the calm after the storm

Some spring we're having here in Chicago. In the last three days we've seen torrential downpours, thunderstorms, flooding, hail, sleet, and a nice dusting of snow, not to mention a sinkhole that ate three cars. Our neighborhood was lucky enough to have dramatic street geysers, as sewer water surged upward in plumes from manhole covers. Of course, Mother Nature's wrath is nothing compared to the madness and tragedy in Boston this past week.

Today the sun is out, and there are a few signs of spring in the garden (thank goodness).

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My second Wandering the Moor shawl finally received a good blocking.

pattern: Wandering the Moor, by Celeste Glassel

yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, verdigris, 2.85 skeins

needles: Clover US 7 bamboo circs (4.5 mm)

size: large

notes:
The yarn is wonderful, and I love the pattern, but the combination of the two is not my favorite. The yarn has a dry hand, feels very natural, has a nice mixture of rustic and elegant, and the color is simply gorgeous. That said, it feels a little limp knit at this gauge. It may be better suited for sweaters. I also made the large size this time, which was a mistake. Wearing shawlettes as jaunty little scarves is right up my alley; large shawls are sort of lost on me in terms of my wardrobe, even though I love knitting them. So, overall a project that was fun to knit, but not great to wear.

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 I love this photo of Moxie. Doesn't she look feisty? Also, you can see my new antique trestle table in the background. It could use a good refinishing!

birthday, sheep, etc.

Busy, busy around here these days. I celebrated my birthday last week with a lovely afternoon tea with friends. I made Joy the Baker's simple vegan chocolate cake, which was delicious and very easy.

A knitting friend gave me these Lantern Moon sheep stitch markers for my birthday. Super cute!

My latest sheepie find? Cotton poplin PJ pants from Old Navy.

They come in a lovely bright spring green, too, though you may have to hunt them down in stores, since the supply online is woefully depleted (I blame/credit knitters).

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We've been on the road a lot lately -- Milwaukee for Easter and Minneapolis for my mom's birthday have meant plenty of knitting time (though no photography time), but otherwise it has been a whirlwind. I promise knitting photos soon. I just blocked a shawlette, a baby sweater needs some buttons, and I should really take photos of my two latest cardigans, which I've been wearing nonstop.

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We did see a great band at Space in Evanston last week! Hey Marseilles was back in town, and they put on a good show. Very different from last fall at Lincoln Hall, since they've put out a new album since then. Highly recommend! I think they'll be at Lollapalooza this summer.

pop!

I finally started Pop Spots! Holy smokes is this a fun-to-knit pattern. Seeing the blue spots emerge is pretty awesome. You're really only knitting with one color at a time -- you drop stitches and do some fancy maneuvering to turn contrast-color garter stripes into spots that truly do pop. There's a handy tutorial on the Loop website that clarifies how to make these cute little spots.

The only downside is that while I think of ochre and blue as Swedish colors, many other people think of them as University of Michigan colors. Sigh... perhaps not what a proud UW Badger should wear?

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pattern: puerperium cardigan, by Kelly Brooker

yarn: Hazel Knits DK Lively ~ laguna

needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm

size: newborn

my ravelry project page

notes:
Easy, free pattern! I love the construction. I might throw in a few decreases on the arms next time.

Not a huge fan of the yarn, as it has a very tight twist and isn’t terribly pleasant to knit. It does, however, have great sheen and beautiful colors, though, and it blocked quite nicely. The cardigan seems a little big for a newborn, but what do I know!

