1999-2010

I've been reading a few of my favorite blogs, reflecting on the year and decade just past.
For me, this past decade has been the best.
Despite all the crappy health stuff, despite all the financial uncertainty, the hope of freedom snatched from my reach, and my father's stroke, and the fissures in the family and all the bad things I could list if I wanted to depress myself....
Despite all that, 10 years ago tonight, when a friend of a friend asked me if I wanted to use his extra ticket and join him at the Millenium Rock Concert in the Pontiac Silverdome, I said yes. And Oscar and I have been together pretty much from that moment on.

Tonight we have been thinking about the good fortune that has come to me in the past 6 weeks or so. About all the hard work finally beginnign to pay off where the pattern stuff is concerned. And how my outlook on life in general is much improved by being able to bring some money in, and begin to write reviews again, and just do more in general without getting as ill. Learning to live within my limitations this year has meant I can do more, for longer, and Oscar can do less.

Oscar's boss has begun to appreciate his value to the department this year, and starting next year, Oscar will be pursuing his education within a company program, involving degrees and bonuses.

So this last day of the decade, on a night of the full moon, we are focusing on letting our current prosperity be the new standard, the new baseline from which to start the next stage of growth.
May next year and every year after be better, and better for us all.

Learning By Doing

I decided to learn how to design a lace triangular shawl, by making an existing design, and it worked pretty well! It really helped me grok the relationship between the chart and the stitches, and now I feel free to go forward with some of the lovely antique lace patterns I have been translating this summer. I hope to make some triangle shawls, and at least one Faroese-shaped shawl.

I used the free pattern 198 Yards of Heaven designed and generously provided by Christy Verity

I of course changed it up a bit, using slightly larger needles and adding a few rows of contrasting color.
Both yarns are Malabrigo Merino Worsted. The main color is Velvet Grapes, the contrast is Azul Bolito (possibly my favorite shade of blue, although it is hard to choose).

Just Under Two Minutes of Poultrifying Funk

Thank you to Lene who posted it first.

Chicken and Rice

Leftovers from a roasted chicken (or a few small cans of chicken)
6-8 cups commercial chicken stock (I like Kitchen Basics)
2 cups rice
1 package 'cajun miripoix' (onion, celery, bell pepper) or about 3/4 cup each if you prepare it yourself
1 tsp malt vinegar, or lemon juice.
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

While heating the chicken stock, add the meat and broth from the leftover chicken.
dump in the onion, celery and bell pepper.
Bring to a boil
Reduce heat to medium and boil until the vegetables are completely cooked
Add vinegar OR lemon juice
add herbs
Add two cups rice
Reduce heat to low and cook and stir as needed until rice is done.
This is a little 'soupy' when it is first finished, but the rice eventually absorbs most of the liquid.
Even better the next day, and good for freezing.
Great when you aren't feeling well or when the snow is piling up outside.
(Note: the gherkins in the photo were only for presentation)

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Cookies

Light, crispy, dark chocolately wafers. Rich and delicious. Would be great as sandwiches filled with raspberry cream.


Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate cookies


1 cup flour
1/3 c cocoa powder
1 1/2 C sugar
1 tsp baking soda

Blend.

add
1/4 c butter

Cut to fine sandy crumbs and chill



in separate bowl mix
2 eggs
1 TBS vanilla
1/2 tsp dark spiced rum (optional)
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Add to 'dry' mixture and stir.

add a bag of Ghiradelli big chcolate chips.

Drop at least three inches apart by small tsp full onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Cookies will spread a LOT.
Bake in preheated 350 deg oven for 5-7 minutes.
Cookies are done when they flatten out and no longer look shiny.

Cool for a few minutes on the pan and cut any 'joins' where the cookies may have touched, then remove to cooling rack and bake the next batch. You will likely need new parchment paper for each batch or two.
Makes at least 4 dozen.

Merry Christmas!

Run right out and buy this album for your least favorite relative!

