PDXKnitterati

not much knitting…

Posted on August 27, 2010 | 13 comments

but there seems to be a lot of dessert!

Last night I made this cobbler.

The edges are a little messy because I forgot to add the lemon juice to the fruit mixture, so I poured it back into the bowl and then back into the dish. Sorry! Here’s what’s under the cornmeal biscuit crust.

It’s a nectarine blueberry cobbler, using SmittenKitchen’s peach blueberry cobbler recipe. I love SK’s blog; she makes great food and her pictures are gorgeous.

I doubled the biscuit topping, as suggested, and I baked the cobbler in two square dishes, instead of the oblong that was specified. This meant I could take one to a friend’s house for dinner, and leave one home for the guys. Everybody wins! I served the cobbler with vanilla ice cream, and it was divine. I did not, however, serve it with the home made vanilla ice cream that I made the day before. That ice cream went to a piano evening, and was served with frozen blueberries from my garden, slightly thawed.

Last week Sarah made a two ingredient ice cream for knit nite. It was good, but I wanted a little vanilla kick to my ice cream. (I make my own vanilla extract by steeping sliced vanilla beans in vodka; I love vanilla that much.) I found this recipe for five ingredient ice cream on allrecipes.com. Easy, and delicious. And the blueberries were a perfect foil to the very dense, sweet ice cream.

What’s your favorite summer dessert? I like cobblers with ice cream. Can you tell?! Easy to put together, and always a delight. I’m making another one for a party tonight.

As for knitting? I turned the heel on my sock, but didn’t get much further. I did go look at all the beautiful things in the Lantern Moon warehouse for future blogging, so expect to see some of that soon.

13 Comments

Posted in recipe

Tagged fruit cobbler, ice cream

knit nite fun, and other scenes from summer

Posted on August 21, 2010 | 14 comments

Knit nite on Wednesday was a blast. Good company and productive knitting, and some show and tell.

Lorajean (KnittedWit) brought samples of her new hand-dyed yarn colors, as well as her baby. He was charming, and the colors were great. It was the first time LJ had seen all the colors laid out together; it was breath-taking! The colors are a little more saturated here than in real life; I took the picture with my phone.

Helen (Painted Skeins), our other hand-dyer, brought her baby, too. So cute, but no picture! She was stash-busting, and brought some seconds that she wanted to clear out. We were happy to oblige. Here’s what came home with me.

The purple is called pinot, and it’s a short skein. I’m sure I can find something to do with it, but not a pair of socks because there’s not enough yarn. And I still don’t knit socks with fingering weight yarn! The gray didn’t have a name on it, just a tag that said “knot.” I don’t mind a few knots if that’s all that stands between me and playing with this pretty fog-colored yarn.

Summer is sailing by. I hurried back from camping a couple weeks ago to prepare my house for a house concert. It was the third summer we’ve done this fund raiser event. Music, wine, dessert. How many people can I fit in my small living room and dining room?

Quite a few! You get really close to the music in a house this size.

There was time for some show and tell with the harp . I didn’t realize that a harp gets tuned for whatever key it’s going to be played in. There’s a lever on each string so the note can be raised a half step, at least with this kind of harp. Beautiful music, and a fun evening.

What else? Lots of water. We had a family “intro to sailing” lesson with a local business, Scovare Expeditions. Captain Ian was great, and explained the physics of it to us because enquirin’ minds wanted to know. It was a fun way to spend some family time, too.

The Teen decided to rock the pirate look for the family photo.

And I went kayaking with my friend Vickie, who took these pictures. I was camera-less.

I love my hat. I bought it in Hoi An, Vietnam last summer. It’s very effective as a sun shield. And oddly suited to me…

How’s your summer?

14 Comments

Posted in Knit, music

ruffle tank bliss…

Posted on August 19, 2010 | 22 comments

…and how I got there, aka adventures in applied i-cord.

My Ruffle Tank is done.

I love it. It’s perfect. My favorite FO of the year. This is the picture I sent to my friend Diane. We had been discussing applied i-cord edgings via email and text. She wanted to see the FO, which I was wearing hot off the needles, and I didn’t have a picture yet. So I took one.

