A Tale of Two Hats (and more reckless knitter behavior)

Once upon a time I wanted a beautiful hand-knitted hat. I wanted to venture into colorwork and stranded knitting to produce something I could look at and love every time I wore it. With Cascade 220 yarn, size 4 circular and double-pointed needles, and the book Hats On! 31 Warm and Winsome Caps for Knittersat my disposal I was ready.

It was quick. It was pretty. The fit was perfect. Meet Lusekofte.

November 2010 should be thanked for giving me time to make something so right for myself, a hat that I would go on to wear almost daily for the next 6 or 7 months. There you have it.

Fast forward to Autumn 2011 and imagine my utter devastation when cold begins settling into my bones (or nose tip to be accurate) and my favorite knitted hat is nowhere to be found. I turned this apartment upside down looking for it. The office and car were also approached with a scrutinous eye. I racked my brain back to the breakup and wondered if there was some way it got shoved into a backpack on some camping trip and moved on with my ex. Regardless, I spent hours searching and finally had to accept this was another lost hand-knitted item and now only had anger and frustration to warm me. It was time to move on and move quickly because a farm trip to Eastern Washington was only a couple weeks away and I needed something to protect me. They have winter on that side of the state, you know?

Armed with the leftover yarn from my favorite hat and the same book and the same knitting needles, I decided to make something similar but slightly different so I could justify keeping and wearing both when (yes, when) my favorite hat turned up. Meet Fana.

November 2011 was a let-down in the knitted hat sense. I inverted the color scheme and found the yellow color looked drab against my skin tone, the fit was wrong and it felt/looked too large, and it wasn't my favorite hat, *sigh*. So I lost it within one week. I KNOW, I'M STUPID. How many projects can this knitter carelessly desecrate and lose/almost lose?!?

The good news is the Fana Cap was left at the farm in Eastern Washington and the kind farm-lady mailed it to me last week. Now I'm trying to decide the best way to love this hat.... do I gift it? Shrink it a bit in hot water? What do you think?

The ginger beer has been bottled!

Ginger beer round 2 happened and I'm hoping to find it wildly (not mildly) successful. We chose a recipe from Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers: The Secrets of Ancient Fermentationand brewed ourselves a good 4 gallons of ginger beer on New Year's day, my drink of choice. Great way to start 2012!

 Essentially, it went like this:

Per every gallon of water boil 1 oz ginger (plus extra for zing), 1 pound sugar, and juice of 1 lemon for one hour. When it has cooled to ~70 F, strain out the ginger, skim any scum, and pitch the activated yeast (guy at the brew store recommended cuvee yeast). Ferment until it's done working, about 2 weeks. After fermenting this batch for nearly 3 weeks we decided to take the next step though I think it still could have fermented a bit longer because of the cool temps. As it was, we primed the batch with 3/4 c sugar dissolved in 1 pint of boiling water and bottled it up after sanitizing our equipment. I think we ended up with a couple dozen 22oz bottles of the brew and even uncarbonated it tasted quite delicious. Overall the taste is good-- light and sweet, a refreshing drink. Lessons learned? I'm glad the aluminum pot we scoured with the brew (oops!) failed to leave a tinny aftertaste we worried about, and next time I'd triple the ginger as I like a good gingery bite. Otherwise this is a simple recipe I'll likely return to it for building my own flavor profile in the future. Oh, I forgot to mention that it's 4.07% alcohol by volume (my original calculation was wrong).

Looking forward to trying something like this soon.... a ginger soda more than beer with various spices.


PS. I'm in the market for a new camera since mine is lost. Any recommendations? I'm trying to decide if I should upgrade to DSLR or stick with my standard Canon elph point-and-shoot cameras for ease and portability. It's a tough decision. Many thanks to Michael for his cell phone pictures in the meantime...

Spinning: Merino/Bamboo Yarn

Handspun yarn from roving by Black Trillium Fibre Studio. 4 ounces, 60% Merino, 40% Bamboo. Colorway: Bumblebee.

This was my first time spinning anything except wool (minus my very first skein, a merino/silk blend) and the experience was fine. I found a bit of trouble keeping the fibers well-blended as the bamboo really wanted to stick with its own, away from the wool. The bamboo also added a real sheen to the finished product and the resulting yarn turned out far more silver and gold than I expected. Because of uncertainty regarding yarn color matching my skin tone I was beginning to think it might become gift yarn.... that is, until I washed it and found it to be as soft and squishy as a cloud and akin to being wrapped in love.

Spun in November 2011 on the middle whorl, navajo/chain plied 4 ounces, 238 yards. Finished product post coming soon!

Canning: Tuna!

Canning tuna? Not so bad. Canned tuna? Delicious.

Let's keep this simple. Slow Food Seattle hosted a tuna canning class and I joined (with my good friend and her 6 month old baby, plus many others) in for the fun.

Lessons learned?

