Socktober! Fall Socks and Favorite Fall Cookie ~

It's Socktober and time to step up the sock game!  And I have done that.  Not only have I just finished a new pair of socks for Steve (using a free pattern called Fairy Maiden - shhhh it's best he not hear that) and I have two new pairs of socks for myself that I think are perfection for fall. And if this dang heat wave would finally end I could actually start wearing them.  

 

My first pair are the Hazelnut Socks from The Handmade Sock Society (original season) using gorgeous yarn dyed by Qing Fiber in her supersoft sock yarn (80% merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon).  They feel delicious on and I love how the pattern "pops" despite the wildly variegated colorway.  I will add a caveat that this is a very soft yarn and probably best suited to shawls (I used it to knit my Marley Shawl).  But with that in mind I will probably use these as "house socks."

My second pair of fall socks (pictured below) also hails from The Handmade Sock Society, but from the second season.  It's the Shell Cottage pattern paired with Woolberry Fiber Co. sock yarn.  There's actually a third year of the Handmade Sock Society that I didn't join; but now I'm sorry after sneaking a peak at the patterns.  Le sigh.  This is a workhorse yarn and these socks should wear well.  I used Berry Sock yarn (80% bluefaced leicester/ 20% nylon) and while it's not the softest yarn to work with it knit up beautifully and feels wonderful on. I'd definitely use this yarn again.

Heat wave or not fall is here and I am doing my best to enjoy the season.  I am baking, knitting, and enjoying scented candles (Cider Lane and Marshmallow Fireside by Bath and Body Works smell amazing).  And I'm spending a lot of time on my new hobby which is learning to draw and use watercolor paints!  No I'm not ready to share my "art" but I am pleased with my progress....  Since I couldn't even draw a circle before I began the bar is pretty low.  But if you are looking for something creative to do at home and have never taken an art class I really think you should consider learning to draw (which is a foundational skill for painting, etc).  I am using a book (Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain - I recommend getting the workbook that has the viewfinder in the back) and I also purchased a year membership to The Virtual Instructor which has a lot of classes on all types of art.  I began with The Secrets to Drawing and have moved on to 25 Days to Better Drawing. These classes seem very left brain oriented in approach.  Which is good because between the book and the classes I'm covering both halves of my brain which can only be a good thing.  I also have a paper fetish and drawing paper is wonderful to work on. Just saying.  

And just for fun I made Smores!  Since we can't have open fires in Southern California (due to wildfire risk) I simply used skewers and toasted my marshmallows over an open flame on my stove.  But if aren't in a fire danger area you could easily line a terracotta pot with foil and add a few briquettes and have the perfect marshmallow toasting situation in minutes.  Then all you need are graham crackers, thin chocolate bars, and marshmallows. Sounds like a perfect Halloween party treat!

Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies 

Baking of course is a huge part of the fall season and there are so many recipes that I love but I've chosen to share my absolutely favorite fall cookie.  Bar none.  It has toasted hazelnuts and is dipped in bittersweet chocolate, need I say more?  The original recipe was shared in Bake From Scratch magazine (Holiday Cookies, special issue 2017) by Laura Kasavan (Tutti-Dolci) and I've adapted it slightly with a few time saving hacks and eliminating some of  the bitterness from the hazelnuts by removing their skins.  I find it helpful to do some prep a day ahead (i.e. toast, deskin, and chop the hazelnuts and measure all ingredients).  Then on baking day you can have these cookies finished in a couple of hours.  Certainly in time for afternoon tea.  

 

Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies 

~ yield ~ 24 cookies

Ingredients:

 1 cup (113 grams) toasted, skinned, and chopped hazelnuts, divided

2/3 cup (133 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar, divided (I use extra fine baking sugar)

3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened

1 Tablespoon (15 grams) hazelnut liquer (I use Frangelico)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

1/8 teaspoon table salt

1 3/4 cups (219 grams) all-purpose flour

8 ounces (225 grams) semisweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli chips)

Garnish: turbinado sugar or any crystal sugar

Steps:

1.  I like to toast the hazelnuts and remove their skins the day prior to baking the cookies.  Toast hazelnuts at 350 degrees (Fahrenheit ) for 10 to 15 minutes (stirring several times) or until skins begin to crack and peal.  Turn nuts out onto a rough dishcloth and cover for a minute to allow nuts to steam.  Then twist the dishcloth into a ball around the nuts and rigorously rub them together.  Agitate nuts until most of the skins have fallen off.  Discard skin and chop nuts.  You will use 1/2 cup in the dough and 1/2 cup for the garnish.