In my new quest to use more exciting buttons, I went with contrasting bright yellow ones this time. : )

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in the kitchen

Yeah, other people seem to be on the gluten-free bandwagon right now. We, however, are in the midst of carbohydrate fever!

homemade soft pretzels from a Cook's Illustrated recipe. I made these on a baking day with a friend. We ran out of honey, so substituted brown sugar (only 2 T., since we didn't want them too sweet). It worked perfectly and was lots of fun. Oh, one other modification! We did an egg wash (1 egg yolk + 1 T. water, beaten) before sprinkling the pretzels with coarse sea salt. Paul picked up a variety of fancy mustards from Gene's Sausage Shop. Next time I'd make a double batch, since four of us managed to eat pretty much the whole batch.

no-knead bread baked in a Dutch oven. The recipe is awesome and so easy -- I made it a couple of times a few years ago, but the recipe had fallen off my radar somehow.

Oh the bitter winds are coming in

Oh the bitter winds are coming in

And I'm already missing the summer 

Stockholm's cold but I've been told

I was born to endure this kind of weather

A snowy day here in Chicago, and I'm listening to First Aid Kit's "Emmylou," whose lyrics seem awfully appropriate.

Have you heard this song yet? One of my favorites of 2012 -- a Swedish take on Americana, with lyrics like "I'll be your Emmylou and I'll be your June / If you'll be my Gram and my Johnny, too."

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Remember my grousing that the buttons for my Drops cardigan were taking their sweet time getting here? Yeah... I somehow failed to note that they were coming from Slovenia! Considering their origin, they made excellent time, and the Wooden Artist did a beautiful job. The set on the right is destined for this cardigan.

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I'm jonesing to make this adorable bobble sheep pillow from the Purl Bee! (P.S. free pattern here.) I just may have fallen down on my yarn diet and ordered the yarn kit. 

the usual -- cats + knitting

two cats, one heated cat bed in the study

an uneasy alliance

Never mind that there's another heated cat bed in the living room, plus a regular cat bed just a few feet away. Such funny little ladies.

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Remember how I ran out of yarn (one of my usual tricks) while working on Burnett? I actually found a smidge more yarn squirreled away in the storage ottoman by my knitting chair! Just enough to finish it up.

 

pattern: Burnett, by Amanda Keep

yarn: Knit Picks Bare Superwash Merino (worsted weight), 2 skeins

needles: Clover US 6 bamboo circs

size: 9 months

notes:
The directions get a bit confusing once you get to the left front neck, and the pattern requires careful reading. I moved the buttonholes closer to the edge, since I wanted to work a single crochet border around the whole shebang to make it look neater and more finished. I should have worked one more buttonhole at the top. Doh! Also, the sleeves are extremely long -- you are supposed to roll them up, but I think it's a little overboard.

I'm trying to make bolder button choices -- often I use very boring, neutral buttons, when a pop of color really would be a nice finishing touch. I'm so glad I found these cute red buttons -- 5/8” “Colors Favorite Findings” in color no. 2. Very affordable! $.99 for a pkg of 20 at JoAnn.

fo: leafy little buds cardi

I was hoping that my next FO post would be my textured yoke cardi or Aidez, but the buttons for the former haven't arrived in the mail yet (oh, etsy), and the last Aidez sleeve still has four inches to go.

So another wee knit it is! I first spotted this pattern on Posie Gets Cozy.

pattern: little buds, by Karen Borrel

size: 18 months

yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK, 3.3 skeins

needles: Clover US 7 bamboo circs

on ravelry

notes:

Love how soft and cozy the yarn is! Cashmerino makes knitting oodles of garter stitch a delight.
Only one real modification -- I knit the sleeves flat and seamed them. Garter stitch in the round isn’t my favorite, and my gauge changes significantly moving from knitting flat to knitting in the round.

going green

I'm not generally a big fan of change. We had grown pretty attached to our two rugged old Jeeps, zipping across the Upper Midwest for camping trips, Madison farmers' markets, Packers games, and family visits. OK, one doesn't exactly zip around in a Jeep -- they're built for durability and toughing out bad weather, not speed, but we loved them. Plus they're awfully cute.

Gas mileage? Terrible, but we lived with it for a long time, thinking that at least we were re-using an existing car rather than creating more waste. But the Cherokee's repair bills were adding up, and the rusty patches were growing, so it was finally time to bite the bullet.