1. Whole slices partially frozen tuna will turn your hands into blocks of tender ice themselves after a solid morning of slicing the meat from the guts, dark spots, skin and bones. Your numb fingers may have trouble identifying bones, but you will get the hang of it. Soon you'll cut a tuna steak like an amateur.
2. Save the scraps and trimmings for your cat. He/She will thank you.
3. Work quickly and with help. If you're going to do this much work you might as well have a friend or two on your side. And each friend or two should have their own pressure canner. And if you work together you will laugh and have fun and then have a shared reason to moan about your tender hands (see #1).
4. Have someone else take photos. This is messy.
5. Pack those jars as tightly as you can. And don't skimp (or go overboard) with the olive oil. A small glug will do (a couple-ish tablespoons).
6. If possible, start the actual pressure canning as early as possible. I'd hate to cut all the fish, pack the jars, and then wait....wait....wait to process it all. Because each batch needs to be processed at a sustained 15 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes it's good to get that part going early and continue through the day-- again, friends are good.
7. If you think you might want 12 jars, put up 24. Or 36. 48 probably. Maybe more? Seriously, it is delicious and you will regret not having more than you do, especially when someones birthday/holiday/celebration comes along and you can't bring yourself to part with one meager jar because each jar holds 2-3 days worth of happiness (if you are able to resist eating the entire jar once opened).

My favorite tidbit from the leader of the class, fisherman Jeremy Brown, was that raw-packing tuna this way in your own home (or wherever you do it) preserves significantly higher amounts of fatty acids and delicious, healthy fish oils. In large-scale commercial fish plants they cook the fish first and then pack into cans, losing the oils that cooked off the fish in the process. Overall, I was pleased with the experience and found it to be far easier than I expected. Canning has always been approachable, but somehow pressure canning and putting up fish made me a little nervous. It was good to get it done and realize it's not far off from all the other canning I've done. Give it a try! And add a slice of carrot (secret ingredient) to each jar.

Then build a sandwich.

And eat it.

PS. I'm not the only person documenting this experience. Are You My Ghost documents with with great photos, Jim Drohman of Le Pichet entices me with a salad, I even sneaked my way into a Seattle Weekly post! Check 'em out for a different look at the same experience. Oh, edited to add Learn to Preserve's post!

One more class...

My little sister convinced me (without trying) that I needed one more class. And with that Molded Papier-Mâché Dress Form made from a plaster mold I plan to tackle sometime this year (and its corresponding fabric cover), draping will be an exciting new approach to design.

#2002 An Introduction to Draping
Jan Bones, Lingerie Secrets
Draping is the art of creating clothing on a body or a dress form, no pattern required. Our bodies are round, curved, flat and angled, all at the same time and with draping techniques you will see how to fit fabric to the body. In this class, Jan will demonstrate draping on a real person. A basic draped design for the upper body will teach you about neckline shape, shoulder slope, dart placement and side seam location while the draped design for the lower body will teach you about waist, hip and dart shape. You will receive hand-outs with Jan’s step by step directions and diagrams.

Sewing Classes!

Cashing in on that plan to make clothing this year, my card is charged and classes registered-- the Sewing & Stitchery Expo is in March! If this ends up similar to last year's experience then I'm bound to be overwhelmed with new ideas and information, taking home loads of notes, and buying patterns and drooling over fabric and notions. I'm so glad my mom decided to make this her annual birthday get together and even better, my sisters are coming along too! There were a few time conflicts between multiple classes I wanted to take and ultimately I sacked Pattern Alterations (sigh) for Understanding Wool because sheep have an extra special place in my heart. Fitting Sleeves went out the door so I could learn about sewing a muslin since there are a few fancy dresses in my queue for the year, and sadly the 2 hour class on Pattern Grading (scaling sizes up and down) sold out very quickly.

Here we go! Details below for my faulty memory. I wish I'd written down the classes I went to last year... the coat making class, sewing needle seminar, and upcycling/recycled clothing classes stand out as my favorites. Attending a lecture with my mom by the TV sewing sensation Nancy Zieman was like a childhood dream fulfilled (seriously mom, why did I sit and watch Sewing with Nancy and The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross? Funny childhood) and the billion opportunities to spend too much money were... expensive.

2012, coming right up.

PS. Did I mention I got a serger for Christmas? Booyah!

#1007 Details
Sandra Betzina, Power Sewing
It’s all about the subtle details which make it fun to sew and guaranteed to make your creations stand out in a crowd without screaming homemade. Learn couture seam finishes, pocket details, buttonhole treatments and fabric combinations including some tricky fabrics.

#1010 Anatomy of a Collar
Jan Bones, Lingerie Secrets
Collars come in an endless variety—crisp cotton shirt style, soft bias cut or maybe the classic mandarin. Jan will teach you to select great fabrics and Interfacings for  collars and then help you to choose the ones to best suit you. Learn how to design a collar for any pattern in your stash and also how to mix/match collars between patterns. You will receive a detailed class handout.

