The Great Recipe Box Show and Tell

Ann and Kay, of the marvelous Mason Dixon Knitting blog, have invited one and all to show their recipe boxes (new is fine, but old and battered is better) and post a recipe from said box. My own recipe box is from the late 70's or early 80's, a cheapo tin contraption with blue flowers on the bottom and a solid blue lid (it's also rusty on the bottom and chipped on the back). I know that I bought it at the Ben Franklin store, and I think I paid $1.35 for it. It has served me well.

I don't use the recipe box much lately because my husband found out in September that he is diabetic, so all of our recipes these days come from new books with titles that feature the words *lo-carb* and *healthy*. So just for nostalgia (and because I didn't make any this year), here's one of our old high-fat, high-carb, totally wonderful recipes. I adapted it from an Oreo-Cookie Fudge Recipe:

Heath Bar Fudge

2 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter (no margarine)

2 cups (7 oz) Marshmallow Creme

8 ozs white almond bark or vanilla chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 bag Heath Bar bits (the kind with the chocolate) or several Heath Bars crushed

Butter an 8" square pan

Melt or soften the almond bark (in the microwave, 3+ minutes on high in a microwave safe cup)

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallow creme, almond bark and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the Heath Bar bits. Pour the remaining mixture over the bits, smooth, and top with the remaining bits. Chill and cut into pieces.

I have no idea how many calories or carbs are in a single piece, and anyway the notion of eating just one piece of fudge is far too depressing to contemplate. But I hope you all enjoy this recipe. Trust me, it's yummy.

Find more links to recipe box stories at Mason Dixon Knitting: http://www.masondixonknitting.com/

p.s. Despite missing fudge, the diabetic regime has been good for both of us- we've both lost over 30 lbs and I am wearing clothes with numbers like *1* and *4* on the tags... amazing...

The Christmas Tally

Well, Christmas has come and gone, the tree is down (I put it up early, and take it back down as soon after Christmas as I can), and the gifts are open and with their new owners. Here's what I knit during 2007 for Christmas (and it did take me all year). I wish I had remembered to take pics of some of the people in their knitwear finery (though most of the items showed up here, either as FO's or WIPs, or Freebie Friday patterns, so you've seen them already):

2 adult sweaters (both fit perfectly- I can finally show the picture of my son's sweater, the Garter Stitch Aran sweater from Men in Knits. The picture doesn't come close to how nice the sweater is. I used Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Heather)

2 child size sweaters and 1 child size poncho

7 hats

15 pairs of socks (3 child, the rest adult)

19 pairs of mittens (some fingerless, some full mittens) and 1 pair of Selbuvotter gloves that fit my daughter in law perfectly (I was afraid that they would be too tight).

And 4 pairs of mittens (2 pairs Selbuvotter), 1 pair of gloves, 1 hat, and several pairs of socks left-over, which will go in the pile for next year.

And now it's time to start all over (though I do wish I wouldn't leave the sweaters until October).

Your Freebie Projects

No new Freebie Friday pattern this week. However, I can show you a couple of FO's that readers have sent me.

An old school (Elementary, Jr. High, High School) friend of mine, Kristy K, sent a picture of the Child Size Hoodie that she made for her granddaughter. She modified the pattern by using Lion Brand Homespun and size 10 needles, and it came out beautifully. She also found an error in the pattern, so I am going to ammend the pattern for everyone.

Child Size Hoodie Pattern- newly ammended to fix the pattern error:

http://kathleen-dakotadreams.blogspot.com/2007/11/freebie-friday-child-size-hoodie-with.html

And Gail adjusted the Beaded Felted Mary Jane Slipper pattern to fit her 3 year old daughter. The slippers are adorable.

Here's the Beaded Felted Mary Jane Slipper pattern, in case you missed it the first time:

http://kathleen-dakotadreams.blogspot.com/2007/10/freebie-friday-felted-beaded-mary-jane.html

Thanks for sending the pics, Kristy and Gail.

If you have made items from the Freebie Friday patterns, send pics to me and I'll post them.

