Interim Project

After the socks I decided I would make a couple of cute little matching cabled sweaters for a couple of babies I know. The project was off to a rocky start. I knew what pattern I wanted to make, having made it twice before, always with a great reception. I headed to Ravelry and made a search and found which magazine it had appeared in and turned to my magazines and... nothing. Granted, the magazine it appeared in was a one-off publication by Better Homes & Gardens and... oh... a decade old? But I have plenty of magazines that old and older. I searched and searched and came up empty.


So back to Ravelry I went. You know when you fall down a Ravelry rabbithole and you think it'll be so easy because you want something so specific but then it's three hours later and you've looked at hundreds of patterns and added ten to your queue and just can't stop hitting "next?" That. And then I found the perfectly lovely Timberline by Sarah Cooke and I was saved.


I went to my stash and discovered to my disbelief and chagrin... I didn't have any DK weight superwash in enough yardage or an appropriate color. Like with the missing magazine, I checked several times before finally admitting to myself that I needed to buy yarn. (I know you're totally sympathizing with me right now.) The point is, since I've yet to find a yarn store local to me, I had to order the yarn and because I had to order it I had to wait to start. Enter the humble ballband dishrag. I love making these but don't usually use them for their intended purpose since I find they're bad at lathering dish soap and are horrible at wiping up spills. So I just use them as a trivet, and like to admire the bright colors. This is the one printed in Mason Dixon Knitting which I believe is just the one from the Peaches and Cream ballband, I didn't compare to make sure.


The good news is my new yarn came! The bad news is I somehow don't have any US6 dpns??? Swear to god, if you looked up "hot mess" in a stitch dictionary you'd find a fair isle design of my face.

Dobby's Sock

Every time I picked these socks up to work on them, I'd hear the line in my head: "Master has given Dobby a sock!" I just re-watched all seven Harry Potter movies over the course of six days, and now I'm hankering to re-read the books. I'm not typically into YA (I scoffed when these books were suggested way back when the first one came out, and the next YA I read was The Hunger Games series just last year), but I just love the world created in this book. I think that's the most heart-breaking thing about reading sci-fi/fantasy novels; you can never visit the world you just inhabited within the pages. All there is for you is to read the words again and again.
Anyway. We were talking about socks, weren't we?

These are Denmark by Nancy Bush, from her book Knitting on the Road. I've made a few patterns in this book, and they are, without exception, perfectly written. The book also includes tips for toes and heels, and instructions for kitchener which, despite having been a knitter for over a decade (how'd that happen?!) I still have to look up every. single. time. I. do. it. Looking for a master knitter? I am not your girl.

I'm sorry to say I don't know what I used for yarn. There I was, at Amy's, when I bound off a project and hadn't brought anything else to work on! Defining what makes knitting friends the very best friends to have, Amy pulled some sock yarn from her stash and I found a book we had in common and I was off! I don't actually even remember when that was. Man, it's been a long time since I posted.
More babies are on the way around here so I am finally making a sweet little cardigan I've had my eye on for awhile. It's a summer baby and I really don't like knitting with cotton so I'm giving Berroco Comfort a try in the fingering weight. I'll let you know how she handles.
PS: Looking for a good book to read? Try May We Be Forgiven by A. M. Homes. I wrote a review here.

Happy New Year!

I know I'm a little late with my greeting, but since this is my first time on the blog in 2011, it didn't seem right not to acknowledge the new year. I went home soon after my last post for 11 glorious days. I ate, I visited, I watched trashy TV, and I relaxed. My brother loved his hat and (HA!) didn't find it to be itchy at all! Score one for wool! I forgot my knitting at home (if you could have seen how much stuff I was lugging to Maine you'd understand how this could happen), and never got a chance to shop for a new project, or else I'm sure I'd have an FO to show you. Instead, here's a WIP:

These are the Celtic Moonrise Mittens by Rhiannon Don in Cascade 220. Couple of things about this pattern:
1. I didn't notice that they have a flap thumb until I was too far gone to add a gusset. Surprisingly, the thumb fits fine!
2. There is an error in the chart on line 5. After the purl stitch that starts needle 1, the chart reads k2, p4, then work a cable. Instead, you should work work the k2, p1 cable, then p3 and work the next cable.
3. The top shaping calls for abandoning the cabling, but as it's quite a few rows, I continued to cable until it was time to kitchener the top.

I got most of the first mitten done hanging out at Amy's house, so I think this second mitten will go quickly. These mittens are for someone else, so I'm pretty sure my next project is going to be mittens for myself. I really need new ones! And also a cowl. And also this sweater. While I was at Amy's, I got to meet her friend Thea, the designer of the drool-worthy Dark and Stormy. Of course the next day I checked out her blog (I'm always looking for more knitting blogs to add my reader!), and fell immediately in love with White Russian. I have to do a stash dive to be sure, but I'm pretty sure I have just the right yarn to make this!

In other news, I got a pressure cooker for Christmas! I love it, and want to use it all the time. Last night, I had a stew recipe I wanted to try that wasn't written for a pressure cooker, but I made it work anyway. After sauteeing the leeks and garlic, I pressure cooked everything for six minutes. Voila! Dinner is served!



This is Quinoa, White Bean, and Kale Stew by Isa Chandra Moskowitz via the ppk. It's hearty and delicious, and this recipe makes a TON. I have seven more (super full) containers in my freezer. Delish!