snow day

My wish for a snow day was most certainly granted! We saw about 20" of fluffy white stuff overnight on Tuesday, plus gale-force winds. 

Home was delightfully warm and cozy. Paul and I braved the snow yesterday to dig out our Jeeps and go for a walk.  I even made a snow angel! We also managed to find a pizzeria that was open (Frasca) and met up with a friend for a yummy dinner.

Being snowed in has made for plenty of knitting time. On the February Finishing Frenzy front, here's a little Tomten jacket that I started back in May 2010. I had run out of yarn (par for the course chez Caffeinated Yarn) and hadn't bothered to pick it back up after more Knit Picks Swish DK arrived.  One sleeve to go!

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In addition to my virtuous work on the Tomten jacket, I also knit a wee little baby cap:

pattern: Baby Sheep Hat, by Melissa Burt of Indigo Mouse

yarn: Elann Peruvian Luxury Merino Superwash (DK)

needles: Clover US 5 bamboo 16" circs

my ravelry project page

notes:

Easy, cute little pattern!  This was my first time actually completing a colorwork project (don't remind me about the two or three forlorn mitten projects languishing in a knitting basket somewhere), and my first time doing duplicate stitch. Surprisingly the colorwork wasn't bad at all (perhaps because I wasn't knitting at a tight gauge on DPNs as with the mittens?); the duplicate stitch was more of a challenge.  Now to decide whether or not to add a fluffy white pompom!  Note to self: use size 6 needles next time, as it truly is a tiny little hat. I most definitely want to knit a coordinating sheep yoke baby cardigan.

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in other news...

- The spring issue of Knitcircus is up! I was especially impressed by the book reviews.

- Use the force, Luke:

the best of what's around

on the needles

In a fit of whimsy I cast on for my Oatmeal Pullover on Thursday. Inspired by Amanda Soule's gorgeous version, I'm using Quince & Co. Puffin in Bird's Egg. It's one of my all-time favorite colors, and the yarn is rustic yet cushy --  "a faux singles composed of two barely twisted strands of fiber that have been plied together into what appears to be a singles," according to Knitter's review guru Clara Parkes. So far it's knitting up very quickly! It may be a bit too bulky to be flattering, but I think I'll be happy just wearing it around home while curling up with a book or typing away at my Mac.

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in the kitchen

I used Williams-Sonoma store credit to buy an ice cream maker last weekend, and yesterday was the trial run! I made a super-basic vanilla ice cream from the Cuisinart manual and then sprinkled in some mint chips and mini chocolate chips near the end of the churning cycle. Yum! You can really taste the vanilla goodness. I did leave the ice cream in the freezer overnight to solidify a bit more -- straight out of the ice cream maker it was still a bit too soupy for my taste.

I'm really excited about trying creative pairings -- cheesecake ice cream, brown sugar-sour cream, goat cheese-fig, lime-basil sorbet, etc.  Jeni (of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams fame) has a cookbook in the works that sounds awesome. Anyone have recipe recommendations?

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on the tube

Downton Abbey is coming to Masterpiece Theatre tonight. Hooray!

shalom

Last Saturday started off perfectly with a trip to Chicago's Green City Market. Berry season is in full force. When Paul admitted that he'd never tasted a black raspberry, I was flabbergasted.
Not only did we eat 1/2 a pint immediately upon returning home, I turned the rest into a (Black) Raspberry Buttermilk Cake. The Kitchen Aid's virgin run was a success, though using it feels like cheating. Monsieur Kitchen Aid just churns away and does most of the work for you. I'm pretty sure my arm muscles will now turn to limp noodles as a result.

The cake was good -- not too sweet, nice and moist, plenty of complexity from the tart berries and lemon zest. That said, it's really more of a coffeecake than a dessert-type cake.

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On the topic of new things, I did something rather wild in our new place. I threw caution to the wind and did NOT paint our bedroom blue. Shocking, I know, but the whole open living/dining area was already a peaceful shade of light blue, and it opens into our bedroom. So more light blue could have been overkill.

We went with Behr Premium Plus Ultra ("paint and primer in one") in Sliced Cucumber, a very "Martha" shade. I wasn't that impressed with the paint -- it still took two coats plus a good amount of touch-up work, and it didn't seem to want to stick to the wall. That said, painting conditions were less than ideal, as it was super humid (and we were working at night part of the time). In retrospect, I probably should have manned up and done a third coat.

