Spring Already

My goodness, how time gets away from one! It's been over a month since my last post. I must apologize to my readers for neglecting the blog. Because, by golly, I do have readers-between 1500 and 2000 a week! I never expected so many people to take an interest in my little website. Since I started this blog in January of 2005 there have been over 100,000 visitors, can you imagine? Boggles the mind, I tell ya.

Every now and then I get an email from a reader asking where they might find one of the pattern books I have used and mentioned on the blog. Several of these pattern books are out of print and no longer available at the local yarn shop (unless the shopowner really stocks up on their favorite brand of books). There are places where one can find these items. Ebay is probably the most well-known place to go to find almost anything you might be looking for. An internet search will reveal many other places to look, depending on what specific item you're looking for. There are businesses that specialize in used knitting and crochet patterns; some of them advertise in magazines and others may be found in the link sections of knitting websites, such as About.com or Knitting Pattern Central. I have spent time looking at the vintage pattern books at some of these sites and been pleasantly surprised to discover several of my mother's really old books listed.

If you aren't looking for a specific book, you can usually find a lot of great patterns at thrift shops, garage sales, library sales and Salvation Army/Goodwill/St Vincent de Paul stores. If you are looking for a particular item, however, you will need to Google it. Many used pattern merchants can be emailed with your wish list and they will do their best to find the items you want-sometimes these merchants are well-connected and know where to find items quickly.

If you're looking for out-of-print Bouton d'Or books, you may find more success if you can speak French and seek out French websites.

The new Bouton d'Or layette book is due to come out this month. I can't wait to see it. I hope it will offer more patterns for boys than the last 2 books did. You can browse the current layette books at the official Bouton d'Or and Anny Blatt websites.

Afghanalong

Larissa has a new knit-along for you to join, but you must hurry, the deadline for signups is January 20.

The new project is afghan squares for possible inclusion in a special afghan in her upcoming book Knitalong. Any squares not used in the sample afghan will be donated to Warm Up America. I love an opportunty to try out a new pattern, especially when it's free and for a good cause. Sign up here!

6 Weird Things About Me

Egads, I've been tagged!

Carole has tagged me (and several other unsuspecting souls) for the 6 Weird Things About Me meme.

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the 6 weird things about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

Hmmm. One of the things I've learned in this world is that weird is in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes we do things that seem to make perfect sense to us, but others find a bit odd. So, I will share some of my quirks with you here.

1. I alphabetize my spices.

This seems to me like a reasonable thing to do, but I have been told that it's the hallmark of the neat freak. Well, if you can count your spices with one hand, that may be true, but I have 54 jars to keep track of.

2. I don't consume caffeine.

My doctor thinks this is a reasonable thing for everyone to do, but you tell that to the grocer.

3. The space that my craft supplies occupies is 10 times larger than the space my wardrobe occupies.

This is a common problem among crafters not shared by the rest of the population.

4. I like to wear wacky earrings.

I once overheard a friend of one of the teenagers, "What is your mom wearing on her ears, fishing lures?"

5. I make wheezing and squeaking sounds when I laugh really hard.

This may be genetic.

6. I actually like anchovies, but dislike peppermint.


Now, the 6 people I've chosen to tag with this meme:

1. Kelli at AfricanKelli
2. Finny at Finny Knits
3. Michelle at Lighthouse Designs
4. Elisabeth at Curls and Purls NYC
5. Missy at Knit Wit
6. Joleen at Love, Joleen

Hot Artichoke Dip

I found a recipe in a magazine for a warm dip to serve during the holidays that I wanted to try. It looked like a promising recipe, but it turned out to be rather disappointing. "There's something missing" one family member said, "It's a little bit too bland" said another. So I experimented until we found a version that was satisfactory. I share it with you here and wish you a Happy New Year!

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 leek, washed well and chopped
1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 4-oz. jars sliced pimientos, drained
1 cup mayonnaise (not fat free, or it will be runny)
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F. In skillet, cook leek in butter or olive oil until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in artichoke hearts, pimientos, mayonnaise, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, Italian salad dressing mix, pepper and 1 Tablespoon of the parsley.

Spread mixture into a 9" pie plate or casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 1 Tablespoon parsley.

Bake 20 minutes or until heated through. (You may microwave the dip instead for about 6-8 minutes at 70% power, turning the dish halfway through if you don't have a turntable.)

Serve with vegetable dippers and torn bread.

Holiday Activities

It's always busy this time of year, so many things to do. Whether baking, decorating or shopping in preparation for get-togethers with friends and family, our to-do lists are full.

I am trying to simplify my life (and my list) to make more room for just enjoying time with family. I have a houseful of family members staying from out of town this year and it is tempting to over-schedule myself trying to make everything 'perfect'. I am resisting by scaling things down a bit. For instance, I chose a small tabletop tree instead of the traditional 6-footer because it takes much less time for the group to decorate and is more enjoyable for the folks with shorter attention spans.

