in spring a young woman's fancy...

Argh! Blogger ate my photos. Edited to add the photos again.

As spring finally arrives in the chilly Upper Midwest, my "fancy" is turning to spring flowers, bunnies, and farmer's markets. Madison's fabulous, down-to earth farmer's market has spoiled me forever, I'm afraid, but I still enjoy Chicago's Green City Market. It's less genuine and hippie and far more yuppie, and the prices are high, but at least it's organic and mostly local (unlike the other markets in Chicago, which sometimes sell bananas -- the horror!).

I'm knitting up some Saturday Market Bags with stash yarn.

Pattern: Saturday Market Bag, by Jodie Danenberg

Source: formerly Magknits, now available here
Yarn: Cotton-Ease, "lake," less than 1 skein
Needles: US 13 and US 9 straights

Notes: Inspired by Amy's recent Saturday Market Bag over at Good to Be Girl, I followed Disdressed's modifications for making 2 handles. Worked like a charm! Unfortunately, I did not follow Rhonda's mods for knitting it in the round. If you make one, knit it in the round!!! Seaming up the lacy sides is a huge pain. There's no real border, so it's hard to do it neatly. Like Disdressed, I knit the body of the bag in one piece, folding it in half. I thought it would be stronger not to have a big sewn seam across the bottom; however, a nice cast-on or bound-off edge would make one seam across the bottom quite easy and sturdy.

Here's an action shot:
Spring has also put me in the mood for all things twee. I'm in love with the pink, pompom-bedecked slippers I found on clearance at Target:
They're completely over the top. It's hard to find slippers/shoes that fit my ski-like feet. I think I'll go back and pick up a couple more pairs "to spare." Invariably I step in cat barf or spill coffee on my slippers -- they don't last long here. In fact, Kylie puked in my favorite Puma sneakers last week -- now I need to go shoe shopping.

I also picked up buttons for the little green baby sweater:

trains and things

The whole movie thing was no April Fool's Day joke. Seriously, my block was a movie location all last week. I didn't get to see either Johnny Depp or Christian Bale up close (alas!). Instead, I slept poorly all week because a truck with about 5000 cables coming out of it ran all night long directly outside my bedroom window. Sigh...

Here's a pic of a scene they filmed using a vintage (or reproduction?) El car. If you look closely, you can see that the "riders" are actually mannequins dressed in 1930s garb.
Despite spring fever and lots of reading, some knitting has taken place:

Pattern: Cherry Red Handwarmers, by Creativeyarn

Yarn: Jaeger Extra Fine Merino DK (sadly discontinued)
Needles: US 5 Lantern Moon rosewood straights

Notes:

DK-weight is the way to go with this pattern. The pattern's yarn specifications are slightly cryptic, because Creativeyarn lives in Italy and yarn is categorized differently there. The mesh pattern is slightly looser than the ribbing. The ribbing itself is slightly tight on my arms, so I would go up one needle size for the arm ribbing, then stick with the smaller needles for the lace pattern and hand ribbing. I'm a big fan of this yarn; it's too bad that it has been discontinued. It's very springy and soft.

An old FO that never received a proper post:

Not the best photo, I'm afraid, but it's all I have.

Pattern: Easy-and-Elegant Cabled Mittens for the Whole Family, by Marci Richardson
Source: 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders
Yarn: Mountain Colors, Mountain Goat, Lupine
Needles: US 3 bamboo DPNs

Notes:
What a great pattern! It's easy to follow and well-written. Plus it has a wide range of sizes. I had to go down a couple needle sizes, as usual. The yarn was very hard to photograph, and looks much nicer than the photo. The mohair made me itchy and sneezy though, which is a bummer.

Recipe Round-Up
Rave reviews go to:
- Chewy Brownie Peanut Butter Chip Cookies over at Baking Bites
- Lemon Artichoke Pesto, by Kristi over at Fiber Fool
I tossed it with thin spaghetti and served it with grilled chicken breasts seasoned with Penzeys' Trinidad seasoning (a mixture of coarse salt, lemon peel, garlic, clove, and ginger).

Guess what's happening in the back alley tonight?

Universal Studios production trucks and camera crews are lining the streets of my neighborhood, and our back alley is hosting all the action. A couple of handsome devils are involved:

Mmm... Johnny Depp. The movie is Public Enemies.

the big 3-0 + pay it forward

After pre-celebrating with friends over Belgian beer last night, I'm celebrating my 30th birthday today in the best possible way -- relaxing with Paul and the cats, knitting, making soup, and watching the new Sense and Sensibility adaptation on PBS.

