Latest Posts

currant scones on a foggy sunday morning

Published by fairfaxhill

Yesterday I felt like baking scones for breakfast. Well, to be honest, it was really brunch, it was so late. But isn’t this the time of year when sleeping in is 100% acceptable? It was also Sunday and the fog was super heavy, which was adding to the cozy vibes.

I decided to bring out the dessert plates I bought several years ago, when I was dreaming of having people over for Christmas dinner. So, considering they’ve just been gathering dust in the cabinet that’s in our living room, why not use them to brighten up our every day this winter instead?

I think we can use them for breakfast and dessert! Aren’t they cute? I am glad I got them. These put a smile on my face. 🙂

For those of you who asked for the recipe, I’ve added it here. 🙂

I found this recipe years ago in Sunset magazine. Since then, I’ve made some slight modifications to how I make them. In the original recipe the scones were glazed, but I think that a light sprinkle of sugar and some extra lemon or orange rind for some added color works much better.

Since I had just finished squeezing some fresh orange juice for myself (a great way to keep colds at bay), I topped the scones with a little orange rind as well.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (and about 2 tablespoons extra for topping)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick of cold butter, cut into small dice
  • 3/4 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice (Note: This is a quick way to make buttermilk. I rarely have buttermilk in my fridge, so I always use this method. You could buy ready-made buttermilk instead.)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup dried currants (chopped black or golden raisins and even cranberries could work)
  • 1 tablespoons grated lemon peel (and a little extra for topping)

Topping: 1-2 additional tablespoons sugar and lemon rind to sprinkle over the top before baking

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Make some buttermilk: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 3/4 cups of milk and let it sit on the counter while you mix the dry ingredients.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Using a pastry cutter cut it in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add the egg to the milk and lemon mixture and whisk to blend well. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture along with the dried currants and grated lemon peel. Stir with a fork just until evenly moistened (dough will look crumbly).

Place a piece of parchment paper on your counter. Dump the dough over the paper and handling it as little as possible shape it into a circle about 7 inches in diameter. Cut the circle into 8 wedges, sprinkle with a bit of sugar and some of the grated lemon and then lift the whole thing with the parchment and place it on a baking sheet.

Bake the scones until the tops are browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Lift them off the baking sheet onto a cooling rack with the parchment and let them cool about 10 minutes.

Some Tips:

Some people use a food processor to blend the dry ingredients, but I prefer to use a pastry cutter (like this one), which results in fewer dishes to wash. (It’s also nice and quiet.) If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can use a knife to cut the butter into the flour.

When combining the dry ingredients with the wet ones you want to mix as little as possible. If you over mix things the scones won’t be as flaky.

I like to place a piece of parchment paper about the size of the baking sheet I plan to use on the counter. I shape the scones right on it and then grab the paper from the sides to transfer the scones to the baking sheet. This way your counter stays clean.

Serve the scones while they’re still warm alongside a fresh cup of coffee or your favorite morning beverage.

Enjoy!

-Gabi

i finished my third stephen west mystery knit along and I love my new shawl

Published by fairfaxhill

Hi there! It’s been a while since I posted an update. I’ve been working on a few different projects but haven’t made time to update the blog. However, if you follow my social media accounts, you might already know all about my latest f.o.! …

After thinking I wasn’t going to participate in any more mystery knit-alongs, fomo took over me, and I quickly changed my mind at the very last minute and decided to join Stephen West’s mkal for the third year in a row. And I am so glad I did! This was one of the mkals I have enjoyed the most!

It had fun shapes, modular knitting, a sprinkle of brioche, and lots of options to personalize your final design. I got to wear my shawl last weekend and was super proud of how pretty it turned out.

Knitting
knitting
Handknit project
knitted shawl detail
handknit shawl

I think I’m also accidentally becoming the “Stephen West MKALs + Holst Garn Super Soft” ambassador. I’ve used the same yarn for all three of my mystery shawls. (You can see my last two here and here.) I might have to continue with the tradition! This yarn is not as drape-y as others, but it is very warm–and light! I think that’s what I love the most about it; it weighs next to nothing. And another plus is that there are tons of colors to choose from.

I still have to take some photos of the shawl displayed on a hanger to match my past projects, but I’ll have to wait for a sunny day to do that. We’ve been hit by an atmospheric river here in the Bay Area, so I’m not sure when that will be possible!

