The Knitting Blog By Mr Puffy the Dog

My Colonial Scarf

2009-11-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

I love the Colonial period of United State's history. It was a time of great hardship but also a time of extraordinary events for our country. I also related to the puritan philosophy of that time and the simplicity of ideas and values. Or so it seems until you look closely. I suppose every generation faces their own troubles and political difficulties.

In any event, this simple scarf reminds me of Colonial America and I couldn't resist knitting it in time for Thanksgiving.

My interest in the colonial period was recently reinvigorated when I watched a couple of videos about that period. If you are interested in this period, you might also enjoy watching them. One was John Adams (an HBO miniseries) and other was a movie The Crossing about George Washington's surprise attack over the icy Delaware with the future of our country in the balance. Both were very strong men who knew a thing or two about facing opposition and difficult odds.

A blogging friend, Tracy of Pink Purl recently featured this post reviewing the book My Dearest Friend, Abigail and John Adams, which is a closer view of this extraordinary couple.

Particulars: Cinnamon Grace (free scarf pattern courtesy of Knitworks by Katie Harris); 3.5 skeins Blue Sky Alpacas - Melange; US 3 needles - circular 40 inch; modifications: none. The pattern states this should be 72 inches long. Mine is a 46 inch crescent shape. I washed but did not stretch or block this as I think some of the flounce might be lost if you do that. Or, perhaps mine turned out so much shorter than 72 inches cuz I was doing something wrong. Who knows. I am happy with the length, in any event.

Sorry for this short and rather disjunct post. I'm tired and feel as though I have worked a thousand hours these past few weeks. Wanted you to see my home office (in the upper corner of the above picture) where I unravel complex accounting frauds. I'm afraid I'm not very tidy, but I know where everything is. I'm currently in the middle of a large case that is in full swing with pretrial filings and discovery work.

But, since the holidays are coming whether we are ready or not, here's a nice recipe (picture from last year) that is a favorite of mine.

Holiday Salad Recipe ~ Mixed Greens with Oranges, Cranberries and Pecans

Keeping with a colonial theme, this is a rustic but tasty salad that compliments the flavors of the Fall harvest. It's a great dish to take along when meeting knitting friends for lunch or a large gathering of family. I mix the dressing ahead of time along with the pecans and then just pour it over the green salad just before serving. I hope that you will enjoy this salad as much as I do!

Ingredients:

6 Servings:

1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons orange juice
6 Tablespoons dried cranberries
3 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
6 cups mixed baby greens
3 oranges peeled and white pith removed, segmented
3/4 cup pecans, toasted

Directions:

1. Bring 1 cup orange juice to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Mix in dried cranberries. Let stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain well and discard soaking juice.

2. Toast pecans for approximately 10 minutes in a low oven. Set aside to cool.

2. Whisk oil, vinegar, orange peal and remaining 3 Tablespoons orange juice in small bowl to blend. Mix in cranberries. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper (can be prepared 1 day ahead). Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

3. Place greens in large bowl. Toss with 2/3 of dressing. Add the orange and pecans. Serve remaining dressing on the side.

Mr Puffy Update

Busy yes. But not too busy to buy Mr Puffy a pumpkin. He continues to do well and be cheerful, bless his little heart. Until next time, be well love well and celebrate togetherness this holiday season!

My Home Office [Flickr]

2009-11-07T16:23:20-08:00

MrPuffy posted a photo:

Where I spent a thousand hours this past month.....

Sugar and Spice [Flickr]

2009-11-07T16:02:33-08:00

MrPuffy posted a photo:

Sugar and Spice [Flickr]

2009-11-07T16:02:27-08:00

MrPuffy posted a photo:

Sugar and Spice [Flickr]

2009-11-07T16:02:21-08:00

MrPuffy posted a photo:

Sugar and Spice [Flickr]

2009-11-07T16:02:12-08:00

MrPuffy posted a photo:

High Time to Learn Fair Isle!

2009-10-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have procrastinated for far too long on learning to knit fair isle. The main reason being that this style of knitting appeared both complicated and the patterns seem largely outdated. Enter Alice Starmore's Hat Trick a trio of hat designs inspired from flowers in her garden. I fell in love with these hats the minute I saw them and knew that the time had finally arrived to learn to knit fair isle!

The beauty of learning a new technique on a hat is, well, because hats are small! That means sizing and shaping issues are minimal and the time commitment to finish is short. Which boils down to less risk of investing in an expensive project that you never finish because you find yourself bogged down with troubling sizing issues or complicated pattern instructions which invariably lead to a project that languishes for want of love and attention.

Even so, I didn't embark upon this venture lightly, or without advance preparation. I've had the book The Art of Fair Isle Knitting, History, Technique, Color & Patterns by Ann Feitelson for years, which I pulled out and reread in earnest. The best piece of advice I gleaned from this book was that if I did nothing else I needed to master carrying two colors of yarn simultaneously if I was ever going to enjoy knitting fair isle. While it's possible to knit with just one color yarn at a time and then drop and switch colors as needed, this will never allow you to develop a rhythm or uniform tension.

Several methods of carrying the yarn are described in the book, along with the strong advice to try them all before settling on one. I followed that advice and found that carrying both yarn strands in my right hand afforded me the most uniform tension. This also happens to be the most common Shetland method where, after all, they developed this style of knitting and should know a thing or two about how best to go about it.

Something to remember about fair isle knitting is that you only have two colors of yarn in any single row. That means you only carry two strands of yarn at any one time, which, with a little practice isn't all that hard to do. I know it looks complicated but the richness and complexity of the designs is achieved through the genius of mixing both graduating and contrasting colors all the while using just two colors at a time.

I'm running a little long in this post, but when I'm knitting my next hat from this kit (they are all different in both pattern and shape) I'll take pictures showing my hand position to give you an idea of what yarn position worked for me. Unfortunately I did not find any great videos out there to make this any clearer than the pictures I found in Ann Feitelson's book, or I would have linked to them for you.

In summary, I think we can all agree that this is a beautiful design. But it is supposedly inspired by the Hebe flower (picture of a Hebe flower is shown below). Do you see it? I don't know. It's a tough call. I think if you consider how well I captured the plant life in my brooch (immediately prior post) this is a real stretch. But, who am I to say. Alice Starmore is a legend.

Particulars: Hat Trick (Hebe) by Alice Starmore; available as a kit from Virtual Yarns; US 2 double pointed needles; my only modification was not to increase to US 3 needles after knitting the brim sticking with the US 2 needles. I did this because I thought some of the pictures of the hat looked on the large size. As it is, it's a snug fit on my 21" head but I suspect with a few wearings it will relax some.

Mr Puffy Update

I explained to Mr Puffy that now he's doing so well there's been enough lolling about. It was time for him to be productive and useful again. I told him "all your fans have missed seeing you model." When he heard this, he was then only too happy to oblige.

Something to Try this Fall: Homemade Granola

I love homemade granola and this time of year it's particularly nice to have some on hand. My current favorite is Coconut and Macadamia Granola recipe courtesy of Andon-Rein Inn. I generally find that Bed and Breakfast recipes are tried and true and this is no exception.

The only modification (really a substitution) is that I use plain whole wheat flour instead of "pastry" whole wheat flour. I also skip the coconut extract, simply because I don't have any on hand and never seem to remember to buy any. I'm pretty generous with the quantity of unsweetened coconut, which I love. It's hard to find unsweetened coconut flakes but you might find it in the organic food section.

There are a number of ways to enjoy granola. It's nice sprinkled over a dish of fresh fruit. It is also great mixed in with a box cereal (which is what my parents like to do) or you can crush it into small bits and mix it with cream cheese for a fancy bagel spread. Mostly, I just snack on it by the handful.

For a quick and easy alternative recipe, here's Mr Puffy's own recipe for homemade granola:

1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
3 cups slow cooking oats
Dried cranberries - roughly 1/2 cup (or to taste)
Chopped fresh pecans or almonds - roughly 2/3 cup (or to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Mix together maple syrup, canola oil and vanilla extract. Pour wet mix over oats and stir until oats are well covered.
3. Spread mixture evenly in a shallow roasting pan. Roast 15 minutes.
4. Remove mixture from oven and add chopped nuts. Continue roasting for another 30 minutes - turning once more after 15 minutes. Watch oats and nuts closely and reduce oven temperature if they are cooking too quickly. They should be a nice golden color - not brown - which means they have over cooked. All ovens are different and some are hotter than others.
5. Total cooking time is roughly 45 minutes. Final step is to add dried cranberries after fully cooked and mixture is removed from oven. Cool completely in pan and store in air-tight container.

Until next time, be well, love well, and try making your own homemade granola ~ I think you'll enjoy it!

Crafting with Wool Felt

2009-10-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

I'm primarily a Knitter, but I also enjoying mixing things up and, lately, I have been experimenting with embroidery and wool felt. I'm pleased with the result and so am passing along to you this cute project idea, which is easy and satisfying no matter how meager or vast is your experience with embroidery.

Pictured above is a small brooch that I embroidered on wool felt. The idea (and "know how") to make this brooch came from Tiny Happy who has a talent for beautiful free style embroidery, mostly inspired from nature. She simply plucks and pillages small bits of foliage from her garden which then becomes the model for her designs.

Following her lead, I set about finding my own inspiration to make a brooch.... which led to Steve wanting to know why I was taking pictures of weeds. I patiently explained that these were not weeds, they were my inspiration!

I'm sure if you look at the picture below, and then compare it to the photo above of my brooch, you will see with what talent I captured these weeds, ahem, flowers. You don't have to say it. I know you can. Because this was my first brooch, I went with a simple design (as recommended by Tiny Happy) and used a combination of running stitch and french knot. I've enjoyed wearing it several times and have since then made several more brooches of different designs and colors that I like equally well!

You'll naturally want one for yourself, but I think they also make cute gifts. With the fast approaching holiday season it's always a good idea to have a few small gifts items on hand for teachers, neighbors or hostesses or for simply whenever the mood strikes you to make someone smile! If sewing isn't your thing, the washcloth shown above takes just minutes to knit and, along with a nice bar of soap, is another quick gift idea.

The handmade bar of soap pictured is from Lizzy Lane Farm . I enjoy this blog which provides a glimpse into country life complete with chickens and a little girl named Daisy. She uses the money from her sales to pay for school books and I wish her every success. I'm sure that I'll buy more as I have thoroughly enjoy using this soap which is scented with roses and has small pieces of oatmeal for exfoliation and is not at all drying to my hands.

Particulars: tutorial on making a felt brooch is found here; brooch dimensions: 2" diameter; I bought the wool felt (and matching embroidery floss) from Prairie Point Junction ( i.e. the wool felt connection); a comprehensive free on-line embroidery stitch dictionary is here; the chenille yarn for the washcloth is from Dancing Leaf Farm; to knit the washcloth I used US 11 needles - cast on 14 stitches - and knit every row until I had a square; you can buy the rose scented oatmeal soap here; the Wool Fat soap I buy from British Import shops.

As you can see, Mr Puffy is feeling great and getting out and enjoying himself. He is eating like a field hand and we like to say to him "Puff, you are A SURVIVOR!"

Steve and I thank you all for your well wishes and concern. Until next time, be well, love well, and happy crafting!

Alpaca Never Felt So Good

2009-09-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank everyone for their well wishes and prayers for Mr Puffy, whether left as a comment or expressed privately in your heart. We continue to be blessed that he is tolerating the cancer treatment medication which keeps him feeling well and gives us this extra special time with him. He is such a big part of our lives and I can not bear to think of losing him.

And, for a time, we continue along as normally as we can. We do stay a little closer to home these days, which means that I have some knitting to share. And timely, I think, with the cooler days of Fall upon us.

