Tis the Season

Fall is such a season of opposites. Perfectly enjoyable weather with gorgeous autumn color juxtaposed with biting wind and sleet. End of summer relaxation mixed with before winter busy-ness. And that pretty much describes our weekend here. Pickling, saucing, canning, tractoring (whatever you may call moving soil), crafting, organizing, purging, pumpkin picking, and leaf peeping. (oh and knitting, but of course)

Happy Fall to you, fleeting and feisty though it may be!

Knit 3 Together

Finished up some lingering summer knits at the end of August and September:

Mini Manu Cardigan for Etta

Pattern: Mini Manu by Kate Davies

Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh DK in Cove and Wash

Buttons: Beach Glass from Knitting Addiction in Kill Devil Hills

Ravelry: Notes here

I picked up this project after being inspired by an online Knit-A-Long (KAL). This was a seriously fussy pattern in that there were so many details and techniques involved. I was done with the body of the sweater, but needed to still do button plackets and i-cord and pockets, oh my! And I'm not really a process knitter, I'm a production knitter, so many of those nuances get lost on me. All that said, I love the end result and I do think it was worth the extra time. Lovely sweater with a great fit. And a superwash super soft yarn! Winner winner. Really, the only problem with this sweater is that it made me an addict for Tosh DK, which is simply not an affordable vice.

Garter Yoke Cardigan for Moi

Pattern: Garter Yoke Cardigan by Melissa LaBarre

Yarn: Cascade 220 in Walnut (8013) and Noro Silk Garden (279 and 88)

Buttons: Vintage Gramma stash from Jenn + thrifted ones

Ravelry: Notes here

I felt guilty knitting yet another sweater for myself, so I started this excitedly in February, but tried to work on it between projects mostly. Somehow, that made me feel better. Whatever. This was an easy knit and a really lovely pattern. I saw examples using the Noro for the yoke on Ravelry and fell in love. Had to keep looking to find a colorway that wasn't too bold for my taste, but I think I nailed it. Love it. Unfortunately, that race training weight loss makes it a bit baggy. A good problem to have, I reckon.

Duffle Coat for Etta

Pattern: Duffle Coat by Debbie Bliss

Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport in Winter Blue (117)

Buttons: a thrifty find

Ravelry: Notes here

This is the pattern that never ends... I should have learned my lesson that when doing a bunch of modifications on a pattern, it's best to keep knitting. But I got bored with this one and doubted the sizing and so it dragged on. Endless rows of knit knit knit. Debbie Bliss patterns can be cute, but they require tons of seaming. And I am adverse to seaming. Why do all that casting off only to pick up stitches again? So I modified this to be done in the round. I was right on my guessing for the sizing (notes from Ravelry knitters tipped me off). The pattern goes up to 9-12 months, which is the size that I made. Here, you can see it is still roomy for Etta at 20 months. Why do designers make such short, fat baby sweaters? I attempted to foil that design flaw with this project, and I did. But barely.

Impress Dress for Etta

 

Pattern: Impress Dress by Anna and Heidi Pickles

Yarn: Plymouth Earth Oceanside Organic (bone and sand), Berroco Linen Jeans (Army Fatique and Fiddlehead)

Ravelry: Notes here

This dress turned out lovely and I really wish I would have gotten to it early in the summer (I meant to...) It just fits. She could still wear it this fall with tights and a cardigan, but I think I'll cast on another next spring, a bit larger. It was a pretty quick knit, although the pattern was not clear. Not sure if that was a translation issue or just poor editing, but I hesitate to buy the paid/sized version because of the errors. I think I can figure out biggering it.

Knitted Bangles for me and Kud

Inspiration: This project on Ravelry

Yarn: Nature Spun sport and a natural wool I got in New Zealand

Ravelry: Notes Here

These were really fun to knit. I just tested a gauge, measured the bracelet, knit a tube and seamed it on. Good, fun, quick - lots of compliments when I wear mine! I got a score of bangles at the thrift about a month ago and am planning on gifting heaps of these.

Fisherman's Cap for Darling

Pattern: Aran Watch Cap by Charlene Schurch

Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Chunky in Grove (and Charcoal)

Ravelry: Notes here

Darling has said that he likes the hats that I knit him, but that they aren't particularly warm. With the exception of one thick, brimmed tuque, they've all been without a folded brim. This one should fit the bill. And the Tosh Chunky is superwash, so unlike his cashmere cap, it won't be catastrophic if it slips into the laundry. So far, he loves it.

Wow - that's probably more knitting than you care to hear about... But let me tell you what's in the basket for fall projects before I sign off:

High Water for Oliver in Tosh Vintage

I'm doing the High Water as a KAL with Jods and Kristen [Knit 3 together, get it? Am I witty?]. I think I'll have a better chance of keeping up on the project and being monogamous this way. And I think I'll get the concept of a KAL better when it's, you know, real. Not online.

Middlefield Pullover for myself in Tosh DK

Jane Hat for myself in Tosh Chunky

(I told you I got addicted to Madelinetosh yarns)

Last 3 photos are stock pattern photos from Ravelry

(End of) Summer Menus

Well, these just didn't have the rhythm of the spring menus. There were a couple reasons, I suppose. First - we ran into a couple recipes we were ho-hum about (time-wise or taste-wise) and had to shuffle things around. I got lucky with the spring plan and didn't have to toss any recipes after the first go-round. Second - the available summer produce changes pretty rapidly and I really wanted to buy fresh or use whatever was growing in the garden. Turns out those things don't follow my Type-A "plan". At any rate, we used these, but not in constant rotation like the spring ones. Summer is a little more free-form and that just worked better for us. But I'll post them here anyway, just because.

Summer Meal Plans:

(Click on an image to bring it up and right click to save it)

Enjoy! Sorry it's already out of season!

[And by the way, I never ended up getting the WW points on here. And I still have to add the links to our recipe page... but that's got to wait for a shift in priorities. I've got fall knitting to do!]

Whitefish Chowder

It's a staple around here (whitefish chowder, not milkweed). We like to do fish on Fridays and whitefish is fresh and local. Kind of a no brainer. Our version is adapted from Hollyhocks and Radishes, one of those local/regional cookbooks that is always a little suspect. But we really like this one. It's big on character and big on yum. Whitefish chowder is a year-round soup for us. 

Speaking of our seasonal menus, I'm working out the kinks in our summer rotation. I somehow got lucky on the spring menus and didn't really need to edit much after the first 4 weeks. But summer has been a little trickier. I'll post them here when I think they're ready for prime time. 

In the meantime, Whitefish Chowder. Enjoy!

Whitefish Chowder
2 Tbsp butter
6 green onions, chopped
3 carrots, diced
1 large potato, diced (we leave the peel on)

Melt butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Saute onions, carrots, and potato (you may want to put celery in here. I don't of course).

1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp dill
2 Tbsp flour

Add herbs and flour, stir to mix.

16 oz can of diced or stewed tomatoes
3 cups of milk
1 1/2# Lake Superior Whitefish (we've also made with lake trout, walleye... other meaty white fish)

Add the tomatoes, milk, and fish. Simmer until heated through. Stir in:

1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp parsley

before serving. Serves about 4-6 happily.