One thing I was reminded of again during this project is how much I love seeing the color combinations others come up with for their shawls. It seems like I’m always wishing I had chosen different colors, but I do like the ones I used this time. There are just so many options!

If you are ever looking for color inspiration, I recommend checking out some of the past mkals. For this year, you can look up the project hashtags #GoGoDynamoShawl and #WestknitsMKAL2024. If you are curious, go and check them out on Instagram.

What are your thoughts on mystery knit-alongs? Have I finally inspired you to join one?

Note: I ordered my yarn directly from Holst, but if you are in the U.S., here’s a store that carries it.

knitting detour: how my plan to make a tote bag turned into a stripy summer top

Published by fairfaxhill

How does this happen? I’ve managed to start – and finish!– another project that’s not what I intended to work on. For the record, I have three other projects on my needles at the moment. One of them I started last summer… I guess I should make a better effort to stay out of yarn stores!

A few weekends ago, I was browsing the isles of Joanne’s Fabrics store and managed to leave with six balls of 100% cotton yarn in tow with the goal of making myself a new tote.

I wanted to replace some of the bags I typically carry around, which are looking a bit tired after much use. I also found yarn in a green color I loved.

Is it just me? I can never have enough tote bags. I always need to supplement my purse with bags to carry books, knitting projects, samples, treats, or to use if I stop at the supermarket on my way home.

The bag I was going to make, a free pattern called the “getting things done tote” is knit in a single color, but after a few rows of green I decided to make mine striped using some ecru I had. The pattern also uses moss stitch, but I opted for stockinette because I’m super slow at knitting moss stitch and because this was supposed to be a quick in-between-projects project.

After knitting three stripes, which I made pretty wide, I was suddenly in love with the green and ecru combination, as well as the feel of the fabric. As I admired the colors, I held the piece up to my chest and asked my daughter, who was sitting across from me at the dining table, “Wouldn’t this be cute as a top?” Her response was, “Sure! Go for it, mom!”

I knew I would forever stare at the bag and wonder what it would have looked like as a top, so I ditched the bag idea.

After some swatches and measurements, I came up with what I thought would be the right amount of stitches for my body.

However, after about 20 rows of knitting, and slipping it over my waist to try it on, it was clear I was doing something wrong. It was huge!

I could not figure out why my math wasn’t working out. I obviously wasn’t subtracting enough stitches to get the right amount of negative ease. Knitting the section again, and possibly getting it wrong again, was not what I had in mind. This was supposed to be a quick and fun project. So, instead I decided to look in my books and magazines for cute summer tops with a similar gauge and let someone else figure out the math this time around.

There were quite a few patterns I thought could work, but I really liked the simplicity of the design in this photo: a pattern from one of my old Rebecca magazines. Mine would just have to be a little longer! 😉

The pattern is written for sizes small and medium, so I decided to take a chance and follow the instructions for medium. I’m typically a medium, but not always! At this point, I figured that if it was too small, I’d just gift it to someone.

After working about 20 cm I liked the fit. I wanted it to be a bit snug, but not too tight. I also started to imagine how I could use the same measurements to make different types of tops: scoop neck, racer back, thin straps, thick straps…exciting!

After I finished sewing everything together I reviewed the instructions for how to add the straps and noticed something was different. I looked closely at the pattern photo and realized the edges of my top were different. It turns out I had accidentally added the increases on the wrong side! The shape didn’t change much, but the finishing steps would have to be improvised. There was no way I was unraveling it and knitting it again.

I decided that adding an i-cord bind off throughout would hide my little accident, and making the straps look like they were designed to “grow” out of the body might even look pretty cool.

It worked, and I like it! 🙂

I have tons of green yarn left, so I could make a different top now that I have my stitch counts figured out. Or, I could make another one just like this one and write instructions for how to make it. Of course, I could also try to finish one of my other W.I.P.s, or make the tote.

