Wrap it Up!

It always seems like there are one or two people on my Christmas gift list who are difficult to find something for. Either they have everything they need already, or they make wonderful things themselves, or they are just picky! In these cases, I find that a consumable gift, particularly one made with my own hands, is always a good idea. And a gift that is thoughtfully wrapped makes the presentation extra beautiful and special. 

With this in mind, I've put together a few fast and easy-looking ideas I've come across via Pinterest lately. First the consumables: 


 Butternut Cookies via Sarah Wilson

Cookies are always a favorite at any gathering and are easy to pack for giving. These are gluten free.

Coconut Cakes via Scandi Home

 

Chocolate Amaretto Truffles via Sweet Paul 

Yum. Just yum.

Chocolate Haystacks via The Primalist  

Only 3 ingredients!

Roasted Smoky Almonds via Bake Your Day

 

Gourmet Mustards via Martha Stewart

 

Flavored Salts via Minimally Invasive. 

I made these last year and they were very popular. They also come with a free, downloadable pdf label. 

 
Cinnamon Honey Butter via Heather Bullard 

Wrapping your consumable gifts can be as simple as a piece of waxed paper tied with a bit of yarn, or as fancy as some of these ideas: 

Print your own gift wrap via Annixen 

I love that this looks a bit like stranded knit stitches.

Make special gift tags via Cambiandostrada

via 3EggsDesign

via  Fellow Fellow

Use yarn leftovers (because I might - cough, cough - have a few of those...) via Elisabeth Heier

via Bo Bedre

via Fellow Fellow

Make special food packaging via Cannelle-Vanille  

via The Fab Guide 

via Making Nice in the Midwest

I'm also intrigued with furoshiki fabric gift wrap, using a pretty kitchen towel, via Cotton & Flax

Wow, I guess I'd better get busy! 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope this post helps you with some ideas for those last-minute, hard-to-gift people on your list. Or, of course, you may see something tasty that just needs to be made as a little something for yourself!

Pattern Sneak Peek & Test Knitting

It's been as hot as blazes around here but that has not kept me from working on my next pattern projects! The swatches in this post are from one of three versions I've knit for development of my next pattern.

I enjoy the entire process of designing including concept sketch, pattern writing, knitting, photography and graphic design, and although I love doing all of these things, I also have a small team of helpers to assist me including test knitters and tech editors.

A draft for this pattern has been sent to the technical editor (who requests to remain anonymous, but you can listen to her podcast A Playful Day). She's the first line of defense in checking for errors in stitch patterns, charts, grammar, etc. and offering her suggestions for clarity and improvement.

After a successful tech edit, I have a wonderful group of test knitters who I work closely with to polish up a pattern. These men and women receive the pattern well before it's public release and offer valuable input and feedback as they knit their projects and afterwards. 

I'm always happy to consider new test knitters, so if you are interested in participating in the pre-release test for my next design just drop me an email or Ravelry PM with your email address and I will contact you. 

Some FAQ about test knitting:

Do I have to be an expert knitter to test knit? 

Not especially, of course you need to know the basics - simple cast on methods, knit, purl, decreases, increases, etc. but anything unusual or tricky will have information links to my blog or special tutorials in the pattern. And in many cases, being a less-experienced knitter can be a plus as a pattern instruction may not be intuitive for you and that helps me see where confusion or trouble spots might pop up for other knitters.

What sort of commitment do you require?

I need reliable testers who can finish, block and photograph their completed projects within a set time frame, which varies depending on the complexity of the project. Test opening emails include the time frame specified for that project. 

When the test knit is concluded, testers must answer a few questions on a short survey.

In addition, testers agree to not post any photos, description or pattern details of any kind, online or elsewhere, until you receive notification of the pattern's release. 

What sort of photos do you require?

Simple, clear photos from several angles in natural light. In order to be considered for a test knit opening, I need to see examples of your previous project photos, these can be from your Ravelry page or blog, or emailed to me. The better your photos, the better your chance of being accepted to participate, but I am happy to offer suggestions for making your projects shine in pictures!

Today brought a small, but welcome, respite from the unusual, record-breaking heat (103 degrees F in the shade yesterday) in my area, and this lovely lavender lemonade recipe from Rachel Ray that I found on Pinterest

looks so refreshing I believe I shall pop out to the backyard and clip a few lavender stems and try it.

Stay cool everyone!

Favorite Thing - Wasabi Kale Chips Recipe

 

My husband and I are tried and true popcorn lovers, eating it almost every evening as we relax with knitting, spinning and watching movies. Yet even though we can (kind of) justify popcorn as a moderately healthy, high fiber snack, there are times when you just want something different.

