I did because this is a very unique and beautiful sweater.  I suspect that those who are unfamiliar with the Sunset Highway Sweater design will love this sweater and those who are a fan of the design will not even recognize it as a Sunset Highway Sweater!  Who do you think I am most likely to encounter in the real world?

You can probably tell that while I love the sweater I am a bit ambivalent about it; because it didn't come out as I had hoped and planned. Which could be a metaphor for life. Sometimes our plans don't work out but over time we look back and realize it was actually better the way that it did.  I'm not at that stage yet.

This is obviously a stranded colorwork design and there is a lot of tacking down yarn floats.  I have seen some very complicated methods to do this on Youtube videos that left me discouraged.  But there is no need for this to be super complicated so I'm going to share with you a very simple method for tacking down yarn floats.  This method works works even if you carry both strands of yarn in your right hand, as I do.  I always carry the background color over my index finger and the pattern color over my third finger.  When I want to tack down the background color I use my left hand to lift the background yarn up and over the working needle; I then knit the stitch using the pattern color; and then lift the background color off the needle and drop the strand which I then pick up again with my right hand.  That probably sounds terribly confusing but it's not really.  Play around with it and I think you'll find this is a very easy method for tacking down floats.  I'm sorry I don't know what this method is called.  I'll call it ~ the lefty lifting method ~

If you are thinking about knitting a colorwork design there are now many beautiful and unique colorwork sweater patterns out there (particularly if you are willing to knit with a heavier than fingering weight yarn).  I am currently mulling over the following choices (these are all fingering weight) Threipmuir; Arrows Down; Alyeska; and Silver Frost.

Particulars:  Sunset Highway Sweater, designed by Caitlin Hunter (Boyland Knitworks); US 2 (ribbing) and 4 (body) needles; 5 skeins Ritual Dyes, Maiden (fingering 2 ply twist) 80/20 SW Merino/Nylon, 400 yrds/100 grams (colorways: Iron (main body color), Lady Lucky, Pyrite, and malachite;  I adore this dyer's work and the yarn base is a dream to work with and I have since ordered more of her yarn for other projects.  As far as the pattern itself I knit the extra small size and my only modifications were that I knit the yoke a little longer than the pattern called for (about an extra inch and a half) and I skipped the short rows at the bottom.  But I have a small build and I've heard some say the extra small runs tight on them so you probably need to check your gauge and pick your size carefully.

Incidentally my Kobuk hat in the previous post is also by this designer ~ when you're hot you're hot ~

The last couple of years I've knit primarily cardigans but these days I'm more in the mood to knit pullovers.  If you would like to see a other pullover sweaters here are a few that I've previously blogged: Not a Jersey Girl; Calm; Emily; Sideways Knitted Top; and Lily.  With my climate I don't have a lot of sweater wearing weather but there are days when they come in handy!

Baking Sweet Breads ~

Work has been demanding lately and I'm fighting a cold.  But I always make it a priority to have homemade baked goods in the house.  It's a quality of life issue and simple pleasure that I try hard not to forego. And I think during stressful periods all the more important.  I like variety so I'm always playing with new recipes.  Recently I discovered the very delicious Babka bread!  This is a versatile sweet bread (similar to a brioche loaf) that you can use with a million different fillings.  For your babka dough I recommend trying the one I use from Bake From Scratch Magazine they share the dough recipe online (albeit with a Pistachio filling).  I use Kerry Gold butter and only 9 gms of salt (1/2 tbs. versus 1 tbs) but other than that I follow this basis dough recipe (sans orange zest).  As I mentioned the choice of fillings are endless.  The loaf pictured below I made with a strawberry and coconut filling (found in Bake From Scratch's March/April issue)but a classic filling would be a chocolate filling.  I hope you have fun finding wonderful fillings for this delicious bread treat!

Until next time be well and love well.  Enjoy Spring and don't forget this is a great time to start planning sweaters to knit over the summer so you are ready for next Fall!

Solstice Cardigan and Honey Roasted Pecans!

