Sweater Weather and Gnome Spotting ~

At long last it's sweater weather here in Southern California!  I can't tell you how relieved I'll be when rain arrives next week (as predicted) as fire season seems to get longer and more dangerous every year not just here in Southern California but all over the world.  Of course fire risk is nothing new to me.  I grew up in California and when I was young there were several fires where we were evacuated.  And about ten years ago I spent several days in evacuation status with my parents (our misadventures coalescing into my Tips for the Wildfire Evacuee).  But recent fires are without a doubt more intense and spread more quickly.  Thankfully we have amazing firefighters who just yesterday stopped a small wildfire from spreading right here in Topanga Canyon.  But then there was no wind blowing.  When the wind blows there is nothing any firefighter anywhere can do.

And on that cheery note let's talk about my "I didn't get to go to Spain" consolation sweater.  Back in May we were supposed to travel to Spain but I tripped and badly sprained my ankle.  I was laid up with my foot in traction for several weeks and this sweater is the result of that inactivity.  As I have found before knitting is a wonderful panacea for the bumps and bruises that occur in my life.  It takes my mind off my troubles and soothes me to create something beautiful despite whatever else is going on.  You probably recognize this sweater as Andrea Mowry's very popular Comfort Fade Cardi.  It's a fun and easy knit but I made two significant modifications that I think greatly impacted the finished sweater.  First I changed the sweater from a reverse stockinette fabric to a traditional stockinette leaving the garter stitch trim (collar and cuffs) and second I greatly reduced the depth of the collar around the neck opting instead to make the front band wider.  I did that because some of the projects seemed lopsided with too much fabric for the collar around the neck area and too skimpy in the front.  Those modifications were the right call for me and something for you to think about if you are planning on knitting this sweater.  I've provided more details on those modifications below.

Despite my somewhat gloomy musing in this post I have actually been enjoying myself this Fall.  I have an amazing capacity to live in the moment and enjoy small things even when I might have big worries.  Like burning to a crispy crisp in a wildfire.  The following list is some of my favorite Fall things:

1.  Sweater Weather (music video) by The Neighborhood.  Not only does this video have a cool apropos title it's shot in and around the Pacific Coast Highway/Malibu area and the vibe might help explain why people live in SoCal despite wildfires, earthquakes and crazy politics;

2.  Adding a dash of cinnamon to coffee grounds before brewing.  I learned this trick from someone who learned the trick from Molly of  A Homespun House.  I used to add cinnamon to a cup of coffee but it is so much better when added to the grounds;

3.  The change in the sun angle and quality of the sun rays.  Fall is hard to find in Southern California but for those who pay attention the changing light quality is a special and enjoyable part of Fall;

3.  Burning Scented candles.  This Fall I'm crushing on Bath and Body Works candles, Pumpkin Cupcake is very yummy;

4.  Seasonal Baking: Cinnamon Raisin Bread (Steve's favorite fall treat), Pumpkin Bread with Walnut Topping, Granola (wonderful sprinkled over fresh persimmon on top of morning oatmeal), and Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies (this is just one of several recipes I love from Bake From Scratch, Holiday Cookies Magazine (2017);

5.  Scented bath soaps.  My favorites are made by Lush Cosmetics and Philosophy Bath and Shower Gels;

6.  Hiking with Simcha and collecting Fall foliage for decorating around the house; and

7.  Snacking on Honey Roasted Pecans!

So that's what's been going on in my world this Fall.  I would love to hear what you are up to and what you enjoy about this time of year!

Particulars:  Comfort Fade Cardi; designed by Andrea Mowry (Drea Renee Knits) ; US 5 needles; Big Sky Yarn Co., Squish DK (superwash merino) purchased as a kit.  I loved knitting with this yarn and couldn't be happier with the sweater.  It knit true to size (I knit XXS) and this yarn has a lot of bounce and holds it's shape well.  But as discussed above I made two significant modifications:

1. As I preferred the look of stockinette I knit it with stockinette as the RS (versus WR).  Although the color fade transitions are probably not as smooth in the stockinette that didn't bother me; and
2. I modified the neck/front band in two ways. First I only did one repeat of the short rows and two I increased the number of full rows to 60. I made this modification as I thought that the front band of the sweater looked too skimpy while the neck area too large. I faded the colorband as follows:  Note: The rows below only includes full rows. The one repeat section of short rows were all done according to the pattern as written and in colorway A.  

