September 2008 Archives

Yo ho, a pirate's life for Meeee!



When I bound off for this hat I was seriously debating whether to rip it all out or to go ahead and try felting it. The proportions seemed off, basically too long. And while if I did it over I think I'd make it a little bigger and less tall, I'm still quite pleased with it! Plus it's impossible to don this headpiece and not giggle and speak horrible pirate lingo.



I stuck my little yo-yo broach I made awhile back on the side as a make-shift cockade. I decided I still want a full-size version as well and will make a real cockade for that one. This hat is held in place by a black wire hair comb I sewed on the inside.



To modify the pattern I used a single vs. double stranded worsted and decreased the number of stitches by 40%. The decrease rates took some fiddling. If anyone's interested in my specific notes let me know I can type them up (amazingly I did actually jot them down). ETA: pattern notes now added to the extended entry! You can see a pre-felted photo here.



Pattern: Tricorn Hat Pattern by knitlikeapirate.com
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, single strand
Needles: US size 9 (5.5 mm)
Mods: Miniature version of course! Worked in single strand, cast-on 60% of sts, extensive mods to the decrease rates.

Let me articulate how I feel about this particular piece.

OMGILovethishat!



When I saw this pattern I wanted to cast-on immediately (even despite having three other hats in progress). Thankfully this is the fastest knit I've ever done - less than 2 hours! I can definitely see cranking out a few more of these in other colors.



This is like cotton candy knitting, total fluff and mindless instant gratification. I followed the pattern line by line (nice, no measuring even needed) and it fits perfectly. Can you tell I'm smitten?

Pattern: Chunky Newsboy Cap by Diane Serviss of Earthly Fae
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, Grass #131
Needles: US size 13 (9 mm) and US size 8 (5 mm); used magic loop for top
Mods: None other than to cast-on in knit/purl long-tail method, detailed below
 


I've talked about the Purl variation of the Long-Tail Cast-on before in this tutorial but I didn't show the difference it really makes. I particularly like to use this in combination with the regular cast-on for ribbing in bulkier yarns as it shows much more and thus used it here. The reason this matters is because the Long-Tail CO actually creates your first row of knitting, so in ribbing you have one row that doesn't match the ribbing.

In the first swatch I used the combo of knit and purl variations and you can see it's more seamless (especially when it is stretched out like when worn on a hat brim). The other nice thing about this is it is identical on both sides and therefore an ideal choice for things like scarves where both sides are visible. I've also used it when making a sweater for example where the body is worked in the round but the sleeves are worked back and forth. In this case different sides show on the RS and the cast-ons don't match. Again this is more noticeable in bulky yarns (it bothered me in my Lace Leaf Pullover).



You can really see the difference between the two sides in the last two photos of the same swatch. If you prefer a photo tutorial vs. the illustrations, this is a nice example on the technique.

I have a whole parade of FO's to share soon and the Grand Marshall kicking it off is the Adorn Cropped Jacket.


This has been done for few weeks but just getting around to photographing it, even though I've already worn it several times. I'm really happy with it!

I have a tendency to choose sizes larger than I should. So after I had highlighted all the numbers for the Medium size I really looked at the bust measurements and realized I should probably just make the Small. Yes, stopping and thinking paid off! A snug fit is much more suited to this look and I can still pin the front closed if I wanted.


I will say I love the look of puffy sleeves, seaming them in however is a whole other matter - ugh. Lots of pleasant details in this, particularity for a free pattern. The YO detail around the armholes makes a neat effect and the Bird's Eye pattern reminds me of polka dots. I even used the recommended yarn and color on this. Nice easy care and wearability with an effortless coordinating neutral color. Now I can extend my work wardrobe and get use out of my sleeveless tops!

Pattern: From the now defunct Adorn Magazine, available via the Way Back Machine. (Ravelry link)
Yarn: TLC Cotton Plus Solid, #3303 Tan (Pattern called for 3 skeins, I squeezed
it out of 2)
Needles: US size 7 (4.5 mm)
Mods: Not much, I didn't bind-off the back neck to avoid having to pick up sts
for the collar.

ETA: I've recreated the pattern stitch chart for this pattern since the original has now seemed to have disappeared and uploaded it here as well as my Ravelry project page.

Sambar, a staple in southern India is a type of vegetable stew, almost a lentil (dal) chowder. It's eaten at any meals of the day. We like to make this tamarind and dal broth chock full of chunky vegetables. If you've ever had the typically more watered-down version at restaurant buffets the homemade version is nearly a whole other dish. Which vegetables you use can vary with taste, season and availability. We really like to make sure we have okra and drumsticks however. They infuse it with flavor and add to the thickening power. (Fun note on the drumstickes, you split them open and scrape the flesh off with your teeth similar to eating artichokes.)