I saw some posh felted bags several years back in a LYS and ever since then I've wanted to make a nice big plush felted bag. Yet the style of the bags I saw a few years back were rather ordinary and, dare I say, boring. But I've kept my eyes open and finally I spotted exactly what I was looking for! It is the Pebble Bag designed by Artmuse (knit in alpaca) and I knew it was just the bag for me as soon as I saw it. Love it! Love it! Love it!

I bought it as a kit from The Toft Alpaca Shop which is located in England. I saw an ad for these bags in The Knitter a new knitting magazine published in England and I immediately placed an order using my birthday money - thanks Mom and Dad! It's on trend being an over sized bag, but I don't think so much so that after this season I won't be able to wear and enjoy it. It has a great cuddly feel and wears great next to the skin, now that the evenings are a bit cooler. But I think it really will be best this Winter when worn with a turtleneck sweater and slacks.

It's a surprisingly fast knit as you use 3 strands of yarn held together. The only major design modification I made was to omit what was supposed to be an extra large bobble closure, which I felt was just one bobble too many. Plus, this way I get to play around with different closures. The closure in the pictures above is from a key fob that Steve spotted while we were wandering around the San Clemente farmer's Market. The closure in the pictures below is a ceramic bead that I special ordered from Jennifer Jangles Beads, which I love too. For that matter, I could also knit and felt a gigantic bobble and use that a closure as well. It's super easy to switch the closure as I simply sew it on with a tiny bit of white embroidery floss.

The great thing about Jennifer's bead is that I can also wear it as a necklace.....

Particulars: Large Pebble Bag, designed for Toft by Artmuse; 600g chuncky alpaca felting yarn; US 11 needles. Modifications: I omitted the large bobble closure (as discussed above) and for the handle I began the whip stitching about 2 inches up from where it attached to the bag to provide a stronger base and a more tapered handle. There are a few finishing instructions which are a little off, such as you want the smooth side of the stockinette facing outward on the front closure flap and make sure to center your handles evenly on either side. Approximate dimensions: 11 inches wide; 6 inches deep; 10 inch strap height. On the whole, it's a very easy to follow and well designed pattern.

Fun Felting Facts:

1. Did you know that it's unusual to see anything felted that is white? This is because most wools must be bleached the color white and the bleaching process interferes with felting. Because Alpaca fleece is naturally a beautiful creamy white color it felts beautifully.

2. 100% wool will generally felt into a smooth fabric. But if you felt mohair (or alpaca) the fabric surface will be become matted and fuzzy with loose fibers that needs to be shaved to achieve a smooth fabric. If you look at the picture below, you will see what my bag looked like right out of the washing machine. When I showed it to Steve, he wanted to know if would eat a lot.....

3. Europeans generally refer to the process of converting wool fiber to a fabric as "fulling" while in the United States we generally call it "felting."

4. Felting can be hard on your washing machine, in several respects. First, if you don't want to plug your drains, it's a good idea to place the item to be felted into an old pillow case and then knot the pillow case closed as this will help capture loose fibers that may plug your drain. Second, it may take several cycles of the agitation phase of the wash to felt your item. I'm not placing blame here, but after 2 hours, my older washing machine went kaput (fortunately by that time my bag had felted). The repair man assured me that it was not anything I had done to cause the machine to break and it shouldn't be a problem to force the machine to repeat the wash cycle over and over and over again. This was greatly reassuring to me. Such a nice man. And yet. It might be wise, if you have a major felting project, to take yourself over to a coin laundry facility and use someone else's machine, if yours is older and not covered by a warranty.

5. It's best NOT to use an older pair of jeans to create friction in the washing machine. No matter how faded and old the jeans are, there may be residual dye that can stain light colored wools. It's best to use an old towel to provide the friction in the wash phase.

6. Finally, it's not felted (i.e. finished) until you pull it out of the water and no longer see any stitch definition and have a contiguous fabric. With this project, it took close to 2 hours in the washing machine to felt. Please refer to Fact No. 4 above.

Until next time, be well, love well, and do what you have a passion to do in this life.

A Traditional Hap Shetland Shawl

2009-09-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

Wearing this shawl I shall always feel the sea breeze on my face and imagine the mist surrounding me as I make my way homeward to Avalon.

Among other things, I have romanticized the Shetland Isles and the mystique of the Shetland wool produced by the hardy sheep that live and manage to survive there. It's an infatuation that began years ago when I purchased a Jamieson's Shetland Knitting Book featuring designs pictured on the isles and describing the region and way of life.

It is thus, against all probability, that someone living in Southern California found herself wanting to knit a traditional Shetland Hap Shawl. I chose The Cora Shawl designed by Sharon Miller (Heirloom Knitting) because of its feminine and pretty colors. Some purist will claim it's not truly a Shetland shawl because the yarn, Jamieson's Ultra laceweight is actually a 50/50 blend of Shetland wool and lambs' wool. It's a small nuance that I was not aware of at the time I began this shawl, back in May 2007.

It is, however, a traditional Hap Shawl design with a flower and diamond center and a shaded old shell lace border.

I wrote on May 1, 2007 "I fully expect this project to take at least 1 year." And so it did, and then some. Not that I worked constantly on it, because, if you look around on this blog, you will see that I was knitting on other things at the same time.

I have seen similar styled shawls knit in heavier weight yarns. But make no mistake, while using a heavier weight yarn is no doubt a faster option, nothing can compare to the pure decadent pleasure of wearing a true lace weight shawl.

If you are interested in Shetland's history you might enjoy visiting the Shetland Museum. For more specifically on Hap Shawls, Heirloom Knitting has an on-line booklet here. And, for a less romanticized view of the lives of women who lived and knit on the Shetland Isles, you might read Needled's article Tea and Knitting which points out the less than rosy view of Shetland life for women. I must say, I wouldn't want to have to knock out these shawls regularly or a hat each night for a living. I think that would be a difficult life.

Particulars: The Cora Shawl by Sharon Miller of Heirloom Knitting (other Sharon Miller Shawl's I've knit: Dove and Birch); US 3 needles; Jamieson's Shetland Ultra Lace-weight 2 ply wool: 14 balls (172M per 25g); Colorways: 7 Mystique, 2 Azure, 2 white, 1 clematis, 2 opal; dressed dimensions: 68 inch square. Modifications: none - except I didn't block it severely so my shawl is roughly a 63 inch square. When I have occasion to reblock it I might use a larger surface to get the increased inches - although it's plenty large as it is. For those so interested, the nitty gritty project details are on my Ravelry Notebook.

Finally, this is a very well written pattern and I followed all of the steps and advice given with a fervent zeal. Well, almost. The pattern directs:

"obviously, you will always knit with clean hands"

Oh, that's very obvious. *Cough* *Cough* Just a second. Sorry. I was just choking on a cookie I was eating and had to brush the crumbs off my computer keyboard. Where was I? Ah yes. This tip reminds me of the other obvious rule, namely, that one should never eat near a computer keyboard. Very good advise.

I Thought I should Let You Know....

I've been absent from the blog and the blogosphere in general because we have received some heart breaking news. Our dear Mr Puffy has been diagnosed with bladder cancer. It's been almost a month since we learned of his condition and I know all of you will understand how difficult this is for us.

It is not operable. Steve (a medical doctor) has done extensive research and we understand the nature of the illness and the state of medicine for his condition. Mr Puffy is currently on a medication that is controlling his symptoms and he's feeling well, eating well, and enjoying his afternoon tea. I can almost forget he's sick. Almost.

If you have a minute you might say a little prayer that Mr Puffy not suffer unnecessarily and that he continue to have a good response to the medications. It is my prayer that he not be afraid and throughout it all that he know how much his mommy and daddy love him and will always love him.

After several horrible weeks, the medications have allowed us to resume a normal life, which means long walks, long snoozes, and guzzling treats. And, more than ever, we cherish our special tea time together. This past week I made a moist Alabama Blueberry Bread, redolent with the fragrance of warm blueberries, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg which is the perfect late Summer tea treat. While Mr Puffy has his own treats for tea, I find it hard not to share a little of mine with him as well. He seems to particularly enjoy this cake! The recipe can be found on-line here curtesy of Penzey's Spices, which I halved into a single loaf quite nicely. Steve sagely noted that this loaf served with a dollop of ice cream would make a wonderful dessert too....

Until next time, be well, love well, and cherish everyday with your loved ones.

Beads Add Glam to Fall Knits

2009-08-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

I wasn't prepared to love it this much. Knitting with beads, that is. I not only enjoyed my trip to a bead store to choose the beads but I also had fun knitting with them!

The hat I'm wearing is Soul from the Amber Collection by designer Kim Hargreaves. It is a slightly slouchy hat with a hint of glam provided by the fancy beaded trim.

Shopping for Beads and Things to Keep in Mind

I really had no idea what I was doing when I when in search of beads for this hat. I hadn't thought about the cost, for example. The first beads I spied seemed reasonably priced at 85 cents a piece. But consider the cost at 85 cents when you need 130 beads. Gulp. I decided to keep looking. I next spotted beads at a mere cost of 15 cents which, in comparison, seemed a bargain. Still, no bargain if you need 130. But, these beads were a perfect match to my yarn, so, on impulse, I simply pushed aside a handful of beads and told the clerk that I would take "that many" so long as it didn't ring up to over $10. I left the store holding a little bag containing 56 beads. At these prices I would simply make do with fewer beads. I suspect that purchasing beads from a "craft" store versus a "bead" store probably has a better selection of less expensive beads.

The other thing to consider is how to string your beads onto your yarn. To be fair, the clerk had mentioned to me that the beads I selected wouldn't work for the yarn I had brought with me (without elaboration). But, at the time, I had brushed aside her comment as a naysayer raining on my parade. It wasn't until later when I was trying to string my beads onto a worsted weight yarn that her comment came back to me.

It turns out that stringing beads onto yarn has two limiting factors. This may seem like an obvious point, but until I was trying to string my beads neither had occurred to me. One limitation is the yarn density and the other is the size of the needle eye. Trying to shove a worsted yarn through a needle sufficiently small to also fit through your bead is never going to happen. However, I discovered that if you thread your needle with sewing thread and then tie the sewing thread onto your yarn it can be used to pull the worsted yarn through the bead, which was fortunate for me. The other limiting factor is the density of your yarn. If your yarn is of a dense character no amount of pulling and tugging will make that yarn fit through a tiny bead center.

Lastly, you might considered the weight that the bead will add to the knitting itself. All things considered, I was much better off for having fewer beads for this particular project given the size of the beads I had chosen.

Adding Beads With a Crochet Hook

Instead of stringing beads onto your yarn and adding them pursuant to the directions of a specific pattern, an easy way to pop a bead onto your knitting wherever you might fancy is to use the crochet hook method. A great tutorial on how this is done can be found here compliments of a truly excellent knitter, FluffyKnitterDeb. I can seeing using this method to add beads to the trim of mittens, socks, sweaters, purses, shawls, really virtually anything that can be knit. The beauty of this method is that you do not need to decide in advance how many (or few) beads to add as you are adding the beads as you knit.

Particulars: Soul from the Amber Collection; 1 skein Rowan Kid Classic (shade 832); 56 large glass faceted beads (purchased at The Bead Lounge in Woodland Hills, CA); US 7 needles (circular; double pointed, and straights). If you don't have this knitting book, there is a similarly styled pattern I recently spotted called Indian Summer courtesy of Kalurah of While They Play. I made a number of small modifications to this pattern which I've noted on my Ravelry page. While I love the stitch design I don't think it's the most flattering fit on me and, while the pattern is extremely well written, it is more suitable to an experienced knitter.

Of Incidental Interest

The amber earrings pictured above, and that I'm wearing in the photos, were made by my crafty aunt who lives in England. Pam, like my mother, was a teenager during WWII and was part of England's Women's Land Army. She has written a short piece about her experience (as a lumberjack) for The Stratford Upon Avon Society, which can be found (here on the BBC website).

Enjoy the last vestiges of Summer and, until next time be well ~ love well ~ and happy crafting!

