PDXKnitterati

Rose City Yarn Crawl 2013

Posted on January 24, 2013 | 6 comments

Mark your calendars! The Rose City Yarn Crawl is coming. This year’s crawl will feature 18 shops in the Portland metro area February 28-March 3.

Each of the 18 shops will have a prize basket with goodies donated by sponsors, plus something from the shop. You can enter to win a basket in each of the shops. If you make it to all the shops and fill out your shop passport, you can enter to win the grand prize basket.

Lorajean Kelley of Knitted Wit and I are teaming up and donating a fun little project for this year’s baskets.

These are my new Daffy Taffy Twists, knit with Knitted Wit’s Gumballs, mini-skeins of fingering weight superwash merino. I wrote the pattern especially for this event, and it will be available here on the blog soon. I just need to reformat it so it’s not a postcard! It ties in with Lorajean’s theme: Treat yourself!

Check out the yarn crawl buzz on Facebook and Twitter. You can follow the fun on the Rose City Yarn Crawl Facebook page, or on twitter. You’ll find the full shop list and more information on the Rose City Yarn Crawl website.

I’m really looking forward to this year’s crawl; I missed last year’s because I was in Nicaragua. See you soon!

6 Comments

Posted in Knit, travel

Tagged daffy taffy twist, rose city yarn crawl

Knitting: Art or Craft?

Posted on January 23, 2013 | 4 comments

Knitting as art?

I saw a review of Johanna Jackson’s “The Big Fig” in the local paper, so I decided to check it out.

It’s located in a relatively new gallery space in town, the Portland Museum of Modern Art, which is a small room in the basement of Mississippi Records at 5202 N. Albina.

(I love this blanket; I’m guessing it’s phases of the moon)

Is it art? Is it craft? I think of my own knitting as more craft than art. At what point does knitting cross the line from craft to art? Is it the way it’s displayed? The combination of pleasing colors and forms? Or something that can’t be explained?

What do you think?

If you’d like to see this exhibit in person, you’ll need to go by the end of January. It’s open from noon to 7 p.m. daily, and admission is free.

4 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged art and craft, pmoma

Coming soon: Doomsday Knits!

Posted on January 19, 2013 | 9 comments

The year is 3015…

The polar ice caps have melted and the deserts expanded, leaving the Earth a seared, crusty Hell. Meanwhile, nuclear fallout has blocked the sun, plunging the world into a new ice age. (Yes, at the same time.) While we were distracted by the weather, the Singularity showed up and a race of intelligent computers enslaved mankind… who have all but died out thanks to a new, extra virulent virus created by zombie aliens. Really uptight, controlling zombie aliens. Who spy on us all the time. Oh, and they also drive tricked out cars around the desert and wear leather jackets.

The question on your mind?

“What should I knit?!”**

That’s the premise behind Doomsday Knits, the upcoming book from Cooperative Press. It’s a collection of garments and accessories inspired by the post-apocalyptic genre of film, literature, and fashion. These cutting edge fashion pieces will be just as at-home in your closet today as they will be in the dystopian wastelands of tomorrow. With full-on editorial fashion photography shot everywhere from deserts to urban ruins, this book will be as beautiful and enjoyable to look at as the garments are to wear. With a healthy helping of tips, trivia, tidbits, and recommended media, it’ll be just the thing for all you sci-fi-geek knitters out there as well as the fashion-obsessed.

The coolest part, for me? I have a design in it. Another thing I can’t show you yet! But I can say that I used this elegant yarn: Knitted Wit‘s Silky ‘n’ Plied in Brown Sugar, which is 55% merino wool, 45% silk worsted weight blend.

The knitting is done and the pattern and knitted piece have been sent off to Alexandra Tinsley, the editor of this fine collection. I’m looking forward to seeing it in print!

**Prose shamelessly swiped from Alex’s Kickstarter page, here.

Lots more secret knitting going on! The year is off to a great start. I still want to do some selfish knitting for me!

9 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design

Tagged doomsday knits

perfect bourbon vanilla ice cream

Posted on January 12, 2013 | 9 comments

My (adult) kids gave me an Cuisinart ice cream maker for Christmas. Perhaps it was a self-serving gift, but I thought it was inspired. I’ve used it several times since then, in an effort to perfect a bourbon vanilla ice cream recipe. Here’s my version of perfect.

Perfect Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream

6 egg yolks
1 pint heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup half and half
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 – 1/3 cup bourbon (taste it and see how boozy you want it)

Directions:
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat cream, milk, half and half, and sugar just to a boil.
Separate egg yolks to a large heat-proof bowl. Slowly add 2 cups of the hot cream mixture in a thin stream to the yolks while constantly whisking. (This tempering keeps the yolks from curdling when they meet up with the hot cream.) Whisk the tempered egg yolks back into the pan of remaining hot cream mixture, and simmer for two more minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat.