I started this project last year, after seeing Leigh Radford, its designer, wear hers to knit night. I knit on mine last year until Sock Summit, when I lost my annotated instructions at Deb Accuardi’s pre-summit luncheon/yarn tasting. My fault, not hers! I set the project aside in a fit of pique.

Fast forward to last month, when I finally felt that I could face puzzling out what I had done on the back, so the front would match.

What was I waiting for? I wish I had finished this last year; it’s so much fun to wear.

Ruffle Tank by Leigh Radford
Smallest size 37.5 (and modified smaller)
Louet MerLin Sport Weight, 3 skeins French Blue
Lantern Moon Ebony circulars, US size 3

Mods: I eliminated the keyhole neckline on the back; it was pretty but I wasn’t looking forward to i-cording around it, and I knew I’d never unbutton/button it. I also made the tank shorter overall (because I’m short), and narrower than the smallest size by 4 sts on the front and 4 sts on the back to try to get it to be closer to 36 inches.

After applying my i-cord edging to the neckline, I could no longer get the sweater over my head easily! This is what prompted me to chat up Diane, who had the same issue with the armholes of a tank top. She solved it by crocheting the edge instead. I wasn’t willing to give up yet, because I had already had a discussion with Leigh about i-cord and right and wrong sides, and I really wanted to do it her way. After googling around a bit, I came upon some suggestions to work the i-cord without always attaching it every row. Yarnpath and Mason-Dixon Knitting, were particulary helpful. Armed with this advice, I picked up sts from the wrong side and worked the applied i-cord edging, working an unattached row of i-cord after every 3 attached rows. It worked like a charm. The armholes were still a bit snug using this ratio, so I re-knit them working an unattached row of i-cord after every 2 attached rows. Perfect. And the unattached rows are undetectable to the naked eye. I finished using the Purlbee’s excellent kitchener stitch tutorial (yes, I started with a provisional cast on).

I worked my i-cord using an SSK to attach it to the edge of the tank; I liked this better than PSSO or k2tog. I picked up several sts at a time on the body, like Kelly Petkun did in this video. I also slipped the sts back to the left needle, rather than sliding the dpn through. You can do yours any way you like.

I haven’t washed the garment yet because I wanted to wear it yesterday to work and to knit nite. I don’t know how the fabric will react to the washer and dryer; it may get a lot more relaxed. (I know, I didn’t wash my gauge swatch, naughty me.) I did steam it a bit to relax the ribbing, and the fabric took on a lovely drape. I would happily make another of these. If I do it again, I’ll knit it in the round (it took me 6 tries to get a seam that I liked), and maybe eliminate the little open side seams at the bottom 2 inches of of the tank.

Thanks, Leigh, for a great pattern!

22 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged leigh radford, Ruffle Tank

ask the designer

Posted on August 15, 2010 | 9 comments

I’m making steady progress on the ruffle tank. It’s seamed and just needs the i-cord edgings at the neckline and armholes. Here’s the back. I opted to omit the keyhole closing at the neckline.

This is my first experience with applied i-cord. The instructions in the pattern are for a 2 stitch i-cord, applied from the wrong side. I remembered seeing other general instructions in which i-cord was applied from the right side. I had the opportunity to ask Leigh Radford, the designer, why she chose to work from the wrong side, and her answer was simple: She liked the way it looked.

I decided to try it both ways.

The little bit on the left is applied from the right side. The top 3 stitches were picked up under the far edge. I didn’t like the way it left a ridge on the right side, so I switched to the closer part of the edge on the following stitches. I like the way it looks really tubular. But it looks a little heavy for the edge.

The bit on the right is applied from the wrong side. It doesn’t look as tubular or as finished, but I like it. It’s delicate and a little rustic looking. So I’ll carry on from the wrong side, knowing that Leigh likes it that way. Especially since I feel a little guilty for omitting her keyhole neckline!

In other news, my new iPhone4 is here, and I love it. It’s very intuitive. I took the ruffle tank pictures with its camera this morning because I was too lazy to go downstairs to get my other camera. Not bad, and the macro worked great. Here’s a screen shot of where the phone’s google maps app located me this evening.

It was correct, but I wonder what it would have done if I asked it for driving directions…

By the way, I’m having a little giveaway on the Lantern Moon blog. Go check it out!

