Marley Shawl and Paper Mache Crafting

We've had an exceptionally nice summer this year in Southern California.  The temperatures are mild, the evenings are cool, and there are a few foggy days tossed in the mix.  Around this time of year (late July) there is always a pregnant pause when it feels like the warm days of summer will last forever.  And if the weather would stay like this I wouldn't mind one bit.  But summer won't last and change is coming.  And no one knows that better than retailers who roll out fall fashions almost before the 4th of July fireworks have faded into the night sky.  And that's okay with me because around about now I like to start thinking ahead to my fall projects.    

If you want to be wearing a new fabulously cozy shawl in a couple of months then you need to choose your project and get started now.  And I think the Marley shawl would be a great choice for this fall, winter and beyond because of the brioche stitch and the wonderfully squishy fabric it creates.

Another reason to love the brioche stitch is that it's a great way to convert an impulse purchase of shocking pink yarn into something actually wearable.  In public!  That's an under appreciated aspect of the brioche stitch.  How it magically tones down a bright yarn when paired with a neutral color.  This is important for anyone with a propensity for choosing bright and garish colors.  Like me!  I've always been drawn to bright colorful colors.  Anecdotally, for illustrative purposes, when I was a mere tadpole my grandmother taught me to crochet.  She turned me loose in a thrift store with the instructions to pick two colors of yarn.  I chose bright purple and bright yellow.  I proceeded to crocheted a blanket at a speed that left the grownups astonished.  A blanket that my mother, bless her heart, gifted to the family dog explaining that the colors did not go with my bedspread.   Thus ended my passion for crochet.  By not my love of garish colors.

To show the "neutralizing" effect of the brioche stitch I have pictures showing both the neutral and the bright sides dominant.  In the picture above I am wearing it with the grey neutral dominant and in the picture below the bright pink is dominant.  But the real beauty of brioche is showcased when both sides are mingled as shown in the very top picture.  Your choice how you want to wear it my friend.

Learning the brioche stitch does take some effort.  But like riding a bicycle once learned you will have a skill for life that will bring endless pleasure.  For a beginner I highly recommend Nancy Marchant's online class, Explorations in Brioche Knitting.  She's a little hard to understand at first but if you slow the video down you can see the stitch formation better and once you understand that the rest is easy. Youtube has some great free tutorials too.

Particulars:  Marley Shawl designed by Andrea Mowry; US 4 circular needles; 2 skeins each Ella Rae Merino - DK (neutral color) and 2 skeins Qing Fibre Supersoft Sock (Miss Bim colorway).  My only modification was to knit a much narrower border as I thought my shawl was large enough without adding a bulky border.  Other designs I've knit by this designer include her Comfort Fade Cardi (where coincidentally I also made the border much more narrow).  My Comfort Fade Cardi is in this post Sweater Weather and Gnome Spotting.  Both Marley and the Comfort Fade Cardi are very wearable and make great wardrobe additions.  And as I had plenty of  leftover yarn from my Marley Shawl I knit myself a pair of basic socks with the remaining, you guessed it, pink yarn!

For additional brioche projects, see Parlour and Texture Time Shawls.

Pandemic Living 

The powers that be have advised us to learn a new hobby with all the time we  are spending at home "being safe."  Obviously they weren't aware of the state of my housekeeping.  Because initially all of my free time was spent reclaiming my house, cupboards and closets from years of benign neglect and don't even get me started on the chore it was to organize my recipes (a project that is still ongoing).  But after a mere six (6) months I am happy to report that I have advanced to the stage of learning a new hobby!  And I am happy to report that I have not one but two new hobbies, both of which I really enjoy and only one of which am I talking about in this post.

In this post I'm talking about crafting with paper mache.  I had lots of fun making these wee paper mache gnomes.  It's fascinating to me what you can make simply using bits of scrap papers, liquid starch, and craft acrylic paint.  I'll never toss out the cardboard center of a toilet roll again without pausing and reflecting on it's potential uses.  But I digress.  To learn to make these gnomes I went to a pro.  Knowing absolutely nothing about paper mache I went in search of a kit and was very happy to find the Gnome Head Paper Mache Starter kit put together by a "paper mache artist."   And the gnome pictured above is the first gnome I made using that kit and I couldn't be more happy with it.

My second project was this little June Bug.  I made him more or less with the supplies that came in my kit.  But I added antennas that I made out of soft wire (that came wrapped around the electric cord of my new vacuum) that I formed with small wire pliers and inserted deep into the paper mache while it was still soft.  I then used both glue and liquid starch to secure in place.   His facial features I made from bits of my own paper mache mulch (made with a combination of glossy magazine paper and blue craft paper agitated with water) combined with liquid starch as needed.  His "head form" and the napkin I used to make his hat (as well as the paper mache technique I used) came from the kit.  I painted him with craft acrylic paints that I had leftover from painting a birdhouse and/or other crafting projects.  For his glossy finish I coated him with Mod Podge (typically used to decoupage).  I am so pleased with him that I plan on making a whole series of insect gnomes, along with Christmas ornaments, and any other whimsical flights of fancy that may come to me.