2.  Add 1/2 cup (56.5 grams) toasted hazelnuts and 2/3 cup sugar to a food processor (or if you don't have a food processor use a blender, etc.).  Pulse until finely ground and well combined.

3.  In a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment) beat butter with hazelnut/sugar mixture at medium speed (3 to 4 minutes) or until creamy, scraping the bowl several times. With mixer on medium-low speed, add hazelnut liqueur, vanilla, and salt beating until well combined.   Remove bowl from stand mixer.

4.  Using a spoon stir in flour until just incorporated.  Turn dough out onto a very lightly floured board (or on top of parchment paper).  Divide dough in half and roll each half into a log (roughly 6.5 inches long) and wrap each log with plastic wrap.  Place wrapped log into the refrigerator for 20 minutes. When you place logs in refrigerator preheat oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit).

5.  Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.  Remove one of the logs and on a lightly floured or parchment lined surface cut evenly into 12 pieces.  Then using a lightly floured rolling pin flatten each disk into a round cookie shape.  Place cookies onto parchment lined baking sheet and dust with with remaining 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar.  Repeat process with second log.  Then place both sheets of cookies back in the refrigerator for another 20 minutes.    

6.  After refrigeration, bake until cookies are lightly golden and tops and edges are set, 14 to 16 minutes (rotating pans after 8 minutes).  Let cool on pans for 5 minutes then transfer to rack to cool completely.

7.  While cookies are cooling melt chocolate.  Using a small microwave safe bowl heat chocolate in 20 second spurts (stirring well after each 20 second interval).  When almost all the chips have melted simply let the heat of the already melted chocolate complete the melting process (chocolate scorches easily so you don't want to over heat).  Set aside until cookies have cooled completely.

8.  To apply chocolate garnish lay several sheets of parchment paper on a flat surface.  Gather your melted chocolate, remaining 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, and turbinado sugar.  Working with one cookie at a time dip 1/2 of cookie into chocolate and then sprinkle with nuts and sugar.  Allow chocolate to set before moving cookies.  If the heat/humidity is too high for your chocolate to set you can place cookies on a baking sheet in the refrigerator for a short period to set chocolate.  These keep well in an airtight tin for several days or can be frozen. 

Enjoy!

Pandemic Living ~

During the pandemic we are finding ourselves outside enjoying our garden more than ever.  But we never seemed to have many birds visit, despite having a bird feeder and suet cake dispenser.  Thinking about it I realized this was primarily because the blue jays were very aggressive and territorial driving off smaller birds.  So I changed tactics and began scattering bird seed on the ground over a wide area and also adding songbird seed into the bulk seed I buy.  Low and behold we now have lots of beautiful birds visiting and I couldn't be more thrilled to hear them happily tweeting and chirping away.  We have coveys of quail, bevies of doves (both ground feeders) along with a wide variety of small birds including the occasional robin and pretty songbird (that prefer using the bird feeder).  We're practically a bird sanctuary! And of course there are still the pesky pretty blue jays that feed on the ground, suet cake (their favorite) and the birdfeeder.  But now there is too much territory for them to control so at least the other birds have a chance too.  

With the heat and all the fires it's more important than ever to consider the wildlife, especially in California.  We have several water sources available for birds and the larger animals that call these mountains home or are simply migrating through.

Until next time be well and love well and stay safe in this pandemic.  If you are looking for a quick and delicious fall baking treats you can't go wrong with my Pumpkin Bread with Walnut Topping ~  or Cranberry Swirl Coffee Cake (not too sweet and perfect for morning coffee).  I've already made both this season!

The Indispensable Trait of Determination for Knitting and Life

It's been unusually cool this Winter in Los Angeles, California.  How cold has it been you wonder?  So cold that we've been needing clothes that we typically don't need in LA.  Like socks.  Fortunately that's no problem for me as I've knit many a pair over the years.  But I don't have many of the sturdy variety and hence these Carlos and Arne socks have been great to have this winter.

