We interrupt this sweater to bring you a podcast!  This episode features the following segments: Ever-expanding Skill Set, The Back Porch,  and Double Happiness.

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Ever-expanding Skill Set

In the event of a snow-pocalypse, which is the only kind I can imagine as we limp our way out of a snowy winter here in the Northeast US, I definitely want to have snowshoes among my provisions.  This weekend, I tried snowshoes for the first time, taking a hike with my friend Kim at Merrill Creek Reservoir.  The usual population of snow geese that over-winters on the reservoir had mostly flown further south; what remained of the flock occupied a small space of open water near the tower.  We could only spy them through binoculars.  What an incredible feeling to crunch around on the icy surface above several feet of snow.  I think I want a pair of snowshoes so that I can go out any time.

The Back Porch

This week I completed a swing knitting project — a scarf project from Brigitte Elliot of Skacel Fiber Studio.  This scarf employs the technique of German short rows to create gradually shifting fields of color amid solid furrows of color.  I used a US size 8 circular needle and Zitron Zeitlos, a twelve-stranded, cable-plied yarn.  The technique grew easier as I continued the knitting.  This pattern has the option for a scarf with leafy motifs at the end or a cowl that’s created by a provisional cast-on and kitchener stitch.  I chose the cowl, and completed two repeats of the fields and furrows. Blocking helps to easy the fabric and intensify the patterning.  The result is wonderfully textured and squishy.

Do you recall Mrs. Tiggly Winkle, the washer woman  from the Beatrix Potter stories?  I had been thinking about her ever since I heard Paula of Knitting Pipeline talk about her experience in the Lake District and her knowledge of Potter as a important force of land conservation in the UK.  I decided to make knitted hedgehogs for a colleague who is expecting twin boys.  This pattern from Purl Bee includes an excellent photo-tutorial for making the cutest, fat little hedgehogs.  I stuffed them with fluffy fiber and included a small bag of poly-beads at the bottom of each belly to keep them from rolling over.  To make their little black noses go “sniffle, sniffle, snuffle,” I pushed a bit of crinkly material into their snouts.

It has been nice to work on a crochet project over the past few weeks.  This pattern, Indian Lentils, was a gift from Andrea Delhey.  You cast on with the appropriate number of stitches to get the length you desire, then work back and forth in very long rows.  It worked up nicely in earthy Noro colors.  Check out Andrea’s Ravelry store for some clever designs.  Since I used yarn thinner than that specified, I made half-double crochet stitches rather than double crochet.

Double Happiness

Oatmeal cookies without baking?  Plus chocolate? Plus coconut?  That is a good day!  I also added some chopped dried cherries.  Thanks to Linda from Delaware who posted the recipe on the Ravelry thread for the Bulk Bins Cook-a-long.  February is all about oats and we have just a few days left.  Post your recipes, photos, and links for a chance to win a pattern.  Use the #bulkbinscal when you post to Twitter or Instagram.

You can be miserable before you have a cookie and you can be miserable after you eat a cookie but you can’t be miserable while you are eating a cookie.    ― Ina Garten

This episode includes the following segments: Yarn Lover at Large, Ever-expanding Skill Set, The Back Porch, and Gratitude Journal.

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Yarn Lover at Large

Sarah (Swenstea) is a fiber lover from way back.  She and her partner, Tyler, have embarked on a creative journey to investigate fiber, farms, and food. Together, they hope to enrich the fiber world with stories, hope and beauty. Join them as they tour the best the world fiber community has to offer from the Falklands to Norway. Fiber Trek takes you out of the rocking chair and on to the trail!  Check out this video introduction to the project and Like the project’s Facebook page.

In Episode 12, Sherry of Spinner’s End Farm talked about rising money to rescue some local alpacas and introduce them to all of the other animals on her farm in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Shares for Spinner’s End Farm’s fiber CSA are available on  Etsy. There’s never a dull moment for Sherry and her family; follow their adventures on the blog.  You’ll want to read about Sherry’s most recent rescue, of a Common Goldeneye duck.