It was time for something green.

OK, maybe not quite that green -- this is a retrofitted classic car turned EV parked at one of the charging stations at Paul's office. Ours is the cute little blue Nissan Leaf in the background.

I wasn't planning to blog about this, but the recent New York Times article on electric cars in the Netherlands, its review of the Tesla S road trip and subsequent controversy, and President Obama's touting of green energy initiatives in the State of the Union speech made me think it was worth a mention. We love it. Fun to drive, lots of torque so it's peppy, zero emissions, and no trips to the gas station.

There are some downsides, though -- it really helps to have a garage and somewhere to plug in at home. Relying on public charging stations is risky, because the infrastructure just isn't there yet. Cold weather dramatically reduces the battery range -- much more than Nissan admits -- as does driving at freeway speeds. Even in average weather the range is at best around 70 miles. Recharge times are long. This is not a car for road trips. For many people in urban areas, though, this is an excellent second car. Work commutes, errands, and nights out on the town are easy and require no extra planning.

Anyway, I just want to say that there are people in this country who are willing to take a risk on new, green technology and put their money where their mouth is, and we are two of them.

fo: a warm hat for a snowy day

There's nothing like being warm and cozy when winter finally hits! I knit Paul a new hat just in time for snowy weather. Most of the other hats I've knit for him have been worsted-weight, and apparently not quite the ticket for truly frigid days. This one, however, apparently does the trick quite nicely.

pattern: Chunkeanie, by Woolly Wormhead

yarn: Cascade 128 Superwash, lichen (no. 867), 3/4 skein

needles: US 7 Clover bamboo 16" circs and DPNs

size: 21"

my Ravelry project page

notes:
Easy, quick pattern! I apparently don't mind purling in the round one bit. Paul says it's very warm, and he has been wearing it a lot, which is the true proof of a handknit hat.

I made the medium size (21"), but did make it a little bit shorter. The yarn is terrific -- soft and squishy, not itchy at all, and comes in some beautiful heather shades. I'll definitely use it again!

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in the kitchen

We love pizza around here. Neapolitan, Chicago deep dish, even Quad Cities style (malty crust!). I often use store-bought sauce (the horror!) or Heidi's five minute tomato sauce when we make pizza at home, but I've recently discovered the simplicity and terrific flavor and texture of roasted plum tomatoes.

roasted plum tomatoes (for pizza)

8 plum tomatoes, quartered

1 T. olive oil

salt & freshly ground pepper

- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

- Line a 9x12 pan with foil for easy clean-up (if desired) and lightly mist with cooking spray.

- Place the quartered tomatoes in the baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste. Bake for 30 min.; do not stir.

- Remove the baking dish from the oven and mash the tomatoes with a fork, removing the skins as you mash.

- Use the roasted tomatoes as a delicious base for homemade pizza! Any leftovers are very versatile. I tossed the rest of them into a smoked salmon frittata, and it was tasty.

fo: Lillie no. 2

Brrr... it was a balmy zero degrees F when I woke up this morning. While this is pretty standard for a Minnesota winter, it's unusual for Chicago. Frigid temperatures like this often come with beautiful blue skies and sunshine, which I love, and the cold, brisk air is invigorating! The crock pot is cooking away with Skinnytaste's picante chicken and black bean soup. 

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pattern: Lillie Baby Cardigan by Laura Edwards

yarn: Beaverslide Dry Goods Fisherman's Weight 2 Ply, Arrowleaf Balsamroot

0.9 skeins = 189.0 yards

needles: US 9 and US 10

size: 0-3 months

notes:
I absolutely love this Beaverslide yarn. It is super cooshy and cozy, and once you block it, the yarn blooms and becomes fleecy. Downside? It's hand-wash only. I made this a little shorter than the pattern. Also made short sleeves since I didn’t have very much yarn (this is leftover from another project). The buttons are La Mode style no. 29509 / hook 639.