How to Barbecue California Style

2009-07-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

It's hot. It's the middle of Summer. So what better time to take a break from knitting and talk about a fun Summer activity. Barbecue! That's right. In the middle of Summer there is no better way to enjoy a sunny afternoon than a barbecue and there is no better barbecuer than my Dad!

I often talk about barbecues because Southern Californians love to barbecue. It's a fun and relaxing way for friends and family to congregate and enjoy leisure time together whether in a backyard, at a park, or at the beach. When my parents first moved to Santa Barbara, California, back in 1960, they had the good fortune to move next door to the King family who had six children and a large extended family who all loved to laugh and have a good time and there was nothing the King family loved more than getting together for barbecues. It wasn't long before my family was being included in these get togethers and that is how my Dad learned how to barbecue California style.

For those of you who may not know how to go about cooking barbecue, I would like to share with you this truly American classic pastime. And, like most things, it makes a world of difference if you are taught by the very best. Meet my dad, Vern, who is a world class barbecuer and he is going to take you through all of the steps of cooking a barbecue, including sharing his own special seasoning mix for chicken.

*NOTE * If you "click" on any of the following pictures in this post they will enlarge and that will make it easier for you to see the images that are clustered together in the collages.

Advance Preparation ~ Gather necessary Implements

The day ahead of your barbecue is a good time to make sure you have everything you need, i.e. wood, charcoal briquettes, chicken, and seasoning mix.

Pictured above are the things that can, and probably should, be done a day in advance:

A. Mix seasonings and/or prepare a marinade. My Dad makes a special seasoning mix for barbecue chicken (heretofore never shared) that I have included at the end of this post.

B. Chop wood into small chunks. A mixture of oak wood and pieces of oak bark make the best combination. Other hard woods that can be used to barbecue are apple wood and hickory. But, for a distinctive Southern California style barbecue flavor, you need oak wood which is sold in cords or in small quantities from a local woodcutter.

C. Gather the tools you need to grill safely, i.e. long tongs, meat thermometer, and leather gloves. This is also a great time to clean off your grill.

D. Prepare the Chicken. Purchase a small chicken - preferably less than 3 lbs. If you are cooking for a group you can cook as many as 3 or 4 small chickens on the spit at a time. I find that the organic chickens are more flavorful and generally smaller and I highly recommend using them if possible. Cut off all excess fat. Using kitchen twine or strong string tie the wings and legs to the body of the chicken to prevent them dangling loose when it is turning on the spit.

Build the Fire Bed

This method of building a fire bed can be used to barbecue any type of meat and can be used whether cooking meat on a spit or a flat grill. When tri-tip is cooked this way it is referred to as "Santa Maria Style" barbecue.

The pictures above show the various layers used to build the fire bed, which are as follows:

Layer 1: Wads of news paper
Layer 2: Small pieces of wood kindling
Layer 3: Oak bark pieces
Layer 4: Chunks of oak wood
Layer 5: Oak bark pieces

The charcoal briquettes are technically layer 6, but they will not added until the fire has burned down for approximately 20 minutes as explained more fully below.

When building your layers make sure to leave an opening in the center for air to circulate. This is referred to as creating a chimney effect in the middle of the fire.

Getting the Fire Ready for Cooking

It takes about 30 minutes for the fire to burn down to embers and be ready for cooking. Chickens take about 1 hour to cook. Therefore you want to start your fire about 1 hour and 30 minutes before you want to serve your meal.

The pictures above show how to manage the fire from start to finish as follows:

A. My dad does not use any lighter fluid. He simply uses matches to light the news paper which catches the kindling and then the wood on fire. In the upper left picture you can see my dad using a hair dryer to create a back draft. He does this to causes the fire to burn hot and fast.

B. After the fire has burned for about 20 minutes my dad adds the charcoal briquettes which burn down to embers very quickly. Approximately 10 minutes after adding the briquettes the fire will have burned down to embers and be ready for cooking. The middle picture shows my dad adding charcoal briquettes to the fire which, at this stage, should still be burning hotly. The reason my dad adds briquettes is to help the wood embers hold enough heat for the full hour required to cook a whole chicken.

C. When the embers are beginning to show a white ash and the flames have died the fire bed is ready to begin cooking. The lower left picture shows what the embers look like when ready.

From start to finish the the fire preparation time is approximately 30 minutes.

Barbecuing the Chicken

A chicken cooked on a rotating spit takes about 1 hour. This barbecue process combines both smoke and heat to give the meat a wonderful flavor while keeping it moist and juicy.

You can see in the pictures above that my dad closes the barbecue lid to keep the smoke inside. He occasionally checks to make sure the chicken is rotating and the fire is sufficiently smoky. If the fire is not sufficiently smoky he adds a few small pieces of bark around the outer edges of the coals to increase the smoke.

In the upper right corner picture you can see that my dad has fashioned a iron drip pan set below the chicken and above the embers to catch the dripping fat. If you don't have something to keep the fat from dripping onto the embers the fat will cause the embers to flame and can cause the chicken to catch on fire. If the chicken should catch on fire keep a can of beer handy to pour on the chicken to put the flames out.

Waiting is the Hardest Part

All that's left is the waiting. Which for a little dog like Mr Puffy is the hardest part.

Vern's Special Barbecued Chicken Seasoning Mix

1/2 cup (heaping) ordinary iodized salt
1 tablespoon (heaping) black pepper
1 tablespoon (level) "all purpose seasoning salt" (made by Lawry's or McCormick preferably)
1 tablespoon (level) garlic salt
1 tablespoon (level) onion powder
1 teaspoon (level) paprika
1 teaspoon (level) monosodium glutamate

Combine all seasonings. This formula makes a large quantity of seasoning mix. You will only use a fairly small quantity each time to season a chicken (around a teaspoon per chicken) so this mix will keep for years. Toss some of the seasoning into the bird cavity and sprinkle a small quantity evenly over a slightly damp chicken just before cooking. The quantity of seasoning is to be varied to suit one's taste.

I hope this doesn't sound too complicated. It really is fun and even if it it isn't exactly perfect the first time you will laugh and have a good time regardless. I guarantee it!

Stay cool and, until next time, be well, love well, and happy barbecuing.

Add Color To Your Summer ~ Knit a Baktus Scarf!

2009-07-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

I'm wearing the popular Baktus scarf which is all the rage with knit bloggers this season. But mine has a Southern California twist. Instead of using the recommended sock weight yarn I substituted a bulky weight cotton boucle yarn to create a Summer Accessory perfect for those cool and often foggy mornings that Southern California is well known for.

The Baktus scarf is one of those amazing free on-line knitting patterns that catches fire on the Internet and pretty soon everyone has knit one. There are now many shapes and sizes of the Baktus scarf to be found in blogland. Some are striped, some are solid, some are small, some are large, some have added doodads and doohickeys and the marvelous thing is that they are all as unique as the knitters who knit them! The following are links to some of my favorite on-line knitters ~ check out their beautiful and creative interpretations of the Baktus Scarf ~ and be inspired to knit your own...... Smoking Hot Needles, Frosty Lily, Hobby Gasa, Heges Hobbykrok, A Black Pepper, Mustaa Villa, Maanel, and Emma Bee.

Since this project is designed to show off hand painted yarns, I thought I would give you my tip for knitting with multiple skeins of hand painted yarn.

Knitting Tip No. 7 ~ Knitting with Hand Painted Yarns

The nature of hand painted yarns is that each skein is slightly different in color. For this scarf I used 2 skeins of yarn, one of which had decidedly more dark pink in the colorway. The issue then becomes how to change to a new skein without having the difference in color being noticeable. The conventional wisdom is that you should always knit from both balls of yarn at once (i.e. knit 2 rows from one skein and then switch to the second skein and knit the next two rows and keep switching back and forth between the two skeins every two rows). While this technique does blend the skein colors well, I personally like the visual interest that results from using different colored skeins. Therefore I knit from one skein until I'm close to the end of that skein and only then do I begin alternating rows with the second skein in the aforementioned rotation. If you look at the pictures above and below you can see that one end of the scarf has decidedly more of dark pink which begins just before the halfway point. I like this result because I believe it best shows off the uniqueness of hand painted yarns.

Particulars: Baktus Scarf (free pattern) courtesy of the very talented Strikkelise; 2 skeins Araucania Pehuen (purchased at Strands Studio in San Clemente, California); US 10.5 needles. This is a very easy pattern suitable for a knitter who has a basic understanding of the knit stitch and can perform simple increases and decreases. Dimensions: 52" long and 11" at widest point

Out and About in San Clemente, California

All of today's pictures are taken at the San Clemente Farmer's Market and Craft Show and, as long as I'm all dressed up in my new scarf, I thought it would be fun to show you a bit of the market which is held on Avenida Del Mar the first Sunday of each month.

Every Sunday from 9am to 1 p.m. there is a Farmer's Market but on the 1st Sunday of each month they also have a craft show. Wandering around the market is one of our favorite ways to wile away a Sunday morning while in San Clemente. More specifically, I'm referring to Steve and myself. Mr Puffy refuses to join us because they don't sell milk bones.... *le sigh*

I love being surrounded by the fragrance of fresh produce and the hub bub of a market square and seeing all the crafts of the local artists.

Pictured above is the work of Ivan the glass blower who does beautiful work and is always adding new designs. We have several of his pieces in our place in San Clemente and they have become gifts for family and friends too.

We will next be in San Clemente over Labor Day weekend for San Clemente's first annual Jazz Festival on Saturday, September 5th, 2009. Steve loves jazz music and is quite impressed that this sleepy little surf town is attracting jazz greats Patti Austin, Dianne Reeves, and Joe Sample and who knows what other surprises! Proceeds support San Clemente beaches and recreation so I hope they have a great turnout.

Make sure you take the time this Summer to enjoy the various activities in your local community and, until next time, be well and happy knitting!

Debbie Bliss Cotton Top

2009-06-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Knitting, like life itself, doesn't always work out just as you had planned. So you have to be flexible and keep an open mind during the process. It's best (although not an easy thing to do) to focus not on how things aren't what we wished them to be, but rather on what we can do to change things and improve them. With that preface, this post is more technical than most because I had to be flexible and make adjustments as I went along to make this project one that ultimately I love.

This is Debbie Bliss' Sideways Knitted Top from her new book, Coastlines. It is not knit with the yarn that it was designed for, though. The design recommends Debbie Bliss' Stella yarn which is a blend of silk, rayon, and cotton. Because my LYS does not carry that yarn I ordered it on-line. However, as soon as the yarn arrived, I knew that I had a problem because the yarn did not pass what I call a "Sanity Check."

Knitting Tip No. 5 - Perform a Sanity Check

A Sanity Check is something I learned to do many years ago while a junior auditor for one of the largest accounting firms in the world at the time, Deloitte and Touche. It simply means that you step back for a moment and evaluate what you are seeing and/or being told and test it against your common sense. In this case, I was being told that 11 balls of Stella yarn was needed to knit a sleeveless summer top. However, I had an enormous mound of yarn on my bed. Logic told me that using that amount of yarn, with that much mass, was going to create a garment huge, bulky, and not something enjoyable for me to wear.

So I substituted the yarn to Classic Elite Yarns, Premiere, a soft cotton/tencel blend yarn with great stitch definition and a smaller gauge. As a result I dropped the needle size down from a US 8 to US 6 and decreased from 11 balls of Stella to 6.5 skeins of Premiere yarn. So far so good.

Now this will surprise you. Despite calculating a new gauge and doing absolutely perfect math to recalibrate this project for the smaller needles and finer yarn there was a problem with the sizing. Once I had completely knit this top (which, dear readers, I think you know how much time that took) I realized ~ with a sick feeling ~ that I did not have enough width in the body to sew the side seams together to create the "mock sleeves." Here's a picture of the original design so you see what the design looks like and what I'm referring to with regard to the sleeve shaping:

My initial thought was that I had two choices. Either I could wet the fabric and block it heavily so that it was wide enough to give me the width necessary to create the sleeves at the risk of distorting the knitting or I could frog it. Neither option was very appealing.