Ever-expanding Skill Set

I’ve been working on a recipe for Oatmeal Cookies — a special recipe to share with Yarns at Yin Hoo listeners.  My idea was to take the cookies beyond the typical (add raisins) and take advantage of the interesting ingredients in the fridge and pantry.  I also wanted to cut some of the fat from traditional oatmeal raisin cookies.  Try baking these for your sweetie!  Combine your favorite ingredients, or embark on a new adventure each time you bake these delicious treats.  Use #bulkbinscal if you post a photo of your cookies to Twitter or Instagram. Or share your photo on Ravelry.

Seven Wonders of the World Cookies

Yield: about 4 dozen cookies

1/3 c. salted butter, softened
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. canned pumpkin, mashed banana, or applesauce

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. quick cooking oats

Additions: Select 7 of the following and combine to equal 2 cups

raisins
dried fruit (figs, prunes, apricots, cranberries, currants, pineapple, candied ginger)
nuts
coconut flakes
grated carrot
diced apple
mini chocolate / carob / white chocolate / toffee chips / chocolate-covered dried fruit

Heat oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 c. flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Combine 2 c. of assorted additions. Make sure all ingredients are diced into small pieces. Toss with 1/2 c. of flour. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and pumpkin; beat well.

Incorporate flour, oats, and additions in 1/2 c. increments. Mix well.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto an un-greased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on baking rack.

The Back Porch

I’ve been anticipating Valentine’s Day for a few weeks as I’ve spun 4 ounces of Merino in the Valentino colorway from Ginny of FatCatKnits.  Oh my goodness, this yarn is the color of candy and chocolate — a real treat.  Yesterday, I completed chain plying.  It’s scrumptious.  I already have an idea for a project, but some other knitting needs to come off the needles first. Ginny’s colors are explosive; plus, you can order most color ways in a wide array of fibers, in four or six ounce quantities.

Gratitude Journal

This Valentine’s Day, I’m grateful for having memorized a sweet little poem by Naomi Shihab Nye.  It’s called “Valentine for Ernest Mann” and it’s one of my all-time favorites. In my opinion, this is Nye’s ars poetica, a poem in which the poet reveals her philosophy about poetry. I first heard Naomi Nye reading at the Geraldine R. Dodge Festival.  The Dodge Foundation supports poets, poetry, and teachers who wish to explore poetry with their students.

“Maybe if we reinvent whatever our lives give us, we find poems.”          – Naomi Shihab Nye

This episode includes the following segments: A Little Bit of Learning, Ever-expanding Skill Set, The Back Porch, and Gratitude Journal.

LISTEN:

A Little Bit of Learning

Some nutrition facts about oats, in the spotlight this month for our Bulk Bins Cook Along: one quarter cup of dry, unprocessed oats contains 150 calories, 13% of the daily recommended allowance for protein, and 16% for fiber.  Oats contain soluble fiber, which can help reduce risk of diabetes; they are high in beta-glucans, a type of starch that stimulates the immune system and reduce risk of some cancers. Oats contain more than 20 unique polyphenols called avenanthramides, which have strong anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-itching properties — that’s why many skin treatments include oatmeal as an ingredient.

Ever-expanding Skill Set

There’s a lively conversation happening in the Bulk Bins CAL thread on Ravelry.  You can also tweet or post photographs on Instagram using #bulkbinscal.  Kristy Lauricella, certified health coach and blogger, has a recipe for Warm Gingery Oatmeal on her blog, Creative Wisdom Wellness.

I’ve been interested in savory recipes for oatmeal, and this week I created my own version of oatmeal-crusted salmon.  I was inspired by this recipe from Epicurious; however, I couldn’t find pinhead (Scottish) oats. So, I approached the problem like I usually do: using whatever is on hand in my pantry.