If you are interested in learning paper mache (and who wouldn't be?) I recommend going on Youtube and searching for free tutorials and seeing which of the paper mache artists has a style that appeals to you.  There are tons of artists but I really like Rozani Designs Masquerade (who I bought my kit from) and she has a lot of free tutorials on making gnomes, dragons, and other animals.   Whether you have kids or still are a kid at heart (like me) you will find crafting with paper mache a fun creative hobby regardless of whether or not you are in a pandemic lockdown.

Farewell and until next time be well, love well, and be safe at home.  On the plus side I've found that staying at home has slowed the place of my life to a crawl and allowed me the leisure and luxury of time to relax and be more in touch with myself and my thoughts.  I've also been reading substantive books like I haven't had the time to do in years (possibly decades) and, as a christian, I am finding The Benedict Option- a strategy for Christians in a Post Christian Nation an interesting and timely read.  That being said I think anyone from any religion, or an agnostic point of view, will find it an enlightening examination of world history, religion, and politics and how we have arrived at the place we are today.  Of course during this time it's also important to relish simple pleasures like these delicious almond and chocolate biscotti made using a recipe from Sally's Baking Addition.

The beautiful pottery mug pictured above is made by WildChildClayWorks (on Etsy) and I simply adore using it.  It doesn't have a handle instead the mug walls are very thick and it has a buttery soft glaze making it a very delicious way to savor a cup of coffee ~

Fashion's Warm and Fuzzy Trend and the Life and Misadventures of Simcha

For whatever reason you can draw your own conclusions clothing trends have sharply veered toward the soft and fuzzy. It's as if collectively we need to cocoon ourselves and be comforted as we traverse the landscape of our daily lives.  At least that's how it seems here in Southern California where you can't walk into any clothing store without noticing all the plush and fuzzy jackets and hoodies this winter.  And it must be the same everywhere because Knitwear designers have taken note of the trend and have embraced the very warm and fuzzy "kid mohair/silk" with cultist devotion.  Never have I seen so many new designs for sweaters, hats and shawls incorporating kid mohair/silk.  But to truly get that "on trend" fuzzy fabric you can't just "incorporate" kid mohair/silk.  You have to go all in.  Go big or go home.  Double down.  And that's exactly what this shawl does.  It doubles down and is knit with kid mohair/silk held doubled yes doubled throughout and wow what a super trendy and super fuzzy shawl it is.  Trust me wearing this you will be the object of envy of anyone close enough to pet you.  You better hope no creepy entitled politicians are lurking nearby.

The pattern itself is brilliant in it's simplicity.  While there is a lace design that gives it an ephemeral quality there are panels of garter stitch that give it needed density and structure.  There's 150g of kid mohair/silk used in the design.  That's 1,475 yards and that's a whole lotta kid mohair/silk.  The reason that the shawl is not overwhelmingly large is, as I mentioned above, that you hold the yarn doubled throughout. The finished size is just perfect to wear over a sweater for an evening out or on a cold day.  And leave the jacket at home cuz you won't be needing it.  
       


Over the years I've knit a lot of fingering weight shawls.  But I have to confess that knitting shawls with fingering weight yarn just isn't doing it for me any more.  I still knit a lot of socks and sweaters with sock yarn but not shawls.  I've also discovered that while they look pretty I don't really enjoy wearing sock weight shawls.  They aren't really that warm and some part of my anatomy is usually exposed.  But large shawls that are warm, soft and fuzzy are calling to me.  And this one is perfection.

PARTICULARS: Sinja designed by Katrin Schubert (German knitwear designer); US 6 needles; 3 skeins (150g) A Homespun House, Kid Mohair/Silk, colorway Velvet, (50g / 492 yrds per skein).  No modifications whatsoever.  I had 9g left over.  

N.B. I can't even pretend with a straight face that this is my first foray with kid mohair/silk.  Way back in 2007 I posted my beautiful lacy Dove shawl.  But this is the first time that I've used it held doubled throughout.  While my Texture Time shawl knit designed by Stephen West incorporates melted baby suri (which is similar to holding kid mohair/silk doubled) it is used as an accent and not the main yarn.  But I do love it and am tempting to knit more of his designs that incorporate melted baby suri including his Wonky Starfish shawl, Suriously Holey Shawl, Flying Foxtail Shawl, and Hiberknitting Cowl. 

To see other projects that either use or incorporate kid mohair/silk see Birch Shawl, Silver Birch Hat, Kobuk Hat, Calm Sweater, Willow Wrap, Anisette Stole, Trieste Shawl, Personal Pattern, Bella Mittens and a personal favorite The Fleur Wrap.   

The  Life and Misadventures of Simcha ~

I haven't shared much about Simcha the last few years.  Yes he's mellowed with time but rest assured he still oozes personality, intensity, and gamesmanship.   Including his intimidating deadeye stare that I managed to capture above.  If he had lived in days of the Old West he would have been a gunslinger.  On the right side of the law, of course.  More of a Sheriff.  "The sheriff" is actually one of his nicknames because he likes everyone to get along and behave - including Steve and myself!  And let me assure you that Steve is a big misbehavior. Snicker.  While some might find his deadeye stare intimidating that's only because they don't know that he has a heart of gold.