I have to admit that knitting these socks was a love/hate affair.  It's obviously a self patterning yarn and, incidentally, the first commercially dyed self patterning yarn I've knit with.  While I loved the beautifully intricate pattern magically unfolding as I knit without any effort on my part, whatsoever, I was also turned off by the scratchy feel of the wool traversing over my fingers.  And knitting is a very tactile experience.  Hence the hate.  I almost tossed them aside as not worth the bother.  To be fair it was summer when I was knitting them and in the warm summer months lots of wools can feel scratchy.  But when I thought am I such a wimp that I can't handle a little scratchy wool?  Seriously?  That's pathetic.  So I determined to finish them and am very happy that I did.  You know what else?  Magically when the weather turned cool the wool suddenly wasn't scratchy any more.  I have no idea what the science is behind that. 

The moral of this story is that sometimes you have to stick with things through thick, thin and scratchy times.  Because if you don't then you may miss an opportunity to add color, warmth, and satisfaction to your life.  Like these socks have to mine.

PARTICULARS: Pairfect Design Line by Arne & Carlos, Schachendmayr Regia Sock Yarn (75% wool / 25% polyamide); (Colorway #9090); 100 g 459 yrds.; US 1 DPN; I followed the pattern provided on label and made no modifications whatsoever, other than I followed my own toe decreases from my Colorblock Socks pattern.  This sock yarn is a tremendous value and I highly recommend making your own Pairfect socks!  They should wear like iron.  But if you are more interested in luxury sock yarns I would recommend a mix of merino wool, nylon, and 10% cashmere and a favorite brand of mine is Sun Valley Fibers, MCN (80% merino, 10%cashmere and 10% nylon) which is what I used for my Winter Rose socks and for another pair I have yet to photograph.


Simcha and Determination

The topic of determination and sheer doggedness would not be complete without a Simcha antidote, who has more determination in his right pinky err paw than most people have in their entire body.

For Simcha size has always mattered.  From the time he was a little puppy it didn't matter if it was a toy, treat, or stick it was clear that bigger was definitely better.   Out on the trail hiking he doesn't pick up any old stick.  Instead he will forage to find the very biggest stick around and then he'll carry it for long distances before eventually discarding it.  It's not always easy for him to extract these massive sticks.  They are often partially buried in the ground or entangled in limbs of trees and bushes but he will thrash about pulling until it breaks free (I used to pitch in and help him with this until he accidentally sliced my finger in half and after that I decided he was on his own). There was only one time when I thought he was going to be defeated.  He had jumped off the trail into some brush below and there was a  sheer rock wall that had to climbed to get back on the trail.  I stood and looked down watching him.  He had found a large stick that he clearly wanted to bring with him.  He was whining in frustration because he had made several failed attempts to get up that rock wall with his stick.  I could see the problem was that he didn't have enough space to run and gain any momentum to help carry him up.  I thought he was beat.  But then he put his head down, griped that stick in his jaws, raised his head up and by the sheer force of his determination clawed his way up that rock face onto the trail with that giant stick in his mouth.  I was astonished.  He's older now and doesn't have the same drive and determination but I'll never forget seeing him do the impossible.

There's a number of excellent books about dogs and their amazing stories.  I know he's fictional but I think that Simcha has much the same personality as Buck from Call of the Wild by Jack London.  I also love the book Where the Red Fern Grows about a boy and his dogs growing up in the Ozarks.  And my dad used to read Old Yeller aloud to my sister and me when we were little.  These are all sad and yet wonderful stories.  If you have a favorite book about a dog I would love to hear your recommendations. 


ST. LUCIA BUNS ~

I love the idea of welcoming winter with celebration and those things that bring warmth and comfort into our lives. Which is why the St. Lucia celebration in Sweden appeals to me.  Well to be perfectly honest it's the rich tasty St. Lucia buns that appeal to me.  Flavored with saffron and vodka these buns are warm and savory with a tiny sweet crunch from the pearl sugar topping.  They are simple but I really like them.  It must be the Swed in me. If you are familiar with St. Lucia buns and this celebration then you know that I'm late in making these (St Lucia is celebrated on the first day of winter).  But honestly being untimely hasn't effected my enjoyment of the buns one tiny bit. Note to self: Make these every winter, preferably on St. Lucia Day.  Recipe from Bake from Scratch Magazine, November/December 2018.  The New York times shares a St. Lucia Bun recipe (highly rated) free online.

