So, I have two designs squared away and just waiting to be published with Three Irish Girls. It actually feels odd to not have something in the works with them now.
Fortunately, I happen to have a little stash of TIG yarn here and some ideas of what to do with it :). My daughter's birthday is coming up in a month and I owe her a sweater. I have some ideas in mind, now I just need to pick my yarn. I have some pretty Adorn Sock (Roisin, a deep burgundyish color) and some pretty Glenhaven Cashmerino Fingering (Curiouser and Curiouser, a light/medium turquoise) .
I don't know that my soon to be 10 year old will fully appreciate the cashmere. Maybe I should save that for me, you know, since I get it.
I also need to frog a sweater to reclaim the cashmere, so that's another reason to use the Adorn for her. My design attempt there didn't go as well as I had hoped, the whole 'I'll just start knitting and figure it out as I go along' approach isn't really the best. Lesson learned, I know better now. I still love the concept of that sweater though, and I think I will do a child's version of it sometime this year.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
It's a zipper. And it's not the boss of me.
My oldest son is very patient. Very, very patient. He turned 8 in November and one of the gifts he received was a bag of yarn with the promise that I would knit him a sweater.
He was very excited and started thinking about what kind of sweater he wanted. He didn't want a pullover, had to be a cardigan - easy. Had to have a hood - okay. I had to make it up instead of following a pattern (he had seen me go through the whole pattern process with my first design) - more work, but well worth it. It had to zip, no buttons - aaaaaahhhh!
I have sewn zippers into garments before, it's not that big of a deal. It's not my favorite, but I can do it and do it decently. the though of putting a zipper into my knitting makes me hyperventilate. What if I mess up and need to rip it out and try again? With fabric, that's a pain, but not a huge deal. With a handknit, I have visions of it taking me days to pick all the thread out of the knitting.
One possible solution was this idea, where you create live loops of yarn on the zipper tape and then work it into your knitting. Awesome! I love this idea and it makes perfect sense - up until the part where it tells you to work it into your knitting. How? I poked around the internet and found some vague answers, but if I am going to spend hours doing this, I want some step by step instructions to hold my hand all the way through.
So I find myself back at square one. I'm still scared to pull out the sewing machine and have a go, but this zipper will not beat me. I will sew it in.
By hand.
He was very excited and started thinking about what kind of sweater he wanted. He didn't want a pullover, had to be a cardigan - easy. Had to have a hood - okay. I had to make it up instead of following a pattern (he had seen me go through the whole pattern process with my first design) - more work, but well worth it. It had to zip, no buttons - aaaaaahhhh!
I have sewn zippers into garments before, it's not that big of a deal. It's not my favorite, but I can do it and do it decently. the though of putting a zipper into my knitting makes me hyperventilate. What if I mess up and need to rip it out and try again? With fabric, that's a pain, but not a huge deal. With a handknit, I have visions of it taking me days to pick all the thread out of the knitting.
One possible solution was this idea, where you create live loops of yarn on the zipper tape and then work it into your knitting. Awesome! I love this idea and it makes perfect sense - up until the part where it tells you to work it into your knitting. How? I poked around the internet and found some vague answers, but if I am going to spend hours doing this, I want some step by step instructions to hold my hand all the way through.
So I find myself back at square one. I'm still scared to pull out the sewing machine and have a go, but this zipper will not beat me. I will sew it in.
By hand.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Cleaning - a.k.a my nemesis
I love lots of things. You could probably guess some of them, like knitting and baking, but I also love warm socks, reading, Downton Abbey, and baby snuggling. I had to borrow a baby to snuggle today since mine is closing in on two fast.
There is something that I spend a lot of time doing that keeps me from all of those things. That is cleaning. It's no fun, has too be repeated all too often, and I never feel like it's done. Probably because it isn't, at least not at my house. I claim victory if the dishes are semi caught up and there are less than two loads of laundry either waiting to go into the washer or waiting to be folded and put away. Since that constitutes victory, and I swear that takes way too much time to achieve, you could assume (correctly) that I don't often get past the point of victory to do things like super duper scrub the tub or the baseboards or anything. I actually never knew that I was supposed to clean baseboards until I followed (okay, followed may not be entirely accurate, but I did the first day and diligently read all the others) a series on Money Saving Mom.
I would love it if those things were done. A lot. But I don't want to be the one to do them and we aren't in the position to hire someone to do it, so here I sit, with everything a fraction of the clean I would like it to be. Someday I would love to have the time and energy to tackle it. That day is not today.
