Knitter in the Kitchen

Almost two years ago, I knit my mother a pair of Irish Hiking Arm Warmers. She mentioned to me recently that the yarn was now pilling quite a bit.  That’s not exactly a surprise — I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino and while it’s very soft, it’s not exactly known for holding up well. So I whipped up another pair of fingerless mitts for her.

Yarn: Cascade 220, color 8895
Pattern: I based them on the Tweedy Mittens pattern and essentially knit up to one inch less than the desired length before switching to five rounds of k2p2 ribbing to finish them off.
Needles: US #7 / 32 inches for Magic Loop

Admittedly, these are very plain-looking mitts compared to the Irish Hiking ones, but the plus side is that they have a thumb, right? I am planning to knit my mother a “fancier” pair in the future…either another pair of Irish Hiking Arm Warmers, or maybe Fetching?

I have an unexpected day home from work because of the weather. We are experiencing a severe storm with heavy rains and winds up to 65 mph. For Northern California, these conditions are intense! Drivers were advised to stay off the roads if possible, and after listening to the wind howling all night I was more than willing to comply.

I figured today would be a good time to post about the yarns I have for sale. I went through my stash recently and realized I still have a number of yarns I probably won’t ever use, so it’s time for another stash sale!  I have Noro Cash Iroha, Ella Rae Classic Wool, KnitPicks Andean Silk, and Duet Sock Yarn up for grabs, so please take a look here.

Happy New Year!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your family and friends.  I have been enjoying a lovely time off from work, and there has been much baking going on in the last couple of weeks.  In addition to the Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies, I also made Swedish Visiting Cake, lemon bars, oatmeal raisin cookies, and apple crisp.  The apple crisp recipe is new to me and came from a colleague who adapted it from The California Cookbook (1970) by Jeanne Voltz.  The crisp is simple but delicious, and is now my go-to recipe when I don’t feel like rolling out the dough for apple pie.

6-8 apples to yield approximately 6 cups (I used 6 small golden delicious apples)
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/8 cup flour
10 1/2 tablespoons butter, cold (I diced the butter right before using it)

Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/2 inch slices and place in a buttered 7 x 11 baking dish. Stir cinnamon into water and pour mixture over apples. Work together sugar, flour, and butter with fingertips until crumbly and distribute over apples. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes (I baked it for about 45-50 minutes because I wanted my crust a little more golden). Serve warm or cold with vanilla ice-cream.  Enjoy!