Bread!
Baby!
Free Yarn!
OK, if those titles don’t get you to read on, nothing will. First, the bread. I promised in the last post that there would be another Daily Bread installment soon. Here it is.
Getting ready:
And just out of the oven:
The recipe is Rustic Potato Loaves, from Baking With Julia. As the recipe is in a published book, and I pretty much made it as written, I won’t write it out here. A reader (if it was you, let me know, I lost track of who recommended this book) suggested this one, so I got the book out of the library. It’s a great cookbook, and I’ve been drooling over it for the past few weeks. I came home from work one night this past week, and there was a package on the counter. My sweetie had bought me my very own copy!
The recipe uses russet potatoes, flour, water, salt, yeast, and olive oil. The skins are left on the potatoes after you boil them, so add a very nice flavor and texture to the bread. I made this one with my KitchenAid mixer instead of the bread machine, as it’s a very soft dough and I wanted to have a little more control over putting it together. It turned out great. Here’s the meal it went with:
Baked potato, the bread, steamed green beans, and perfect little steaks with a mushroom-red wine sauce. Yum.
Next up, the Baby! Baby Riley (my great-niece!) was born late last week, and is clearly in the running for Cutest Baby Ever Born. She has all the earmarks of a princess-in-training. Here’s a photo:
She looks like she might have red hair, like her grandma, my sister. Her birthday present isn’t quite done yet, but that’s OK. It’s turning out to be a size that she won’t be able to wear for awhile.
Now, the Blogiversary. Three years ago this week, I started my blog. In the words of one of my favorite bluegrass artists*, “what a long, strange trip it’s been”! I’ve learned a ton of new knitting tricks from all of you, been led to a lot of great new yarn-buying shops both online and off, and met lots of new friends through this blog. Though my posting has slowed down lately, I have no intention of giving up the blog. I started this mostly to keep track of my knitting projects, but it’s turned into much more than that. Despite the fact that my husband calls you all my “imaginary friends”, I can’t imagine a week without you all here.
In honor of all my “imaginary friends”, as without you there would be no blog, I’m having a contest. I’m giving away yarn! All you have to do is leave a comment with your favorite knitting trick. It can be a fancy way to do seams, a great gadget that you couldn’t live without, a favorite pattern stitch, or just some wonderful secret trick that’s saved your knitting butt.
I’ll choose my personal favorite for one prize, and draw a random name for the other. The contest will be open for 4 days. The last eligible comment will have to be in by Sunday night at midnight. On Monday, I’ll announce the winners.
Oh, and the prizes? Yarn, of course. Two skeins each, for each lucky winner.
For the knitting trick that is my favorite:
And:
The first skein is Heritage lace yarn, in a heavy laceweight. The color is Blueberry Hill, and it’s a silk-rayon blend, 525 yards. The second skein is Mountain Colors Bearfoot, in Bitterroot Rainbow, enough to make a pair of socks.
For the randomly drawn winner:
And:
The first is of course Opal sock yarn, in Lollipop, from my treasured Opal stash. The second is Cherry Tree Hill Glitter Alpaca yarn. The color is Northern Lights, and there’s 428 yards of it. I could see this as very luxurious socks, or perhaps a scarf, mittens, or a hat.
So spread the word, leave a comment, win some yarn!
*He is too a bluegrass artist. Check this out if you don’t believe me.
Happy blogiversary! My tips aren’t very exciting, but they sure have helped me. One is when I learned how to unknit rather than rip. That’s saved me from destroying entire projects. The other is knitting backwards–or purling in reverse. It makes entrelac so much easier; you don’t have to flip the project around so much.
Happy Blogiversary! Too funny, my dh calls my blog friends “imaginary friends”, too. :0)
My favourite “tip” is to “pre-block” something on the needles, to see how it’s going to turn out. Oh, and the mattress stitch. Gotta love the mattress stitch.
My knitting life changed when I learned about “spit splicing” …by far, my favorite knitting trick!
Happy Blogiversary – and thank you for the past 3 years!
Happiest of Anniversaries and many many more! I agree, I think blogland has given us all more than we bargained for. Congrats on that beautiful pretty-in-pink princess you’ve added into your kingdom. God Bless!