Add vanilla, then bourbon, stirring constantly. Start with 1/4 cup bourbon, and add a little more until it tastes just the way you want it. I used just over 1/4 cup.

Cool over an ice bath, or in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours. Process in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. You may need to chill it further in the freezer after processing, as it can be quite soft, even after processing. Servings: 6 to 8 servings, or more, depending on how you use it.

I used my first ice cream attempt for profiteroles, using this recipe for shells. I’d halve the recipe next time, and make them smaller/cuter and serve them in a trio, drizzled with chocolate truffle sauce.

My second ice cream attempt had a firmer texture, but wasn’t sweet enough, and too bourbon-y. It’s still in the freezer. Third time’s a charm! I used it for ice cream sandwiches using those ubiquitous thin ginger cookies you see during the holiday season, and drizzled them with chocolate truffle sauce. They need to go back in the freezer to firm up after making them, so leave yourself a couple hours before serving.

Oh, that chocolate truffle sauce? You’ll find the recipe here.

Back to my knitting!

9 Comments

Posted in foodies!

Tagged bourbon, dessert, ice cream, recipe

MLK Workday for Backpack Lunch Program

Posted on January 11, 2013 | 2 comments

The fifth annual MLK Remembrance and Work Day for the Northeast Portland Backpack Lunch Program is coming up on January 21. Last year’s event saw 160 volunteers packing 593 lunch sacks for needy children who are at risk of hunger on the weekends, when school lunches aren’t available. At two lunches per sack, that’s nearly 1200 lunches, all provided by donations and volunteer labor. This program is now serving children at three Northeast Portland schools and continues to grow. How many lunches will we pack this year? The 2013 event is Monday, January 21, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Woodlawn United Methodist Church, NE 15th and Dekum Street in Portland. All are welcome; there are activities for all ages. Come do a good deed, and have some fun, too.

The Day Old Pastries will again lead the music for a singalong opportunity during the short program that follows the lunch packing. Who are the Day Old Pastries? We’re a group of friends that get together to make music. We’re a little crusty, but fresh enough! We sing and play the guitar, and we’ve added mandolin and piano and some song writing, too. We have a lot of fun for a bunch of amateurs. If you look at the word amateur, you’ll notice that the root of the word is love; amateur musicians pursue music out of love for it. I won’t say we’re ever perfect, but we love what we do. I love that we’re part of this workday and celebration every year.

Before recorded music, the only way to hear music was in real time. You could go to a performance, or you could get together to make music. It was perfectly natural. Now that we have recorded standards, it’s much more intimidating to make music; we think we have to be as perfect as the music we hear. But music is so ephemeral. At the end of a song, do you remember a fleeting wrong note, or the overall feeling that was conveyed? At last year’s MLK Day event, we had 160 people singing, happy and in community with each other. Perfect! I hope you can come join us this year.

2 Comments

Posted in Day Old Pastries, music

Tagged backpack lunch program, mlk day

Nose to the grindstone

Posted on January 10, 2013 | 10 comments

January was supposed to be Selfish Knitting Month, but I haven’t started anything for myself. I’m working on a design for Twisted’s Shawlette Club instead. When inspiration strikes, you have to run with it!

I can’t show you what I’m working on, but it is gorgeous and I love it. I even have a name for it. (Sometimes coming up with a name is the hardest part of designing.) The yarn is a luxury fiber from Blissful Knits, and it is decadently wonderful to knit with. How’s that for vague, but enthusiastic? I’m nearly done knitting the prototype, and will be sorry to no longer have this yarn running through my fingers. But you can have it running through your fingers if you sign up for the club! The first club package goes out in March; my design is in the second package, in May. I love sock yarns, but I’m not much of a sock knitter. Shawlettes are a perfect way to use these lovely yarns without knitting socks!

But I do want to knit something for me this month, too. I need a new cardigan. My Central Park Hoodie is pilly and no longer fit to wear in public. Help me decide what to knit next! I want a top-down cardi that I can knit fairly quickly. I’m thinking of DK or worsted weight yarn. Shalom? Tea Leaves? I don’t want anything with a really wide yoke, though. Help!

Have *you* found the perfect selfish knitting project?

10 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design

Tagged selfish knitting, twisted shawlette club

Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 25, 2012 | 3 comments

I finished my Silver and Gold KAL project. It wasn’t the lovely silvery yarn from Knitted Wit. I decided to knit another Hoppy Blonde Webfoot for a UO Duck fan, instead. Gold! And I finished a couple days go. It’s blocked and wrapped, and waiting to be gifted. No picture, though; it was dark when I wrapped.