I am also taking fewer shopping trips and choosing more enjoyable places to visit. I refuse to participate in the frenzy that has become all too common at popular retail stores with mega sales that encourage people to push and shove and fight over this bargain or that. Instead, I take my family to responsible stores like my local scrapbooking shop. A creative bunch, they hosted a 'Make and Take' event that even the 3-year-old could enjoy. Hubby and teenagers all had fun with foam stamps and acrylic paint decorating little canvas bags that we plan to use as gift bags.

This effort has paid off. I've had much more time to spend with my loved ones, and I've even had time to knit a bit in the evenings. Here is my new fair-isle wheel tam. I have decided to follow Mary Rowe's lead and give it a title- Snowflakes.

The pattern is my own, but it is inspired by the work of many people. I have studied books, magazine articles and examples on the internet. Some good books on the topic - Knitted Tams by Mary Rowe, Traditional Fair Isle Knitting by Sheila McGregor, 45 Fine and Fanciful Hats to Knit by Anna Zilboorg and 1000 Great Knitting Motifs by Luise Roberts.

Find the pattern here.

Snowflakes Tam Pattern

This is Snowflakes, my fair-isle wheel patterned tam. It will fit most small to medium sized adult heads. It is my own design and I'm sharing it with you here. If you want to learn more about making these lovely hats you can see my list of reference books in this post.

This is not a beginner's project, I would call it intermediate level. It involves 2-color knitting in the round using tiny size 1 US/2.25mm and size 3 US/3.25mm circular and double pointed needles. The challenge is to keep your tension even throughout.

Materials: Fine wool yarn that knits to a gauge of 28 stitches=4"/10cm. It must be wool or it will not block to shape. I used GGH Merino Soft, Lane Borgosesia Merino Extra Fine, and Le Fibre Nobili Tajmahal. You will need one 50 gm ball each of 5 colors or leftover yarns in the following amounts-

24 grams white
8 grams green
12 grams blue
4 grams pale blue
4 grams lavender

You will also need one stitch marker or small loop of contrasting yarn and 16"/40cm circular needles in size 1 US/2.5mm and size 3 US/3.25mm and a set of 4 double pointed needles in size 3 US/3.25mm or whatever size you need to knit your yarn to gauge.

Directions: Using size 1/2.5mm circular needle and blue yarn, cast on 134 stitches for ribbing. Join, being careful not to twist stitches, place stitch marker on needle to mark beginning of row, and work 1x1 ribbing (knit one, purl one) until tube measures 1"/2.5cm, or about 11 rounds.

Increase round: Switch to size 3 US/3.25mm circular needles. Knit 3, increase by knitting into the front and back of next stitch, *Knit 4, increase in next stitch* repeat between *'s around ending Knit 3, increase in next stitch. 168 stitches.

Brim: Knit every round following the chart at left for color placement. Read the chart from bottom to top, from right to left, the way that you knit the piece. The chart is repeated 7 times around the hat. Continue moving the stitch marker to keep track of beginning of round.

Crown: Starting on row 36 of the chart, you will begin making double decreases every second round to shape the crown of the hat, represented by the single column of stitches. (The chart makes a stair-step to represent the stitches decreased out of the crown.) The center stitch of the decrease is prominent and decorative, and is performed in this manner-slip 2 stitches as if to knit 2 together, knit the next stitch, pass the 2 slipped stitches over the stitch you've just knitted. You will want to keep your stitch marker at the edge of the decrease line.

Continue working, decreasing 14 stitches every other round, changing to double pointed needles when this becomes necessary. Draw yarn through last 14 stitches and pull tightly. Weave in yarn ends.

Finishing: At this point, the tam will look like the photo at left. It will seem a little small to fit an adult, but it will be a little larger after blocking.

To block the hat, wet it well and roll it up in a towel to remove excess water without wringing or twisting the hat out of shape. Gently stretch the hat over a dinner plate and pat it into place. See the photos at the top of the page to see what it should look like. Allow it to dry completely, which will take a day or two.

The photo at right is what the finished hat looks like, modeled by one of my teens.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving morning. I want to share with you all my recipe for a simple yet elegant pastry I like to make for my family for holidays or special occasions.

Please note, this is not a low-fat recipe, that's why I only make it for special occasions.


Cheese Filled Pastry

1/2 package frozen prepared Phyllo dough
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese or neufchatel
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or flavoring of your choice)
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350f/175c. Brush a baking sheet with melted butter and set aside.

In a small bowl mix together the filling ingredients until smooth.

Open the package of phyllo dough and cover the stack of sheets with a damp cloth to keep them from drying out and breaking while you work. Working on a clean and dry board or counter top, carefully lay a sheet of dough on the dry surface and brush it with melted butter. Lay another sheet on top of the first and brush with butter. Continue until you have 8 layers assembled.
Spoon the filling along one short edge of the rectangle of dough and start rolling it, tucking the edges under to seal the ends, brushing with butter to make the dough stick together.
Place 2 more sheets of dough on work surface and place the rolled pastry on top of it diagonally, brush with butter and wrap the dough around it envelope style to seal the pastry.

Place the rolled pastry on the buttered baking sheet. Brush the pastry with butter one last time, sprinkle with a little sugar and bake it until well browned, about 30 minutes.

Serves 4-6.