This is my "Rhinebeck" sweater.  Snicker.  Yeah, I know that I'm not going to Rhinebeck but I'm still calling it my Rhinebeck sweater.  To explain, if you are a knitter then you've probably heard of the fabulous  extravaganza of sheep and wool called Nys Sheep and Wool Festival that takes place late October in Rhinebeck, New York (commonly known as "Rhinebeck").  In any event it's the mecca for knitters and over the years it's become quite "the thing" to wear a new handknit sweater to the event called your Rhinebeck sweater. I wish I was going to this or any yarnie event.  But I'm not nor am I ever likely too.  Because apparently I'm waiting for one to come to Topanga, California.  I suspect I'll be waiting a long time.  But I can still have a "Rhinebeck" (sic. fall) sweater and you can too.

Over the years I've knit a number of sweaters, some pullovers, some short sleeve, and a few cardigans and hands down my cardigans get the most wear and enjoyment.   I've found that my sweet spot for sweaters are the chunky cozy sweaters that are squishy and make you feel warm and toasty and impervious to the cold.  Just like this one.  It's an aran weight a a little heavier than any others I've knit but that's what makes it a great outer layer sweater.

To be honest while this sweater was on the needles I had begun to worry that I had made a mistake in selecting this pattern.  It felt and looked like a boring blob of yarn that I was lugging about.  But I persevered.  In for a penny in for a pound I always say.  And I had bought the yarn to go with this pattern so there must have been something about the project that had spoken to me.  And of course once the sweater came together I knew why I had chosen it.  It has wonderful texturing going on and has a quaint vintage style that is easy to wear and will be perfect for running errands or simply to hang out sipping a steaming cup of coffee.  Did I mention it feels fabulous on?

If you read this blog then you know I'm partial to knitting shawls and accessories.  After all I live in a very warm climate (southern california) so I don't have a lot of  cold weather to justify knitting too many sweaters but we do get some cool and down right cold days November through January so it's nice to have a new sweater in the fall.  I'm glad that I picked this one for 2017.

Particulars:  Solstice Cardigan by Cecily MacDonald; 6 skeins Quince & Co., Osprey (lupine colorway); US 10 1/2 circular needles. This is a wonderfully written and easy to follow pattern, although I did find the “faux” cable (running down the shoulder and sleeves) confusing at first. I think the instructions would have been cleared if stated as follows:

Row 3: Sl 4 wyb droppping all yo’s. Using the point of LH needle pass the first 2 stitches over the second 2 stitches LEAVING THESE STITCHES ON THE LEFT HAND NEEDLE. Transfer the 2 remaining stitches on the right needle to the left needle. Now that your stitches are crossed knit them in this order.

Hopefully this will help someone else also confused by the faux cable instructions.  Other than that the pattern is very easy to follow.  There are optional pockets that I skipped and I did tack down the collar to prevent it riding up.

If you are interested in cardigans (versus pullover sweaters) previous posts with a cardigan include Little Waves, Flo, Cabled Riding Jacket, Bud, Exquisite Cardigan, and Rowena.

Honey Roasted Pecans!

Some say that I'm a nutty person so it shouldn't be a surprise that I enjoy eating nuts.  I use them a lot in my baking and I also eat a fair amount raw but my favorite nuts are those that have been roasted.  As fall is a time to celebrate the harvest gathering for winter I thought this would be the perfect time to share a favorite recipe for roasted nuts.

This is a recipe for roasted pecans and before getting into the nitty gritty of the recipe it's important to clarify the type of pecans to use.  For baking no question I always use elliot pecans because of the wonderful flavor they add to baked goods. Over the years I've purchased elliot pecans from Sunnyland Farms (wonderful quality, but their prices have gotten pretty high) so this year I purchased my pecans from Pearson Farms and I am very happy with their quality too.  Incidentally pecans freeze extremely well so don't worry about the quantity of nuts you purchase. But for this recipe I like to use the variety of pecans that you generally find in a grocery store and Costco carries them at a very good price which is handy because this recipe is very addictive and you can go through a lot of pecans!  Honey roasted pecans are wonderful tossed in a salad (try them in my holiday salad!), added to a bowl of popcorn, chopped up and sprinkled on top of oatmeal, or simply by the handful.  There are endless ways to enjoy them!  Oh, and before I forget, packaged prettily they make great hostess gifts too.

