And 200th post, woo!

Here's our little front entry way this year. I totally copied a Martha Stewart idea and shredded black garbage bags for around the door. Easy, cheap and fast DIY decorations- the best! They blow really nicely in the wind. Coincidently the drawstring that was cut off the bag is bright orange, so I fashioned a door knob bow out of it too.

Our "Trick". Mr. PieKnits was determined to wear his new Mohawk hat so he's a vampire movie punk cannon fodder/victim.

Now for the "Treat"
Cheesecake! As is obvious, this is from Mr. PieKnits B-day. He really isn't a sugar person but cheesecake is the one thing he's discovered that he gets excited for. He also claims mine is the best so he got a homemade one. :)

Rich and Creamy Cheesecake (from The Best Recipe)

• 1 tablespon unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
• 2 lbs cream cheese
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temp
• 1 teaspoon minced lemmon zest
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 325 degrees. Line bottom of 9-inch springform pan with foil, then pull foil around side of pan. Brush bottom and sides with butter and sprinkle crumbs over bottom. Tilt pan in all directions to coat evenly with crumbs. Cover pan botttom and along sides with heavy-duty foil and set in large roasting pan. Bring kettle of water to boil for water bath.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat on medium speed until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, on at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down after each addition. Add zest and vanilla and beat until just incorporated. Stir in sour cream and cream.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Set roasting pan on oven rack and pour in enouch boiling water to come about halfway up side of springform pan. Bake until perimeter of cake is set but center jiggles like Jell-O when pan is tapped, 55-60 munites. Turn off heat and leave oven door ajar for 1 hour longer. Remove pan from water bath and set on wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours.

See all recipes here.

Posted by Jen at 05:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Well this is a first. Never had a design not even make it to the blog (other than the sidebar) until it was finished before.

Coveting a cozy, slouchy style hat but not finding one that fit what I wanted, an idea took shape (more like took over). I had this entirely written up in the rough a couple months ago but all my actual knitting time was still devoted to deadline projects. Once I was free to start I was so eager to see it completed I knit like a fiend. Now I just want to wear it everywhere; I'm so in love with my new hat! This really was an enjoyable knit too. While I was working along I'd actually find myself thinking "This is fun!" Awwh... quick, entertaining, interesting without being too boring or too complicated, and a wearable FO- can we really ask any more from a project?



The simple eyelet Shetland lace pattern is very easy to work. I don't care for bunchy gathered style tops so the lace gradually decreases in pattern. Crown decreases in the pattern are provided as both written and charted instructions. I also included my new favorite invisible/tubular cast on in the round. With a little waste yarn and no new special techniques to learn it's the easiest I've found.

And now a glut of photos since I suck at picking.







The instant download rundown -after payment via Paypal you will be given a link to download the pattern. This link will also be emailed to you and will expire in 120 hours. For any questions about the pattern or whole download process please shoot me an email me at- jen@pieknits.com!

Pattern: Aveline Slouchy Hat
Gauge: 18 sts and 23 rows = 4" in St st.
Sizes: Adult
Needle size: US Size 8 (5mm): 16" circular and double pointed needles, US Size 5 (3.75mm): double pointed needles
Yarn: Cascade 220 (100% Wool; 220yds/201m per 100g/3.5 oz. skein) Color: #8509 Gray; 1 skein (approx. 150 yds)
Skill level: Advanced Beginner (Tubular CO, simple lace)
Price: $3.75
Format: PDF instant download pattern

Posted by Jen at 09:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

I'm so excited to finally get to share my first Interweave Knits design - Celtic Tote!
You can view the entire Winter 2007 issue preview here. They've added all the sizing, materials and gauge information as well, a really nice feature.

How this design came together was somewhat different for me, most of the time it's an evolving process. This one however, I was just closing my eyes one day and it popped into my head. I knew I wanted to make exactly what I first envisioned. So I set to sketching out the knotwork design, then working the pencil and eraser (lots of eraser) to work out the charts. It feels like picking favorites with your children but I what can I say, I love it so much.

A few other little details, it's hard to see from the photos but the cables continue twisting up into the handles. The base is double sided and has my friend, plastic mesh canvas, slipped inside for added structure. Outlines are worked by threading a contrasting strand of yarn around and underneath the cables.

Now I can't wait to hold the actual magazine in my hot little hands!

Finished Size: 12" wide at top edge, 14" wide at bottom, 3 3/4" deep at base, and 10 1/2" tall from base to top edge (excluding strap), after felting.
Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted (85% wool, 15% mohair; 190 yd [174 m]/113 g): #M08 wild oak (medium brown, MC), 3 skeins; #M151 chocolate soufflé (dark brown, CC), 1 skein.
Needles: Size 9 (5.5 mm): straight and 5 double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Notions: Cable needle (cn); markers (m); stitch holders; tapestry needle; one sheet of plastic mesh canvas for stiffening base; one 5/8" button.
Gauge: 16 sts and 24 rows = 4" in St st before felting; about 18 1/2 sts and 27 1/2 rows = 4" in St st after felting (your result may vary).