The Not-So-Organic Guernsey just needs blocking and the perfect buttons:
The Woodland Scarf is also off the needles; it just needs to have its ends woven in and to be blocked. Unable to carry on without at least one lace project on the needles, I cast on for a Wabenschal while watching Angels & Insects yesterday:
The yarn is Elann's Peruvian Baby Silk, which is OK but not quite as nice to work with as their Peruvian Baby Cashmere. The first corner is done! For a long time I didn't like knitting lace or cables from a chart; now I realize that I'm perfectly happy as long as the chart is very clear, easy-to-read, and uses symbols that make sense. Any recommendations for very clear lace charts?

In honor of my birthday, I'm giving three of you a gift! A while back Peaknit posted about Pay It Forward, and I jumped at the chance because it's such a neat idea:

“The idea of the exchange is I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on this blog post requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”

I can't promise a huge lace shawl or intricate socks, but it will definitely be something that matches your tastes! Leave me a comment if you're interested. U.S. only, please, due to mailing costs and my limited grad student budget.

Spanish Feast

I've spent the afternoon in the kitchen, preparing for an evening of tapas, sangria, and good friends. Snow may be falling outside, but in here it seems a lot more like Spain than Chicago.

Russian Salad

Why this is called Russian, I have no idea. It's a Spanish recipe, through and through. While similar to potato salad, it involves more vegetables and features more complex flavors. If you're pressed for time, you could use mixed vegetable giardinara (probably not the hot version, though). You can add capers, if you like.

~ Serves 8 ~

2 lbs. potatoes (I use Russetts)
2 or 3 large carrots, halved lengthwise and quartered
2/3 C. shelled peas (high quality frozen would be work in a pinch)
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed
1/4 C. chopped Spanish onion
1 large red bell pepper, chopped finely
6 small pickles, diced (I use sweet gherkins)
16 small anchovy-stuffed green olives
1 C. mayonnaise (aioli would be delicious substitute)
1 or 2 hard-cooked eggs, to garnish
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Fill 2 medium-large saucepans with water to boil. Peel the potatoes, slice 3/4" thick. In the first saucepan, boil potatoes until tender. Cool, then dice. I boil these separately since the potatoes generally take longer and are a little trickier to time.

In the 2nd saucepan, boil carrots, peas, and beans until tender. Drain and cool. Dice carrot and cut beans into short pieces

Into a bowl, put potatoes, carrots, peas, and beans. Stir in onion, pepper, pickles, olives and mayonnaise while vegetables are still warm. Refrigerate until chilled. Arrange egg and chopped parsley on top before serving.

The rest of the menu?
- gazpacho
- tortilla with red pepper
- shrimp-stuffed eggs
- an assortment of Spanish cheeses and olives

Sangria

2 x 750 ml bottles of dry red wine (I usually use Cabernet Sauvignon)
6 oz Triple Sec or Cointreau
6 oz fresh-squeezed orange juice
3 oz fresh-squeezed lime or lemon juice (or a combination of the 2)
1/2 C. sugar
---
16 oz. chilled club soda
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
2 limes, sliced

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large pitcher or punch bowl. Sweeten to taste with sugar, stirring well to dissolve. Add half of the citrus fruit slices. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Stir in club soda just before serving. Serve over ice in large glasses, with citrus slices.

sheep and things

This little sheep was knit up during my knitting group's retreat to a cozy inn in Michigan last weekend! We did a sheep KAL, which was fun and inspiring, since the pattern is awfully fiddly and I'm not sure I would have persevered otherwise. Lots of short rows and confusing counting. He still needs one more trip through the washer to close up a hole (where I forgot to trim my yarn end) and reshaping and stuffing. The weekend was filled with knitting, movies, marvelous food, and plenty of wine. :-)

Pattern: Kipling, by Kim at Yarn Abuse
Size: Newborn

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Superwash, Navy, 2 balls
Needles: Knit Picks Harmony US 5 16" circs

Notes (edited to add more info)
Modifications: I modified the pattern in a number of ways, and I'm very happy with the results. My goal was to make the sweater easier and more fun to knit. I knit it in the round from the bottom up. Rather than bulky hems on both the waistband and sleeves, I did 2x2 ribbing. Next time I would go down a needle size for the ribbing. I eliminated the complicated short rows on the sleeve caps. I just picked up 42 stitches evenly around the armhole, starting at the underarm. I placed a marker, then knit in the round, decreasing 1 stitch at each end every 6th row -- following the directions, "Work in stockinette, decreasing every 1 stitch on each side every 6^th row. (K2, K2tog, K to the last 4 stitches, K2tog tbl, K2)". Except I forgot about the "tbl" part, and it still looks fine.