As odd as it might sound (and believe me, at first I thought 'ugh' before I gave them a tentative try) I'm happy to have found a new Favorite Thing to share here - chips made from baked kale.

Since I need to eat large amounts of salt to replenish what I lose through distance running, these chips satisfy that salt craving. But for those who need to watch their salt intake, this recipe is also very good with non-salt mixtures. For variety, I like to add other herbs and spices including chives, onion, garlic, chipotle, and a favorite of mine, wasabi.

Wasabi is a very hot Japanese horseradish that creates a thick paste when reconstituted with water (you may be familiar with wasabi used as a condiment with sushi). For this recipe I use the dried, powder form. A little bit of this pungent root goes a very long way! photo Thespicehouse.com

Tasty, extremely crunchy, low in fat and calories and with a modest carbohydrate content, these chips are amazingly delicious and addictive in a most healthy way. Isn't that good news for once?

Recipe notes:

• Kale shrinks to a very small size as it bakes, so a large bunch will not be as overwhelming as you might think. 
• I usually wash the fresh kale and let it stand on end to drain for a while before patting any remaining moisture out with a clean towel and preparing the chips.
• I like to use kosher salt flakes or sea salt, but any kind of salt, or non-salt seasoning, will do.
• Wasabi powder is available at some Asian and gourmet food stores or at specialty spice merchants like Penzeys, or The Spice House.
• These chips are nice on their own, or tasty with any dip that is good with potato chips, although they are somewhat more fragile than potato chips, use care when dipping.

WASABI KALE CHIPS RECIPE

Ingredients

• 10-12 oz. kale, cleaned and dried very well
• Nonstick cooking spray or olive oil mist
• 1-2 tsp(s) coarse salt to taste
• 1/4-1 full tsp wasabi powder (optional) to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat large baking sheets with oil or line with parchment paper. In small bowl or spice grinder, blend salt with wasabi powder or other spice.

Remove and discard thick kale stems, tear completely dry leaves into approximately 2" pieces, place in large bowl.  Lightly spray leaves with oil or cooking spray and toss gently with spoon to thoroughly coat kale; repeat if necessary. Sprinkle chips with seasoned salt, toss gently to coat; repeat if necessary.

Bake kale 12 to 15 minutes, turning leaves over at about 6-7 minutes if desired. Bake until crisp but not browned. Cool on cookie sheets. When completely cool, carefully place chips in airtight containers and store up to one week, although they'll probably be gone well before then. 

Enjoy!

Knitting on the 'Net & a Savory Summer Recipe

I read recently that knitting is the single largest interest group represented on the Internet.  Along with Knitty.com, Ravelry.com is, of course, the biggie for knitters, crocheters and fiber enthusiasts of every stripe, but Facebook, Twitter, and thousands of blogs and podcasts help promote this activity.

Ravelry members can search for the newest and hottest patterns (check out the photo above with my Sothia pattern in the top 10 for all of the last month - squeee!!), including photos of thousands of projects knitted from those patterns and knitters' comments about them, and find information about yarn, yarn shops, fiber festivals, knitting, crochet and spinning techniques, and much more.

An excellent story that's been all over the knitting Internet since it ran in the July 6th, 2011 issue of Slate.com, outlines the merits of Ravelry, and compares it to community-based giant Facebook.

An invitation to participate in the beta testing phase of the new Google+ community recently came my way and I have a feeling it too will eventually have success as a community for knitters. 

Thanks very much to Gill and to Hal for sending me links.

I love using Ravelry but haven't gotten nearly as involved on Facebook.  Quite frankly, I simply don't have the extra time to devote to being involved in more online activities more than I already am.  I'd rather be knitting!  However, I can see how people will enjoy and benefit from different aspects of internet knitting tools and groups.

And then there's Twitter.  I don't really have all that much to say, but I did finally break down and sign up for a Twitter account after a friend invited me to take a Twitter seminar with her.

In the past few days I've, surprisingly, enjoyed reading updates from accounts I 'follow', including knitting tips, yarn shop updates, and blog and podcast announcements, like those from favorite podcasters Stash and Burn, The Knitmore Girls, and the Knitting Pipeline (more detail on these and other shows in an upcoming post).

A lot of seemingly random thoughts and, shall I say, 'quirky' and somewhat amusing tweets shouting out about knitting tweeters' recent activities, the bodily functions of their children, and what their hotel room smells like, are also frequently posted.  

I've replied to a few tweets, figuring that most people who tweet to their large interest groups using a worldwide, totally public forum, are happy that someone is reading their posts, and have connected already with several really nice, interesting knitters and knitting-writers. I'm still learning the ropes, and don't know how much time I will really have for it, but again, I can see the benefits for many.

