I might be cheating, but...

Okay, so I mentioned this gift scarf...

I wanted to do lace, but Barbara and I were having trouble getting me back on the blog, so I couldn't come to you all and ask for an easy starter lace pattern, and time was of the essence, so I went online looking. The first three or four looked a little scary for a first-timer on a tight schedule...and then I found this one called Cheater's Lace. I grabbed it and cast on. (Had to create my own needles from bamboo dps with a cap on the end because I didn't have the right size on hand.) Yarn is Linie 135 Goby in red, a cotton and viscose mix.

Here's a photo of the beginning. I'm much further along now, but I don't have a photo yet. I'm winging a little with the pattern (my Waterloo...I really prefer making things up on my own, but this behavior is not without peril. My whole family laughs when I say I found a new recipe, for instance, because I just about never follow them. The problem being that it might turn out a disaster, but even if it's a huge hit, I can never remember exactly what I did and so can't repeat it. Living life hanging on the edge does exact a toll. ;) And knitting is much less forgiving than cooking, IMO. Or maybe I'm just a better cook than knitter.)

The improvisation is that I created this diamond pattern of purling several rows in, only it's not crisp due to both the yarn and the lace pattern and I'm liking it less and less, but I'm way too far past to rip out (plus the aforementioned tight schedule) so my next idea is to bead this area after I finish. Yep...story of my life: improvise, pay a price, rush like the dickens to salvage...I'm pretty sure life would be simpler if I'd just stick to the directions, but this little demon on my shoulder...

Dropped stitches...SCARYVILLE!!!

Okay, so here's the next step in my (gulp) sock journey--a whole needle full (okay, so that's only 15 st, but it took years off my life) of stitches dropped and picked up wrong and had to unravel seven rows down and...sob.

BUT the good news is that I'm back in business. Except, of course, for one scarf I decided to start and then a second one (in my first attempt at lace--what is WRONG with me?!?) I have decided to do as a gift that has to be done ASAP...so the socks, well...I'm still working. but not very fast.

Therapy knitting -- again

Many years ago, my grandmother tried to teach me to knit. After a tortuous month, she gave up, repossessed the knitting needles, and pulled out the embroidery supplies. My daydreaming childhood self was much better at embroidery. One needle, no dropped stitches. You understand, don't you?

In the early 1990s, I picked up the knitting needles again at the urging of my physical therapist. I'd lost much of the use of my hands due to repetitive motion injuries. It was therapy, so I concentrated on doing it right. It took some time and effort, but my hands gradually got better and so did my stitches. That time, the knitting habit stuck. As my knitting skills grew, I graduated to lace knit wool shawls, socks, and sweaters.

Then, this summer, along came the big, black steer that refused to get into the stock trailer. While that might seem to be completely unrelated to knitting, it's the steer's fault I haven't knitted in months. Sort of. The short version of the story is I wasn't careful enough, a rope slipped, and three fingers on my left hand were pinched so badly I thought I might suffer permanent nerve damage. I still have some small numb spots, but I can type normally again and do all sorts of things that require moderate finger agility. But knit? Not so much. I'm back where I started, knitting dishcloths for physical therapy and gradually recovering my fine motor skills.

And the steer? He's gone on to a better place.

I'm baaaaaaack!

Hey girlies! Long time no see! My wrist problems aren't over, sadly, but when I saw Nancy at RWA this summer, she made me reeeeeally want to try to come back. Life got in the way for awhile, and I still have to be careful how much knitting I do after writing all day, but....

Okay...deep breath...I'm trying to overcome the dreaded

FEAR OF SOCKS eeeeeeeeeek!

I tried Magic Loop last year or so when I was on here and fell flat on my face. Then I was visiting with Deb Dixon about a new book I have coming out with Bell Bridge Books (Belle Books' womens fiction imprint...the book is called THE GODDESS OF FRIED OKRA--you wanted to know that, right?;))

Anyway, somehow we got off on talking knitting, and I brought up the aforementioned FOS. Deb assured me she had a sock pattern ANYONE could knit, so I said "Show me!" She sent it...I started hyperventilating...I exchanged 483 emails (okay, 2) and I pulled out the set of 2.5 mm bamboo dps I had on hand plus some gorgeous Brown Sheep Wildfoote Symphony I'd optimistically bought in the Magic Loop days and....

I cast on 15 st each on 4 needles, tried to knit a row...had to lie down and breathe deeply.

Then I got on knittinghelp.com and saw a video where all were cast onto one and divided after...so I did that, started working on the first row...and had to lie down and breathe deeply. :) (You see how much I love you guys and want to be Barbara or Fran when I grow up?)

Another email or two with DD, and after about five rows, I started feeling like, hey! Maybe I can do this! So here's a couple of pictures of my oh-so-humble beginnings!

Jean

Low-fat and Luscious

Pistachio Nut Bread

1 (18 oz.) package yellow cake mix
1 small package of fat- and sugar-free Jello Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix
1 Cup low-fat or fat-free sour cream
1 Cup Egg Beaters (or 4 eggs slightly beaten)
1/4 Cup olive oil
1/4 Cup water

4 Tablespoons Splenda brown sugar (or regular brown sugar if you prefer)
3 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or any other kind of nut you like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, eggs, oil, and water. Beat well until smooth. If batter seems too dry, add a few more drops of oil - but just a few!

In a small separate bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts. (Keep the nuts separate if anyone can't have them.)

Spray two 9"x5" loaf pans with the canned baking spray that includes flour.

Divide the batter between the two pans, alternating layers of batter with sugar and nut mixture. (Make one loaf with and one without nuts, if need be.) End with a sugar layer on top. Bake for 1 hour or until loaves are done. Remove from pan and either serve or wrap and freeze for up to one month.

(c) 2009 Fran Baker

Note: For some reason, blogger won't let me upload a picture, but it makes a very pretty loaf.

A perfect gift for scarf mavens

In my new Knit 'N Style Magazine, I found this marvelous gadget: the Scarf Fold-up, from Nancy's Knit Knacks. (How appropriate that another Nancy sells this!)



As your scarf gets longer, you fold and wrap it round the tool. The scarf stays neat and compact: no twisting and tangling. In addition, the Scarf Fold-up has a pair of 8" rulers, a 4" X 4" stitch and row gauge, and a US-Metric needle conversion chart. It holds knitting needles too. All for a mere $11.99. Evidently, a customer suggested this idea and Nancy's 88-year-old mother refined the concept.

Here's the link for any scarf mavens or friends of scarf mavens: http://www.nancysknitknacks.com/Scarf%20Fold-up.htm

You know how I love to knit scarves. This baby is going right on my Christmas wish list!

Yarn Bombing

The Denver Post last week did a story on Yarn Bombing -- anonymous knitters who carry out a kind of textile grafitti by decorating trees, light posts, signs, and other public spaces with pieces of knitting and crochet. It's whimisical and a little weird and certainly surprising.

So -- anyone done any yarn bombing? Ever felt the desire to knit a tree cozy or dress up the local lamppost?

Scarf in use

I had to share this photo of my handsome nephew on his way to a big game, wearing the scarf I lovingly knitted for him. It's always gratifying to see one's FO being used and enjoyed. Go, Demon Deacons!