Warm Those Dancing Legs

We have a dancer in our midst.  More the four-year-old beginning tap and ballet kind, and less the Elton John kind.  Either one is fantastic in my book.

This was a bit of a gamble, knitting unrequested accessories for this willful and independent four-year-old.  But I think she may just wear these.  The small fry attends a small tap and ballet class once a week and love, love, loves it.  I can tell because she never hesitates to get herself ready, never resists going and pays rapt attention to her teach for the entire duration of class.

It's so fun to see her take off in a space that has nothing to do with either parent or sibling.

No resistance revealed yet...

These leg warmers were knit on the fly on a road trip to and from some friends home in Knoxville, TN.  (Knoxville was amazing… great drinks {Moscow Mule}, great food {Fried Green Tomatoes and Pimento Cheese Sandwich} and epic company {you know who you are}.

I knit these on the drive there and back.  And the ability to knit uninterrupted for that length of time was bliss, in and of itself.  So relaxing.  They were knit on US 1 double pointed needles, 2x2 rib for some rows (a dozen?) and then stockinette stripes.  I think there were seven rows in each stripe.  Then knit another dozen or so 2x2 rib rows and cast off.  I like 'em… and I love that they consist entirely of scraps.

Little leg warmers

The notes below are what I think were the types and colors of yarn.  From the knee down: Quince and Co. Chicadee in Apricot, Jamieson Shetland Spindrift in Purple, Malabrigo Yarn Finito in Natural, Madelinetosh in Mineral, Malabrigo Yarn Finito in Cereza, Malabrigo Yarn Finito in Paloma, Reynolds Sea Wool in Navy, Louet Gems in Goldilocks, Jamieson Shetland Spindrift in Plum, Jamieson Shetland Spindrift in Rose, Louet Gems in Sage and Shibui Knits Sock in blue.

A Long Break – and Tomato Soup

It's hard to believe my absence from this space has been so long.  I've thought often about what I should be blogging about, but it has been one of those times when life outside the inter-webs is just too busy.

We have had a great summer and fall.  We moved into what I lovingly call a "less little" house.  It was bittersweet to leave our original home… it being the place where we first lived when we were married and brought our girls home.  But we were slowly running out of room and an opportunity almost literally presented itself to us and so in July we pulled up stakes and moved… a very, very short distance away.

And between all the selling of the first house, packing, transactions for the second house, unpacking, painting, starting school, etc.  This blog got put on the back burner.

And now I hope to be back with regularity.  There has been plenty of making going on… even though it has been undocumented.  Here is one such thing… done in August… oof.

The less little house has much more counter space, and I am loving it.  Last year my grandfather gifted to me my grandmother's canning and preserving tools.  I got a big enameled canning pot and basket.  A really nice food mill was included.  So in August, I decided to take a break from priming and painting and I bought a half a bushel of tomatoes and made my first big mess in the new kitchen.  I made a plan to make a tomato soup base for the impending fall and winter.

Romas

I started with half a bushel of Roma tomatoes (23 lbs) and I halved them and sprinkled them generously with olive oil and salt and pepper and baked them in the oven at 400°F for one hour.  I included with one of the batches of tomatoes, a head of garlic, wrapped tightly in foil and roasted it along side.

After the roasting phase came the peeling and milling phase.  I peeled the halves and sent the roasted pulp and all their delicious juices through the food mill, so that the tomatoes were peel and seed free.

Food mill back in use

In a large dutch oven over medium heat, I melted two sticks of butter and sautéed seven shallots (diced small) until they were nearly translucent.  I then added the roasted and cleaned tomatoes, 4 oz of tomato paste and one cup of dry red wine.

Shallots

I bought it all to a low boil and let it cook for another 30 minutes.  

In the meantime I had boiled all of my pint jars, lids and rings sterilized as well.  The canning process went really smoothly.  I boiled them all, seven at a time, in Noni's canning pot and every last one of them sealed.  I ended up with 17 pints of tomato soup base.

Canned and just waiting for a winter day!

We've already enjoyed a few since the weather has gotten cooler, we just heat the soup on the stove with some half and half or chicken stock and it is really delicious.  

It was one of the first projects that I undertook in the new house that made it feel like home.  

Purple Owlet

Late winter this year I planned sweaters for my girls.  The small fry asked for a purple owl sweater, after she and I surfed around Ravelry.  And so, I happily obliged… glad for an excuse to navigate over to Quince and company for some fresh wool.

Sweater from mom; table and chairs from her great
grandfather; stenciling done by her "nanoo"

 This was a really fast and fun sweater to knit.  I chose the smallest size kid version for our girl.  I think the pattern calls it 3/4.  It fits her like a dream right now.  Hopefully we can still squeeze her into it in the fall after the weather cools and the humidity gives up it's annual midwestern campaign.  I'm really, really tempted to make another one of these for the little nugget, but for her I have planned the cabled yoke cardigan in red.  (Her sister nearly wore out the orange one that I made).  I'm also feeling a little bit of motherly guilt about the hand-me-downs of all variety.  It's good to have a few things that are yours and yours alone…

One dozen owls on the yoke

I knit this out of Quince and Company's Lark wool.  The color way is called Lupin.  It really is this gorgeous purple color, the current favorite of the small fry. It washed and blocked beautifully and will be stowed away for a cooler day.  More details on Ravelry here.

