The Crafty Bits: Clover Ribbed Socks

From the little crumbs I've been throwing out here and there you'd think I haven't been up to much of anything...mostly you'd be right. Cooking has been run of the mill and fairly nondescript. With Tim and I really truly trying to eat and live healthier, there has been a boom of cooking...but mostly things like grilled this or that with a double side of veg or salad. I haven't been reading much and I just can't seem to get my act together enough to take pictures of the knitting I've been doing. Therefore I count it as a major coup that I actually got something done and then proceeded to TAKE A PICTURE OF THE DAMN THING!



Again with the socks...it's moved from borderline to full-on obsession. These alas, are not for me but were birthday gifted to Sharon. I'm told she LURVES them and hopefully they fit properly.




Yarn: Castle Fibers Sock Yarn
Colorway: uh, I don't remember...something, something Meadow or Spring or...I don't know - selected because it seemed Irish-y

Pattern: Clover Leaf Rib (also selected because it seemed Irish-y)
Source: Sensational Socks by Charlene Schurch

Scribbles in the Margins: My Life in France & So B. It

Instructions for Creating a Custom Book Pile in Ten Easy Steps:

1. Select book. Begin reading.
2. 1/3 of the way through book, decide you want something lighter to read to offset Book #1.
3. Begin Book #2.
4. Read 1/3 to 1/2 of Book #2, become captivated by topic of unrelated Book #3.
5. Read 2/3rds of Book #3, hear about / see / buy interesting Book #4.
6. Promise yourself that you will not start Book #4 until you finish Books #1-#3.
7. Begin Book #4
8. Finish Book #4, get disgusted with yourself and go back to Book #1.
9. Reread bits of Book #1 to remember what it is about, finish Book #1.
10 . Repeat Step 9 for Books #2-#3

With these easy to follow instructions you too can have a book pile that resembles this:

Omnivore's Dilemma (Started in August, 1/3rd done)
My Life in France (Started in September, 100+/- pages left)
Portrait of an Unknown Woman (Read first chapter back in August)
So B. It (Skimmed through in October, only 180-some pages long)

On Wednesday I hit Step 8 (well a modified Step 8...I never actually finished a book, I just got disgusted with myself.) and by Sunday morning I could proudly proclaim that I could remove TWO WHOLE books from my pile and add them to my Books I Have Read shelf.

******

Ever since I saw the first trailer for Julie & Julia with Meryl Streep as Juila Child I've wanted to see the movie (which I have not...yet). I dutifully picked up the book the film is based on, read it and declared...tthhhbbbbtt. The book just wasn't that inspirational...or well written for that matter. I didn't feel an affinity for Julie Powell, I often felt like she hadn't captured her own growth and that for all her troubles, the changes she made in the year that she Mastered the Art of French Cooking were only superficial.

Mostly I just wanted her to just stop whining already.

No seriously, shut up lady.

The real hollowness of Powell's book comes in to sharp focus when reading Julia Child's memoir, My Life in France. Following Child's growth from late-blooming housewife to the internationally known voice of French Cuisine is personal and intimate, the book is less about the food (though there is plenty of that) and more about self-discovery. Following along with Julia as she uncovers her passions, her vices and why she loves France is inspirational. Her example for developing a life of continued learning, self-discovery and an always curious nature is something that nearly everyone can appreciate if not emulate...even if we can't stomach the idea of eggs in aspic.

******

In a different direction entirely is this juvenile fiction which I picked about a month ago when visiting my family for a weekend. So B. It tells the story 12 year old Heidi's search to learn the truth about her mentally disabled mother, where they are from and how they ended up creating a family for themselves with their neighbor Bernadette. Heidi's quest to learn about herself, her past and her mother's mysterious word, soof, takes her from Reno to New York state and teaches her more than she ever expected in a well written and very quiet story.

New Arrivals

As promised I am here to introduce...

DAISY!
Who just got her first hair cut!




Who Lilly is not immediately fond of.
We've been seeing a lot of the PissedLilly Face...




...but who is warming up to Daisy a little more each day.




And this is my new yarn swift....whom I will love.

The Crafty Bits: Braided Cable Socks

I feel like there should be some sort of peremptory comment. Kind of like on a season premier - "Previously on TeknicolorKelli..." It has been far too long, to the point that there has been some serious consideration as to whether or not Kelli (Teknicolor or otherwise) should continue to inhabit her little sliver of cyberspace. For now things are staying put which means that perhaps there should be some sort of update. Just to blow out the cobwebs.

Since that last update in August (Ouch.) things have gone kind of haywire and back again. We've been to a wedding, dealing with some serious health issues, smothered by a very heavy work load, doing some unexpected traveling and working with a breeder on acquiring a second puppy (Expect pictures next week!). Through it all there has been some (read, barely any) knitting. The pirate gloves are DONE. (More on that at a later.), some socks have been finished, a new pair started and some rather overzealous plans to do some holiday knitting have been undertaken.


A few weeks ago I finished up the Braided Cable Rib Socks. My favorites to date, the yarn is from a local spinner/dyer and is loverly to the extreme. The fuzziness in the photos isn't the camera, they've been worn and washed several times before I finally got around to photographing them.

I have to admit, I'm a yarn abuser when it comes to socks. They get worn tons, washed in the washer and flat dried...most of the time. Not exactly pampering the fibers, but it does give me an excuse to knit more socks.



Regardless of their abused state, they've been wearing like champs and the colors continue to enthrall me each time I see them. The warm reds, yellows, oranges and lavenders just tickle me to no end.