I love the big 1970s-style ribbed collar. A great little knit! The yarn is soft and nice to work with. It stretches a good deal, which is fine for a baby sweater. One ball had LOTS of knots; however, I figure you get what you pay for. It's inexpensive, soft, and machine washable -- perfect for this project. This is my first time using the Harmony needles, and they're fabulous -- nice flexible cord, pointy (but not too pointy) tips, just enough bend.

There's also an Organic Guernsey (by F. Pea) in the works. Once again, I'm using Knit Picks Swish Superwash, in Dublin this time. A great color for this time of year!

A bonus shot of Kylie's enormous tummy! When we adopted her, she was a VERY LARGE girl (with a very petite frame). She has slimmed down quite a bit, but is still not exactly svelte.
Still waiting for official results on my last prelim exam, but my adviser unofficially gave me good news already. Huzzah, huzzah!

plenty of fish in the sea

One of my dearest friends is expecting a little boy next month, and my knitting group joined forces to create this little aquatic number for her:

Tessellating Fish Baby Blanket
Pattern: A Recipe for Fish, with a few modifications
Yarn: Plymouth Encore, worsted, 6 skeins
Gauge: 4 sts/ inch

It turned out so well! Many knitters pitched in to help. Gauge was essential since the fish interlock. Gauge is a harsh mistress, indeed -- people used between size 8 and size 10.5 needles! Since I was crazy with my exams last week, most of the seaming had to wait for last weekend. We had a marathon seaming session on Saturday (6+ hours), and I put in another couple hours on Sunday morning, just in time for the shower. Much fun was had by all; many cupcakes were consumed; and plenty of knitting took place. Sarah has a very nice post about the shower here (plus photos of her sweet dogs).

P.S. Many thanks to everyone for the good-luck wishes on my exams! It's such a relief to be done, though I'm still waiting for the results.

notes from prelim island

1) Why aren't microfleece yoga pants considered regular attire? They're the best part of exam week.

2) Coffee and tea, how I love thee.

3) No knitting makes me a very sad girl.

4) Maybe putting the cats' litter box in the study wasn't such a great idea after all.

I'm hanging in there -- almost done! Hope you're all having a great week.

knitters are the nicest people

Mia, one of the most thoughtful and generous people, made me a gorgeous gift -- a Clapotis! It's so soft and warm and wonderful -- the silk in the Lion & Lamb just makes it glow. It is going to keep me cozy while I write my prelim all next week.
Not only did she knit me a Clapotis, she sent me a care package with hot cocoa, Prince of Peace ginger and honey drink crystals (delicious! If you like crystallized ginger, you need to find this), some of the best chocolate I've ever tasted (Noi Sirius from Iceland), and a bunch of books.
Mia's a big reader, as am I , and our tastes overlap but aren't exactly the same. So we've been exchanging boxes of books and broadening our reading horizons.

Thanks again, Mia!

two socks...

but not a pair!

Dragonfly Socks, by Jocelyn Sertich

Fleece Artist Basic Merino Sock Yarn ~ Mahogany-------------------------

Little Shell Socks, by Judy Sumner
Sundra Sock Yarn ~ Dahlia (Petals Collection)

--------------------

Katherine drew my name in her 4th blogiversary celebration, and she sent me the nicest parcel. Katherine always seems so genuine in her blog -- funny, down-to-earth, and, wow, does she knit some beautiful things (like Mr. Bluejeans!). She must be a mind reader -- these are some of my absolute favorite things, and they will help me make it through this last round of prelims next week. Fancy chocolate, a trip to Starbucks, a cute hat pattern, and gorgeous yarn handpainted in Colorado -- Lonesome Stone Mountain Foot in High Country Vineyard.

Thank you , Katherine!

in which Old Man Winter smites me

Everyone's been talking about the winter blahs lately. Not me! I never fail to chime in annoyingly and admit to liking winter. Well, Jack Frost had his revenge this weekend...

The Madison mini-break was for the most part quite pleasant. A couple exceptions:
1) The state high school wrestling tournament swarmed downtown on Saturday. Not exactly my scene...