Doesn't Kylie look alert and kittenish in this picture? My ferocious old biddy is mellowing as she reaches 15 years.

Wonder of all wonders, I trimmed almost all of her claws over the weekend! The girls' previous owners had never bothered, and the cats were resistant to it when we first adopted them, so I gave up. But now we have a whole lower level of brand new carpeting, and I thought it was time. Oddly enough, Kylie (the fierce one) minds it less than sweet Capricha, who's generally good natured and friendly.

And the knitting in the background?
A Shalom (with sleeves) for my mom, knit in a discontinued shade of Cascade Eco +. SouleMama just knit a second one that's even more beautiful than her first one, and I couldn't resist the pattern any longer.

A parting shot of my kitters, curled up in a sunbeam:

shalom, indeed

languish no longer, my pretties!

My March and April knitting has consisted of finishing up a bunch of old projects that have been languishing far too long. It doesn't make for the most fun knitting (or blogging, for that matter), but it's great to get these things off the needles and get my knitting corner organized for our upcoming move.

Case in point: an Easy Peasy Squares Baby Blanket. I finally ordered one last skein of yarn to finish this up!

Pattern: Easy Peasy Squares Baby Blanket, by Kelly McCraw ~ on ravelry
Yarn: Missions Falls 1824 wool, 7 skeins ~ cornflower
Needles: Clover US 10 bamboo circular

Notes:
Easy pattern, great squooshy yarn! I tweaked the numbers and pattern repeats a bit. The garter stitch edging does pull in a bit, but blocking helps. I think "cornflower" is a misnomer for this color. A real cornflower looks like this:
Curious... Then again, my color knowledge is largely based upon the giant Crayola boxes of my childhood, so what do I know. Crayola is most definitely a significant cultural phenomenon, though, as otherwise millions would have no idea what "burnt sienna" looks like.

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Blue-green hues are really rocking my world lately, though, as I've also cast on for a Buttercup top in this shade of Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy:

It doesn't look too much yet, as it's knit on size 4 needles, and I can't overdo it since the hemp/cotton/modal blend is a little tough on the hands and wrists!

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Also in the "finish the frack up department"...

I'm following this tutorial to apply an i-cord border to another baby blanket that has been languishing for months, waiting for just this very step.
It went very well on the bound-off edge, but working on the next side is making me crazy! Also, it would have been wise to go up a needle size or two for the edging. Keeping it loose prevents the edging from pulling too much.

something old, something new...

something old

I dug Liesl out of the dark corner where she had been hibernating, and knit the sleeves last week! What's left to do now is reinforce the neckline with single crochet, which actually has me a bit nervous. I may rip out the body's hem and add the last 2/3 ball of yarn after I finish the crochet reinforcement. A little extra length might be nice, but we'll see... just finishing this up may prove miraculous enough! It has been on the needles for something like 2 years. The yarn is Debbie Bliss' Alpaca Silk Aran, which makes me a bit itchy and sneezy (sigh), but it's so pretty that I will make it work (a la Tim Gunn).

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something new

I had fallen off the wagon a bit with the 10 Shawls in 2010 challenge. There's nothing like a KAL to make me want to head off in a completely different direction! Those minor rebellions...

Anyway, I'm working on a new shawlette pattern, Verdaia, and I'm just loving it.
The yarn is Knit Picks Gloss Sock in the (sadly discontinued) Pumpkin colorway. The pattern is intuitive, and the charts are very clear. I didn't love the cast-on method, I will admit. I'm doing 3 repeats of Chart 2 rather than 2. This time I actually have plenty of extra yarn, so there's no chance of running out! The pattern requires some pretty serious blocking, so in the end it should look much less ribbed and smooshed.

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something both new and blue

We're moving next month, and I'm ever so excited! We're bidding adieu to Lakeview after five great years and heading to Ravenswood Manor, a charming neighborhood along the North Branch of the Chicago River. It's close to Lincoln Square, the most "Wisconsin" part of Chicago, complete with German bars, Gene's Sausage Shop, the Old Town School of Folk Music, coffeeshops, all sorts of good things.

