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designing a hat in five days

Published by fairfaxhill

About a week ago, I got an email from Clare from Sister Mountain announcing her new workshop: “Design a Hat in 5 Days”. I’ve been curious about knitwear design for a long time and signed up for Clare’s sweater design workshop introduction a few years ago, but decided not to go ahead with the full course, since I didn’t feel like I had enough time to design a whole sweater. But a small project like this one could be the perfect introduction I was looking for, so I signed up!

Because we would only have five days to complete the project, our homework before Day 1 was to draw a quick sketch of the hat we intended to make and to knit, wash, and dry our swatch sample.

My first idea had been to use a sport-weight yarn and to try to incorporate some pretty cables, but when I realized how long it was taking me to knit my small swatch, I changed plans and opted for a bulky yarn instead. I also picked a stitch pattern that I could knit up quickly, even if I wasn’t crazy about it.

When you swatch in the round, you carry the yarn on the back of the work. After you cut the threads they look like fringe.

The workshop was great. We learned all the steps required to design our hats and even prepare for publishing a pattern. We also learned how to keep track of all our measurements to easily grade our final design into different sizes with the help of a spreadsheet, which was super smart!

Working out the details on paper.

Figuring out the decreases to complete the crown of my hat turned out to be the most challenging part of the project. It turns out some stitch patterns are better suited for neat looking decreases than others, and there is no single recipe that applies to all hats! It all depends on the look you are going for.

Unfortunately, the way I was being taught to create the decreases in the class wasn’t making sense to me. Most likely because I’d been learning about a different way to calculate hat decreases from someone else, so I was getting quite confused. By day 5, I was also ready to finish the hat and move on to a different project. 

So, instead of trying to figure out the decreases using our spreadsheet, as we had been instructed, I did it differently: I looked up “how to decrease a 2×2 rib hat” on YouTube.

Finished Hat

I finished knitting the hat on Saturday night. It looks cute on my daughter — not so cute on me. I think I would prefer a longer brim that could be folded. Right now it feels too much like a shower cap. Ha, ha, ha…

I had more ideas on ways to improve my design, but I honestly don’t feel like knitting the whole thing again. I’ve decided to put it aside and not get hung up on the fact that I don’t love it. I’m sure my next hat will be much better.

So, stay tuned – I might have a hat pattern for you sometime in the near future! I am excited to try different stitches, colors, and yarn weights. It’s really not so difficult. Who knows? I may get good enough at this to teach others how to do it, too! Wouldn’t that be fun?

If you are curious about knitwear design, I recommend that you try out one of Clare’s classes. Not only will you get a taste of what it’s like to create your own patterns, you’ll also have the opportunity to connect with knitters from all over the world that are just as excited as you to acquire some new skills.

Have you knitted or bought a hat that you’ve loved lately?

favorite pancakes with blueberry sauce

Published by fairfaxhill

It’s Pancake Day, today. I only know this because I follow Jaime Oliver and he posted lots of pancake recipes on Instagram and his website this morning. Go on, take a look, some look amazing!

I’ll take any excuse to make pancakes. I loved the ones my grandmother used to make for us when we were little. For years, my sisters and I have been trying to recreate her recipe, and after many attempts, I’ve finally settled for this version, which started out as Mark Bittman’s Everyday Pancakes.

The goal here is to make pancakes that look more like crêpes, although not as thin. To accomplish this, I’ve increased the amount of milk in his recipe and I also make it imperative to use salted butter, just like my grandmother did.

This recipe makes enough pancakes for two people, but you can easily double it to feed a few more.

a person holding a plate with pancakes topped with blueberry sauce

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled (preferably salted butter)
1 egg
1 ½ cups of milk (2%)
more butter for grilling

Method

1) Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Melt the tablespoon of butter and set it aside to cool down.

2) In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder.

3) Separately, mix the milk with the egg until well combined. Add the melted butter, once it’s had time to cool down.

4) Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and stir to mix. Do not over mix! This is important when making pancakes. It’s okay if you see a few small lumps in the batter. Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes before making the pancakes.

5) Add some butter to the pan before making each pancake. Once it melts, pour enough batter to just cover the bottom. Too much batter will result in unevenly cooked and thick pancakes. Remember these are more like crepes.