2) While heading into the Borders on Midvale Blvd., I was hit by a giant icicle that fell off the roof. Talk about a nasty winter surprise! Very sudden and quite painful. I have a giant goose egg now, but no concussion, and no blood, so I consider myself lucky.

I finished the back of my cowlneck sweater on the road to Madison. Mmmmmalabrigo, of course ("violetas"). I tried using this yarn for Mr. Greenjeans and wasn't happy with it at that gauge, so I switched patterns. A Mr. Greenjeans is still in the queue (in green Cascade 220).

Sarah kindly gave me this beautiful Plucky Knitter cashmere 2-ply laceweight that was too hopelessly tangled for her to sell. Well, my many hours of patient untangling are paying off. The yarn is so soft and lovely, and the colorway is subtle and classy. I think it's "Dark Day"? The pattern is the Woodland Shawl, by Nikol Lohr (AKA the Thrifty Knitter). I'm very happy with this combination of pattern and yarn. I told Paul that cashmere pajamas sound like a wonderful idea. A little overboard, I suppose?

Something insipid this way comes...

Why, oh why, is PBS pushing this on their website?

Jane Austen was one of the greatest English novelists in history. Despite a rather sheltered life, she was able to capture the subtleties of human interaction so perfectly that her novels continue to be immensely popular to this day. This 5-1/4" tall, hard vinyl action figure comes with a book (Pride & Prejudice) and a writing desk with removable quill pen!

Aren't the Masterpiece introductions by Gillian Anderson lame enough? Sigh...

relishing the red

Roses from my sweetie

Cheery red mittens
Pattern: Basic Mittens from Knitting for Peace
Yarn: Rowan Kid Classic
Needles: Brittany birch US 6 DPNs

Madison, where we're going for a mini-break next weekend
Red Pepper Relish
(slightly adapted from Jeanne Lemlin's Main-Course Vegetarian Pleasures)

1 T. olive oil
2 medium onions, finely diced
2 red bell peppers, finely diced
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar (I use a high-quality balsamic vinegar purchased at the Central Market in Florence, Italy)
salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet (preferably one with a lid) over med-high heat. Add onions and saute until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 min.

2. Stir in the red peppers and cook 10 more min., stirring often. Mix in the sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to med., cover the pan, and cook until the mixture is very soft and the juices are somewhat caramelized, about 20 more min. Stir occasionally.

I serve this relish with goat cheese on warm French bread.

more winter highlights

Brr... it's a balmy 1 degree above zero here.

- cozy winter knitting

Pattern: Knitted Kitty, free at Angry T-Rex Roars
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, grey mix and winter white (oddments)
Needles: US 3 for a nice, thick knit so that the stuffing won't leak out
Stuffing: machine-washable fiberfill

Notes: A cute, quick pattern that's fun to knit. I didn't embroider any details on the faces, since it didn't occur to me until after I had stuffed them! It would be much easier to do the embroidery prior to seaming and stuffing.

Kylie Cat giving the kitties the once-over

- a wonderful Hot Cocoa Swap package from Anne
Not only did she knit me a very cute Kate (who is getting along quite well with Capricha)...
she also sent me some beautiful Petunia sock yarn hand-dyed by Bea at Yarn Pig (etsy):
delicious Fair Trade organic cocoa, lots of yummy fancy chocolates, point protectors...and even "hot chocolate" stitch markers!
Many thanks, Anne! You spoiled me marvelously.

- j'aime l'hiver scarves
I'm smitten with this scarf made by Lulette. I was tipped off to this web shop by Emily at (Inside A Black Apple). All the scarves are knit right here in the midwest. Too cute!

soup for a cold winter's day

Most of the time I like winter quite well; however, this past week has tried even my patience with Old Man Winter. The final straws: (1) getting the car out of the craggy, slippery, icy terrain of Lakeview's side streets, and (2) navigating Chicago's many dangerous potholes. Specsknits' "Things I like about winter" inspired me to make no less than three batches of soup in the past week.

The best recipe of the lot pairs carrots and coriander, a match made in heaven. The key is to use real carrots, not the tasteless, awful little "baby" carrots. Yes, peeling them is a pain, but they have so much more flavor.

