‘Tis the season.

They don’t call it the silly season for nothing, folks. Now is about the time of year when all of those grandiose plans I had for knitting and/or baking festive gifts for everyone I’ve ever met (Tell me I’m not the only one.) start to feel kind of misguided, oppressive, stifling even—and then, as I am wont to do, I rebel. I decide that Christmas is for suckers and I’d much rather skip the country for a while to avoid the stress and expectation of the season completely than to knit one more stitch.

But a little balance, I suppose, is in order. I love to make things, you see, and I especially love sharing them with people I care about. These two passions combine at gift-giving time to make me the Best Gift Giver Ever (BGGE). Yes, it’s true, there’s fame and glory attached to the title, but not a small amount of pressure. And some days, like today, I resent and resist the title. I feign ignorance and a British accent (‘Oh, I’m not the Best Gift Giver Ever, no no; merely the Best Gift Giver Sometimes.’), but it’s no use. In my heart of hearts I will always want to give the best gifts ever, just like I will always harbour a desire to cushion my loved ones in any and every knitted object they could ever want.

But, sometimes, yes Sometimes, even the BGGE can be human, and decide that rather than crafting furiously into the night she will instead have fruit for dinner, and make the potato salad that makes her happy, and just generally be mentally far far away from anywhere where it could possibly be almost Christmas.

Quick ‘n’ clean crochet

This quick and handy project is perfect for gift-giving, just the thing to brighten a kitchen or bathroom. The towel toppers above are based on a facewasher measuring 30cm x 31cm/ 11.75” x 12”, but can be easily adapted to suit any width towel.

Free to download now.

Confessions of an addict.

How can you tell when a hobby becomes an obsession?

Is it when thoughts begin to revolve around the newfound love to the exclusion of all others? (Dudes, I can’t stop thinking about pie. Which should I make next: blueberry with lemon-zested crust, or apple cinnamon with a gingerbread-spiced crust? This is the stuff that keeps me up at night.)

Is it when the time between hits becomes shorter and shorter out of necessity, as the cravings increase in strength? (First pie: Friday evening. Second pie: Monday evening. Third pie: Wednesday evening. Fourth pie: Wednesday evening, one hour later.)

Is it when the coveted objects seem to appear everywhere, as the face of an absent beloved? (See below. Am I the only one who thinks this dishcloth looks like berries? Or apples and rhubarb?)

Maybe it’s when all of the above apply. So, it seems I’m hooked.

The way of the pie.

The first time I made cherry pie I was totally winging it, and used maybe a little too much liquid in the filling, which made the crust kind of soggy while the pie was still warm. After chilling in the fridge all night, things had settled down a bit and the base was solid, stable, and infused with cherryness (Yay! Pie for breakfast!).

On my second attempt (pictured here) I wanted to experiment with witholding most of the extra cherry juice and relying on the pre-soaked fruit (from a jar—I know, I’m a heathen. I don’t care! I like things that come in jars!) to provide just a little moisture but not enough for the pie base to disintegrate while warm. The result this time around is more of a cherry shortcake or slice: folds of melty, aromatic pastry with a short sharp shot of fruit in the middle. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but I managed to polish off two generous slices before that coffee up there went cold.

All of this simply means I’m still experimenting and finding my pie-making feet. Any pielovers out there with suggestions?

May your weekend be sweet and wholesome.

Banana cupcake mix and vegan cream cheese icing, both recipes taken from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Everyone should own this book.

The hook and the needles.

Pattern: Knit and crochet top, improvised. Due to the colour and proximity to the holiday season I’m calling it Holly.
Yarn: Lily Sugar ‘n’ Cream worsted-weight cotton, 220g

I rarely have the patience to knit or crochet for myself, but the mental puzzle of constructing the image in my head and combining the two crafts, along with the hefty gauge (4 stitches to the inch for the body) made for a surprisingly quick and compulsive project for the upcoming summer. I’ll tinker with the design and consider writing up instructions if anyone’s interested.
Hope you’ve had a great weekend!

That old fence.

Inject a little bit of spring to your wardrobe with this quick-to-crochet butterfly hairpin.
Coming from the knitting side of the fence, I’ve written this pattern with those new to crochet in mind—which means crystal clear descriptions of the stitches and techniques involved.

I use the word ‘techniques’ loosely here, as I’m kind of self-taught when it comes to crochet. I tend to just wing it even more than usual, as crochet is in one way more forgiving than knitting: the stitches are self-contained. None of this having to worry about keeping everything on the needle, no making sure you work your way around all the stitches or cover the holes made by short rows—you can just pick up stitches wherever you feel like it, weaving in ends as you go. Gotta love that.

So if you’re scared to try crochet, please don’t be. I’ve made the butterfly clip, and the cupcake toy, available as free ravelry downloads, and I will do my best to answer any questions you might have along the way.

Knitting tends to be more forgiving on the human body—it drapes and curves and stretches more readily than crochet, which is awesome for anything sturdy or with inbuilt texture and structure. I’m trying to make peace with the distinction, and use each craft to complement each other rather than compete.

On the knitting front, I’ve released my two assymetrical cabled sock patterns together as a small e-book, so if you’ve purchased one of these already please contact me for a special deal on the set.

Happy Monday!

1. willow granny square II, 2. yellow and grey necklace, 3. Yellow Door, 4. salem common, 5. Dark Friday turned sunny inside! (C365:130) [May 17, 08], 6. yellow octopus fabric, 7. yellow bicycle meditation, 8. Silver Dollar Pancakes, 9. golden geometrics

Hope your day is a sunny one. x

You’ve got red on you.

shaun of the dead

Originally uploaded by cakeyvoice

I’ve never been into Halloween (I know it’s huge in the U.S. but it’s not a tradition I grew up with at all), but found myself re-watching Shaun of the Dead on October 31st, of all days.
I actually couldn’t think of a better way to spend the evening.

Knitting-wise, the Sock Knitters’ Anonymous group on ravelry is holding their monthly Sockdown knitalong, and one of November’s pattern choices is a mystery mosaic sock designed by the very talented Star Athena.
Sign up here if you want to join in the fun!

Spring in the air

I’ve noticed bright orange cropping up in my projects lately, and I’m not sure whether it’s that springtime craving for change, life, and all things bright— but I can’t seem to get Lee’s inspired and vividly photographed ebook Game Knitting out of my head (I am obsessed with this hat!).

I really like the idea of knitting something when you’re not sure where it’s going or what the finished product will look like—something I do quite often! With this in mind, I’m considering offering the pattern for these socks (above, disguised) as a Mystery Knitalong, just for a bit of springtime fun. Would anyone be interested in joining in?