This upcoming weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving and we celebrate it in our home with family and friends and of course, Turkey and all the trimmings. I am getting a bit of a head start today by making the Cranberry Sauce.
I make a big batch because I always need to send some home with a couple of the guests. The recipe is very easy to half if you only need a small batch. This one makes about 8 cups of sauce.
8 cups of cranberries – the local Yellowpoint Cranberries are fabulous
zest of 2 oranges
1 and 1/2 cups of water
juice of 2 oranges
2 cups of sugar
Throw it all into a large pot and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 – 12 minutes. I like lumpy sauce – lots of cranberry chunks so if you like it a little smoother, cook a little longer.
Once the pot is off the stove, add 3 tablespoons of Grand Marnier or Triple Sec. Stir into the sauce and then pour into bottles. You can seal them if you like. I usually just pop them into the back of the fridge once they are cooled.
The house smells so good as the sauce cooks.
Such a lovely colour.
One of the things I love about this recipe is the colour of the berries mixed with the colour of the peel as it is cooking! It reminds me of one of my favourite Handmaiden colourways – Sangria. The header above is a photo of yarn from Handmaiden dyed with Sangria. Even when I cook I am thinking about yarn! LOL!
The link above will take you to Walk B.C. review of the estuary, which includes a map. Their information is a little outdated, as a great deal of work has been done to restore the area back to the natural state of the estuary. There are new, informative signs and a couple of lookout areas. The blackberry bushes and man made berms are gone.
This how we started our morning. From the glorious sunrise outside our door to the perfect last bit of blooming Queen Anne’s Lace. I hope that you enjoy the walk…
This is going to be the year of flowers. Floral motifs in my knitting – you bet! Flowers on my walls – always – courtesy of my mum! Flowers in the garden – we will see how green my thumb gets!
And flowers on my shelves!
Pansies and Florals – Oh My!
I am a collector – yarn (of course) – vintage knitting books – knitting books – yarn (did I mention yarn) and antiques.
The antiques are mostly the small stuff. Silver things, porcelain posies, china and other small things.
Many know about my small obsessions and every now and then I am asked if I would like some more items for my collection. Mostly my flower collection. It was their mothers or their grandmothers and really they have no use for, need of, or interest in them. And I get it, we all have our hobbies. And I on the other hand love all the things that mothers and grandmothers loved in their day. Especially the floral posies, in all my years of collecting I have not a single double, or repeat of a flower not even ones that are close.
Each pot is different, each flower is different. Certainly they are all the common flowers, roses, peonies, pansies, anemones, tulips or trilliums. But each one is hand made, hand coloured, and just like nature, each flower is totally unique from every other flower. Some flowers come with birds on stems, perching on a nest, or about to take flight. Some flowers come in silver vases – those are perhaps my favourites!
I think that the fact that human hands formed each flower, placed each flower in the pot and a human mind chose the colours of glaze to finish each bloom, is what fascinates me about these china posies. Some of the older posies are true works of art, holding a moment in time as the breeze moves the flowers about.
Posies are delicate, easily chipped along the edges of petal and leaf. Petals and leaves also break in half and are often poorly glued back together, again human hands trying to preserve something that they loved and valued. I find the love of flowers such a human thing, something that many of us share in so many ways.
The posies I collect also go well with the many petit point bouquets that I have on my walls and shelves. All lovingly created by my Mother. She spent hours working on each piece. Somehow many of her floral pieces came my way.
My Mothers work – she even refinished the frame to complement the work.
I will most likely have to divest myself of some of the “things” I collect. We all usually have to “downsize” at some point in our lives. Until that time arrives, I will enjoy them, celebrate them and share that love!
So do you collect? Have you got a stash of something special that means a lot to you? I would love to hear about it.
Yesterday was my fathers Celebration of Life. A few weeks before that my father passed. Life had suddenly changed, and I have been struggling with what to do with my hands, how to focus on the mundane when a big part of my life was suddenly gone. My Knitting mojo too was gone.
A week or so ago I started this blog post. I think it still works.
If you are a knitter (read your favourite craft here) you have most likely made something for someone you love. It is what we do. What can be more personal than a gift made with special someone in mind. Loving thoughts go into every stitch, every small detail and every minute that you spend knitting that gift. Some gifts last longer than others. Some gifts are made better by time.
Three weeks ago I lost my father. He was ninety. He passed away peacefully in his sleep after four weeks in the hospital. He had lived a good life and had few regrets. We will miss him. We do miss him.
He had lived with us for the last 6 years of his life and was very much a part of our daily lives. The last 6 months of his life were pretty much lost to dementia as he struggled to find the words to communicate and the everyday actions to look after himself that a few months before had been there. He was stubborn and believed that he did not need the help we wanted to give him.
I made it to ninety making my own decisions and I will keep on doing so.
