Taking care

The last few weeks have been frenetic around here.  Since before Passover, a month ago, I have been super busy--first with all the household preparations, as my husband, the professor, was out of town before the holiday, and then afterwards, with catching up on all the work that seemed to fall between the cracks.  I've been doing some editing, writing, and even some designing. 

Then, the news (shootings, floods, wars) has been fairly daunting, too--and after a while, a person feels run down.  My piece last week for the Vancouver paper, The Jewish Independent, as about this issue and how to do a little self-care in order to cope.  It's called Staying calm amid bad news.

One thing that kept me busy was getting ready to teach a handspinning class in our local fibre arts community.  I both love teaching and feel a bit out of practice...I started my career teaching full time, but now work almost entirely by myself.  That transition from 'extrovert' job to an introverted lifestyle has meant that sometimes I have to really psych myself up and prepare to do a teaching job.  I still love doing it, but I don't get to do it as often now.  

On Mother's Day, I joined five women who seemed as determined as I was to take time to enjoy themselves and learn something new--and the break did us all good!  

This first photo is of the bags of samples I created for the class: eight different kinds of silk, mohair and alpaca, all weighed and measured in a cheerful and reusable bag in spring time patterns, complete with lists of where to buy resources and more.  I also brought along my books to share for those who were interested in a signed copy.  

These days, many of my students seem surprised to hear that I did actually write books on these topics!  (Alas, although they are still for sale, fame is so fleeting!)  If you missed your chance to take a class on Mother's Day, you can, of course, always order the books online.  Here's a link to Fiber Gathering and Knit Green for good measure...If you live locally, I can also sign your books if you're interested.  (If you live far away, postage may be prohibitive.) 

Meanwhile, back at our household, the Professor and my twins did piano lessons, grocery shopping, and playing with our dogs on their own...and surprised me with flowers and a sushi dinner as a treat.  Sometimes a break from routine, some learning, and some time spent doing something you love... is a good thing! 

A quick sale!

I'm having a quick little sale over on Ravelry for all my patterns. 

 It's an "end of October" kinda thing..a celebration of color and orange in particular at this dark time of year... 

 So, you can save 20% off on anything you download until the end of the day--the deadline is October 31st at midnight, Central Time (US & Canada.) 

 Use the coupon code:

Oct2016

Also, did you know that you can buy my patterns online at Loveknitting.com?

 I've got patterns for sale online there as well, and they include alternate yarn suggestions in case you want to buy yarn and the pattern all at once.  Note: The Ravelry sale is not applicable at Loveknitting, but you can still get my Plum Ribbed Cardigan on sale there at a discount.

If you buy the same plummy cardigan on Ravelry, you can get the intro price of $5US, plus a 20% discount.  That's a deal, huh?  (I know, just sayin')

It's a rainy and cool day here in Manitoba, and it seems like a good time to pick up knitting... so I thought I'd do this little sales announcement. :)

You may wonder why I do this promotional stuff now and again?  I don't put any outside ads on my blog or website.  I don't send out tons of newsletter notes, although maybe I should.  Instead, I hope that every now and again, somebody downloads a pattern (about the price of a cup of coffee).  This is what enables me to afford to continue designing, on a part time basis.  I'm also continuing to write for a few publications, I occasionally do editing contracts, and occasionally teach workshops and classes.  (That...and juggle twins, too.)

Hope you're well and enjoying the change of seasons, wherever you experience it!  :)
All the best,
Joanne

The Cuddle Coat--a new release!

It's been snowing again.  One of my boys has another (insert expletive here) head cold.  Both boys have been moaning about when summer will get here... and the answer is?  Not yet.

Long ago, I designed the Cuddle Coat as a Knit Picks exclusive.  Eventually, the pattern copyright returned to me, and I put it up on Ravelry, but gosh darn it, it had world's worst pictures.  It never improved, either.  I wore out TWO cuddle coats (they are seriously, well, cuddly) but could never snap the perfect shot that showed off the sweater.  However, if you look over to my profile shot on this blog?  I'm wearing a Cuddle Coat!

So, I've just revised and re-released the pattern.  I've added metric measurements, I've updated yarn selections, the whole 9 yards (and equivalent number of meters.)  Also, I've left it at the old price, which means it is really permanently on sale...It's easy, it's a fast knit, and it's seriously cozy.  That said, last week, I wore this with a skirt to a dress up occasion, too, so it's versatile.  Did I say warm?  It's warm. So, here it is, re-introducing...the Cuddle Coat.  

Everything else here is still in a serious jumble, but I've tidied up this one pattern AND submitted my Canadian taxes ahead of the deadline, so you know, things are good, right?

PS: Dear Readers, I'm so hoping that one of you buys a Cuddle Coat pattern, knits it up and takes a gorgeous photo...because this is my third try...and I'm still not showing you how danged comfortable it is!

Settling in--and a whole grain bread recipe

Well, we're settling in here for the long (LONG...did I say long?) winter season.  I think I'm still not over last year's winter, it was the worst in 118 years of recorded temperatures in Winnipeg.

 It was -11F (-23C) when I last looked at the temperature this morning, with a windchill of -25F (-31C).  Last night, as our professor was driving home through rush hour, we had a little snowfall.  Only around 2 cm, less than an inch, but enough to make driving home in the dark more of an adventure.

