… #4, Tina of Peacefully Knitting! Congratulations and I know you’re going to really enjoy Flukra. I can’t wait to see what yarn you pick for your shawl!
If you’d love to knit the pattern and wish for some comradery, there is a Flukra KAL going on in The Shetland Trader group on Ravlery. Grab your favorite laceweight yarn and head on over!
Have a wonderful day and happy lace knitting everyone!
I would like to share an extra special project with you all today … my Gold Leaf Socks.
Back in 2009, my son gave me a marigold plant for my garden. The tiny little seedling grew into the biggest marigold plant that I have ever seen and I thought what better way to make my present last than to dye some yarn with it! Unfortunately, I don’t have the link with the exact directions that I used but I do have the pictures that I took of the process.
My pretty yarn sat in my stash for ages because I just couldn’t find that project that was exactly right for my extra special yarn. You know what I’m talking about … every knitter has that one or two special balls of yarn in their stash. And then this spring, I came across Julie Clare’s Gold Leaf Socks pattern on Ravelry and I KNEW that was the pattern I had been saving my yarn for!
The lace pattern is easy to memorize and very beautiful and the socks knit up very quickly. I did mod the heel and the toe of the pattern because I got stuck at the Dr’s office without the pattern but I can’t wait to make another pair with no mods.
I love my new socks and can’t wait to wear them!
Do you have a skein or two of yarn in your stash that is waiting for that extra special project? I love to hear about it!
Tortillas are one of my favorite foods. They are so versatile and delicious. They can be veggie wraps, sandwhiches, quesadillas, crab rolls (my specialty!), sliced into wedges and dipped in hummus, toasted and eaten like chips … tons of possibility. The down side is that the ones in the grocery store are either quite expensive or contain a lot of nasty ingredients like hydrogenated oils, corn syrup solids, and preservatives.
I make my own for just a fraction of the price and with much healthier ingredients.
Through lots of trial and error, looking at online recipes and tweaking them, I’ve come up with a great recipe using a mix of whole wheat and unbleached flour that works well for us. I haven’t been satisfied with the 100% whole wheat attempts yet (I’m still trying!) but I will be sure to post it if I finally master it.
So here is the recipe for my usual tortillas (pictured above):
The Healthier Tortilla
Yeilds 8, 9″ diameter tortillas
Ingredients:
Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Add 2/3 cup of water and 3 Tbsps of olive oil and begin to mix. If the mixture is too dry add the extra 2 Tbsps of water. Dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky. Gently knead approximately 30 times and set aside to rest for 30 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces and roll out on a well floured surface to 1/8″ thickness and approximately 9″ in diameter with a rolling pin.
Heat a 12″ skillet to medium or medium high (I usually stick right between the middle of these) add 1/2 tsp of olive oil and wipe (very carfully, its hot!) the oil around the inside of the skillet with a paper towel or cloth. Place the tortilla in a the skillet and toast it for approximately 30 seconds per side. The tortilla will blister and get a little bit bubbly. Layer finished tortillas between tea towels or paper towel and keep them warm if you’re using them right away. These can also be wrapped up and kept in the freezer for up to 6 months.
The tortillas pictured above we to making some really delicious quesadillas with fresh tomato salsa. So good!
Do you make your own breads, buns or wraps? Do you tweak recipes for a healthier alternative? I’d love to hear?
Guess what? I have a lovely new Rock Island Shawl to wear today!
I fell in love with this pattern the moment I set eyes on it. I just HAD to knit one! I swatched in a number if different yarns but nothing really seemed to strike my fancy. That is, until I came across Kim Hartmann’s BFL laceweight in the “Tip It Ewe Lush” colorway” (love her names!). The deep, rich, merlot color with subtle variations was exactly what I was looking for.
The pattern also called for size 4mm needles but I tend to be a loose knitter and decided to go with 3.75mm needles instead and I am really happy with the results.
The new spring term on the HPKCHC started May 1st so I waited ever so patiently to cast on. I like to sit down in the early mornings before the kids get up or in the evenings, after the kids are in bed, with a big cup of tea and work on my lace projects. The last stitches were knit and grafted together yesterday morning and it was blocked out last evening. I’m really glad that I had a large supply of pins on hand because those 71 lace edging repeats used up a lot of pins! My fuzzy feline friend Bugsy helped out with the whole blocking process as well. He likes to lay down right in the middle of the shawl to hold it is place and batts his paw at any pins that aren’t in exactly-the-right-spot. He’s a real stickler! Unfortunately, he took off before I could snag a picture of him (he’s a bit camera shy).
