Posts from — December 2005

Wow!!! I just found out today that I made it to the voting stage of “The Knit Blog Awards”, started by Joe (a great blog). It is awesome just to be in the same category as the other blogs in the “best new” category. I am so excited!:jump: If you enjoy my blog, I would appreciate a vote….Knit Blog Awards Voting. You can check out the details on the main page.

:wave:Merry Christmas (to those of you who celebrate it) and Happy Holiday to those who don’t!

Your Elf Name Is…

Baby Hot Chocolate

Secret Pal 7. Signups have begun and I am participating as both a secret pal and hostess this round. The deadline for signups is January 4th and the fun lasts from January 13th to March 31st. I haven’t done much work as of yet (that will soon change) but the other hostesses have been very busy. Secret Pal 6 was my first such event and it was a good experience. Please read the rules carefully to make sure you’re ready for the commitment. All it really takes is the willingness to spend $50 and mail a package. Now that you can pay for postage online and have the mailman pick it up at your door it is especially easy to fulfill your obligation!

We’re still looking for buttons for SP7 too! Submit one by 12/30/2005 to have your name entered in a prize drawing.

This recipe has long been one of my favorites for the holidays. It is so quick and easy and extremely tasty. The only problem was it used a cup of this and that…ingredients that you wouldn’t use for anything else the rest of the year. I’ve made several modifications over the years so I can use a whole bag of the ingredient and make the taste exactly what I like. I think you might like them too (I’ve heard several names for different variations of this cookie, the most common being “Magic Cookie Bars”). Enjoy!

Notes: This recipe makes two pans of cookie bars.  It was designed to use all of the ingredients contained in standard sized bags/boxes you buy in the grocery store…no more half bags of coconut sitting around for months!  All bags and boxes are split evenly between the two pans of cookies.  I use fat free sweetened condensed milk (with all the other sweets you really can’t tell).  A great variation is to use 6 ounces peanut butter chips and 6 ounces of semisweet….it’s my favorite! I also like to make sure I have sweetened condensed milk touching all the edges. The cookies are a little harder to remove but the edges are chewy, crisp goodness!

Yield: 36-48 bars

Diva Delights

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray each of the 9 x 13 inch pans with non-stick spray. Divide the butter, graham crumbs, walnuts, chips and coconut into equal portions.   Into the bottom of each 9×13 pan pour 1/2 cup (one stick) of melted margarine.  Half of each of the remaining ingredients go into each pan.

Working in layers, sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over melted margarine, chopped nuts over the crumbs, chocolate chips over the nuts.  Sprinkle coconut and then add the milk last.  Bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top.  Cool 15 minutes before cutting into bars.

When it’s really small? When it’s so small you can barely even measure the row gauge because it isn’t even a full inch? Really, why did I even bother? In my defense, the swatch is for a hat. I don’t feel like a “proper” swatch is in order when there is ribbing involved. Hats are genially pretty forgiving like that. I’m using Knit Picks Elegance (70% Baby Alpaca, 30% silk) in Coal and Oatmeal and an heirloom German motif. Jim always gets stuff made from the best yarn! I guess I feel the need to pamper him since he’s cold all the time. Speaking of cold, I also started another sweater for him (when I was waiting for more clog yarn to arrive)…no cables this time! I like the color…variegated yet manly. The sweater is on indefinite hold until I finish one last pair of clogs and make the hat.

I haven’t done SPT for a while but after reading this month’s challenge, “reflective surfaces”, I figured I’d jump in again. This one was pretty easy (I suspect this is why I decided to participate this month).

In addition to my “regular” knitting this weekend (more FT clogs and a hat), I tried something a little adventurous. I ordered some needles a while ago that were on backorder from Knit Picks. Friday, they arrived…0000 double pointed needles. WHY? Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. I first got the idea while looking at the MaryElla pattern at knitty. Wouldn’t that be fun to try? Oooh, wouldn’t it be fun to make a tiny sock (see, I knit socks; doesn’t it follow that I should want to knit a tiny sock?)? Up to that point, I don’t even think I knew needles that small existed.