1-8 = A 
9-10 = B 
11-12 = A 
13-24 = B 
25-26 = C 
27-28 = B 
29-30 = C 
31-32 = B 
33-42 = C 
43-44 = D 
45-46 = C 
47-48 = D 
49-50 = C 
51-60 = D

This modification ended up with a front band depth of 5.5 inches (on each side) and a 7 inch depth at the back of the neck.  For tips on how to knit a sweater that fits I refer you to my post Knitting a Sweater and Achieving a Custom Fit.  To see other cardigans that I've knit see: Solstice Cardigan, Little Wave, Bud, Flo, Cabled Riding Jacket (these are the sweaters that I wear and enjoy the most).

Gnome Spotting ~

Have you ever noticed that Gnomes are seasonal creatures?  They appear suddenly in the Fall and then mysteriously disappear in the Spring.  I have no idea where they go or why.  That's just part of their charm.  This is Gnellie a cute little gnome and she loves all things Fall.  She likes to collect foliage, mushrooms, feathers and other treasures of that sort.  While she's formidable she is also very shy and I'm delighted that she posed for this picture.  I will be very sorry when she disappears.  But I suspect that she'll be back when the leaves turn next year.

I knit Gnellie as part of the Oh, Gnome, You Didn't  mystery KAL hosted by Sarah Schira (Imagined Landscapes).  I bought the yarn as a kit on Etsy from Black Sheep Dyeworks (which I augmented with a few odds and ends of stash yarn).  For example her nose is knit with yarn leftover from my dragon socks).  This is a pretty small project (roughly 5 inches tall) and not really a "toy" but more a decoration.  Be warned knitting gnomes is addictive.  Once you start it's hard to stop.

Until next time be well, love well and remember to enjoy the small things that make Fall special.  And a very big Happy Thanksgiving to all ~ from our Gnome to yours ~  

Two Color Shawls and Fall Crafting ~

These days I'm addicted to knitting two color shawls.  And if you are going to be addicted to anything that is a good thing.  Right?  I love that two color shawls have a modern look, are a nice size, and the shaping is often long and flowy.  Which makes them perfect for wrapping around your neck as a voluptuous scarf or draped over your shoulder for a dramatic look.  And those happen to be a very wearable looks for me.  Perhaps if I lived in Iceland I would be more interested in knitting Lopi Sweaters but I don't.  Not that I have anything against lopi sweaters. Parenthetically my first large project was a lopi sweater.  It was gorgeous but impossibly warm and ended up tossed in the rubbish bin.  I'm a much more pragmatic knitter these days.

Because not everyone can afford or wants to buy yarn as a kit for a two color shawl project I thought I would share a few tips that I use for buying yarn that will work well together.  As a preface I purchase almost all my yarn online (there isn't a yarn shop convenient to where I live) and I also love the work of indie dyers so these tips are primarily geared toward the online shopper.

First, while it is not that exciting a purchase, you need to invest in a few skeins in solid or lightly speckled colors that are not designated for any particular project.  These skeins don't have to be in a traditional neutral color such as grey or black it can be any shade of solid color, although neons are in my experience hard to work with.  Once you have a few solid colors you can then shop for speckles and variegated yarns from indie dyers and you will be surprised how many gorgeous and unexpected combinations you can create this way.

The other tip is to be aware of what you are buying.  Not all fingering weight yarn is created equal.  You want to match a plied yarn with another plied yarn (versus yarn singles).  You also want to match the yardage as closely as possible (fingering weight skeins can vary anywhere from 400 yrds up to 500 yrds per skein).  More closely matched yardage will help achieve a more evenly weighted shawl, although some variation in yardage won't be too noticeable.  And lastly you want to pay attention to the composition of the yarn as a highly twisted sturdy wool yarn (more suited to socks) paired with a cashmere blend yarn (more suited to shawls) won't create as pleasing a fabric.

Once you have a couple of solid colored skeins of yarn you simply have to take the plunge and buy that gorgeous skein of yarn you have been eying and wait for serendipity to take hold!  In the worse case scenario and you really don't think a skein of yarn will work with any of your solids then designate it for a pair of socks or consider its potential for a brioche pattern!  In any event this is how I go about buying my yarn online and incorporating yarns from various vendors.  And this is exactly the method that I used to come up with the yarn combination used in this shawl.