Of all the pictures I took of the shawl, this last one is my favorite. The color of the shawl is closely mirrored by the hint of rhubarb stalks in the back ground and you can also see the massive piece of driftwood we brought home last fall.
What could be better than lace and a garden!
Photo © Gudrun Johnston. Used with permission
I LOVE knitting lace. The ethereal beauty of an intricate lace shawl, the luxurious laceweight yarns to dream about and plan with, the magic that happens when you block … I find it all so inviting and I know that many of you do as well.
One of my favorite designers is Gudrun Johnston of The Shetland Trader and today I would like to share with you one of her gorgeous designs … Flukra.
According to John J. Graham’s Shetland Dictionary, flukra means “snow falling gently in large flakes” in the Shetland dialect. Don’t you envision a quite winter scene when you look at the lovely lace pattern in the shawl?
Here are her comments on the construction of the shawl:
This shawl begins with a Shetland construction method to create the center triangle. Stitches are then easily picked up from the yarn over loops that are formed down two sides and the border is worked outwards from the triangle. The shawl is finished with an edging that is knitted sideways and attached to the live sts of the border as it is being worked. Lace is worked on both sides of the knitting, however there is no right or wrong side to the knitting. – Gudrun Johnston
Photo © Gudrun Johnston. Used with permission
This shawl is going to be my next lace project and I am so excited about knitting it! Got my yarn ordered and on its way (Malabrigo Lace. Yay!) and now all I have to do is wait patiently until the yarn arrives.
And here is the very BEST news … I will be giving away a copy of this pattern to one lucky blog reader!
To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post and be sure to include your Ravlery ID. The deadline to enter is May 15th by 5:00 PM Atlantic Time. On May 16th, the winner will be selected using random.org and will receive their pattern as a Ravelry Gift Download.
I know you want to knit a Flukra too!
I’m back after a wonderful, relaxing week of staycation and ready to share some pictures of my April handspun goodies.
Pictured above is 4oz of merino in the “Little Fishes” colorway by Spunky Ecelctic. I decided to spin it up as a navajo plyed fingering weight yarn because I MUST have more funky handspun socks. I was thinking of using this yarn for a fusion of Cookie A.’s Lickety Split sock toes plus Widdershins heels which will equal toe-up sock bliss. And before any of you ask, yes, I am one of those people who wear socks and sandals. I just can’t bear to give up my comfy sandals when the weather gets cooler!
The skein of handspun pictured above was a real luxury to spin. It is 4oz of super fine alpaca hand dyed by Kim Hartmann in gorgeous shades of pink. This fiber was spun up as a 2 ply sport weight and I could barely wait for it to finish drying before starting to knit it up into a Lacy Baktus. Project pics and details are to come in a future blog post 
And I really can’t help myself when it comes to anything colored like the rainbow … all the happy colors just scream “Spin me!” So I’ve spun up 4 more oz. of my own “Rainbow Brite” handpainted merino. It is fractally spun as a worsted weight 3 ply and I’m planning to knit matching pairs of East Coast Mittens for Willow and I. I will also be adding i-cord “idiot strings” (sorry for the terrible term but that’s what we all call them here!) to them because I may be all “growed up” but I still have a tendency to lose my mittens.
In April, I also spun up the last 4 oz of “Shades Of Turquoise” in Polwarth by Carolyn of Greenwood Fiberworks that I had in my stash. I had originally intended to knit a Spoked Cardigan but now that I’m looking at all this lovely blue yarn, I’m thinking that I need a simpler pattern that will really showcase just how beautiful this fiber is. I have a few ideas in mind but I’m just waiting for the yarn to speak to me and to tell me what it wants to be.
So April was a great spinning month for me and, as many of you know, at the beginning of 2012, I joined up with the 12 lbs in 2012 group on Ravlery. I thought that I was pretty crazy at the time for striving for 12 lbs of handspun in 2012 but you know what?
Counting April’s handspun, I’ve got 5 of my 12 lbs of fiber spun up!
