Catching Up

So it was about 18°F outside yesterday and today. In general its been cold and yucky outside and I have limited daylight time to take photos due to my 9-5.  This is my excuse as to why I haven't posted about 5 finished knitting projects  - no chance to take decent pictures. That and two of them were Christmas presents and I didn't want to spoil the surprise on the off-chance their recipents checked the blog. Well, the photos aren't super great and I'm still missing the sweater I finished in early November, but here's a quick roundup of some knitting I've done this winter.

I call this my "Fisherman's Wife Beret." It's a fairly simple lace beret and I wear it all the time. I'm working on writing the pattern on it, which I'l let ya'll know about when I finish it.

These were my first go at toe-up. The pattern is Elfine's Socks and I found it to be very well written and I particularly liked the way the heel was done. I used the magic cast on from knitty for the toe - but I need to find a good cast off as I had to use a mechanical pencil to get the top loose enough! The yarn is Jojoland Melody Superwash - the color is great, but the yarn itself I wouldn't use again.

 

This one was for my mom for Christmas. It's a bunny variation of my own pattern.

And this is the piece de resistance of my Christmas knitting, the "Winterberry Gloves," for my friend Kasey. I designed them from scratch having never knitted a glove before and they turned out really well. I'm making myself a pair with a few tweaks and am writing up the pattern for this one as well, which I hope to get out in February.

Winter in Maine is good for knitting, what can I say?

When Hobbies Collide! - DPN Holder Tutorial

The day before I started my new job, I sat down at the machine and sewed. In preparation for my soon-to-be-condensed crafty scheduled. I designed, cut and sewing this little project in about an hour (research time not included). This is a new land-speed sewing project record for me.

I had picked up a 1/2 yard of this amazing Michael Miller fabric several month ago thinking to make something knitted-related in the future. I wasn't sure what, but with my growing frustration with my growing doubled-pointed needle collection, I knew I had to make a DPN roll. 

I trolled blogs, etsy, and flickr looking for inspiration and then dumped out all my needles on the bed, pulled out a ruler, made a few guesses and came up with this:

I didn't take pictures while I was making it because it was too dark ad I was speedy along, but here's a somewhat tutorial for the roll.

Materials:

• 1/3 yd main fabric  (in this case, the skulls)
• 1/3 yd contrasting fabric  
• 1/3 yd fusible interfacing
• 1/3 yd ribbon
• note: I had a 1/2 yd of each and could make two from that amount.

Cut List (all measurements in inches):

Main Fabric

• 1 - 9.5"x16.5" - body
• 1 - 5.5" x 16.5" - pocket
• 1 - 2.5"x 16.5" - upper flap

Contrasting Fabric 

• 1 - 9.5"x16.5" - body
• 1 - 5.5" x 16.5" - pocket
• 1 - 2.5"x 16.5" - upper flap

Interfacing

• 1 - 9.5"x16.5" - main body

Directions:

All seam allowances are 1/2". Press after each seam.

1.  Iron fusible interfacing to the back of the contrasting body piece.
2. With right sides facing, sew together top of pocket. Turn piece right side out and top-stitch the edge. Do the same with the upper flap pieces.
3. With the right side of contrasting body and the main fabric of the pocket of facing you, baste sides and bottom of pocket unto the contrasting body. 
4.  Stitch divisions into the pocket. Make sure to begin measuring 1/2" away from the fabric edge. The pocket widths from left to right are as follows (there will be 15 pockets total):
   • 5/8"
   • 5/8"
   • 5/8"
   • 5/8"
   • 3/4"
   • 3/4"
   • 7/8"
   • 7/8"
   • 1"
   • 1 1/8"
   • 1 1/4"
   • 1 1/4"
   • 1 1/2"
   • 1 3/4"
5. With the right side of contrasting body and the main fabric of the pocket of facing you, baste sides and top of upper flap unto the contrasting body. 
6. Fold ribbon in half and pin center of ribbon to the left side of the pocket, alining with the top of the pocket (see photos above). Pin the ribbon unto the pocket so you don't accidentally stitch it down.
7. With right sides facings, sew the main body piece and the contrasting body piece together, leaving a gap out to turn right side out. 
8. Turn piece right side out, making the corners nice and sharp and hand stitch the gap closed. Un-pin ribbon and trim length if necessary.
9. Fill with needles and enjoy!