Particulars:  Pure Joy designed by Joji locatelli (website Joji Knits); US 6 needles; 1 skein Plucky Knitter, Snug Fingering (for The Love of Scum colorway: Strange Brew - 100g/389 yrds) and 1 skein Qing Fiber, BFL high twist (Shusui colorway - 100g/400 yrds).  This is a wonderful pattern and I made no modifications whatsoever.  As an aside Plucky Knitter is my favorite vendor for solid colored skeins.  Previous patterns that I've knit using Plucky Knitter yarn include my Stripe Study Shawl, Kelmscott Socks, and Breaking Bad shawl.

FALL CRAFTING ~

I want to quickly share this cute softie that I made using a kit sold by Posie Gets Cozy.  It's all hand sewn using wool felt and fabric scraps and it's a nice finished size at 13.5 inches tall.  I really love it and the only change I made was to use a different fabric for the inside of my rabbit's ears.  There's something that speaks to me about hand made toys and mostly I've knit them over the years but this wool felt rabbit came out so beautifully I might have to make another!

Like most knitters I enjoy and am drawn to a variety of crafts but today there is such a huge amount of DIY project ideas and inspiration on Pinterest and other social outlets it can be daunting trying to find project ideas without becoming overwhelmed by choices and to know which ones really are worth spending the time and effort on.  It's for this reason that Jodie founder of Crafty Like Granny has launched a new website that sorts through the fodder and highlights various knitting and crafting projects for you.  They have also complied a list of their top 100 knitting blogs which they have graciously included me on.  This blog list does not appear to be as focused on commercially oriented bloggers as some of the other lists of knitting bloggers that I've seen.  Which I like because those are the blogs that I enjoy reading.  Go have fun checking out their blog list for new bloggers or old favorites and be sure to also visit their list of Thanksgiving knitting and crafting inspiration!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST ~ FALL SOCKS

Because it's Socktober I couldn't let the month end without slipping in a pair of socks.  These were a super easy and fun knit and best of all the pattern is free!  I used the Easy Peasy Socks pattern designed by Nadine Tobish (blogs as Schibot Garne); 1 skein Makers Haven, Simple Sock (colorway The World is My Canvas) and US 1 needles.  My only modification, if you will, was to substitute my Colorbock Sock pattern for overall sock construction, i.e., for cuffs, heel and toe shaping and and I simply used the Easy Peasy Sock design for the pattern effect.

Until next time be well and love well and as the days shorten and the holidays approach enjoy quiet moments of relaxation as you craft and bake for your family and loved ones!

Mother Bear Project and Knit Bow Tie Pattern

I am so happy to share with you this cute bear I knit for Mother Bear Project!  I first learned about Mother Bear Project from Julie (who writes Through My Kaleidoscope) when I saw the sweet bear that she knit.

Mother Bear Project is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of creating comfort and hope for children in emerging nations.  Their brochure describes what these children face:

17.9 million African children have lost a parent to HIV/AIDS.  They have little to eat, limited medical care and many have no place to sleep.  Something as simple as a hand-made bear can bring comfort and hope to a child who struggles to survive in a world made more difficult by the  horrific HIV/AIDS pandemic.

It's very touching to read some of the stores of how much these bears mean to the children. A teacher in South Africa relates "[o]ne little boy risked his life to rescue his bear.  He told his sister, 'I have to get my bear.  The heart on it means someone loves me.' Their house was destroyed minutes later by torrential rains." This and many similar stories are shared on the brochure and website.

Some things in this world are so clearly good and right and worth your time and money and Mother Bear Project is one of those things.  Even if you are not a knitter you can help by donating to help cover the cost of yarn for those knitters who would otherwise be unable to afford the yarn needed to make a bear.  For a $10.00 donation you can sponsor a bear and the bear's tag will carry the name of your choice.

Which reminds me each bear comes with a tag from Mother Bear Project and the name of the knitter written on the reverse side so the children know there's a real person who made the bear especially for them.  It's that personal caring that makes this project mean so much to the children. On the back of my tag I wrote "knit with love by Claudia."

This is my first bear for the project and I bought the all inclusive kit they sell on their website that includes the pattern, needles and yarn so that I had everything I needed. The project does require that everyone use the same pattern (knit or crochet) but you can buy just the pattern if you already have the yarn and needles.  Although each bear will be the same in size and construction you are encouraged to dress them up and make them as bright and fun as possible for the children.  I added a colorful bow tie to mine and have shared the pattern below as an easy option to finish your bear off with a cute dapper look!

