Monthly Archives: September 2011

Plum Crazy

Posted on September 28, 2011 | 6 comments

September means plums, or more precisely, Italian prunes. I love them fresh…

and I also love them as jam.

This year I thought I’d try something different. I added a cup of chopped, crystallized ginger to the jam when it hit the full rolling boil, and finished boiling it for the prescribed minute. It’s delicious! But here’s the conundrum. I followed the usual Sure-Jell instructions, and the partial jar of leftover jam that I put in the fridge set up beautifully. The jam in the jars that I processed in the water bath canner for 10 minutes are all a little soft. Why are they different? I followed the recipe and instructions, and didn’t over-process the jam. But there’s something about processing it this time that made the set go soft. I’m guessing it has to do with the ginger cooking longer in the jam due to the processing, but I don’t know why. It’s still delicious, though, and not so runny that I would take it all out and re-process it with more pectin. And it’s a little thicker this week than it was when it first came out. Hoping that continues…

And did you notice it’s the same color as my new ruffle tank? Just sayin’!

6 Comments

Posted in recipe

Tagged ginger plum jam, jam

Ruffle Tank transformation

Posted on September 27, 2011 | 9 comments

I finished my red ruffle tank (rav link). Leigh Radford is the designer, and this is the second time I’ve knit this pattern. Last time I knit with Louet MerLin, a merino/linen blend. This time it’s linen all the way, Louet Euroflax sport in burgundy.

I had set this project aside to work on the Zen Rain KAL and the This Little Ziggy vests, but I really wanted to wear it to OFFF. At the beginning of the week, I could tell that I was going to have to do some marathon knitting, which isn’t that much fun with linen! I just had one shoulder to finish and and join to the other, four ruffles to knit, and some i-cord edgings. I had already worked this in the round so there were no side seams to deal with, and omitted the keyhole back neck and just made the back shaping match the front. Even so, I took a few shortcuts at the end. Instead of applied i-cord I opted for a simple slip stitch crochet edging around the neck and armholes. After the crochet bind-off on the first ruffle, I did a purl bind-off on the rest because it was faster for me. Still, I finished binding off my last ruffle at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning. Knowing that I could put this yarn in the washer and dryer meant that I could go to bed and hope for the best in the morning!

The fabric was really crispy before I washed it, almost like a net. I opted to wash it by hand, and I’m really glad I did. I filled the kitchen sink with warm water and a bit of Soak (love this product) and started squishing it. There was a lot of excess dye, so I ended up rinsing it 6 times, and the water was still pink. But oh, the transformation! When I first started handling it, the fabric was stiff and rough. With each subsequent sink full of water, the fabric became progressively more like…fabric! It was so much fun to feel this transformation with my hands. It was still a bit stiff when I was done, but it was headed for the dryer.

I put it in the dryer and checked it every 15 minutes. What an adventure! (I know, I should wash and block my swatches, but then where would the excitement be?) When it was dry, it was a slinky feeling piece of fabric, almost fluid. It is amazing. I love it. It is so comfortable to wear, even on a hot and humid day at OFFF. And it’s a good thing I wore it Saturday, because Sunday was rainy and cold.

I’m glad I got it finished, and I’m glad it fits! I think in a perfect world it would be an inch narrower, but I had already altered it to make it smaller than the smallest size. If it still bothers me the next time I wear it, I’ll crochet a little seam along the sides from the inside. Until then…absolute love.

9 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged linen, red ruffle tank, Ruffle Tank

OFFF 2011, Sunday

Posted on September 26, 2011 | 3 comments

Sunday’s weather wasn’t as good as Saturday’s. It poured. But fun is what you make it, right?

I found Jen (Hanks in the Hood) and Teri outside in the Andersen Fiber Works booth, trying to stay dry. Business was hopping despite the rain!

Note that Teri is wearing her just completed Zen Rain shawlette. Not even blocked yet, but so pretty!

Check out Jen’s cute hat. I saw more like these in the barn, and in team colors, too. They were next to SuDan Farm’s sheep, but I’m not sure if the hats were from them, too.

I saw Shetland wool, on the hoof…

And a 10 day old lamb, hanging out with mom.

It turns out that it’s twin lambs; I didn’t see the other behind her!

These are actually St. Croix hair sheep, not wool sheep, from Dreamfield Farm. They are bred for their meat, and are fantastic bramble and weed eaters, but you won’t get wool from them. They never require shearing; they naturally shed their long hair in the summer. So cute!

I saw Deb Accuardi talking to Yvonne in the bunny barn. Do you need a bunny? Deb has a few that need homes. Yvonne is the creator of the Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival; mark your calendar for April 20-22, 2012!