Until next time, be well love well and may your winter months be filled with warmth, comfort food, good books and cozy socks!

Ripple Wave Socks, Binge Worthy TV and Nectarine Breakfast Bread

Aren't these fun socks! They are my Ripple Wave Socks and I feel like dancing a jig in these sprightly colors.  Just like the wonderful Irish folk song Uncle Benny "they've set my toes a tapping" hum hum hum.  Of late I've spent too much time in silence or listening to gloomy news reports with not enough time filling my home with music.  Listening to beautiful music makes my heart soar, feet tap and just makes me happy.  Growing up I listened to a lot of music.  On Saturday mornings my mother would often cook a full English breakfast (replete with fried egg, bacon, fried tomatoes, toast, marmalade and, of course, a pot of tea) and beautiful music would be playing in the background and our weekends began in this leisurely fashion.  When I got to choose the music I liked to listen to Irish folk music and I particularly liked Roger Whittaker who sings Uncle Benny on Danny Boy and other Classics.  To this day I enjoy hearing him sing these songs.

But enough about music and more about socks!  If you haven't yet been bitten by the sock bug the heat of summer is a perfect time to get hooked!  You'll love the endless choices of gorgeous sock yarns, how quickly a pair of socks knit up, and most importantly come fall you'll realize how wonderful it is to wear your own hand knit socks. You'll also be very popular with friends and family who vie for a pair of your socks!  If you are intimidated to get started, don't be.  You can find many free youtube videos to help you or you can sign up for a paid Crafty Class (I've been a fan of Crafty ever since they taught me the Brioche stitch and I breezed through my first Brioche Project).   And the choice of sock patterns is endless.  There are thousands of free sock patterns on Ravelry, including my Color Block Socks.  Who knows maybe you too have a sock pattern lurking within you.  In any event I encourage you this summer you give sock knitting a try or if you are already a sock knitter to store up a supply for next winter.

Particulars:  Ripple Wave Socks; designed by Kate Lore Designs; US 1 needles; Ritual Dyes sock yarn, i.e. Maiden (100gr, 400 yds of 80% superwash merino and 20% nylon. 2-ply twist) this is yarn leftover from my Sunset Highway Sweater (the blue/purple is the upper yoke colorway and the green is my contrasting color).  This is a wonderful pattern and a pleasure to knit.  I should also mention that all proceeds from the pattern are donated to Doctors without Borders which is no surprise to anyone who knows Kate Lore, a long time blogger and all round class act.  To link to more examples of socks that I've knit (I've knit many) would be too cumbersome so instead I'll link to a pair that has a particularly nice and intricate design that is perfect for slow indoor summer knitting ~ 50 Shades of Green. ~

BINGE WORTHY TV ~

Summer.  Yuck.  My least favorite season.  I'm clearly not a sun worshiper so when it's sweltering outside I like to be inside binging on TV shows.  And as I love hearing other people's favorite shows I thought I would share my list of binge worthy TV.  I didn't include the obvious (i.e. Game of Thrones and Outlander) and if I've missed a show that you love I want to hear your recommendations in the comments!  FYI we are "on-demand" TV watchers and obtain all of our programming through Amazon Prime's Fire Stick (best investment ever).  Many of these shows are free to Amazon Prime Members or are purchased through channels available on Amazon.  But as not everyone is an Amazon user the links below are to IMDb ("Internet Movie Database") where you can see reviews and read more about the shows and stars.  Be warned this is a very diverse list and there are shows on it that will not be everyone's cup of tea due to violence.

