Leather and Lace

Inky Silky Lacey Blackness…luxury neckwear!

Made in a silk/bamboo blend, the black version of my little lace scarf is really pretty. Knit as a gift for my childhood friend, Melinda. She said she loves wearing it with her leather jacket!

My first time knitting this gorgeous lacey little scarf, I posted about it here.

Filed under: Knitting , Hand Knit accessories, Hand Knit Gifts, knitting with silk, luxury hand knits, luxury knits, Scarf, Scarves, silk hand knits, Yarns

Las Vegas Tweed Scarf and Hat Set with Pattern

All the raves about the KnitPicks Citytweed yarn are echoed by me. It is awesome! I love fantastic yarns and love them even more when I can afford to buy a lot of them. KnitPicks offers affordable yarns made of incredible soft fibers, and I love to feel this one run through my fingers as I knit it up.

This is the worsted weight tweed, made of an alpaca/merino blend. It is exquisitely soft and the colors are sumptious.

My brother, Eric, is very masculine but I know he loves soft, snuggly scarves and hats as much as I do. Instead of hunting forever for a pattern he might like, I came up with a basic 5 stitch rib pattern, bordered by a simple 3-garter-stitch edging. It really is STUNNING. I hope the pictures convey how gorgeous and yummy this really is.

Fortunately, Andy is a willing and very handsome model.

This hat and scarf are on their way to Las Vegas, where Eric will probably have 3 or 4 chances every year to put them on and be winterized in style.

I’ll post the pattern here, or you can print it out from this page .

SCARF PATTERN:

Materials needed:

3 skeins KnitPicks worsted weight CityTweed

(you will have enough left to make one adult size hat)

Size 7 needles

Darning needle for weaving in ends

Cast on 41 stitches

Rows 1 and 2: knit

Row 3: knit 3, *purl5, knit 5. Repeat from * until 3 st remain. Knit last 3 stitches.

Repeat row 3 until scarf measures 65-70 inches.

Knit last two rows.

Bind off.  Weave in all ends. Block to approximately 5 1/2 inches across.

Add fringe if you prefer.

If you decide to make the set, please let me know and I’ll post the hat pattern here for you also. It’s a perfect fit for a medium adult head.

Filed under: Knitting , Fibers, Hand Knit Gifts, Hand Knits, Hand Knits for Men, knitting for men, Knitting Pattern, knitting patterns, masculine scarf, Men's Hand Knits, Scarf, Scarves

Roasted Pears in Vanilla Sauce

Pears have never been given their due in our culture. Pears are probably one of the most tasty and healthy fruits we can eat. They are incredibly versatile, not too sweet and theirs flavor never overpowers whatever you are serving them mixed into or alongside of…so why does it seem like pears have been greatly overlooked in our kitchens?

(Did you know a single pear gives us the complete amount of fiber we need for an entire day?)

Today I had the chance to make a recipe that was passed on to me by a friend. It was originally posted in Smitten Kitchen’s blog with photographs that made my mouth water. If you have a moment to browse this blog, it is likely you will find at least a few recipes that you will need to try in the near future. Wow.

There is really very little to do to make this dish. And, if you serve it to dinner guests, it is likely you will be thought to have the culinary skills of a great chef, instead of just someone who tweaks a simple recipe to suit her needs at the time.

I started with 5 bartlett pears. Any kind of pear would probably do very well. Smitten used Bosc and said they came out splendidly. Maybe next time I’ll try a foreign variety that is in season.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Peel and core the pears. Leaving the stems attached looks pretty, so I left them on if I had the chance.

Place the pears seed-side up in a shallow baking pan. I used glass, but ceramic coated or metal cookware would do just fine.  Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over them.

Smitten calls for a whole vanilla bean (split open, scrape seeds into 1/2 cup sugar), which I didn’t have, so, I opted to split the sugar into two equal portions and add vanilla extract in between sprinkles. Sprinkle 1/8 cup sugar over the pears, sprinkle pure vanilla extract in tiny drops over them, followed by the other 1/8 cup of sugar.

Using a cold stick of butter, cut two slices about 1/4 inch thick, divided into 5 thin slivers. Place a sliver into each pear’s belly.

I added a few sprinkles of brown sugar and added the lemon to the pan before cooking.

Add a couple of teaspoons of water to the base of the pan before placing in the oven.

Baste the pears with the caramel sauce once or twice while they bake for half an hour.

Then, turn the pears over, baste them again and slide them back into the over for an additional 25 minutes.

Finally, take them from the over and allow them to sit for about 5 minutes. The sauce, which has begun to caramelize, will thicken even more once it begins to cool.

Serve your pears with french vanilla ice cream. Drizzle a bit of the sauce over both the ice cream and the pear. The pear is so tender and will literally melt in your mouth.