I didn’t order the Los Lobe Hose pattern. I mean, I know how to knit a sock so can’t I just do the same with tiny needles and thread like yarn? Turns out, I can (sock shown with quarter and US 8 denise needle for reference). I used Knit Picks Shimmer in “Happy Dance”. It’s a variegated lace weight yarn made from alpaca and silk…very soft. If I were the kind of person who always had cold feet, I’d definitely use this yarn to make some bed socks. For tiny socks, the stripe pattern in this yarn works very well.

I would call the experience fun, but knitting tiny little things with tiny little needles is challenging. Especially if you happen to be someone with shaky hands…although I imagine it is at least a little challenging even with steady, surgeon-like hands. However, it is a project to shake up your knitting. Although it’s good old knit stitch the size definitely keeps you paying attention. You should try joining stitches into a round thse size of your pinky!

What about the kitty part? Well, it rhymed and here they are (truly siamese, huh?): I’ll throw in a picture of my wacky pup Loki, too (apparently he has decided that the top of the patio table is a great place to hang out):

I have recently become aware of a new award…the knibbies. This year, they’re accepting nominations in the following categories: Best New Knitting Blog, Best Technical Knitting Blog, Most Entertaining Knitting Blog, Best Overall Knitting Blog.

Of course, I would be HONORED to be nominated in any of these categories but I’m not holding my breath. Visit the link for more information and complete guidelines. The cut off date for nominations is December 26th at midnight. Voting will continue through January 6th. Best of luck to all!

Here are my nominations:

New: Me?:rofl: For now, I’ll have to go with TBA. This one is more difficult than I thought. I’m sure I’ll find a good one by the 26th though.

Technical: Yarn Harlot (hey don’t judge…she’s technical in her own way!)

Entertaining: Crazy Aunt Purl

Overall: JenLa Blog

Well, I learned something new while visiting Crazy Aunt Purl. If you ever have trouble coming up with a title for your blog entry, just put gnome somewhere in it. Apparently, that takes care of everything…and of course, since I love CAP, I sometimes have to copy her. You know, just for the sake of continued “obsession” with her/her blog/her cats/her wine, etc. Anyway, at the risk of totally boring you (as if I haven’t already), I have to show….yes, ANOTHER pair of Fiber Trends Clogs. But wait! There’s more. I’m going to give you the benefit of my vastly comprehensive experience with the pattern. Some of these things will be so simple you won’t believe I didn’t notice them the first time. See…I’m not the kind of knitter that reads through the pattern first…I know I should, but I don’t. I jump right in. Call it a quirk impatience. Alas, I did not, but you will benefit from the err of my ways. If you never, ever intend to use this pattern. Quit reading now. Really. You’ll find it extraordinarily boring.

Fiber Trends Clogs: You can usually purchase this pattern at your LYS. There are a few online sources for Fiber Trends patterns, but I have yet to find the clog pattern available for order online. That may soon change though as I am looking into carrying it whenever I finally decide to get my *()&&*%&* little store open (yes, stay tuned…didn’t I say that a couple of months ago???).

After much experimentation by some of my buddies over at KH, the general consensus is that Knit Picks Wool of the Andes (WOTA) is the perfect yarn for this pattern. If you’re interested in hearing others’ experiences with using different wool and the pattern in general, go HERE.

Observation #1: I do a long tail cast on which is a) kind of a pain when you’re casting on 55+ stitches but b) good to use since the first row of the clog sole is a knit row. Saves time and all. Fear not having a tail that’s too long. Leave it attached and you can use it to weave the sole together later…it’s perfectly placed for that. You’ll see. If your tail is REALLY long you can cut it leaving 12-15 inches. If your tail is too short to use later…no worries. You have plenty more yarn for that.