So, as is always the case when I need good counsel, I discussed the matter over with Mr Puffy. Those of you who have been reading along will know that Mr Puffy is a great one for a quick solution and an early dinner. His thought was that I should just knit some sleeves and add those on. At first I was skeptical but the more I thought about it the more I knew he was right. That Puff. I tell you. He's a treasure.

Knitting Tip No. 6 - Adding Sleeves to a Tank Top

Adding sleeves to a tank top is simply a matter of knitting up sleeves in the same gauge and sewing them onto the tank. If you look through any of the numerous Spring/Summer knitting magazine you will find lots of patterns for tops with short sleeves. You simply knit a sleeve from a pattern that has the same gauge as the project you are making. For this project, I used the pattern for sleeves from my Cherry top and the only modification I made was to add a bobble panel insert to have the sleeves blend more with my overall project.

Speaking of adding bobbles to the sleeve reminds me that I wanted to show a close up of the beautiful texture of this design. There are panels of bobbles, seed stitch, and cables and it really creates a visually interesting piece of knitting.

One last technical tip, which is courtesy of my dear friend Murielle of Murielle Knitwear. When I showed her the top she immediately recommended that I add a "Stay Tape" to the shoulder seam to prevent it from stretching out over time. Because that's such a great idea and should be added to any hand knit item made with a yarn that has a tendency to stretch (i.e. cotton, silk, angora, etc.) I thought I would share it with all of you!

Designer Tips and Tricks ~ Adding a Stay Tape

A Stay Tape is a thin strip of fabric that is sewn on top of the shoulder seam to prevent the shoulder/sleeve area from stretching out with wear. Cut a thin strip of fabric the length that you want your shoulder seam to remain (my stay tape is 3.5 inches long and .75 inches wide) and firmly slip stitch the Stay Tape over the shoulder seam. When you put the time into knitting something by hand you want it to wear well and last for years and this will help it look its best for years to come.

Whew! That was a lot. There are a couple of other things I did, but enough is enough so I'll stop here.

Particulars: Debbie Bliss design, Coastlines, Sideways Knitted Top, 6.5 balls Classic Elite Premiere, US 6 needles. Heavily modified as discussed above.

Have a Great 4th of July Celebration!

I hope everyone has a wonderful July 4th celebration (The United State's Independence day). We'll be spending it at the beach with lots of sun, sand, friends, and fireworks! Between work (which is keeping me hopping right now) and being away for the holiday I'll probably not spend a lot of time on-line over the next few weeks but will look forward to catching up with everyone on the other side of the holiday!

Put the Kettle On ~ It's Tea Time!

2009-06-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your nice comments on the last Post; Mr Puffy and I enjoyed reading them. I'm almost, but not quite, finished with a summer cotton top so that gives me a chance to sneak in a post that I've wanted to do for some time on tea. I hope you enjoy it!

I have come to believe that there are many who do not know how to brew a proper cup of English tea. So I have come up with a list of helpful tips. Upon what do I base my authority? My Mother, who is a genuine English Rose, born and raised in England with much of her youth spent in Teignmouth a small coastal fishing town in Devonshire. Her home was right on the water and when the tide was high the waves would reach the back steps. The air was filled with the smell of saltwater and the cries of seagulls overhead circling and diving and fighting for space on the windowsills.

My mother remembers the day in 1940 when all the local fishing boats disappeared from her town. They were participating in England's call to civilians to mount what was one of the most heroic and amazing rescues of WWII. Fisherman in small fishing boats from all over England joined the British naval fleet and braved dangerous seas in the Channel and enemy attack to bring home allied troops who were stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk and surrounded by Hilter's army. The smallest boat to engage in this rescue was an 18 foot open fishing boat. Many of the soldiers were rescued directly off the beaches wading into the water to the smaller boats that transported them to the larger ships amid machine-gun fire, bombing and explosions sending shrapnel flying everywhere. While many were killed or captured, many more were rescued. It was a pivotal moment early in the war and could have resulted in a catastrophic loss. Churchill had only expected to evacuate 20,000 to 30,000 troops. Instead, 338,000 were rescued that day. It's a memory that still brings tears to my mother's eyes.

But enough about that. Back to tea a much more congenial subject. To properly enjoy a cup of tea it must be made correctly. I think it is often assumed that you simply have to dunk a tea bag into a cup of hot water and whollah, you have tea. This, of course, is totally wrong and will result in a terrible cup of tea that tastes like dishwater and is not at all related to the rich, mellow, satisfying brew that tea should be. Therefore, at the risk of being too simplistic, I have made a list of tips (with my mother's input) to take the guesswork out of making a proper cup of tea.

Mr Puffy's Ten Tips to Brewing a Perfect Cup of Tea ~ and Where It Can All Go Wrong:

Tip No. 1. Select the right teapot. Tea must be brewed in a vessel (teapot) that holds heat well. Clay or fine bone china works best - but avoid ceramic as it does not hold heat well. I use a variety of teapots including the chintz styled one pictured above which is made by Arthur Wood & Son, Staffordshire, England.

Tip No. 2. Select a good quality black tea. This is a personal preference issue and you might have to experiment with a few. For an everyday tea my favorite is Taylors of Harrogate - Yorkshire Gold. I am fortunate to have several British shops nearby in Santa Monica, California which carry this tea. In fact, the Tudor House not only has a nice selection of British imports it also has a tea room which is a nice place to sit and enjoy a cup of tea if you ever happen to be in the neighborhood.

Tip No. 3. Use the right ratio of tea to water. While this is largely a personal taste issue, a good rule of thumb is 1 tsp. tea to 8 ounces water.

Tip No. 4. Use water that has reached a rolling boil. The water has to be at a rolling boil to make a good cup of tea. Merely heating the water until a few bubbles appear is insufficient. For those of you who do not work from home, an electric kettle can be used to boil water at the office.

Tip No. 5. Tea must be steeped. The term "steeped" is a fancy way of saying allow the tea to brew undisturbed. A standard black tea should be steeped for approximately 5 minutes.

Tip No. 6. Use only fresh tea. Unlike wine, tea does not improve with age. Check the dates on all your tea and if is over 6 months old, toss it out.

Tip No. 7. Use a fine bone china teacup. Rummage through your cupboards and look to see if any of your mugs or teacups are stamped "fine bone china." Fine bone china holds the heat well and is a pleasure to sip tea from. It simply is the best for tea.

Tip No. 8. Only add whole milk. Using a low fat variety simply won't give you enough body. The good news is that you use very little milk in a cup of tea.

Tip No. 9. Keep your teapot warm. If you don't have a tea cozy, simply wrap your teapot in a tea towel which works just fine in a pinch.

Tip No. 10. Enjoy with a scone or shortbread cookie, but nothing too sweet. Below I have shared a recipe for Almond Scones which is a staple of my tea time.

ALMOND SCONES

This recipe came in a King Arthur Flour free catalogue a number of years back. I've made it countless times over the years and I like it because it's not as plain as an English scone and not as over the top and heavy as most American style scones.

Ingredients:

2 Cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup almond flour or 1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
3 to 4 tablespoons sparking white or demerara sugar for topping

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour(s), sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter until coarse crumbs form. Blend the milk and almond extract in a measuring cup, then drizzle over the dry ingredients. Toss lightly with a fork until the dough comes together; add up to a tablespoon additional milk, if necessary, to form a cohesive dough.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and fold it over gently a few times. Pat it into a 6x8, 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Use a deep cookie cutter to cut the dough into circles or heart shapes. Place the scones onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (I use a silpat mat).

4. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sparkling white sugar crystals. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, until a light golden brown. Cool on a rack. Yield 6-10 scones. I typically divide my dough into 8 scones.

These scones are wonderful warm with butter and strawberry jam. But for an extra nice treat I like to eat them with strawberry jam and whipped cream, which is a wonderful substitute for clotted cream.

Whipped Cream Topping

Simply whip heavy whipping cream with a drop of almond extract and a teaspoon of sugar until a thick spreadable consistency. This can be made several hours in advance.

Why Tea Time Now?

I'm sharing these tea tips at a particularly opportune time as tea time in the Summer can be a wonderful way to share time with friends sitting outside in the shade of your garden or by yourself with your feet up watching that fine old tradition of Wimbledon Tennis. Either way, I hope you will enjoy a cup or two of tea this Summer and if you have any tips to share, I would love to hear them!

A Simple Summer Tunic

2009-05-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

Knitting does not have to be complicated to give dramatic results. You can achieve a designer look by simply using unique fibers in an unexpected way. The tunic that I'm wearing is a great example of a simple knit that creates a high impact look.

My tunic is knit with a unique fiber composed of stainless steel and cotton that is manufactured by Artfibers in San Fransisco, California. I first saw a shell top knit with this fiber by the other knitting Claudia (Claudia's Blog) and was inspired to give it a try myself. Parenthetically, besides a similar taste in knitting, the two of us share much in common including the profession of attorney at law.

The unique look to this tunic is achieved by knitting the yarn on larger needles than the recommended size to give it an open flowing look and keep the fabric lightweight. Due to the stainless steel content of this yarn I was concerned that a more dense fabric might prove uncomfortably heavy. As it is, I have a new appreciation for those medieval knights wearing metallic armor.

I love the way this tunic came out ~ it isn't really heavy ~ I was just kidding about that. In fact I feel rather swanky when wearing it. It puts me in mind of the time an opposing lawyer told me that she saw me sashaying about at the courthouse. Me? Sashay? Well, maybe once or twice. It's all about attitude, baby.

To knit yourself a simple summer tunic you simply have to find a beautiful yarn and swatch on over sized needles until you find a gauge that gives you the appearance you want. The tunic itself has only rudimentary shaping involved. The only knitting trick to working with an uneven yarn such as this is the need to iron the fabric pieces. Typically I just hand wash and flat block my knits. However, when using a yarn such as this, it is best to iron the pieces. Ironing will flattened out the fabric and gave it a nice, crisp, clean, finished look. When you use an iron don't forget to cover your knitting with a wet towel to protect the yarn and to first test a small scrap of yarn to make sure it won't felt with the heat.

By the by, these pictures were taken in Topanga, California. For those with an observing eye, the necklace and bracelet set I'm wearing is lapis lazuli which I purchased many years ago while visiting Santiago, Chile a region know for this stone which is mined in the Chilean Andes.

Particulars: 5 skeins Tesla (65% cotton/ 35% stainless steel) by Artfiber in San Franscisco; US 13 needles; Personal Tunic Pattern ~ details on my Ravelry page for those interested in the general construction and rough guidelines on how this is constructed.

Mr Puffy on the Importance of Relaxation

Last weekend we spent a few days in San Clemente, California. It was a little on the cool side but not too bad. I suggested to Mr Puffy that we ought to get out our boogie boards and go in the water. His response was "you're kidding, right? You know my nerves are still shot after the fire. I came down here to relax, not swim in shark infested waters."

I'm beginning to think he doesn't enjoy swimming in the ocean. He's always got an excuse. To put this in perspective, it's been over a year since the fatal shark attack in nearby Solano Beach. For myself, I hardly give it any thought at all. I would be perfectly happy to splash around in the water, dangle my legs over the edge of a boogie board, allow my legs to hang deep into the ocean's dark, murky, swirling and churning water. Besides, Solano beach is a vast distance away, all of 35 miles or so.

But, in the interest of being agreeable, I deferred to Mr Puffy's wishes. We sat out on the deck, relaxed, and just read and knit, or watched for shark fins in the water. I have to say, after a couple of days spent like this, we both felt much better for it.

The moral to this story is we all need to listen to Mr Puffy more. No, that's not it. The moral is that less really is more! This Summer don't over do it. Plan time just to relax with a book and soak in the sun. You, too, will feel better for it.