Tweeting by me will probably happen only sporadically, but should prove occasionally useful in sharing small bits of knitting information, announcing new blog posts and pattern info., or keeping my friends and family up on my doings.  I promise to not tweet about bodily functions.

Don't forget about my 'blogiversary' free knitting pattern and yarn giveaway coming up this month!  

Comments on any post through July 21st, 2011 qualify for entry, full rules are outlined in this post.

The garden is growing like crazy now that the warm weather has arrived.  I picked a huge basket of snap peas, any others lingering at this point will be left to harvest for next year's seed.

 

My husband has been working on a rose arbor we designed for the climbing New Dawn rose we planted last year.

I've harvested masses of garlic already, currently drying in the sun awaiting braiding for storage and gift-giving.

The herbs are beyond profuse.  Chives, parsley, cilantro, onions, rosemary and thyme are all so vigorous I've been clipping, mincing and drying the extras almost daily, so I decided to concoct a recipe to make use of as much as possible. 

I hope you enjoy this deliciously simple appetizer made from fresh chèvre goat cheese crusted with dried herbs. I fell in love with this cheese on a trip to France a while ago, and always look for opportunities to use it.  If you do not care for the strong flavor of, or do not have, goat cheese available, substitute any semi-soft cheese of your choice.

Many combinations of your favorite herbs work well for this recipe, so you might like to experiment by adding a little crushed red pepper, chipotle pepper, wasabi or horseradish powder, dried, minced sweet bell peppers, or anything else that strikes your fancy. The mixture may be used right away or stored, tightly covered, for up to three months.  After that, many herbs lose their potency. 

Try serving this cheese as an appetizer with crackers, toast points or celery sticks, or topping Portabello/a mushrooms caps with herbed cheese slices and broiling for a few minutes.  It also makes a delicious omelet filling.

Truknit's Savory Herb Crusted Chèvre

Ingredients:

1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black peppercorns

1/4tsp. coarsely ground green peppercorns

1/4 tsp. coarse salt (I use sea salt), to taste
1/4 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried, minced garlic, or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, to taste 

1/2 tsp. cilantro
1 tsp. shallots

2 tsp. chives

2 tsp. parsley

4-6 oz. roll fresh chèvre goat cheese

Directions:

In a small bowl thoroughly mix dry ingredients.  

Spread herb mixture onto a piece of waxed paper or large plate, roll fresh cheese over the mixture until it is thoroughly coated.  Coat the ends of the roll if desired.  Pat loose herbs onto any bare spots on the cheese.

Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Bon appétit! 

New Knitting Pattern Lingonberry Loop

Ta da!  Here she is at last, the Lingonberry Loop convertible cowl scarf knitting pattern, and just in time to knit before Christmas! 

It was a beautifully snowy, wintry day when we went out for the shoot, perfect for capturing the atmosphere of cozy warmth provided by this piece.

Knit with chunky yarn, the Lingonberry Loop's easy-to-memorize, interesting stitch pattern makes this a fast and fun knit.
 

A berry-like texture stitch is suspended between yarn overs for a cozy, but still airy, lace fabric.  Simple garter stitch borders and button band frame the lace for a clean outline.
 

The single row of retro-style buttons accent the modern silhouette, with the added advantage of allowing the wearer to loop the scarf double around the neck without messing up hair, smudging makeup, etc. - appealing to my practical self.  

Length is adjustable depending on height and style choice of the wearer. 

This project took me and most of my test knitters between 6 and 14 hours of knitting time.  I made this version in about 7- 8 hours.  Easily doable with just a few days of knitting. 

I love the variety of ways this piece can be worn, offering great versatility.
 

This pattern was extensively reviewed by my lovely test knitters and editors - thank you Josefina, Annie, Gill, Gillian, Denise, Michelle, Nanc, Sheri and Lynn.  You came through with flying colors!

And I need to give a great big thank you to my exceptionally talented and very patient husband who takes hundreds of photos, edits copy, uploads PDF files, gives great techie advice as well as tons of hugs and encouragement when I'm discouraged.  You are the best!

The stitch for this pattern was inspired by a favorite preserve made from lingonberries, a cousin of the American cranberry.  I considered the Trinity/ Blackberry/ Bramble stitches, but was not in the mood for all those P3tog's!  So I tinkered around with another stitch pattern to get the Lingonberry stitch as I liked it.

The lingonberry has a deep red color and a delicious, sweet-tart flavor.  Lingonberry preserves make an excellent topping for many dishes including hot or cold meats, rye bread, meatballs, or my favorite, Swedish pancakes!

My Swedish grandmother made the most awesome breads, cinnamon rolls, cookies and pancakes. There are many good variations of the traditional pancake recipe, here is one of my favorites.