As far as fab gadgets mine is probably old news for most (i’m usually miss the gravy train) but I just found them about 3 months ago and felt like a kid in a candy shop. I don’t know what their called, probably worth about .15 cents although I paid $6, and they are two little rubber nipple type things attached by a small piece of elastic. DPN’s go in each nipple type thing and the elastic holds them together….you cannot imagine how happy I am that I no longer have spikes projecting through every purse I own!
Happy Blogiversary. I enjoy your blog–the knitting as well as your travels and music.
You also enabled me to call Blue Moon Fiber Arts as soon as I saw your Hot Flash colorway on your blog. I have yet make anything with it. Right now, I just like to look at it.
Here’s a tip…
Don’t be afraid to use stitch markers. They really can catch mistakes early and make knitting less stressful.
Just wanted to congratulate you on your blogiversary!! My favorite trick is learning the magic loop – probably won’t use DPNs again!
Cute baby and yummy dinner!
Anyone who doesn’t think Jerry is a bluegrass artist just doesn’t know music! My tip is to keep it simple and keep on blogging!;-)
Baby is so cute! You’re breads are so beautiful. There’s dough in that dough you know that’s if you ever get tired of doctorship.
Wow – that does have to be one of the cutest babies ever. Right up there with my granddaughter! Ok, this tip is so elementary I’m a little embarassed to admit that I knit for over 30 years without it. When knitting lace or complicated Arans, use stitch markers to separate your patterns. I know – pretty simple, huh? Just took me a long while to realize it. Can’t believe the number of Arans and lace shawls I knit before I came to that little light bulb moment.
Yes, imaginary friends made you do it. (buy yarn) my tip is not monumental by any means, but I have found that simple twisty bread ties work great as markers. (I didn’t read any comments before posting)Now I have and what is it with STICH MARKERS????
Happp Blogversary!!!! Three years, COOL!
I keep my stitch markers on a carabiner in my knitting bag. That way they have less of a chance to escape.
Oh my goodness! I had no idea Jerry Garcia was a bluegrass artist! Now I feel like there should be blueberries in my Cherry Garcia ice cream!
Happy Three-Year Blogiversary!
My favorite and best knit-trick is to remember to breathe and keep a sense of humor in my knitting goofs. Also, it helps that I’m of the “if you can’t see it from the back of a galloping horse” mindset with regard to little knitting oopsies.
My latest favorite knitting gadget is the little green mini kacha-kacha row counter that locks. I drew a face on mine. Makes me smile. =p
http://knittish.squarespace.com/knittish-weblog/2006/10/17/meet-mickey.html
Happy Blogiversary Lorette!
Cute baby – probably the cutest one in the whole wide world.
My favorite trick when knitting socks on two circs has always been to put a stitch marker in the middle of each of the two circs to help me envision the orientation of the sock better. I could pretend I had needle one, two, three and four when using patterns so directed.
Now, my new favorite trick is to knit two socks on two circs. I am knitting two pairs of socks right now. (One pair each on two circs) and it is fun, but slow going as instead of knitting one sock at a time, I am knitting four.
Happy Knitting,
Mary Kay
Hi! I usually lurk, but I wanted to congratulate you on three years! I do have a trick: I found that one of the tips on my Addi Turbo was rough…it started to catch the yarn occasionally, but I could never figure out where the rough spot was. If it were wood or bamboo, you could file it soft. As Addis are metal, I grabbed by nail polish and put a thin coat of it on the tips. After it dried, I used a cotton cloth to “buff” it. Now, it knits very smoothly and the yarn doesn’t catch anymore.
Happy blogiversary! Now, just wait a minute while I wipe the bread-induced drool from my keyboard (it’s really been too long since I baked bread) . . . there! Now…
My favorite tip? To fix a circular knit that you accidentally joined twisted–you know, the kind that you usually don’t catch until you’ve knit several rows? Instead of frogging, I knit around to the first stitch–the one above the original join–and drop it. Ladder it down to the cast-on row, manually untwist everything, and then pick up the dropped stitch like any other dropped stitch, and put it back on the needle. I end up with a single twist at the cast-on, but that’s barely noticeable. Granted, I’ve only needed to do this two or three times, but since I hate having to rip anything out . . . I love this.