I also gave my Madelinetosh Pashmina Filigree to a dear friend. Two knit gifts, and only one on deadline. Perfect.

If you participated in the KAL and would like to enter the drawing for a yarny prize, please contact me by Dec. 31 to let me know. I saw the pattern sales go out, but haven’t heard from you! It’s been a busy month, I know.

We started our Christmas Day with mimosas and Cinnamon Roll Waffles. After seeing this on the web, we had to try it. They were pretty tasty!

Wishing you a peaceful day. How are you spending it? We’ll be having 14 at dinner tonight. Prime rib is in the oven and smells heavenly already…Mookie can’t wait!

3 Comments

Posted in foodies!, Knit

Tagged christmas, kal

Keeping it organized…

Posted on December 22, 2012 | 7 comments

FO pic! Here’s my sister with her Webfoot Scarf, hot off the needles.

Christmas was great, lots of family and friends. The kids gave me a Cuisinart ice cream maker, so tonight we had bourbon vanilla ice cream profiteroles with chocolate truffle sauce and bourbon caramel sauce. It was beyond delicious.

Coming down to the end of 2012. It’s been a good year, lots of travel and knitting. Sometimes both at the same time! I’m looking forward to what happens next for PDXKnitterati. I have a few deadlines to meet, design-wise. How do you keep yourself organized? I like lots of lists. And for my knitting, there’s this:

A different silk taffeta bag for each design project. All the bags go into my favorite around the house basket, Bindi by Lantern Moon. I think it’s been discontinued, but I love the size of this.

What’s next on your knitting radar? Do you have a selfish project lined up for January after gift knitting through December? I’m having a pattern sale on Ravelry; all of my patterns there are 20% off through January 5. The coupon code to enter is MeMeMe as in, it’s all about ME (which really means you). Thank you for reading and knitting!

7 Comments

Posted in foodies!, Knit

Tagged baskets, christmas, ice cream, Knit, organization, pattern sale, profiteroles

There’s a hole in my sweater; darn it!

Posted on December 14, 2012 | 4 comments

I went to put on my 20 (or is it 25?) year old sweater yesterday, and noticed that there was a hole in the front. (I can’t remember which kiddo was the infant when I knitted this sweater for myself. I just remember that it was naptime knitting.)

Darn it.

Why yes, I did. I didn’t have exactly the same color, but this is reasonably close. I duplicate stitched over the adjacent stitches and the one broken stitch. I think it looks pretty decent.

This post is for Deborah, who was asking about repairing holes in knitting.

Now if only someone could repair the hole in our hearts, after the local shopping mall shootings, and the kindergarten shootings in Connecticut. So sad.

4 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged darning, repair

the week that was

Posted on December 9, 2012 | 13 comments

When I was jamming and knitting at Vickie’s house last week, she showed me a couple yarns that she had picked up. She wanted to make some cabled fingerless mitts with a bulky yarn, but the pattern she had chosen didn’t work at that gauge. Hmmmm. I have a free fingerless mitt pattern at that gauge, but no cable. (Also, that pattern needs a revamp for the thumb, so don’t count on it right now.)

So I thought about how to add that cable, jotted down some notes for her, and voila! Her cabled fingerless mitt.

Do you want to knit these? I’m planning on re-writing the (very brief) pattern, which was more of a dashed off recipe at the time. It’s on the to-do list…

What else happened this last week? I finished this Snowflake Christmas Stocking at knit nite.

I started it a long time ago when I was teaching a class. I found it in my UFOs (unfinished objects!). All it needed was an i-cord hanging loop and weaving in all the ends. It’s actually a quick knit in heavy worsted weight yarn; I had just forgotten all about it. Now it’s done, and it’s going to be a gift.

I’m also working a Webfoot scarf for my Silver and Gold Filigree KAL. It’s Webfoot instead of Filigree, but it’s definitely gold! I was planning to knit Filigree in silver, but it turns out that I need this particular scarf for someone. Are you knitting along? I know that there have been some KAL sales through Ravelry, but I haven’t heard from KAL knitters. I’d love to know how you’re doing. Don’t forget, there’s a drawing after December 25 for a skein of fingering weight yarn for KAL finishers.

And last but not least?

A bunch of thrums, waiting for a knitting project. It’s a lot easier to thrum when the thrums are made up ahead of time. I think a lot of people are knitting Thrumbelina right now; I’m seeing patterns fly out the digital door! ‘Tis the season for the gift of warm feet. This just makes me want to thrum some more. I was wearing my Thrumbelina slippers today, and they are still very cozy. I like wearing them with socks, because they’re slightly more cushy that way, and it puts off having to launder them.

(old pic, just so you know what I’m talking about)