Tips for The Wildfire Evacuee

2009-05-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

I've been traumatized! Without belaboring you with news that you have already heard, suffice it to say I was in Santa Barbara when the Jesusita Fire broke out. I had only just arrived at my parent's house an hour or so before the first of the helicopters were heard overhead. Holy cow ~ it's just over the hillside beyond Laurel Reservoir.

We were placed almost immediately in mandatory evacuation status and I'm going to impart a few tips that I learned on my sojourn as a wildfire evacuee.

8 Tips for the Wildfire Evacuee

As an aside, in case you haven't noticed, it's hot and dry out there. These wildfires are becoming more invasive and causing more destruction than ever before. Someone you know will likely be effected in the next few years. I hope you will take these tips seriously.

1. If you have prearranged where to meet family or friends in an emergency you need to have 2 or 3 back-up meeting places. You might find, as we did, that your initial meeting place is inaccessible due to road blocks or other unforeseen factors. This is where well laid plans start to fall apart.

2. Cell phones require power to work. If you don't have a car charger for your phone, get one. Having your phone go dead in an emergency is highly undesirable.

3. Keep a small phone book in your purse/wallet at all times. Phone numbers and addresses you think you know by heart will quite possibly desert you under periods of high stress.

4. Don't rely on TV or Radio coverage if you are in or near the disaster area. Emergency personnel are stretched thin and the news (particularly on AM radio) is outdated. Go outside and look around for yourself. Talk to people and make your own assessment of the current situation on the ground. Wildfires are dynamic and you might find that you need to relocate to a safer place.

5. Wildfires are unpredictable and can circle back to areas where you don't expect them. Burned-out area are covered with smouldering embers that can flare back to life when the wind blows. These in turn set homes on fire and can ignite any unburned brush in the area. Which reminds me, close all windows before leaving your house to prevent embers from blowing inside.

6. You need a safe place to wait it out. If you are a camping family (which we are) it's nice to have a motor home at your disposal. Know that if you opt for an evacuation center you might be there for days without much in the way of amenities. Hotels are nice, if they have room and if you can afford the rate (this cost might be reimbursable by your homeowner insurance). Although it's tempting to stay near your home you are best served by removing yourself from the danger zone.

7. At a minimum always keep plenty of bottled water in your car along with some pet food.

8. Throughout it all it's important to keep your sense of fun. You will be happy to know that on Wednesday (day 2) before things went horribly awry, I managed a quick visit to Cardigans Knit Shop and I bought some gorgeous yarn (a skein each of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino dk and Classic Elite Yarns Miracle) to knit some cute fingerless mitts for next Fall!

The following are a few of the pictures that I took during the course of the fire.

This is our first view of the fire which began approximately 1.8 miles from my parent's house. We were only mildly concerned at first. After all, it seemed small and an aerial water attack was already underway.

The next morning it was quiet in the area and the fire seemed far away and well in hand. We expected to return to the house sometime that day and decided to wait for the "all clear" in Stevens Park a small local park situated in San Roque Canyon below the bridge. Merely a stone's throw from my parent's home. It seemed a very convenient place to wait. But for an odd car here or there we had the park to ourselves.

But when I went outside about 4:00 p.m. to walk Mr Puffy I looked up into the sky and saw an alarming sight. Large booming smoke clouds were quickly converging on our location.

We decided to relocate to an evacuation point. The following pictures are taken in the San Roque area as we are leaving Steven's Park on Wednesday afternoon to relocate to the First Presbyterian Church (our prearranged meeting place) which, incidental, turned out to be blocked off (see Evacuee Tip No. 1 above).

At this point things became quite stressful. I quote "Last night, all hell broke loose," Santa Barbara Fire Chief Andy Dimizio said. Today "We saw the fire spread laterally across the top of the city … to almost five square miles." I believe these pictures bear out his assessment.

This is a home near Steven's Park in the San Roque area.

These photos are looking back at lower Santa Barbara foothills (in the San Roque area) from Peabody Elementary School.

Below is a picture of La Cumbre Plaza (in the Vons parking lot) on Thursday night. The night that I was told by news crews that my parent's canyon was burning.

At one point more than 30,000 of Santa Barbara's 90,000 residents were in evacuee status.

I want everyone to know that I appreciate your concern and well wishes. My parent's home miraculously survived with the intervention of the brave and courageous firefighters who lined up 10 fire engines on their street Thursday night and held the line.

My parents are doing great and Mr Puffy was a trouper throughout. But a reminder to all how what begins as a small fire can level a city. It is time for Californians to rethink how we combats these wildfires and come up with a more innovative approach.

To Market We Will Go!

2009-04-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

It's a Market Bag for my Mom on Mother's Day! I'll also stuff it full of her favorite British goodies so she feels thoroughly spoiled. Bags, like scarfs, make wonderful gifts because you don't have to worry about sizing. Although, you still need to pick the right color....

I picked pink! She won't find a bright pink Market Bag just anywhere. I know, because I've looked. It really is something that needs to be custom knit for you. I do think she will like it, because she loves bright happy colors as much as I do. Well, almost as much. But think also of the practical side! This will make it much easier for my father to find her in a crowd.

While it is a vibrant pink, the yarn has a nice tweedy texture and the color is much softened in the sunlight. Certainly very wearable.

Although at first Mr Puffy wasn't sure about a pink purse....

He quickly came around when he understood that it was for gathering food at the Farmer's Market. Then he was thrilled with it and indeed ready to take off for the market himself! Mr Puffy does enjoy good food, and is willing to do his part.

Particulars: Rutabaga Shopping Bag (Knitscene, Spring 2007); 2 skeins Green Mountain Spinnery, Cotton Comfort (peony colorway); US 10.5 Needles (circular); Modification: This is a great pattern and I didn't change a thing. I particularly love the stitch pattern (shown best in the photo below) which creates a nice strong stretchy fabric. However, I did feel that the handle was a bit flimsy. To rectify this I crocheted along the selvedge stitches on both sides of the strap - twice on each side - for good measure. I do think a purse needs a sturdy strap to be comfortable. I used a simple crab stitch and it worked like a charm. Dimensions: 11" x 11" (excluding the strap)

A Wee bit about my Mum

My mother is a remarkable woman who (in her eighties) is still walking down to the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. She enjoys looking into the shops along the way and after she has shopped at the market my father picks her up. Since this bag can be tucked into her purse until needed, I think that she will find it handy to take along!

This is a picture of my Mother taken on my last visit to Santa Barbara, early in March. We are sitting on the upstairs patio of Cafe Biano in Victoria Court where we like to stop for coffee and cake. Their coffee is wonderful (we splurge and have the cappuccino) and it's a favorite spot of ours to sit and have a little chat before moseying along to visit the shops. If it happens to be a Saturday, we always end up at the Santa Barbara Farmer's Market from whence my father conveniently picks us up!

As you can imagine, my Mother is a marvelous cook, having honed her skills through decades of cooking for my father. Lucky man! Some of you may recall her Apple Pie Recipe (which is wonderful - do give it a try). This similarly is another classic American dish. Enjoy!

Mr Puffy's Favorite Meatloaf Recipe

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs Ground Turkey (not the extra lean - that's too dry)
2-3 tablespoons white bread crumbs
1 egg
1 medium onion - grated
1 cup fresh mushrooms - finely diced
dried or fresh basil to taste
dried or fresh oregano to taste
salt to taste
dried tomato or chili peppers - optional (I personally never add either)
1 can Campell's condensed tomato soup (do not add water)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees;
2. Combine in a bowl all ingredients EXCEPT the canned soup;
3. Place mixture into loaf pan and bake for 35 minutes;
4. Take loaf pan out of the oven and pour can of condensed tomato soup over top. Do not dilute the soup with water; use the whole can. Return loaf pan to oven and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Generally the cooking time is approximately45 minutes total.

Until next time.... make healthy choices and try and visit your local Farmer's Market!

Kyla Fingerless Mittens

2009-04-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

Art intersects function. These fun and artistic fingerless mittens are designed by the very talented Monika of Smoking Hot Needles. And it's a free pattern. How amazing is that!

This is a cool post for me because I'm talking about two things that I love. First I love how generous and amazing the knit blog community is. It never ceases to amaze me how knitters so freely give their advice and share their patterns. For me, it wasn't so much that I learned how to knit from reading the knit blogs but rather that I learned what could be knit, other than a frumpy old sweater and scarf. The knitting blogs were my gateway into a world filled with gossamer shawls, handpainted yarns, brightly colored socks, and fingerless mittens. After seeing the many beautiful things being knit in blogland I never thought about my own knitting the same way again. Speaking of which, you will certainly never find a finer example of all that is good about knit blogs than Monika's blog Smoking Hot Needles.

Topanga, California

I'm going to talk a little about Topanga, California which is my home and where I love to be. Often I talk about other places and simply forget to talk about Topanga. These pictures of me wearing my Kyla Mittens are taken in our garden which is styled after a botanical garden or, if you prefer, a yard with a few hardy plants that don't require much water or care. The little community of Topanga is actually a 15 minutes drive down the mountain from where we live. Technically, as the crow flies, we are in the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu and are surrounded by native California Chaporral.

You can see the Pacific Palisades behind me and if it wasn't such a foggy day you would also see the city of Los Angeles beyond that. At night the city lights are dazzling.

I'm standing amidst a particularly hardy and well adapted plant, which is the New Zealand Tea Tree shrub. Both the pink and red sprays of flowers next to me are this type of plant. Given that California is facing a water shortage I highly recommend them to anyone looking to conserve water and yet still have colorful flowering plants around their home.

I wish I could also tell you what the white flowers is that I'm holding, but I don't know. If anyone knows, I would love to hear from you!

One thing that I love about Topanga is the quiet life we live. Except for those occasional coyote kills which are far from quiet, and the less said of that, the better. When people know where we live I'm often asked isn't it inconvenient? or What do you do if you run out of milk? The answers are yes and I don't. This is my home and I wouldn't trade living here for anything.

We start each morning with a short jog and that's lovely because it's peaceful in the mornings and I enjoy listening to the birds chirping happily around us. It's particularly nice in the Springtime because the mountain is covered with wildflowers and seeing all the pretty flowers somehow makes the jog feel less arduous.

Kyla Fingerless Mittens ~ Pattern Notes

But I digress and you want me to talk about the Kyla Fingerless Mittens! This is a great knit for the Spring because it uses a finer gauge yarn (sock weight) and that makes for a light and feminine accessory. I particularly like the wrist design because it creates a strong grip and these mittens will not easily stretch out or lose their shape.

I also learned a lot from this pattern. It is the first pattern written so that I understood how to add a motif of my own choosing. Monika has knit these mittens both with a heart and a cable motif and for mine I used a diamond shape motif created with bobbles (my bobbles are inside out but that's neither here nor there and I love them anyway, wonky though they are). It's so simple. All you have to do is decide what motif you want and then divide the total number of stitches for the top half of the mitten and then locate the center stitch so you can center the design. For example I knit these mittens on 48 stitches. That means the top half of the mitten has 24 stitches and the center stitch is the 12th stitch. To center a motif you simply have to center the design with the middle stitch placed on the 12th stitch. It's all clear as mud now, I'm sure. You can thank me later.

Knitting Tip #4 ~ Will you Have Enough Yarn?

With this pattern I also learned how to figure out if I would have enough yarn to finish my project, which is an issue that arises whenever you are knitting from a single skein of yarn. Since it can be disconcerting wondering whether you will have enough yarn to complete your project (particularly with socks that are a lot more time consuming) I highly recommend doing this. The simple solution is to pull out a food scale and weigh your yarn. If you know how much yarn your 1st mitten (or sock) used you will then know how much yarn it will take to make the second one. After I finished my first Kyla Mitten I weighed it and found that it used 20 grams of yarn. Since my skein of yarn had a total of 50 grams I knew then (hoped like the dickens) that I had plenty of yarn left to knit my second mitten. Despite my skepticism, this actually works perfectly. Both my mittens weigh exactly 20 grams and I have 10 grams of yarn left (20 x 2 =40 +10=50 grams = 1 skein koigu).