Knit Bow Tie Pattern

This is my personal pattern designed to fit bears knit with the Mother Bear Project's pattern.  If you want to adjust it to a different bear pattern (or another type of toy animal) you may need to adjust the pattern accordingly to fit the size of your bear and/or toy.

Materials:
Fingering weight yarn (held doubled) or yarn of equivalent weight (you want a fairly firm fabric).  I used a light yellow yarn for the collar and a dark yellow for the actual bow tie to give it some contrast.

US 3 needles

Abbreviations:
CO =  Cast On
K = Knit all stitches
SSK = Slip Slip Knit (Left slanting decrease)
K2Tog = Knit 2 stitches together (right slanting decrease)
kfb = Knit into both the front and back of the same stitch (increase 1 stitch)
BO = Bind Off

Instructions:

1.  Begin by making a collar that will snugly fit around your bear's neck.  Holding your yarn doubled CO 4 stitches using the long tail method.  Knit every row (garterstitch) until long enough that when stretched the length will snugly fit the circumference of your bear's neck.  BO all stitches and cut yarn leaving a 12 inches tail.

2.  Knit the bow tie as follows:

CO 12 stitches using the long tail method.

Row 1 K all stitches
Row 2 SSK knit until last 2 stitches, K2Tog (2 stitches decreased) 10 stitches remain
Row 3 K all stitches
Row 4 SSK knit until last 2 stitches, K2Tog (2 stitches decreased) 8 stitches remain
Row 5 K all stitches
Row 6 SSK knit until last 2 stitches, K2Tog (2 stitches decreased) 6 stitches remain
Row 7 K all stitches
Row 8 SSK knit until last 2 stitches, K2Tog (2 stitches decreased) 4 stitches remain
Rows 9 - 12 Knit all stitches
Row 13 kfb knit until last stitch, kfb (2 stitches increased) 6 stitches remain
Row 14 K all stitches
Row 15 kfb knit until last stitch, kfb (2 stitches increased) 8 stitches remain
Row 16 K all stitches
Row 17 kfb knit until last stitch, kfb (2 stitches increased) 10 stitches remain
Row 18 K all stitches
Row 19 kfb knit until last stitch, kfb (2 stitches increased) 12 stitches remain
BO all stitches and weave in all yarn ends.

3.  Sew the center of your bow tie to the middle of the collar you knit in Step 1 above.

4.  Weave in the yarn from CO edge of bear's collar.  Then place the collar around the bear's neck and using the 12 inch yarn tail from the BO edge sew the collar ends together using a whip stitch. Lastly tack (sew) the collar firmly to the Bear to keep his bow tie from moving about.

I have tried to be as accurate as possible with this "pattern."  Should you find an error please accept my apologies in advance and if you let me know I will make the correction.

Particulars:  Pattern by Mother Bear Project; all inclusive Kit sold by Mother Bear Project; US 7 doubled pointed needles; small oddments of fingering yarn used for bowtie (I used a lighter color for the color and a darker color for the actual bow tie).  This is a very simple pattern and according to the Mother Bear Project website it has been knit by knitters of all skill levels (beginners to experts) from all over the world.  The finished bear is approximately 12 inches tall. My kit came with an acrylic yarn which I think is a very suitable and sturdy yarn for this type of project and comes in lots of bright colors which the children enjoy. To see the children when they receive their bears check out Mother Bear Project's Facebook page.  Incidentally, to date 120,000 bears have been knit.

I have knit a variety of toys over the years primarily given away as shower gifts, although I have kept a few (as seen in the picture above).  The following are links are to various post that feature a knit toy: elephant; mouse (pictured); monster; monkey; teddy bear (pictured); bunny; rabbit; mousie; wet-felted rabbit (pictured); and a felted owl.

Until next time be well, love well and over the long hot summer months is the perfect time to give knitting a toying a try!

Edited to add ~  The following picture was shared by Steve who sponsored three bears in my name! They are all so cute, this makes me very happy.  Yep, he's a keeper.

UPDATE 12/20/2016

Too wonderful for words to see this bear in the arms of a child!  Such a worthy cause.

Toy Monkey and Sweet Bread for the Holidays and Beyond ~

Toys are so much fun to make and if you haven't made one yet what are you waiting for?  This cute monkey is for a baby boy but really toys make a special gift for any age, young or old, as no one is immune to their charm.  I've even been known to make a toy for myself.