Oh, and I do love the Magic Loop for small items . . . and knitting two socks at once . . . the Turkish cast-on for sock toes . . . and yeah, that green Kacha Kacha counter–mine is tied to a stitch marker so I can dangle it from my needles. Love that. And then . . . well, I’ll just stop here, shall I??
My favorite trick is to switch the end stitches when joining in the round to make a tighter join.
Happy Blogiversary!
My favourite trick is blocking — it’s like magic! Okay, that’s not really a trick… Hmm… I think my favourite knitting technique of the moment is twisted stitches. They are like mini cables and work so much better on tiny, delicate things.
My best tip is to buy good needles. I spent many, many years knitting with cheapy needles. Last year I bought Knitpicks options and could not believe the difference it made in the finished product. I’ve always been a pretty even knitter (my purl and knit rows have the same tension) but the better needles took my knitting to the next level. The needles don’t have to be top of the line but please don’t try to save money and buy the cheapies!
Three years! that is a long time. I wonder how old mine is…..
My favorite trick: painters tape to keep track of the rows on charts. Can’t live without it.
Happy Blogiversary! Congrats on your beautiful great niece! Thanks for sharing your life with us, I’ve enjoyed reading your posts.
My favorite stitch to use for a scarf is the Mistake Stitch Ribbing–totally reversible and looks great no matter the yarn. (Well okay, maybe not novelty.) The pattern (from Barbara Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns) is:
Multiple of 4 sts plus 3
*K2, p2: rep from *, end K2, p1
Repeat this row.
Thanks for posting this great contest. I’ve learned a lot of really good tips!
Hmmmm…… my favorite “gadget” are those little plastic spirals that you can wrap around your needles to keep them together – they come in several sizes.
And has anyone mentioned life lines?
Happy Blogiversary!! What a cute baby!! Ok my FAVORITE trick is one that I learned on the Philospher’s Wool website while learning to do Fair Isle. When working with 2 colors of yarn they want you to weave the yarn that you are carrying if you knit more than 2 stitches with the other yarn. This keeps the yarn all nice and neat on the back of the work. It’s also a great way to weave in your ends while your knitting so that you don’t have to go back and do it later. I just hold the end I want to weave in my left hand, the yarn I am knitting with in my right hand and weave as I go. I swear this is a good trick, but it’s turning out to be very hard to describe it at the moment. It would be much easier to show you haha!
The baby is just darling! Happy Happy Blogiversary, too. My favorite knitting tip is freezer-type ziplock bags. The heavier plastic holds up really well. I put my yarn in one and toss it in my knitting bag. It keeps the yarn from rolling around, and everything is in one place for each project.
Happy Blogiversary Lorette!!!
I’m exempting myself from the prizes but I’ll still share my *secrets*
Favorite gadgets-
Double ended stitch markers 🙂
I just discovered these http://www.knitklips.com/toorder.html and they totally ROCK!! They make sweater finishing a breeze!!
Favorite technique-
Russian Join
Favorite knitting tip-
I like to knit both sleeves or both fronts of a cardi at the same time. So I never accidently work the wrong sleeve when turning I take a few locking stitch markers and “clip” both sleeves/fronts together so I’m always sure I’m knitting in the right direction!
Happy blog anniversary and congratulations on a very very cute baby niece!
My favorite knitting tip is for figuring out gauge on large Aran patterns.
Knit a regular size swatch using moss stitch, seed stitch or any other stitch that alternates knit and purl stitches every stitch or every other stitch. This approximates the gauge (and also yarn consumption) of knitting a pattern with cables. If you’ve never knitted a pattern, do a preliminary quick swatch this way. If you get gauge on the faux swatch, you could skip knitting a swatch with the whole pattern (those things can get really big).
If you need to make adjustments to achieve gauge, you can now knit the pattern swatch with a good idea of the needle size you need to use.
The extra step of knitting the faux swatch actually ends up saving time and frustration.
hmmm, my knitting tip – I never go anywhere without my little 2.75 mm crochet hook – it’s saved many a dropped stitch!