Until next time be well, love well and before winter slips away try adding some warmth and fuzziness into your life!  If you are looking for an instant fix of fuzz here's my totally unsolicited and unpaid plug for a product that Steve and I love (I should clarify that for any product mentioned on the blog it is always unpaid and unsolicited unless stated otherwise).  In any event the product is ~ ta dah ~ Malden Mills Polar Fleece sheets.  Starting last year Steve refused to switch back to regular sheets in the summer so we now use them year round.  Nuff said.  A ton of retail stores carry them but I buy them on QVC.

SCONES - the British Way

As an American I've found it a long and arduous journey to find the perfect British scone recipe.  There were many perils along the way from disappointing recipes, confusing measuring conventions, differences in flour composition, and perhaps the most challenging factor, no decent example to be found anywhere.  I've had tea at the Biltmore in Santa Barbara and numerous other posh establishments and never had a cup of tea worth drinking or a scone enjoyable to consume.  While I didn't know how to make a scone myelf I knew enough that the pale, slightly risen, and cold offering was not a proper British scone.  Not by half.  Which is why I made it my mission to figure out how to bake a British scone and why it all goes so wrong in America.

The simple answer is that it's due to the flour.   All purpose flour in England has a higher protein content than in America.  But it's more than that.  I won't lie.  To succeed in America with baking British scones requires yes, the right flour, but it also requires its very own technique which is why I've been very exacting in the instructions below.  Follow this recipe and you'll be happily munching on scones as you watch Wimbledon this summer with butter and jam dripping down your fingers.  Or regularly with a cuppa and a good book, as I do.  Parenthetically I'm thoroughly enjoying the Maisie Dobbs series.

The recipe I'm sharing is my own and derived from a variety of sources including trial and error and serendipitous surprise.  As mentioned above I can not stress enough the importance of using the right flour which, luckily, is lurking at your nearby grocery store.  I actually had self raising flour imported from England (quite expensive) and didn't like the result as well.  Similarly cake flour (which has a higher protein content and is sometimes recommended for British scones) gave disappointing results.  The good news is that Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour is reasonably priced and available at a variety of grocery chains and, incidentally, makes fabulous baguettes as well.

Without further ado good luck and I hope that you enjoy these scones as much as Steve and I do!

SCONES - the British Way
Yield ~ 9 to 10 scones

INGREDIENTS ~

Either:
1/2 cup currants - soaked 10 minutes in earl gray tea (or plain hot water)
or
4 oz sultanas (golden raisins) (no soaking necessary so long as fresh) - set aside

Combine in a large bowl:
450g Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour or British self raising flour
If using Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour add 2 TBS baking powder
If using British self raising flour add 2 tsps. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
85g (6 Tbs.) sweet butter - slightly softened (I use a European butter such as Kerry gold) cubed

Combine in a separate bowl (and reserve 2 TBS):
1 large egg plus enough whole milk to make 1 cup
7 Tbs. (92g) fine white sugar  (caster sugar or C&H baking sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Garnish: Demerara sugar

Steps:

1.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  N.B. you will drop the temperature to 425 as soon as you pop the scones in the oven.

2.  If using currants instead of sultanas soak currants in earl gray tea or hot water for approximately 10 minutes and blot dry.   Measure and set aside whichever you are using (either currants or sultanas).

3.  In a medium bowl combine your choice of flour, appropriate amount of baking powder (depending on your flour choice), salt, and cubed butter.  Using your finger tips rub butter into flour mixture until consistency of fine sand.  It is very important that there are no lumps of butter left as you want a cake like consistency and not a flaky consistency like a biscuit. Set Aside.

4.  In a separate small bowl combine egg and milk mixture, sugar, and vanilla.  Whisk until sugar is entirely dissolved.   Remove and reserve 2 Tbs. of mixture to be used later for brushing tops of scones.

5.  Add either currants or sultanas to the flour mixture and toss to combine.

6.  Add the milk mixture (less the 2 Tbs. reserved to brush the tops) to the flour and raisins.  Using a blunt knife cut the wet ingredients into the flour mixture to form a wet and shaggy dough.  Don't worry if not all the flour is incorporated - it's better to not incorporate all the flour rather than having a dough too dry (there are a variety of factors that can affect how much flour is needed to create the dough such as humidity).  Turn dough out onto lightly floured board and kneed a couple of turns until smooth.  Then gently fold dough in half three (3) times to create layers.  Use only a small amount of additional flour to prevent sticking as adding too much will create heavy scones.  Use your hands to pat dough into a smooth round approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches inch thick.  Do not use a rolling pin as it will overwork the dough.