Thursday Tab- Saalfield Cha Cha Cha #2730

This one is definitely a reprint- there are 4 dolls but 2 of them are numbered 5 and 6. The clothes are lovely. I have no idea how historically/culturally accurate they are, but they are representations of traditional dress in assorted Central and South American countries. I would guess that this book was originally published long before my reprint. The artist's style is very similar to the Carnival book I uploaded on the first Thursday Tab. The dolls certainly have been redrawn and judging by the style and the cover price, I think my reprint is from the early 60's.

Click on images to enlarge, right click to save as jpgs. Print from any graphics program- clothes on plain paper, covers on card stock.

Merry Vestmas

Make your own Ugly Christmas sweater here:

http://weloveholidaysweaters.wehatesheep.com/

Here's mine

Super Secret Holiday Book Giveaway Grand Prize!!!!

And for those who entered all three days of my Holiday Book Giveaway Contest, I held a special, super secret grand prize drawing selected from those who entered all three contests- All Three Books!

christyh- you are our Super Secret Grand Prize Winner!!! e-mail me with your address and how you'd like your 3 books signed!

kathleentaylor1952@gmail.com

Thanks everyone for playing! My grandkids had a lovely time choosing the winners!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone!

Holiday Book Giveaway #3- Becky

Becky- you're the winner of Knit One, Felt Too! e-mail me with your address and let me know how you'd like the book signed, and I'll get it in the mail!

kathleentaylor1952@gmail.com

Contest #2 winner- Jennifer Wollesen

Jennifer Wollesen, come on down! Or at least e-mail me with your address, and let me know how you'd like your copy of Yarns to Dye For signed.

my email: kathleentaylor1952@gmail.com

Holiday Book Giveaway #3- Knit One, Felt Too

You know the drill by now- post in the comment section for a chance to win a signed (if you want) copy of Knit One, Felt Too. The winner will be drawn from the names on Tuesday (Christmas Day). Everyone who posts on Monday December 24, up until midnight, is eligible.

Don't put your address in your comment. We can get all of that info later.

Good Luck!

The winner of Sunday's drawing will be announced sometime on Monday.

The Pacific Northwest's Worst Christmas Sweaters

According to the Seattle Times, and I can't say that I disagree with any of them...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/photogalleries/living2004088471/1.html

Contest #1 Winner- Donna

Donna, of Hockey Mom Knits is the winner of Holiday Contest Book Giveaway #1- 101 Designer One Skein Wonders.

Congratulations Donna!

Please e-mail me with your address, and let me know how you'd like the book signed.

My e-mail: kathleentaylor1952@gmail.com

Holiday Book Giveaway #2- Yarns to Dye For

Just like yesterday- post your name in the comment section of this post for a chance to win a copy of Yarns to Dye For. We'll draw the winning name tomorrow, from all those who post from now until midnight tonight, Sunday December 23.

Good luck- and thanks again for making blogging such an adventure!

The winner of Saturday's contest will be posted later today.

What I've been doing when I really should be doing something else entirely...

Big announcement coming soon (maybe within 2 weeks) and some major family/work/holiday obligations are taking priority over everything else, but I managed to sneak in a little extracurricular knitting in anyway. I finished the We Call Them Pirates Hat for my son. I used worsted weight yarn and size 5 needles, both larger than called for in the pattern, and got the required gauge (go figure). But the hat came out way too long- I don't think it's a pattern problem, it's that my son likes shorter hats. So I felted the hat a bit by hand. It was still too long, so I folded up the lower border as a hem (that's a small head form, by the way). It's drying now. I think he'll like it. Pattern available free here: http://www.helloyarn.com/wecallthempirates.htm

And I was drawn to Nanette Blanchard's Black Forest Braided Gloves- the design is so striking, and the colors pop so well. I decided to use a little free time this Holiday (while the grandkids colored at the kitchen table) to start a pair as a gift to myself. I'm using Knit Picks Palette- Navy (which looks black in my scan) and Grass, and size 1 needles. I'd never done that braid stitch before, but it came out beautifully- Nanette's instructions were clear and easy to follow. I don't know how much time I'll have to work on these, but I hope I get them finished so I can wear them. (pattern for sale here: http://www.lulu.com/content/1605051# )

Holiday Book Giveaway #1- 101 Designer One Skein Wonders

Thanks for the entries so far, this is exciting for me too! And yes, overseas entries are eligible.