I can hardly believe that I’m almost half way to reaching my goal!
How about you? Did you set any crazy goals for yourself this year and how are they working out for you? I’d love to hear!
Photo credit: "Vacation Sunset" by goofypikz on Flickr
Staycation … I LOVE that word! I picked it up from an episode of Corner Gas but it describes the past couple of days perfectly.
A staycation is essentially a vacation, but you don’t go anywhere … you just vacation wherever you happen to be at that given moment. And do you know what else? I really, REALLY needed this.
This past fall and winter was really busy. We made a lot of changes, new commitments, started new activities and ventures, and bought a piece of woodland (yay!). I spent a lot of time teaching, designing, and knitting and as much as I love my job, I sometimes need a break. Enter staycation.
So what exactly have I been doing on staycation? Here’s a quick list:
I’m enjoying my staycation so much that I will be taking a break for a few more days. I will be back, rejuvinated, and refreshed on Monday, May 7th and hope to post some pictures of my April handspun and details for a yummy lace giveaway.
I’ll leave you with one of my FAVORITE guitar players. Oh to be able to make a guitar SING like Pavlo!!!!
See you all after staycation!
Photo courtesy of Tina Sanders of http://peacefullyknitting.com
My dear friend and fellow knitter, designer, and spinner, Tina of Peacefully Knitting, is celebrating 4 years of blogging and over 1000 followers with a wonderful giveaway.
Photo courtesy of Tina Sanders of http://peacefullyknitting.com
One lucky winner will receive her gorgeous Painted Cables Scarf Pattern (pictured above) as well as the 3 balls of Noro Silk Garden Lite to complete this beautiful project! To enter, pop over to Tina’s blog and leave a comment on this post, making sure to leave your twitter or ravlery name. The deadline for entry is Friday, April 27th at 4:00 PM MST.
Also be sure to spend some time surfing her other posts. She has a wealth of tips and tricks to share and her fiber and pattern spotlights are a must see! I must warn you though … it will definitely make your ravelry queue longer! he he he
Congrats Tina on 4 wonderful years blogging and here’s to many more! I’m so grateful to have you as a friend and fellow fiber fanatic. :-)
This is my first ever hooping video. Its super short because I ran out of space on the memory card (forgot to empty it before I started recording. Duh!) but it was a great first attempt. There is just something about hooping infront of a camera that unnerves me a wee bit but I suppose it will lessen the more I try taking vidoes.
I’m still fairly new to twin and mini hooping but I’m really enjoying it. I spent this winter practicing in my tiny living room with a smaller pair of hoops (you should see the hoop scuff marks on my ceiling!) and also experimenting with poi. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I’ve been taking my hoops outside and trying to learn some fun new tricks. I’m hoping that, with enough practice, I’ll be able to spin fire someday.
What fun new activities have you picked up? What new skills are you learning? I’d love to hear!
I LOVE spring. It is one of my favorite seasons! And what better way to celebrate than with a stranded colorwork hat with Spring as the inspiration.
Printemps features traditional colorwork in the ring of rabbits and a crown of budding leaves. Sure signs of Spring! And since spring weather is notoriously unpredictable, you’ll have a cozy hat for the cooler days.
The hat is worked on 3mm needles in your favorite fingering weight yarn. The pattern is now available for instant download here on my website, Ravelry, and Etsy.
To celebrate the launch of Printemps, I’m offering 20% off the pattern price both here on my website and on Ravelry with the coupon code “20spring“.
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Since many of you shared with me your favorite ways to ring in spring in the previous post comments, I though that I would share some pics of mine … beachcombing.
I love going to the beach an searching out pretty rocks and shells, drift wood, and seaglass. Plus, its a ton of fun to have a picnic! Food always tasted better al fresco, don’t you agree?
The beach in the pictures is one of our favorites. It is really close and is usually pretty quiet. We had the whole beach to ourselves on Sunday!
Judah and Willow love having the run of the place and there are so many big rocks and crevices to explore.
A day on the beach isn’t complete with out finding a few special shells to take home …
… or without getting wet and sandy.
The spring sunshine feels so good on our faces.
We never feel like leaving and always look forward to the next trip to the beach.
I hope you all have a lovely day and happy Spring!
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