7.  Using a floured biscuit cutter (2 3/4 inch diameter) stamp out scones using a quick hard stamping motion with the heel of your hand and do not twist the cutter.  Be as efficient as possible in cutting as many scones from this dough, as the scones made from the re-rolled scrap dough are not as nice. Place scones on prepared baking sheet and transfer to refrigerator for 30 minutes (which allows the baking powder to begin work and keeps dough cool to prevent spreading).

8.  Just before placing scones into oven brush tops with reserved milk mixture.  Only brush the tops (not sides).  Finish with a sprinkle of demerara sugar or similar course baking sugar.

9.  Drop oven temperature from 500 to 425 degrees and bake 7 minutes and turn pan.  Continue to bake scones an additional 7 minutes (a total of 14 minutes) or until dark brown on top.

Scones do not keep well and are best served warm from the oven when they are absolutely divine.  Contrary to the Brits I enjoy mine with strawberry jam and a spot of sweet butter but for the real deal use clotted cream and/or whipped cream (I find clotted cream at Gelson's Grocery Store).  Once cool freeze the leftovers and I find they are best briefly microwaved (30 seconds) and toasted in a warm oven.

If traditional British scones are not your cup of tea you might enjoy previously shared recipes for Irish Scones and/or  Almond Scones (these scones are easy and delicious and this post includes my mother's tips for brewing a perfect cup of English tea).

And There Has Been Knitting ~

As regular readers know this has been a sad year for me with the passing of my father and my mother relocating into assisted living.  There is still much to be done not least of which is the closure of all the loose ends from a lifetime (60 years) that my parents spent together.  But time passes and it gets easier.  It's been a reminder for me that nothing in this world remains the same.  And my faith is stronger for it.

Throughout it all I continue to knit.  But I won't pretend this shawl is fresh off the needles as it was finished last Spring and there are many other more current projects.  But I wanted to show this shawl as it's been a really useful addition to my wardrobe. Every once in a while I'll pick a design for it's simplistic beauty, as in this case.  Although it was a fairly challenging knit and required close attention to the pattern the payoff has been worth it and I don't believe it would be a problem for an average knitter with determination.

Particulars:  Rheinlust designed by Melanie Berg; 2 skeins Ella Rae Lace Merino (920 yrds).  I was concerned about having enough yarn and only knit 8 repeats of Chart B and ended up with 4g yarn remaining.  Final blocked measurements 20" x 73."  A previous pattern of Ms. Berg's that I knit was her Qwist Mitts.


Until next time be well and love well and may all your scones be sweet ~

A Girl's Best Friend.... a Cozy Shawl and Something Chocolate

I am wearing A Girl's Best Friend Shawl which I finished in time to enjoy this Winter. Hurrah!  And boy have we had a winter this year in Southern California.  Complete with rain, mudslides, and freezing temperatures.  I'm starting to wonder why I ever wanted a change from our perpetually sunny skies in the first place.  Isn't there a song about it's never raining in Southern California?  Ah yes, It never Rains In California by Albert Hammond.  That's clearly wrong.  These days I'm humming along to Keith Urban's Long Hot Summer (filmed incidentally on a local Malibu beach) as I wistfully recall endless summer days at the beach, and my lost youth.

I've been thinking about music as we watched Bohemian's Rhapsody last night.  I highly recommend the movie.  It's a poignant story of the life of Freddy Mercury who was the lead singer of Queen (rock and roll band in the 70's).  It's worth watching particularly if you remember the band.  I grew up in the 1970s and I think that era had the best music.  There are a few artists that I enjoy today but give me the seventies rock and roll any day.  That's probably what every generation thinks - that their music was the best.  In any event Bohemian Rhapsody has been nominated for a number of Oscar awards, including best film and best actor.  Tune in February 24th to see who wins!

But back to my shawl which I really love.  It's called "A Girl's Best Friend" presumably because it's  easy to hang out with, makes you feel better about yourself, and isn't demanding to knit.  I used three different types of yarn which came together beautifully.  I took me a long time to find the right combination but once I did I knew it was right. And the best part is that one of the skeins came from a dear online friend Andi, My Sister's Knitter.  She had a give-away on her blog and I won the beautiful dark magenta yarn that finished off this shawl beautifully.  It can be tricky finding a good mix of colors for a shawl.  But using totals and neutrals is always a safe bet which is what I used here.  And, of course, having a good friend's input is sometimes just what you need. Thank you Andi!

I also have to quickly mention the fun pom poms on this shawl.  They are such a cute addition! They are also super easy to make.  All you need is a fork and you can make mini pom poms to your heart's content.  Here's a link to a Youtube tutorial.  I don't see why you couldn't add pom poms to any shawl for a little extra pizzazz.  Or make a fun garland of these to hang on your Christmas tree next year!  Note to self: that's a good idea.

Particulars:  A Girl's Best Friend, designed by Isabell Kraemer (Lilau on Ravelry), US 4 needles; 3 different yarns (Plucky knitter - Primo Fingering (colorway wintery mix); Anzula Yarn - Squishy - (colorway rosebud) and Peepaloo Fields - Sock (colorway nevermore)).  I made no modifications to this shawl pattern, although I did knit one less repeat of the neutral section due to yardage concerns.  If you are interested in knitting multi-colored shawls you might want to read Multi Colored Shawls and Testing Yarn for Color Fastness.   While none of these yarns bled you should always consider that risk before you embark on knitting a multi-colored shawl.