Particulars: Free Pattern: Kyla Fingerless Mittens (download pattern link) (ravelry pattern link); 1 skein Koigu Yarns merino wool handpainted sock yarn; US 2 Double Pointed Needles. More detailed pattern notes/modifications are on Mr Puffy's Ravelry notebook Page . The Dagoba Lavendar Blueberry Chocolate bar is nice but not essential to knitting this pattern.

Enjoy the Spring everyone! And try matching your chocolates to your knitting, just because it's fun!

Matilda the Mouse

2009-04-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

Meet Matilda the Mouse. She's very sweet and lovable.

She was fun to knit and is very soft and cuddly. Though I really shouldn't say, I do think she is cute as a button. Love that shawl she's wearing. You know, I have one rather like it down in San Clemente. What a coincidence! We'll have to wear them together sometime.

The dress and shawl are, of course, custom knit for her but the purse and hat are store bought accessories, as is the cape she is wearing below.

Mr Puffy and I took her along on our walk the other day so she could enjoy the afternoon sunshine and flowers. Here she is in a bed of Lambs Ear (Stachys byzantina) one of my favorite Spring plants.

As are daisies flowers.

Here she is sunning herself on a gate as I chat with my neighbor and friend, Chris, a fellow knitter who is camera shy. You may recall that she and I knit Haven together last Fall.

Particulars: Mel's Mouse Family (Ravelry pattern link) from Knit 2 Together; US 6 double pointed needles; 1 skein Classic Elite Yarn Lush (50% angora/50% wool); odd scraps of Fiesta Yarns La Boheme (shawl) and Brown Sheep Company Top of the Lamb Sport (dress); embroidery floss for facial features. Dimensions: 12" tall x 4" across (including the arms in width). The fill is 100% polyester available in most craft stores. I purchased mine at F & S Fabrics on Pico in West LA (which also has a fantastic selection of buttons, incidentally). I have a few tips on finishing that I'll put on my Ravelry page for those interested.

Out and About in Santa Monica

I took Matilda along when I met our dear friend Sara at Le Pain Quotidien Bakery in Santa Monica. This is a great french bakery with wonderful coffee and is a favorite place of mine to stop on Wednesday mornings, before I head over to the Santa Monica Farmer's Market (the best farmer's market around).

I arrived a little early and an older woman came over and picked up Matilda and as she caressed her she reminisced about stuffed toys her children had loved during their childhood. She then wondered aloud why they were all boxed up when they could be out and enjoyed. I couldn't agree more. I do hope she goes home and finds that box of memories, and old friends.

The friend I mentioned, Sara, is lots of fun, loves to laugh, and is a lovely person. She's also learning to knit (guess who's teaching her) and in my book that makes her a person of discerning taste. I have assured her with a little practice she will be knitting a mouse of her own in no time at all.

No matter our age, we all need friends to brighten our day!

Egg Salad and Watercress Sandwiches for Tea

Just a quick idea for something to make with all those hard boiled eggs we have at this time of year. Open-Faced Egg Salad and Watercress Sandwiches (recipe courtesy of Saveur Magazine). I make mine sans mayonnaise and vinegar.

Mr Puffy and I would like to wish everyone a meaningful and joyous Easter and Passover celebration and, until next time, be well and love well.

Shetland Triangle Shawl

2009-03-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

A cascade of silk to enfold me. A gift from a fellow knitter, fiber artist, kindred spirit, and most importantly, a dear friend, who is known as Pink Knitter in all the important circles, i.e. Pink Knitter can be found here on Flickr and here on Ravelry. If you don't know Sherry go say hi, you won't be sorry you did!

Lace shawls always remind me of something a spider might have spun in the garden overnight. I spun this shawl using the Shetland Triangle pattern which is easy to knit, as all of Evelyn A. Clark's patterns are.

I like to think that I'm a renaissance woman knitting and wearing shawls from a bygone era. But unlike the shawls worn by our grandmothers I like to update the look with use of modern yarns and colors. I'm eccentric by some standards, but I don't wish to be conspicuously so. And yet. I am drawn to the beauty of authentic cottage shawls worn in that time that has now long passed away.

Have you ever heard of Tasha Tudor? Curiously clad in clothing of another time...... so goes the description of her in a recent Victoria Magazine Article . If you have never heard of this woman you are in for a treat discovering her legacy of art, baking, and of course, knitting. This iconic woman lived on a farm, dipped her own candles, and created and wore her own homespun shawls and on top of all that managed to find time to become a well known author and artist. Now that truly is a renaissance woman. She also was known for her frequent afternoon tea parties, which makes her all the more endearing to me. You can learn more about her at Tasha Tudor and Family.

Nancy Bush, an iconic woman in her own right, has given us all a chance to bring a little Tasha Tudor into our lives by writing a free cottage shawl pattern, aptly named Truly Tasha shawl which can be found on her retail site Wooly West. I think a beautiful rustic lace wool might be just the ticket for this pattern so I'm keeping my eyes pealed for just such a yarn.

Particulars: Shetland Triangle printed in Wrap Style; 1 skein Handmaiden Seasilk; US 6 needles. Modifications: I knit one extra repeat (for a total of 9 body repeats); I used the bind-off method used for the Flower Basket Shawl, because I believe that method gives a little sturdier edging. Notes on that bind-off method can be found on my Ravelry page. Some have eliminating the final edging rows to diminish the scalloped effect. But one reason I enjoy these shawls is the scalloped edging so I knit that part as written. Finished dimensions: 60" x 24"

Some Time Away in San Clemente, California

One of the things I love most about being in San Clemente is taking walks along the beach. We live on North Beach and there is a wonderful footpath that connects this beach with the San Clemente pier, and beyond.

We took these pictures on our walk down to the pier late on Saturday afternoon. It's a lovely time to take a walk as the sun is setting and the various bonfires are being lit all up and down the beach. I'll say this about San Clementians. They do love their beach Bar-B-Ques. And why not.

There is something particularly nice about grilling at the beach. Growing up in Santa Barbara we occasionally had family and church picnics down at the beach and those were happy times. If you have never had a picnic at the beach, you need to plan one right now!

We stopped for dinner at Cassano's Pizza (a family owned restaurant) situated directly across from the San Clemente Pier and enjoyed a casual meal of pizza and salad sitting out on their patio. It's nice to see Steve looking relaxed and happy as he always does when we are in San Clemente.

I know some of you have missed seeing Mr Puffy modeling lately. The reason is that Mr Puffy has expressed some concern that the pictures that I have chosen make him look foppish and he has been reluctant to pose. I have assured him that is not the case and no one thinks that. Nevertheless, I have acceded to his wish that he be allowed to pick the pictures of him that are posted. He chose this picture because it gives him an air of intrigue which he believes is better suited to his personality.

It's finally Spring and Easter will soon be here. I love to color eggs and ice cookies to celebrate the season and hope to visit a See's Candies for some chocolate eggs too. I hope you all are enjoying Spring and that the memories of cold will soon fade away when you see all the beautiful Spring flowers.

Keep Your Socks On! The Many Uses of Lycra

2009-03-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

If you have read this blog before, then you probably know that I have the rare privilege of being friends with a knitwear designer. Without question her Designer Tips and Tricks have incalculably improved my knitting and so I figure it's about time I shared her with all of you! It is my hope that her sense of fun, creativity, and out of the box approach to knitting will open a gateway for you into new ways of thinking about your knitting. It is with great pleasure that I introduce Murielle of MurielleKnitwear and her first, of hopefully many, guest posts here on Mr Puffy's Knitting Blog.

Keep Your Socks On! The Many Uses of Lycra
By Murielle Hamilton

Lycra is one of the home knitter’s most underused resources. If it ever figures in their stash, it is in a ready-to-knit blend. Yet in industrial knitting, it is used frequently, usually with another yarn. This is because:

• It works wonders with legwarmers, socks, armwarmers and tube tops; really, with anything you wish would stop falling down!

• It is a great addition to the bottom of sweaters or sleeves, which, especially when knit in cotton or linen, tend to become wavy and loose.

• It gives the yarn memory and your knit will snap back in place, even after being stretched on the body for hours.

• It allows you to knit with bigger needles, if you wish, since the final product will shrink. That is also true of knitting thin yarns on bulky hand looms.

I have incorporated it into many of my designs: for example, the deep V neck sweater shown here has 2 ends of lycra blended with one end of alpaca in the bottom ribbing, so I can get that forgiving blousant look. Of course, you can wear it stretched out as well if you, like Claudia, are lucky enough to have a flat tummy!

Another example is the bolero jacket, which would not fit and stay around the body like it does without the addition of lycra. I added it only to the edge band, and it always looks impeccable.

For a fast and easy summer top, I added lycra here to make a chic tube top:

To graphically see the power of lycra, look at these pictures:

The swatch is knit on needles size 13 US (9 mm) in stockinette and garter stitches. The only difference between the top and the bottom of the swatch is that at the top of the swatch I added a strand of lycra along with viscose yarn for about an inch.

Lycra being very elastic, I had no problem stretching out the top portion of the swatch which had the added lycra. To give you a sense of how thin lycra is, the following picture is a shot of lycra next to the viscose yarn (a sock weight yarn) used in the swatch:

Technical Trick:

Lycra only works with applied heat. When you press or steam the area containing lycra, it will visibly shrink, gathering the texture together. Try it on swatches first: you won’t believe the result. If your garment looks a little stretched after a while, just apply a puff of hot steam to the lycra area and it will be like new.

Factoids:

Lycra is also called Elastane, Elite or Spandex depending on the manufacturer.

Uses:

You can use it stranded with wool as well as with all cellulose fibers (cotton, rayon, linen, tencel, etc…) and silk. Do not change your gauge if you are only using it on a limited area. With wool, you will need to be cautious when applying heat, as you will want to shrink the lycra without felting the wool. I have used it most successfully with mohair and kid mohair, which don’t felt, although the alpaca in the sweater above does not seem to have suffered… ;)

Sometimes, especially with a bigger or heavier yarn, you may want to use two ends of lycra alongside it, to give it a stronger elasticity like I did in the bottom ribbing of the sweater.

If you are using lycra for more than a small part of the garment, do recalculate your gauge based on your pressed yarn/ lycra swatch. Adjust your needle size up until like what you see.

So where do you find this magic fiber? I get mine from Silk City Fibers (http://www.silkcityfibers.com/SilkCity/index.jsp) in Paterson, NJ 07522 (Phone: (201) 942-1100) or (800) 899-7455). Theirs is called Sting, and is a blend of 83% nylon and 17% spandex. A few online retailers also sell Silk City Yarns. Sting is quite expensive due to its yield: a whopping 32,500 yards per pound, so it will last you forever. Try to get a small cone when you order. It comes in 7 colors: white, ecru (cream), coral red, maroon (burgundy), dark brown, navy and black and you’ll want the color most closely matching your yarn.

Contact: murielleh@earthlink.net or visit her Etsy shop to see more of her beautiful designs.

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After reading Murielle's article, Mr Puffy helpfully noted that it might have been a good idea to have added lycra to those Fetching mitts of mine that have stretched out so badly. Exactly so. Thank you Puff. I would also add that it was a mistake to use a silk based yarn for something where I needed the yarn to have memory. Live and learn.

St. Patrick's Day is Just Around the Corner!

Don't forget that St. Patrick's day is next Tuesday. I'm not Irish but I love this holiday because it's a great excuse to enjoy Irish folk music and beer! So this St. Patrick's Day kiss the Blarney stone , hoist a tankard of Guinness Extra Stout, and sing gustily along to your favorite Irish ballad (Roger Whittaker singing Danny Boy is one of my favorites). Have a hankie nearby, though, as some Irish folk songs are quite sad.

And until we meet again, on my next post slated for March 24, 2009....