I cleaned my kitchen counter very nicely today (as it always is whenever I bake, that always provides a good incentive to clean the kitchen) and there is bread waiting to go into the oven. My latest sweater is waiting patiently in a bag next to my knitting chair for whenever I get a chance to work on it. Most likely that won't be until after the kids are in bed, but I'll get there.
There is something that I spend a lot of time doing that keeps me from all of those things. That is cleaning. It's no fun, has too be repeated all too often, and I never feel like it's done. Probably because it isn't, at least not at my house. I claim victory if the dishes are semi caught up and there are less than two loads of laundry either waiting to go into the washer or waiting to be folded and put away. Since that constitutes victory, and I swear that takes way too much time to achieve, you could assume (correctly) that I don't often get past the point of victory to do things like super duper scrub the tub or the baseboards or anything. I actually never knew that I was supposed to clean baseboards until I followed (okay, followed may not be entirely accurate, but I did the first day and diligently read all the others) a series on Money Saving Mom.
I would love it if those things were done. A lot. But I don't want to be the one to do them and we aren't in the position to hire someone to do it, so here I sit, with everything a fraction of the clean I would like it to be. Someday I would love to have the time and energy to tackle it. That day is not today.
I cleaned my kitchen counter very nicely today (as it always is whenever I bake, that always provides a good incentive to clean the kitchen) and there is bread waiting to go into the oven. My latest sweater is waiting patiently in a bag next to my knitting chair for whenever I get a chance to work on it. Most likely that won't be until after the kids are in bed, but I'll get there.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Knitting? Check. Baking? Check? *LOVE*
Today has been good and bad. The bad would be a dog managing to track in something unpleasant from outside on her paw(despite it being about 10 degrees BELOW 0, it was impressive). That was no fun to discover or to clean up.
The good? The knitting and baking of course :)! I just started a new sweater the other day and I am really looking forward to having it done so I can wear it every day. Seriously, I think I will live in this sweater. For one thing, it is knit in Three Irish Girls Glenhaven Cashmerino - which might just be heaven in yarn form. For another it is a super pretty purple - Enna. To top off the awesomeness, I give you the pattern - Ease by Alicia Plummer. It is the ultimate comfy everyday sweater. I feel warm just looking at it!
Up for baking today is bread. Well, bread and rolls. Or maybe just rolls, I haven't totally decided yet. My kids have a love for rolls that seems to know no bounds. I have an hour or so before I need to shape the dough for it's second rise, so I can still be indecisive. I am tweaking a recipe that I've adapted from Peter Reinhart from his book Bread Baker's Apprentice
. I've got it at 50/50 white and white whole wheat right now and it's yummy. Once I have it all figured out, I will share it. Until then, I will have to sacrifice and continually test fresh homemade bread. Someone has to, right?
The link above for the cookbook is a referral link.
The good? The knitting and baking of course :)! I just started a new sweater the other day and I am really looking forward to having it done so I can wear it every day. Seriously, I think I will live in this sweater. For one thing, it is knit in Three Irish Girls Glenhaven Cashmerino - which might just be heaven in yarn form. For another it is a super pretty purple - Enna. To top off the awesomeness, I give you the pattern - Ease by Alicia Plummer. It is the ultimate comfy everyday sweater. I feel warm just looking at it!
Up for baking today is bread. Well, bread and rolls. Or maybe just rolls, I haven't totally decided yet. My kids have a love for rolls that seems to know no bounds. I have an hour or so before I need to shape the dough for it's second rise, so I can still be indecisive. I am tweaking a recipe that I've adapted from Peter Reinhart from his book Bread Baker's Apprentice
. I've got it at 50/50 white and white whole wheat right now and it's yummy. Once I have it all figured out, I will share it. Until then, I will have to sacrifice and continually test fresh homemade bread. Someone has to, right?
The link above for the cookbook is a referral link.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Another one!
My second pattern officially graduated from the editing process today (huge thanks to my friend Trisha from TAAT Designs for editing)! It was a much simpler pattern than the first (which I hope to be able to share soon!), but I am still thrilled that it has come together.
I don't have any firm release details, but I can say that there is beauty in simplicity, in letting the yarn shine as the star. Especially when you are working with gorgeous yarn from Three Irish Girls.