9 Comments

Posted in Blogging, Knit, pattern design

Tagged contest, iPhone, Knit, leigh radford, Ruffle Tank

August’s single skein…

Posted on August 10, 2010 | 6 comments

I didn’t even open the Single Skein Club package while I was camping; the allure of the ruffle was strong. But I have now opened it so I can show you, gentle reader.

It’s an ingenious lacy scarflet by Sivia Harding. The yarn is Mirasol Tupa which is 50/50 merino and silk, in a deep auburn. It looks almost like chocolate. I love this yarn; I used it for my Hugs and Kisses Cabled Fingerless Mitts. It’s great to knit with.

The bonus this month:

A little scrabble tile Twisted yarn ball pendant.

Sweet! This may be my next project after the ruffle tank is off the needles. We’ll have to see which way my whims turn.

In other news, WordPress changed my theme to Coraline from Cutline, which is being phased out. If you came by and there was nothing on the sidebar, my apologies! Widgets have now been restored. Thanks for visiting!

6 Comments

Posted in Blogging, Knit

Tagged mirasol tupa, single skein club, sivia harding

back from crafting, I mean camping…

Posted on August 7, 2010 | 10 comments

I’m home, skeeter-bit, itchy, and happy. We were at Swift Forest Camp on the Lewis River in Washington. It was marvelous to look up and see this by day…

…and a million stars by night. Being away from city lights really changes the night sky. It’s too early for the Perseid meteor showers, but we saw several meteors streak across the sky each night, including a very bright one tracing the Milky Way. Gorgeous!

I brought my knitting, and I was completely engrossed in my ruffle tank. I ripped both front and back down to the neck shaping so I could adjust the depth of the neckline. I had a “duh!” epiphany: I needed to figure how far *down* from the shoulders I wanted the neckline before I could figure how far *up* to start it from the armhole shaping, since I was changing the depth of the armhole, too. That sounds like gibberish, but it makes perfect sense. I wish I’d thought that through the first time. I also decided to forego the keyhole neckline on the back, and give it the same shaping as the front. I finished front and back, and started adding the ruffles.

I love how this is turning out; the ruffles are fun to make and charming to look at.

I shopped for these beads for an ankle bracelet last month and hadn’t gotten around to making it. Carole designed and put this together for me since I was otherwise obsessed.

We had some bead stash sharing and swapping.

It’s a multi-family camp out, which makes it all the more fun. The teens woke up on Thursday and decided to try to make a sailboat with the inflatable raft. It’s amazing what they can do with sticks, duct tape, rope, and the rainfly from a tent.

And it worked! Mast, sail, working boom, and a paddle as a rudder.

We had a great time, even without our electronic toys. There was no cell service in the area, and sometimes it’s nice to be untethered. But I’m looking forward to my new iPhone4 on Tuesday!

10 Comments

Posted in beading, Knit, travel

Tagged camping, Ruffle Tank, sailboat, sailing

just breezing through…

Posted on August 4, 2010 | 11 comments

I finished my blue Breezy Market Tote this weekend.

Just in time! The next installment of Twisted’s Single Skein Club is out.

But I’ll have to show you what’s in it next time; I don’t have pictures yet. I’m tossing this into my bag, along with the new guitar strings, and going camping tomorrow. See you in a few days!

11 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged breezy market tote, single skein club

knitting a blue streak

Posted on July 27, 2010 | 14 comments

It feels like it’s all blue here, all the time.

I started my Breezy Market Tote. Although Twisted’s Single Skein Club offering with my design was AllHemp6 yarn in pumpkin, I was able to swap my yarn for deep sea (blue), since I’d already made the original design in sand (nearly pumpkin). I wound the yarn by hand, twice. The first time, I wound it in my usual way, over my fingers to keep the ball loose to avoid stretching the yarn. It works with wool. With hemp? Not so much. The ball was sloppy and prone to tangling and falling apart. So I rewound it more tightly, and away we went. And yes, that’s a provisional cast on at the bottom. Never fear, the bag will be only…blue.

I also resurrected my ruffle tank from the time-out basket. I lost my annotated instructions last year at Sock Summit time, and was just too peeved to go on. But looking at it now, I’m pretty sure I can get the rest of it done. The back was already done, and the front was up past the armhole shaping. It won’t take long (famous last words) to finish. And I get to learn applied i-cord to finish the edges.