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

Traditional Irish Blessing

Emily Sweater

2009-02-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

Busy busy busy. That's been me lately. Bloggers, just like everyone, have periods of ups and downs and go through different stages in their life. Being busy with work has translated into less available time for me to spend on the Internet and what free time I have I have spent knitting!

Knitting has always been a meditative and relaxing hobby for me. It's a place I can go and relax and forget everything else in a peaceful setting and worldly occupations don't bother me.

This is my newly completed Emily sweater from Kim Hargreaves' Heartfelt - The Dark House Collection. I really enjoyed knitting this sweater and am totally ecstatic with how it came out. I wish the photos did it justice, but the details and rich color of the yarn proved very hard to photograph and there is only so much you can do with fill light.

This will not be an everyday sweater for me. I'll keep this folded in a drawer and only wear it on special occasions. It's nice to keep a special sweater that you know will look appropriate when you need to get a little more dressed up.

As I have found with past sweaters designed by Kim Hargreaves (my Flo cardigan comes to mind) the devil is in the details. She really has a knack for taking a simple pattern and adding finishing touches that make it special but still not terribly complex to knit.

This sweater, as I say, is a very straight forward knit. The only thing that gave me pause was the neckband. The pattern is a bit sketchy on this bit and simply instructs you to knit the neckband separately and then stitch it "neatly" into place. That's not very helpful. I wasn't intending to sew it on sloppily anyway.

I truly had no idea how to tackle sewing it on as I never sew anything! This is where Murielle of Murielle Knitwear a dear friend and invaluable resource stepped in. She pinned the neckband on for me and explained that it would be best to use a simple back stitch to sew the neckband into place on the surface of the knitting. But here's her real gem, that I'm going to fondly refer to here on Mr Puffy's Knitting Blog as "Designer Tips and Tricks." Murielle told me that I needed to use regular thread to sew on the neckband because using yarn would make the neckline too heavy. She was absolutely right and I would never have thought of that on my own because I always use yarn to seam/finish my sweaters. It's a little detail like that which can make the difference between your sweater looking "handmade" versus "homemade."

Particulars: Emily designed by Kim Hargreaves; Heartfelt - The Dark House Collection; 6 skeins Rowan Kid Classic (colorway #832 - black swirled with a dark purple ); US 7 needles (main body) US 6 (lower body details) US 5 cuffs and neckband; Modifications: I knit the body in the round and downsized the pattern to an XXS to achieve a more fitted garment. Dimensions: I began armhole shaping when the body length was 16" and the sleeves are 24" long. Rather than go into more details here I'll put the rest on my Ravelry page for those interested.

Breakfast and its Role in my Quest for a Healthy Diet and Lifestyle!

When I am busy it is hard to take the time to eat a proper breakfast but eating properly is key to avoiding getting run down and sick. I also find that if I don't eat a sufficiently substantial breakfast I find myself hungry around 10 a.m. and then I'll snack on foods that are unhealthy like sweets and chips. So, the key for me, was finding a breakfast meal that I enjoyed enough to motivate me to take the time to make it. Voila ~ a bowl of steel-cut Irish oatmeal!

I love this stuff. A warm bowl of steel-cut Irish oatmeal is how I begin most mornings (along with a sliced up apple and a handful of walnuts). I've been eating this for breakfast for years and I'm pleased to note that it is finally becoming more mainstream which is great, because that means it is more readily available and at a better price.

I have found that the best and most tender steel-cut oats are the "pinhead" variety. I order Organic Pinhead Oatmeal produced by The Oatmeal of Alford on-line and buy it in bulk from Chefshop. I have found that toasting the oats for a minute or so brings out the nutty flavor and adds a nice touch. Simply pour your oats into a sauce pan and allow them to toast up a bit before adding the water - do this very quickly or they will burn. I use 1/4 cup oats and 1 & 1/4 cups water. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon on a low simmer and when the oats are plumped up and the water is nearly all absorbed it's ready. This process only takes about 8 to 10 minutes with "pinhead" oats. Top it off with brown sugar and a banana and you have yourself a warm and tasty meal that you and your family are sure to love!

If you live in Los Angeles or anywhere near a Jamba Juice you will find that they now sell a tasty bowl of this. So if you are out and about you might want to give it a try - it's much better for you than a Cinnabon at the Mall!

Have a great week everyone ~ and make sure to eat a proper breakfast!

Cabo San Lucas

2009-02-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

A Quick Trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Living in Southern California means that a trip to the Mexican Riviera is only a 2 hour plane flight away. Sometimes you just need a break and it's amazing how a few days away can feel like a lifetime when you are in a totally different setting.

Some of our vacations are very exotic and strenuous (sometime I'll tell you what it was like to trek in the Himalayas of Nepal) but this was purely a plop down and soak in the sun trip.

As a consequence not much of anything was done. Not even of a knitting nature. I did start on a pair of Snicket Socks (free pattern compliments of Sari's Mindful Knitting ~ Ravelry Link) using Madelinetosh sock yarn (malachite colorway). But, as you can see, I didn't get very far. This is beautifully dyed sock yarn and really soft on the hands. I don't know how well it will wear, but it's lovely to knit with.

We did manage to drag ourselves over to the marina one day for an outing. It's a beautiful harbor and is reportedly the sport fishing capital of the world. Next trip we really must give that a try.

Here's Steve acting like a twelve year old. Honestly, I can't take him anywhere. I blame myself, though. Giggling only encourages him.

Unfortunately dear little Mr Puffy wasn't able to go. Somehow I don't think the medallion pendant quite made up for being left behind.

Have a great week everyone ~ and if you can't get away ~ try cooking a dish from some place you would like to visit and invite friends over for a theme night potluck!

Romantic Beaded Scarf

2009-02-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

There's something romantic about long flowing scarfs and twinkling beads. That's why I'm calling this my Romantic Beaded Scarf which ~ serendipitously ~ I finished in time for Valentine's Day!

If you have never played around using different textured yarns in your knitting, you will find it is a fun way to create a unique and complex fabric all your own. The technique of "layering" works best with yarns that are in the same color range. If you are anything like me or my friends (Renee of Renee knits too can attest to this) your stash is likely filled with yarns in the same color tone already. In fact, I personally find it very hard to break away from my "colors" even when I want to. On more than one occasion I've come home with new yarn only to realize - in shock and disbelief - that once again I've bought yarn that is very similar to something that I've already got. But that won't happen again because I. will. not. buy. blue. yarn. again. maybe.

To create a rich and complex fabric what you want besides yarns in the same color range is yarn in different textures as well. Rowan Kidsilk Haze is a great choice for layering because it will soften up any yarn and give it a soft halo of color. My Lace Ruffle Scarf is an example of a project knit using this technique. All you do is hold both strands of yarn together and knit away. Wonderful stuff that kidsilk haze.

The only real design element in this scarf came from a suggestion of my dear friend, Murielle of Murielle's knitwear, who suggested that I try adding a couple of rows of lycra to the middle, which I did. It is for this reason that the fabric breaks very sharply and gives a nice clean modern look to the scarf which is best illustrated in the picture above. I'm actually hoping to get Murielle (a knitwear designer) to write a guest post for us here on Mr Puffy's Knitting Blog and share some of her designing tips and tricks with all of us!

This is the first project that I've knit with beaded yarn and I love the effect. It is hard to show in the pictures but the texture and tactile feel of this scarf really makes it special. I did enlarge the picture below to better show the detail.

Free Pattern: Romantic Beaded Scarf

Materials: Approximately 450-600 yards DK weight yarn (use two or 3 different textured yarns of similar color) I used 3 skeins Tilli Tomas Flurries (colorway skydrop); 2 skeins Tilli Tomas Aspen (colorway skydrop) and 1 skein Rowan Kidsilk Haze (colorway heavenly). Optional: small amount of Lycra or very thin lace weight yarn.

Needles: Circular US 10.5

Gauge: Not terribly important but I like my scarfs to be at least 60 inches in length so swatch and calculate the number of stitches to achieve whatever length you chose. I knit this scarf on 190 stitches and my scarf measures 62" x 6" - without including the fringe.

Note: This scarf is knit in garter stitch and is knit from side to side and not top to bottom - hence the need to use long circular needles. Yarn A = Aspen yarn stranded with Kidsilk Haze and Yarn B = Flurries yarn. Using Yarn A cast on 190 stitches (or whatever your gauge indicates) and knit 2 rows. Knit the next two rows knit using Yarn B. Continue alternating every two rows between Yarn A and Yarn B. To knit the scarf on the bias (which is what I did) on all odd rows increased 1 stitch at the beginning of the row and decrease 1 stitch at the end of the row. I did this on odd rows as follows: K1, make one, K to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1. The optional middle design is worked on very thin yarn using much smaller needles (I used 2 strands of Lycra and dropped down to US 5 needles) and knit in stockinette for approximately 6 rows. Make the fringe ~ because I wanted lots of texture in the fringe ~ I made my fringe using only Yarn B (beaded yarn) and cut strands 16" long (8" when folded) and attached them using a crochet hook. Have fun playing with different yarns!

And a Little About Valentine's Day while I'm in the mood to talk about Romance!

Fifty years ago the blue velvet heart pictured below held a stand of pearls given to my mother as her wedding gift from my father. That's romantic. But it's even more romantic that he sold his fishing boat so he that could afford to buy my mother a beautiful engagement ring.

Today it displays a beautiful romantic necklace that I purchased from the talented and thoroughly enjoyable blogger, Tracy of Pink Purl, whose Etsy shop is filled with fun and romantic accessories and jewelery. Her blog is a delightful place to visit with wonderful writing, varied craft projects, and tasty recipes! I tell you, some women are so multi-talented it just floors me.

We don't exchange gifts around here to celebrate Valentine's Day but we do try and make it a fun day and an occasion to make each other feel special. That's fun and easy to do if you write a special Valentine poem. To get you started I'm sharing a couple of our Valentine's:

Mr Puffy's Valentine to Mia (Mr Puffy harbors a crush on this little dog who lives next door):

You're so cute
You're so sweet
I'm going to share
My milk bone treat

Claudia's Valentine to Steve:

Hair dark as coal
Eyes blue as the sky
No one's cuter
Than my sweetie pie

Steve's Valentine to Claudia:

I regret this was not printable. It failed to pass the strict family guidelines here at Mr Puffy's Knitting Blog. No good asking what it said as I will not gratify any prurient interest.

But I will share one way that Steve and I keep romance in our lives and that is to eat dinner by candlelight every night. So rummage up some candles (unscented candles work best for dinner) and give it a try this week ~ it's a nice way to relax and begin your evening!

Put Your Feet Up!

2009-01-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

Chuckle. Thanks for all your comments on the last post. Mr Puffy is quite happy snacking on whole grain rice cakes as we all try to eat healthier snacks.

These socks have been hanging around for awhile! I started them way back last Summer on our Alaska trip and have only now finished them, having suffered a serious case of SSS ("second sock syndrome").

I'm not sure why these socks stalled. They just did. But now they are finished I'm thrilled to bits with them!

Although this is a rich and vibrant blue color, they are still very wearable - unlike some socks that I've knit. It's so tempting to buy those brightly colored yarns that are oh so pleasing to knit. But when the euphoria of having knit such pretty socks is over there's a sobering thought. Exactly where and when I can I wear them??? I know of what I speak, just check out my Bird of Paradise socks. I've never worn them, pretty though they are. Live and learn.

Particulars: Monkey Socks (free pattern compliments of Knitty); yarn from Shelridge Farm 2 skeins Soft Touch Ultra Handpaints; US 1 needles. My only modification was to drop the needle size down to US 1 from US 2 needles because I like my socks to fit snug. Another similar yarn that is beautifully dyed and yet wearable is Hand Jive Knit's Nature's Palette .

A Healthy Life Style

Good health is not just about diet alone. It's about having balance in one's life. Too often we don't take the few minutes we need each day to step back and relax. One way that I make relaxation part of my routine is to enjoy a cup of tea.