In the up coming weeks I hope to share a few more things that have been happening in these parts, some books I've been reading and, most importantly, posting lots of pictures of the new (and old...Lilly is very disgruntled about her lack of face time.) puppy.

The Crafty Bits: Cable Ribbed Socks

In the name of progress I bring you another post! That's 3 in August, an all time high for 2009. To celebrate I'm showing off what's "on the needles" right now. Meet Fawkes...


Another Castle Fiber's yarn (the same spinner/dyer as the yarn for the Oblique Ribbed Socks) that is even more stunning in person. I'm only guessing, but I would say the inspiration for this yarn is the coloration of Fawkes the Phoenix...though Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot could be behind the firey colors too. (Blogging = learning!) Threads of gold, red, lavender, orange, white and rose twine together to recall the colors of a flickering flame.


This is the second pattern I've tried with the yarn and is far more successful than the first. Initially I had tried a Nancy Bush pattern from her traveling sock knitting book, On The Road. Not a good combination, the multi-fleck coloration needed a larger scale pattern or a simple rib. Having done the rib thing, it seemed like a good time to learn how to do cables. The picture above is before I knitted another 3"...and then ripped it out because the second row of cables wasn't right. I've since gotten the leg re-done and am currently gusseting sock #1...knitting is much nicer when things go well.

The Crafty Bits: Malabrigo Set (F)

Way back in March I started a scarf because with warm weather quickly approaching it seemed like a reasonable thing to do...also because I had two skeins of worsted kettle dyed merino and you can't just let those things sit around. So I began to crochet a scarf...

...and as I crocheted the scarf got longer. And longer and longer and longer. After more crocheting than is really reasonable I began to think that maybe I didn't want a very long, very heavy scarf, maybe I wanted a shorter, more reasonably lengthed scarf. But I had started with two hanks of yarn and I still had a 1 1/4 of left over...which is a lot of yarn...



With this over abundance of lush yarn I decided that a hat might be just the thing. (Instead of the very long, very heavy scarf I had meant to end up with.) I mean, I don't have a single hat that matches anything. I have a black one and a lime green one, which are both felt and don't really go with any of my scarves. Also, neither very lovely with my pea coat. So a hat and a scarf would really be quite nice. I selected the ever popular Amanda Hat, bought some needles and knit, knit, knit and three days later I had a very nice stocking cap that was also quite lovely. Unfortunately, there was still 3/4 of a hank of yarn left over and the thought of crocheting even more scarf was...unpleasant. What to do? What to do....



So it seemed like gloves would be nice. They would match my hat...and my scarf...and it would be this wonderful coordinated set...except each piece is knit using different stitches and textures and they really aren't a set...just coordinates because they are all made from these two never.ever.ending skeins of yarn.


Which is how I ended up with a full set of fall accessories to wear....even if they really aren't a set.

The Home Cook: Rhubarb Jam

You reach a point with a rhubarb plant where you either give up and just let it run amok in it's corner of the yard or you go and hack off two-thirds of the plant and finally DO something with it. Preferably something useful...like, say, ten pints of jam...which is a LOT of jam. But then 16 cups of diced rhubarb is no small amount either.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam

For the last few years I've made a half or maybe a whole batch of jam here and there. This year, with two fully established plants I ended up with enough rhubarb to make two full batches of jam and in an act of necessary diversification...two types. Strawberry-rhubarb and Raspberry-rhubarb, both are very good but I have to say that the raspberry is quickly becoming my favorite. The extra tang of the raspberries and the little flecks of the seeds just add a little something extra.

This recipe is probably not for you if you prefer the natural flavor of the unadorned rhubarb and berries, but the tartness of rhubarb is a tricky thing and I'm not quite confident enough in myself to forgo this recipe and try something less sweet. Also, this is just damn good stuff. We like it with a toasted bagel and cream cheese, but it's also very fine on an English muffin or a slice of good multi-grain bread.

Raspberry-Rhubarb Jam

Berry-Rhubarb Jam
Adapted from Cindy T. (mom-in-law)

8 Cups Diced Rhubarb
4 Cups Sugar
2pkgs 10oz Frozen berries in syrup
1 large and 1small box of jello

Mix together rhubarb and sugar and let set overnight.

The next day, sterilize 5 pint jars or 10 8oz jam jars, rings and lids and prepare canner. Strain berries from syrup, reserving liquid and cut large berries (such as strawberries into bite size pieces)

When ready, heat rhubarb, sugar, berries and 1 cup of syrup in a large heavy bottomed pot bringing to a medium boil. Boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in jello packets until dissolved and let rest for 5 minutes, gently stirring occasionally.

Remove jars from water bath, dry and ladle jam into jars 1" from top. Wipe down rims, place on lids and rings. Process jars in canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars from water and allow to cool over night, check for proper seal before storing.

Stores up to one year.



Cook's Notes:

- The amount of syrup you add can very depending on the berries you are using. For strawberries I can usually add all of the reserved liquid and be fine. For Raspberries I can only add half before it starts to affect how the final jam sets up.

- We like our jam with a very firm set, if you prefer a softer set just use one large box of jello.

- For Strawberry-rhubarb jam use one large and one small box of strawberry jello. For Raspberry-rhubarb jam use one large box of raspberry and one small box of mixed fruit. There are all sorts of combinations, but I'd stick with the red colored jellos.

- The original recipe does not call for processing in a canner and works. That said I like the extra step, as it seems to give the jars a tighter seal and I KNOW everything is as safe as it's going to get...botulism is kind of scary. I also have a hard time ignoring years of advice from my grandma.

- For additional information about canning go to the people at Ball/Kerr. They've literally written the book on it.