Pressies

I made two shawls yesterday. One on #11 needles, one on #50.
I like how they turned out. The nieces who will get them like bright colors, like me :-}

The first set of photos is of a shawl made with Rowan Biggie Print on #50 needles.
The second set is Lorna's Laces worsted in Bittersweet superwash combined with a light weight mohair called Kid Merino Print in Blueberry Grape knit on #11 needles.

I really had fun knitting without writing any directions :-} next time, I'll probably jot down what I do.

Buddha's Favorite Spot

Buddha loves to climb in beside me when I sit in my recliner, and cuddle her head on the arm of the chair.

I like having her there, too. She is good company :-}

In answer to Lynx who wrote: "How did you manage to train her to ignore that scrumptious yarn? And how do you resist putting down the yarn and spending an hour just petting her???"
1. She was sleeping, so the ball was safe for the moment.
(Otherwise, she has been known to pluck balls of yarn right from my knitting basket and run with them to the kitchen, my needles and project dragging behind her) and 2.

Hit-And-Run Hula

From : Hitandrunhula.com

"On August 15, 2009, the dancers of Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu took San Francisco by storm in a hula ambush, performing in unexpected locations across the city. "

LIVE and Ready for Download: Mysig Means Cozy

My brand new house sock/slipper pattern MYSIG MEANS COZY is all ready for download!
Here are the details:
Knit to be loose and warm with extra layers
provided by the stranded knitting, these
will quickly become favorite cuddle-on-the couch
socks.
These easy non-fiddly start toe-up socks
are knit from a warm alpaca blend worsted
weight yarn, with extra layers provided by
the stranded knitting. Both chart and
written instructions provided.
SIZES: to fit Small, (medium, large, XL);
7.5 (8”, 8 1/2”, 9”) actual sock
circumference unstretched. 8.5”(9”, 9.5”,
10”) long. Cuff above gussett 5” tall.
Tips given for knitting to custom fit in
appendix.
I have allowed for the difference in gauge
between stranded and stockinette by
changing needle sizes (larger needles for
stranded portions, smaller needles for
stockinette).

How to thank a knitter...

I laughed first thing this morning when I saw this, hope you do, too :-}

40 (84) Clove Garlic Chicken

To celebrate Solstice, today I am making 40 Clove Garlic Chicken. It is based on a recipe my dear friend Sherri uses, with a few twists.

1 pound potatoes (I like Yukon Gold or red potatoes but any waxy kind of potato will do)
a package of carrots (for convenience, I use the pre-cleaned baby carrots)
2 large onions, sliced in wedges.
1 large cut up chicken
3-4 bulbs of garlic, separated into cloves. You needn't get all the skin off, it mostly dissolves in the cooking process. I nip off the butt end where it is hardest, and mostly leave it at that. Today I ended up with 84 cloves.

1 ounce smoky whiskey (the kinds from Isla have the strongest smoke flavoring)
about 7 leaves of sage, or 2 Tbs rubbed dry sage
a tsp each marjoram and thyme

salt and pepper.
1/2 cup wine, chicken stock or water.

Dump the clean potatoes, carrots and onion wedges in the bottom of a roasting pan.
Dump the cloves of garlic on top of the veggies.
Put the chicken in next. I like cooking the chicken when it is already cut up, but you can roast a whole chicken if you like, and put some of the garlic and herbs in the cavity.

Sprinkle the chicken with the ounce of smokey whiskey.

Add the sage. I like to put a leaf or two under the chicken skin, or if skinless, beneath the chicken.

Sprinkle on the marjoram and thyme.

Cover and roast for at least 45 minutes in a 325 deg (f) oven.
Depending on the size of your chicken, it may take an hour before it is done.
Low and slow is the way to go.

Let the chicken rest, remove the chicken and veg from the roasting pan, then pour in the white wine, chicken stock or water. Scrape up all the fond, then put all the liquid into a skillet to make gravy with.
Take the excess oil off with a spoon, but you need some oil to help the gravy thicken.
I often need to add some more chicken stock to make the gravy.

No gravy amounts or directions here. I play it totally by ear, sometimes it turns out, sometimes not. But it always tastes good, thick or thin LOL.