6) Flip the pancake after bubbles rise to the surface and the bottom is a nice golden brown. This will take 2 to 3 minutes. Cook until the second side is lightly browned.

7) Serve with blueberry/strawberry sauce, maple syrup, or fresh berries and a sprinkle of sugar.

Notes:

The pan’s temperature needs to be hot, but not so hot that it burns the butter. If it’s too hot, cool the pan down by rinsing it with cold water before making more pancakes.

After you make a few pancakes, you’ll notice that the batter may be thicker than when you started. This is because the flour tends to settle at the bottom. You can thin it down by adding more milk, being careful not to add too much, or the pancakes won’t turn out the same. If the batter looks too thick, that’s usually my signal that I’m done making pancakes. I rarely use all the batter.

Blueberry Sauce

1 cup of fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon water
a sprinkle of lemon rind (optional)

Place all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for one minute.
Set aside and let the sauce cool down. You can keep this in the fridge for a couple of days. I like to pour it over vanilla ice cream, plain yogurt, and even cottage cheese. You can also use strawberries or blackberries to make this sauce, if there aren’t blueberries in season.

learning to sew and loving my new pajama shorts

Published by fairfaxhill

Today I thought I would show you what I made a few weekends ago…

I am quite proud of my little project.

At first glance, my new p.j. shorts may not seem all that special. Making pajama shorts must be one of the easiest projects in the world — especially if you know how to sew. I have watched several videos on YouTube, where, in a matter of minutes, people cut, sew, boom, done! A perfect pair — just like that.

As always, Estelle is my little helper. 🐶❤️

My original plan was to sew pajama pants, but as I prepared to cut the pattern pieces, I realized I didn’t have enough fabric. (I also didn’t think of folding the fabric in a different way; something I learned later that day.) So, I decided to make the shorts.

In retrospect, I wish I had made the pants, even if they had been a tad shorter than they were supposed to be — I love this fabric.

The pattern I used is McCall’s “EASY” M8056. It’s funny that I even own this pattern. There is so much I don’t know about sewing.

Whenever I attempt to sew anything I am pretty much starting from zero. (Well, I do remember some things from watching my mom use her sewing machine when I was a little kid. But that was ages ago!)

As a beginner, these thoughts went through my mind as I tackled this project:

– Was I sure I knew how to choose the pattern size based on my measurements? No. (None of my measurements were under one same size, which one to choose? 🤯)

– Was it possible that I would cut the wrong size? Absolutely!

-Was I confident that my sewing machine would act nice and not get the thread all tangled up? Nope.

-Did I know if my machine had a button-sewing feature? Not a clue.

I sometimes think I can do anything, and I love it when I am in that mindset. Trying new things, especially low-risk projects like this one keeps my busy mind focused.

I spent most of the morning studying the instructions. We’d been having lots of rainstorms, so the power was out and it was nice and quiet in the house. After much consideration, I finally took a deep breath and cut the fabric. Later, when the electricity came back on, I was 100% ready to sew my shorts.

The buttonholes were definitely a challenge. My sister thought I had tried to make them by hand, but I actually used the buttonhole feature on my sewing machine. (I found out it had one!) It looks like I need lots more practice with this. 🤣

That afternoon, I decided to learn more about sewing patterns. I didn’t want to feel confused or scared the next time I attempted to sew something.

I found a great introduction video on YouTube. I learned a lot, and I also realized I wasn’t so lost in the first place. Who knows, I might dare to try making the top that goes with the shorts next time!

Although we’re in the middle of winter, I’ve used my p.j. shorts quite a bit already. Best of all, they didn’t fall apart when I threw them in the washing machine.

What about you? Do you dive into projects even if you aren’t sure of what you’re doing? Do you prefer to stick to things you’ve already mastered?

Here’s the link to the video on: How to Read a Sewing Pattern with Liesl Gibson

Related to this, have you read this book? 
I started reading it over the weekend. You might want to look into it. It’s about the side benefits of allowing yourself to be a beginner as an adult. I am all for it.

potato-leek soup: perfect for a rainy day, plus some project ideas for the new year

Published by fairfaxhill

Happy new year! Like a miracle, the sun came out on January 1 and we welcomed 2023 with sunshine and delicious, homemade pizza made by Patrick. 