Post your name (with or without a comment, but definitely without your address) in the comment space for this post before Midnight tonight, December 22. I'll draw one name from the entries and the winner of a copy of 101 Designer One Skein Wonders will be announced on Sunday. I'll mail the book next week, signed if the winner likes.

Sunday's contest will probably not be listed until early morning on Sunday- I don't think I can stay up until Midnight two nights in a row...

Book Giveaway for the Holidays

As a thanks for the wonderful folks who drop by every day (or every other day, or once a week, or once a month), I'm going to have a contest on Saturday Dec 22, Sunday Dec 23 and Monday Dec 24 for a free book each day (drawing to be the day after each contest). Saturday's book will be Storey's 101 Designer One Skein Wonders (my broken-rib sock pattern is in the book). Sunday's book will be Yarns to Dye For, Creating Self-Patterning Yarns for Knitting (from Interweave). Monday's book will be Knit One, Felt Too (also Storey).

All you have to do to enter is post your name (and a comment if you wish- but no addresses) in the Comment section of each day's Contest Post (Saturday, Sunday, Monday). Only coments made between midnight and midnight on the proper day will count. One of my grandkids will draw the winner's name each day, and I'll contact the winners for their addresses. Books can be signed or not as the winner desires.

One win per person.

Have Fun and Good Luck, and thanks for making Blogging such fun!

Freebie Friday- Fingering Weight Fingerless Mittens

This is the last Freebie Friday pattern for this year (I'll have wonderful company all week and no time to work up one for next week). This pattern is great for last-minute gifts, and for using up those odds and ends of sock yarn. I always have enough left to knit a pair from 100gr of sock yarn after the socks are finished (all sizes except size 13 men).

This pattern is similar to another fingerless mitten pattern I designed (link: http://www.soxie.com/wristers.html ), but this one is bigger all around. Either is good for a quick gift.

Right click on the pattern page, save as a jpg. Print from any graphics program.

Arrrrrrrr

A last-minute Christmas present for my son- We Call Them Pirates hat (pattern available here: http://www.helloyarn.com/wecallthempirates.htm). I'm using worsted weight yarn and size 5 needles but I'm getting the same gauge as listed in the pattern (which calls for a lighter sportweight and size 3 needles).

This is a fun hat to knit, and it makes me want to dig out an eyepatch.

Thursday Tab- Whitman Santa's Press Out Book, #1922, 1966

Happy Holidays Everyone!

This book is flocked, and the flocking has survived pretty well, given its age. This would be a fun project for little ones on Christmas Eve, when the clock slows to a crawl.

Click on images to enlarge, save as jpgs. Print from any graphics program, all pages on card stock.

They must have blackmailed him

No man would willingly wear that sweater...

Playing around

Yes, there's a reason we're not seeing any new knitting at the moment. And no, I can't say why. Yet.

In the meantime, here's some goofiness (shameless promotion for my new book, which will be out in February, and a Dakota Dreams tattoo, which I am totally going to get when I turn 21). You can make your own here:

http://www.imagechef.com/

Fog + Cold=

Fairyland

Freebie Friday- Stranded Fingerless Mitts- Companion to Fair Isle Tam

I was asked to design a pair of fingerless mittens to go with the Fair Isle Tam (which I think was the first Freebie Friday pattern posted here). I think they turned out really well. I happened to have some of the same Noro yarn that was used in the tam (though the tam itself has long gone to a new owner), though I had to use a different solid color yarn. Two skeins of Noro Kureyon will knit both the tam and the mitts (and you'll need 100gr of solid) as shown. If you want plain Noro cuffs and ribbings, you'll need another skein.

