Episode 71 Handmade Holidays

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This show is sponsored by my Longaberger home Business  and Quince & Co.

If you are looking to support American goods, then you can start with Quince & Co with their beautiful and reasonably priced wools sourced in the US.  Check out Finch, their new fingering weight in colors inspired by nature. www.quinceandco.com

Needle Notes

Love the shoulder detail.  Front of sweater.

Back of Saddle Shoulder Sweater

Paula’s Projects:  Woodturner’sPully.  Elizabeth Zimmermann’s SaddleShoulder Sweater.  After washing and blocking it measures out perfectly!  Photos with nephew wearing it coming after Christmas!

Label for sweater.  I tried a wool label, first ironing onto freezer paper to stiffen the fabric.  Bronwyn suggested printing oncomputer.  I may try backstitching on counted cross stitch fabric.  Ecological Wool makes a very light but warm sweater.

Big Snowy Owl

·         Free Pattern by Purl Soho

·         My original estimate was about $80 and then I backed off and said it was an exaggeration.  It wasn’t.

·         Mine cost $10.    Pronto by Sandnes was $5 per ball.

·         Charted the texture pattern.

Bronwyn on Ravelry

• Pinterest…ask one of us if you want an invitation.
• Bbknits   
• Nubby Noro Mittens and Fingerless version 
• Palindrome
• Little Turtle Knits Braided Cap by Theresa Belville 

Sarah on Ravelry  aka MotherEarthKnits

• Those Mitts by Leslie Friend 
• Christmas Tree Hat and Elfin Socks 
• Textural Healing Shawl by Shannon Squire
• Incognito (Mustache Cowl)  by Mercedes Tarosovich-Clark  

Handmade Holidays

Our Ravelry Thread

Just some of the great ideas:

• Hot Chocolate on a Stick/Cocoa Blocks
• Santa Hat Brownies 

Sarah's Homemade Granola 

• Bronwyn’s Sugar Scrub and Lotion Bars  (Episode 68)

• Summertime Neck Chillers 

Paula:  Whole WheatCinnamon Rolls. Partially bake them, freeze, and recipients bake them for a yummy breakfast.  I used this technique from King Arthur Flour.  Sarah and Bronwyn are trying them out.

Feel Free to copy and paste my instructions to include with the gift.  I printed on card stock.

Paula’s Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Rolls

Night before: Take buns out of the freezer and  put in the refrigerator. (See note below.)

In the morning: Take them out of the refrigerator. Let them warm a bit as you preheat your oven to 350°F. 

Bake for about 10 minutes, until they're a very light golden brown. Remove from the oven, brush with butter. Add streusel topping and bake another 5 min.

Enjoy!

Paula

You can also take them out of the freezer in the morning and just bake them a little longer.  (They are partially baked).

In the Pipeline

Per last week’s episode, the Doc Martin second movie wasn’t good.  Two stars.

Enjoyed The Pit Pony.  Has piping in it.

Downton Abbey Season 1 watching again. New season Jan 8.

2KnitLitChicks

High Note Low Note

High Notes:

• Paula: The Week Between Christmas and New Years
• Sarah: Christmas Cards
• Bronwyn: Fondue

Low Notes

• Paula: Stickiness
• Sarah: Accidental Felting
• Bronwyn: Poorly tied skeins of yarn

Knitting Pipeline Retreat

March 2-3 2012

(Friday evening and all day Saturday)

Crossroads United Methodist Church, 1420 N Main St., Washington IL 61571

$50 or $40 for Sat only

Mail check to Knitting Pipeline, PO Box 549, Washington IL 61571

Merry Christmas!  Haste ye back!

Episode 69 A Letter from Elizabeth Zimmermann...with two n's

Listen here or use the Flash Player on the show blog.  Subscribe on iTunes!

This show is sponsored by Quince & CO  If you are looking to support American goods, then you can start with Quince & Co with their beautiful and reasonably priced wools sourced in the US.  Check out Finch, their new fingering weight in colors inspired by nature. www.quinceandco.com 

Thanks for the birthday wishes last week! 

Young deer that showed up during recording session for this episode.

Bereft by Robert Frost

Where had I heard this wind before
Change like this to a deeper roar?
What would it take my standing there for,
Holding open a restive door,
Looking down hill to a frothy shore?
Summer was past and the day was past.
Sombre clouds in the west were massed.
Out on the porch's sagging floor,
Leaves got up in a coil and hissed,
Blindly struck at my knee and missed.
Something sinister in the tone
Told me my secret must be known:
Word I was in the house alone
Somehow must have gotten abroad,
Word I was in my life alone,
Word I had no one left but God.

Needle Notes 

Baby Sweater on Two Needles by Elizabeth Zimmermann from Knitter’s Almanac.  It is better known as February Baby Sweater.  I used Knitter’s Brewing Company Fingering Weight sock yarn.

The February Lady Sweater (not by EZ) is actually more popular than the FBS. Projects on Ravelry: 6675 for Baby Sweater and 11,505 for FLS by Pamela Wynne 

Knitter’s Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmerman. Schoolhouse Press  (February) Some Babies Things.  Have knitted everything in this chapter but the bonnet with the flap over the shoulders. 