He lived a good life and believed in himself the whole of it.
Love you Dad.
We have been cleaning up his space, a suite in the basement, opening drawers, going into the closets and sorting the stuff of dads life that he brought when he moved into the house.
On a hanger in the back of the closet I found a wool sweater that I had knit for him over 35 years ago. It brought both memories and tears. I didn’t know he still had it. I had not seen him wear it in a long time. He found it too warm. He had never worn it while in the suite.. But he kept it. It was dirty, but intact – no moths.
When I knit it for him, so long ago – it was quite the job – I had not knit many sweaters yet, certainly not designed any from scratch in this way.
He was very specific about what he wanted. I think that he was recreating something he had had once. It had to be wool, and not to heavy – no problem – I preferred wool. It had to be red, but just the right shade of red. I went back and forth to the yarn store a few times to find the right “red”! And it had to be wool! It had to be a cardigan, plainly knit – no patterning. (those who know me would know how hard that one detail would be for me) And it had to be wool. Then it had to have pockets and it had to have a V-neck. And it had to be wool. And it had to have silver toned buttons! And it had to be wool. Once I found THE wool, as it had to be wool – not too heavy and just the right shade of red, we struck a bargain.
I would knit him a Red Wool cardigan with silver toned buttons, pockets and V-neck and it would be plain knit. Except for the button bands and pocket tops, they would have a small pattern. Something that said it was hand-knit just for him by me. And so the bargain was made.
So I took measurements and went away to knit him his sweater. About 6 months later I gave him his sweater. He was thrilled and put it on right away! It fit! And took it off right away – it was too hot! This was in June! So it was a success, knit with a great deal of love.
Thirty-five years later I found it in the back of his closet.
I knew he loved it and I knew he wore it – the food on the sweater said so! But I didn’t know he still had it! That was a gift!
From me to him and then from him to me.
So I washed it – soaked it in Eucalan for a number of hours and then rolled it in a towel and reblocked it. So it is now my sweater, a true grandfather sweater!
I needed to start knitting again. My hands were restless. I had a couple of sweaters on the go for myself, but they weren’t holding me. So I did one of my favourite things. I picked some yarn and found a new stitch to play with and knit a hat, instant gratification and maybe a new pattern. I am going to knit another version and see if it works again.
The yarn is Mecha by Malabrigo. It is a gorgeous hand dyed Chunky Merino. I chose the Piedras colourway for the background and the Rosalinda colourway for the “feathers”. I think that I will call the pattern Feathers if it works.
Last week we had one of the most colourful sunrises ever! My husband dragged me out and we raced down to Departure Bay Beach to capture the colours and light before the show ended! I hope that it is a promise of things to come!
2023 is already shaping up to be an interesting year.
I have signed up for the Sweet Paprika / SmallBird WorkshopYarn Box Club. This is a continuation of my own exploration into breed specific yarns as each box contains yarn, natural and dyed, from a specific sheep breed. Information about the yarn, breed, source, best uses etc. plus there will be zoom meetings about each box. I decided to join just as they ran out of the first run of boxes – of course! But this week they added some more subscriptions so I am in – I am very stoked about this.
Every two months there will be a new box with the first one arriving mid-February! Six new yarns, and new ideas always come with new yarns. Today is the last day to sign up for the full shot!
As well, Tom and I are going on a very small cruise – as in small boat, local waters exploration! The trip is around the end of May and we going to see and do things that we have never tried before.
MotherShip Adventures specialize in Kayak Cruises (I am not a kayaker – a little too up close and personal), but they also do a couple of smaller cruises for history / photography buffs. We are going on one of these. The history and geography of Discovery Islands, Bute Inlet and Desolation Sound will be the focus of our tour. Hiking, zodiak trips and small island adventures await us. Hopefully lots of whale viewing and other wild life encounters! This will be a unique opportunity for us to discover more about our environment and enjoy a very up close and personal journey into the maritime history of B.C.
The boat is the Columbia III and was originally a hospital ship that serviced the small communities that dotted the rugged coast of B.C. It was totally renovated and restored to become the tour boat that it is today!
Of course there is always knitting and designing. That will never stop. More patterns, more yarns, ie – the yarn boxes offer intriguing opportunities. I am developing some designs for Gathering Yarns. This is an exciting new opportunity for me, new yarns, working with a Canadian Co. I am the first designer that they have worked with and I hope that we both have a great experience.
Below are th new patterns that I will be releasing over the next few weeks! Multiple hats, a new Salish Sea Sweater Pattern – this one the Great Bear! and a new shawl, complete with a lovely wide beaded edging!
We will also be starting classes up again at Mad About Ewe! I do love teaching people to see the amazing possibilities that can be created by yarn and needles. So, as always, knitting will be the focus and creative outlet of the year ahead!