Bates Motel    Learn how Norman Bates became "Norman Bates."
Lost in Space (2018)  A fun and well done redo of this classic.
Berlin Station   Modern spy story of the CIA in Berlin
Peaky Blinders  Fascinating (but violent) story of gangs in England post WWI
Frankenstein Chronicles  Clever story of how Mary Shelley's Frankenstein came to exist
Counterpart  Modern sci-fi
Riverdale  See Archies Comics come to life in the small town of Riverdale
Ripper Street  Well done crime story set in the era of Jack the Ripper (stars Matthew Macfadyen)
Altered Carbon  Modern sci-fi
Goliath - Los Angeles lawyer fighting corruption (set in Santa Monica, California)
The Royals  See the British monarchy as you've never seen them before
Imposters  Fun romp with engaging actors
Westworld  Modern sci-fi
Animal Kingdom  Story of a small time crime family in California (stars Ellen Barkin)
Banshee  Violent but interesting story set in a midwest town
Ozark  "Normal" family moves to the Ozarks on the run from gangsters and the law
Billions  Wall Street schenigans
The Americans  Spy story set in the 70's
Da Vinci's Demons  See how fictional Leonardo Da Vinci's life evolved
Electric Dreams  Sci-fi (an updated Twilight Zone)
The Staircase  A fascinating story for true crime buffs
The Night Manager  Adaptation of a Le Carre Novel
Suburra  Crime and family drama set in Italy


NECTARINE BREAKFAST BREAD ~

This is a wonderful breakfast bread that is a new summer treat for me.  The sweetness of fresh nectarines are perfectly balanced with cornmeal, lemon, and thyme and it's quick to throw together so long as you have ripe nectarines on hand.  It's also a fun change from muffins in the morning.  I used a recipe from the latest Southern Cast Iron magazine which never fails to deliver recipes that I love.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Nectarine Breakfast Bread ~

Bread ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granular sugar
2 Tablespoons stone ground cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon finely ground salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large organic eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (I use Kerry Gold butter for all my baking)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 lemon - zest used as follows: 3/4 zest for loaf and 1/4 zest for Lemon Thyme Syrup (see below)
1 cup chopped pitted nectarines
1 whole nectarine sliced into decorative wedges (for layering on top)

Lemon Thyme Syrup ingredients:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup granular sugar
2 large sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 of lemon zest from a whole lemon


Steps:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Prepare a bread pan by rubbing with butter and coating lightly with flour.

2.  In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon).  Set aside.

3.  In a medium bowl whisk together wet ingredients (eggs, milk, melted butter (add last), vanilla, and 3/4s zest from a whole lemon).

4.  Using a Swedish dough hook or wooden spoon quickly incorporate wet ingredients into dry.  Gently fold in chopped nectarines.  Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth top.  Place decorative nectarine wedges across the top, leaving 1 inch space between each slice.

6.  Bake 55 minutes and check if loaf is a nice golden brown and a tester comes away clean.  If the loaf needs additional time continue baking but cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning until tester comes away clean.  Baking time will vary depending on ingredients, humidity, etc.  I baked my loaf a total of 65 minutes with it covered in foil for the last 10 minutes.

7.  Allow loaf to cool in pan for 20 minutes.  Then turn out onto a cooling wire to cool completely.  While loaf is cooling prepare lemon thyme syrup.

8.  Prepare lemon thyme syrup by combining water and sugar in a small saucepan and bringing to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Remove from heat and add fresh thyme and lemon zest and let cool before using.  Slowly drizzle cooled syrup over cooled loaf allowing it to cover all surfaces but mainly focusing on the top.

This loaf freezes well, although like all baking it's best the day it is baked.

Recipe slightly adapted from Southern Cast Iron Magazine July/August 2018 issue.

I'm also a fan of muffins in the morning and my favorite morning muffin recipes are: Orange Muffins, Raisin Bran Muffins, and Espresso Banana Muffins.

Until next time be well, love well and this summer try beginning  your weekends with a cooked breakfast and listening to beautiful music while knitting away on a pair of socks!

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!

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!

Elton John Socks and a Day at the Zoo

I actually intended to show a different project in this post but it didn't happen and, as it turns out, these socks are the perfect project for this post because I gave them to my mom for Mother's Day this past weekend.  And they also tie in with the zoo theme because they are striped like a Zebra!  How perfect is that?

I loved knitting with this yarn because of the beautiful colors and the nice feel to the base, but it wasn't without its challenges.  I wanted to knit something special both to showcase the unique dying style and also because they were going to be a gift for my mom.  So I poured over a ton of patterns to find something unique and cool and ended up purchasing two beautiful patterns, neither of which did I end up using.  I won't bore you with the details but suffice it to say the experience left me with lighter pockets and a broken cherished rosewood needle (sob) before I threw in the towel and decided to let this gorgeous and unique yarn shine with a basic sock pattern.  It's best not to fight against what a yarn wants to be.