Honey Roasted Pecans
~ yield ~ 4 cups

Ingredients:
4 cups pecan halves
3 Tbs. honey (I like a warm flavored honey and use Trader Joe's Turkish Honey)
2 tsp. sugar, divided
3/4 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. coarse kosher salt

Pan preparation:
Aluminum Foil
Non-Stick cooking spray (I use pure olive oil)

Steps:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  Add pecans to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with honey.  Mix well to coat all pecans.

3.  Evenly distribute pecans on prepared roasting pan.  If you see any nuts that somehow aren't covered well with honey drizzle them with a dollop of additional honey before sprinkling tops of pecans with 1 tsp. sugar (do not stir).  Roast for 10 minutes.

4.  Remove pecans from oven and stir well.  Sprinkle top of pecans with remaining 1 tsp. sugar, 3/4 tsp. curry powder and 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon. Roast for 2 minutes more.  Total roasting time is 12 minutes.

5.  Remove pecans from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to non-stick parchment paper or silpat to finish cooling.  I transfer the nuts while still warm because I find that when I leave them to cool completely on the foil they have a tendency to stick to the foil.

6.  Once the pecans have cooled sprinkle them with 1/2 tsp. coarse kosher salt.

7.  Store in an airtight container.

Adapted from Southern Celebration's Spicy Honey Glazed Pecans.

Although it has nothing to do with pecans I had to share this picture of Steve and Simcha because it captured my heart.  It's taken on a Friday night as they prepare for Shabbat which for the Jewish religion is on Saturday.  Simcha loves to keep Steve company as he studies and he's also a big fan of his guitar playing too.  As am I naturally!

Until next time be well, love well and have fun picking out your Halloween pumpkin! And for those of you lucky enough to be going to Rhinebeck, or any fiber festival have a wonderful time and take lots and lots of pictures!!!

Brooklyn Tweed Sweater, Scarf Accessory, and a Frontier Style Breakfast!

I have long admired the beautiful designs of Brooklyn Tweed which embody the rugged American frontier lifestyle. Jared Flood and the designs he curates under the Brooklyn Tweed brand are both classic and functional.  And it was time I knit a Brooklyn Tweed design.

But I had sworn off knitting sweaters because I don't wear them often enough to justify the time and expense that goes into making them.  But then I had an epiphany.  It wasn't sweaters per se that were not functional in my wardrobe but rather it was my dressy sweaters that never got worn.

So I decided to knit myself a practical sweater to wear in the fall and winter months when the mornings and evenings are cool and often downright cold.  I wanted something that I could pull on in the mornings when I like to sit outside and enjoy my morning coffee or that I could slip into for my late afternoon hike with Simcha.  Something without fuss or bother in a neutral color.

It took a lot of searching before I settled on this design.  I already knew I wanted to use Shelter a worsted weight yarn manufactured by Brooklyn Tweed, but picking the pattern was more time consuming.  I finally settled on the Little Waves Sweater which is actually a unisex sweater (although there is different waist shaping for each sex).  I liked the long sleeves, the pockets, the cool textured design, and the button up front.

The finished sweater came out exactly perfect for what I wanted.  My thoughts on the yarn, Shelter, are a little more complex.  Shelter is described on the Brooklyn Tweed website as "an artisanal woolen-spun yarn made from the fiber of Targhee-Columbia sheep grown in the American West.  This yarn has been meticulously crafted to suit the needs of the passionate handknitter."  That might be true but for someone like me who knits a lot shawls and socks with merino wool it's a rough feeling wool to work with.  For that reason I actually wasn't too happy while knitting this sweater.  But then I tried the sweater on. Gone was the pain just that.  Similar to the pain of childbirth (so I'm told) it was forgotten and all I had left in my heart was love for this yarn and sweater.

