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Oops – Errata forAsking for Roses
It never fails. Sometimes months after a pattern was released, a kind knitter will email me with a question. Surely it’s not because of a mistake in the pattern? After all, dozens have knit the design by now. And friends and colleagues have helped to proofread.
Sigh.
In this case, Asking for Roses is the offender. I’d mistakenly exchanged some of the written-out decreases, even though the charts were correct.
The good thing – although the mistake is on about 8 rows of the pattern, it mostly impacts just the single decrease at the beginning and end of row. AND, if the knitter is working from charts, there’s no mistake at all.
As a designer, I hate hate hate publishing errors, and it really bugs me when they’re only caught several months later.
In any case, I’ve published the corrections here and on Ravelry, and will issue an updated version when my computer’s fixed. But that’s another story, for another day.
Happy knitting!
On being sensitive
Salvage the Bones“, Jesmyn Ward’s National Book Award winning novel.
Granted, I would have known to steer clear had I actually read the book’s description:
Enduring a hardscrabble existence as the children of alcoholic and absent parents, four siblings from a coastal Mississippi town prepare their meager stores for the arrival of Hurricane Katrina while struggling with such challenges as a teen pregnancy and a dying litter of prize pups.
Dying litter of prize pups. Yeah. Not so much.
So I put the book down, a mere 20 pages into it. And yeah it’s a national prize winner. And yes, after watching Treme’s first two seasons, I fervently believe that Katrina-related literature is so very important.
But I’m too sensitive for dying puppies.
The thing is, although I’ve got this soft streak, I also hate that my sensitivity often makes me feel left out. I know right now, I will absolutely not finish “Salvage the Bones”, no matter how many accolades it receives. And so, I’ll miss out on one of the most important books of the year.
Last night, I felt a little like I did when walking out of that movie theater 20-some years ago. Like giving in to my sensitive side is something to be ashamed of, to be made fun of for. And last night, like 20 years ago, I also realized that once you’ve felt that, it’s hard to un-feel it. Once you’ve read about… (edited, but it has to do with puppies)… it’s impossible to un-imagine it.
(Kind of like reading the synopsis of “The Human Centipede”. EWWWW.)
I suppose this is the catch of being an avid reader. Devouring books also sometimes means getting inside the book so deeply it’s tough to crawl out. Living in my imagination, even for a few dozen pages, means it’s impossible to un-remember those vivid words.
Foxhollow: now available!
I’ve been busy this weekend, working up two patterns I’ve had off the needles for some time. “Meadowlark” will be released next weekend, but “Foxhollow” – shown above – will be out either tonight or tomorrow.
What do you think?
UPDATED – Pattern now available! Go get it! ravelry.com/patterns/library/foxhollow
Recipe: Broccoli PotatoSoup
It’s that blissful time of the year when all that holiday-season excess seems to have caught up with me and my suddenly-snug jeans. I know I’m not alone in this, right?
Last night, I whipped up a batch of this easy soup for a quick and hearty dinner and good lunch today. Packed with broccoli and thickened with potatoes instead of cream, it’s warm and substantial, and perfect for a cold winter night.
Try it, like we did, with a bit of cheddar and some rustic bread. It tastes like a broccoli-stuffed baked potato!
The easiest way to make this faux-cream soup is with an immersion or hand blender. If you don’t have one, the soup can be put into a regular blender instead.
The soup is done when all the pieces are cooked, so keep in mind when chopping your potatoes and broccoli stems. Smaller pieces will be done quicker!
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
- 5 medium potatoes
- 1 head of broccoli
- 2 T butter or olive oil or a mix of both
- 4 C chicken or vegetable broth or stock, or a mix of stock and water
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- salt, pepper, red pepper to season
Instructions
In a large stockpot, heat the butter/olive oil over medium heat. Chop the onion and garlic cloves and add to the pot, stirring occasionally.
While waiting for the onion and garlic to soften, peel and coarsely chop the potatoes. (Larger chunks will take longer to cook, so try for consistent sizes). Add potatoes to the pot and cook over medium heat for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Pour in just enough broth/stock to cover the potatoes, topping up with water if necessary. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Wash and chop the broccoli stems and florettes into small chunks. Add to the soup and bring back to a boil.
Simmer until all vegetables are tender.
With immersion blender, puree until soup is smooth. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes as desired.
New Pattern Alert: KoyoShawl
It’s not fall anymore, but will you forgive me for publishing an autumn-themed pattern?
Just released, after much delay, Koyo, a delicate shawl for delicate yarn.
The orange shawl is knit with Helen’s Lace from Lorna’s Laces, in the colourway “Satsuma”. A perfect color name for a Japanese-inspired shawl, don’t you think?
Technically, though, this isn’t a new design. I originally designed this for the Year of Lace in 2010, using Indigodragonfly’s gorgeous Merino-Silk Lace in a custom colourway.
Among the things I love about this design: the delicate top border, the gentle deconstruction of leaves into an organic ripple, and the inset details at the points and corners.
I also love the size. At 70″ x 34″ after blocking, it’s just big enough without overwhelming the wearer.
In this way, Koyo is an ideal accent piece for any season, not just fall.
More photos and detailed information available here.
Happy holidays, everyone!
$5.00 US