I called these my Elton John Socks because the colorway is Tiny Dancer and that of course is the title of a famous Elton John song.  I am an L.A. Lady after all and this is the music I grew up listening to in the seventies.  It's an association, and appreciation, that I fear will be lost on my mother.  When I listen to Tiny Dancer it takes me back to my teenage years and the parties at the beach, dancing in the sand and in general getting into mischief.  Something I did far too much of true be told.  But I did have fun!

I'm feeling sentimental so I've linked to few few music videos from that era with the caveat that the technology back in the 70s wasn't the best so the songs aren't well preserved:

Tiny Dancer    Elton John
Driver's Seat  Sniff 'n' Tears
Touch me in the Morning Diana Ross
Sweet Home Alabama  Lynyrd Skynyrd
Everything I Own  Bread
Make it With You  Bread
You're So Vain   Carly Simon
Maggie May  Rod Stewart
Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell
Dreams  Fleetwood Mac
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
Comfortably Numb  Pink Floyd
L.A. Woman - The Doors

I could go on but hopefully these songs will bring back fun memories for you too or if you are younger than me perhaps it will introduce you to the music of my generation.  Although you had to be there because as I said the videos do not do the music justice.

Particulars: Colorblock Sock Pattern, a free Mr. Puffy pattern (I use this pattern for its basic sock construction); US 1 Needles; size: 60 stitch count; 1 skein Republic of Wool, twist fingering, (colorway Tiny Dancer).  I love, love, love these socks and found them hard to part with!

A Day at the Zoo ~

My mother loves visiting the Zoo so this year to celebrate Mother's Day we took my mom and dad to the San Diego Zoo which is a world famous Zoo located in Southern California.

To make the experience more special we bought tickets to the Zoo's Animals in Action program which allows visitors up close encounters with some of the exotic and endangered species and is a program designed to highlight the plight of these amazing creatures.  This world is increasingly a hostile place for animals that are at the mercy of human activities and desires. If you want to learn more and/or become more involved in ending practices that lead to extinction, I recommend visiting San Diego Zoos wildlife conservancy website EndExtinction.org and One Green Planet which are organizations that are dedicated to saving and protecting wildlife from poachers and environmental devastation.

On a lighter note, a fun part of the Animals in Action program is that you learn interesting trivia about the animals such as that a zebra can (while running full speed no less) bend its spine backward so that it's teeth can reach its tail to bite a predator that might be trying to pull it down from behind. That's amazing flexibility!  Note to self: enroll in a yoga class.  And in case you ever wondered if a zebra is white with black stripes or black with white stripes they are in fact black with white stripes.

But the very best part of the experience for me was seeing my 90+ year old mom feeding a Rhino!

Incidentally the top picture is a Clouded Leopard and the other cat is a Cheetah.  Both are beautiful creatures to watch in action and need help protecting their habitat.

Until next time, be well and love well and this summer why not plan a trip to the Zoo!  Or at the very least knit yourself a pair of striped socks.  We are traveling to Israel in June so if I don't have a chance to post again before we leave I'll see you later this summer!

Crazy and Colorful Colorblock Socks

Of late I've been obsessed with knitting socks.  And I can't knit them fast enough.  I've also been knitting almost exclusively my own version of a plain vanilla sock that I'm sharing as a free pattern called Colorblock Socks (pattern link below).  It has all my favorite techniques.  Naturally.  But the the main unique feature is a helpful (hopefully) way to join new yarn seamlessly.  Because it is soooo much more fun to change colors and go crazy adding different yarns when you don't have a million pesky yarn ends to weave in.

With all the beautiful handpainted yarns there really is no need to do anything fancy when knitting socks.  Still.  It's nice to be able to personalize your socks so that they truly are one of a kind. You can achieve that unique twist by simply adding contrasting colored heels and toes.  Or you can go crazy and add all sorts of colors and stripes.  Socks are kinda like lingerie that way.  You can go crazy and nobody needs to be any the wiser.  Unless you want to show your wild side.