Additional Project Notes:

  • The yarn I used for this top was Lily Sugar ‘n Cream, an inexpensive, 100% cotton yarn that is sold mostly to knit home accessories (like a tote!). This yarn isn’t soft, it’s actually a bit tough, but that ended up being a good thing. The resulting top wasn’t flimsy, almost as if it had a built-in bra – glorious!! This yarn left my hands pretty achy. I’d like to use something that is a bit softer next time. Rowan’s “All Season’s Cotton” or WAK’s “The Cotton” might be good alternatives.
  • I used # 6 circular needles for the main body, and double–pointed needles in the same size for the i-cord straps. My gauge: 19 stitches and 30 rows to 4”. I cast on 142 stitches for the body, joined and knit in the round making sure I used a jogless stripe technique. I worked 18 stitches for center and cast off 32 on each side of that to sew on the bodice pieces (cast off should start 6 stitches before round change), 60 sts. were kept on hold for back. Picked up 12 stitches on each side of the middle piece and increased every other row in stripe pattern. My stripes for the top are one row smaller than the body stripes. Kept stitches on hold to connect the back and sides of the garment casting off with an i-cord and added the straps in the same way.
  • I loved the way this top was constructed. Working on the bodice separately, while keeping stitches on hold and then connecting things back together.
  • The pattern has a neat way to add the straps using a crochet hook, but I didn’t make mine that way. I knit mine to “grow” out of the fabric as an i-cord. I might try this pattern again.
  • I’d love to find a pattern for shorts that I could make to go with the top. This could be something to wear over a swimsuit or as pajamas.
  • It seems I really enjoy knitting experiments!

What are you working on? Leave a comment below!

-Gabi

february makes: from sweaters to crème brûlée (mishaps included!)

Published by fairfaxhill

Here’s a quick update on what I’ve been up to lately!

As some of you saw on my Instagram feed, I finished making the sweater I started last February. I was modifying the Malaury pattern, replacing the texture created by knit and purl stitches with mock cables for my version. The result was a happy surprise. (I’m feeling pretty confident trusting my math when adapting patterns now–it fits!) I also learned a new technique for attaching a collar that I might start using more often.

The pattern called for a back-stitched collar, which was new to me. I normally pick up stitches around the neckline, but the pattern said to knit the collar separately, leaving one of the edges on scrap yarn.

I was having a difficult time wrapping my head around the process, and even after finding this helpful tutorial, the whole thing looked way too complicated.

Then, I remembered watching a video showing a similar technique that looked much simpler. The difference: no stitches that could potentially unravel! You simply take the finished collar and back-stitch it in place over the neckline edge. So I tried that, and I love the result. I might add a photo tutorial to the blog for quick reference because I think more people should know about this technique. By attaching the collar this way, you don’t have to worry about picking up stitches evenly on each side, you can play with the positioning of the collar and match each side perfectly before you sew it in place.

In the kitchen, I tried a crème brûlée recipe by Mark Bittman, hoping it would be the one. (I tried a different recipe a while back, but it used too many eggs.) This looked so simple, I even bought a fancy torch to get that perfect caramelized sugar top (thanks Santa!), but after reading the user manual (too complicated), I opted for the broiler instead. The result? Caramelized to perfection, ha-ha, but still delicious! It seems getting crème brûlée right will take a little more practice, but hey, at least everyone ate it! Next time, hopefully I will have figured out how to use the torch too.

We’ve had some beautiful days mixed in with the rainy ones this spring. I went on a walk in Tiburon (Blackie’s Pasture) some weeks ago to break in the hiking boots I got for Christmas. I got a bunch of steps that day—10,000+! Patrick and I have both started counting our steps and he’s been tracking what he eats with the Fitbit app. He’s found that keeping a journal has been super helpful for getting in better shape. Inspired by Patrick, I’m giving it a try. But I realized that ever since I stopped keeping a paper journal with all my ideas and weekly to-dos, I’ve been a total mess. So, no app for me, I’m back to using a notebook to keep track of things.

For those of you who love chocolate and orange, here’s a delicious discovery inspired by @rovinhaggis: orange marmalade and Nutella on brioche (buttermilk in a pinch!). Yummy!

Easter Brunch Ideas:

I’ve been thinking about what I should bring to the brunch on Sunday: tarte au citron, scones, quiche, something from my Tartine book, sweet bread in the shape of bunnies, sticky buns? The kids and Patrick already voted for sticky buns, and I’m kind of leaning towards sticky buns too. I’d like to test Joanne Chang’s recipe, especially after reading this article by Adam Roberts from the Amateur Gourmet, one of my favorite food bloggers.

What would you bring? Let me know in the comments.

And don’t forget to follow my Instagram to stay in touch!

💛 Gabi