It's hard to describe the feeling I had when I tried on the sweater.  The best I can do is say it was like pulling on a hug. The loftiness of the wool creates a light fabric but it's a thick worsted wool and somehow that comes together to imbue a feeling of warmth and coziness. So the bottom line is that I will definitely  knit another sweater using Shelter and I can understand all the love there is out there for this yarn.  It is however an outer wear wool in my opinion.

Particulars:  Little Wave Sweater designed by Gudrun Johnson (author of The Shetland Trader); Design is from Wool People Vol. 6 (a collection of designs curated by Brooklyn Tweed); US 8 circular needles;  9 skeins Shelter (100% American Wool grown in Wyoming) colorway Truffle Hunt.  I knit the smallest size and my only modification was to downsize the sleeves for a more fitted look.  I used slightly more yarn that the pattern indicates so I would suggest buying an extra skein just to be safe.  For tips on how to knit a sweater with a perfect fix see my post Knitting a Sweater and Tips to Achieve a Perfect Fit.   I bought the yarn over the phone as my LYS does not carry this yarn.  I found the staff at Churchmouse Yarns and Teas very helpful in picking a color.  The buttons are handmade from walnut wood and I purchased them on Etsy from Wooden Buttons Galore.  This is a well written pattern and a perfect fitting sweater.

N.B.  I lightened the last 2 pictures so you can better see the pattern detail of the sweater.  The colorway Truffle Hunt is a lovely rich brownish grey with blue flecks.

Scarf Accessory ~

I also knit the scarf that I'm wearing in these pictures. It's knit in a fingering weight yarn with beads added.  If I'm going to add beads to a project I like them to show up otherwise it's not worth the time and bother of adding them. The bead I used are oblong shaped with a pretty rainbow yellow color and they catch the light beautifully.  The soft yellow color of this scarf makes a perfect early fall accessory.

Particulars: Shallows Scarf designed by Bonnie Sennot (author of the blog Blue Peninsula); US 4 needles; 1 skein 200 Herriot (464 yrd) hand-dyed by Skeins in the Stack (Etsy vendor) in Chamomile colorway (I purchased this kit).  I purchased the beads from Earth Treasures Gems (on Etsy) and I used 16 grams Miyuki Long Magatama beads which is more than the pattern calls for because I used more yarn and knit a longer scarf.  This was an easy and enjoyable pattern to knit.

Frontier Style Breakfast ~

In the fall it's nice to start the day with a hearty breakfast.  After all it is the most important meal of the day!  I usually have a slice of my homemade bread with oatmeal but when the days turn cooler I like a stack of pancakes.  You could go for the decadent cake like pancakes that I like to indulge in a couple of times a year (I use this recipe Old Fashioned Pancakes).  But for everyday pancakes it's more prudent to choose buckwheat pancakes and I love the mix made by Kodiak Cakes.  Kodiak Cakes's box tells the story how flapjacks (i.e. buckwheat pancakes) were the hearty mainstay of frontiersmen from the fridged Yukon to the High Sierras.  These rugged mountain-men and homesteaders apparently relied on the rich, substantial taste of these flapjacks which contained a powerful source of carbohydrates, protein and fiber, with every little fat. You simply add water to the mix and I like to top them with local honey, fruit and granola.  For the picture I used butter and maple syrup, but that's not how I typically eat them.  The griddle should be very hot and I spray it lightly with olive oil.  Perfect every time.    

As much as I have a fondness for the frontier and pioneers I'll admit that my perception of the frontier has been influenced by Disneyland's Frontierland and it's Country Bear's Jamboree (remember I was a child when I first saw this).  I still love those rocking bears.  But I understand in reality the frontiersmen and pioneers had a very difficult life. In fact, if I had been a pioneer on one of the wagon trains I'm sure I would have been buried along the trail. Probably the first week out.  And everyone would have missed my cooking.

Finally to accompany your frontier breakfast you need a delicious cup of coffee.  This morning I'm drinking Irish Cream a flavored coffee by Christopher Bean Coffee. Love the aroma and smooth taste of this coffee.

