Monday, December 30, 2013

Episode 14: Happy Holidays

You can listen directly to the podcast here!

Hello and welcome to the KnitSip podcast, a beverage themed knitting podcast.  I'm your host Shannon and I'm known as snotestine on Ravelry and KnitSip on Plurk, Twitter and Instagram.  Show notes can be found here on the blog or on the KnitSip Ravelry group.

In Line
It's definitely snowing here in northern Michigan and it's beautiful.  (Ask me again in a few months and my opinion may change.)  Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas! 

Sorry if you had issues with episode 13.  I've upgraded storage with Libsyn so hopefully that has resolved.  Thank you so much listeners for helping this podcast grow.  We had over 550 downloads in November alone!

Place Your Order
Sipping
Spilled Beverages
Your Drink is Ready
Specialty Drinks
Cafe Menu
Drive Through
Tips

Sipping
Mom's Christmas Socks
Knit 1 Crochet Too, Crock-o-Dye sock yarn
US 2 = 2.74=5 mm

Twisted Hipster
By Nichole Montgomery
US 4 = 3.5 mm
CJ Kopec Creations Diligence base in Spruce, a beautiful dark teal color

Spinning
100% Corriedale, 8 oz
Navy, Coral and Magenta color - going to spin each color seperately and ply together
Spilled Beverages
Note to self: Do not attempt to knit with black yarn in the dark while watching a movie, it does not go well. Ended up with several dropped stitches and had to rip back and start again.  Lesson learned.

Your Drink is Ready
Snuggle #2
Crochet, 100% acrylic, US J Hook = 5.5 mm

Charity Hats for Cynthia's Too
Mom and I turned in 8 hats total to our LYS for the local hat drive.
2 hats were crocheted using the pattern Easy Sideways Hat by Lion Brand
     - crocheted using J Hook = 5.5 mm and Lion Brand Fishermans Wool that was Kool Aid dyed with little man in a rainbow of colors
     - 1 knit had (basic beanie style) using US 4 =  and using Lion Brand Fishermans Wool Kool Aid dyed with little man orange and green.
     - Little Man donated 3 hats and 2 pairs of mittens that no longer fit him

Under the Wire cowl by Lisa Dykstra (yenforyarn)
CJ Kopec Creations in the Scarecrow color way
US 10 = 6.0 mm

Under the Wire hat, based on Lisa's design
CJ Kopec Creations in the Scarecrow color way
US 10 = 6.0 mm

Dad's Fingerless Mitts
Stonehedge Fiber Mill, DK weight
US 7 = 4.5 mm

Spinning CJ Koho Designs
8 oz. of SW Merino in the Genevieve color way
Plied that with 8 oz. BFL in the same color way

Specialty Drinks
KnitSip Holiday/Christmas Crafting Ravelry Threads
There is a chatter and a FO thread.  For every 20 projects posted in the FO thread 1 prize will be donated by myself.  Tell and show us what your holiday projects are.  They can be any kind of craft (knit, corchet, sewn, quilted, baked, scrapbooked, etc)

Cynthia's Too Yarn Shop Charity Hat Drive
Mom (NoniNunes) and I have volunteered to help organize this coming years hat drive at our LYS. Our goal is 175 hats for 2014!  Hats will be donated to the local Mana organization as well as other community groups that have needs for hats.  You can participate by:
-Stopping by Cynthia's Too Yarn Shop in Petoskey, MI
- Mailing them to myself or the shop
- By meeting up with me at different yarny events that I will be attending
- There will be prized held throughout the year each person will receive one entry for every hat donated.

Coming up in 2014 - Team KnitSip for Snuggles!  Also coming up February 2014 is Team KnitSip for the 2014 Ravellenics!

Cafe Menu
Carrott Curried Soup
3-4 lbs of carrots (baby carrots ok)
1 medium onion
1 Tbl. minced garlic
1 Tbl. curry powder (or less if you desire)
1 tsp. minced ginger
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Place everything in a slow cooker or crock pot and turn on low for 8-10 hours.  (Carrots will be very tender.)  In a blender or a food processor blend everything together.  You can also use a food emulsifier to blend in the crock pot.  Serve and enjoy!

You can freeze left overs and re-heat before serving again.