Our new living room:
I'm busy contemplating paint colors for other rooms, though we're keeping the light blue in the living room, of course, because blue is the best color. ;-)

revisiting

I'll make up for yesterday's brief, drive-by post with a bit more substance today.

1) Francis Revisited ~ off the needles, onto me

Pattern: Francis Revisited, by Beth Silverstein (free!)
Yarn: Cascade EcoWool, "Latte," 2 skeins
Needles: US 9 and 6 bamboo circs

Notes: Super easy and unbelievably quick to knit. I actually used less yarn than the pattern recommended -- 2 skeins for a custom size somewhere between xl and xxl. I did not make it as long as the pattern said, and it actually might have been nice to do another inch or two on the body. The bell sleeves are cute and comfy in real life, but don't photograph terribly well.

The cowl is written the same way for the whole gamut of sizes; if you knit a larger sweater, you may want to add a few more rows and a few more extra stitches. It would be great to use a yarn with a little alpaca or silk for more drape, but it's hard to beat Eco Wool for affordability. The yarn really softened up when washed and blocked; it's no merino, but it's good stuff nonetheless.

2) cable owls ~ still love 'em, this time in squishy "squirrel heather" merino...

Pattern: Owl Tuque, by Barbara Prime
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Bulky, "squirrel heather," 1/2 skein
Needles: US 7 & 8 16" bamboo circs + US 7 Brittany Birch DPNs
Size: 6 months

Notes: Amazingly cute and exceedingly fun to knit. I gave this to a fellow knitter's little guy on Sunday, and it fit great. I love that Barbara Prime worked seed stitch into the hat. Switching to larger needles for the owl section is a very clever move, especially since those cables really do pull in.

This isn't a free pattern -- it's a $2.75 download on Ravelry -- but it's worth every penny. $2 from each pattern sale goes to the Montreal Ecomuseum.

3) Stephen Fry in America
Awesome! I loved Stephen Fry in Jeeves & Wooster and Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (plus he was the only palatable part of V for Vendetta); this 6-part TV series wherein he visits all 50 states does not disappoint. Originally aired in 2008, it's being shown again on HDnet. Two things especially noteworthy: 1) winters in the upper Midwest are apparently a bit too chilly for this Briton, and 2) he actually goes ice-fishing in Minnesota.

4) One Fast Move or I'm Gone
Ben Gibbard & Jay Farrar teamed up to write songs inspired by Jack Kerouac's Big Sur for a new documentary. A little bit of Son Volt-style alt country, Gibbard's wonderful voice, inspiration from Kerouac, what more could you want? Especially if you went through a teenage Beat poetry phase, as I did. You can stream the new album here, from the sidebar of this review. More info here.

Gibbard and Farrar are playing a show at the new Lincoln Hall on Oct. 26. I'm so there! Apparently the makeshift band for this limited tour includes members of Son Volt, Death Cab, and Mountain Goats.

Francis Revisited

Francis Revisited is knitting up oh so quickly! Just the cowl left to go! Great pattern, very easy to follow. I was afraid that the fit wouldn't be very good since all the directions are just so darn simple. My worrying was needless, as it looks good so far, although we'll have to see what blocking does. I know it will grow widthwise. That Eco Wool is great stuff -- affordable, natural, and easy on the hands and wrists. The "Vanilla" shade I used for the Hap Blanket is much softer than the "Mocha" shade here. Curious!

recent reads

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets, by Eva Rice
A charming book about a young woman coming of age in 1950s London. Rock & roll, a moldering estate her family can't afford, a spot of romance... I enjoyed the narrative voice, and the time period was a welcome change. I often read books written during the period between the wars or set during that time.




The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley
Precocious Flavia de Luce (once again growing up in a moldering country estate her family can't afford) finds a man dying in her backyard. She aims to get to the bottom of the case, armed with a keen mind, a penchant for chemistry, and a desire to figure out her father's past.

I highly recommend both!

renegade

and we're not talking about Lorenzo Lamas...
There's still one more day if you haven't been yet! My favorites this year...

- Sofia Masri handmade porcelain jewelry
- Oliba organic soap
- Kitchen Sink Dyeworks yarn
- Nate Duval's prints -- I picked up these two:
Very nice! I only wish I had seen this one at Renegade, too. J'aime le café.