And just so you know that I'm not completely stuck in a time warp and do enjoy some contemporary music here's a link list of some of my favorite Youtube Videos ( (warning: very eclectic list):

Labryinth ~ Beneath your Beautiful
Lana Del Rey ~ Summertime Sadness
Katie Perry ~ Teanage Dream (filmed in Santa Barbara where I grew up)
Back Eye Peas ~ Meet me Halfway
Gotye ~ Somebody That I Used to Know
Nelly ~ Dilemna
Sara Evans ~ I Could Not Ask for More
Gwen Stefani ~ Cool
Rhianna ~ Take A Bow
John Legend ~ Save Room

I could go on and on.  I was young still when MTV launched and still love music videos, especially videos shot on locations I'm familiar with.

Chocolate Almond Biscotti ~

Speaking of a girl's best friend I would be remiss if I didn't mention something about chocolate. Chocolate makes me weak in the knees and eating it makes me happy.  But I don't allow myself to buy a box of chocolates very often because I simply can not control myself.  Especially if it's Sees Candy which are my favorites. On the other hand baking with chocolate renders a fine result and I'm not as greedy and as compulsive about gobbling down every morsel in the vicinity.  Probably because it doesn't have as high a sugar content and doesn't spike a craving fit.  So, for me, it's safer and more prudent to skip the candy and bake something instead.   Like Chocolate Almond Biscotti.  This recipe is a winner from Pastry Affair and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

If you like biscotti I also recommend trying Pistachio and Currant Biscotti (recipe link in the Finishing Touches post).  I've made these many times over the years and it never disappoints.  There's a batch cooling in my kitchen as I write this as a matter of fact.

Until next time be well, love well and remember that when you go through difficult times it's more important than ever to spend time with good friends and enjoy simple pleasures.  Sometimes all I need is a good cup of coffee and biscotti to feel better.

It's a Wrap - My Texture Time Shawl

It's been some time since I've felt like visiting this space.  Over the past six months I lost my father to Lou Gehrig's disease and my dear mother is currently in skilled nursing with a fractured pelvis.To be honest I debated abandoning my blog during this period as it seemed so trivial in comparison to what my family was going through. But I realized going through this sad process how important memories and pictures are as you get older.  I think one day I'll look back at my blog and the pictures and stories will make me smile as I remember all the things that I've made during my life.  And hopefully my knitting tips and recipes will have made other people's lives a little more enjoyable along the way too.

I have been busy knitting away this entire time and have finished many beautiful pieces that may never get their moment to shine.  But I wanted to return with a truly special piece of knitting and so I chose my Texture Time shawl which is Stephen West's 2018 mystery knit along (MKAL).  This piece is a knock out and attention grabber, especially when you turn around and people see it from the sides and back.

I loved knitting this project.  Like all Stephen West's designs it is well written and full of creativity.  Some might even say it's flamboyant.  And I say why not go for it.  That is why we knit after all, isn't it?  We want something that is uniquely ours and expresses our creativity.  Otherwise it would be cheaper and easier to simply buy something that is mass produced.  Speaking of which I should point out that I did make a few modifications to this design (detailed below). Whether it is color, fit, or a design element almost every knitting pattern can be improved with simple modifications and you are missing a wonderful part of the knitting experience if you fail to do so.  Before you begin any project and as you progress on a project you should always be asking yourself if there isn't a better option for the color, fit, or design that would better suit you and your tastes.  Admittedly it's harder to do this as a new knitter but with time and experience that thought process should be part of how you think about every project that you knit.

As for the actual knitting of this design I think the one major challenge is the back panel which is "syncopated" brioche.  If you are new to brioche knitting this, in my opinion, is not the starter project for you.  But if you are game or simply need a refresher course on brioche I highly recommend Craftsy's online brioche class to get you started.  If you do knit this shawl I guarantee that you'll have a one of a kind piece of knitted art.

Particulars:  Texture Time MKAL (2018); designed by Stephen West; US 5 needles; Spun Right Round (classic sock and mohair (held double)).  My only modifications were (a) I did not follow his suggested order of colors for the back center panel (i.e. light to dark) and instead I went in the order of colors that created contrast best (b) I substituted and/or added a bright acid green yarn (from stash) for the wavy contrast portion to help make that design element really pop (c) I added a single strand of mohair to the sides on pattern rows to create a striping effect (d) I substituted my main color for the tips rather than using the green contrasting color as suggested; and (e) I did not knit the tips as long as suggested as I felt that adding too much length to the sides would overwhelm the shawl.  I am very happy with my final shawl and can't wait for next year's MKAL adventure!  Previous MKALs by Stephen West that I've participated in include The Doodler shawl and Marled Magic Shanklet (post also includes my Striped Esjan shawl which is Stephen West design, but not a MKAL project).  If you are looking for a basic brioche project I recommend the Parlour Shawl, which was my first brioche project.