 

In my desire to share this truly wondrous dish I decided to proceed with this post despite the lake of quality photos. As I've mentioned before my kitchen has poor lighting for photographs but when Mr. PieKnits offered to make up this dish I quickly agreed and grabbed the camera. (I never pass up Sambar. I could eat every day, and indeed in India I nearly did.)

So bear with the initially intimidating ingredient list (it's really not!) and the dark photos and consider making this very tasting and filling dish.

Sambar

• 1/2 cup Toor dal
• 1 1/2 cup water
• Quarter size piece of tamarind
• 2 tablespoons oil
• A handful of curry leaves (approx. 10)
• 1 tablespoon of Tiragamata spice mixture (urid dal, mustard seeds, cumin)
• 1 onion, cut into med size wedges
• 3-4 green chilies, chopped
• 4-5 small red potatoes or 1 regular baking potato, chopped
• 5-6 okra, sliced
• 10-12 (a handful) green beans, chopped
• 15 or so frozen drumstick pieces (not pictured above, oops)
  
• 2 tomatoes (Roma), chopped
• 4-5 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons of Sambar masala/powder
• 2 teaspoons salt (to taste)

In a pressure cooker, cook dal and 1 1/2 cups water for 10 min. on high. Reduce to medium for another 5 minutes or so until whistle blows 3 times. Remove from heat and let steam die down before opening. Using a potato masher, mash the dal until creamy. (You may need to add a little water.)

Place tamarind piece in small bowl and cover with water. Let steep while preparing next steps.

Heat oil in a large pot and fry the curry leaves and tiragamata for 2 minutes. Add onions and fry until almost golden.

Add chilies, cook few minutes, add potatoes and cook another 5 minutes. Next add the remaining vegetables other than the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 min. Then add tomatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Discard tamarind piece and add tamarind water to the pot along with 4-5 cups of plain water, bring to boil.



Add the mashed dal. Add all spices and cook until potatoes are fork tender, approx. another 10 min. Add salt to taste.



Serve with basmati rice. Typically the rice is served along side the sambar (Never pre-mixed in like Jambalya!). But we often cheat and just fill the bottom of a bowl with rice and then poor the sambar over top. Make plenty of extra rice and you can make my rice pudding for dessert!


Uncooked vadiyam

We also fry up vadiyam, a kind of mini-papadum to eat along with it (scooping up the sambar). I'll admit sometimes these are harder to find but there are many similar varieties. We lucked out in that my MIL brought a treasure trove with her on her last visit. If making vadiyam - fry in small batches in hot oil until puffed up (approx. 30 sec- 1 min) and set aside.


Vadiyam all fried up.


Mmmmm...

Today I have the fun opportunity of participating in Faina Goberstein and Dawn Leeseman's blog book tour for their new book Casual, Elegant Knits. This book is filled with classic super wearable designs. You can see many of these lovely looks over on the books page on Ravelry as well.
Today I'm going to be chatting with Faina Goberstein a bit about the designs and techniques used in the book.

JT: Hi Faina! It's great to have you here.

FG: How nice to get together with you, Jennifer. Thank you for hosting me on your blog. This is our thirteenth stop on the tour. It is so wonderful to visit all the participating designers and hear what they think about the book. I love all the questions that Dawn and I were asked. What would you like to talk about?

JT: I was really taken with the attention to detail and technical instruction throughout the book, particularly the technique section. I really like how all major versions of mattress stitch are covered as wells as the details of short-rows. Was this a conscious decision throughout the book?

FG: You see, Dawn and I are very particular about details and finishing techniques. I would not say that it was our intention to cover all the versions of mattress stitch, for example. Here is what happened. Dawn has her preference of seaming the seams and blocking, I have my favorite ways. When we were knitting our designs, we did our usual thing. When we started writing all the patterns for the book, we had a need to describe what we did, because the look of a seam depended on it. Both of us try to do the seams as invisible as possible. Take Dawn's pattern Tweed Polo Shirt. She used a very nice textured stitch pattern. The back and the front are done separately. When you are sewing the seam in the way Dawn wants you to do it, you will make such a smooth transition that people will be thinking that the shirt was knit in the round. If you take my Elongated Neck Tunic, you will be using one mattress stitch for rib on the sleeve and another one for the sleeve seam. We hope that our readers will follow these instructions, so they will achieve the look they see on the photograph.

JT: That's great, I think clean finishing is really what brings a piece to the next level. The cast-on used for the Red Waves Beret is really interesting and pretty, can you tell me a bit more about it?

