Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends! How are you doing this week? In sunny Los Angeles, it’s hard for me to believe that Christmas is just around the corner! As of now, I’m not doing any gift knitting (I often wait til I have a week to go to decide to try to churn out a hand knit pressie), and I’m feeling pretty okay with that. I love giving handknit gifts, but I just haven’t gotten my act together for it this year.

I’ve rounded up a batch of favorites (some of which are holiday-ish) this week, so let’s get to them!

Fiber

Clockwise: [1] Image (c) A Yarn Story [2] Image from sweetappledesigns.com [3] Image (c) Clare Lakewood

The Rainey Sisters featured these adorable pompom wreathes on their blog — what a fun decoration they’d be!
I love these colorwork mitts by Clare Lakewood, and fingerless mitts can make great last minuted knitted gifts!
I stumbled across this amazing sheep mug on Instagram yesterday. Some aggresive googling revealed that UK-based Wool Warehouse sells it, and, for those of you in the US, their international shipping appears to be very reasonable — a perfect gift for the knitting/sheep fanatic in your life! (I don’t know about you, but I find sheep wearing sweaters to be pretty irresitible!)
Not really in the gift category (unless you think you can make an adult male sweater in less that three weeks – if so more power to you!), but how gorgeous is this sweater?

Sustenance

frifavefood9 — From left to right, images from Food 52; Smitten Kitchen; Webs Yarn.

I love this recipe for roasted and poached pears to pare (ba-da-chump!) with a holiday cheese plate.
Combining fiber and sustenance: how great are these knitterly cookie cutters, which my mom told me about a few weeks ago?
I trust Smitten Kithcen in all things, and she says this is one of her best entertaining recipes — I think it’d be perfect for a December dinner party.
And this soup, I think, could be the perfect antidote to holiday party overindulgence — spinach and leek, yum!

You can see previous Friday Favorites (which are chockablock with knitting gift ideas, should you need them) here.

What are you up to this weekend? Last minute shopping or knitting? Cooking? I’d love to hear in the comments!

Friday Favorites

Fiber

This incredible colorwork blanket, improvised by georgievinsun on Raverly. You can read more about how she went about it on her blog. The skill and attention that went into it are just stunning …. I’m really in awe of it!
This knitted sheep. It’s knitted, and it’s a sheep. Need I say more? (Except I will: it’s from a new collection by Susan B. Anderson of designs out of her brand new yarn line. I’m excited to try it at some point!)
I think I could spend every day in this tunic. (The only non-colorwork pattern of this list — I must have stranding on the brain!)
I’ve discussed my love of Thea Colman’s patterns before, and somehow I missed the release last month of this hat. Love, love, love!
These brand new mitts, by another favorite designer, Bristol Ivy.

Sustenance

This cute, simple idea for festive napkins rings.
We’re trying out this creamy baked butternut squash recipe as a Thanksgiving side this year, and I’m very excited about it.
I’m also keen to try this three-ingredient (not including salt and pepper) sausage cabbage bake — it seems like a very easy dinner!
And while we’re on the subject of sausage, I also want to try out this lentil, sausage and chard soup.

What are you feeling excited about this week? Favorite Thanksgiving recipes? New pattern or yarn releases? As always, I’d love to hear about them in the comments! And you can find previous Friday Favorites here.

Friday Favorites

Hi friends, and happy Friday! Fall’s really here! The leaves are changing! New patterns for cozy sweaters and delightful accessories abound! It’s time to drink apple cider and dark beer again!

For many, this weekend means Rhinebeck (if you’re going, have fun!) But if you can’t make it, I’ve rounded up an extra large batch of fiber favorites this week for your consideration!