In Loving  Memory of my father, Vernon Bugh, Jr. ~

As I mentioned above my father recently passed away.  I don't want to dwell on the sadness of the disease that took him from us.  Instead I want to remember all the happy times we had as a family.   I specially love this picture of him that I took a few years back because he particularly loved Christmas.  He always went to great lengths to decorate the outside of our house and property with beautiful bold strands of Christmas lights.  It was important to him that he select the perfect Christmas tree for my Mom to decorate inside and he would drill holes in the base and nurture the tree with solutions to keep it fresh through New Years.  He also had fun with the holiday.  He was always the first to suggest it was time for eggnog spiked with whisky or rum.  He collected and set up a whole holiday village display in the living room complete with houses and shops that lit up and cars and carolers strolling the streets.  When I was little he had a neighbor dress up as Santa Claus and come to our house.  Santa gave my sister and me a candy cane and told us to watch for his sleigh leaving from our back window.  I still remember wearing my pajamas and bright blue fuzzy slippers standing in the living room watching for his sleigh out the back window and being puzzled how I could have missed it.  And every Christmas morning he captured all the chaos and fun of opening presents using an old fashion movie camera.  He was sentimental that way.  I hope to come across these old films when my sister and I go through the house.  I won't be able to watch them right away but hope that someday I can watch them and smile.

After my dad passed many of our neighbors wrote or told me what a wonderful neighbor he was and how much they will miss him and miss seeing his house beautifully lit for the holidays.  It was a hard Christmas this year as it was my first year without him.  And Christmases and my life won't ever be the same.  But I do have all my memories of him and I know that we will be together again in heaven as he is now with his mother, brother Cecil and sister Shirley and all his dearly loved friends and family that departed before him. 

My dad lived a remarkable life and only snippets have been included on the blog.  But there are a few posts that talk about my Dad include a post that shares his fabulous BBQ chicken rub recipe; his favorite Christmas cookie recipe; (which also includes a bit of his life history including his award of the Bronze Star for bravery in combat); his stint as a lumberjack; and his firm belief in the health benefits of drinking a daily glass of orange juice!  He also made a few cameo appearances on the blog helping me showcase some of my knits along the way, proving he was a good sport to the end.

Vernon Bugh, Jr.  ~ May 22, 1929 - November 30, 2018 ~

Until next time be well, love well and I hope that 2019 will be a happy and healthy year for all.

Toasty Toes and Other Creature Comforts

I hereby proudly announce my membership in the very first ever Handmade Sock Society! I. Can't. Wait.  It's a botanically inspired subscription that will include 6 secret sock patterns released every other month beginning in February.  As a wee bonus for joining early I also received a free Vintage Fairy Lights pattern that I immediately whipped up into these decadently delicious pink socks.  If you are interested there is an early bird price available until the first pattern is released sometime early February.  Sign up and you too can have toasty toes this winter, and all year long!

Of all the things that I've knit over the years my hand knit socks are worn and enjoyed the most.  There is no comparison.  They are fun to knit and indulgent to wear.  Combined with leggings you have the equivalent of an adult onesie.  Don't judge.  I pad around the house with them on, take naps wearing them, and prop my feet up so they can be admired while I'm watching TV.  In other words they bring me a great deal of creature comfort.

Another creature comfort I've been enjoying  this winter is having a wonderfully cozy shawl hanging about the house to wrap myself up in.  It's my Osmosis shawl (pictured below) and I have a wild coincidence to share with you about this shawl.  The Osmosis shawl designer, iKnit2Purl2, also dyed the yarn that I used to knit my Vintage Fairy Socks.  But I didn't realize that connection when I chose to buy her yarn.  It happened this way.  I had recently finished knitting my Osmosis shawl when I went onto Etsy and by random surfing found this beautiful pink sock yarn.  It wasn't until I looked at my receipt that I realized the same person who had designed the Osmosis shawl had dyed the yarn that I had just bought.  Serendipity.  How could I do anything else but put these two projects together in a post!

PARTICULARS:  Pattern: Vintage Fairy Lights design by Helen Stewart (Curious Handmade); US 1 DPNs; 1 skein Corda Bella Yarns (aka: iKnit2Purl2 ) Ultra Sock (400 yrds (100 gms) SW Merino & Nylon) colorway: Azalea.  I did modify this design slightly.  I kept the raised twisted knit stitch throughout the stock instead of switching to a 3K P1 repeat after the top design was finished.  I think the contiguous raised knit stitch makes it look like balloon streamers are running the length of the stock holding up floating fairy lights!  I loved knitting these socks, both the pattern and the yarn were a delight to work with.  Previous Curious Handmade patterns I've knit are the Botan (shawl) and Shallows (scarf).