We went to the Wicker Park location of Jerry's for lunch, and it was fabulous -- a dizzying array of delicious vegetarian sandwich combinations. So many veggies and cheeses, YUM!

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I'm missing out on Wisconsin Sheep & Wool this year, as my budget just can't take two big crafty events in one weekend. This is especially sad since I drank our last Spotted Cow (available only in WI) as I typed this post. Stitches Midwest is this weekend, too, but I'm not one for convention centers.

Despite the gorgeous weather, fall is most definitely in the air here. Some trees along Lakeshore Drive are changing color, I had my first pumpkin spice latte of the season this morning, and I cast on for a new sweater:
Francis Revisited (rav), à la Sarah. I just couldn't resist, and the Eco Wool has been hibernating in my stash for a couple of years already. Plus the designer is both a Midwesterner and a grad student, in the humanities, no less. It's good to support our genus. :-)

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Speaking of designs, here's a teaser of a baby sweater design I'm working on. I need to do some tweaking and knit up a second version, so it may be a couple weeks before I release it.

Thanks so much for all the kind comments on my 3rd blogiversary post! The Count (AKA the random number generator) has announced the giveaway winner:

#3

#3 is barefoot rooster! I hope you enjoy the books and other goodies.

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Speaking of goodies, I received the nicest parcel from Mia:
Gorgeous bulky handspun yarn and cute cards from her own photos! Mia's opening up an etsy shop soon, I think. Now to find the perfect pattern to showcase the yarn...

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Jodi and Sarah helped me pick out buttons for my Debbie Bliss drop collar cable jacket at Josephine's Dry Goods in Portland.
I *think* they're going to work out well, but I haven't worked up the courage to sew them on and give this sweater a final blocking yet. The muggy, 100-degree weather isn't exactly putting me in hurry to finish this up.

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Getting ready for Packers season...

A new Packers hat for Paul! Two more to go -- one for me, and one for my BIL.

Pattern: House Hat (beanie)
Source: Charmed Knits by Alison Hansel
Yarn: Cascade 220
Needles: US 4 and 6 Clover bamboo 16" circs; US 6 Brittany birch DPNs

Notes: Great pattern. I used the directions for size small, since I'm a loose knitter, and just knit it a bit longer. The decreases are very nice for a men's hat -- not too frou-frou. I knit the narrow stripes closer to the ribbing than specified.

summertime blues

Some people like knitting socks in the summer since they're so lightweight and portable. Other people prefer lightweight summer tops. Not me -- I'm more of a lace-knitting girl once the temperature goes above 80.* I'm working on a Checkerboard Lace Scarf, a free pattern from the Purl Bee:The yarn is Malabrigo sock in Cote d'Azure. It's lovely to work with, has a gorgeous sheen, and the dark blues are very rich. I'm not sure I'd actually use it for socks.

I made good progress on this scarf while watching The Dark Knight. The best part was seeing Chicago in the film; I'm afraid that it was a bit too yucky for me. I could barely stand to look at either the Joker or Harvey Dent, and spent much of the movie with my eyes glued firmly on my knitting, waiting for Paul to tell me it was safe to look up again. The plot seemed convoluted and awfully long, too, but that may be because I kept glancing away!

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Also in the works...
Paul and I are planning a trip to Portland, Oregon for the end of July. Anyone have any suggestions for Portland favorites? Microbreweries, wineries, yarn shops, gardens, hiking trails, coffeeshops...

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I'm also working on a Sage Remedy Top; I do have a few qualms about this one. This may not be terribly flattering, but I love the feather and fan detail at the neckline. It's very possible it may end up looking like a maternity top. I skipped the ribbing on the bottom and worked a garter edge instead to prevent rolling. I'm using Lorna's Laces Fishermen wool in "denim," which looks much nicer (and less variegated) in real life than in the photo.

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* How's that for a priamel? Here's my favorite priamel, from Sappho 16:

Some men say an army of horse and some men say an army on foot
and some men say an army of ships is the most beautiful thing
on the black earth. But I say it is
what you love.