Until next time be well, love well and enjoy fall and all the wonderful colors, flavor and foods of the season and especially the hearty breakfasts!

Weekend Sweater and How to Enjoy a Better Night's Sleep

My definition of a great weekend sweater is one that fits right, feels cozy and looks great on.  It's that sweater you pull on when you are going to a movie, a casual dinner out, or running errands on a cold day and you can wear it over and over again and never get tired of it.  It goes with jeans or can be dressed up with a skirt and boots and always makes you look perfectly put together. And, unlike with shawls, you won't finish knitting it only to discover that it's impossible to find an outfit that it looks good with.  Which is a big plus for someone like me who has drawers full of shawls (that I love) but never seem to look quite right with anything.

But knitting a sweater that fits well and looks good can be a challenge for knitters of all levels. Fortunately there are some easy steps you can follow that will help you knit a sweater that fits every time and I've previously blogged some of my tips in the post Knitting a Sweater and Tips to Achieving a Custom Fit.  Continuing with sweater tips in this post I'm going to focus on a finishing tip that will help elevate your sweaters from something that looks homemade into something that looks handmade and there is a world of difference between the two.  The culprit that can cause a sweater to look "homemade" instead of a swanky and sophisticated handmade sweater are bulky seams and here is my tip for eliminating bulky uneven seams.

Sweater Finishing Tip:  How to Avoid Bulky Seams:

After you have knit the main pieces of your sweater (front, back, and sleeves) but before you begin any finishing work, i.e. adding a collar, neckline, or button band, etc. (unless your pattern or yarn ball band directs you to do otherwise) the main pieces of your sweater should be washed and blocked to desired measurements.  When these pieces have dried completely use a hand held steamer and press along the very edges (approximately 1/4 inch).  Flatten all edges by pressing and steaming with your hand steamer.  I recommend a hand held steamer because irons and other steaming devices generally have a large surface area from which the steam is emitted that can make it difficult to press just along the edges.  You want to avoid steaming beyond the very edge because that will flatten and ruin the loft and texture of your overall fabric.  What you do want to do is flatten the edge (and reduce bulk) which also makes it easier to sew the edges together neatly.    The second part to avoiding bulky seams it to sew the edges together with a thread in a matching color instead of using the yarn used to knit the sweater.  By using thread instead of yarn to sew the edges together you can reduce a significant amount of  bulk from your seams.  

Particulars:  Not a Jersey Girl Sweater designed by Stephanie Steinhaus (Unwind Yarn in Burbank); US 8 circular needles; Ewe Ewe Yarns, LLC (9.5 skeins MC - Indigo no 64 / 1 skein CC - brushed silver no 97);  I have to admit this sweater required a significant amount of modifications by me to fit me the way I wanted the sweater to fit and for that reason I would describe this pattern as "advanced." Briefly, some of my modifications were to change the sleeves from drop to inset and downsized the body to be fitted (versus 4-6 inches positive ease); I knit both the body and the sleeves in the round and eliminated 1 row of cabling in the front.  With the neck I switched to CC and continued the ribbing (instead of knitting a "knit" round) and then I BO in pattern and on the BO row decreased 8 stitches (4 on each side) evenly over the shoulders to bring in the neckline a bit more over the shoulders. I love the yarn as it is very comfortable to wear next to the skin with a wonderful loft and knits into a beautiful garment but because it is great for showing stitch definition it also does show where decreases/increases were made so I suggest that you be extra careful with your shaping to use even and discrete stitches.

Incidentally I knit the scarf that I'm wearing in these pictures and subsequently gave it to Steve who kindly loaned it back to me to wear in these pictures!  It's one of my first blog posts from way back in 2007....A Scarf by Any Other Name.  In the second picture the cowl that I'm wearing was blogged more recently (2013) as Crazy Cowl and Urban Legend.  Both are great accessories that I highly recommend.