Carrot & Coriander Soup

slightly adapted from Debra Mayhew's Cook's Encyclopedia of Soup

Serves 4-6

4 T. butter
3 leeks, sliced
3 C. sliced carrots
1 T. ground coriander
5 C. chicken stock (I use Better Than Bouillon's organic chicken)
2/3 C. Greek-style plain yogurt, non-fat, divided (you can substitute regular plain yogurt)
salt (if desired) and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 T. chopped cilantro, for garnish

1. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the leeks and carrots and stir well. Cover and cook for 10 min. until the veggies begin to soften.

2. Stir in the coriander and cook for 1 min. Add the stock. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 min. or until the leeks and carrots are tender.

3. Puree with immersion blender until almost smooth. [If you don't have an immersion blender, let the soup cool a bit, then puree in a regular blender.] Add 2 T. yogurt. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning (salt & pepper). Reheat slowly. Do not boil.

4. Ladle into bowls and place a dollop of yogurt in the center of each. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve.

* best served with warm, crusty sourdough bread *
______________________________________________________

I have an awfully hard time with food photography. Styling is a challenge, but the real problem for me is lighting. Any tips? I generally cook in the evening, and my Pentax Optio's flash just isn't up for the task. It would be nice to include photos with more of my posted recipes.

On second thought, it's not just my own photos of food that gross me out. TV commercials tend to be the worst -- they often stir up feelings of revulsion. What makes for good food photos?

another snow day

While I didn't wake up to the winter wonderland that was predicted, plenty of big, wet snowflakes are swirling through the air now. I declared today a snow day and stayed home to read for my exam, grade papers, make soup, and knit. Thank goodness for my trusty space heater... our old radiators barely crank out any heat during the day.
What's this?

Can it be that I'm knitting socks again? The yarn is "Dahlia" by Sundara Yarn, and the pattern is "Little Shell Socks." The color is perfect for the current Project Spectrum theme: fire. Skipping the lace pattern for the foot makes for quick knitting. Note to self: knit some plain stockinette socks for stashbusting purposes. On the subject of socks, I'm absolutely in love with this free pattern that I just discovered via Ravelry.

A wonderful No-More-Humdrum-Mittens Swap parcel from Amy arrived today. What gorgeous mittens! They fit perfectly, and they coordinate beautifully with my black down coat with the pink lining. I'll don them tonight as I brave the snow for my knitting group.
Amy sent many other marvelous goodies, too. Chocolates, candy from Hong Kong, a special edition tea, and some gorgeous yarn from Beaverslide Dry Goods, which I have been dying to try for a long time. The McTaggart Tweed has a soft and fluffy texture, and the colors are beautiful. I'm thinking of a Thorpe hat perhaps? Thanks so much, Amy!
Also, if you're looking for some quick, cute Valentine's gifts to knit, check out the Valentine Mug Cozy from the Classic Elite newsletter.

Third Annual Bloggers’ (Silent) Poetry Reading for the Feast of St. Brigid

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

~A.E. Housman

The latest issue of The New Republic features a piece [subscriber link] by classicist Peter Green. While purporting to be a review of the new collection of A.E. Houseman's letters, "The Land of Lost Content" is a thoughtful look at A.E. Housman as poet, classical scholar, and extremely private person.

Utopia

Phew... life seems awfully busy all of a sudden. My last prelim exam (of 5) is scheduled for early March. So much reading to do... I've still been knitting, though. :-)

Pattern: Utopia Hat, by S.M. Kahn
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, denim mix, less than 1 ball
Needles: US 5 16" circs

Since I am a l-o-o-s-e knitter, Size 5 needles were a good choice for a medium-sized adult head. It's nice and stretchy. For Paul, using 6s would be perfect. I mostly followed Susan's modifications, except for 1.5 inches of ribbing, then I didn't quite finish the 4th repeat of the upper stitch pattern.

While the marled blue yarn may not do the cables justice, I am so pleased to be blowing through my Patons merino wool stash. All these hats have been awesome stashbusters. I like knitting with the Patons, so I used to impulsively pick some up when it was on super-sale. Unfortunately it doesn't wear all that well.

Last weekend Paul and I made an old favorite recipe, Thai pizza. It's far superior to the rather bland CPK version. I usually make the sauce from scratch, but cheat and use bread dough for the crust. The pizza's best with a bready, hand-tossed style crust rather than a thin crust.