FG: I would be happy to tell you about this. I used the same cast-on for the Vintage Hat as well. It is a variation of a long tail cast-on. We have the explanation of how to do it in the techniques section. I also put a little video on my blog (http://fainaspatterns.blogspot.com/). You can just follow me there. I knew this cast-on for many years. I love how it adds a romantic touch to both hats. It is a bit tricky and it is not a cast-on you can rely on keeping your hat in place. That is why you see a combination of stitch patterns or a constructional help in my designs of these hats.

JT: I like that it is a variation of the long tail cast-on. It seems nice to have a base understanding to start with when learning a new technique. I was really impressed with the extensive detail in the crown shaping, how many attempts did it take you to work that out?

FG: Oh, I am glad you appreciated that. I always try to keep the pattern going as much as I can on the crown. It took me two attempts to get to this look. You see, the difficulty here is in the stitch pattern. It is one of four variations of the brioche stitch. That means I worked with the yarnovers and had to modify the pattern as I was decreasing. I was very happy with the result. I think the crown adds to the look of the hat and it all blends together.

JT: It really shows and makes a difference! The Sheer Gauntlets are so elegant and I like the deceptively simple shaping technique-how did you decide on that for this design?

FG: This is Dawn's design. Don't you just love it? I made two pairs already. The technique of changing needles is something we both used before. It made sense to use it on this project, because Dawn did not want any interruption of the lace design.

JT: I love a good pair of fingerless gloves and have to agree these fit in the "Gotta Have It" section. I thought the crochet technique for the fingers on these was neat. What is the advantage of this technique? Could you explain more about it?

FG: I am not a great fan of doing gloves. It is too tedious of a job for me. You could say I am kind of a lazy knitter when it comes to such work. I wanted to make these gloves with the minimal effort. So, I did come up with this idea. I am very proud of myself for that. I have never seen this done. After I set my mind on separating fingers this way, I thought that adding the vertical line of a contrast color all through the glove and then continue it with separation of fingers can be a good thing. It worked perfectly.

JT: I am the same way about gloves! Is there anything else about the techniques in the book you'd like our readers to know more about?

FG: I think blocking is a very important part of finishing. We were very specific on which method used in the pattern. Another thing is a selvage stitch. I do it as a slipstitch and it makes a beautiful edge. I do it for scarves and sweaters for different reasons. On scarves it is part of the look. On sweaters it helps to have a nice seam.

JT: Thanks so much for stopping by! I really enjoyed this book and plan to keep it handy for reference and to try out a few patterns soon!

FG: Thank you, Jennifer. I am glad to have this opportunity to bring the attention of our readers to these details. I think you learn from every book and it is important to follow the directions that designers give you. This way you get a perfect result.

FG: I want to know about your future designs. Any more pies ;)? I love your inventive designs. I put many of them in my favorites on Ravelry. I hope to get some time soon to make them. What else should we be on a look out from you?

JT: Thanks Fiana, I don't currently have plans for more pies but you never know - I do like engineering fun things out of knitting! :) As for future designs, I have a couple coming up in some books (a hat and a purse) and am hoping to work on several more garments to be available here on PieKnits.

FG: Well, good luck with everything you do. Thank you very much for talking to me. It was a pleasure to meet you, Jennifer. Tomorrow is our next stop. We will be with Kristi Porter of The Domestic Sphere (http://www.domesticsphere.com/).

I need a Hat Intervention!
 


Yep, that's three hats in progress there. 
And, uh, I have plans to immediately cast on for two or three more...

They are, clockwise from the top:

• Another Topi! This one requested by a friend after apparently eyeing Mr. PieKnits version. He picked out the yarn and I'm having fun putting my "knit in any gauge" pattern to the test with this bulky weight.
• Next is a modified version of Reasonably Hip basically worked on Stockinette instead of seed as requested by the boy. This one the knitting is finished just need to sew the brim together.
  
• And rounding out the group, the classic pirate Tricorn Hat - only in my own mini version! I plan to wear it pinned to the side of my head with a big ostentatious feather. See how I couldn't resist the siren cast-on call? (Also bonus points in my mind for a head start on my Halloween costume.)

I'm also excited to be speaking at the Bluebonnet Knitting Guild of Grapevine, TX tonight! I'm talking about cable knitting and some tips and tricks. They're knitting the Great American Aran Afghan this year, entering it in the State Fair and then donating it, how cool! 

I have been wanting to make this for forever. While not the only piece I've done in relatively recent history, it has been awhile. This pretty much sums up what I love about so many of modern day crafts. I picked up the wonderfully tacky frame at a thrift store for $.99 and it now proudly displays this piece on my desk in the office. Be gone cold gray cubicalness!

Please excuse the defaultieness of the current site. My upgrade of the blogging software did not want to co-operate with my previous hosting agreement's end deadline. New snazzy stuff coming soon however!