PARTICULARS:  Osmosis shawl, designed by iknit2purl2, US 4 needles; 3 skeins Tusken Knits, Fir, (400 yrds merino singles).  My only modification, if you will, is that I only used 3 colors to knit this design.  I simply knit a color until I was close to running out and then switched to the next skein until I ran out.  More or less my color transitions began about 14 rows before the lace segments and then continued through and even after the lace segment.  I ended up using virtually every scrap of yarn I had.  This was a very enjoyable and easy shawl to knit and I love the finished product.  It's similar in design to the very popular Find your Fade shawl but it's uses less yardage (1,200 yrd vs. 1,540 yrds) and hence is a more manageable size which is why I chose to knit it. 


PAIN AU LAIT

As this is a post about creature comforts it has to include a bread recipe.  Because there is no greater creature comfort than enjoying freshly bake bread still warm from the oven!   The recipe I am sharing is fun and easy to make and has a bit of french panache to boot!

The recipe comes from The Great British Baking Show.  Of which I am a huge fan.  As I'm sure is anyone who has ever baked.  Because bakers know that it's a risk to bake for others.  Baking is fraught with perils and pitfalls and you will see both successes and failures in this show. Some of the recipes have been shared online (not all recipes though as it's up to each contestant).  Luckily  Richard from season one shared his recipe for Pain au Lait.  I love his recipe.  It's easy to follow and relatively fast (for bread) and it doesn't require any special skills or tools (although you will need a kitchen scale as all ingredients are by weight).  I hope you will enjoy Richard's Pain au Lait rolls as much as I do!

Until next time be well, love well and I hope this winter you give sock knitting a try so you too can enjoy toasty toes and other creature comforts!

Resolutions and All Things Brioche

Resolutions, resolutions, resolutions.  I generally don't make them.  After all I live a fairly disciplined lifestyle already.  So when I think about resolutions, if I do, it's in terms of crafting goals. And last year I resolved to learn the brioche stitch.  Come hell or high water.  

It wasn't just because there were a number of shawls that I wanted to make that use this stitch.  It was also that I didn't feel I would be a complete knitter until I had mastered this stitch.  And it's not like I woke up last New Year's and decided I wanted to learn the brioche stitch either.  I had attempted it several times over the years and not succeeded.  For whatever reason this stitch befuddled me and simply watching free youtube videos and tutorials wasn't making it any clearer.

So in 2017 I bit the bullet and signed up for a paid Craftsy class!  You have to understand this was a huge mental shift for me.  If there's a free option online then I'm not interested in paying.  For example I would never pay to blog as I get the blogger platform for free.  I'm also not interested in making money from being online either so I guess there's some symmetry there. But as I mentioned I had already gone the free route with this stitch and that had gotten me nowhere.   I turned to the mega online craft class retailer Craftsy and settled on Explorations in Brioche Knitting with Nancy Marchant, who is a renown brioche guru.  And if you are going to learn anything it's best to learn from the best. Especially if you are going to be paying.  And I am delighted to report that this class did the trick for me.  I began with lesson one and worked through the modulus and wallah the brioche stitch wasn't nearly so complicated as it had previously seemed.  I guess sometimes it does pay to pay.

After all that I am particularly delighted to start 2018 by sharing my very first two color brioche shawl!  This pattern is a combination of both brioche and lace stitches and if you look at the picture below you can see the brioche portion is the purple segment which gives the fabric depth and a beautiful tonal effect.  I am not going to lie though the shape of this shawl is awkward and highly asymmetrical.  I would not consider it an everyday shawl but if you want a statement piece then this is the ticket.  All in all I'm thrilled to be wearing it and as a bonus I can call myself a master novice brioche knitter at last!

Particulars:  Parlour Shawl designed by Leslie Anne Robinson (Knit Graffiti Designs), la Bien Aimee skinny singles 1,100 yrds (yarn purchased as a kit); US 4 needles.  I only made a couple very small modifications to this pattern. Because I felt leaving the eyelet of the pattern repeats looked unfinished I closed that eyelet and to make up for the extra decrease I threw in another edging increase. The other modification was to the BO.  Three quarters of the way into the BO I realized that the edge was rolling and hiding the contrasting color so I ripped back and knit another row to create a garter stitch edge.  Then, instead of turning my work I simply slid the stitches to the other end of my circular needles (so the right side was still facing me) and BO in contracting color yarn.  This eliminated the rolling and emphasized the contrasting color.

To see a project that incorporates just a single color in the brioche stitch see my post with a photo of Stephen West's Marled Magic Shawl (the brioche is the grey portion) which also gives wonderful depth and texture to your fabric.

Incidentally I found baking brioche to be easier and oddly satisfying in light of having failed at the stitch.  I use Le Pain Quotident's Brioche recipe from their Cookbook.  They do have a free version of their brioche recipe online but it uses very different measurements from the book and I can not vouch for it (nor are the ratings for that version very high) but if you are interested here's the link brioche recipe.