Thai Pizza

Makes 2 pizzas; serves 8

Sauce (see variation below):
1 tsp canola or olive oil
2 tsp. red curry paste
2 T. brown sugar
13 oz. light coconut milk
1 tsp. dried lemon grass (optional)
juice and grated peel of 1 lime
4 tsp. cornstarch
a little water
3/4 C. creamy peanut butter
4 tsp. fish sauce (AKA nam pla)

Pizza:
2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
a little olive or canola oil
2 loaves Rhodes white bread dough, thawed (OR your favorite recipe for pizza dough)
1.25 - 2 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded (depending on how much you like cheese)
1 or 2 medium carrots, julienned or grated
1 C. bean sprouts
5 scallions, thinly sliced on the angle
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped

Make Sauce:
1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry paste and stir through. Stir in the brown sugar and mix well. Add the coconut milk, lemon grass, and lime juice and peel. Bring to a boil

2. Make a paste of the cornstarch with a little water. Stir into the sauce to thicken slightly. Strain this mixture, then add the peanut butter and the fish sauce. Set aside to cool.
----

3. Trim chicken; slice thinly, then cut into 1-2"pieces. Heat a little oil in a skillet (optional); add chicken; saute and add a little peanut sauce.

4. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Form each loaf of bread dough into a crust on a cookie sheet. Cover the crusts with sauce, leaving a 3/4" border around the edge of the dough. Add chicken, carrot, bean sprouts, and scallions. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Sprinkle cilantro over the cheese.

5. Bake for 10 min. Pizza should be golden brown when done.

Sauce Variation:
When I'm feeling lazy, I sometimes use a whole package of Taste of Thai peanut sauce mix (requires 1 can of coconut milk, light or regular).

Follow package directions, EXCEPT:
While cooking the sauce, add:
- a little red curry paste
- a bit of dried lemongrass

At the end, stir in:
- 2 tsp. lime juice
- fish sauce, to taste (maybe 1-2 tsp? I love fish sauce, so I add more)

--------------

Fun fact:
The Romans were absolutely nuts about fish sauce, which they called garum. See here to learn how to make fish sauce in the ancient way.

Le Slouch, L'Ugh

Great texture and color, but not flattering at all. It's destined for the frog pond, as I would love to use this yarn (Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed) for something else.

A trio of hats in the works for my family:
They all requested hats for Christmas, but then promptly decided to buy new coats. So they're getting Valentine's Day hats instead. The dark blue one is my Windy City Hat pattern, which I will share on my blog soon. I just need to futz with the instructions for decreases a bit more.

Leah at Between Stupid & Clever (fellow music lover, foodie, and Dr. Who fan) brightened my morning with a "You Make My Day" award. Have you seen her gorgeous pattern, the Loop Shawl, in Sensual Knits yet? I just need to pick a yarn for it.
Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times.

There are so many wonderful knitbloggers who inspire me every day. Honestly, every blog I read makes my day a little brighter. But here are 10:

Micki at A Thing for String --- Fabulous sock and a great eye for color
Bobbi at Krafty 1 -- I love her stash-busting "stash bucket"
Mia at Knit & Play with Fire -- More wonderful socks; awesome swapper!
Melissa at Indigo Mouse -- Have you seen her Autumn Rose? Breathtaking.
Melissa at Owl & Acorn -- Her knits always have a great touch of whimsy
Nicole at Cocoknits -- Another person with marvelous color sense
Sarah at Comfort Sphere -- Fellow Jane Austen fan and Chicago knitter!
Heather at The ADD Knitter -- Great combinations of color and texture
Sarah at Blue Garter -- Fabulous designs, especially the ones with historical and literary inspiration
Christy at Neither Hip Nor Funky -- Lots of tweedy, orangey goodness

IK spring preview

The Interweave Knits spring preview is up! My favs? The Narnia White Witch Mitts and the Flutter Sleeve Cardigan. Since I'm not a huge fan of knitting with cotton, linen, or silk, the spring and summer issues are generally not my favorites.

ETA: The Knitty Winter Surprises are up, too.

Here's a hearty and delicious quick bread recipe, slightly modified from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. A thin slice spread with low-fat cream cheese makes a perfect breakfast.

Brown Bread

1 C. whole wheat flour
1 C. cornmeal
1 C. all-purpose flour (unbleached)
1 C. raisins
1/4 C. brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. allspice
----------------
2 C. buttermilk
1/2 C. molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 8-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients listed above the line Add the buttermilk and molasses. Stir just until a batter forms. Pour into loaf pans. Bake 40-45 min., until the loaves are firm and begin to pull away from the sides of the pans. Cool in the pans for 15 min.