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Seriously, that tiny sweater had been languishing in the knitting basket waiting for buttons for months. Kind of like my Drops cardigan, which had been stranded on sleeve island since October. No longer!

Buttons and blocking, then it's ready to wear! The yoke went very quickly -- the textured stitches were fun to work -- as soon as I tired of the lace pattern, it was time for trinity stitch, and so on...

fo: feather and fan

I'm back on the feather-and-fan bandwagon. It's my favorite stitch pattern, hands down. 

pattern: Lillie Baby Cardigan, by Laura Edwards

yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted, cranberry, 1 skein (225 yds)

needles: Clover US 8 and 9 bamboo circs and DPNs

size: 0-3 months

on ravelry

notes:
Such a sweet little pattern! I used size 8 needles for the stockinette sections and size 9 for the feather-and-fan bits.

Since the finished projects on Ravelry all looked kind of long, I did 8 repeats of the feather-and-fan pattern on the body of the sweater. It might still be kind of long! We'll see how the length looks once it's worn by the intended recipient. : )

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in the kitchen

I'm really enjoying the blog Skinnytaste lately -- some great, easy recipes! A few of our favorites so far:

- avocado egg salad (I skipped the yogurt and used regular mayo, as the light stuff seems kind of creepy)

- crock pot buffalo chicken wraps (added extra Frank's Red Hot, served them on tortillas, and skipped the dressing, using crumbled blue cheese instead)

- crock pot Santa Fe Chicken (substituted fresh garlic and onions for the powdered versions)

clearing the decks

I'm still in the midst of a finishing frenzy. There's going to be a serious FO parade around here as I finish seaming, blocking, sewing on buttons, and the like.

I'm calling this my "virtuous knitting." It's a great feeling to finish things up (though mostly relief and an assuaging of guilt), but really I'm just dying to cast on a new project or two. Or four. 

I'm enamored of this new shawl pattern by JuJuVail -- Pop Spots:

I love the contrast of both color and texture! So pretty.

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in the kitchen

- a delicious quinoa salad recipe from Serious Eats

- Smitten Kitchen's gingerbread spice dutch baby pancake (from her new-ish cookbook, one of my favorite Christmas presents)

- skillet curried vegetables and couscous with almonds 
(adapted from Main Course Vegetarian Pleasures, by Jeanne Lemlin)

serves 4

2 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. red curry paste
dash of cayenne
1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 carrot, very thinly sliced
2 C. tiny broccoli florets
1 small apple, peeled, cored, and cut into1/2-inch dice
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 C. frozen peas, thawed
1/4 C. raisins
1/3 C. sliced almonds
2.5 C. vegetable or chicken stock (I use Better Than Bouillon)
1.5 C. couscous
1/2 tsp. salt

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and paste, and cayenne, and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the red pepper, carrot, broccoli, and 1/4 c. water. Cover the pan and steam the veggies until almost tender, about 3 min.

Mix in the apple, scallions, peas, raisins, and almonds. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous and slat, cover the pan, and remove it from the heat. Let sit for 7 min.

Remove the cover, fluff the couscous with a fork, then cover again. Let sit 2 more min. before serving.

Shalder

I did get to wear my Shalder cardigan up north last autumn, but after a few Flashdance moments, I realized that the neckline was too sloppy and slouchy.

I tried the Yarn Harlot's ingenious method for a crochet edging to stabilize the collar. On my first go I worked the crochet chain through every purl bump. It was firmer, but still too floppy to stay put. Take 2 -- I worked through every other purl bump:

Worked like a charm! The neckline is a little wrinkly as a result, but it looks better on, and it means that I can actually wear the cardigan without constantly fussing with the neckline, so I'm pleased.