Oatmeal-crusted Salmon

2 1/3 lb. strips of fresh-caught salmon               1/2 lemon, thinly sliced                                     juice of 1/2 lemon

1/3 c. rolled oats, pulsed in food processor   dill, salt, cayenne pepper to taste

Combine oats and seasonings in small bowl. Spoon lemon juice over salmon filets, then gently press each one into the topping to coat the surface.  Coat a cast-iron pan with olive oil and bring to medium heat.  Place several slices of lemon in the pan, then place the salmon filets on top.  Cover skillet and allow salmon to cook almost through: 5-7 minutes.  Then, remove cover and transfer the skillet to broiler for about 2 minutes, until the oatmeal is cooked through and crunchy in texture.  When serving, be sure to include the caramelized lemons from the bottom of the skillet.

The Back Porch

This week, I completed the Aggregate, a shawl design from JimiKnits.  The result is colorful and reminiscent of a beach blanket, with bright and rich Yellow and Caribbean Blue yarn from Full Moon Farm’s Fabulous Fibers that look fantastic with the mirror effect of the pattern.  This garter stitch shawl is squishy and soft, and is perfect for playing with color.  Using double stitch made the short rows very easy to negotiate.  I highly recommend this pattern for some coordinating or strongly-contrasting yarn in your stash.

Gratitude Journal

This week, I’m feeling grateful for my mother’s influence over my housekeeping abilities. I’ve been keeping cabin fever at bay by organizing and adjusting home decor so that I feel peaceful, comfortable, and creative.  Mom impressed upon her daughters that taking care of our things and keeping our homes tidy is equivalent to taking care of ourselves. That is not to say that my childhood home was always immaculate.  Quite the opposite.  Each member of the family had a different interest or hobby, which meant that there were projects in progress everywhere.  But somehow, the mess never got out of control.

Here are a few of Mom’s aphorisms:

• If it is clean, it stays clean.
• Don’t put it down, put it away.
• Cluttered surface; cluttered mind.

Some questions that may help you determine how to focus your energy:

• What area of your home would really save you time if it were better organized?
• Where do you like to rest and relax? / Where do you like to be messy / create?
• What possessions can be donated / given new homes in order to eliminate clutter?

“A place for everything and everything in its place.”                                       –alternatively attributed to Isabella Beeton and Benjamin Franklin, though its origins are likely the 17th Century

This episode includes the following segments: A Little Bit of Learning, The Back Porch, and Double Happiness.

LISTEN:

A Little Bit of Learning

In February, oats are in the spotlight for our bulk bins cook along.  Little is known about the uses or cultivation of oats prior to the time of Christ.  What we do know is that, because of their bland flavor and susceptibility to spoilage, oats were not highly prized or widely consumed by people.  The Greeks and Romans considered oats to be diseased wheat.  Gradually, oats came to be cultivated in Scotland, Ireland, German and many Scandanavian countries — they prefer a cool, moist climate.  Oats were introduced to North America by Scottish settlers in the early 1600′s, and were first grown off the coast of Massachusetts.  George Washington sowed nearly 600 acres with oats in the late 1700′s.  Cultivation shifted to the midwest, and has declined; much of the acreage once used for oats has been re-assigned to soybeans, which are a more financially lucrative crop.  A resurgence in oat consumption began in the 1980′s, upon publication of studies which have shown oats and oatmeal to be effective in lowering cholesterol and improving heart health.

There are many varieties of oats available, so home cooks can expand their skill set by experimenting with different types:

• steel-cut oats — kernels cut through with a steel blade, resulting in a dense and chewy texture (see photo)
• old-fashioned — steamed and then rolled flat
• quick-cooking — steamed and cut finely before rolling
• instant — partially cooked, then rolled thin and dried, often combined with sweeteners, powdered milk, and flavors
• oat bran — the outer layer of the grain, found just under the hull (most kinds of oats will contain oat bran, but you can also buy it in concentrated form)
• oat flour
• oat groats — unflattened oat kernels

The Back Porch

This week I completed the Fellowes Cloche by Amy Herzog.  I felt challenged by the w&t (wrap and turn) directions in the pattern, and wish that I had been familiar with the ease and versatility of the dbl-st (double stitch) and the technique of using German short rows when I was working on the brim.  However, I’m very pleased with the densely-textured look of linen stitch knitted in a single-ply yarn of alpaca, wool and silk.  The hat’s band is tacked on and hides some of the sloppy stitches.  I think this would be a good pattern choice for chunky handspun singles.