So I didn’t really buy anything, because as you know I don’t stash. Much. And I felt so scattered this weekend that I couldn’t really settle down and look at things; I felt more like I was at a big party and wanted to chat up all my fiber friends! But I did get something, in a roundabout way. When I saw Karie (Silverpurl), I told her that my purple Passiflora tank fit her so much better than it fit me, and I wanted to give it to her. (We were in Amy Herzog’s Fit to Flatter class together.) She offered to trade me something for it, so this is what I chose from her booth.

It’s about the size of a dime, a little thicker, and so cute! I love it. Karie makes beautiful jewelry, shawl pins, and stitch markers. Check out her Etsy store! And the yarn under it is the last delivery from Knitted Wit’s Community Supported Yarn club. This merino/cashmere/nylon blend is actually much greener than the picture would have you believe, but I was exposing for the necklace rather than the green. It’s very pretty, and I have design plans for it, too. This of course means that it’s not stash, because it’s the next project!

What’s *your* next project? Mine is green!

3 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged OFFF

OFFF 2011, Saturday

Posted on September 26, 2011 | 6 comments

September is my favorite month. Birthday, anniversary, back to school, Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival!

I helped Lorajean set up her booth for Knitted Wit on Friday. She has new display walls and they look great! Her new fall color line looks great, too; I’m especially fond of the deep plummy aubergine. I don’t know if that’s the real color name, but I love the color. You can see it on the front of the rack she’s standing by.

I saw my friend Sarah; she was plying a yarn sample that she had just drop spindled.

And met up with my friend Sonia, who had just picked up a pile of goodies for Stash. This is the new shop that she’s opening in Corvallis, Oregon in mid-October. She’ll be featuring fine yarn, fiber, and artisans from the Pacific Northwest. I’m so excited for her!

I did a demo on how to purl back backwards without turning your work at the PDXKnitbloggers’ spot on the lawn. It’s so easy; you just have to dive in and try it. This is a great technique for knitting entrelac, and you know that I do love entrelac!

Saturday evening there was a reception sponsored by Carolina Homespun for the authors and contributors of four new books from local authors: Created in Oregon, Beyond Toes, My Grandmother’s Knitting, and Jazz Knitting. It was a wonderful get-together; thanks to Morgaine for the party!

Check out the peacocks on Jazz Knitting’s author Ilisha Helfman!

Pat came to show me her Zen Rain shawlette. Lovely! And check out the ruffles on ruffles on me. Can one ever have too many? I think not! I’m wearing my new linen ruffle tank, which I finished at 3 a.m. so I could wear it to OFFF. Crazy, yes, but I love it. More on that in another post.

I met the other Machelle from Created in Oregon. She has a beautiful sock pattern in the datebook. Neither of us spells our name in the conventional Michelle way.

Machelle and Michele!

This post is getting pretty long! I’ll tell you about Sunday in the next post. Did you go to OFFF on Saturday? It was definitely the better weather day!

6 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged Created in Oregon, OFFF

Sneak peek! This Little Ziggy…

Posted on September 23, 2011 | 5 comments

is going to market…the market at Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. Come by the Knitted Wit booth (I think we’re on the lawn) and see the Ziggy vests in person! Pattern will be there, too, hot off the press. More details on the pattern later…

Thanks to Lorajean’s li’l guys for modeling!

Bye; see you at OFFF!

5 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged Knit, This Little Ziggy

Created in Oregon, and OFFF

Posted on September 21, 2011 | 7 comments

Last year, Deb Accuardi of Pico Accuardi Dyeworks asked me if I’d like to design a pattern for her new calendar project. Yes, of course! The datebook was to feature 12 patterns in Pico Accuardi Dyeworks yarns, and 12 areas in Oregon. I asked for blue yarn and the Oregon Coast for my project, which is the Rockaway 2-Way Beach Beanie/Cowl (Ravelry link). It’s the August pattern in the datebook, Created in Oregon: A Knitter’s Datebook 2012.

Other contributors include Leigh Radford, Sivia Harding, Kristin Spurkland, Judy Becker, Larissa Brown, Shannon Squire and Emily Williams. The datebook is now available from Pico Accuardi Dyeworks, and through several yarn stores in the Portland area. I know Twisted and Urban Fiber Arts has them. They’ll also be available at Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival this weekend in the Carolina Homespun booth, along with yarn kits for the calendar projects. You can get your datebook signed by Deb from 3-5 at the Carolina Homespun booth, and for even more fun, there’s a reception with authors and contributors for this book and several other new knitting books from Oregon authors on the lawn at 5 p.m. I’ll be there, and hope to see you then.

Here’s the backstory on my design. I go to Rockaway, Oregon at the coast every year with a group of friends for Crafty Moms weekend. There’s nothing like a sea breeze and a perfect view to clear the mind and inspire creativity!

Hat shown in Pico Accuardi Dyeworks Worsted, Rodgie’s Midnight Dancing on the left; cowl shown in Dream in Color Classy, Deep Seaflower Blue on the right.