I’ve been working on the instructions for my Pacific Shawl (yes, mine is blue); it’s almost ready to go to test knit. I need to make a video tutorial for placing the beads, and check the math one more time, but the charts are done.

Last night I made blueberry lime jam. (More blue, even though the jam is deep purple.) I don’t like plain blueberry jam, where the berries have been through the food processor. The texture is…grainy. So I gently squashed the berries with a potato masher, and I think I’ll like the result a lot better. Along with lime juice, there are bits of lime zest in there to give it some zing and keep it from being cloyingly sweet. Because these berries are really, really sweet already. There are still more out there on the bushes, too…

Oh, I did finish something that wasn’t blue…a helmet liner for the Knit for the Troops project. Lichen green, and I forgot to take a picture before dropping it off at Twisted! Sorry. I used the pattern here. If I were to do it again, I would change the decreases at the crown; there are only 5 decreases around the crown of the hat, and it meant that the top of the hat was tall and a bit pointy. I’d make more decrease points (maybe 8?) so the crown would be shorter and rounder. (If 8 decreases, then I’d start with 88 stitches instead of 90) But that’s just me; I can’t seem to ever knit something as written!

Back to the blues…

14 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design, recipe

Tagged blueberry jam, breezy market tote, Knit, knit tote, Ruffle Tank

knit friends, Passiflora, blueberries

Posted on July 24, 2010 | 15 comments

Samantha Roshak was at Twisted to kick off her trunk show yesterday. She brought some lovely knitted things.

Sam’s a designer from Seattle; I met her last year at Sock Summit. She’s charming *and* talented! Her show will be at Twisted through this weekend. If you can’t make it, you can check out her designs online.

Her friend Chandria came with her. I met Chandria when she came down on the SEA-PDX Yarn train in January. It was nice to meet up again.

Passiflora is done!

I love the lacy detail up the side, as well as the expanded lace on the back.

It’s reversible, and I did try it on with the lacier front, but I like the small panel better in front. The pattern was well-written and simple to follow. I didn’t change anything except to make it shorter throughout, because…I’m not as tall as I imagine!

The weather has turned hot, so it’s a little too warm to wear right now. Yes, it’s sleeveless, and has lots of lacy built in ventilation, but the yarn is wool, silk, and bamboo, and it’s a little warmer than I’d like on a 90 degree day. Last week, it would have been perfect. Don’t worry, it will be cooler again. It’s Portland!

The sunshine is encouraging my blueberries; we still have loads on the bushes. I keep picking, and baking, and freezing. A friend called to ask for a clarification on my blueberry cobbler recipe, so I’ve edited the recipe to make things clearer.

That’s the news from here. Next on the knitting agenda: finishing a pattern, and finishing last year’s abandoned project. Both are blue. ‘Tis the season!

15 Comments

Posted in Knit, recipe

Tagged blueberry, knitquest, passiflora, sam roshak

Take me out to the ballgame

Posted on July 22, 2010 | 11 comments

It was Stitch ‘n’ Pitch night at the Portland Beavers game last night. My god-daughter E was in town; she’s a knitter and a baseball fan.

We had a great time! Remember these?

I decided there was no better time to knit with candy, than in the company of an eight year old. I used size 8 aluminum needles (washed)…this sticky project was not happening on my Lantern Moon ebony needles!

E thought the concept of knitting with candy was a little strange.

But then she wanted to try it, too.

You know what happened next…

While the candy smelled great, it was a bit too chewy and didn’t taste as good as it smelled. It was worth a try, though! I think the laces were too thick for the size 8 needles (was this a gauge swatch?). It would be better in a less dense knit. I tried knitting 3 stitch i-cord, but the laces kept breaking. In the end, a simple crocheted chain bracelet was our best result.

The Stitch ‘n’ Pitch organizers collected caps for cancer patients; you can see some of them on the table. They also had a drawing for prizes during the 7th inning stretch.

I won a sewing pattern, and E won this zippered bag with these beautiful stitch markers!

I didn’t actually see much of the game; we were too busy chatting and knitting! I worked on my Cap for the Troops, but between the candy knit and crochet, I didn’t get very far. It was a fun evening, anyway.