Here is the link to the coordinating tam pattern:

http://kathleen-dakotadreams.blogspot.com/2007/09/freebie-friday-fair-isle-tam.html

Click on the images to enlarge, right click to save as a jpg. Print from any graphics program.

Thursday Tab- Lowe Square Dance #968-10, 1950

This is the only set I own where one of the dolls is looking over her shoulder at us. All of her clothes are viewed from the back (so she can square dance). The background art is detailed and great fun, and the clothes are quite pretty.

I've talked often about reprints, and the fact that paper doll publishers would recycle books, dolls, sets, and clothing- reissuing the same book under several different names, and using several different publisher names (in fact Abbott was a subsidiary of Lowe). I happen to have 2 versions of this book. #968-10 Square Dance is the original book, published in 1950, with 6 pages of clothes. I also own Abbott #1394 Polka Party. Polka Party has the same dolls, arranged differently on the covers, and 4 pages of clothes. The clothes have been *distilled*- much of the detail was elminiated, and the colors reduced. Polka Party was printed on pulp paper rather than heavier white paper.

I'm uploading Square Dance, but I've also made a file of Polka Party showing the differences.

Click images to enlarge, right click to save as a jog. Print from any graphics program, clothes on plain paper, covers on card stock

My World...

... is white and sparkly...

Santa Amazon

For Christmas this year, I am expanding my library of knitting books. Here are the latest additions.

My *free* knitting time is about to be sharply curtailed (explanation to follow in a couple of weeks), but there are many (many many) patterns I want to try from both of these books, and the Latvian Mitten book from a couple of days ago. And there are still 24 Selbuvotter mittens I haven't tackled.

How many mittens does one person actually need? I expect to find out.

Selbobsession

Annemor #16.

I used Lana Grossa Lambswool sportweight (size 2 needles) for these mittens. They're extremely cushy and nice. The yarn is very springy and elastic, so my tension wasn't as even as I like- the pre-block mittens were a little puckered. But they blocked out well, and I really love them.

Magic 28, #12 and 7 sets of warm feet

Those last couple of pairs were slow coming (I've been distracted by hand coverings), but I finally met my personal challenge of 12 pairs of Magic 28 (link on the lower right side of the main blog page) socks before Christmas. The first 5 pairs went to Afghans for Afghans. The last 7 pairs are going to Children in Common for orphanages in Russia. (http://www.adoptionstogether.org/common/index.asp) .

Pair #12 is made from Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride and Knit Picks Wool of the Andes.

My next charity knitting will be black socks for Socks for Soldiers, but I'll keep on knitting small socks for the children's charities as I can.

And I thought Selbuvotter was an obsession...

Look what came in the mail yesterday...

Freebie Friday- We Call Him Spidey Mittens

It took me a couple of tries to get these right. The first mitten (post and pic last week) was far too small. I was able to take the hem out, lop it off, pick up the sts and then knit a new cuff. It's now the right size for my 3 year old Spidey-obsessed grandson.

These are very specifically sized, for a 3-4 year old child. If you want to knit larger child-size mittens, I suggest adding a couple of sts to the vertical borders, using size 3 needles, adding cuff length, and working a few more rounds of web before the decreases. You will also need to set 1 or 2 more sts aside for the thumb, and pick up that many more when you knit the thumb(the extra sts can be part of the side border). If you want to knit an adult size pair, I would try worsted weight yarn and size 4-5 needles and this pattern (you may have to adjust the length, but you might not).

As mentioned, these mittens were inspired by Pumpkinmama's We Call Him Spidey Hat, and she gave me permission to use her chart. Thanks so much! My grandson will be delighted!

http://pumpkinknits.blogspot.com/2007/10/we-call-him-spidey.html#links

http://pumpkinknits.blogspot.com/2007/10/spidey-chart.html

Click on pattern page images to enlarge, right click to save as a jpg. Print from any graphics program.

