Pattern Photos and the Recipe

So today was pattern photo day. Nothing is quite ready for you yet, but rest assured that in the near future you'll have three new patterns to enjoy - two accessories and a garment. Watch this space!

Meanwhile, I dug out that snickerdoodle recipe I mentioned in my previous post. It came, believe it or not, in a bouquet of flowers. Feel free to give it a try. I'll be baking some this afternoon.

Grandma's Snickerdoodle Cookies

1 ½ c sugar

½ c butter, softened

½ c shortening

2 ¾ c flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

¼ c sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 400° F

2. Mix 1 ½ c sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

3. Shape dough into 1 ¼ inch balls. Mix ¼ c sugar and cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

5. Let cookies cool 5 to 10 minutes. Enjoy!

When the weather gets cold, I like to BAKE

So autumn is here, and in a big way. Yesterday was in the 80's, but today is in the 40's and rainy. (For my metric friends, that's a change from the upper 20's down to single digits Celsius.) When the weather gets cold, do you know what I like to do? I knit! (Yes, how did you guess?) And I like to wear things that I've knit! (They're warm and cozy.) But you know what else I like to do? I like to BAKE.

Last week, I learned why so many people like Snickerdoodles. They're relatively quick and easy, and do they ever taste good! Since they're rolled by hand into balls, the heat of the oven flattens them out into gorgeous, professional-looking circles of deliciousness. I was leery when I saw that the recipe said to use an ungreased cookie sheet, but due to a combination of the shortening in the cookies and the even coating of cinnamon-sugar, they don't stick at all. Once they come out of the oven, the cookies cool on a wire rack. We have some leftover closet shelving which I use for this purpose. It's long and thin and fits well on the kitchen table. The cookies were a little crispier than I expected - next time, they won't need to stay in the oven as long. They're great dipped in coffee or tea.

The recipe yielded about 5 dozen Snickerdoodles, and we ate them all in less than a week.

With all the Snickerdoodles gone, we were completely surrounded by no cookies. This was unacceptable to baker-me, so the other day when I came across a recipe for the intriguingly-named "Mud Hen Bars," I had to give it a try. (Click here for the recipe at the Cookies and Cups blog.) The resultant dessert is rich and messy, but tastes good. The Mud Hen Bars have a layer of cake on the bottom, a chocolate-marshmallow layer in the middle, and a crispy coating of meringue on top. I learned two things. First, if you're out of mini-marshmallows, the full-size ones can be chopped up very easily and without sticking if you spray your chopping knife with cooking spray. (Blade only, obviously!) Second, I really need to work on my meringue-making skills. The two egg whites should have yielded enough to cover the top, but they didn't quite. Either they weren't beaten enough, or the brown sugar should have been folded in more gently. Whatever; they tasted fine! The marshmallow makes them a little messy, so they're better eaten with a fork than with fingers.

In case you also like to cook when the weather gets cold, here are a couple websites you might enjoy:

Laylita's Recipes, where you'll find lots of yummy Ecuadorian recipes
Cookies and Cups, home of the recipe for Mud Hen Bars
Betty Crocker, while it's not the one I used, they do have a recipe for snickerdoodles that you can try if you're so inclined.

Happy baking!

Sometimes you just want simple.

Here's a new Autumn Freebie for you: "I Fought the Lawn," a garter stitch headband pattern. Everyone needs a headband or two for yardwork or exercise. This is a practical and quick project to make for yourself or as a gift. Since each headband uses only a small amount of yarn, it's great for using up those partial skeins in your stash. Instructions for both solid and easy intarsia-striped versions are included.

Gauge isn't extremely important. Finished length is more important than finished width. Since you will most likely want to machine-wash the headband, it may be a good idea to make it a bit longer than necessary so it will still be wearable if (when!) shrinking occurs. The stretchiness of the garter-stitch will keep it usable despite slight changes in size. Mozart is a little less than life-sized, so the width of the band will appear normal on a human head. :)

Ravelry | Download PDF

The Return of Inverboy

So I was looking for something on my bookshelf the other day and I came across this:

Remember Inverboy, Hero o' the Hielands? These were sketches for three more strips which never got into a more finished form. The page is dated January 3, 2003. I had completely forgotten about them. Reading through them gave me a smile, and I hope it will do the same for you.

In honor of the friends who went to Scottish Day at the RenFaire yesterday (sorry I couldn't go with you, but I hope you had fun!), I present them here for your enjoyment. Click to embiggen.