Swedish Pancakes Recipe

 Makes 60 3-inch pancakes (although I like to make them very large and fold or roll them).

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup flour
6 TBSP melted butter
1 TBSP sugar or substitute, I use stevia
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
toppings: lingonberry or other preserves, powdered sugar, whipped cream, or ice cream

Directions:
In large bowl, whisk eggs until blended, whisk in 1/2 cup of the milk.  Whisk in flour until completely smooth.  Add remaining milk, butter, sweetener, vanilla and salt, stir until smooth.

Heat a large flat griddle or Swedish pancake pan (available at specialty food shops) over medium heat, spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of batter into circles on griddle.  Cook about 2-3 minutes, until slightly brown around the edges, flip over and cook another 1-2 minutes. 

Serve warm topped with lingonberry preserves or other garnish.

I hope you enjoy the pancakes and lingonberries - all the varieties, both for eating and for knitting!

Knitting on the Road FO: Legwarmers, and a Holiday Recipe

 

Yesterday we drove about 2 hours north to Akron to tour Stan Hywet Hall.  Contrary to popular belief, this mansion was not built by a guy named Stan.

'Stan Hywet' is Old English for stone quarry, and this grand home was built by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company founder F.A. Seiberling, beginning in 1912.

No photos may be taken indoors, but you get an idea from the outside what an interesting place this is to visit.
 

The house, outbuildings, conservatory/ butterfly house and grounds are spectacular and the snowy setting was picturesque. The Christmas decorations are looking a little worn around the edges, but the home itself is worth seeing.

As I pondered a knitting project for the above-mentioned road trip I suddenly had a mad desire to knit something cabley.

I started and finished a little pair of legwarmers during the drive up and back, thinking they'd be a great extra cozy layer on a cold winter day.

Little did I know how handy they would be today as we went out to shoot photos for my upcoming Lingonberry Loop pattern. 

I've had cables on the brain lately as I ponder knitting several cable projects, some for publication next year. I think all this snow may have had something to do with my sudden desire for some cable knitting too!

And what fun the snow has (mostly) been. My little fur girl loves to play in the snow.

Well, she just loves to play, period.  But watching her enjoy snow is such fun.

Pomeranians were bred down from sled dogs, and a love of winter weather obviously runs in her blood.

The rest of today was a good one to stay indoors with a cup of hot tea, knitting and cooking.  My friend Cheryl is a big fan of Oreos, so I whipped up some of the easiest 'truffles' ever, using - don't laugh! - Oreo cookies.

These cookie bonbons are creamy with that distinctive Oreo flavor American readers might remember from childhood.

Food processor-crushed cookies are blended with cream cheese to form a dough for rolling into balls and dipping in melted chocolate.  So simple, so nostalgic, so tasty.  

Oreo Truffles Recipe

Recipe Notes

• Don't be tempted to use store-brand cookies unless you've compared them to Oreos.  The only store-brand cookies I've found that taste remotely as good in this recipe as the real thing is Trader Joe's brand. 
• Be sure to use at least 20 oz. of cookies or your dough will be too soft.
• If garnishing with crushed peppermint, crush the candies very finely to avoid cracking a tooth!

Makes approximately 3 dozen truffles, depending on size.

Ingredients:
20 oz. package Oreo cookies (not "Double Stuff")
For peppermint variation: 20 oz. peppermint-filled Oreos (if you cannot find peppermint cookies, use regular cookies and add 1/2 tsp. pure peppermint extract)
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
16 oz. dark chocolate, chopped, or use chips
Optional garnishes as desired, such as pure cocoa powder, crushed peppermint candies, shaved chocolate, colored sanding sugar or melted white chocolate drizzle.

Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor, crush cookies to fine crumbs.  Add cream cheese and process until completely blended with no white showing.  The dough should be slightly sticky but firm.  If it's very wet, the truffles will be too soft so add pure cocoa powder in tablespoons until it is firm enough to hold shape when rolled into walnut-sized balls in the palm of your hand.

Roll small chunks of dough into balls and place on a pan that will fit in your refrigerator.  Refrigerate at least one hour or until firm.

Spread parchment or waxed paper on counter surface.

Heat chocolate in a completely dry glass bowl in microwave, stirring every 45 seconds, until melted.  Even a small amount of moisture from your hands, a spoon, etc. can ruin your chocolate.  Do not overheat.

Remove truffle balls from refrigerator.  Using two forks or small tongs, dip balls into melted chocolate until completely covered, allow to drip over container for a moment, then place on paper. Every 10 balls or so, sprinkle with garnishes.

When the coating is completely solid, layer the candies with parchment or waxed paper in a storage container.  Store different flavors separately or they will all end up tasting like peppermint.  Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve, best if used within one week. 

Enjoy!