Annemor #16

I don't even try to knit Fair Isle (or stranded. Or Norwegian) in the car, and I was in the car a lot today (about 300 miles worth), but I did finally get my 12th pair of Magic 28 socks done (the last 7 pairs will go to Children in Common). Tonight however, I finished one Annemor #16. This chart is a bit more difficult than the others I've done from Selbuvotter because there are large blocks of solid color (which involve catching the unused yarn every few sts on the back). The yarn I used (Lana Grossa Lambswool) is officially sportweight, so these mittens are heavier and larger than the last pairs (which is a good thing, since my gauge is usually tighter than what is called for anyway). I don't know if I'll keep this set for myself, but it fits me just fine.

Thursday Tab- Saalfield Style Show, #2623

Weather permitting, I'll be gone tomorrow. While the weather may not permit, I'm uploading this week's paper doll on Wednesday, just in case.

This is Saalfield's Style Show #2623. I don't know anything about it except that I like it a lot. The date "1954" was written on the cover, and judging by the outfits, I'd say that's about right.

Click on images to enlarge, right click to save as a jpg, print from any graphics program, clothes on plain paper, covers on card stock.

Annemor puns?

Obviously, I'm not going to run out of bad jokes. This is Annemor #16. They'll be mittens, not gloves. I found some Lana Grossa Lambswool that I bought a few years ago and decided to use it finally. This yarn is a little heavier than the Palette, and definitely heavier than the Fearless Fibers sock yarn I used on Annemor #15- so I'm getting the proper gauge this time. The yarn is very nice, though it's extremely *springy* and it wants to curl up on itself a bit (not the knitted fabric, just the yarn).

My brain has a hard time translating the chart when the dark and light colors are reversed (with the raspberry for the light squares and peach for the dark), but it's coming easier now and I'm not having to rip as often. I could just enter the chart into my Cross Stitch program in the proper colors, but I'm too lazy to do that.

This is a really lovely pattern.

Annemor #15

Another Selbuvotter project finished! The gloves turned out well- by the end of the 2nd one, my finger joins were neater (though they're still far from competition worthy). The gloves are too snug for real winter, since tight things are not as warm, but they'll be fine for a younger person. I can't keep them all anyway, so I'm not too disappointed that they didn't fit (I knew it before the first glove was done).

My only problem with the finished pair is that the black yarn ran a little in the wash. The peaches are a bit grayed now, which is not a bad thing, just not what I was expecting. (and no, I didn't wash a swatch first, so it's my own fault).

I'll probably start another pair of Selbus today- I'm sort of on a glove roll (and with Lizbeth Upitis' Latvian Mitten book on the way! Wahoo!)

If you didn't feel like knitting in '56

You could always spend a pleasant morning sewing pom-poms to your garden gloves.

Annemor #15

Got one glove finished! I love this pattern, even though my finger joins still aren't smooth enough. I knew that the gauge for this yarn was smaller than called for in the pattern, so I figured this glove would be snug on me. I can get it on, but it's not comfortable for wearing (especially since tight gloves don't keep the cold out well), so this pair will go in a box for next Christmas (I have a couple of teen girls on the list, so one of them will likely get them).

Oh, and I figured out what went wrong in the Spidey mitten, and why it came out so much smaller than the other mitten, with the same number of stitches. I forgot to take the cuff into consideration. So I think if I tear out the folded hem and pick up the sts and knit a ribbed cuff, the mitten will be fine.

And how many years have I been knitting, that I make a dumb mistake like that? (and keep on knitting even when it's obvious that *something* is wrong?) Around 47 years.

Knitter's Denial

It's a documented disease, found in knitters who know something is *wrong* with whatever they're knitting. They sense it. They feel it. They can actually see it.

And yet, they keep on knitting.

Case in point. Pumpkinmama at Pumpkinknits graciously gave her permission for me to adapt her They Call Him Spidey hat chart as mittens for my grandson. And wonderful woman that she is, she is allowing me to post that new pattern and chart. So I started the mittens, and got one done. Isn't it adorable?

Problem is, this mitten is for my 3 year old grandson, who has a 3 year old second cousin, for whom I have already knitted a pair of mittens. The children are basically the same size. I'm using the same brand of yarn. The same needles. The same gauge. And definitely the same knitter. Here are the mittens I made for them:

sigh....