For those who have never knit a toy, I'm going to share some of my tips.  I think one of the keys to making a successful toy is using a very soft yarn as much of the appeal is the tactile pleasure and for this monkey that is heading to a cold climate (Chicago, Illinois) I also chose a warm yarn (a blend of baby alpaca and fine merino) so he is nice and warm to cuddle with as well.

When making toys I recommend using a stuffing mixture of polyester fiberfill which creates wonderfully soft and squeezable toys.  I also find it works best if you are patient and slowly add small amounts of fiber filling and shape it gently to give the toy character as opposed to grabbing a large handful of stuffing and shoving it into the toy and sewing it closed.  For example, I spent an hour stuffing the body of the monkey as I wanted the head to be a gradually rounded shaped with a slight indentation where I sewed on the mouth and I wanted the lower part of the body fat and squeezable.  Time shouldn't matter during the stuffing process as you are after all giving life to the toy and it's character and personality are being formed at this stage.

Lastly if you are making a gift for an infant, as I did in this case, the eyes should be embroidered rather than using buttons or commercial toy eyes to avoid a choking hazard.  Instead of using an embroidery floss for the embroidery I like to use yarn and for this toy I used a small amount of leftover handspun yarn (from these fingerless gloves) to give the eyes texture and help them standout rather than using one of the yarns he was knit with.  In fact, one of the best reasons to hang on to your left over yarns is that they add wonderful finishing touches to toys.

But most importantly have fun and don't be too critical with how you sew it together or if it is perfectly stuffed because it's the wonky and whimsical that make the most endearing toys.  

Particulars:  Jerry the Musical Monkey design by Danger Crafts; 2 skeins Blue Sky Alpacas (colorways North Atlantic 3515 and Lake Ice 3521) and a small amount of hand spun yarn to embroider eyes); US 5 circular needles (magic loop); 100% polyester fiberfill for the stuffing (sold on Amazon by Poly-Fil but be sure to check for the lowest price as it varies considerably); finished dimensions 18" tall.  This was a very easy and fun project and I did not make any modifications although I saw that some people have knit a rounded bottom for him to sit on which I considered but decided against as I decided to simply stuff him with a more rounded bottom and that worked great.  If you look thorough the notes on Ravelry you will find the notes on how to modify the pattern itself to create a more rounded bottom if you wish.  Since this is a gift for a newborn baby I embroidered the eyes rather than using buttons or commercial toy eyes.  I've knit a number of toys and if you are interested in seeing them here are links to an elephant; bear; Matilda the mouse; tiny mouse; monster; rabbit; bunny and owl. 


Sweet Bread for the Holidays and Beyond ~

I found this recipe for Almond & Marzipan Roulade in Saveur magazine and it's wonderful! If you are a fan of Danish pastries then you will enjoy this I guarantee it.  It is a "wet" dough so don't add too much additional flour although I did add more flour than the recipe called for because I'm not used to working with a really wet dough and probably as a result created more of a traditional bread loaf, which was still wonderful if I didn't mention that already.  I also substituted almond paste for the marzipan so either work well if you just have one on hand.  A perfect Winter and holiday bread!

It's a wonderful recipe but I think you can make a "skinny" version as I did pictured above with the single slice and enjoy it just as much.  In the "skinny" version I used only 7 oz tube of almond paste (instead of 12 oz) and used an egg white wash with Swedish pearl sugar to decorate it rather than a glaze.  It is also quicker and I actually prefer using blanched sliced almonds instead of toasting and chopping whole almonds.

However, if you want the real deal then definitely add the full about of almond paste (12 oz); 1 cup of roasted chopped almonds and then for it's crowning glory substitute a royal icing for the lemon glaze (pictured below).  Now that's a bread that will knock people's socks off!

Royal Icing Recipe

4 cups unsifted confectionery sugar (1 lb.)
3 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp. lemon extract

Steps:

1.  Wait to prepare the icing until your bread is cool as the icing sets quickly and the bread should not be iced until it is cool.

2.  Whip egg whites with cream of tarter until foamy.  Add the lemon extract and slowly add the unsifted confectionery sugar beating until smooth and forms soft peaks.  Spread over bread to desired thickness.  You will have excess icing left over and you can probably make half this amount and still have plenty.  It can be drizzled over the loaf or added as a layer as I have.

Until next time be well and love well and may you have a very happy and healthy 2015 with lots of fun knitting in your future!

Knit Mouse Sachet ~ and Lemon Bars

This is one of those items where until you have one you don't realized how much you really needed one all along.  It's a sweet lavender filled mouse sachet to ~ ta-da ~ keep away moths! Or scent your lingerie drawer if you wish, or sit on a shelf  and look cute, or simply give as a whimsical gift to someone who needs a reason to smile. 