Fiber

First up, the Arctic Cardigan, by Carrie Bostick Hodge, from Making, Volume 2. I saw this cardigan and, I don’t know what it is about it, but I have to have it. Don’t you think it’d make an incredible staple? As soon as I saw the pattern, I metaphorically ran to the Brooklyn Tweed website and picked Obsidian as my color of choice. I haven’t let myself buy it yet … but my resolve is weakening every day. In any case, I can’t wait for my copy of Making to arrive on my doorstep!
And speaking of sweaters that I want to live in, Joji Locatelli’s Granito is right up my alley (I know, you all have probably seen her new collection by now as it’s been out for a bit … but I haven’t done a Friday Favorites in awhile, and I wanted to give that sweater a shoutout!)
Also, did you see Quince’s new pattern collection? It’s all gorgeous, but Dalis, by Dianna Walla, went immediately into my want-to-make pile.
Jill Draper Makes Stuff has also just released her first pattern collection, Rural Renewal. So many gorgeous patterns, but I’ve fallen hard for Rail Trail, by Kristen TenDyke. It’s a good thing I’m not going to Rhinebeck, because I don’t think I’d be able to resist a kit for this sweater at Jill Draper’s open house!
In wool-related news, check out this temporary wool-filled guest house: #lifegoals.
Also, how cool is this idea for showing off swatches? They’d be awesome decoration for a craft room, right?
And last, but not least, I thought I’d share my growing knitting-related enamel pin collection … Mr. N got me black and white sheep pins from Twig and Horn. They’re grazing at the foot of Buachaille on my Kate Davies Designs project bag, while my mountain goat from Shiny Apple Studio presides from the peak.

Sustenance

(1) Smashed Sweet Potatoes, Image from Cafe Delights (2) Applesauce Cake, Image from Smitten Kitchen

I baked my favorite fall apple cake last night for a gathering I’m headed to this evening (despite a series of recent dessert fails that I, ahem, haven’t been sharing wtih you). I’ve made this recipe loads, and it’s never disappointed … and it made my apartment smell ever so autumnal while baking!
Now that the temperature’s dropping, I think this chicken chorizo stew would make for a great meal!
The season of root vegetables is upon us! My mom reported last night that she tried this sweet potato recipe and that it was one of (if not the!) best ways she’s ever had a sweet potato. With such a recommendation, I’ll definitely be trying them this weekend!
And last but not least, Mr. N and I made a version of this roast pork on Sunday with a lovely pork shoulder we got from the Farmer’s Market. It was delicious as the star of Sunday dinner and has been equally good as leftovers … pork sandwiches with pear sauce, butternut squash soup topped with crispy pork, ravioli in a butter sauce with pork and rosemary … you name it.

What’s inspiring you this week? I’d love to hear in the comments — I’m especially in need of food inspriation, which has been a little thin on the ground here of late!

Want more Friday Favorites? You can see them all here.

Friday Favorites

Hi friends, and happy Friday! I’m excited to share some of my favorite things this week with you.

Fiber

(1) Belyse Mitts, Image (c) Ysolda Teague (2) Leather wrist ruler, Image from Fringe Supply Co. (3) Asklov Hat, Image (c) AnonymousRhi (4) Droving Socks (c) Amelia Sobankski

The new Tup Knits e-book. If you’ve been following along here for any length of time, you’ll know I love sheep. I want to knit every one of Anne Kingstone’s gorgeous, sheep-themed patterns! The e-book’s on sale til the end of September, so I went ahead and treated myself. Now I’ll have to decide what to knit first! I’m leaning toward the Shornies hat, though I’d love to do one of the pullovers as well, and those socks!
This measuring tape bracelet. I mean, how wonderful is that?
This version of the Asklöv hat, from the most recent Pom Pom. When I saw Rhiannon’s finished hat on Instagram, I wanted to cast on immediately. The pattern sample is gorgeous, but I love the graphic contrast of her version. (Rhiannon’s GreatWoollyOwl on Instagram, and AnonymousRhi on Ravelry .)
Ysolda’s Belyse Mitts. The first pattern in this year’s installment of Knitworthy, and I think they’re just gorgeous. And the colors she chose — orange and grey, be still my heart. I’m realizing that colorwork has been a theme over the last few weeks … whenever I get some things off the needles, I think it’s high time I cast on a stranded project!
And last but not least, the list of socks I want to knit is getting ever longer. I spied these socks this week. I love the combination of the architectural twisted stitches with the reverse stockinette base, combined with the delicate eyelet pattern.

