Sunday, October 9, 2011

Mystery Socks ~ and Autumn Apple Turnovers

Some of the ways that Knitters alleviate the boredom of the long Summer months is to join a Swap, a Mystery KAL, or a Yarn Club.  This Summer I did all three.  What can I say?  I'm a joiner.  While it can be risky to commit to anything sight unseen such as a yarn club or mystery KAL, I lucked out and really love the yarn and my mystery socks (and the Swap too, which I'll tell you about another time).



The "clues" in a mystery KAL are released weekly and in this case there were a total of 4 clues.  I confess that the final clue I knit and then ripped back and modified by adding an additional spiral all the way to the toe shaping cuz, like, there wasn't enough already going on with these socks. It's not everyone that will want a highly variegated sock yarn paired with a busy (made busier) pattern.  But that's the beauty of knitting it your own way.



These socks look terrific both in a solid color and, I think, a variegated color but it was seeing Andi's Clue No. 1 (who blogs as My Sister's Knitter) in a beautiful solid red that sold me on joining the KAL.



Particulars:  Mystery Sock KAL August 2011 by Jen Hansen (blogs as Knitting like Crazy) (pattern subsequently named Ripple Effect available as a free Ravelry download); Sock Yarn by Hedgehog Fibers (Phoenix colorway - July 2011 club colorway); US 1 needles.  Modified the last chart (Clue No. 4) by adding an additional band of patterning which spiraled all the way to the toe.  I added the additional spiral as I felt otherwise the pattern stopped rather abruptly. 


Autumn Apple Turnovers


Whenever I visit my parents in Santa Barbara my Mom and I always take off together for an enjoyable morning walking downtown visiting the shops and having a coffee out.  Several years ago we discovered a small but wonderful rustic bakery where they served incredible warm apple tarts that came with whipped cream and a caramel sauce.   We would love to sit in this bakery with our packages and lovely coffees and chat while we enjoyed their wonderful treats. This little bakery has since closed but I'll always remember how much my mother and I enjoyed those times and, hopefully, on my next visit we'll discover a new special place for our coffee.

Apple turnovers are particularly enjoyable on a chilly Autumn day and, if you aren't going out for coffee, then the next best thing is to make your own.  These turnovers I made using King Arthur Flour's recipe Autumn Apple Turnovers.  I tossed in a few dark raisins to the filling and substituted 1 tablespoon Tapioca for the Pie Filling Enhancer and used Bourbon instead of boiled cider but other than that followed the recipe exactly and enjoyed them very much (even without the whipped cream and caramel sauce which, no doubt, would have made them even better).


Until next time, be well and love well and do take time to savor the flavors of the season ~ whether it's something you treat yourself to while out, or you make it yourself!

19 comments:

Allie said...

The socks are gorgeous but oh Claudia, those SHOES!!!! Oh my gosh I'm in love with those shoes! How I wish I could still wear cute shoes...

Those turnovers look so yummy, I think I gained just looking!

Cloudberry said...

Nice socks and those Autumn Apple Turnovers looks yummy!!

Bridget said...

Oh I love those socks! (And the shoes are pretty awesome too ...)

I love anything apple-y - and there are SO many apples this time of year. We are hoping to go apple-picking one of these weekends.

P.S. How about that game? Sure made me feel better after my Phillies lost on Friday night.

Brenda said...

Love the shoes, too. With all the wonderful goodies that you eat, I don't know how you maintain your slenderness.

Tracy said...

Socks and apple turnovers... YUM! The socks are beautiful, Claudia! I love the juicy colors of that variegated yarn. And they look great with your cute shoes! Apple turnovers... a lovely autumn treat. So glad you shared these, thank you! We've been doing lots with apples lately, but not turnovers yet. Happy Days, my friend ((HUGS))

SissySees said...

The socks are darling, but it's that teapot that really makes me smile! I love polka dots...

t does wool said...

apple turnovers and mystery socks..well..I think I'll be right over ;)

Monika said...

Lovely socks! But I love your shoes even more. :o)
I like to bake with apples in Fall, when they are fresh. Your turn overs looks delicious.

Renee said...

Mmm, love apple anything baked, your turnoverslook mouthwatering!

Amazing shoes!! And your mystery socks are perfect for autumn.

YOur posts are always so inspiring and beautifully photographed, I so enjoy them!

Kate (KnitsInClass) said...

I love variegated sock yarn with stitch patterns - that's the best part about knitting socks!

Thanks for the recipe link - I've got some apples that really need to be made into turnovers, I think...

jillian said...

Lovely all over! The socks, the shoes, the pastry!

Kristen Rettig said...

Love that you bake and share your recipes. Thank you, they look so good, especially since I'm reading this on a rainy day! I'm not a sock knitter, but am a shoe wearer and love those shoes!

missyinedmonds said...

Socks, shoes and apple turnovers! All in lovely Fall colors. Those shoes are adorable.

Kristyn Knits said...

looks like your joining was rewarded. your socks are beautiful! and I'd trust your recipes...I've made your raisin bran muffins four times since reading that post! thanks for sharing, claudia.

Hilary said...

I've always wanted to join one of those mystery knitalongs...they sound so fun! And look at those fab socks! I am in LOVE with them paired with those shoes. I have always wanted to wear handknit socks with maryjanes like that but somehow haven't ever made it work (maybe making more than one pair of socks would help). And those apple turnovers?? OMG they sound amazing.

Robin said...

What fun to do all those projects. And those apple turnovers look mouth-watering!

Andi said...

Thank you for the shout out. Shame I never finished the Mystery KAL,especially after seeing yours! I am so making those turnovers-I can't stop drooling. Thank you for sharing. :)

knittingdragonflies said...

Oh groan, apple tarts and coffee! It is cold, windy and raining here. That sounds so good!
I love the socks. I'm on a sweater knitting binge right now, but that turns into something too big to pack around and knit on.
Think I'll cast on a pair of socks, now I'll have to go look in my stash. LOL
Take care
Vicki

knittingdragonflies said...

P.S.
The shoes are super cute!!
Vicki