(PS - if you have any issues with this tutorial feel free to email me with questions : ms.cleaver(at)gmail.com)

There is a Pound of Chocolate in These Cookies

Remember when I used to regularly post recipes on this site? Well it's been a while. Not that I haven't been cooking or baking, I've just been doing a lot of old standards or not photographing. I also like to put original or family recipes, but this one was too good to pass up.

After seeing these cookies on smitten kitchen last week I just had to make them and man are they good - if the pound of chocolate alone doesn't convince you perhaps I can. These are deep and rich and complex  - so much so that I, a cookie fiend, can only handle about a cookie and a half at a time. They go brilliantly with a glass of ice cold milk. It is a little hard to find the toffee bars, but it is so worth it. 

Chocolate Toffee Cookies from smitten kitchenAdapted from Bon Appetit

Makes around 30-36 cookies

1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped (if you use good-quality chocolate chips, it saves a little work - as usual my favorite is Ghiradelli) 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1 3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar 4 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath or Skor), coarsely chopped 1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped* Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)*

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in a metal bowl set over simmering water or doubled-boiler until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

Beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla.

Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes. Roll the dough into a log 1.5 inches in diameter and chill it.  When ready to bake the cookies, cut it into 1/2-inch slices. You can store the dough log in the freezer, wrapped in waxed paper and then two layers of plastic wrap for up to a month, just baking the cookies off as you need. Cookies baked straight from the freezer may need an additional minute or two in the oven, depending on their thickness.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. This is a must - otherwise they will stick like crazy!!

Place sliced cookies on the lined sheet spacing tehm two inches apart. Sprinkle with the salt, if you’re using it. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

* I didn't bother with toasting the walnuts or the salt, but it may make the cookies even better, so give it a good if you'd like.

Clad in Shades of Orange and Gold

I just started my new job on Monday (yay!), but because it's full-time, it may wreck some havoc on my sewing schedule. So this may be the last major garment for a little while, or it may not. I have some skirts I want to do, but some more complex projects may be put on hold. 

This was one of those pattern-fabric combinations that I wasn't sure if it would turn out a hideous mess or something awesome. I'm pleased to say that I think it falls into the latter category. This is another Burdastyle pattern (what can I say, they're free!), the Jennifer blouse. There are 17 hand-sewn buttons and about 80 pintucks- seriously. There was a lot of detail work on this one, but that's what makes the shirt so lovely in my opinion. And I did a really good job of lining up the plaid, which is an accomplishment in itself.

On a related note, I had to take some photos of my sewing area for a project, so I thought I'd share this little snippet of my home with you all.

Oh and that stack of fabric on the corner? I'll show you what that turned into a little later this week. 

Driven to Distraction

For the most part, up until recently I was a one-project knitter. But this:

Drove me to distraction.

I love hand-knitted scarves, I do. They're warm and cuddly and made with love. But I hate hate knitting scarves. They are generally mind-numbingly boring and so long, but never as long as you think, so they take forever to knit. Now I've never done one of those lovely lacey numbers, and maybe several months from now, when I've forgotten knitting this scarf, I'll give it a go. 

So why did I knit this scarf? The yarn. The lovely lovely yarn that is named after my old neighborhood in Chicago - Edgewater. As you may or may not know, Lorna's Lace is based in Chicago and many of her colorways are named after and inspired by Chicago neighborhoods: Argyle, Ravenswood, Devon, Lakewood, etc. When I found out she added a Edgewater colorway I leaped with joy and began haunting my LYS on a weekly basis until they got it in stock.

I normally only pick up Lorna's in sock weight because I can never figure out what to do with multi-colored yarn on a large scale that doesn't seem too busy, but this time I went with the worsted weight. I decided I wanted to make Mr. Cleaver a scarf (knowing that he doesn't really wear them) to remember our two years in the Windy City. I picked up the yarn in early August and hoped to finish it before we moved - hah! 

I tried, I really did, but even knitting this thing while watching TV was boring. And I decided to do the whole thing in seed stitch, which gave it a great texture and made me a great big fool. And if you can't tell, it's actually two yarns- Edgewater & Black Purl, alternated every 16 rows: which is my I call this my Sextuple S Scarf: Seed-Stitch Self-Striping Striped Scarf.