Filed under: Great Food , pear recipe, pears in caramel sauce, roasted pears, simple recipes

Brooke’s Column of Leaves Scarf

Although I knit this scarf almost a year ago, I still find myelf going to Brooke’s Flickr page to view all the different pictures of this scarf other knitters have sent to her. This pattern has been knit in every kind of yarn and in every color imaginable. It’s a beautiful pattern and was my very first attempt at knitting lace. It was a little tricky for a noobie, but thanks to row-by-row videos made by Marlene, I was able to learn how to use a life line (that is the biggest time-saver I have learned so far!).

It was one of the first projects to grace my new blocking board last spring. I read about blocking pins vs. blocking wires and decided that I would begin with wires. I am so glad I did. They have been so easy to work with and, I think, another time saver. Since then I have experimented with blocking pins, too, and see that they work perfectly for getting small points and scalloped edges exactly right. So, these days I am using a combination of the two.

Blocking opens up the lace and lets the air flow through. It makes all those yarn-overs so worth the work. The yarn I chose is a silk blend and has a lovely drape and is wonderfully soft on my skin.

There are a lot of variations on Brooke’s pattern including a double column, fingerless gloves and a shawl that I saw somewhere. I’ve helped to spread the pattern to new knitting friends on the Ravelry site, along with countless others passing it on to their friends.

Thanks, Brooke, for sharing such a gorgeous pattern with us.

Filed under: Knitting , Blocking knitting, blocking lace, Hand Knit accessories, Hand Knit Gifts, Knitting Pattern, knitting patterns, Knitting Videos, Scarf, Scarves, Yarns

Knitting Hell. Or, the ugly stuff.

Every once in a while, while I browse the knitting newsletters online or look through the online knitting sites, I stumble across an advertisement for something that makes me cringe. Is it just me? Or are there some horrible knitting patterns being pushed on unsuspecting knitting noobies?

Like this one for example. You can buy a kit to make this fugly hat and shawl that I suspect (and hope) would never get worn.

And, to make matters worse, I don’t want to knit all the little chachkis that are constantly being featured. I know there must be a huge group of knitters who make little 3-inch-long knitted obects in the shape of bones, or balls or apples or broccoli, but I am just now learning about the beautiful things that can be knit and these little items tend to frighten me. I mean, is that what eventually happens to a knitter once they have learned how to professionally finish a sweater, knit a form fitting skirt and make sweet-little-nothing lace lingerie for themselves? Do I have little doo-dabs to look forward to somewhere in my future?  I suppose if I ever do get there, there’s a good chance I just might like knitting them….now I am really worried.

Filed under: Knitting , Bad Knitting, ugly knits, Ugly knitting patterns

Grey Briarwood Scarf

Sometimes I sit and browse through the knitting books that have grown up around me. Seeking patterns. Something new to try, something to teach me a little something more, something lovely, soft and pleasing.

This scarf pattern is a revised version, made in a finer yarn than the pattern called for and changed  just a little so the sides don’t curl in as much as they would have. They still want to curl a bit, but not enough to take away from the beauty of the finished scarf.

It got a little repetitious…yes indeed. But, what scarf doesn’t, unless it’s lace? or maybe cables. I’m only working my second cable project and really do have to pay attention to what I’m doing if I don’t want to screw it up.

The pattern is quite masculine and looks great with a dark leather coat. I’ve made a hat to match but can’t find the photos just now. Maybe  Andy will model them both this winter and I can share a pix of him wearing them.

Filed under: Knitting , knitting for men, Scarf, Scarves

WIP (works in progress)

 

Friendship Scarf knit in a silk merino lace weight  blend. This will take quite a while, but should turn out gorgeous.

Slow going, but really a delicate pattern.

Hoodie Sweater Vest. This yarn is so much more squishy soft than I thought it would be. It feels great to knit up.

 

This dropstitch scarf is actually finished but is on the blocking board now.

And finally, I haven’t worked on this in a long time, but it is close to finished and still quite beautiful.

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Knitting

Frogging the Chevron ~~ Dammit!!

Chevron Scarf Pre-frogging

I saw one of these scarves knit up beautifully in Noro sock yarn while we were visiting Nashville recently.  The young woman at the knit shop told me that the pattern was available in a book called Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

What a lovely book. I blogged about this book before because the photography is exquisite, as well as the projects it offers.

The trick to a making a Chevron scarf like this one is to knit with two contrasting colors at the same time. To make it even more appealing, knit with some of the visually stunning hand painted yarns that are so readily available these days from small private artisans via the world-wide-web.