Patrick’s Pizza – one of many last week!

By Monday, though, we were back in winter mode, with rain and heavy fog, the kind of weather that makes you want to stay in your sweatpants all day reading books under the covers. 

The office was super quiet (I think some people thought Monday was a holiday, as it was for many), so I came home a bit early to make myself something warm to eat. I was craving potato leek soup, and was too hungry to look up a recipe, so I just made it up as I went.

My goal was to make a hearty soup, with chunks of potato and bits of leeks you could actually see, not like my last attempt when I used the immersion blender before I served it and accidentally ended up with a gooey mess. This time I loved the result. 

This is the simplest potato soup you will ever make. The best part (because our daughter doesn’t eat dairy) is that it’s made without any cream, but if you like cream in your soup, you can simply add a tablespoon of sour cream to your bowl — like I did!

Super Easy Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. butter or good olive oil
1 small onion chopped (about 1 cup)
1-3 leeks, depending on size (3 cups, white and light green parts only, chopped)
6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes ( approx. 2 pounds)
2 quarts of chicken broth 
3 thyme sprigs
Salt and pepper to taste
*Sour cream and arugula leaves for garnish (optional)

Method

In a large pot, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and leeks and cook until soft, but not browned. In the meantime, peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes, about 1⁄2 inch thick. Add them to the pot. Follow by adding most of the broth (6-7 cups) and the thyme sprigs. Let this cook for 20-25 minutes on medium heat, until the potatoes easily break when pierced with a fork. Add more broth if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When the potatoes are soft, use a wooden spoon to press some of them against the sides of the pot. This will add some more texture to the soup. Serve right away. 

Optional: Top each bowl with a few arugula leaves and 1 tablespoon of sour cream.

January Plans

It’s supposed to rain even more this week, a good time to sit and reflect on what I would like to do more of in the new year. Last year I felt like I was stuck in quicksand, which was a shame, because I feel like it was a lost year. I spent too much time thinking and worrying about things and not enough making. I want to make sure that doesn’t happen again. One thing that really helped me other years was keeping a paper journal. I am going to do that again, I just need to decide which of the many notebooks I have I will use.

Here are some of the things I’m planning to do in January:

  1. Join and complete the Yoga With Adrienne 30 days of yoga challenge. I completed day 3! Let’s see how long I can keep this up.
  2. Continue doing a 30-minute workout video at least three times/week. I discovered Pop-Sugar over the holidays after briefly looking into gym membership options nearby that were way overpriced. I am so glad I didn’t sign up for the gym. This channel has so many 30-minute workout options to choose from — all free! Knowing how unlikely it is I will actually drive somewhere just to exercise, this is probably my best discovery of 2022.
  3. Finish the book “Lessons in Chemistry” (This is part of my Goodreads challenge for 2023.) I’m half-way through and enjoying it so far.
  4. Continue practicing French on Duolingo daily. I took French in high school and at the university, but I have forgotten most of it. I still dream of speaking French all the time! So, this year I’m going to focus on moving past my very basic skills. I’ve been using Duolingo as a first step to accomplish my goal of being fluent some day. I got placed in the intermediate level after my initial assessment. (I remembered something!) My favorite part is listening to the stories on their podcast during my walks. 
  5. Knit another “Droplets” hat by Nora Gaughan with the Donegal yarn I bought and add some additional rows to the first section so that it’s not as short as the first one I made. 
  6. If I find the time, finish the Dreng scarf I started last fall.
  7. Do something nice to celebrate my birthday.
  8. Start planning our summer vacation.
  9. Cook dinner once a week. I was thinking of making Wednesdays my day to fix dinner. I’d like to start with some of the recipes from the beautiful book I got for Christmas, Dinner: Changing the Game, by Melissa Clark, one of my favorite NYTimes food writers. 
  10. Resume blogging at least once a week.

There are many other things I want to do this month — and this year! But one of my goals is to keep my lists short, so I don’t get overwhelmed and actually get something done.  

How about you, do you have some goals/plans for the first month of 2023? 

Let me know in the comments. 

Gabi