I really don’t need any yarn, so don’t enter me in the contest, but I just wanted to say:
YUM. May I please come to your house for dinner?
and
YUM. Look at that delicious little baby. She’s almost tempting me to have another one (and that’s saying A LOT).
and
Congratulations on three years of blogging.
and
One of my favorite knitting tricks I got from you – using those puzzle mats for blocking. Thank you!
spit splicing is amazing, but as i see someone already mentioned that, i’ll give you my second favorite thing.
i dont remember where i even saw it for the first time, but i fell in love with cabling the moment i realized you DIDNT have to have a cable needle to do it. i was actually holding off on ‘learning’ cabling until i could get the “right” needle, but when i discovered the other way of doing it, i took off and never looked back! now almost everything i do includes some kind of cables or other crossing patterns.
Happy Blogiversary! That is a cute baby, too.Congrats! My favorite tip involves the gadget: Ever use brush rollers and those pink plastic stick pins? They are great for holding two pieces together for seaming. They don’t split the yarn and they stay firmly in place. I have an old set. They are hard to find now. I don’t “set” my hair these days. Rarely sew seams, either. This is a great idea for a contest!
Hello Knitting Doctor: I am a Physical Therapist feeling akin to you in the medical profession. My neice is a hospitalist at Swedish Hospital and possibly you know her. Well, I am blogless due to autistic tendencies in placing digital pictures on the web. I have looked at your site for at least two years being inspired by your projects and generosity of sharing ideas. After thinking about the neatest knitting technique I would like to honor you in sharing the best trick you have taught me. For some reason I am addicted to sock knitting. I am currently in the STR and Sundara knitting club. When you put the tutorial up about reparing holes in soles of feet I just had to have the knitting egg. It took me a couple of months to find one in a yarn store in Santa Maria, California but I did. I went through your suggestions and repaired two socks that had a hole in the heel. My ex-husband and I are dead heads from way back. In fact my sons e-mail is walstib which you can figure out the acronym. I just wouldn’t think of them as a country grass band though. Anyway, congratulations on your three year anniversay and thank you for all your knitting comments, advice and all the wonderful trips that you take. Rosevta@hotmail.com
Beautiful Baby! And bread! Happy Blogiversary, too.
Some of my favorite knitting helps are clear plastic zippered pouches I found at my LYS. I put my most often used knitting tools in them and can see just what I need, so don’t have to hunt too far. I have one for travel and two for home.
My own favourite tip is to knit with yarn you love. It took me years to figure out that I don’t have to settle on yarn that will do but to go to the yarn that will make me love to project. Another tip is that while knitting cabled socks (I use set of five needles to do it since it is traditional where I come from) is putting the cable stitches on one of the needles that are not in use at the moment, no need to loose that cable needle :).
My best knitting tip is a new one – don’t knit all the time. It’s more fun that way. Happy Blogiversary!
Happy Bloggiversary! I have thouroughly enjoyed reading you through the years. Time just flys by doesn’t it?
As for my favorite trick, it has to be double knitting. Being able to knit with one hand and purl with another, I enjoy that very much. You are using two different colors all along the row and it just seems second nature to work with both hands at once instead of stopping to grab the other yarn.
🙂
Happy blogiversary, Lorette!
When I learned to mattress stitch, it changed my life! Same with kitchener, though I still struggle with that one.
Congrats on your anniversary! I just found your blog last week,and I’ve really enjoyed reading your posts.Your great-niece is adorable! My great-niece will make her appearance in July,and like you,the gifts I’ve knit so far won’t fit for awhile. Except for the three blankets..lol..she’s going to be warm if nothing else.
The knitting tricks I use have already been mentioned,but what has saved my knitting butt more than once is a journal. A friend gave me a beautiful leather journal and it went unused until I tried gathering my little notes about patterns and yarn and putting them in some kind of order. Now I record each project in the journal. I tape a scrap of the yarn to the page along with all the vital info(needle size,pattern,revisions,comments,yardage,start and finish dates,if it was a gift..who I gave it to). There’s a page dedicated in the back to needles I have and a VERY abbreviated stash list.I take it along with me to the LYS for reference since my memory is not what it used to be,and being in a room filled with luscious yarn renders my brain useless.