I hope that your Year ahead is happy and healthy and full of the things that make you happy!
… a lot like Christmas around here. There are only a few decorations up as yet, but other things are falling into place. And of course the knitting for Christmas is very important.
Some presents are knit! And others are in the works. And the shopping is almost over too! As usual, my gifts for my husband have not been organized, except, don’t tell him – the fingerless mittens I am knitting for him – I have almost finished the first mitten! But I haven’t got much of anything else found for him yet!
Tom takes care of most of the other Christmas things as he is retired, and he is an organized type of person – unlike me! So, he is always on top of gifts and cards and all of those kinds of things! And he does most of the decorating of the house – he does a really good job of it too! We do decorate the tree together though!
I have started the Christmas baking – two batches of shortbread were baked last weekend and the Christmas cookies yesterday! And I have leftover homemade mincemeat from last year for some tarts.
My Grandmothers’ Traditional ShortbreadCanada Cornstarch Shortbread with the addition of walnuts.
Every year I make Knitted Christmas Balls – usually the Arne and Carlos balls – they have so many options now for the patterns and I will create my own pattern on the balls as well – they provide a blank pattern grid that is perfect for putting your own images and patterning on!
A couple of Christmas Balls from last year – the beaded one is mine and the other is a Carlos and Arne pattern.
This year I am adding a new style of knitted pattern to my repertoire, and I am quite excited by it.
They are Christmas Baubles by @apassionforlace MoniqueB. Two are complete, Lace Bauble in blue Malabrigo Lace and Ocean in ivory Handmaiden Lace Silk. Boom is under construction. Each bauble is a different Shetland Lace pattern. They are so much fun, small, intricate and very satisfying. I had to go out and find some glass balls of the right size. The coloured ones I found locally but the clear ones I had to order on line. They are from BestPysansky, out of Chicago.
How are your Christmas Preparations coming? Are you organized and ready? Or like me, is someone else doing the organizing for you? However you roll I hope that you are having fun and that your Christmas is starting to come together.
Never quite sure how to acknowledge this Season. For me it means Merry Christmas, not because of any religious meaning, but because it was a merry time of the year for our family. One that included presents, good food, and many friends and family and laughter, there was always laughter. It was my Mother’s favourite time of year and the whole house reflected her joy in the Season. Because of this – it is also my favourite time of the year!
So Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukka, Blessings this Solstice or however you and yours celebrate this Season of Light – I wish you all much joy and love.
Every December for the last 7 or so years I have published a pattern on Ravelry that I make free for the month of December though January 1. It is my way of thanking you and wishing you all a Wonderful Holiday Season.
This year’s pattern is the Mendenhall Shawl. This Shawl took a couple of years to come to fruition. It was going to be a joint project between Selena Miskin of Wayfaring Yarns and myself. Selena’s yarns and my patterns. We were the Sweater Sisters.
Beautiful Mendenhall Glacier – those colours!
Selena used to dye the most beautiful yarns, but due to health problems she hasn’t been able to dye any beautiful things for a couple of years. I kept hoping that would change – but life doesn’t always work that way. So, I am releasing the as a gift from us both.
Included in the Mendenhall Shawl pattern is the code to purchase the co-ordinating Mendenhall Hat pattern. If you have purchased the 7 Hats More ebook you will not need to the code as the hat pattern is already in your ebook – the shawl will automatically be added to your ebook in your Ravelry library. This will be the last pattern of the book.
Good Health, Happy Holidays and a very Merry Season to us all!
My grandson’s favourite knitted items are mittens and hats. He has a large collection of hats as his head doesn’t grow anywhere near as fast as the rest of him! He has a large head size for a seven year old – bigger than his mothers!
So, I have started to knit him mittens, a new pair or two every year. They are fun projects and can be quick as well! I seem to have problem with mittens though – I always start out smaller than they should. This year, just like last year, I have made the first mitten too small. I should have checked my own pattern for the average lengths of the spacing!
These pattern in these mittens is from my Reindeer Vest pattern. I made him the vest and his bear a matching vest a few years ago. I have always like the colourful diamond motif! If I have enough time – I might make him some dragon mittens! You see I have this idea….
The First mitten is of course too small – so on to the next one! Yarn is Patagonia Organic Merino.
Do you have a button box? Or better yet your Mother’s or Grandmother’s button box? Do you use them? Or simply admire them? I do both.
My Mother’s box was lost to time and just one too many moves. It was a huge glass jar that I loved to look through. She didn’t do much sewing, but she would knit occasionally. Like me I think that she just loved buttons.
But my boxes are pretty full. Collected over my time of sewing, knitting and well, collecting buttons! I love buttons! They are a fabulous item that can just add that perfect touch to your finished garment or they can be applied as embellishments. Adding buttons to button bands, or as design details is the one aspect of finishing my knitted pieces that I actually enjoy! I have also used shell buttons as embellishments in many of my knits – I love their sheen and the way they pick up the colours of the yarn.