Speaking of going crazy with color I really loved knitting these Colorblock Socks. The yarn I used was purchased from Kate Selene a very talented dyer who creates beautiful and unique colorways.  I purchased one of her kits that included 20 small skeins of 10 yards each and every last one of the colors made my heart sing.  How can you not love that! And the socks are, in my ever so humble opinion, the perfect summertime sock both because of the sunny bright colors and also the light fingering yarn.  Last night was a cold and foggy spring evening here in Southern California and these socks kept my feet nice and cozy propped up watching TV.  And yet not too hot. Like Goldilocks I found these to be just right.

While my socks may look completely haphazard in color I actually did employ a color strategy. I spent a significant amount of time lining up the colors in two columns to see how the colors stacked up and how they looked lined up next to each other, making minor adjustments over the span of several days.  I ended up using 18 of the 20 colors in the kit and for the toes I went for a matchy matchy look in cherry red that I think helped tie them together as a pair. The cherry red yarn incidentally was a mini-skein from the same dyer but is not part of the kit.

I know a lot of knitters have been hesitant to dive into the colorful world of speckles and bright colored yarns. So don't dive in.  Dip your toes in with socks instead! You don't have to go crazy with mixing up colors all you need to do is pick a single amazing speckled color.  And if you really just don't like speckles and brights then don't worry my pattern will work just as well with any ho hum solid colored yarn as well.  Not that there is anything wrong with solid colored yarn.  And I'm sorry if I implied otherwise. No matter what yarn you choose I hope you will like and have fun with my Colorblock Socks Pattern!

Particulars:  Colorblock Socks, free pattern download, US 1 DPNs and 64 stitches; Scrappy Yarn Kit (Etsy seller Kate Selene) or small amounts of left over sock yarn.  This pattern is knit top (cuff) down and has instructions for two sizes, ie. 60 and 64 stitches.  If you prefer knitting socks "toe up" vs. "top down" then I suggest you consider Anna Johanna's Surprise Stripes Socks (free pattern on Ravelry). Anna is a very talented designer and writes the blog Where We Once Knitted.

Just to give you an idea of how this pattern looks knit up with different yarns, pictured below are socks that I knit using a self-striping yarn (Nomadic Yarns - colorway Banana Boat).  I also used this pattern to knit my Jolly Christmas Socks.  Both of these socks were knit on US 1 needles on 60 stitches using the shaping and construction of my Colorblock Sock Pattern and its yarn joining method (used to customize the heels and toes).  Incidentally I gifted the Nomadic socks to a dear friend who has had terrible health problems this past year.  She likes to wear them for her dialysis treatments because the hospital is so cold.  I had previously given her a pair of socks so I already knew that they meant a lot to her and that she liked to wear them to her treatments.  Socks are such a small thing but can mean a great deal to someone needing comfort in this world.

Joining New Yarn ~

This method is extracted from my Colorblock Sock Pattern and if you print the pattern it will include this method for joining new yarn.  But should you not need or wish to to see the pattern I have provided it here for your convenience.

Caveat.  This joining method is not intended for superwash yarns or yarns blended with nylon which inhibit felting. That being said with sufficient agitation it can be used with superwash and nylon blends ergo both my Nomadic socks and Jolly Christmas Socks are superwash blended yarns and yet I used this joining method.  It may not work perfectly with these types of yarns but it's still far better than the alternative, i.e. weaving in millions of pesky yarn ends.

This is a multi step process that takes a little practice but once you get the hang of it it will become second nature:

1.  Tie a knot joining the two ends of yarn that you want to join leaving approximately a 2 inch yarn tail on both sides. The knot I tie is a square knot, which is very easy to do and if you aren’t familiar with it here’s a video demonstration. Do not tighten your knot too much as you want the fibers loose enough to enable felting which requires friction and movement of the fibers against each other.  A properly felted "knot" should feel thicker than your regular yarn but not like a hard knot.

2.  Working each end separately, carefully untwist the 2 inch yarn tail into individual plies to open up and loosens the fibers.  Cut off roughly half of the loosened yarn plies roughly 1/2 to 1/4 inch from the knot, as shown in the picture above.