Happy Winter Solstice!!!

At 12:47 P.M. (Eastern) today, the Sun comes back!

Catseye Socks

The Catseye sock pattern is up and ready for sale :-}
Here are the details:

This modernistic design makes the most of handpainted yarn with a pop of solid color, set off by black.

Worked from the top, down, most of this sock is great for mindless knitting. The challenging stranded colorwork (charted) lasts 14 rounds before slipping back into soothing stockinette.

The Eye Of Partridge heel stitch adds luscious texture while extending wear.
The sock measures 8 1/2 inches around the foot, unstretched, but can be adjusted by changing needle size, or by inserting stitches into the graph.

Materials: One skein each of three colors fingering weight Stroll Sock yarn. Color A: 462 yards/100g, Colors B and C: 231 yards/50g

Blue- A: Lullaby B:Midnight Heather C: Granny Smith
Pink-A: Dolly B: Midnight Heather C: Mermaid
Tiger -A: Tiger B: Midnight Heather C: Tidepool Heather

Mysig Means Cozy

My newest pattern is a house sock, a cuddle on the couch sock. Knit to be loose and warm with extra layers provided by the stranded knitting.
Since this stranded patterning reminds me of Scandanavian designs, I decided to name it with a Scandinavian word.
My friend Absinthia helped me with the naming.
I am working on the final stages of the pattern pdf, and expect to launch it sometime tonight or tomorrow.

Lists

Let's see. We celebrate the Miller family Christmas on the 27th.
I want to give my brothers, their wives, and the nieces and nephs each a knitted gift.
Plus I want to send a summery thing to my niece who lives down south.
We are not rigid about gifting, it's fine if people don't get their gifts for a month after the celebration, but I really want to have them done by the 27th.

I have gifts done for neices Liz, Maddie, and maybe Bricelyn, and one for Breana, and have almost finished the one for Robbie. I had planned to do something different for Bricelyn and Breana, but that can wait.
I have something I can send to the southern niece, Amanda, but I will wait until next month to send it.
Dad and Mom already got their gifts when I visited earlier this month, so that's ok.

So still to make are 3 for my brothers, and 2 more for my sisters-in-law. the items I plan should only take 1 or 2 days at most, each.
That seems doable, Good, I feel much less rushed!

I had planned to do more knitting for Oscar this year, but decided the best thing I can do for him is bring in more money. So I have been focused on completing patterns for submission, instead.

On that front, I am 7 rounds shy of finishing a sock. When my sock blockers come I can block the two pairs of socks, take some photos, and get the patterns in the mail next week. I need to do another 2 samples of the Elijah hat too. I originally knit a few of them in Knit Picks yarn, but they have been donated to a local homeless shelter. (see Oscar photo above for the one-color version)

I have a quite a few patterns beyond the two sock patterns waiting in the wings, but they can wait until January.

I also have 3 book reviews due before January 1st, and I can only work on them when I am alone, so I need to plan them around Oscar's work schedule.

I want to have a vestigial website set up by the first of the year also.
Part of the payment for the submission accepted by Knit Circus is an advertisement, and I really want to be able to point to Otterwise.com :-} I own the name, I just need to figure out hosting and get the html written before the online magazine is published the beginning of February.
The ads are due the beginning of January, so I need to at least have a 'work in progress' page there before submitting the ad! Oscar said he will help. :-}
Of course this means I need to draw out my logo next month! I have it drawn in my head, but that won't scan very well, at least with current technology LOL.

I do like being just busy enough, and I think I've succeeded in not being TOO busy, even during the holidays.