Leggings.  I have made at least two pair.  Red and white striped ones were the cutest.  Not the most practical garment for modern moms. 

Blanket knitted from center out.  Have done it with lace and also in a heavier yarn with texture pattern and colorwork. Was told that pioneer woman put a cream or white border on blankets so Baby would perceive this is a boundary.  Per my experience, did not work. 

Double knitting blanket was a carriage blanket.  I used Schoolhouse Press Sheepsdown and my own handspun.  May have steeked and put a zipper in it. 

Blethering Room 

Pete’s Socks…pulled off the colors! 

Handed Down Patterns.    Joy started a thread asking about knitting patterns that have been passed down.  Mother’s slipper/bootie pattern she called pods.  Under “Some Things Never Change…”   

In The Pipeline: EZ Saddle Shoulder Sweater 

Book Notes 

  $14.99 Interweave knits Holiday Gifts.  Holiday 2011  Some of my favorites are McHenry by Susan B Anderson, Hollyberry Bonnet and Cape by Kyoko Nakyoshi, and Handwork Mitts by Julie Turjoman.  Recommended.

High Note:  

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls/Cinnamon Raisin Bread.  Used the Best Whole Wheat Bread Recipe from www.urbanhomemaker.com.  Divided dough in half.  One half for a loaf of bread and the other half made two pans of cinnamon rolls.  Streusel:  ½ c brown sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon.  I use Penzey’s.  Roll out dough.  Spread with softened or melted butter.  Sprinkle topping on and roll up.  For the rolls I reserved a few Tbs topping.  Took rolls out after 20 min.  Brushed tops with butter and sprinkled on the streusel.  Baked another 5 min. 

I read a letter from Elizabeth Zimmermann from Jan 1980.  There are references to Moebius and her development of the concept.

 The musical selection today is The Moon of Wintertime by Lydia McCauley.  I appreciate each one of you.  Thanks for writing to me, thanks for participating in our Ravelry group, for leaving comments on the blog, and most of all for listening to the show. 

Knitting Pipeline Retreat

March 2-3, 2012

Washington IL  61571

$50 for Fri night and Sat or $40 for just Sat

Reserve your spot now!

Haste ye back!

Episode 67 Donkey Ears and Pig Eyes

Listen here or use the Flash Player on the show blog. 

This show is sponsored by my Longaberger Home Business www.longaberger.com/paula .  Sign up for my sale newsletters and special offers by sending an email to Paulaef@aol.com.  Please include your name, address, and phone.

Nature Notes 

My Life as a Turkey on PBS 

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Afterthought Heel Socks by Laura Linneman 

Ginger from Mississippi found the solution for those pesky donkey ears on the corners of heels and toes that have been grafted (Kitchener) in:

Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi

Donkey ears are for donkeys, not sock toes: To avoid those little boxy corners on your grafted toes, slip the outermost stitch on each end on each needle over its nearest neighbor, eliminating four stitches which might have gone boxy on you. Now graft.

Ginger adds:

This works great on DPNs or two circs but if you’re using magic loop the stitches should be transferred to DPNs first. I slip the first two stitches on the left needle to the right needle, then pass the first slipped stitch over as if binding off, then move the remaining stitch back to the left needle. Another way to do this is use a crochet hook to pull the second stitch on the left needle through the first stitch (dropping the first stitch) and then putting that second stitch back on the needle. 

Cat Bordhi's web site and blog 

Little Box of Socks by Charlene Shurch and Beth Parrott

Vogue Knitting featured Martha Stewart and her new line of yarn from LionBrand.

I have a new favorite whole wheat bread recipe.  You can throw away the other one.

Before baking.  These are the bread pans I bought from The Urban Homemaker.

Cooling after baking.  I put a clean tea towel over the loaves, but of course, I had to take it off for the photo.

Ready to slice!

The Urban Homemaker

Best Bread Recipe

Rip Van Winkle Challenge

Enter for the prizes on our Ravelry board on the thread Prize Entries for Rip Van Winkel

The prize thread will close on Dec 1, 2011.

Nubby Noro Mittens Pattern by Annie's Woolens

Shawl Pattern by Laura Linneman  Thin Ice 

3 skeins Soft Touch Ultra from Shelridge Farm  100 % Wool Fingering weight.  185 yd each. 

Product Review

The Best of Knitscene: a Collection of Simple, Stylish, and Spirited Knits.

by Lisa Shroyer
Highly Recommended.

High Note

Meghan of Stitch It!! Podcast introduced me to:

Good Earth Original Caffeine Free Tea

(I see their packaging has changed from what I have.)

 Music 

Diana Rowan.  Panta Rhei.  Track 07 The Sea Set. www.magnatune.com 

You can find me on Ravelry as PrairiePiper 

Knitting Pipeline Retreat March 2-3, 2012

(Friday evening and all day Sat) in Washington IL

  information on overnight accommodations is in the side bar, along with registration information.