3.  You must now make one of two choices.  Choice No. 1: This choice creates a crisp color change, as shown in the picture above.  You lay the purple yarn ends back against itself and vice versa with the green ends.  With this method you will knit up to the point you want your color to transition, then tink (see footnote below) back 6 or 7 stitches and join your new color. Now when you knit with the joined yarn the yarn change should fall at the point you began tinking back. Choice No. 2: With this choice you create a marled yarn effect for a blurry yarn color transition.  I used this choice for my Colorblock Socks. You will lay the green plies/ends over the purple yarn and the purple plies/ends over the green yarn without any need for tinking or exact color positioning before adding your new yarn, although I prefer to do so on the bottom half of my socks.

4.  After both sides of the yarn plies have been prepared and positioned for either Choice No. 1 or 2, carefully lay the yarn in your left palm with the knot positioned in the center.  Now spit into your palm covering all areas of yarn that you want to felt.  Proceed to vigorously roll (i.e. twist) the yarn back and forth in your palm until the fibers felt together forming a seamless join.  Periodically open your palm and check to see if you need to add more moisture or if you need to adjust your yarn plies. I find it helps to twirl the yarn plies around the strand of yarn it needs to felt with.  You don't want it all bunched up near the knot.  The goal is to have the felted yarn to be only minimally more bulky at the join than otherwise.

As I said at the start this method can take a bit of practice but once you get the hang of it you will find it very easy and secure join.  I've used this method for many years and it's the only way I would consider joining new yarn with socks.

Footnote:  "Tink" is slang for undoing your knitting one stitch at a time. It is the word "knit" spelled backward - hence you "tink" instead of knit!

Until next time be well, love well and this summer why not knit some crazy and colorful Colorblock Socks for yourself!

Jolly Christmas Socks ~

This year I've stepped up early and have already begun my holiday decorating.  I sort of had to as we are going away for Christmas and if I didn't decorate early there wouldn't be any decorating at all. And where's the fun in that?  In general though, it is my preference to decorate closer to the holiday and then enjoy the decorations through New Year's Day. I'm old school that way.  And in probably lots of other ways as well.

So ho-ho-ho here I am wearing my Christmas Stockings.  That I absolutely love.  Unseemingly so, given my age. And in full candor they are knit in a light fingering yarn so probably won't wear well at all. What was I thinking?  I should know better than this.  But don't I look like a cute elf wearing them?

I did not use a pattern for these socks.  After my last post on being a self confessed "pattern hog" I felt the need to say that.  I simply used my favorite sock techniques to create these "so not your basic sock" socks.  When knitting with a hand dyed yarn it's all about knowing when to back off and let the yarn itself shine, jingle and two step into the limelight.  Anyone care to do-si-do?  No?  Perhaps after you've had a spiked eggnog or two. Shoes are optional. Especially when you have super cool socks on.

This is just a quick post because I'm hoping to have a Christmas post up before we leave on our Christmas break. But in case that doesn't happen (it requires delicate timing and participation by Steve) and I'm gone until after Christmas I wanted to leave you with a message that I hope will resonate with everyone everywhere no matter what side of the aisle or ocean you are on.  It's a wish for peace on earth and goodwill toward all mankind.

Particulars:  There is no pattern.  I simply used a combination of my favorite sock techniques.  I actually plan on writing up a sock pattern in the Spring so stayed tuned if you are a new sock knitter and are looking for a good basic sock pattern.  I used LYDIA sock yarn; 460 yrds/100g light fingering (75% merino /% nylon) in the colorway "Tis the Season," purchased with a mini contrasting green sock yarn.  I actually have 60 grams of the main color left over which is enough for another pair of socks so long as I use a contrasting cuff, heel, and toe yarn again.  I really enjoyed knitting with this yarn and colorway but recommend that you use a bright contrasting color as I did to bring it to life.

I love knitting socks and this blog abounds with them.  Here's some links to socks previously featured on the blog: Orzivals; Sock Love; Embossed Leaf; Cabled Rib Socks; Knee High Socks; Smaug; Ripple Effect; Kelmscott; Halloween Goth; Monkey Socks; Basket Weave Socks; Dublin Bay; Serpentine Socks; Bird of Paradise socks (featuring Mr. Puffy, bless his heart) and there are others too but this gives a good selection of different patterns.  Of these I believe the Dublin Bay and Orzival are free patterns.

Until next time be well, love well and have a jolly time decorating for the holidays!