Stitches and Scones

My aunt's friend had recommended Stitches and Scones in Westfield, IN to her. My mom drove us there, along with DD2, who started knitting herself now.
It is a nice shop with a good selection of lace yarn and some spinning supplies. The staff were very helpful and one worker spent a long time with my aunt helping her pick out a pattern and yarn for her first lace project. Since I've almost finished DD2's cable sweater, I congratulated myself by buying yarn for DS1. The prices weren't rock-bottom, but were reasonable. The clearance area was neat and easy to browse. They serve free scones and coffee. I'd happily visit again.

Rum-chili Slow-cooked venison steak

Someone requested I share this recipe. My kids like it. It turns out tender but not falling apart. I don't get the "Ew, is this venison?" reaction.

1/4 cup honey-lemon or honey-mustard salad dressing
1/4 cup rum.
Combine and place in slow cooker dish.
Place venison steaks in a layer in the liquid.
Sprinkle meat with 1-2 Tbsp chili powder (I make my own by toasting and grinding a dried New Mexico chili pepper). Salt to taste.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until tender and meat is 160F, turning once after about 3 hours.

I like this U of MN guide to cooking venison.

Sleeping bag tote

Need: DD2 and I are going to "She & Me" (mom & daughter) Girl scout camp this weekend and we have to carry our gear nearly 1/4 mile from the parking area to our campsite. Sleeping bags are always so bulky and hard to handle.
Inspiration: The drawstring shoebags my daughters have.
Result: Drawstring fleece bags that can be worn as backpacks or satchel-style. There is enough extra room to hold a sleeping mat or blanket and small pillow, or everything a kid needs for a sleepover.


Supplies:
3/4 yard acrylic fleece (60"x42")
2 straps, 2 yards each, made of fleece, nylon strap, braid, etc








Directions:
1. Fold fleece (RS inside) and sew sides to form a bag. Use selvedges for open end of bag.

2. Make 4 buttonholes, 4.5" from edge and 1" from seams and slice buttonholes open.







3. Turn bag RS out. Fold under 3" toward inside for casing. Sew casing completely shut.








4. Thread straps through buttonholes. Strap A enters at 4:00, travels clockwise to 2:00, and exits. Strap B enters at 10:00 and travels clockwise to 8:00.
5. Attach both ends of straps to lower corners of bag.

Evaluation: I considered these prototypes, so I didn't try to make them look nice. I'm pleased with the results; now I wish I would have been a bit neater with the straps. To make this quicker and more thrifty, I think an XL adult t-shirt with sleeves sewn shut and cut off could stand in for the fleece bag.

Two Recent Reads

Last weekend I read The Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The novel is unfinished and published in 1941 with the author's outlines and notes to fill out the story. Here is an extensive NYTimes Review. I enjoyed the book and rather liked the abrupt end.
The book is set in 1930's Hollywood. The protagonist, Morgan Stahr, is a widower and workaholic in his late 30's. The book is narrated by Cecelia, who is a college student and daughter of Stahr's coworker. Looking at middle age life and dating through the eyes of a young adult is a thoughtful, unique perspective that enhances the story. The book is a fascinating glimpse into Depression Era Hollywood and wealth. Advisory: the book contains a couple of affairs with encounters that may have been racy in 1941. They are not excessively graphic (tame by today's standards), but make the book inappropriate for children.

In June I read The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot, written in 1860 and set in the 1830's. I read an antique copy from 1920.
The story follows Maggie, the protagonist, and her brother Tom, through childhood, then revisits them as young adults.
Maggie is a trouble-maker and tomboy as a child. She would prefer to be a boy entering a profession. Her mother ignores her and her father indulges her, so she receives insufficient guidance and "street sense" to function as a woman in the society of her day. Tom is athletic has a rigid sense of right and wrong. He would prefer to be a mechanic or engineer, but his father pushes him toward law or clerical work.
The story itself is good enough, but in my opinion, the book is unnecessarily long and filled with Ms. Eliot's asides. She follows the Jane Austen template of a small-town family and their circle of acquaintances, their love lives and their gossip. Unlike Ms. Austen's novels, however, The Mill on the Floss is melodramatic and implausibly tragic. ("Soap opera" comes to mind.)
I had difficulty sympathizing with Maggie. I felt Ms. Eliot was using her solely to teach a lesson about that society's role for women and the ostricization the author must have felt because of her own lifestyle, rather than developing Maggie into a realistic character. That might be a worthwhile theme, but it doesn't lend itself to an enjoyable novel. I would recommend this book only to those who enjoy George Eliot's style or who are prepared to skim a lot.

jss autumn

jss autumn
Originally uploaded by swjuliet

This is the group of colors I've selected for my Swallowtail shawl. Not sure which to choose for the budding lace yet. I don't think I'll cast on until after next weekend, though.

Staying Honest with my yarn purchases

My stash rules:
Occasions for adding to stash: FO's, my birthday, and gifts. Big FO's get major purchases, little stash-busting FO's are only worth a couple balls. Books over $15-20 count as yarn purchases too, because I'm a sucker for books recommended by LYS owners. Swaps are neutral as long as I'm adding something equivalent to what I'm sending.

This year's record:
FO=Niece#2 blankie, clapotis. Yarn purchase=4 sk not-so-cheap sock yarn and a book in Madison.
Purchase: Handpaintedyarn.com Merino bulky (3 balls each of 2 colorways). FOs=Noro hat, tunic
Purchase: lots and lots of Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift. Excuse=birthday.

Sun Tunic for my Niece

The May Stash knit-down challenge was to use up cotton/cotton blends. I had three coordinating balls in the stash and made this little tank top for my niece, who 9 months old.

I had been experimenting with a mosaic table mat or wine cozy, but then I saw Sweetness by Kathleen Sperling on Ravelry and decided to try a top or sundress. I wanted a little more shoulder coverage, a mosaic pattern rather than FI, and a lacy skirt with a bit more flare for easy crawling.

I cast on with green and worked a boat-neck raglan in Shadow 14 (Barbara Walker's Mosaic Knitting.) Then I bound off the shoulders and increased for the underarms. I left the back open up to this point to allow ease for her to fit her head through. Here I joined and preceeded in rounds. I worked another band of Shadow 14 to transition into beige. Then I worked Fountain Lace (BW's Second Treasury p.272), increasing 4st per RSRnd during the first two repeats of the lace to give it flare. At DD1's recommendation, I stopped at tunic length and finished with Elastic Bind-off in green. The back ties shut with i-cord.

I had planned to make a sun hat as well, but not enough yarn left. All she gets is a flower barrette.