How to Enjoy a Better Night's Sleep ~

Who doesn't want to get a better night's sleep? For women as you age it's more important than ever to get your beauty rest.  But aside from that incentive (which is plenty motivating for me all on it's own) sleep is also important to mental alertness and general good health. Those are definitely secondary considerations, although admittedly important. I don't think there is anyone who doesn't already know that consuming certain foods in the evening like caffeine and sugar can keep you awake but there is actually something that you may unwittingly be doing that is even worse and is the cause of you losing both quantity and quality of sleep.

I'm talking about using ebooks with screens that light up to enable reading in the dark. It seems like such a great idea to be able to read in bed without having a light on.  Doesn't it?  And yet.  I've finally recognized that using my kindle was the cause of me losing sleep.  It turns out that when a light shines directly into your eyes it impacts you differently than a light reflected off a paper page. And that's only one of the problems.  The other problem is the temptation to read at all hours of the night. If I wake up in the middle of the night and my kindle is laying next to me I will succumb to the temptation to read instead of patiently waiting to fall back to sleep. And that's how my kindle was causing me to lose hours of sleep each night without me understanding why. It wasn't until I read an article that discussed the negative impact on sleep of a light shining into your eyes that I understood the problem.

Since turning off my kindle and reverting to reading traditional books both my quantity and quality of sleep has dramatically improved.  So if you are an ebook reader who is sleep deprived you might want to try shutting of your electronic devices and see if your beauty rest doesn't improve too.

If you are curious what I am reading these days, the book shown above (Serpent's Kiss by Melissa De La Cruz) is a fun and easy read if you enjoy paranormal and contemporary romance! It is the second book in a series and should be read in order.

Until next time be well, love well and may you have sweet dreams ~ perhaps of knitting your own weekend sweater!

Knitting a Sweater and Tips to Achieve a Custom Fit

I love my new Spring Lily sweater!  It has wonderful texture with bobbles on top of bobbles and more bobbles and when you look at it you know immediately that it was hand knit which makes it a perfect knitting project.

If you are like most knitters you probably have had the experience of knitting a sweater only to find that it doesn't fit whether it's too long, too wide, too short, or too tall.  So how can you knit a sweater and be sure that it will fit you?  The answer to that question entirely depends upon whether or not you are willing to take a few extra steps before you cast-on.  I'm going to share with you the steps that I take in advance of casting on to achieve a custom fit with any sweater pattern.   

Knitting Tips To Achieve a Custom Fit:

Step 1.  Always knit a gauge swatch and wash and block it.  You will need an accurate gauge swatch to know how many stitches per inch you are knitting in order to calculate (using basic math) a custom fit.

Step 2.  Find a garment in your closet or your friends closet that fits you the way that you want your new sweater to fit.  You are then going to use this garment as a "template" which means that you will sketch the garment on a piece of paper along with all critical measurements (i.e. the length, width, shoulders, neckline, sleeves, etc.).

Step 3.  Ignore the pattern instructions for size.  For example, if the pattern instructions tell you to cast-on 150 stitches for a size 38" sweater you will ignore that instruction.  Instead, you will look at your sketch and using basic math and your gauge swatch you will calculate the number of stitches to cast-on. So if your template indicates that you want the bottom of your sweater to be 18 inches across you will calculate how many stitches it will take to knit 18 inches based on your gauge swatch (i.e, multiply the number of stitches per inch by the number of inches you want) to determine the number of stitches to cast-on.  You will mainly use the "pattern instructions" for overall guidance as to the style of stitches used and for how long, the techniques used for shaping, and finishing instructions, etc.  But for any increases, decreases, or number of stitches to cast-on you will ignore the pattern instructions and instead use your template calculations.  It is always helpful to read over the entire pattern instructions before you begin so you have an idea of the sweater construction.

Step 4.  Periodically take your project off the needles using waste yarn and do a "fitting."  The fitting process will help you make any adjusts to your increases and/or decreases based on how the garment actually fits.