-- Trans. Anne Carson, If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho

cabling along

Moving along on the Drop Collar Cable Jacket at a fairly brisk clip...
The back and two fronts are all done, and I am zipping along on the first sleeve. The bulky yarn and heavy patterning is hard on the hands and wrists, so I have to take it a little easy. The Beaverslide is wonderfully soft and earthy feeling; one skein had LOTS of knots, though. I was pleased as punch when I remembered about spit-splicing. I've been knitting with too many superwash wools and blends lately -- that "technique" had slipped my mind!

Smitten Kitchen featured this recipe for Raspberry Crumb Breakfast Bars (from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking from the Baked Bakery in Red Hook, Brooklyn) a while back, and I finally got around to trying them. Delicious!
They have a wonderful tart bite to them that goes nicely with rich buttery crumb. The initial post had a typo (250 degrees rather than 350 degrees) that made these a bit of a challenge; the link is to the edited post with the correct temperature. The recipe makes a huge batch -- unless you're baking for a crowd, I recommend making a half recipe and use an 8" x 8" pan.

anticipation

First, the knitting front...

Pattern: Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl, by Sarah Bradberry
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden #269, 4.75 skeins
Needles: US 8

Notes:
I accidentally grabbed size 8 needles instead of 9 when I left for my knitting retreat last month. D'oh! This pattern has more drape when it's knit at a little looser gauge. The subtlety of this natural/white Noro colorway really appeals to me. It does seem a little less soft than my other Silk Garden projects, though.

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I ordered this very cute handcrafted fabric cat basket; as soon as I opened up the package, each cat took a turn in it. Here's Kylie:

Yep, both girls are a little too "robust" for the basket; neither has given it a second try. No matter, I'm repurposing it into a knitting basket:

P.S. That's my Debbie Bliss drop collar cabled jacket in the works. I shouldn't have worried so much about the yarn. The cables are popping quite nicely, and it has a wonderful, nubby, but still soft, texture. Mmmm... Beaverslide.

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I've got an awfully good feeling about this weekend...

- seeing Neko Case at the Chicago Theatre tonight
- walking down the lakeshore to the Green City Market, where Alice Waters (!) has a book signing tomorrow morning
- heading to the 3 Floyds Brewery in Munster, Indiana, for the annual release of their award-winning Dark Lord beer tomorrow afternoon

Hey, it's a pretty good weekend already, as I've already gone for a walk with a friend along Lake Michigan in the sunshine, enjoying this unusually lovely, warm day (80s!). I also got to try out the air conditioning in my new-to-me Jeep -- it actually works! [The Malibu's a/c hasn't worked since 05 -- stupid GM -- I don't really want any taxpayer dollars funding their lemons, although I feel awful for the workers, the state of Michigan, and the related industries. Also, now the Malibu's windshield wipers have gone haywire -- they won't turn off!!!]

Eureka

I think I've found the perfect scarf pattern for knitting night! Whenever I try to knit a complicated lace or cable pattern at knitting night, I invariably have to rip back a row or two after I get home. Dim lighting and good conversation just don't mix well with fancy patterns. The Opera Scarf pattern is free from Blue Sky Alpacas. There's just one pattern row that's quite easy to remember.
I'm using the Plucky Knitter's Merino/Cashmere/Nylon sportweight in "Grace Kelly - Rear Window." I cast on 29 stitches rather than 23 (multiple of 3 + 2), and I'm using US 9 needles.

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Monday's mail included a lovely pay-it-forward parcel from Stacey, AKA Peaknit. The Sweetheart washcloth is so darn cute I'm almost afraid to use it! Susan B. Anderson (a Madisonian) designed this pattern, and my knitting circle is doing another one of her patterns as a KAL at our retreat next month -- Knit Chickens.
And the soap (from the Lippincott Soap Co.) smells heavenly. I love fancy, handmade soap. All the other goodies are marvelous, too. Some of the chocolate has already been consumed (yum!), and stitch markers and lip balm always come in handy. I still have one more pay-it-forward parcel to finish up myself (Melissa @ Owl & Acorn, I'm sorry I'm so slow!).

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The pieces of my Ariosa cardi are all knit up, and I'm blocking them in stages. With any luck I'll seam it up this weekend!
Overall the pattern was easy to knit. The directions for how to do the decreases aren't terribly clear about how to maintain the lace rib pattern, but it wasn't hard to figure out.

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sleepy Capricha and grumpy Kylie