Hoot!

The Woods of New Hampshire

This last weekend I was fortunate to return to Squam Art Workshops.  It is one of the best places and gatherings I have ever visited.

Just imagine yards and yards of
this type of shoreline peppered
with cabins and docks – perfection.

The lake is beautiful - calm, clear and offers a cold and fantastic swim.  The camp, Rockywold Deephaven Camp is the perfect balance of amenity and simplicity - fireplaces, screened porches, lots of hot running water and down comforters on the beds.  And all of this is the backdrop for the Squam Art Workshops. Elizabeth, inventor and organizer of the event was so right in her choosing of locale and content.  My second visit in three years was just as perfect as the first. 

I made some wonderful friends two years ago, when I attended Squam the first time.  And this year four of us returned.  We learned some new things from some wonderful teachers, kayaked on the lake, drank wine and sat in front of the fireplace.  It was the perfect break from my otherwise-lovely normally scheduled routine and I have returned home feeling like it was time well spent.

So fun!

This year I took an amazing class on the history of Estonian knitting from the fabulous Nancy Bush.  She was charming and patient, well organized and well versed in Estonian tradition.  I came home with one half of a pair of Estonian fingerless mitts.  Isn't it lovely?

The fabulous Nancy Bush...

If you ever have the opportunity to take one of her classes I would highly recommend it.

Oh, the details… the best!

The other class I took was Amy Herzog's fit to flatter class.  And she and her amazing math brain has done all the heavy-lifting for sweater knitters.  With accurate body measurements, a knit swatch and an internet connection, you can essentially choose a sweater profile and have generated a custom pattern that is literally designed for your body.  I cannot wait to try it.

For Jack

For a darling little man.

There are fewer things more satisfying to knit that small sweaters… everything looks better in miniature.  Raglan stripes that line up beautifully. And cotton yarn that is fluffy and dense at the same time, in a color palette that is wonderful.

Striped warmth

So I knit this little piece for a new family member of some good friends.  Welcome Jack.  May this fit in time for cooler weather, and be worn in diapered comfort with your big butt baby pants.

XO - Faye

Big Butt Baby Pants

Spring is so near.  Each day, the morning is a little more light, the bulbs push though those first few leaves and evening is a little bit longer.  We are all so ready. Today it rained.  That fact, in and of itself, is pretty insignificant, but for the last three months… the only kind of precipitation we have had has been some frozen variety.  What a welcome change.

Works in progress

This weekend was still a little cool.  We did venture out on a few walks, had lunch in the neighborhood, played a little in the yard.  I did get some time to get a few lingering projects finished as well.  I had cut out three different sizes of my favorite baby pants, and they have been waiting patiently for me to set the sewing machine up.  The pattern is called "Big Butt Baby Pants" and was designed and published by Rae Hoekstra.  You can find her online here.

An original pair… part three amigos,
part mariachi pant.  

The pattern is really, really simple.  Three pieces.  Easy to download.  Directions are written clearly and there are lots of photos accompanying each step.  And the finished product is pretty cute and - more importantly - really, really functional.  My favorite part about these little pants is the panel in the back that is reminiscent of a classic men's boxer short.  It is ideal for a diapered bottom.  I think I must have sewn no fewer than a dozen pairs of these pants in the last three years.

Three easy pieces.

Here is what we worked on this weekend.  The small fry was really pretty interested in the sewing, and the straight pins.  She lost interest as soon as Scooby Doo came on television, but that worked out too.  I was able to finish three of these little pants in a couple hours.

Green!

I made one pair for out littlest little.  They are probably going to fit for another week, she is growing so fast.  And two other pairs are going to be gifted and accompany a hand knit sweater each.  Now all I have to do is finish up that blue striped cardigan…  off to knit.

Almost there… just the sleeves
left to knit.

Warm Hands of Little People

The mittens I knit earlier this year inspired me to write a pattern for something similar. I started out with some stranded color work and a cuff and corded wrist which I loved and changed the thumb construction for an improved finished product.

In the works

The pattern is in work, it's a straightforward one, with a little customization option included for knitters who enjoy stranded color work.  I'm also planning to chart a little alphabet and provide that for people who want to customize things.

It's not too difficult and perfectly sized for toddler hands.  I hope to get the writing done and a tech editor to review and hopefully I will have a new pattern ready for the fall…  It seems like ages away, but I'm not the speediest writer of patterns.

Prototype Mittens front and back

Until then, here is a little sneak peak of what the finished product will look like.  Stay tuned!