The lacy pattern at the top and bottom edges creates a scalloped edge reminiscent of the Pacific Ocean’s waves. The elongated lattice pattern at the center makes the most of the hand-dyed yarn’s variegated loveliness. At the coast, you never know if you’ll need a little warmth or a lot, so this piece can be worn as a hat, or as a cowl.

Please excuse my semi-stern look; the sun was very bright on this February day. Many thanks to Laurie Nelesen for taking my picture; I can’t be the model and the photographer at the same time! (None of the other Crafty Moms wanted to model for me. Go figure…)

Are you coming to OFFF? I hope to see you there! I’ll be helping Lorajean of Knitted Wit set up her booth on Friday, and I’ll be around on Saturday and maybe Sunday, too. You can find my patterns and a new design (more on that tomorrow) in the Knitted Wit booth!

7 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design

Tagged Created in Oregon, Rockaway Beach Beanie/Cowl

My Grandmother’s Knitting: Launch Party!

Posted on September 19, 2011 | 10 comments

I recently posted a review of My Grandmother’s Knitting by Larissa Brown, and Friday night I attended the launch party for this book.

The event was held at Andersen Fiber Works, a new-to-me and fairly new shop in Gresham, Oregon. The space is lovely. Most of the shop is downstairs; I’ll get to that in a moment. In the upstairs loft, there is a great space for spin and knit-ins. On this night, there were all sorts of activities including book signings by designers from My Grandmother’s Knitting:

(Judy Becker, Kristin Spurklund, Leigh Radford, Emily Johnson, Chrissy Gardiner)

and karaoke!

(Stevanie Pico of Pico Accuardi Dyeworks with friends and family)

Downstairs there are lots of yarns and fibers that are from independent artists, including owner Jen Andersen who has been dyeing as Hanks in the Hood for the last five years. Here’s some of her fiber:

I saw lots of yarn and spinning fiber, including lots from Ms. Gusset and Dicentra. Check out this mondo ball of fiber from Dicentra.

And these fabulous felted hats from Attitude Hats.

This is Sarah Lajoie, the artist behind the hats.

Owners Tyler and Jen Andersen were the gracious hosts of the evening. Jen is modeling one of Sarah’s hats, and a coordinating necklace by Jennifer Fulks. The medallion is actually two alabaster bowls, one nested in the other. Gorgeous, as is Jen!

I saw a nice selection of Lantern Moon tools, baskets and bags in the shop, too. I love these, as you know, and see several that I own.

Larissa’s friend and neighbor Rondi prepared and hosted a buffet of treats both sweet and savory.

A fun night all around. Do you have a copy of My Grandmother’s Knitting yet? It’s a winner!

10 Comments

Posted in Knit

Swiftly winding away

Posted on September 13, 2011 | 15 comments

I’ve resisted buying a swift and ball winder for a long time. I usually have my yarn wound at my local yarn store, a skein at a time. (Fear of commitment? wouldn’t want to wind them all, in case they don’t cooperate with my vision for them.) But when my Aunt Rose visited this summer, she insisted on buying both of these for me. And I have to say, I’ve used them a lot this week!

Since CollegeDude2 is off to university on the other side of the country, I thought I’d use his room as a knitting studio. His futon bed has converted into a comfortable sofa, and his desk is now my desk, which doubles as a winding station. (There’s a lot more clearing out to do, but half of the room is now mine.)

Lorajean at Knitted Wit had a brainstorm for a project: She asked me to design a toddler vest to go in a kit with her yarn. Check out the cute colors! And the swift and winder turned them into this.

The first vest is done; here’s a sneak peek at the edging. Full reveal after I get some cute action shots!

So thanks to Aunt Rose for the great tools, to Lorajean for the opportunity to come up with something fun, and to CollegeDude2 for the use of his room! I’m getting a lot more done now that I have this cool corner office in the house. What’s inspiring you these days?

15 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design

Step away from the knitting…

Posted on September 6, 2011 | 15 comments

Just for a little while! It’s been a string of warm sunny days in the Pacific Northwet. DH and I decided to get out for a bit on Sunday. Multnomah Falls was our original destination, but it was packed for the holiday weekend and we had to do a quick destination revision. I remembered we had once hiked at Wahclella Falls, and the smartphone google machine pointed us in the right direction.

Come on, you know you want to! The hike is an easy mile in and mile out. We last did this with young kids, and it felt like many more miles back then.

The trail goes alongside Tanner Creek, and has lovely shady spots to hang out. But the mosquitoes know you’re there. We didn’t linger at this spot. It’s not much further to the falls.

It was cool and perfect on a hot day. And we enjoyed the hike out as well.

hanging over the ravine

When we got home, I looked for the pictures from our last trip here. Apparently it was 16 years ago.

That tow-headed toddler? He’s a college freshman. The other kiddo? College grad, working dude. And DH on the left? Still DH, 29 years next week. Happy anniversary!