Sustenance

(1): Lemon and Thyme Cake from Carrot and Cake (2) Mosser Chelsea Glass Bowls, Food52 (3) Nakiri Knife, Food 52

As I mentioned last week, my love of Great British Bake Off runs deep (more sad news on that front this week). I was delighted when WordPress featured Carrot and Cake, the blog of baker Benjamina, who is on the current season of GBBO. I had no idea she had a blog. I’m excited to try the Lemon and Thyme Drizzle Cake she shared this week!
And speaking of lemon cake — this week, I discovered while watching Saturday Kitchen that polenta cakes are a thing. I looked up a few recipes and shared this one with my mom, who can’t eat gluten. She baked it this week and said it was delicious — I can’t wait to give it a try!
This new Mosser glass collection. I have a thing about colored glass kitchenware. I’ve been eyeing Mosser glass mixing bowls and cake stands for quite some time (the Jadeite and Grey are to die for), and I love the new blue collection as well!
And while we’re on the Food52 website, I might as well share the other item I’ve been lusting after. I’ve been looking for one of these vegetable knifes, and this one looks just lovely!

I’d love to hear what patterns/recipes/etc. you’ve stumbled upon and are excited about this week!

Also, I wanted to share a little something I’ve been thinking about the past few weeks. I love all of my end-of-week blog “commitments” (Yarnalong, Thursday Sockalong and Friday Favorites). But with the way life as the moment, I’m finding it difficult to get those posts out each week and still have time for more spontaneous or project-specific posts. So, for the time being at least, Friday Favorites will move to an every other week format. We’re ironing out the details, but the group of us who do Thursday sock posts are also going to move to less frequent, but more in-depth, posts about socks. So they’ll be some little changes around here, along with (hopefully!) more varied posts. Want to make sure you don’t miss anything? You can sign up to get email updates on the sidebar, or follow me on Bloglovin’! And I’m regularly over on Instagram @fiberandsustenance.

Happy Friday!

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! Here are some of my favorite knitting and cooking-related things this week:

Fiber

(1) Tavia, Image Copyright Pam Allen (2) Intro Trees, Image Copyright Juju Vail (3) Spotlight, Image Copyright Tin Can Knits

Spotlight Sweater. Tin Can Knits released a new book this week. It’s filled with great patterns, but I especially love the bold, graphic design of the Spotlight sweater. It’s going in my (very long) fall sweater queue … at this rate, I think it might have to wait until next year!
This little post on “the solace of hats.” Short and sweet, but spot on: hats are my go to when I want to feel like I’ve accomplished something. Reading it made me want to pick up my neglected Tom and Jerry Hat or cast on for Newhaven. Or stash dive (not buy yarn, not buy yarn, even though I reallllly want to try the yarn the pattern suggests) for this hat, which I’ve wanted to make since it first came out. But I recognize that, at this moment, with everything I have on the needles, another project — even a hat — would be too much for me!
The perfect rug for knitters. I made the totally predictable IKEA trip when I first moved into my apartment and fell in love with this rug. It’s made of wool! It’s design is made up of little v’s that look like stockinette stitches! It has some of my favorite colors! Was a new area rug strictly necessary for the new apartment? No. But I caved and got it. If I were more organized than I am at the moment, I’d share a picture of mine in it’s new home. But for now, check it out on IKEA’s website and make sure to zoom in for those stockinette v’s.
This beautiful, tailored knitted skirt. Knitting a skirt has never been high on my list of priorities … but this, this skirt is really special. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful wardrobe staple?