Incidentally, drinking tea is also part of my healthy diet because it contributes to water consumption. It's hard to consume 8-10 cups of water a day if you don't much care for the taste of plain water. Yet, keeping the body flushed and hydrated is extremely important for good health and a clear skin.

Have a great week everyone ~ and take 20 minutes out of your day ~ to put your feet up with a cup of tea. Might I say this is even more delightful if you are wearing handknit socks!

PS The yarn pictured with my teacup is from Tilli Thomas to make the Wisps of Smoke Ring by Heartstrings Fiberarts.

Cafe au Lait Mitts

2009-01-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

Why another pair of fingerless mitts? Because you can never have too many fingerless mitts in your wardrobe!

The yarn was a spontaneous purchase while visiting a LYS (Yarns on First) in Napa, California. That's actually one reason I love to visit a LYS. I often discover yarns that I would otherwise overlook.

There was a large bowl overflowing with these skeins and I immediately fell in love with the colors and feel of the yarn. It didn't hurt that the bowl was strategically position near a pair of fingerless mitt which whispered as I lingered "go on... make me....you know you want to." I'm so easily influenced.

Particulars: Free Pattern: Cafe au Lait Mitt; US 4 double pointed needles; 1 skein Classic Elite Yarns, Fresco (wool, alpaca, angora). I have been very pleased with Classic Elite Yarns in general and with how well my Cherry top (knit with Classic Elite Yarns Premiere - cotton/tencel blend) has worn. Upshot. This is a great pattern and knits quickly into a pair of soft cozy mitts.

Changes For the New Year

We have all eaten far too many goodies over the holidays. I'm not naming any names but, frankly, some more than others.

Hence, at the start of this new year I have formed the intention that we shall all eat a more healthful diet rich in whole grains. I say an "intention" because like Andrea of At Home Mommy Knits I think a resolution can feel too imposing and I would never want to seem dictatorial. That being said, I do all the shopping and cooking and as a consequence I do have a certain amount of power over the members of this household.

Since you, dear reader, might not be quite ready for the mung bean casserole I cooked for dinner last night, I'm going to share a honey soaked bran muffin recipe instead. The source for this recipe is Grains, a gourmet pantry cookbook, pictured above (which has several recipes that I enjoy). I have slightly modified the recipe to make the muffins smaller and to include honey, which is more to my taste. These are also great without the honey if you don't want a sweet muffin.

Not so Giant Bran Muffins, Soaked in Honey

Ingredients:

3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts - toasted
1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 1/4 cups milk
2 large eggs
1/3 cup molasses
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup dark seedless raisins
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar (I use brown sugar)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
honey

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 12 muffin cups (or 6 large muffin cups for giant muffins).
2. Place walnuts in baking pan and toast, shaking pan several times for 8 to 10 minutes or until nuts are lightly toasted. Tip immediately onto a plate to stop cooking.
3. In large bowl, combine bran and milk and let stand, stirring 2 or 3 times for 10 minutes or until most of the milk is absorbed. With a wooden spoon, beat in the eggs, molasses, and melted butter. Stir in raisins and toasted walnuts.
4. In a separate bowl, stir together flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Add flour mixture to bran-milk mixture and stir until just incorporated.
5. Here's my honey part: Add approximately 1 tablespoon honey to muffin cup just before adding the batter. If you want to skip the honey just spoon the batter directly into the muffin cups.
6. Bake approximately 18 minutes (I have reduced the cooking time due to these being smaller muffins) or 25-30 minutes for 6 giant muffins. The muffins should be firm to the touch, but you don't want to overcook them or they will be dry.
7. Turn out onto a wire rack and drizzle the bottom with more honey (if you want to) and leave upside down for the honey to soak in.

These are nice warm with a pat of butter and go well with salads or eaten as a quick breakfast snack along with an apple.

Have a great week everyone and make sure to cook at least one dish that uses whole grains!

Holidays in San Clemente

2009-01-02T16:44:00.000-08:00

We always spend a quiet week after Christmas in San Clemente which is a great way for us to relax and recover from the busy period leading up to holidays.

For a change in scenery we shot these pictures overlooking North Beach which is where we have a house. It's a nice neighborhood and I'm standing on the Ole Hanson Beach Club property which has a public pool which is where Steve and I will swim from time to time. I haven't been in the ocean since the shark attack in Solana beach last Summer. I'm still waiting for the "all clear" signal before I go back in the water.

The vest I'm wearing is knit in Noro's Kureyon wool which makes a really great layering piece. It's definitely not next to skin soft, but it has wonderful memory and the colors are fun and vibrant.
Lots of people use this wool for felting projects. If you are a newer knitter, felting projects are a fun introduction to knitting as any uneven or even, gasp, a dropped stitch, are all forgiven in the felting process. You might want to check out the Booga Bag which is a popular free pattern that comes to mind.

Particulars: Noro Kureyon Wool (5 skeins); The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns (basic vest); I knit the body in the round on US 7 circular needles. I used a k4/p4 (8 stitch rib) for a couple of inches then switched to stockinette. The body is 14" from bottom to armhole shaping. The neckline and shoulder edging is knit in a K2/P2 rib using US 6 needles.

I thought you might like to see a little more of San Clemente. These pictures are taken of my favorite coffee spot, La Galette, which is a small creperie across from the pier. They make a fresh Italian roast which is heavenly and if you have time to sit in their cafe they will keep refilling your cup until you float away! On the mornings that we don't jog we will walk along the pathway that connects North Beach to the pier which has a number of fun small cafes.

Notice that I'm wearing my lace-up gloves. I love wearing these and I'm thinking that I need a few more pairs in different colors!

The Reader, Movie Review.

I'm going to conclude with a movie review. This past week Steve and I saw the movie, The Reader. It's an extremely well acted and edited movie and profound on a number of levels. To be sure it is not a comedy, mystery, or action movie. Moreover, if you are offended by nudity in films this is not the movie for you. It is decidedly an adult film, but not in the conventional sense. It's a adult film because it raises complex questions of law intersecting with morality; the human capacity (or incapacity) to be introspective; and societal accountability. The reviews of this movie are quite mixed but if you are looking for a movie that has substance I do not think you will be disappointed. Mr Puffy did not see this movie and therefore can not offer his opinion. If there isn't a dog in the movie, he simply won't go to see it.

Have a great week everyone ~ and go see this or any movie!

Night Cap Anyone?

2008-12-20T18:23:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I've knit a night cap for my Dad. He feels the cold at night so what could be more useful than a night cap? It's not as if you can find these readily at your local mall. At least not here in Southern California anyway.

For the modeled photo I specifically told Mr Puffy to look jolly and whimsical. However, he disagreed and went for something solemn and more dignified. I told him he looked like Captain Hook from Peter Pan. But, what can I do? He's his own man, Mr Puffy, and he would model it his own way.

Particulars: Basic Hat Pattern; Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns; 1 skein Hand painted Cashmere DK weight (Tess' Designer yarns); US 6 needles. The edging is a simple 2" turned hem without the picot edging. My dad just isn't the picot type. The hat is stockinette as I didn't want anything to detract from softness of the fabric. I added the tassel because all night caps seem to have them. Check out Twas The Before Christmas if you don't believe me.

I haven't talked much about my dad, but he's a pretty special person. He grew up on a farm in rural Minnesota during the great depression. Not an easy life. He describes getting up while it was still dark out to milk the cows before school and hunting with his brothers to put food on the table. But his mother made life as nice as she could and they ate well on the farm. Stacks of hotcakes in the morning, plenty of fresh baked bread and pies.

The follow picture is one of the few that were taken of the boys on the farm. My dad is the one standing farthest from the camera.

After high school my dad fought in the Korean war. His unit was responsible for laying communication lines on the front with only fox holes for protection.

After the war, he was able to afford college with the assistance of the G.I. Bill. This resulted in a long and successful career as a civil engineer. He's retired now and he and my mother enjoy good health and a happy marriage in beautiful Santa Barbara, California. At age 79 he's still golfing, fishing, camping and enjoying life to the fullest. And he deserves it all because you'll never find a more honest, decent and hard working person than my dad.

Since I'm on the subject, I thought this would be a good time to share the recipe for his favorite Christmas cookies. They are a buttery walnut cookie and I make them every year, just because.

Festive Walnut Christmas Cookies: A modified version of a Betty Crocker recipe.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
candied cherries (cut into quarters) for garnish (the type you find in plastic tubs)

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and cover baking sheet with silpat.
2. Cream butter with sugars then beat in egg and vanilla.
3. Sift together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt). Add to butter mixture with a wooden spoon just until incorporated. Add walnuts.
4. Decorate cookie dough with cherry pieces; and
5. Bake 8-10 minutes.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, meaningful, and happy Christmas. And if you happen to have a night cap, say a toast to my Dad and those like him.

Time to Cocoon

2008-12-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank everyone for the nice comments on Steve's scarf ~ he was thrilled to read all of them! But. Well. A little disappointed that there were no requests for nude photos.

It has finally turned Wintry here in Southern California. It always seems that Winter will never arrive and then all of a sudden you know it's Winter because it's freezing cold outside. I find myself wondering, when I venture out into the brisk morning air, why it is that I wished for it to be Winter. I certainly don't enjoy freezing on my morning jog. Ah, yes. Now I remember. It is because I can wear my knitwear! Enjoy cozy days inside! Warm my tummy after dinner with a glass of liqueur! And, in general, enjoy cocooning at home!

This is Haven a Kim Hargreaves design knit with Rowan's cocoon yarn. I have always loved the cozy hat and scarf sets that appear in magazines around this time of year so decided that this year I would make one for myself.

When I first felt the cocoon yarn in the skein I wasn't that impressed. However, it was surprisingly soft to knit and the final washed and blocked product couldn't be more warm and cozy.

Please don't examine the hat too closely. It will pass with non-knitters, I believe. It seemed so simple a concept. I would just knit a panel of the Haven scarf design in the round to make a matching hat. This would have worked perfectly but for my failing to take into account the increases and decreases which effectively shifted the design 1 stitch over each round. I decided I would rather have the hat fit than concern myself with an exact pattern match so I merrily knit on worrying not about the lack of perfection ~ which is an attitude I try to bring to life in general.

Particulars: Haven from Heartfelt the Dark House Collection; US 11 needles; 3 skeins Rowan Cocoon (including hat); colorway Polar. Modified by simply doing 1 lace panel instead of 2 and only 18 of the 28 pattern repeats with the goal of having an opulent but more traditionally sized scarf (wash/blocked 62"x9"). My hat is a wonky version of Haven in the round.

I will warn that if you wash this yarn you must be extremely careful how you do so. I just tossed the scarf and hat into a warm bath and came back 20 minutes later to find that the yarn had relaxed and grown at least 12 inches. I went into shock and required ER procedure, um, actually it was the yarn that required ER procedure and somehow I managed to coax the hat and scarf back to their original shapes. Now that it's dry, I love how springy and lively the yarn is and maybe that always happens when it's washed. I would just be careful that you don't allow it to stretch too much when washing.

You may recall that my neighbor Chris (Mom to Mr Puffy's best friend, Ralph, who Mr Puffy was referring to in his award speach) and I knit this project together. We had lots of fun sharing laughter and mistakes, not necessarily in that order! Chris chose to knit hers exactly as designed and it really came out fabulous. But she was a little shy about having her picture taken so it was fortuante that Mrs. Santa Claus agreed to stand in. Both the picture above and below are of her lovely Haven taken amongst her Christmas decorations.

Lastly, if you are not yet feeling the Christmas spirit, take a look at this link and prepare yourself to feel Christmasy! Christmasy link (you will need to click "download original attachment" to watch the video) .

Have a great week everyone ~ and try having a small glass of liqueur after dinner to warm you inside :) My favorite is Grand Marnier of Crepes Suzette fame and I would love to know yours!