I researched other people’s Chevron Scarves for a while, browsing their photos and the kinds of yarn they selecting. Do I use two multi-colored skeins, or just one multi-color combined with a solid? Both of these combinations are splendid. Finally, I decided on what has been deemed the “classic” for this pattern and set about ordering up my yarn. Two hanks from Blue Mountain Socks that Rock set me back almost $50!! I know this yarn is touted by many knitters as being some of the better yarn out there, so I am trusting that it is worth my yarn dollars.

Okay. So. Why am I frogging this scarf?

Because….it looks awful on the reverse side!

I had already decided that I didn’t like scarves that were not readily reversible. My first lace project was a beautiful scarf that I truly love — however, it isn’t reversible and I doubt that I will ever wear it because of that.

What sense does it make to have a scarf that you want to wrap around your neck, but you have to alway make sure that the only front side shows. If the back side shows, it is going to make the entire project look shabby. And let’s NOT forget that this Chevron Scarf is knit with sock yarn! That means it is a time consuming project, taking quite a long time to make it measure about 6 feet. I really don’t want to invest any more of my knitting time into a scarf that I am not going to be able to feel proud about and trust that a friend will genuinely enjoy it and wear it with glee.

Is it just me that hates one-sided scarves? Or are there others out there??? I have begun a collection of reversible scarf patterns and am also creating a few simple ones of my own. I would love to create a bank of them so people like me wouldn’t have to struggle to find their next favorite project.

Maybe one day I will knit a double-side Chevron Scarf in lace weight so that both sides will be beautiful. But, until then, it’s frogsville for this little baby.

Filed under: Knitting, Uncategorized , Fibers, Frogged Projects, Hand Knit accessories, Hand Knit Gifts, knitting books, Knitting Stripes, Yarns

Snuggly Hooded Baby Poncho

A local knitter shared pix of her own version of this pattern. It was so adorably cute, I knew it wouldn’t be long before Gabriella had one. You can find this free pattern on Ravelry here . If you aren’t already on Ravelry, then you are really missing out. Ravelry is the premier social community for knitters, crocheters, weavers and other yarn fanatics from around the world. Go check them out. You can friend me on Ravelry. My user name is “yinlite”.

I didn’t change too much on this pattern.  The front panel seemed to be a little plain, so I continued with the popcorn pattern there.  It did make a difference and I’m glad I chose to make it a little more decorative. It came out really beautiful.

I used a powder blue baby yarn, machine washable and long wearing. That should make it easier for mom and dad.  I chose blue because little girls are rarely dressed in blue. Gabriella has lovely dark brown curly hair. This color should really showcase how beautiful she is. Everyone thinks all babies they love are beautiful, but in this case, Gabriella really is an incredibly baby beautiful. Haha. Of course, everyone probably says that, too.

 

This poncho was knit with a double strand of yarn making it knit up quickly, as least compared to what I had anticipated.

This pattern includes notes on making baby booties to match, but those booties were so much like the ones I have already given to Gabriella. I made her three different sets of booties earlier this year.  Each of those patterns required seaming along the foot and/or heel. This bothered me because I know little babies are always trying to use their legs and are standing up while holding onto mom or dad (or me!). A seam in their bootie can’t feel very good to them! Finally, I happened upon a great pattern that is is not only adorably cute to go along with the poncho, but doesn’t have any seaming whatsoever. As a bonus, it is made in a way that makes it expandable as the baby grows, so Gabriella should get a lot of use out of these before they are put away or passed on to someone else who can use them.

These  booties are fantastic, easy to knit and have become my bootie of choice. They are knit in-the-round, so no seaming is necessary. This means there are no hard little bumpy edges for tiny little feet to step on when they are struggling to stand on their own two legs. They are also quite stretchy, both in length and heighth and should last three times longer before being outgrown.

Hopefully, I’ll receive some photos of Gabriella wearing this later this winter. If so, I’ll post them then!

Filed under: Knitting , Baby Knits, Hand knit baby gifts, Hand Knit Gifts, Knitting Double Pointed Needle, Knitting for babies, Knitting in the round, Knitting Pattern, knitting patterns, Knitting websites, Yarns

Catching Nothing but Air…

The Airy Fairy Scarf

What do you do when there’s just one hank of a beautiful yarn on the shelf?

You BUY it, silly!

I found this cotton blend sitting by itself and scarfed it up immediately.  On the trip to Maryland, I made it into this airy, lacey scarf and, after blocking, it’s well over 5-feet long. It’s the perfect scarf to wear with a white blouse and blue jeans, or with a light fall blazer to give it some color.

A simple pattern like this knits up FAST and the results are pretty astonishing. Blocking made a huge difference.  The more I knit, the more I realize how much the simple act of blocking does to make anything I make look more professionally finished.

Filed under: Knitting , blocking lace, Hand Knit accessories, Hand Knits, Lace, Scarf, Scarves