Inverboy Leaves the Hielands for a visit to (Tantallon Castle) the Southeast



 
1. Tantallon Castle, ancient stronghold of the Douglas Clan.
(Morag: I think we should paint a moo-ral.)

2. The name is easy to remember if ye keep in mind ...

3. ... it's the same as what birds of prey get when they go to the beach.
[sign reads: Seachill Beach]

Adventures at Tantallon Castle, continued

1. Across the Close, ye'll see Bass Rock.
(Morag: There were birds on the rock, but I never saw them flapping...)

2. Once a fortress, it's now a sanctuary housing 21,000 pairs of birds.
(Morag: No I never saw them at all...)

3. And a coo.
(Inverboy: Morag, come back!)
[caption: Morag swimming]
(Morag: ... Till there was Mooooo.)


South into England to visit the Chillingham White cattle
 

1. Inverboy: See the cattle, Morag - their website says the current number of "Total Beasts" is 42.
Morag: A moo-ving sight.

2. No relatives of the Hielan' Coo - they're natural clones who've lived in this park for over 700 years.

3. They look good for their age.
(Morag: Send in the clones.)

Maybe I should re-organize those bookshelves more often.

An age and a half, and 6(!) new designs

Well, hello! It's been an age and a half since I last blogged, hasn't it? It's not for lack of things to post, either. Thank you for sticking with me, and I hope to have some interesting things for you today. 

I used to have a pair like this with the
colors reversed and earwires instead
of posts. Have you seen any for sale?
Please let me know!

Since you last heard from me, I've discovered the Vintage Mexican / Latin American Jewelry section of Ebay.  I <3 silver, turquoise and llamas! I used to have a pair like the sunbursts at right, but with the colors reversed and fish-hook earwires instead of posts. One got lost, and I now wear the remaining one as a pendant. I'd love to have another pair like the originals. If you see any for sale, please let me know! (There is a pair with rainbow enamel available, but they're just not the same.)

Oddly, the alloy used in much of the jewelry is called alpaca silver. It is also known as nickel silver, German silver, new silver and paktong, and contains copper, nickel and occasionally other metals such as zinc, tin, lead or cadmium. I'm sure the jewelry wouldn't use lead, but it is used for other applications. I clean mine in jewelry cleaner, but apparently you can also use lemon juice or a mild soap to remove tarnish. (I learned that at wisegeek.com.)

Shepherdess with llamas

You'll find a large number of jewelry pieces I like on my Pinterest Jewelry board. That Margot de Taxco - what a designer!  Fair warning: if I intend to buy an item, I won't pin it until the sale is over. :) Others which may show up at any time. There are some interesting combinations, such as sterling with amethyst, turquoise and coral. Some of them would make great shapes or colors for a knitted piece, don't you think? I particularly like the quetzal birds and, of course, the llamas.

Meanwhile, there's always knitting going on in this neck of the woods. I have released some new designs. Here's a heads-up that if you want to be notified immediately (or ASAP) when I have a new pattern for sale, it's best to follow me on Twitter or Pinterest. Designs will show up there before they show up here. But now, for your inspection: three shawls, a top, a scarf, and a pair of ankle-warmers. Enjoy, and happy knitting!

~ Caroline :)

Flight of Peacocks

Phasianinae

Flight of Peacocks is a wide, curved lace fichu with optional beads in the edging. This is my favorite shawl shape because it sits so well on the shoulders without bunching at the neck.
$6.95 at Ravelry | Patternfish

Phasianinae are one-skein wrist or ankle warmers which match the Flight of Peacocks shawl. The name comes from the subfamily in the Latin name for peacocks.
$4.95 at Ravelry | Patternfish

Ivory Palace Fichu

Carmencita Scarf

Ivory Palace Fichu is another wide, curved wrap with delicate lace, is named for the "Ivory Palace" rose.
$5.95 at Ravelry | Patternfish 

Carmencita is a quick-knit, bulky lace scarf which will keep you warm on the coldest days. The scarf in the photo used one skein of Schaefer Yarns Esperanza, colorway "Clara Barton." $5.95 at Ravelry | Patternfish

Selenite

Cueva de los Cristales, Naica, Mexico

Selenite is a modern asymmetrical capelet with knit-purl texture with seed beads throughout for a little sparkle. It's named for the crystals its patterning resembles. This is one of my favorites to wear - so cozy! Have you ever seen photos of the Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of the Crystals) in Naica, Mexico? Here's a Google image search if you want to see more. Those are Selenite crystals. Pretty fantastic, eh? 
$5.95 at Ravelry | Patternfish 
 

Tulipa Clusiana

Tulipa Clusiana is a pullover peasant blouse with Bavarian twisted-stitch ribbing for a shapely fit. Sizes XS-5XL, bust 30-62" (76-157.5 cm). It's worked from the top down and almost entirely in the round.
$6.95 at Ravelry | Patternfish

As you may have guessed

As you may have guessed from some of my recent pattern names (Alandaluz, Felicidad), I am learning Spanish. It's muy divertido - a lot of fun.