My button collection!
This morning I was busy finishing off a childs vest – Reindeer Vest – that I had Jana knit up in Patagonia Organic Merino as a store sample. I also got her to knit the doll vest – Mini Reindeer Vest – as well. The original set was my Grandson’s Christmas Gift a couple of years ago. The Mini Reindeer Vest is a free pattern and will fit most medium dolls or bears! The Reindeer Vest is 50% off right now until Nov 30. Use the code Reindeer.
It was a good thing I found a few button options for the vest as I was scrambling through my button box looking for some buttons! I started to sew on my original choice of button – I thought they were a nice bright red – I realized that the red buttons were really pink – bad early morning lighting! So, I went with another option!
Not a bad thing to have a button box at hand as buttons seem to be a little scarce right now!
It has been a good week, beautiful sunrises and sunsets at Departure Bay Beach. Roses still in bloom on the Promenade and always knitting.
Happy New Year! It is so hard to believe that it is February already!
Life has been busy, chaotic, and generally a little off kilter of late. So what is new you might ask? That is sort of how life has been generally for most of us right now. That is the feedback I get from many!
So I have been creating, working on patterns and waiting for the last bits of the kitchen to be finished. One cupboard is holding us up!
The kitchen redo is done – except for the one cupboard and the tiling. Tiling won’t be done until the cupboard is in. The missing cupboard is my fault – I decided I needed it after the other other cupboards went in. So the one cupboard went into the queue and we wait. I will share before and after pictures when the kitchen is complete.
I finally finished writing the pattern for Lizzies’ Hap or the Roamin’ Hap. It is now up on Ravelry. And I hope that you love it!
This shawl was a long time coming.
Lizzies’ Hap was an idea that I had been toying with ever since I knit the Roamin’ Hat for Kate Davies in 2018. It came into being in 2019/2020 as a result of Kate Davies’ design competition on “Place” and what it means to you. And then Covid hit and it languished as I struggled with the changes that Covid imposed and the emotions brought about by the concept of place and what it meant to me.
Place for me meant family. My Grandmother Elizabeth, Lizzie to her friends, was part of my place.
When I first started knitting, I would ask Granny what she would like me to knit for her. She asked me for a shawl, a shawl like the ones from home, Scotland. She loosely described it as a big square with a striped edge that was knitted. At this point I had no idea of where to begin. Instead, I knit her a sweater with thistles in pink and grey, her favorite flower and in her favourite colours.
I wasn’t a skilled enough knitter at that time and didn’t know quite what she meant. She passed away before I had learned. Since then, I have learned both about the type of shawl she had wanted and how to make one.
This is my second shawl for her, the first one was a very basic hap that I knit in 2010. Only the center square with the simple lace pattern was kept from that hap. This shawl has a “thistles and heather” fair-isle insert, a striped border and a fancy edging – just for her – because she was just that important.
This shawl features a totally reversible fair-isle insert that acts as almost a collar detail when wearing the shawl.
In most ways this is simply a traditional hap shawl, in the stitches chosen and the construction techniques used. How this is not a traditional hap shawl is in the insertion of an additional border between the center square and the lace border. This fair-isle border is what sets this shawl apart from a more traditional shawl. The fair-isle border basically gets knit twice to keep the backside neat and the shawl reversible.
Lizzies’ Hap is the second pattern in the ebook Shetland Fusion. The third pattern, Shetland Fascinator should be out by the end of the month. Lots of knitting has been finished and coming together in the last couple of months.
Shetland Fascinator, knit with Juniper Moon Farms Findley Lace
And I am working on new things – like this cool stitch pattern that I found in a Japanese Stitch library! I am knitting a cowl first – an easy way to learn and practice a new stitch and then I will make a hat to co-ordinate with it! It is a variation on the bee or butterfly pattern, which I have used in a couple of other pieces – I really love the look. But I have never seen it quite like this, as part of an all over pattern.
Below is a video how-to bridge the gap that is created while knitting. The rows before are a set-up for this row.
Of bees and butterflies 🦋
And I just had to buy this new set of interchangeable needles from Lykke – the Cypra copper needles. They are beautiful! I love copper things. I have several of my grandmother’s pieces. And when these needles became available I, ahem, felt the need to own them. I was not disappointed.
Copper and VerdigrisSwans island organic merino in the verdigris colourwayCovid be Damned – beaded randomly placed butterfliesShimmering Spring – butterflies in a columnBees and Butterflies!
So life keeps on giving gifts, always new ideas and new opportunities, I am so lucky to be able to work with what I love and be able to create with my hands!
I hope that you have a wonderful day! Be well and knit happy!