My favorite knitting trick is to always Google your project. Then you know what you are in for. I learn from other’s mistakes and find out valuable errata. Maybe someone suggests buying extra yarn because they have been there. All sorts of good tips could be found. Forwarned is forearmed! Happy knitting!
Judy
Happy blogiversary! My favorite knitting tip is that you can use a standard business card as a ruler — it’s 2 by 3.5 inches. Great for measuring your socks whle knitting on the train!
Happy Blog Birthday! That was an interesting title. I thought maybe you were having a baby. 🙂 I only said that because you can’t hit me from there.
I love the russian join and spit splicing, because I hate weaving in ends.
Wow, three years, congratulations!
Now I’m thinking about bread. And potatoes. Why did I keep reading??
Baby Riley looks so sweet! I hope you’ll post a picture if Baby Riley ever gets to meet Puppy Riley …
I have no actual knitting tips, though I wish I did. I have learned though, that at least for me, one glass of wine is plenty, if I don’t want to rip it all out the next day. Hardly a tip, but it does work!
🙂
You are such a temptress! I started reading your blog because we were both trying to shed some pounds before we turned 50! Now we are over 50 and I’m reading your blog to get bread recipes….hmmmmmmm
Actually, I read your blog for other reasons as well..LOL
Your little grand-niece surely is the cutest little baby I’ve seen in a while. I might have to change my opinion though as I’m expecting pictures of MY grand-niece any day now!
Happy blogiversary! I love that recipe–Baking with Julia is definitely one of my favorite cookbooks. The challah recipe is really fabulous, too!
Most valuable and least-commonly-followed-by-me knitting tip? Read the entire pattern before you begin. 🙂
Happy Versery
my favourite is by far the little tiny plastic circular needles that clover puts out to knit little tiny things like hat tops or baby sweater sleeves in the round. They are a little challenging to find but they are out there.
Yummy looking bread and adorable baby! Cabling without a cable needle is definitely at the top of my knitting trick list. Also, the tubular cast on and sewn-tubular bind-off, especially for 1×1 ribbing. I love the way it looks, and now that I have the technique down, it’s easy peasy.
First, you are truly blessed, beautiful bread, beautiful baby and beautiful yarn!
Tip:
As I now always do toe up socks on 2 circs and both together, so I suppose that’s 4 circs really, I always rewind my yarn into 2 equal balls (with the aid of kitchen scales) that way you can keep knittin’ up the leg and know exactly how much yarn is left. Saves having one sock longer than the other trying to judge it from 1 ball and works equally well for whatever sock method you choose. I once had only 2″ of yarn left over! (hope they never need darning though)
Dear Lorette
Adorable niece!
I love bread, and yours seem delicious
Happy Blogiversary.
I read your blog everyday, but I
Happy 3rd!
I’m into the make your bread thing right now. I’m trying to perfect a whole wheat dough for the bread machine (My hands are tied with a 1 y/o so not enough time to knead (and knit)).
My knitting tip is to keep learning, keep exploring for new ideas and methods (through blogs), and keep stretching your knitting muscle with new and different methods and designs.
happy blogiversary!! by far my favorite knitting trick is one i only recently learned – cabling without a cable needle. i use the method grumperina has a tutorial about and it is FANTASTIC. i’m knitting a sweater right now that has a ton of cabling, and it is SO nice not to have to stop, pick up a cable needle or dpn, fiddle, slip stitches, shift, knit, etc, etc. I love cabling without a cable needle!
Happy blogiversary! I’ve been reading for a while, and as a fellow NWsterner always enjoy reading about the local stuff going on – especially Wintergrass.
My favorite knitting tip is to mark every 10th row with a safety pin on things that need to measured. I’ve found that I can’t ever measure accuratly so I figure out how many rows I need to reach x inches and count safety pins instead.
Happy Blogiversary!
My favorite tip I recently read about in someone’s blog or blog comments. When you have to knit X inches of something, tie a tail that’s that long to the beginning of the pattern. Then you don’t need to keep taking out a ruler or measuring tape (“Am I done yet?”), you just hold out the tail and you know when you’re done.