Since this little mouse pattern by Ysolda makes a tiny house mouse, I thought it would be fun to turn it into something sweetly scented to protect linens from moths and whatnot.  But I am a little concerned.  This mouse is so darn cute I wouldn't be at all surprised if it proliferates and I find my house overrun with little mice scurrying about!

I really enjoy knitting toys and what I enjoy the most is bringing out the character in a toy.  And so I am going to share a few tips on how I went about giving a personality to this mouse.  First, I decided to use beads for his eyes (instead of embroidered french knots as the pattern calls for) and to give depth to the eyes I blackened the area behind where I placed the beads using a black eye shadow applied with a q-tip.  Second, to soften and create a fuzzy interior to the ears I stranded the CC (contrasting color) with a stand of Rowan's kidsilk Haze.  Third, to help the ears hold a curved shape I used a small about of jewelry wire that I twisted into a triangle form that I placed inside the ear just before I sewed it close which allows me to bend and shape the ear.  Finally, I added whiskers using embroidery floss which is simply stitched on.  I find adding just using a few finishing touches helps give a knit toy its own unique character.

Pattern particulars:  Mousie from Whimsical Little Knits (designer: Ysolda); US 1 DPNs; yarn: MC: blue Sky Alpaca Royal / CC: Shibui Knits Staccato (velvet) and the ears are stranded with Rowan Kidsilk Haze (black); faceted beads for eyes; jewelry wire in ears; filled with lavender and fleece roving.  For other ideas on toys to knit see past toys I've knit including: an owl, monster, elephant, mouse, bear, bunny, and rabbit.   


Lemon Bars ~

Whenever possible I like to eat seasonally and that goes for desserts as well as fruits and vegetables.  Every Spring and Summer one of my favorite treats to make are lemon bars using meyer lemons.  I use a recipe I found online back in 1994 from the old Victoria Magazine and I've made it countless times over the years.  I like it because the crust is a short and light and the topping has a nice zing of lemon without a ton of topping.  However, I do think modern tastes have changed and the lemon bars of today have significantly more topping than this recipe calls for.  If you like a lot of topping I would suggest maybe increasing the topping by an additional half but, for myself, I like it just the way it is.  Regardless be sure to add all the zest because you want it to really have a pop of lemon flavor.

Lemon Bars Recipe:

CRUST:
1 3/4 C. All-purpose Flour
1/4 C. Confectioner's Sugar
14 Tablespoons chilled unsalted butter (diced into small pieces)

FILLING:
3 Eggs
1 1/2 C. granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 C. lemon Juice
1/3 C. All-purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder

Garnish:
Confectioner's Sugar

Steps:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  Make Crust:  Combine 1 3/4 C. flour and 1/4 C. Confectioner's Sugar and then cut in the 14 Tablespoons butter using a pastry cutter or knifes until forms coarse crumbs.  Press dough into an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan.  Bake for 15 minutes until crust is firm but not brown.
3.  Make Filling: While crust is baking whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, lemon zest and juice.  Add 1/3 C. flour mixed with baking powder.  Whisk until well blended.  Pour over hot baked crust.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until firm when lightly touched in center.  Cool in pan set on rack.

Serve:  Garnish with sifted confectioner's sugar.  Cut into squares.

Until next time, be well and love well and if you have never knit a toy the long hot summer is the perfect opportunity to try your hand at knitting a small toy!

Bunny Bunny Who Has the Bunny ~ and ~ Skillet Cake Recipe

This is the well-dressed bunny and it's going to the first child of Steve's second cousin.  He happens to be a favorite of ours and it's been a pleasure watching him mature into a wonderful young man and meet and marry the woman of his dreams.  What a lucky baby this is.

It's not often that I have the occasion to knit for a baby and after giving it some thought I decided on knitting a baby blanket.  I reasoned what better way to wrap a baby in love and warmth and start them off early on the path to enjoying being wrapped in wool and wearing shawls?