This morning as we got the boys out to the car for preschool, one of the dudes insisted on playing with snow with his mitts on.  I just instituted the "double mitts" one needs for this weather (one handknit mitt inside of another one, on each hand) and of course, they aren't used to getting them on and off.  Imagine wearing a coat with a liner--you put the whole thing on at once and do not peel off the liner each time...there, that's a double mitt!  Of course, said twin has not learned yet that snow play will make your hand colder, particularly if your mitt comes off. (insert kid screaming "PUT MY MITT BACK ON! Help me with my mitt! COLD! COLD!" for the third time, which means a parent has to take her mitt off to fix the problem again.) Sigh.  It's a learning process.

A while back I promised my bread machine whole grain bread recipe.  I'll offer it (with variation) below.  My whole thrust is to produce a healthy homemade bread without extraneous preservatives or other "stuff" in it--and have it be as time efficient as possible, so I can manage to make it consistently as our "house bread."  Making homemade bread tastes better, saves lots of money, and is probably better for you, but it does take time.  This new bread machine system takes all the joy of hand kneading and "making the bread" away, which I miss, but it reaches all the other goals, so for now, it's the machine..

Whole Wheat/Whole Grain (mostly) bread in the bread machine (2 lb loaf)

Put the ingredients into the bread machine pan in this order:
1 2/3 cup water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons honey
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups white flour
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour *** (see below for variation)
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

Use the whole wheat setting (#2 on my bread machine and it takes 3 hrs and 45 min)
Set it on Medium crust

NOTES: If you like a really crusty loaf, set it on Dark crust, and if that is not crusty enough, preheat your oven (Convection Oven, if you have it) at 425F.  When the bread comes out of the bread machine, pop it out onto a cookie sheet and put it in the oven for 15 minutes.

VARIATION FOR 3 YEAR OLDS! 
The above recipe was "too dark" and "too crusty" to be really popular among twins in our household, despite the white flour.  I was annoyed; the grown-ups liked it!  Here's the variation--still lots of whole grain, still good for you.
Whole Wheat/Whole Grain (mostly) bread in the bread machine (2 lb loaf)

Put the ingredients into the bread machine pan in this order:
1 2/3 cup water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons honey
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour *** (note variation)
1/2 cup spelt flour***
1/4 cup quick oats***
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

Use the whole wheat setting (#2 on my bread machine and it takes 3 hrs and 45 min)
Set it on Medium crust (skip the oven step mentioned above)

---I'm still having some tummy problems, so I mostly eat spelt bread, which I make differently.  I will save that recipe for another time. 

Anyway, after having some fresh warm bread, I've been curling up to knit.  I started a new shawl-scarf thing for myself on Monday, and I'm finding the designing to be addictive.  Here's a taste with this night time photo...I knit before bed.  (I hope a new design will be coming soon.)

seeing another way

OK, I admit it. Lately I've been feeling sort of burnt out on knitting...and even blogging. I'm just not very interested. I mean, theoretically I am, but I'm so busy this summer that I seem to lack the time to sit down and knit for more than a few minutes at a time. So many other things need my attention right now. Also...honestly, when Sally the dog situates herself right on the couch next to me and nudges my hand? Well, that hand ends up giving her a good scratch behind the ears instead of forming another knit or purl stitch. Then the moment is over and it's time to get up and do something else that "needs doing."

I have a pair of plain old socks going on double point needles and a nearly finished sweater waiting for me to do something about it.

When I finally admitted this to myself, I talked about it with the Professor, of course. He pointed out that, for me, I was going back to the things that inspired me from the beginning whenever I could... Raw wool, sheep, the motions of spinning or throwing a shuttle through the shed of the loom still captivate me at times. It's just that for the last several months, (or maybe longer) I've been pulling myself completely away from designing, selling, or producing knitting for anything other than personal needs.

There are a lot of reasons for this, but I think the most pressing is this--it's not fun right now for me. While of course, there are many reasons to stick with something--certainly if it's meaningful for world peace or lucrative in a way that supports one's needs financially, spiritually, socially, etc. then it may be worth "sticking it out." Sometimes, though, if it's not that crucial, it's a good idea to step back.

As I stepped back from the knitting, my office became crowded with many half-started projects,other freelance work, and ideas. Piles of things to be darned, half-knit swatches, notes from long ago phone calls abound. I need to tidy up, because my office is near the guest room and may turn into an impromptu bedroom for a small elementary school aged friend who is visiting soon with her parents.

Yesterday, when I began to think about cleaning, I came upon my very favorite length of straight needles. (Short-- like me!) To give you an idea of scale, the set with the row counter on it are about 7 inches long.

It was warm, so I put up my hair with another pair of needles while thinking about things.

I knit another swatch. Top photo...with handspun, that is a size #2(2.75mm) needle with three ply handspun. Skinny yarn!

I took some time to remember why I liked these needles in my hands.

Today, I took a walk in the sunshine to the hardware store and the grocery store. All of a sudden, as I hefted my (reusable) bag of groceries over my shoulder, a sweater design came to mind. That doesn't mean I have to rush off and sketch it, or knit it, or even swatch it...

but it's nice to know those ideas are still there. It just seems like those little musings are more like cats than dogs. Like cats, they don't usually come when called.