Vertical Weave Fingerless Mittens and Flatbread

So I've been MIA for quite awhile. I returned to school in the fall and have been super busy. I've still had some time to knit, but I haven't found the time or motivation to post anything until now.

So lets play catch up, starting with...

The Pattern: Vertical Weave Fingerless Mittens by Me!
Size: 8 inches around forearm, 7 inches around hand, and 2 1/4 inches around the thumb
The Yarn: 1 ball of Cascade Yarns 220 Wool in Teal 9420 (220yds/201.2 m) or 1 ball of Paton's Classic Wool Merino in Dark Gray 000225 (223yds/203.9m)
Needle size: Size 7/4.5 mm

Started: 10/22/10
Finished: 10/23/10

This is two pairs. Not a pair made up of one teal and one gray, although now that I'm thinking about it wearing one of each color would be cool. It only takes about half a ball to make one pair

When I started this project in October I took detailed notes because I was going to post the instructions. Then I put the instructions in a really safe place. Which has proved to be so safe that nine months later even I can't find them. And unfortunately I gave these away, so I can't even use the mittens to jog my memory.

The mittens are pretty much a tube until the thumb. Then, like most mitten or glove patterns, there's some increases to add the thumb gusset. The vertical stitch pattern came from Knit Stitches & Easy Projects Beginner's Guide from Leisure Arts.

This is no knead garlic cheese flat bread. The recipe is from the King Arthur website. This bread is soooo easy to make. You mix the ingredients, let the bread rise, pour into a sheet pan and bake. I cut them into strips and dipped in marinara sauce. Yum.

Happy Halloween Weekend

The Pattern: Minimalist Cardigan by Ruthie Nussbaum
Size: 35 1/2
The Yarn: 11 skeins of Valley Yarns Sugarloaf in Sienna (891.0 yards/814.7m)
Needle size: Size 7/4.5 mm

Started: 10/16
Finished: 10/24

This is another project that has been in my queue for a while. I might wear it like this.

Or like this.

I wish I made the smallest size, because it came out a little baggier in the shoulders and arms than I'd have liked.

I really like the texture of the moss stitch. I'm also really happy with the yarn. I love the color and the squishiness.

It's pumpkin season, so I made this pumpkin bread recipe that I found on Tasty Kitchen. It makes 2 loaves, I have only been making a half recipe at a time. Partly because J and I won't be able to eat two loaves before they go bad. But mainly because I only have one loaf pan :)

The recipe calls for shortening. Instead I substituted coconut oil and butter. Coconut oil is supposedly very good for you.

Hey look crocheted baskets

An interesting product I saw at the MoMA design store a couple days ago. The set goes from $220. MoMA lists them as knitted baskets, but up close it is clear they are crocheted.

They are made out of neoprene, a flexible rubber used in the automotive and plumbing industries. Interesting material, soft to the touch and holds the bowl shape well.

The designer is Rosanna Contadini. She and two other designers, Isabella Nardone and Analia Restrepo, design handbags, home decor products, and jewelry all produced from neoprene. Check out there other items at Neo

Mitered Hanging Towels and Scroll Shaped Semolina Bread

The Pattern: Mitered Hanging Towels by Cristina Bernardi Schiffman published in Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines and available online at canadianliving.com
The Yarn: 3 balls of Red Heart ECO Cottom in vanilla, denim, and linen marl - one of each color (145yd/133m per ball)
Needle size: US8/5.0mm

Started: 6/17
Finished: 7/10

I made these for a gift, but I still don't have a recipient in mind. This was a nice project to give me a break from Anthemion (This thing is taking forever!). You could knit one of these in a day or over the course of a couple evenings.

I bought this yarn with no particular project in mind. I just happened upon it when I was at Knit-A-Way. I loved the look of the denim and linen marl colors. The yarn is 75% recycled fabric remnants from t-shirts and 25% acrylic. It felt a little bit stiffer than other cotton blends I've used in the past. It is a good yarn for householdy items. So when I ran across this pattern in Mason-Dixon I decided to dig out the Red Heart.

The buttons are 28mm in diameter and made of horn. I got them at M&J Trimming on 6th Avenue between 37th & 38th. They broke my bank at about $5 a piece, but they are so handsome and perfect for these towels I couldn't leave them behind.

Here is my latest baking creation.

Pane Siciliano. Again from the Bread Baker's Apprentice. I didn't get the shaping quite right. I think the problem was the surface tension on the dough. So when they rose they sort of just melted together, making the scroll shape less obvious than the loaves pictured in the book.

I ate one loaf over a week and froze the other two loaves. They weren't quite as good out of the freezer, but they make good cheesy garlic bread.

This is how I do cheesy garlic bread:
Place desired number of slices under the broiler to toast.
Crush one clove of garlic and rub it on the toasted bread.
Place a layer of cheese on top. I use shredded parmesan, but you could use mozzarella or whatever.
Stick the bread back under the broiler until the cheese starts to brown. Enjoy!

Gulf Oil Spill: How you can help...

Photograph by Sean Gardner, Reuters

For anyone interested in helping out with the oil spill disaster, here are a few organizations that have set up oil spill relief funds.

Greater New Orleans Foundation – Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund
National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Emergency Fund
(You can also donate $10 by texting "WILDLIFE" to 20222)
Oxfam America Gulf Coast Oil Spill Response Fund
United Way Greater New Orleans Gulf Oil Spill Fund

And check to see if your employer will match your donation.

It has been estimated that the spill is already far larger than the Exxon Valdez oil spill from 1989.
BP spill vs Exxon spill comparison chart.
NY Times article on the rate of oil flow into the gulf

More info on the oils spill and how you can help:
EPA
The Daily Green
Deepwater Horizon Response
Google News
National Wildlife Federation
NY Times
Oil Spill Volunteers
Take Part
White House