Obversation #2: If you use WOTA, it takes just about exactly 2 skeins for a women’s medium for the upper part if you’re doing a 2 color clog. Either make sure you don’t waste ANY if you’re making that size or order an extra skein. Bigger sizes are definitely going to take 3 for the upper…the edge and sole 4 skeins, maybe a fifth for the largest men’s size.

Observation #3: You begin with the sole. You go along and have to do a lot of counting and increases. Glancing down to the rest of the pattern, you fear the whole thing will be that way (It kind of is, but with my experience you will notice a pattern). Fear not, continue on and worry about that when we finish the sole.

Observation #4: There is a pattern to the upper that makes counting A LOT easier. Wish I would’ve noticed this the first time, but I was way too busy going row by row as so not to get lost in a pattern that has two whole columns of directions with each being a different row. The pattern: Once you get to row 5 for women’s sizes and row 7 for men’s sizes, you can get the pattern. You’ll begin to notice that where you SSK and K2T, there is a gap. This is nice because you don’t need to count any more. Just work the proper stitch until you reach that point. Ok, so at this point you just alternate by slip 1, kX (no need to count, go to gap) SSK, turn and then slip 1, pX (go to gap) P2TOG, turn. When you get to a purl row where you do 16, stop for all women’s sizes and stop at 18 for men’s sizes. (ok you do have to count eventually to see where you are, but at least you can chill for a few rows) Now extra rows…women’s small has none so move on to row 15. There are 2 and 4 extra rows for women’s med and large; men’s have 4 and 6 extra. ALL of the extra rows are worked the same was as you have to this point (work to the gap, p2tog or ssk, turn). So summary:

Women’s small: Stop on the purl row where you purl 16 stitches
Women’s medium: Stop on the purl row where you have 18 stitches
Women’s large: Stop on the purl row where you purl 20 stitches
Men’s medium: Stop on the purl row where you purl 22 stitches
Men’s large: Stop on the purl row where you purl 24 stitches

Observation #5: Now we are on row 15 for all sizes. Work the row as shown and notice the next few rows. Row 15 has decreases. Rows 16, 17 and 18 do not (work as above with gap etc.) Row 19 has decreases. Thus the pattern. Row 15, 19, 23, 27 and extra row 4 (for men’s large only) have decreases…that is every 4 rows, so decrease on 15, work until your 2nd purl row, do the decrease row…repeat until you get to 27 and do your extra rows as per size. Row 28 is as before but 29 begins adding k3 or 2 after the ssk instead of just one additional stitch as you have done before. Other than that change, row 31 is a decrease row and all others as before with the 3 or 2 addition at the end. After row 33 and 35 don’t turn the work…you’ll now join together.

Observation #6: I’ve done the pattern with and without the bumper. It’s personal preference of course and I’ve decided I like it with the bumper. Of course, the bumper does add about 15 minutes to the total time so if you’re really in a hurry they look fine without it.

That’s about it. Again, it’s a great pattern, blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, have fun!

All the sudden, it seems I have clogs coming out of my ears! I hadn’t really intended on doing these this year for presents but once my little sister saw them…well I will basically do anything for her (and of course, I must have them done for Christmas…especially since the felted bag intended for her didn’t really turn out like I hoped)! Others are going to avid Bengals fans, as playoff slippers. I don’t know what possessed me but I most certainly have the clog bug now. If I haven’t already said it before, this is a wonderful pattern. It has just enough going on to keep one from getting bored but not so much as to prevent TV watching. As a bonus, the more of them you make, the more intuitive the pattern becomes. So I’ll just be here, drowning in clogs and reading the full Chronicles of Narnia (I have something about not seeing a movie until I’ve read the book first. The book is always better. The problem lately is that I’ve read the books, but so long ago that I can’t remember! I had to do the same thing with Lord of the Rings…read the whole series again from the Hobbit to the Return of the King. I don’t know how I haven’t gotten hooked on Harry Potter.)