Step 5.  Always wash and block your knitting before doing any finishing work (i.e. before seaming together pieces, etc.).  After pressing out as much water as you can, use your template measurements to gently ease the individual wet pieces into the desired size/shape and leave until completely dry.  Seam together as per pattern instructions.

I know this seems like a lot of things to do but for the amount of work and money that goes into knitting a sweater you want it to fit well and by following these steps you are more likely to have a sweater that will indeed fit!

Particulars:  Lily designed by Marnie MacLean (Twist Collective); US 6 needles (circular and straight); 6 skeins Amy Butler Belle Organic dk by Rowan (50% wool / 50% cotton).  I more or less knit the 2XS size up to the point where the yoke and sleeves are joined.  However, after joining the yoke rather than follow the pattern decreases I adjusted my decreases based on "fitting" which means I took the garment off the needles and adjusted the decreases as needed.  See above tips for more guidance on how I achieved a custom fit.

And Now a Mishmash of Things that I am Enjoying this Spring ~

Spring Lollipops!  I love these seasonal treats that I find at William and Sonoma.  They are a wonderful combination of sweet and acidic and I wish they were available all year round.

Homemade bagels with wild Maine Blueberry jam and freshly brewed Stumptown Coffee yum yum yum. For the bagels I used King Arthur Flour's free on-line Baby Bagel recipe and because I did not have "high Gluten" flour I simply added a tablespoon of Gluten for each cup of All Purpose Flour that I used.  You can find Gluten in most health food stores.

And lastly my morning hikes with Simcha watching the clouds roll in from the Malibu coastline.

Until next time be well and love well and I hope that your Spring will be filled with beautiful color, a sense of renewal, and lots of seasonal treats.

Bud ~ a Summer Sweater and Lemon and White Chocolate Muffins

I'm out for an evening stroll in my new cardigan.  Anyone who thinks knitting is only for the Winter months is seriously missing out on all the wonderful Summer knits.  To knit clothes for the Summer you simply have to knit in fibers other than wool.  It's that simple.  This cardigan is knit in a combination of silk and cotton and is perfect for cool Summer evenings or foggy mornings at the beach and typical for a Kim Hargreaves design it is a classic and timeless wardrobe piece.

As I've gotten older I've found it harder to find my personal style.  I don't want to I no longer can wear the same styles that I did in the past but we all want to look the best we can at whatever age we are.  Knitting has helped me transition to middle age by allowing me to wear the colors and styles that suit me best.  I know for some knitting is a fad but for me it's a means of self expression and a connection with a part of myself that is still me no matter what age I am.  I guess what I'm saying is that I want to age like a cozy cardigan that is classic and timeless and loved no matter how misshapen and lumpy and bumpy it becomes!    

But enough about me!  It's time for a Mr. Puffy Knitting Tip ~ whoo hoo.

This knitting tip is the key to knitting a large oversized sweater such as Bud and not have it look (and feel) masses too large.  It's all about getting the sleeves to fit well.  I knit the small size for this pattern exactly as written - except - for the sleeves.  I knit the sleeves custom by calculating the stitches so that the cuff fits my wrist with just a little ease and the arm length and width similarly have been adjusted.  If I had knit the sleeves as directed for the small size then the sleeves and cuff would have been almost twice the size that they are which would have been waaaay too big.  The best way to figure out how to adjust a sleeve to your own custom fit is to lay out a sweater you already have with sleeves that fit you comfortably or close to how you want your finished sleeves to fit. Measure the width of the cuff and arm as well as the length of the sleeve.  Then, using those measurements and your gauge adjust the pattern accordingly.  I find that I often have to custom knit the sleeves in a pattern even if the body measurements and gauge otherwise can be knit according to pattern instructions.

Particulars:  Bud (a classic cardigan with pockets); design by Kim Hargreaves ~ Misty in Light and Shade collection; US 6 & 8 needles; 11 skeins Rowan Summer Tweed (70% silk / 30% cotton); 4 sea green abalone buttons.  I knit the XS size with sleeves modified as explained above.  Overall this is a very simple design to knit and a pleasure to wear although to be honest I didn't really enjoy knitting with this yarn.  Kim Hargreaves is a wonderful knitwear designer and I have previously knit her following designs: Flo (cardigan); Emily (sweater); Calm (Sweater); Bonnie (hat); Soul (hat); Haven (scarf set); and Raindrop (cardigan).  