So while I was trying to finish this scarf I started and finished a cardigan, a hat to match the unfinished scarf, an identical hat for a friend who liked the hat that matched the unfinished scarf, and a beret I designed. I'll post about the other projects after I get a chance to photograph them, but Mr. Cleaver was gracious enough to model his new gear for me.

The hat is Brooklyn Tweed's Turn a Square. It's super simple  and a quick knit. A great beginning hat pattern for those wanting to try knitting in the round. I really liked the way the multi-colored yarn worked with the grey and since I have a good chunk of the Black Purl yarn left, I think I'd like to do a similarly toned vest and give steeking a try.

Oh, and for a guy who doesn't really like hats or scarves, Mr. Cleaver gave both of these his stamp of approval.

Whew!

One-Year Blogaversary!

Blogaversary - that's a word right? If not, I'm using it anyway.

Yes, today is my one year blogaversary - a year ago I decided to start blogging and 88 posts later, here we are.  I'm amazed at how this has grown: it's grown an audience (30 subscribers, according to google reader!), it's grown in scope, and it's grown into an important part of my life.

So thank you to all the family, friends, and new friends who read this thing. Some of you I know and some of you I don't , but in thanks to you all and in honor of the blogaversary, I'd like to do my first giveaway:

I whipped up this little pincushion yesterday out of some of my favorite fabrics, filled it with eco-friendly stuffing, tied it with ribbon left-over from my wedding, and topped it off with a faux pearl from a vintage necklace.  It looks like a little gift, doesn't it?  And really, who doesn't need more pincushions?

To be eligible to win please leave a comment below with the following info:

• Why you read "Ms. Cleaver Chronicles" and if there's anything you'd like to see more of here.
• A question you'd like to know about me, which I will answer in an upcoming post.

I'll pick winner the old fashion way, out of a hat, and I'll contact the winner by email.

Entries will be accepted until October 31st and I'll post the winner November 1st.

Thanks for reading and good luck!

(ps - I know not everyone who read this blog sews and I'm planning on a non-sewing-related give-away in the near future)

It's a Mod Mod World

I really think I'm at my best when I'm sewing dresses. This dress, which is the Zoe pattern from Burdastyle, is the first piece I've done that I feel looks 100% professional, inside and out.

The pattern itself is pretty simple, with a total of seven pieces. I did have to make a few alterations to make this dress work for me though, something I'm slowly getting better at. 

I added about three inches to the length of the skirt, because I wanted it to be work-appropriate. And really, can you imagine if this was three inches shorter - yeesh! It would be positive indecent on someone of my height. I also, like many people, had to add a pair of darts down the front, because I can't pull off the "sack" look. The material is a fantastic wool or wool blend that I snagged from the remnants section of Vogue Fabrics back in my "stock-up-because-I-don't-know-what-my-fabric-store-selection-will-be-like-in-Portland" phase. It's fairly stretchy and oh so soft. I used the material "wrong" side out because I loved the slightly fuzzy nap of it - it seemed so fall/winter-appropriate that way. I think I may need to knit a black beret just to go with this dress.

And boy is it fall. The colors are peaking right now and its absolutely gorgeous - it's like the trees are on fire (in a good way).

Once again, I have to give a big shot-out to Mr. Cleaver, who helped with the photos (and it starting to get pickier with his shots :p). And here's a bonus outtake, just for fun:

In other news, I have job interview #4 tomorrow, I now own a couch, and you should keep your eyes out this weekend for that surprise.

Fall Sewing Begins

So even though I still don't have a job, I thought it might be time to start sewing some work-appropriate clothes. This little number is the Kasia skirt from Burdastyle. I loved the way this piece came together, even if I still, still managed to iron the interfacing on the incorrect side of the fabric on my first try! 

The jacket, which I swear seems a lot more like the same color as the skirt in real life, is part of the vintage jacket-dress combo I picked up a few weeks back.

The skirt is made of a mid-weight linen and the pockets are lined with royal blue cotton, for a bit of fun.  Unfortunately these photos don't really show all the details: there's some rouching at the pockets and a sailor-pants-style button flap at the front. I need to rework the waist a bit for a better fit, but this is really a project I'm very proud of, inside and out. 