So called 'mindless knits' have their place in many knitters' lives, I know they do in mine. As you knit something simple, your mind is freed up for mental multitasking or meditating or praying or listening. Or for a rest from everything and a chance to enjoy the peace.
I remember reading something from the Yarn Harlot once that has stuck with me - she wrote that a child wearing a handknit garment was like a message to all saying "This child is loved". There is love in every stitch and that makes it special.
I don't have any firm release details, but I can say that there is beauty in simplicity, in letting the yarn shine as the star. Especially when you are working with gorgeous yarn from Three Irish Girls.
So called 'mindless knits' have their place in many knitters' lives, I know they do in mine. As you knit something simple, your mind is freed up for mental multitasking or meditating or praying or listening. Or for a rest from everything and a chance to enjoy the peace.
I remember reading something from the Yarn Harlot once that has stuck with me - she wrote that a child wearing a handknit garment was like a message to all saying "This child is loved". There is love in every stitch and that makes it special.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Knit, Bake, LOVE!
This is the season for the things that I love to do the most. Fall weather just screams baked goods and handknits to me. Sure, I knit my way through the summer, doing sweaters even (fingering weight ones), but the baking really fell off. Truth be told it's been off for a long time, something about doing it as your job can put you off doing it at home too, and it hasn't come back much in the time since I quit.
I have baked since I was old enough to be trusted with the oven. I mostly baked sweet stuff, since that is so much fun to 'quality control'. I learned early on to ask my dad if I could bake; his answer was never no. Mom would always ask things like "Didn't you just make brownies? Do we really need cookies too?" and "Are you going to clean up afterwards?" I totally get where she was coming from now, I would be asking the same ones, but then it was so much easier to just ask dad....
The most likely things to come out of my oven these days are scones, muffins, or cookies. Still the sweet stuff. I get a kick out of the fact that my 5 year old will request scones. Chocolate chip ones, but still. Muffins are another go-to around here when the baking mojo is with me. I have one recipe that I memorized a long time ago after making it dozens of times. It can become chocolate chip muffins as easily as it can become the brown sugar and cinnamon that I made this morning. Gotta love quick, easy and yummy!
I'm hoping to jump back onto the bread making bandwagon soon, there is nothing quite like bread fresh out of the oven with a little butter on it. I'll have to wrestle the kids for it, and make about three times what I need so that I have some left for sandwiches or another snacktime, but it will be worth it.
To fall, when my loves shine :).
I have baked since I was old enough to be trusted with the oven. I mostly baked sweet stuff, since that is so much fun to 'quality control'. I learned early on to ask my dad if I could bake; his answer was never no. Mom would always ask things like "Didn't you just make brownies? Do we really need cookies too?" and "Are you going to clean up afterwards?" I totally get where she was coming from now, I would be asking the same ones, but then it was so much easier to just ask dad....
The most likely things to come out of my oven these days are scones, muffins, or cookies. Still the sweet stuff. I get a kick out of the fact that my 5 year old will request scones. Chocolate chip ones, but still. Muffins are another go-to around here when the baking mojo is with me. I have one recipe that I memorized a long time ago after making it dozens of times. It can become chocolate chip muffins as easily as it can become the brown sugar and cinnamon that I made this morning. Gotta love quick, easy and yummy!
I'm hoping to jump back onto the bread making bandwagon soon, there is nothing quite like bread fresh out of the oven with a little butter on it. I'll have to wrestle the kids for it, and make about three times what I need so that I have some left for sandwiches or another snacktime, but it will be worth it.
To fall, when my loves shine :).
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Mmmmmm Scones
Chocolate Chip Scones
4c flour (or 1lb 4oz - I prefer to measure this by weight since it's more accurate)
3T sugar
4t baking powder
1/2t salt
1/2t cream of tartar
1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg, separated
1 1/2c non dairy creamer
1c mini chocolate chips (you could use regular, but the minis disperse oh so nicely throughout the scones)
Raw Sugar or crystal sugar
In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Cut the butter pieces into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two knives.
In a small bowl (or the liquid measuring cup where you have measured your creamer), combine the non dairy creamer with the egg yolk.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Turn dough out onto a floured counter and knead about 10 times. Divide dough in half and shape each piece into a circle about an inch thick (7-8 inches across). Cut each circle into 8 wedges.
Brush scones with egg white and sprinkle the sugar on top. Any chunky type sugar will do, it adds a lot to the scones.
Bake at 425 for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy some and then hide a few from your family or else they will eat them all.
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