Oscar has a few days off next week, so we can celebrate Solstice.
I plan to take a few days off pattern writing and focus on family knitting and spending time with my favorite male model :-}

Yule Indulgence - Bayberry Candles

Ever since I first read about them as a child, I have been curious about bayberry candles. Even as a youngster, I was curious about herbalism, and wildcrafting; about how our ancestors lived off the land until farms and towns were established. We had an old coal furnace with forced air in our home, and it was difficult for me to fathom how a berry could have anything burnable about it.
This year, decades and decades later (ok, about 40 years later) I found a source for 100% bayberry candles and was able to indulge my curiosity.
I adore them.
The package was wrapped in tissue paper and the spicy sweet scent drifted to my nose before I ever saw them. They feel smooth and firm, subtly textured by the hand-dipping process.
Their soft green shade reminds me of mistletoe leaves. As they burn, the scent becomes less apparent, and the light shining through the shelled wax on top changes from a winter hue to the first promise of golden-green spring.

As with most things grown wild, there is a certain amount of folklore attached to bayberries. The one I like best today is the poem 'Bayberry candle, burned to the socket brings health to the home and wealth to the pocket.'
Here's a link to more info, from Mrs. Greig's Herbal at Botanical.com.

Oh, and I found the candles at Lehmans.com

If I waz a Kitteh

Hints

Here are a few (not stellar) photos of hints for a few soon-to-come patterns. Pre-blocking. (Waiting for blocking tools to arrive in the mail)

The Equalizer - a Hat

The hat pattern is now Available HERE as a download for $1.99 :-}

"The simple stranded design of this ear-skimming urban watchcap reminds me of the display on an audio equalizer.
The alpaca silk blend yarn provides plenty of warmth without sacrificing fashion.
Sizes available: Small, Medium, Large and XL (shown)"

Productivity

It is amazing what an inspiring class can do.
I did a little basic math last night.
Since taking the classes given by Mary Beth Temple in October, I have created and published (or submitted and had accepted) 8 patterns.
Previous to that, I was averaging about 1 per month, and all self-published.

Add to that I have a pattern that will be published in Knit Circus in February, and 3 more patterns inches from being finished that I expect to have available by the first week of January.

And I have 7 patterns already at least partially written with swatches made waiting in line, and countless notes for further pattern ideas that I've jotted down.

I don't really expect to keep up this pace forever, but I will ride it while it lasts.

Thanks Liz, that was a heck of a birthday present!!

Old One

I've passed this tree hundreds of times, but never found the right moment to get close. It stands at the far end of a school playground, right near the frontage road we take most of the time to get home.
During the photo shoot with Oscar the other day, I grabbed the opportunity to take a few shots.
Doesn't this tree have gravitas?

A little Seasonal Music

I love this! Thanks to Kym for sharing it today :-}

Sunny Day

Oscar and I went out in the 20-degree (F) weather to do a photo shoot for my newest hat pattern.
That man loves me!
While we were out, he took a photo of me in my riding gear.
The hat I'm wearing is a Textured Bands Hat felted to fit me, and the shawl is a pattern-in-process done with Noro.

New Sock Pattern, but blechy day.

Another colitis attack today, no rhyme or reason, just an appointment mid-January with a gastroenterologist to see what they can see. Anyone else notice the irony of having the word 'enter' in the specialty's name?
I am mostly recovered through the power of modern medicinals and a dose of IBS magic tea, and spending a quiet and pleasant day winding yarn into balls and knitting 35 rounds of simple stockinette on the mate to the sock pictured above.
Thinking about naming this pattern 'Catseye'. What do you think?

in answer to 'Zann's query, I used Knit Picks 'Stroll' sock yarn in Lullaby, Granny Smith and Midnight Heather.

Adventures in Knitting part 2

I finished the hat (again), it is pre-block soaking. (I like how the sun and water morph the pattern and colors). Only possible complication I foresee now is if it is a large, instead of an XL. If it is only large, Oscar may not be able to model it for me. He's got a big brain case, that man.
We'll see. It is intended to be an urban, skim-the-ear length anyway, so it might still work.

Next is to work a little more on Christmas knitting.
Or maybe work on the idea I had for the Imbolc Anti-craft issue.

