The Craft Bits: Ribby Wrist Warmers (F)

Welcome back to the Knitter's Holiday Showcase - Christmas 2008!

It's not really that bad...well yeah, it is. Today is item #4 Ribby Wrist Warmers. These were done for my sister. Mostly because these day's she's killing time working her job at a fast food restaurant waiting for someone to be so totally stunned by her resume that they come and whisk her away from the pain and misery of working at a fast food restaurant. The one thing she does most often is work the drive up window and during the 9 months of cold weather in these parts, that's a lot of time with blue frigid hands.


The pattern is from, yet again, Speed Knits by Kris Percival. There seems to be a pattern developing here...things that knit fast. The reason being that I am not the most organized person so in September when I started planning for Christmas I realized that I didn't exactly have the time or talent to knit a lot of things that take, well, time or talent. If I were going to try and knit things to give...well, they'd have to be pretty easy and pretty fast in order to have them competed by Christmas instead of by Labor Day the following year.

The pattern itself was pretty much a cinch and the end result was a rather cool waffle weave texture. The yarn is Knit Picks swish super wash charcoal (yes...more swish...it's a nice yarn!). Unfortunately considering the environment that she'll be working in, wool was not the best type of yarn to go with with the exception of how warm they'll be, but honestly there aren't many synthetic yarns that go well with the types of fats and sugars these are going to be exposed to, which is why if she wants another pair for outside of work or a replacement pair they're all hers.

The Home Cook: Aunt Margaret's Pancakes

We've talked pancakes before and if that recipe is the Cadillac of pancakes then this one is the family car. It's sturdy, reliable and gets you where you want to go with a minimum of fuss.

I can see the original recipe card in my mind. It's one of those with a little fruit design on the upper left corner, filled out in a beautifully elegant hand writing - Aunt Margaret's Pancakes. It's worn soft, the ink is discolored in a few places from drips of batter and melted butter; the entirety of the instructions take up two sentences. (I've elaborated a bit for clarity.) It's one of those recipes that you just know has been the staple of someone's kitchen for a good long time. For good reason, this is the classic of pancakes; a soft airy interior with just enough dense cakiness to hold a generous dollop of butter and a good pour of maple syrup. This is what Hungry Jack and Aunt Jemima wish their pancakes were.

I'm not sure I've mentioned how I got most of my family recipes. Some people grow up leave home and make their own cooking tradition, others call mom as needed to get a recipe when the craving strikes...I spent an entire summer copying recipes onto cards before I ever left home. And yes, I did have a little box with 35 or so of my family's recipes with me...even when I lived in the dorms. I think I was the only person who ever used the community room oven. This has been my go to pancake recipe since I was paying rent on an unlevel, harvest gold electric range and is in heavy rotation today while I pay a mortgage on a almost level, almond gas range. The origins are pretty clear - Aunt Margaret - but not MY Aunt Margaret, she's actually my Great-aunt. She is one of the many women I know that PROVES there's no cooking like the cooking of a Midwestern farmer's wife. Serve these with a side of bacon an and egg of your choice and you won't be hungry till lunch.

Margaret's Pancakes

2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup Butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 3/4 cups Milk
1/4 cup White Vinegar

Beat together all ingredients except vinegar until smooth using a wire whisk or electric mixer.

Heat griddle and lightly coat with oil or butter. When griddle nearly hot stir vinegar in the batter. Do not over stir after vinegar has been added or pancakes will become dense and heavy. Cook pancakes until golden on each side and serve or place into a warm 225-250F oven until entire batch is done.

The Crafty Bits: A Stocking Cap and Mittens (F)

No, I have not fallen off a cliff...it just seems that way.

If I recall we were looking over the bounty of Christmas knittables I gave as gifts...garter stitch scarves were the first things and now it's time for numbers 2&3 in the list of Shhh...tuff Kelli knit.

So before we dive in, lets consider this...what does one buy someone for Christmas when they're just 14 months old. Let's just say I had a hard time answering that very question this year...it's kind of a toughie since I'm not hip on toys...or clothes...or anything else a newly ambulatory little man might need. Plus gift transportation was an issue. (Compact car, dog & kennel, suitcases, gifts, laptops...we don't travel light!) So Mr. Max got a hat and mittens and Dr. Seuss. I figure you can't go wrong with things to keep you warm or build-up future brain power with top notch word play ...

"This one, I think, is called a Yink.
He likes to wink, he likes to drink.
He likes to drink, and drink, and drink.
The thing he likes to drink is ink.
The ink he likes to drink is pink.
He likes to wink and drink pink ink.
SO...if you have a lot of ink,
then you should get a Yink, I think."

Ahem, so back on track. This swirl stocking cap made up a portion of the hat/mitten gift. Done in Knit Picks Swish Superwash yarns Lawn and Bok Choy and the pattern is from the book, Knitting for Peace. The book itself is a lovely read with lots of stories documenting the many good deeds of knitters across the United States. The pattern wasn't so lovely. I'm still not exactly sure what the problem is/was but the swatch gauge and the final product...not so similar. there was WAY more stretch in the hat and the size it told me to knit it to was much, much to large. I ended up frogging back half of what I had knit and working the brim from there for slightly taller than intended gnomish hat. It's cute and swirly, but it should be knit it much tighter next time. (Assuming my gauge is what loosened up and not that the needle sizing was incorrect.) In the end it worked out fairly well and is pretty darn adorable.

The mittens are also from Knitting for Peace and were sooooo fast I had them done in an afternoon. I think I may have done the thumb gusset backwards...I'm not really sure how, but they just didn't quite look right. Or maybe I just didn't know what I was doing or looking at...either/or. Regardless, they are mittens - with thumbs - that Max will out grow before the hat ever fits. It's probably a good thing there's lots of yarn left over.

And this is Max.
This is also how he looks these days since most
of his time is spent running away from you.