Merry May

It's been a lovely, if slightly harried, few days. I've done a good job sticking to my goal of being the most laid-back bride in recent history, and resulting have still had plenty of time to stop and smell the roses--despite the big day being just three short days away.

The FH and I have been doing a lot more cooking together than we usually do. I think I'm feeling the urge to Donna Reed it up since I'm about to be a bride. We've had these amazing cheddar & apple sandwiches twice in the last week--once sitting in the park with our feet dangling in the water, and again today while watching the rain from our breakfast nook.

If you've been a reader for a while, you probably remember my love of all things Leethal. In fact, you can even still find the interview I did with her in the Cravings archives. A while ago, she 'unvented' a technique she calls the Sideways Edge cast-on, a nifty little bit of stitch witchery that allows you to knit in perpendicular directions without picking up stitches. It's really sort of genius.

She came up with a few neat patterns utilizing the stitch (see here and here), but I haven't really noticed other designers picking up on it just yet--so I'm going to do just that.

My current WIP (which you don't get to peek at just yet!) is a cowl designed to show off the technique as much as possible. I'm terribly excited about it. It's quick, pretty, and it has delicious garter stitch stripes. I'm thinking it'll getting finished up this weekend during our casual honeymoon. Knitting during the post-sex glow is okay, right? (Sorry to be working blue, dear reader--I'm a bit open about sex for being one of those waited-until-marriage chicks. I promise no play-by-play will ever show it's face here, however.)

In the meantime, though, anyone living in Northeast Ohio should come check out Canton's First Friday this weekend! I'll be there selling knits, wearable art, regular art, and anything else crafty I can throw together before then!

Also, it's been pouring down rain all day today, and it's unspeakably beautiful. ♥

Crave This!

The first of monthly photo & link round-ups!

With all that's been going on lately, I decided it was time to share a little bit of what is out there to inspire both myself and you to be creative and go after what we're craving! *Plus, it's a great chance to point out some cool folks who deserve extra attention! Recipes, photography, knitting... It's all here. Are you ready?

1-FOs that make me drool

To start off the fun, Presents' Octopus Hat. I have to say, this girl is one of my favorite designers, and this piece makes me want to learn to needlefelt. Her designs are completely worth a look, and she blogs here.

I love seeing stuff that really modifies an original pattern in a way that blows your mind, like this adaptation of Owls by Chiko. I would wear this version every single day, forever.

Erngrn's Goth Cowl made me do a little bit of a double take because of how she blended knit and crochet together so well. It reminds me of Stephen West, if Stephen West used crochet in his designs.

Mmmhm. I don't have words, I just don't. And all of her projects are this stunning. All of them.

2-Stuff I really need to knit

Starting off this section, something cute to keep your neck warm, by newbie designer (you go, girl!) Dagny Kristinsdottir. She blogs here.

I want this in every unrealistic color combo possible, please. Lindsay Koehler thought this one up, along with a few other cute accessory patterns.

I loved the Mrs Darcy cardi, and I was disappointed when it stopped being available before I had a chance to knit it. This cardigan published by Classic Elite made me feel a bit better. It's sweetly classy, and looks cozy to boot, no?

MITTENS! Colorwork scares me, but these are too adorably geeky not to queue. Plus, I really, really need mittens. Check out more from the designer here.

3-Things that DO taste better than thin feels

Donuts are the ultimate indulgence, especially with a nice cup of coffee. These colorful gems are from The Dainty Squid. The original recipe is vegan, but should be easy to adapt if you're into dairy.

This is true southern goodness in the form of chocolate, and something my great-grandma made for my mum when she was a kid. It's great with buttered biscuits or fruit.

Single-serving chicken pot pies? If that's not a marvelous thing to crave on a chilly day, I don't know what is.

4-The pretty, the quirky

This petticoat from Alisa Burke's crafty, smart blog! Don't be intimidated if you can't sew--it's super simple! I know now why I've been hoarding fabric scraps for so long. I just knew they were good for something.

I love everything Lee Meredith does, and these are no exception. Also check her out on Ravelry and her photography site!

A little sneak peek at the book Hyperactivitypography from Christine Clemmensen's blog. 196 pages of cute nerdiness. Admit it. You want a copy.

Finally, if you're feeling a little blue, what better to put a smile--and some hair--on your face than a 'stache on a stick from Maro Designs' Etsy shop? It'll also come in handy if you need to do some clever spy work.

Just a little side note, while I was browsing through cool stuff today, I saw a LOT of fashion models on style blogs that looked like oversized ten year-olds. Complete with knobby knees and barely-there chests. So, I'm ending October's Crave This! with a shout-out to those of us currently going against the grain. Balanced eating is beautiful, and we should all embrace the variety of bodies we were made with!

Happy cravings!