Cheesecake Sopapilla Bars
(Thanks to Katie - Jetgirl1313 for making this at Knittin' in the Mitten)

2 cans crescent rolls (I used Pillsbury seamless dough)
8 oz (2 packages) cream cheese
1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 honey
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 stick butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream sugar, vanilla and cream cheese together until smooth
Grease a 9x13" pan and lay one can of crescent rolls on the bottom
Spread cream cheese mixture over the dough
Place second can of crescent rolls over cream cheese mixture
Mix together butter, cinnamon and 3/4 cup of sugar together until coarse (still lumpy)
Sprinkle mixture over the top of the bars and cook in the oven for 30 mins or until the top of the bars are golden.  Take out of the oven and let cool for a bit.  When the bars are still warm drizzle honey over them.  You can let cool completely or serve slightly warm.

Drive Through
Gaylord Knitters, Biggby coffee shop in Gaylord, MI.  We knit from 4-8 pm every Thursday.  Check out the Gaylord Kniters facebook page too.  Both knitters, crocheters and spinners as well as the non-fiber enthusiasts  are encouraged to come.  Wonderful people, delicious drinks and free wi-fi.

Cynthia's Open Knit
Saturday December 21st from 11 am - 3 pm.  Free and open to anyone who wants to come.  This theme's open knit is to bring your Christmas presents that need finishing and a plate of cookies to share (Cookies are optional).  Stop by for some wonderful knitting and cookies.

Tips
Thank you so much for listening, now that my storage has been upgraded I will be able to podcast bi-weekly again.  Please come back in two weeks for episode 15.  You can listen to the podcast directly from the blog or subscribe via iTunes.  Show notes are found on the blog and also in the KnitSip Ravelry group.  There is a Cafe Menu thread in the KnitSip Ravelry group with all the recipes provided. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and Holiday season.  I look forward to talking to everyone again before the new year and until then I hope you have plenty to knit and sip.



Sunday, December 22, 2013

Andrea's Fingerless Mitts Pattern


Andrea’s Fingerless Mitts
By KnitSip Designs (Shannon Notestine)

My co-worker Andrea every year would have me knit a couple of pairs of fingerless mitts for her family every Christmas.  Andrea and I would have fun picking the yarn and patterns together and her family and friends loved the mitts.  In 2012 we lost Andrea so I came up with a fingerless mitts pattern in her memory.

Materials:
DK Weight Yarn or a light Worsted Weight Yarn
US 6’s = 4.0 mm Needles (either 2 circular needles or magic loop)
2 Stitch Markers
Waste Yarn or Stitch Holders

Gauge:
11.75 stitches = 2”
14.5 rows = 2”
These are a one size fits most but there are two different lengths for these fingerless mitts.  The shorter version is listed first with the longer version in parenthesis

Directions:
Cast On 44 stitches over 2 needles (I used the German Twisted Cast On)
Knit 2 x 2 ribbing for 10 (15) rounds
Knit 15 (20) round of Stockinet Stitch

Gusset:
Knit 2 stitches M1L, place marker, knit to the end of the row
Knit until 2 stitches before the end of the round on the second needle, place marker, M1R, knit to the end of the row
Knit 1 entire round in Stockinet Stitch
Knit to marker, slip marker, M1L, knit to the end of the row
Knit to marker, slip marker, M1R, knit to the end of the round
Knit 1 entire round in Stockinet Stitch
Repeat last three steps 6 more times (60 stitches total)

Cuff:
Knit a row on the first needle, knit until last 8 stitches on the second needle
Slip these last 8 stitches on waste yarn (or stitch holders)
Slip the first 8 stitches on needle one onto waste yarn (or stitch holders)
Knit for 10 (15) rounds
Knit 2 x 2 ribbing for 10 (15) rounds
Bind Off loosely

Thumb:
Slip the 16 stitches back onto your needles
Pick up 6 stitches around the top of the thumb gusset ( 22 stitches total)
Divide stitches evenly onto your needles
Knit 10 rounds
Bind Off loosely

Weave in your ends
Repeat the same steps for your second fingerless mitts
Enjoy your new pair of fingerless mitts

Abbreviations:
2 x 2 ribbing = knit 2 stitches, purl 2 stitches

M1L = make a stitch by lifting strand between stitches from the front and knit in the back of strand to make a stitch that slants to the left 

M1R = make a stitch by lifting strand between stitches from the back and knit in front of strand to make a stitch that slants to the right

In loving memory of my friend and co-worker Andrea Schnell who left us much too soon.  These fingerless mitts are my way of honoring her memory and giving spirit.