Double Happiness

Have you been watching Downton Abbey this season? Can’t get enough, right?  I’m sure many knitters received a copy of  The Unofficial Downton Abbey Knits as a holiday gift.  I’ve also seen and heard several reviews of the patterns in the issue.  This week, I’ve been enjoying the articles.  If you suspect you’re likely to enter DA withdrawal when the season is over, I recommend having this book on hand. The Eighth Countess of Carnarvon, Fiona Herbert, has researched the life of her predecessor, Lady Almina.  This book is an enjoyable read and contains many photographs of Highclere Castle, where DA is filmed.

On page eight of The Unofficial Downton Abbey knits, there’s a portrait of the Duchess of Marlborough, Consuelo Vanderbilt. The article, “For Richer, Not Poorer,” provides a brief overview of the Gilded Age custom, of wealthy American heiresses marrying English lords.  This summer, when I visited Marble House in Newport, RI, I saw many, many portraits and photographs of Consuelo.  Reported to be a great beauty, she often looks perfectly miserable in her frilly dresses and constricting corsets — maybe she had a premonition of her future.  Although she championed women’s suffrage,  Alva Vanderbilt was determined to land a titled husband for her daughter, who was worth about $20 million when she had her debut in 1895.  Unlike Cora and Lord Grantham of DA, Consuelo was miserable with the Duke, and eventually ended their marriage.

Oats, as defined in Samuel Johnson’s dictionary: Eaten by the people of Scotland, but fit only for horses in England.

Scotsman’s retort: That’s why England has such good horses, and Scotland such fine men!

This week’s episode features the following segments: Yarn Lover at Large, Double Happiness, and The Front Porch. 

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Yarn Lover at Large

On Saturday, I took a class with Tricia Weatherston.  The class, held at my LYS, Mountain Knits & Pearls in East Stroudsburg, was devoted to the concept of swing knitting.  The technique was named and developed by Heidi Liegmann, who offers a series of workshops to help knitters learn the methods and make a variety of projects.  Swing knitting is distinguished by numerous segments of German short rows, made using the double stitch, as opposed to the typical “wraps and turns” method. While Liegmann uses musical vocabulary (stanza and melody) to describe the technique, our class at MKP used a pattern by Brigitte Elliot, who employs agricultural terminology (field and furrow) and a much less wordy, more technical set of instructions.  If you’re interested in swing knitting — beware!  You must be able to clear your life of distractions in order to work on these patterns.  They are not difficult, but they do require your full attention.

Double Happiness

There’s nothing like the pleasure of starting a new braid of fiber on my wheel.  This week, I’m fortunate to begin the gift of some fiber from Fat Cat Knits in the Valentino color way. This is PERFECT for the season — bright pops of pink and other candy colors, balanced by a luscious chocolate brown.  The fiber was a gift and my first time spinning Ginny’s wares.  It’s a pleasure to spin.  Did I mention that I love the colors?  I hope to have at least 4 ounces complete by Valentine’s Day.

The Front Porch

In Episode 23, I mentioned that I did make a purchase at Vogue Knitting Live.  I met the beautiful, engaging Laura Watson at her booth, which was bursting with Full Moon Farm‘s Fabulous Fiber.  Since one of my goals for 2014 is to purchase yarn from new-to-me purveyors, and since the farm’s location in nearby Gardiner, NY makes the yarn local, I decided to buy enough yarn for a project I’ve had in my queue for awhile.  The Aggregate shawl by Jimenez Joseph of JimiKnits is the perfect showcase for the vibrant colors of Laura’s yarn.  I’m really enjoying this pattern and the yarn, a 2-ply of Merino-Corriedale cross fiber.

Bulk Bins Cook-along

The spotlight on lentils thread on Ravelry will remain open, but on January 31, I will be choosing a winner from among those who have posted to win a pattern of $7 value or less.   Next month’s spotlight is on oats.  The Ravelry thread for discussion, recipe sharing and photos will open on February 1.

No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.    – Hal Borland