#1031 Cutting to the Chase of Great Garments
Louise Cutting, Cutting Corners, Inc.
Why not use the great patterns you have to create variations...a blouse can become a jacket, a shell can become a dress, a pullover top can have a front opening. Don’t be afraid to cut across the ‘big black line’. Learn how to enlarge or reduce the patterns as needed for your personal fit and taste. You will learn various methods for putting in darts, moving dart boxes, enlarging darts for cup sizes, and removing darts that are already in patterns.

#1046 Figures Come In Combo Packs
Lorraine Henry, LH Enterprises/Two Easy Tape Company
In the real world, we come in all shapes and sizes. We hopefully all have one head, one trunk, two arms and two legs but the various lengths, shapes and sizes are amazing! Come and explore the world of figure combinations. Learn how to analyze and compare measurements to best adjust the patterns to fit your own unique physique! A class that will benefit your fitting skills forever.

#1071 Happy Pants
Pati Palmer, Palmer/Pletsch
If your pants are smiling, you need help! Wrinkles point to the problem, whether they point to the thighs (smiles) or to the knees (baggy back). Learn to fit YOUR waist, hips, and thighs and look pounds thinner in pants that fit. Pati will explain tissue-fitting and crotch oddities for fine-tuning fit. Pati has nearly 40 years experience in hands-on pant fitting and will share tips for fitting and sewing your own jeans.

#1073 Sewing a Muslin Test Copy
Cecelia Podolak, Material Things
Get tips on how to sew a test copy and check the fit of a pattern before cutting into fashion fabric. Use this technique when trying a complex or unusual pattern, using a new pattern line, or sewing expensive fabric. Accuracy is a must at all stages of the test copy; from taking measurements and selecting pattern size; to using the right weight of muslin; to cutting, marking & sewing. Make adjustments right on the test copy and you are ensured of a great fit when you cut and sew your fashion fabric.

#1086 The Sheath Dress
Peggy Sagers, Silhouette Patterns
The dress is the most difficult garment to buy off the rack because the neckline, sleeves, length, etc. must fit the wearer perfectly to look fabulous. But, it is one of the easiest garments to sew for the perfect fit. The sheath dress is the most classic of all styles, always a great look, appropriate for any occasion and the single most flattering look on every body! Learn about the five different styles, how to choose the most  complimentary collar, neckline and sleeve choices that work for you.

#1095 Pairing Pattern and Fabric
Marcy Tilton, Marcy Tilton
Putting together pattern and fabric is a skill you can learn to fine tune. Learn which fabrics are ‘foolproof’ and which ones to avoid: determining your big YES and big NO. This class includes figuring out different fabric alternatives for the same pattern and solutions for making ‘hard’ fabrics easier. Learn the basics of building a core wardrobe and making the best fabric/pattern choices. Hear suggestions for mixing different fabrics in the same garment or ensemble, and combining patterns and prints. See a slideshow of examples including things that did not work and learn why.

#1101 Understanding Wool: A Sheep of Many Different Colors
Katrina Walker, Quality Sewing/Katrina Walker
Wool comes in many different flavors from a whole menagerie of animals. Whether used for warmth and high-performance gear or for tailoring a luxurious couture garment, wool textiles remain an essential workhorse of the apparel world. Join textile expert and wool aficionado Katrina Walker in an exploration of the world of animal fibers as you gain a stronger understanding of the various types of wool fabrics and their best uses in clothing construction.

#2011 “Use the Serger” Techniques
Kathy McMakin, Martha Pullen Co.
Get more out of your serger than ever before - tips and tricks for serger sewing, serging knits, turning corners, curves, beginning and ending serger seams, piecing for quilts, serger crochet, zippers, piping, using decorative threads and much more. Kathy will give you lots of ideas for those forever-needed quick projects.

Citing my sources

Today I received an email inquiring about the actual ingredient list/recipe used for one of my canning batches and it forced me to devote some time and thought to the idea of listing an entire recipe on my blog, and what proper method of citing sources should be used. The internet is a treasure trove of information and I'm always quick to cite the books I use with an amazon link, but fearing copyright infringement has limited the way I write details about what's happening in my kitchen. The use of books, leaflets, and more traditional forms of printed recipes is not altogether lost on my generation, and while I celebrate the wealth of recipes online and the camaraderie of our virtual kitchens, I want to be sure and honor the authors and publishers that put hard work into the books I rely on.

So, with the help of David Lebovitz and the Food Blog Alliance I think I've found a way about it. The article Recipe Attribution confirms what I was feeling but worried wasn't within reason, that posting a list of ingredients isn't infringing on copyright it's the blatant lifting of exact text (and the second half a of a recipe, the directions for cooking, processing, etc) that is a violation. So three cheers to a new year and clearer posts about what's inside my jars.

PS. I'm giving serious consideration to the new Washington Cottage Food Operations law that allows home producers to sell home-baked and home-canned (high acid) foods directly to consumers at markets, etc. More on that later...