Lemon and White Chocolate Muffins ~

About 10 years ago Steve and I traveled through New Zealand and whist there I quickly ascertained that the New Zealanders knew their muffins.  Everywhere we went they had wonderful coffee shops serving fabulous looking muffins.  So when I recently had a taste for a muffin I searching for a good muffin recipe on a New Zealand recipe site and found this wonderful Lemon and White Chocolate Muffin recipe.  I modified it to add a very thin slice of lemon on top and made them slightly larger (I used a large muffin tin versus cupcake size tins).  Due to the larger size I increased the baking time to 30 minutes and yielded 7 muffins.  Prior to baking I added the lemon slice and sprinkled it with extrafine white sugar.  After baking I spooned the glaze over the top of the lemon slice and over the top.  I have to say white chocolate and lemon is a sinfully delicious combination.

Until next time, be well and love well and make time to enjoy fresh baked muffins this Summer before you start contemplating your Fall knitting  ~

A Baby Sweater ~

When Hilary (The Yarniad) announced she was having her first baby I was so happy for her I just had to knit the baby a sweater.  And in the process of knitting the sweater I thought about the things that I was given as a child that I have kept through the years. 

I thought about some of the toys, but mainly I thought about the gift that my mother received that had the following poem written inside the card:

To welcome the wee cherub sent from heaven to you ~
may angels stand guard over Claudia Jean Bugh*.
With a heart sweet and pure from the good Lord above ~
she enters your home to be loved and to love.
Her hours are all yours to guide day by day ~
he's lent her to you ~ keep her close in his way.
Heavens minus an angel, she's down here with you ~
your own little daughter ~ Claudia Bugh.   By Fay Angus 

         * Name pronounced phonetically as "Bew."

I'm no angel but perhaps I'm better than I would have been but for the prayers of some wonderfully caring people.  Not all babies are so fortunate to have the support and welcome of an extended community but all deserve that and more.  It is with a warm heart that I welcome Hilary's baby and hope that he may always know that many care about his well being.

But you want to hear about the sweater.  Isn't it cute?  Now I know it's not a traditional style for a baby but I just love the bright colors!  And think how handy this will be for watching the toddler.  Hilary will be able to pick her baby out of a crowd with no difficulty at all.  Practical.  That's me.

The buttons are vintage Le Chic that came from a pound of buttons that I purchased in a destash sale on Etsy by Lil Fish Extras.  Pictured below are just some of the many other buttons included in that pound along with a clever broach made using buttons, felt and crafting wire.  It's amazing how many cute ways something as common as old buttons can be used in crafts and if you are not already familiar with Lil Fish Studios you will find many project ideas on her blog for buttons and beyond that are sure to inspire you!

Particulars: Classy Baby Jacket (a Morehouse Farm kit); US5 and US6 needles; 3 skeins Morehouse Merino 3-strand worsted yarn.  I found this to be a straight forward pattern and easy to knit project.  I used US 5 needles for all trim (areas knit in orange) and US 6 needles for the body of the sweater; size 4 month to 1 year. The Grumperina sells a similar baby sweater but with a zipper closure called Budgie Baby Sweater that is also very cute.  I enjoy knitting with Morehouse Merino yarns which are a nice combination of sturdy and rustic but still soft and warm.  I used this yarn to knit the Lily Chapeau Hat a few years back and it has held up very well.

Updated!!!!  I was absolutely thrilled to receive some pictures of the small child wearing this sweater and I'd like to share one with you ~

I can't tell you the joy it brought to me to see him wearing his sweater!

The Misadventures of Simcha

And for those of you wondering how dear little Simcha is doing..... here he is busy digging a hole in the backyard.

Until next time, be well and love well and never forget that it is the gift of caring for each other that is the most precious and lasting gift of all.