Sustenance

(1) Brenda’s Plum Cake, Image from Kate Davies Designs (2) Mel and Sue, Image from BBC (3) Moong Dal Khichdi, Image from Veg Recipes of India

This beautiful plum cake from Kate Davies’ website. I’m hoping to stock up on plums at tomorrow’s farmer’s market and make it this weekend. Just because it looks delicious.
This quick and simple dal recipe. I made this for dinner last night on Mr. N’s suggestion, and I was pretty skeptical. And then it was amazingly delicious. It was super fast, even though I skipped the soaking step. For the green chile, I used a jalapeno as that’s what I had on hand, and I omitted the hing as I didn’t have any. I cooked the whole thing in a covered saucepan (again, out of necessity: I don’t have a pressure cooker) with about 4.5 cups of water at a vigorous boil, and just checked it every now and then to see if the rice and lentils were soft — I think it took somewhere in the ballpark of 20 minutes, maybe a bit more. Topped with some plain yogurt mixed with salt and lemon juice, this was a tasty, super fast, one pot dinner, that’s equally good as leftovers, as I found today when I had it for lunch!
This article on the Great British Bake Off. I’ve loved the show since I saw it three seasons ago when I was in the UK for research. I was gutted (as they so frequently say on the show) when I heard that it was moving off the BBC and that Mel and Sue would not be going with the show. This article at least brought me a few giggles … small comfort though, when I think that the GBBO will never be the same! (If you want more Bake Off-related reading, this is also a great piece about why Mel and Sue are so important to the show — and confirms what I’ve long suspected .. they are really decent people!)

Well, that about does it for me this week! As always, I’d love to hear what knitting and food-related fodder has you excited as you head into the weekend. If you want more Friday Favorites, you can find previous ones here. Have a great weekend!

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! Once again, here are some of the best thing I’ve stumbled on this week. Hope you enjoy!

Fiber

(1) Jameson sweater, Image (c) BabyCocktails (2) Mountain Goat Pin, Image by Julia Walther (3) Sheep blank pillow, Image by @andresueknits on Instagram (4) Knitty Coasters, Image from Kettle Yarn Co.

These coasters. I have a serious weakness for knitting-related home goods. I just adore these beautiful wood coasters with their knit prints. They would go especially well with these, which my mom and I are planning to work on over Labor Day weekend together!
Thea Colman’s new fall sweater. She’s one of my favorite designers — I consistently find myself drawn to her patterns, especially ones that involve cables! And it’s knit out of Fiber Co.’s new yarn Arannmore, which looks absolutely stunning. When I’ve actually completed some projects, I want to get a skein of this to try it out!
This adorable mountain goat pin. I went to college with Julia, the talent behind Shiny Apple Studios. She makes stunning pottery, and recently has started a side business in fun enamel pins. I had to order one of these to grace a project bag! (Also, I had no idea pins were such a thing! There are lots of fun knitting ones, like these adorable skeins of yarn by Morgan Hale!)
My soft spot for colorwork continues this week. I saw Lori Times Five’s in-progress Kokkeluri mittens, and I was reminded of how much I want to make them (I even have the yarn, as I talked about earlier this summer!) These need to move up my knitting queue, I think!
This pillow out of a dyed sock blank (look at this detail — be still my heart!). See above mention of love of knitting-related home goods. And it would be perfect with my growing collection of sheep pillows.

Sustenance

These noodle bowls, which my mom introduced me too. I made these for dinner earlier this week — I want to put this peanut dressing on everything now. And of course these are really easy to customize — I added lots more veggies (edamame, radishes, red cabbage, etc). Next time I make these for dinner, though, I think I’ll marinate and bake the tofu, rather than having it uncooked.
Mr. N made this ceviche recipe (you might have to scroll down a bit for it), this week. We’ve used this recipe loads of times — this week, we used some lovely wild caught trout for the fish and followed the directions for the summer version of the dish, where you swap in mangoes. With a glass of white wine, it’s the perfect summer dinner!
Tomato Week at Food52. I’ve mentioned my love of summertime tomatoes a lot recently. Food52 has been celebrating them all this week. This article on why tomato prices are so variable is fascinating – I definitely recommend giving it a read. I also liked their infographic on making a tomato sandwich (all a bit fancy for the humble tomato sandwich but still … pretty pictures of tomatoes! Yummy sounding things!)
And finally: the best thing I ate this week was a super easy sandwich, that I’m thinking about days later: an everything bagel, with cream cheese, green onions, tomato, smoked salmon, and avocado mashed up with some lemon juice, salt and pepper. Sometimes, the simplest things are the tastiest, right?
(1) Tomato Sandwich Infographic, Photo by James Ransom, Food 52 (2) the aforementioned bagel sandwich (3) Radish topped ceviche

What are you eating, dreaming of, bookmarking this week? I’d love to hear in the comments!