*Please note that all photos and work belong to their original creators, and I have done my utmost to link back to them as much as possible! If you like something you see, go check out the original. Seriously, the people behind all these goodies are crazy, cool, and inspiring. Show them some love.

Oh, Saturdays

It's kind of fun to have an industrious day. It's not even 2 pm, and I've already:

-Power-cleaned the entire house, including places that haven't seen a sponge in quite some time.

-Drawn out sketches for most of the prospective designs currently floating around in the back of my mind. If I stay this motivated, some of them will be released this month.

(Let me know if you like test knitting!

-Made chunky tomato-basil soup! This is actually for tomorrow, but it smells soo good that I really want to eat it now instead.

And now I'm going to answer some long over-due e-mails (well, try to, anyways), make myself some lunch, and then start winding yarn so I can cast on something fun!

The sunshine is finally back--I think that's why I'm getting so much done today.

Bipolar Bread

This is what happens when you use a gas oven in China and don't turn your baking sheet around about halfway through:

Yup. Sad, isn't it?

However, the parts that aren't slightly blackened or slightly undercooked are really worthwhile and delicious. The recipe is from here. I was really impressed by the whole process. I'm a sucker for good bread with nice crust, and it was pretty effective at producing some with minimal effort or braininess. I might have to copy it into my recipe stash notebook.

I ate the first chewy, warm slice with whole-grain mustard.

Oh. My. Yes.

In other news, the more time I spend on Ravelry, the more I want to knit, but the less time I actually spend on knitting. I feel like this is a phenomenon that should be investigated, but I'm too busy oogling mitten patterns to do so.

Must. Not. Spend. Money. On. The. Pretties.

With Love From Cornwall

It's another cold, grey day in China.

Summer here was incredibly beautiful, but I haven't seen sunshine for almost a week. It's chilly, and I'm afraid to go anywhere without my umbrella because an even chillier drizzle keeps occurring without warning. Even the mountains look depressed today.

So, today I'm going to share one of my favorite cold weather recipes with you. Known as pasty pie, it originated in Britain, and ended up being common in upper Michigan in the US as well. Like many other wives there, my great-grandmother would make this for her husband to take down into the coal mines where he worked, to be unwrapped at lunchtime and eaten hot or cold.

Now, my dad makes them on special occasions, and I make them whenever I need a pick-me-up.

Today, I'm eating mine hot, savouring the warmth of the meal and of the home memories it brings.

For starters, you need a pie crust. You can use whatever recipe you normally prefer, or buy a pre-made crust, but I like to make my own. I've tried a couple different methods out with the pasties, and I've found that an oil-based crust works best. It's easy, quick, and fairly foolhardy. Most importantly, it holds together well when you're forming the pie, but is still really flaky when its done cooking.

For my crust recipe, you'll need:

-2 cups of all-purpose flour (feel free to try a whole-grain or spelt flour if you like)

-1/2 tbsp salt

-1/2 cup oil

-1/4 cup whole milk

-2 tbsp butter

Mix all of the ingredients except for the butter together by hand or with a spoon. The crust should be fairly moist with a nice sheen, and flaky but not at all crumbly. The butter should be melted, then brushed on top about half-way through the cooking time.

Once you have your crust, decide whether you want a traditional fold-over pasty or a pie-dish style pie. If you're doing the fold-over, roll your crust into one circle about 1/4 inch thick. If you chose to use a pie dish, split the dough in half and roll out each half to fit your pie dish.

Now that your crust is ready, its time for fillings! Some ideas:

-Cubed potatoes

-Diced onions

-Bits of chicken, pork, beef, or tofu

-Diced carrots and/or celery

-Grated cheese

-Beans

-Canned soups without water added

-Bacon

-Peas or any other vegetables

-Seasonings that suit your fillings--don't skimp on this part!

I like how flexible this part is--pretty much anything will taste good baked in a pie crust, although I do recommend always including the potatoes and onions as a starting point.

Think about what fillings you like together, or that you normally pair up in other things, like soups or sandwiches.

The soups part sounds a little weird, but works out really well. I love buying organic black bean canned soup, stirring in the potatoes and onions, and then stuffing that in my crust. It's really savoury and filling.

If you're using the pie dish, lay the first crust in it, fill it, and put the second crust on top. If you're doing the traditional style, put the filling on one half of your circle, and then fold the other half of the circle over top of it, crimping the edges together well.

Slice some nice openings in the top, and then bake at 350F for about an hour to an hour and a half until nicely golden brown--remembering to brush the butter on the top after about 30-40 mins. It doesn't hurt to sprinkle some salt on top at this point, either.

Eat straight out of the oven, or refrigerate and eat chilled the next day.

And what's with that logo?

Now, THIS is what a latte should look like:

My friends, the fact that I can create what you see above is why I don't drink anything that comes in a Starbucks cup any more.

Ever.