SUNSETS IN SAN CLEMENTE ~

After the wildfires and a very stressful start to the holidays we were fortunate that things quickly turned around and returned to normal.  The Thursday before Christmas evacuation orders were lifted in Santa Barbara and my parents were allowed to return home and I joined them to help get the holidays back on track.  A few days of dashing about and decorating the tree, shopping, and hanging the lights and we were able to enjoy one of the nicest Christmases ever.  Afterward Steve and I headed to San Clemente to spend a few days relaxing at the beach as we always do the week between Christmas and New Year.  Watching the sun glide below the watery surface is so beautiful and relaxing and one of my favorite parts of staying at the beach.  Except when I'm not paying attention and a rogue wave wipes me out as it did while I was taking this picture.  Yet looking back at the picture I can say without hesitation worth it.  Even if I still have Sand in my Shoes.

Until next time be well, love well and may 2018 bring health and happiness and successful brioche knitting to all!  

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!

Striped Esjan Shawl and Early Fall Baking

With all the looming holidays from Jewish, Christian, Pagan, and Secular you are definitely going to need a great party shawl.  And it doesn't matter what age you are it is always fun to get dressed up and wear something flirty with a bit flounce to a party.   The Striped Esjan shawl delivers just that with a sophisticated vibe to boot.  Roll on with the holidays!

I fell in love with this design a long time ago and made several attempts to knit it using contrasting stripes (as the design called for) but that just didn't work for me. I think the stripes made it too busy or something.  In any event I forgot about this pattern until I was trying to decide what to make with this gorgeous variegated yarn.  When walla I serendipitous remembered that I had some smoky grey mohair yarn for contrast and after that it was an easy decision to turn it into a Striped Esjan sans stripes, if that's possible.

Knitting with this yarn reminded me how much I love a variegated colorway.  For one thing I love how a highly variegated yarn becomes your own unique colorway based on how you use it.  For example if I had used this yarn to knit a pair of socks the yarn would have looked very different because the short rows would have pooled the colors very differently.  Or if I had used a different needle size, shawl design, or contrasting color it would have look different as well. With all the recent hype over speckled and brightly colored yarns I'd forgotten the unique beauty of variegated yarns. Where as a speckled yarn pretty much creates an identifiable homogeneous design.

It's thanks to Andi who writes the popular blog MySistersknitter that I found this yarn.  She often features lesser known Indie yarn dyers. When this dyer was on Andi's blog she called her shop Mountain Girl Yarns but subsequently she closed that shop and has since reemerged as Woolou Yarns. So many LYS and Esty sellers have closed over the last few years.  I don't know if that is due to fewer people knitting or the state of the economy in general.  I do know that there are some very popular dyers who can't dye yarn fast enough for demand but there are many more independent yarn sellers who struggle to make a living.  I try and be adventuresome and support the lesser known dyers.  After all you never know when you'll find a gem like this yarn! And diversity of choice is good for everyone.  We don't all want to be walking around wearing the same popular colorways, do we?  As awesome as some of them are! Note to self: snag a skein of speckled birthday cake ASAP. Incidentally I checked on Ravelry and there are only 7 projects made using Woolou Yarns.  Andi's beautiful Linus is one of them.  My yarn has been discontinued.

Particularls:  Striped Esjan; US 4 and 6 needles; 1 skein SW BFL/Nylon (464 yrd) dyed by Mountain Girl Yarns (colorway Big Creek) now known as Woolou Yarn; 1 skein kidsilk haze dyed by Hedgehog Fibers (colorway Crystal - left over from my Northern Skies Shawl).  I knit the body of the shawl (and all parts using Mountain Girl Yarns) using US 4 needles and I knit the kidsilk haze section using US 6 needles.  Because I had less of the Mountain Girl Yarn than the pattern required I knit the body until I had used 60% of my skein (leaving 40% for the edging).  That was a pretty good guesstimate and I almost made it... I ran out of yarn halfway through the BO and switched to a complimentary green color to finish.

Previous designs by Stephen West that I've knit include Pogona; The Doodler; and Marled Magic (pictured below).  I don't see myself doing a full post on Marled Magic but I am very happy with how it came out.  I knit the large (shanklet) size and I know that Steve is looking forward to using it this winter as a throw.

Early Fall Baking ~

It's not technically Fall yet.  I know that.  But September 1st saw me begin my day happily munching on a fragrant slice of pumpkin spice bread.  Already I feel the mornings are cooler and the evenings are getting dark earlier and small signs of fall are appearing about the house.  Soon colorful gourds will be predominately displayed and apple butter will be bubbling away on my stove top.  It's a very happy time for me as it celebrates many of the things that make life special including a welcoming home with a loving family, wonderful food, and an appreciation for the harvest.  And of course I get to wear the sweaters and socks that I spend so much time knitting!

If you are interesting in trying this Sourdough Pumpkin Spice Bread it's a free recipe from King Arthur Flour.  As it's made with a sour dough starter it's not your typical sweet bread.  It's more a breakfast bread that is nice toasted with your morning coffee, and I really enjoy it.  But if you prefer a sweet pumpkin bread you might try my Pumpkin Bread with Walnut Topping.

Until next time be well, love well and slow down and notice the early signs of Fall.  They can be subtle here in Southern California but they can be seen in the surrounding foliage, shifting daylight, and falling temperatures.  May you also have fun on your search for the perfect gourds and pumpkins to decorate your home!