This morning there is a new bear in the shop. Jane Bear's outfit may or may not be indictative of my desire for spring and the warm weather. I redid the animal pattern for legs so she has sweet little feet and a funky water colour skirt. I'm dreaming of summer weather and pretty skirts but for now I'm living vicariously through small wool bears.
Wool in Winter
The year I was a nanny I made mittens. The baby slept a lot and while she did I made mittens for friends and for my brother and my sisters and for our Lithuanian foreign exchange student. I knit them constantly. I also knit a hat that looked like Max and a tie and a bunch of cowls and hats. But this winter and fall (my prime knitting season) I was so wrapped up in making these little animals that there was almost no knitting. I've had one sad mate-less mitten sitting in my basket since September and this weekend I'm going to finish the other off. I use my grandmother's mitten pattern. It's easy and perfect and you don't have to set the thumb (you are welcome). Have a lovely long weekend and knit some mittens.
I used size 4 double sided needles and a ball of worsted weight yarn.
Cuff - Cast on 44 stitches and divide on 3 needles.
Join, work in round k2 p2 ribbing for 3 inches.
Decrease 2 stiches in the last round. There should be 42 stitches.
Hand - K even for 2 rounds.
First increase round: Increase one stitch in the first stitch, k1, inc 1 in the next stitch, k to end of row.
K 2 rounds even.
Second increase round: Inc 1 stitch in the first stitch, k3, inc 1 in the next stitch, k to end of row.
K 2 rounds even.
Continue to increase with two more stitches in between the increases every 3rd row, increase until you have 54 stitches on.
K 2 rounds even. Slip the 15 thumb stiches to a stitch holder.
Cast on 3 stitches, there should be 42 stitches on now.
Continue to work even until the measurement above cuff is 6 inches. Decrease 3 stitches in the last row.
First decrease round: k2tog every 3rd and 4th stitch, 10 times
K even 3 rows
Second decrease round: k2tog every 2nd and 3rd stitch, 10 times
K even 3 rows
Third decrease round: k2tog in succession all the way round. Break off yarn, leaving a tail. Draw end tightly through all stitches and fasten off.
Thumb – Slip to two needles the 15 stitches from the stitch holder.
With 3rd needle pick up and knit on the 3 cast on stitches.
There should be 18 stitches on the needles for the thumb.
K around until the thumb measures 2 inches above the cast on stitches.
First decrease round: *k1, k2tog* repeat 5 times
K even 2 rounds
K2tog in succession.
Finish as for top of mitten.
Make another mitten exactly the same way!
Toffee and Tea
Something about DC in January when it still feels so cold and dark and wintry and all the lights are coming down and all the vacation is used up is a downer. My siblings are back in their respective states, David is back to school and we're all trying to lose weight, exercise more and stick to a budget. On the bright side, the vortex has moved on, all the post Christmas sales are amazing and I have loads and loads of free time. This week (while wearing PINS) I decided it was time to revisit my favourite cookie, one that didn't get made this Christmas in the hustle and bustle of gingerbread and chocolate thumbprints. The toffee-shortbread cookie. It hails from my mother's childhood in Scotland and if you have a weekend full of pins to make or badgers to stitch nothing will keep you happier than an enormous pot of tea and a pan of toffee short bread. The crunchy shortbread and the gooey toffee and chocolate, sweet heaven the chocolate.
Shortbread
8 oz Flour
8 oz butter
2 oz caster sugar
Mix all the ingredients together until it resembles bread crumbs or wet sand and press it into a cake tin. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes and let it cool.
Toffee
4 oz caster sugar
4 oz butter
2 tablespoons Lyle's Golden Syrup
14 oz tin of sweetened condensed milk
6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate
Mix all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Take the toffee off the heat and let it cool. Once its cool, spread it over the shortbread. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and pour it over the toffee. Let it cool and slice.