As for the photos, I have to give extra credit to Mr.Cleaver for acting as my stand in as I set up the shots and hitting the shutter for me - We had a lot of fun taking these shots, which are outside the chapel at Evergreen Cemetery. And believe it or not, it was raining when we took these!

Fair Weather: Part I

I have to admit that growing up I hated fair season.  

To me it meant nothing more than dancing on hot concrete stages that were every form of uncomfortable and I never got to do any of the fun stuff, like rides or games - except for once. Of course the piece de resistance of bad fair experiences was in high school when I volunteered to do a "Say No to Drugs" Puppet show, only to arrive at the booth to discover that I'd have to spend all afternoon sitting under a table next to the Vote No on 9 people. Not cool.

Nevertheless, when Maine fair season kicked off last week, I was thrilled and have now gone to not one, but two fairs. Since I took hundreds of photos, I'ma gonna break this up into two posts.

First, Marjorie, the woman who essentially taught me to knit, called and asked if I'd like to go with her to the Common Ground Fair. Run by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardens, this is meant one thing to us knitters: fiber, yarn, and the creatures that wrought it.

We had beautiful warm weather and a fantastic time.

There were pie cones:

Lots of fiber:

 

Spinning (which I really really want to learn, weaving too):

Llamas:

Sheep:

Sheep Herding:

And it wasn't all about knitting-related things, we also saw Native american dancers and drummer, chair makers, basket weavers, and boat builders.

But we did both some some lovely golden yarn from Enchanted Knoll Farms. Because really, it's all about the yarn, right?

Walking

When I moved to Maine, I decided that I wanted to walk more and Mr. Cleaver agreed. We both love to stroll together, in Chicago, we'd jaunt up to Andersonville. Here in Portland, we've ended up in a neighborhood tailor-made for the leisurely stroll. Then houses are lovely to walk along and the other evening we saw some little brown bats in action at the far end of street, there's also Baxter Woods which is a 6/10 mile loop through deciduous and evergreen trees, and then there's Evergreen Cemetery.

Now before you start thinking that I've gone all morbid and spend all my time hanging out in cemeteries, I say fear not. It's just that cemeteries are some the best keep green-spaces ina lot of urban environments, if you don't mind weaving between headstones. I always loved the idea that in the early 1900s people used to have picnics in graveyards. I don't know why the shift occured, but there are plenty of people wandering the trails at Evergreen, so I'm not alone.

I also love the history of graveyards. Who were these people, why did this one deserve a monument, while this person hardly a stone at all?  What happened to the wife on the headstone listed below her husband with a birth, but no death date; and how horrible to lose someone at sea.

As an added bonus, Evergreen has a trio of duck ponds, filled with Mallards that will eagarly take your stale bread. We also saw what might have been a cormorant. I'd really loved to get a book on the local flora and fauna so I could identify it all.

And my favorite season is knocking at the door!

In a quick round-up of other news. I had my second interview on Monday, but alas, no job there, though the interview went (I felt) very well.

We found a great dresser for $10 at a garage sale this weekend, so I am no longer living out of a suitcase, which is fnatastic for one's pysche. I've also made what seems like an endless series of trips to Target and Walmart to get all the little things, like a toaster or a vacuum.

The book club is reading Watership Down, and I raced through it. I forgot how wonderfully thrilling that book is. Next up on my reading list is Richard Russo's Empire Falls, then I plan to do a survey of New England Poets - feel free to send along any suggestions.

I'm about a third of the way done with the first sleeve on my Forecast sweater and I picked up some lovely leather buttons for it on sale at JoAnn's yesterday. I'm also about halfway through sewing a Kasia skirt out of thick navy blue linen. I'm feeling very confident about my sewing on this piece, though if anyone has a trick for making sure you iron the interfacing on the right side of the fabric I'd love to hear it! I also managed to pick up a great vintage navy blue linen dress/jacket combo at Material Objects, it's an almost exact match in color to the skirt, so I can mix it up with the jacket. I'll post pictures when I get a chance.

I'm assisting my friend Peter on a reading of the play The History Boys for Mad Horse Theatre, I'm not sure the exact date of the reading yet, but I'm excited to be involved!

Our internet is supposed to get hooked up on the 23rd, which I can't wait for, and will hopefully increase the regularity of my posting. Until then - I'm off to enjoy the fall weather!