Want more Friday Favorites? You can see past weeks’ favorites here.

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday friends! The weekend’s almost here … not a moment too soon, if you ask me! I am looking forward to some serious knitting time.

In installment two of my new Friday Favorites series, here are the things that have caught my eye this week:

Fiber

Mary Jane Mucklestone’s new vest. With all the heat this week, I’ve been dreaming of fall. Getting better at colorwork and steeking are both long-term knitting goals. And I would love a fair isle vest for this winter. This new pattern checks all the boxes. It also prompted me to look through my many Ravelry favorites at other vests I’ve saved, and I rediscovered Ysolda Teague’s Cruden. Hopefully, I’ll get around to making one of these two sometime later this fall.
I clearly had a thing for colorwork this week. I also fell in love with these gorgeous socks and these mitts, which have an unusual (and lovely) combo of eyelet and colorwork. I stumbled on both when spending time in the rabbit hole that is Instagram.
And why not keep with the theme? Very Shannon had this great guest post with tips for improving your colorwork.
Also spotted on Instagram this week: these hilarious mugs, from Baa Ram Ewe. I have a weakness for knitting-related mugs … throw in punny musical references, and I’m a goner. They also have travel versions (get your steek on!)
And, saving the best for last … the new Pom Pom mag came out this week, and it’s chock full of beautiful patterns. But I am absolutely in love with this sweater. (And designer Christina Danaee provides some interesting insight into her design process here.) I love Guernsey-style sweaters, and the updated silhouette of this one is oh-so-appealing. It’s resulted in a flurry of phone calls between my mom and me, trying to arrange what yarn we might make it in for a mini-KAL when I visit at the beginning of September. It’s seriously tested our recently taken joint resolve to go on a yarn diet.
(1) Rocquaine by Christina Danaee, image (c) Rachel Hayton, Source: Ravelry (2) Baa Ram Ewe mug from baaramewe.co.uk (3) Voe by Mary Jane Muckleston, image (c) Gudrun Johnston, Source: Ravelry.

Sustenance

Farmers market tomatoes. Chopped up with a little vinegar, salt and pepper. That’s pretty much all I want to eat right now.
But if someone made this eggplant sandwich for me, I wouldn’t say no. I love roasted eggplant and arugula. Combined, I’m sure they’re heavenly!
And I’ve found another summer squash recipe that I’m eager to try. I love curry, and I love zucchini, so why not put them together?
We made this udon, greens and sesame dish a few nights back (scroll down past the chicken recipe to find it), and it’s a great midweek dinner! We used baby bok choy for the greens, which was super yummy.

frifood2 — (1) Summer Squash Curry, Evan Sung for the New York Times (2) Eggplant Sandwich by Alexandra Stafford, from Food52. Those tomatoes are allll mine (and I ate them in about 30 seconds).

Hope your week’s ending on a happy note and that a weekend of knitting and good eating stretches before you. Oh, and if you stopped by yesterday looking for sock talk, it’ll be back next Thursday! My Asagi (and the many silly mistakes I have continued to make) has completely preoccupied me this week, so I had no sock news to report. Back to the regularly scheduled programming next week!

What about you? Have you found any new favorite things this week? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Friday Favorites

Hi friends, and happy Friday!

I thought I might start an occasional series with some of the best things I’ve seen/read/cooked/eaten during the week. I like alliteration, so … introducing Friday Favorites! Continue reading “Friday Favorites”