Learning about a language is incomplete unless the student also learns something about the people who speak it. I've been reading a very interesting book by Charles C. Mann called 1491. [find it here at Amazon]. In it he describes life in the Americas before they were "discovered" by Europeans. It's exhaustively researched and still manages to be entertaining.

"How does this relate to knitting?" I hear you ask. Well, I'll tell you. After learning the language on my own for awhile, I'm finally taking a class. It's great because it's filling in many gaps for me. In class we write sentences to illustrate points we learn. Last week one of mine was this:

En mi casa hay mucha lana. (In my house there is a lot of yarn [or wool].)

That is undoubtedly a true statement. It may even be a bit of an understatement. It was grammatical, too, and correctly conjugated. So imagine my surprise when the teacher did a double take and asked what I was trying to say. "Yarn," I said. I have lots of yarn.

In Spanish, Señora said, "lana" does mean yarn or wool. In addition to that, it's slang for money - somewhat like an English-speaking person might call it "cabbage" or "lettuce." This calls to mind an episode of Jeeves & Wooster entitled "Jeeves In the Country." It contains the following exchange between Bertie and Marmaduke Chuffnell, in which Bertie is trying to find out whether his friend's financial situation is improving:

Bertie: What about the 'oof' situation?
Chuffy: The what?
Bertie: The oof... the dibs, the do-re-mi, the happy cabbage, the oil of palm...
Chuffy: Yes, yes, I do speak English!

Now, in English it's possible to see where some of those terms come from, at least in a general sense. Dough - do-re-me. Cabbage is green. Oil of palm - greases hands so things move more quickly. But why wool? It got me thinking about a statement in 1491 that the Incas counted their wealth, not by gold or precious metals, but by maize and textiles. Gold, silver, etc. were of less importance. In Norte Chico, Peru, archaeologists have found no art, no carvings left by the ancient peoples who lived there. What they have found are mounds, and textiles. There are empty storehouses which were possibly used for storing cotton, in which case (I love this conclusion) "they would  have been, in this textile-mad society, an emblem of state power and wealth, the ancient equivalent of Fort Knox." [p. 212]

So my point is, be proud of your yarn stash. In some cultures, you might have had to lock it up.

Sky Blue Lace

Have you ever wanted a pattern that's good for working while traveling? I have. I favor shawls for this, for several reasons:

• One yarn: no cutting, and therefore no need for airplane-contraband scissors.
• One piece: new sewing, therefore no need for needles / clips which are easy to lose.
• Lightweight yarn: easy to fit in a purse or carry-on.
• Short instructions: easy to keep track of.

Enter Alandaluz. It's a one-skein, top-down fichu with wings, so it sits securely on the shoulders without bunching or folding like a traditional triangle. It has two lace patterns in the body and an easy sideways edging, but they're fairly intuitive, so it's not necessary to refer to the chart so much. I assembled the lace patterns to look like feathers, with quills at the center and feathery bits at the outside. After blocking it, I also see a resemblance to a dragonfly - also appropriate! Sky-blue yarn just seemed right. (It's Cherry Tree Hill Suri Lace Semi Solid, 100% suri alpaca, in case you were wondering. I've used it before, and it's an absolute dream with only one caveat: it doesn't like to be frogged. The alpaca fibers stick together.)

You want to talk about World-Wide Knit in Public Day (or week)? It's got nothing on me. :) I worked on this fichu in cars, planes, two airports and three countries. As for the name, Alandaluz is Spanish for "winged light." I borrowed the name from the eponymous (and now, sadly, closed) resort in Ecuador. Their etymology: “luz” is light; an “ala” is a wing; adding an ending to the noun makes “wing” into “winged” to connect the two. I've been informed (thank you, Marie-Christine) that the word is also related to the Arabic Al-Andalus, which may be derived from either the Germanic Vandal tribe or the Arabic name for Atlantis. That's entirely possible. I love that the word means something in multiple languages. For more fascinating explanations, see the Wikipedia article here. Given that the region of Andalus covered modern-day Spain, maybe it’s a multi-lingual pun? One of the sections in the article refers to a Berber dynasty called the Almohads. There's a certain similarity in that name to the Spanish "almohada," but I doubt they had anything to do with pillows ... at least not linguistically.

So, there's your new pattern for the day. Another lace fichu is in the works, coming soon. Meanwhile, happy news - do you remember Peter Lorre, the Mysterious? It was originally published by Sanguine Gryphon, which has since divided and become two separate yarn companies - The Verdant Gryphon and Cephalopod Yarns. In addition to the sources of Ravelry and Patternfish, as of today Peter Lorre is now available through Cephalopod. They also have some other great patterns, with presumably more to come. Check 'em out!

Have a fantastic day. Happy knitting. :)

Alandaluz Fichu - $5.95
Ravelry | Patternfish

Peter Lorre, the Mysterious - $6.00
Ravelry | Patternfish | Cephalopod Yarns