But when I told Steve of my plans to make a blanket he asked me instead to make a toy.  Why a toy I wanted to know?  And he told me because he remembers from his childhood that he had a small toy he loved and a handknit Christmas stocking that a neighbor made for him and his sister.  And he wanted this child to have a special toy too.  It's funny how small acts of kindness can have such a lasting impact on someone.  After all these years Steve still remembers that neighbor, the toy, and the stocking.  And so together we chose this bunny pattern ~

Particulars:  Well-Dressed Bunny designed by Fuzzy Mitten; 1 skein Lush yarn by Classic Elite Yarns (50% angora 50% wool); US 6 needles.  This toy is knit flat and a very easy pattern to follow.  It's not as big as some toys I've knit but is the perfect size for a baby.  One of the advantages of knitting a toy flat is that the pieces can be washed and blocked prior to assembly.  To get my bunny's ears to lay flat and have a softened texture I partially felted the ears using hot water, soap and vigorous agitation before attaching them.  I knit this pattern as written but did add a bunny tail with angora yarn and the dress is slightly modified and also embellished with embroidered flowers (I made the petals with a detached chain stitch with a french knot for the center).  The hat is a simple rolled brim design.  For those interested I'll put my pattern notes for making the bunny tail and hat on my Ravelry notebook page.   Other toys I've knit are a mouse, a bear, an elephant, monster, owl, and a rabbit.

Apple Skillet Cake ~ or ~ Cherry Skillet Cake

I don't know if I should be flattered or offended.  Steve raved so much about this cake you would think he never had a nice piece of cake before.  This is the King Arthur Flour Apple Skillet Cake but with a number of modifications so rather than confuse you I've written it out below with my changes.  The original recipe is very highly rated and you might want to just use that.  But mine is a smidgen healthier (e.g. substituting canola oil for butter) and paradoxically a little less healthy (e.g. substituting brandy for apple cider) and has a few other small changes and it came out beautifully.

Apple Skillet Cake (or Cherry Skillet Cake)

Apple Mixture
4 or 5 apples (3 granny smith apples and 2 golden delicious) pealed and thinly sliced
1/3 cup organic dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons brandy
1/4  teaspoon nutmeg
1/4  teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 (scant) salt

Cherry Mixture
4 cups tart pitted cherries (I use 2 large jars of Trader Joe's Dark Morello Cherries in light syrup - drained)
1 1/3 cups sugar (if using unsweetened tart cherries) or 1/2 cup sugar if using drained sweetened cherries
2 1/2 Tablespoons tapioca
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tablespoon sweet butter (crumbled over the top of cherries - just before putting into the oven).

Cake Batter (use the same cake batter regardless which topping you use)
1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup warm milk (whole milk)
1 large egg
6 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps:
1.  Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Prepare 9" x 4" cast-iron skillet (butter and flour (or use granulated sugar))
3.  Combine apple mixture and set aside.
4.  Combine dry ingredients and set aside.  Mix wet ingredients and then stir (using wooden spoon) into dry ingredients until combined.  Pour into prepared skillet.
5.  Spoon the apple mixture (or cherry mixture) over the batter distributing the apples a little more heavily toward the edge of the pan and add all the liquid (brandy, etc.) as that will settle into the bottom of the pan and caramelize.  If using the cherry mixture dot the top with 1/2 Tablespoon sweet butter.
6.  Bake 1 hour or until apples are browned and cake tester come away clean.  I baked my cake an extra 10 minute (a total of 70 minutes).

Garnish cake with powdered sugar and serve slightly warm with ice cream or yogurt ~

The MisAdventures of Simcha  ~

G that went better than expected.  I kinda thought he might ask for a paternity test.

Until next time be well and love well and may you enjoy this holiday season with friends and family ~ and good cheer!  We'll be away a lot over the holidays but I hope to have some time for knitting.

Hootie the Felted Owl

Topanga is known for it's crows, rattlesnakes, and coyotes.  But there are a few other forms of wildlife including mountain lions (rare) and owls.  Most nights I can hear an owl hooting in the distance but I've never seen one during the day.  At least not until now.

This is Hootie the Owl and he's hand knit and machine felted.  I'm very pleased with how he came out and might just make him a friend.  I've always been fascinated by owls and when we lived in the Midwest many years ago one year for my birthday Steve bought me a owl house.  It was a large wooden box that had to be placed high up on a tree and it took ladders and a great deal of effort to hang.  Since we lived on the banks of the St. Joseph river surrounded by tall trees I was sure an owl would come and stay in my beautiful owl house in the woods.

But one never did. I was slightly mollified when Steve pointed out that they must be very fussy birds if they passed up that birdhouse.  Nonetheless the appeal and mystery of owls has never diminished for me.  And I just hope this little guy likes his home and doesn't decide to fly away.