The weight of the yarn had been stretching out the neckline, not an uncommon problem, particularly with top-down raglans (which Shalder is not) and sweaters where the collar is worked directly off the live stitches from the body without any seams for support (which is the case here).

I think Shalder has received Sugar's seal of approval.

That Stephanie Pearl Mc-Phee is a genius.

fo: purl bee little baby sweater

I have been on a finishing kick lately, trying to clear the metaphorical knitting deck at the start of the year. Apparently I had squirreled away quite a few baby knits that just need buttons or seaming! I am all set for the next round of baby showers.

pattern: little baby sweater

source: the purl bee

yarn: Kitchen Sink Dyeworks Seacell Merino Fine, Ruthie

needles: Hiya Hiya US 2.5 bamboo circs (3.0 mm)

on ravelry

notes:
I really like this yarn, which is now sadly defunct. The sea cell content gives it a nice sheen. My stitches looked a bit uneven as it knit up, but blocking really helped plump up the stitches and even things out.

The pattern itself, however, made me nuts. It is clever in construction in theory (a la EZ), but overly fiddly in execution. Thank goodness I did a solid color instead of stripes, or it doubtless would still be languishing in knitting limbo. What prompted me to dig it out of ye olde knitting basket was a blog post by Anna Maria Horner (love her cheery colorful fabrics!) that she just learned to knit in 2012 and finished a striped version already. I would not recommend this pattern to a new knitter, but kudos to her! Lots of ends to weave in and seams to sew.

new year, same old tricks

So I started a little baby cardigan to use up some leftover yarn, and lo and behold, I'm running out of yarn. The yarn is Knit Picks Bare Swish Worsted (very squooshy merino, lovely creamy natural color), and the pattern's Burnett, a freebie from Berroco. The directions get a bit confusing once you get to the neck, so the pattern requires careful reading. I moved the buttonholes closer to the edge, as I’m planning to work a single crochet border around the whole shebang (once I get my hands on more yarn).

Moxie does not approve of my careless project planning! There's one New Year's crafty resolution for me -- always check yardage. Luckily it's not a precious or hard-to-find yarn.

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Moxie really enjoyed nestling amongst the Christmas presents, as well as hunting toy mice under the tree. You can spy one more star-crossed slouchy beret in the photo above (Malabrigo in Bobby Blue) -- that makes a total of four SCSBs this Christmas!

A few years ago I knit up a few mini mittens, intending to knit many more and use them on a wreath. Yeah, they're very fiddly to knit, though quite cute, so they languished in ye olde knitting basket. I finally affixed them to a wreath, along with some owl ribbon from World Market. Perhaps I can add a mitten or two each year?

handknit holidays, part II

I'm happy to say good-bye to 2012 and hello to 2013! 2012 was in some ways a hard year, marked by sad losses and bad luck, but it also crystallized how lucky I am to have Paul, sweet new kitties, gainful employment doing something I love, and the freedom to pursue my interests. Here's wishing you and yours a wonderful year of good things and lovely surprises!

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I have been a veritable hat factory over the past few weeks...

a star-crossed slouchy beret for my dearest friend (who has recently started liking blue, or as I call it, "the best color")

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a cozy, slouchy Mmmmmalabrigo hat for me

pattern: a most bespeckled hat, by Alexandra Tinsley

yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted, in Bobby Blue & Natural

needles: US 7 Clover bamboo 16" circ + DPNs

on ravelry

notes:

Quick, fun knit! Some of the floats are a bit long, but Malabrigo is soft, fluffy and forgiving of this.

It is a long hat, and requires a certain positioning to make it look good. I might cut the ribbing down to 3" next time. Lots of compliments on it already!  I should really post a modeled shot to show the cute, slouchy shape of this one.

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another star-crossed slouchy beret in progress (in Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Natural), this time for my mother-in-law. This really has become my go-to gift knit hat pattern -- always a hit, and it's quick, fun, and easy to knit.

Moxie was a little skeptical of all this hat knitting, as you can see.