Adventures in Knitting

Monday I spent all the day knitting away at a hat pattern. I created the pattern earlier this year, designing as I knit a hat for my brother Kenny out of different yarn. I created the chart and wrote the directions this past weekend. All that was left to do was knit a new hat.
So I knit all the day long, from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. with a short break for lunch. I blocked the hat and my hope was to photograph Oscar wearing it and polish the pattern on Tuesday. Then I could submit it via mail and email today. (I was able to mail off two different patterns today anyway!)
But the hat, it was too big, and too sloppy, and I found an ugly mistake, and I ended up frogging the whole thing on Tuesday.
I skeined the yarn, soaked it, then hung it to remove all the kinks, and I am knitting it again today with smaller needles.
It was slightly frustrating Tuesday morning, but honestly, this yarn feels so incredibly luscious on my fingers that knitting it again is not really an onerous task. The yarn is Andean Silk by Knit Picks; a blend of 55% superfine alpaca, 23% silk and 22%merino wool. Yummiluscious.

Adaptive Device For Writing and Crochet

Mitrian, a member of my Disabled Crafters group on Ravelry (Rovers) posted about a device she created to help her use a pen and a crochet hook despite limited hand function.
Her blog entries HERE describe in great detail with wonderful photos how to make one yourself from parts you can find at Home Depot.

She has given permission for anyone to share the information and spread the word. Her post is below:

A while back, in 2006, I made my own adaptive writing device. A friend suggested I try putting a crochet hook in it instead of a marker, nearly 2 years ago, and I’ve been crocheting with it since then. I figure people in this comm might be interested in it, or know someone who would be…

Design, instructions, and pictures of the assembly are at http://markeronastick.blogspot.com

(Note: I am not selling any of my Device. I am releasing the design and instructions to make it free, under a noncommercial license, to anyone who might need one. Please share the above link with anyone you know who might benefit from an adaptive device of this sort.)

A little Song, a Little Dance, a little Seltzer in your cola

Here are some slightly offbeat holiday entertainments:

A little Song: A baptist church does a take off on the Hallelujah Chorus:



A Little Dance: A Macarena Christmas:


A little Seltzer in your cola:


The original quote ("A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down his pants") is from one of my favorite Mary Tyler Moore episodes "Chuckles Bites the Dust"
Segment found HERE

Green Veil

Had another colitis attack, destroyed plans to see 'Manda and Seany.
We'll try again Wednesday night.
In the meantime, here's a photo

Cat in the Sun

We all enjoy the sunshine when it shows up in Autumn and Winter.

Especially Buddha.

Another Favorite

Watching this clip ALWAYS cheers me up. So to go with this sunny morning; "Make 'em Laugh" performed by Donald O'Conner in 'Singing in the Rain' It's not that he gets knocked down, but that he always gets up.:




And as a bonus. 'Moses Supposes':

Lost In Space

I have been enjoying the old tv series Lost In Space lately. I totally forgot how great the colors were! Look at this small (2-minute) but intensely colorful clip from an episode I saw the other day:




Morbus is played by Gerald Mohr
(full episodes available at Hulu.com, here:
LOST IN SPACE )

Visiting

We're going to spend most of the day visiting my parents. They live about 90 minutes away, but what with illnesses and that amount of travel needing a week's recovery time (on my part), we haven't seen them for several months. Mom says she's making standing rib roast with potatoes, carrots etc.
In the mean time, more random color.

Winter Bud Cowl LIVE!!!

My newest published pattern, Winter Bud Cowl is live and available for download ($1.99!!) at Knit picks! I will be adding it to Ravelry, and to Patternfish (for $2, their lower limit) and eventually to a separate web page of my patterns specifically designed for the Knit Picks line of yarn.
I am very excited about this new venue for my patterns. Knit Picks has been a dream to work with, and I have 4 or 5 more patterns almost ready for submission to them.
Here are the Deets:
This one-skein project on large needles shows off your knitting chops without busting your budget or straining your gift-knitting schedule. Purled buds are surrounded and shaped by lines of stockinette in this intermediate to advanced pattern. The garter stitch edging adds structure without detracting from the main show. The soft City Tweed HW alpaca blend is lovely next to the skin and flatters any outfit from business to casual. Looking good and keeping warm – you can have it all. Measures 24” around, 10” high, knit in the round, no seaming needed.