Particulars:  Woolly Owls by Marie Mayhew Designs; US 10 1/2 needles; Nature Spun worsted yarn and Frog Tree Brushed Suri yarn (the yarns recommended in the pattern).  This is a great pattern and a fun knit and I made no modifications whatsoever.  He is knit and then felted in the washing machine.  I used handmade glass eyes (16 mm) by Artist JP that I glued on using clear silicone glue (at the artist's recommendation) and the glue seems to be holding well, but this is not a toy.  If it were going to be a toy I would not choose eyes requiring glue.

The MisAdventures of Simcha

As much as I kid (sorta) about Simcha being a difficult dog, he is without question at least well socialized.  Steve and I have both made a huge effort to take him out and about around Topanga so he can meet and greet other dogs and people.  He not only goes on daily hikes but is also out and about around town.  So I was very amused the other day when Steve took Simcha into a local gift shop where the clerk exclaimed "I know that dog"!  He's becoming so well known around town we might just have to nickname him Mr. Topanga!

Until next time, be well and love well and may you have a wonderful Spring filled with bird watching and time spent enjoying nature.

The Promised Toy

Here he is!  A sweet bear, naked as a the day is long. The toy that I promised Steve long ago.

A little background about Steve and why this toy was important to him.  Steve was something of a child protege and because of that he missed out on a typical childhood.  He came from a no nonsense family and at an early age he was hard at work around the house mowing the lawn or in his bedroom constructing a ham radio or doing a physics project.  By age 12 he was a budding entrepreneur and began the first of his many business ventures, which was selling customized Christmas cards.

After only 2 years of college he began medical school.  At the time he graduated from medical school he was one of the youngest doctors licensed in the United States.  He went on to become a highly respected and skilled eye surgeon and had patients that traveled from as far as the United Kingdom for treatment.  All the while he was furthering his education by obtaining a law degree from the University of Notre Dame, publishing a textbook, and pursing his entrepreneurial interest and adding a string of other awards, degrees, and professional licenses.

But with all that drive and focus on education and developing his profession, he never experienced what should have been the fun and carefree days of childhood.  Which is enigmatic to me, because I had a very different childhood.  Mine was filled with fun and endless Summer days of camping, tennis, sunbathing, picnics and getting lost in story books without a worry or thought given to the future.  I guess opposites really do attract. 

Fortunately it's never too late to have fun, or a stuffed toy of your own.  At least that's what I think.

Particulars:  Sweet Bear by Twins; this is a well written pattern and easy to follow but I did modify it for a heavier gauge yarn and larger needles to make a bigger toy (pattern instructions are for a 9" bear and Steve's is 15").  I also modified the pattern by making my own sweater and scarf set. I wanted this toy to be exactly right so I had Steve choose everyting from the pattern to the yarn and finishing buttons.  Yarn:  Lush (50% angora / 50% wool) by Classic Elite Yarns - 2 skeins sky blue and 1 skein root beer; the white yarn is angora left over from my Netsuke Wrap; US 6 needles.  The pattern calls for all pieces to be knit flat and seamed together, which is not my preference, but wasn't too bad.  The scarf I based on the free pattern by Jared Flood (Noro striped scarf) and the cardigan I made up as I went along.  The hat is only slightly modified to be a bit slouchier (Ravelry Link).



The MisAdventures of Simcha

The other man in my life, Simcha, is also filled with strong drives.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, we have possibly found him a vocation.  Ta da..... sheep herding.  Bet you didn't know there was a need for sheep herding in Southern California.  Think again, we have something here for everybody.  So off we went to Drummond Ranch (Malibu location) for Simcha to be evaluated for his herding instinct. 

Simcha was eager to begin.  But Steve was concerned that we would be eating Shishkabobs for dinner after paying for the sheep.  What an absurd worry.

His concern was obviously misplaced as all Simcha did was gather the sheep together in the middle of the ring, as he was supposed to do (albeit with a few nips here and there).

We were as proud as punch.  I'd like to quote from his evaluation "Simcha had a lot of enthusiasm and drive.  He went right to work exploring his instincts.  He brought his sheep into a group and would regroup them.  He read his livestock well - all instinctually.  Nice dog.  He was showing his ability to think well with the sheep."

All that chasing sheep is hot work and afterward he jumped into a tub of cold water.  He had a blast and so I think we'll sign him up for a few lessons.

Until next time, be well and love well and it's Summertime so remember to go outside and have fun.