Errata!
Under Back, after casting on and working 6 rows in rev St st it should read:

Next row: (RS) P7, place marker (pm), work Row 1 of Celtic Cable chart over next 21 sts (inc to 25 sts as shown on chart), pm, p8, pm, work Row 1 of Celtic Cable chart over next 21 sts (inc them to 25 sts as shown on chart), pm, p7--72 sts.

Posted by Jen at 04:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (49)

Mr. PieKnits birthday was Wednesday (Happy B-day sweetie!) and now I can finally share the secret knitting gift- a mohawk hat! Mr. PieKnits had lamented that with the whole corporate bag he couldn't do anything really crazy to his hair so I figured this hat would be the perfect stand-in. I'm happy to report it was enthusiastically received.

I was originally going to make the hat as written in the Pretty in Punk book but quickly realized Mr. PieKnits was highly anti-earflaps (although I am quite fond of them and might need a matching hat myself). The pattern also had it worked in two halves then seamed, I'm assuming to facilitate the fringe placement but I wasn't really digging the extra finishing idea. I also didn't want to use wool for the base being Texas and all, and therefore it would need to be altered for that as well since it wouldn't be shrinking. Then I got Adrian of Hello Yarn's pattern at Yarn School for a top down, any gauge no swatch hat- perfect. (It was crunch time here with very little bits of time to sneak in knitting.) The increases it creates are also pretty non-swirly so it worked great. The fringe is Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky which really felts perfectly for this type of thing.

He's also pictured here with his other new birthday present- a custom pro-deck skateboard I had made. :)

It was so worth the surprise.

Posted by Jen at 05:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)

Photo borrowed from John Wise's great collection.
Yep, that's me fully embracing the dorktastic. I am so behind on this post! Yarn School was awesome. Re-adjusting back to regular life was a bit of a trial, seriously. 'What do you mean deadlines; can't we just play all day?'

Thursday we got in and received our fantastic goodie bags and then dined and drank ourselves silly on truly amazing food (This was all weekend actually). Friday was dye day and I'd say we did good job ransacking the dye room. (Really, check out all the pics in the Yarn School Flickr Pool) This was the funnest way you could dye- all the colors premixed, all supplies you could need set up and microwaves and crockpots galore. I kept running back up to the lab all afternoon in between different fiber prep classes working through still only about 1/2 of the fiber I had to dye.

Saturday was spinning day with big spinning circles set up in the old gym. This was so cool for me as I had literally never seen a wheel in person until mine arrived on my door step. This was the ultimate opportunity to check out such a wide variety and see each person's techniques. I'm happy to say I'm still really sold on my Lendrum though. The photos honestly don't do the place justice- after awhile it looked like a flock of technicolored sheep exploded in there. Between all the carding and spinning going on, bits of fluff just skidded here and there around the floor in the breeze. It was great ambiance. By Sunday several people were carding up some awesome batts of the random stuff to make "floor yarn". And speaking of the people, everyone I met was so great, such an amazing group. Including this very cool lady of Tempted Yarns- Hi Stacey! *waves* She has the coolest colors- go check out her sock yarns! I'm looking forward to designing something with them soon.

These are some of the things I managed to produce while there.

What did I learn in Yarn School? That drum carders are fun! It's a little rumply from being packed but I'm fondly referring to this batt as Glam Bride of Frankenstein. It didn't photograph as well, but there's some deep red Angelina sparkle in there along with the black and white wool and red mohair locks.

On the bobbins are singles of some of the fiber I dyed. The mini skein of 2-ply is from my first attempt at batt making. I think it looks rather denim-like.

Posted by Jen at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Wow, finally a new pattern! Well ok, 'new' as in finally published. If we take a journey in the Way-Back Machine you'll see this version of a design concept started some time ago. I had put the project on hold over summer, planning to work out version 2.0 (a non-pointy beanie) and release them together. Even though v.2.0 is still in the works I had a complete hat and pattern lying around and now that fall has suddenly landed in my lap, decided it was time to actually do something with it. Both versions will eventually be released. Although I confess, this originally unintended version has grown on me to the point (haha, get it?) that it's my favorite.



Off-Kilter v.1 is worked flat on a bias and then seamed allowing the diagonal ribbing to keep all its normal 'elastic' properties. The yarn's (Di.Ve' Teseo) long striping color repeats create a cool alternating diagonal effect as well. After popular request, this hat is also offered in a child size which in my humble opinion I think would look freaking adorable, heh.



The instant download rundown -after payment via Paypal you will be given a link to download the pattern. This link will also be emailed to you and will expire in 120 hours. For any questions about the pattern or whole download process please shoot me an email me at- jen@pieknits.com!

Pattern: Off-Kilter Bias Pixie Hat v.1
A funky pointed hat, Off-Kilter v.1 is worked flat on a bias and then seamed.
Gauge: 24 sts and 21 rows = 4" in St st.
Sizes: Child (Adult)
Needle size: US size 10/6 mm
Yarn: Di.Ve' Teseo by Cascade Yarns (53% Wool / 47% Micro Fiber; 98yds/90m per 50g/1.75 oz. skein) Color: #39360 Grape Leaves; 1(1 or 2, see Note) skein(s)
[Note: for adult size if you would like to keep your swatch you may need 2 balls]
Skill level: Beginner (Inc/dec in pattern)
Price: $3.75
Format: PDF instant download

Posted by Jen at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)