Photos – Page 6 – Cowtown Knits

Introducing: They’re Paisley!

November 7, 2013Leave a comment

I know, I can’t believe it either, two patterns released in one week! I never thought I’d see that happen.

So let’s get to it. I’m pleased to introduce you to the latest Cowtownknits creation: They’re Paisley!

Paisley is so hot right now. Really. I kept seeing all these beautiful paisley prints in shop windows and on fashionable bodies and I thought – “Why couldn’t I knit me some paisley somethings?” And then I thought – “Mittens, those somethings should be mittens!” And that’s that. I designed some paisley mittens.

The pattern has four charts: one paisley chart for each hand (the chart is reversed on the other hand), one for the palm, and one for the thumb gusset.

Size: Medium – 8″ / 20.5 cm palm circumference

You can purchase the pattern by clicking the “buy now” button above. Until November 15 you can receive a 25% discount when you checkout using the coupon code giftalong. Then you should come and join the Gift-A-Long fun on Ravelry and have a chance at some of the hundreds of prizes. That’s right, I said hundreds.

This time both technical editing and test knitting were brought to you by the lovely Alana Marchetto.

Introducing: Cedar Shakes Hat

November 4, 2013Leave a comment

Just in time for the Indie Design Gift-A-Long, I’m pleased to introduce you to my newest pattern, the Cedar Shakes Hat.

I grew up in an old house with cedar shakes. When I was a teenager those shakes needed to be replaced. My dad, being a carpenter, took on the job himself, and enlisted the rest of the family to help. Imagine what the people driving by thought when they saw my sister, mom and me up on scaffolding, plane and hammer in hand, re-shingling our two-story house. It created quite a stir! But what a sense of accomplishment we felt when it was done, and I had a family memory that will last a lifetime.

The stitch pattern in this hat reminds me of those old cedar shakes and makes me smile. It is a very simple pattern that’s easy to memorize and repeat mindlessly while you think back on good days. The hat can be made as a snug-fitted toque or to be stylishly slouchy. Instructions are given for both fingering and aran weight yarn in sizes from Baby to Adult.

You can buy the pattern in my pattern store. Until November 15 you can receive a 25% discount when you use the coupon code giftalong. Then, of course, you should join in the the fun at the Indie Design Gift-A-Long!

Thank you again to Eleanor Dixon for technical editing, and to all 18 of my testers.

It’s Halloween Again And I’ve Been Sewing

October 30, 20131 Comment

This year I was on it early. I believe it was still September when I got the kids to pick out patterns and I headed to the fabric store for supplies. I was so excited and eager to start!

And then I got to the fabric store. Two hours later and much poorer I finally left the store exasperated and a lot less eager. But I was feeling very grateful that I had started so soon.

The boy had decided he wanted to be Dracula since he’s been loving Hotel Transylvania lately. The girl needed to be a “fairy princess”, a pink and purple one to be exact. I have tried to steer her away from the princess stuff but the pink force runs deep in this one.

I found these patterns by McCall’s. They didn’t seem all that intimidating at the time, in fact they looked rather cute. After finally deciphering the information hidden on the back and inside the pattern I managed to track down (almost) all of the stuff I needed.

Now, over a month later, I’ve finally finished them. The hardest parts were, in order: making a multi-layered tulle skirt, sewing in a zipper, making and applying cuffs and collars. I already knew I disliked zippers, cuffs and collars, but working with tulle was an entirely new form of torture for me. I will be strongly suggesting non-tulle-based costumes in the future.

But the end results are costumes and dress-up clothes that my kids love and will be able to wear for a long time and maybe even pass down to their kids someday. And I guess that made it all worth it. Maybe.

Mmmm… Biscuits

October 29, 20134 Comments

I love biscuits. They’re so fluffy and buttery and absorbent.

My mom always made biscuits to go along with scalloped potatoes and ham. We’d eat them with butter and molasses, which I’m pretty sure is a Maritime (of Canada) thing. The molasses would seep in and crystallize a little on the top. This also led to me eating scalloped potatoes (or potato scallop as we always called it) with molasses on top, which I’m pretty sure was just a me thing and totally grosses out anyone who sees it.

Before I shared this recipe with you I did a little background check. I always assume that my mom’s recipes are family heirlooms, although recently I’ve discovered otherwise. I wanted to make sure this “old family recipe” wasn’t the one on the back of the bag of flour. This time you’re in luck! This was the recipe my grandmother always used, this much we know for sure. We also know that the recipe came from my great uncle Wally, who was in the Canadian Army many moons ago. Here is where the story gets a little cloudy – my mom believes that the recipe was from his days on kitchen duty with the army. She doesn’t have anything to substantiate this story, but it was the one she always knew when she was a kid. So we’re going with it.

Anyway, on with the recipe.

Great Uncle Wally’s Army Days Biscuits

Ingredients:

3 C flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 C butter (cold)

1 1/3 C milk

Yield : A bunch (I don’t know, a couple dozen maybe)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degress F.

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.

Cut in butter with pastry cutter or two knives until butter pieces are pea-sized.

Pour milk over and gently mix in (I start with a fork and then move on to my hands to finish off). DO NOT OVERWORK! – it will lead to tough bisquits.

Flatten dough to about 2″ – 3″ thick.

Using a round cookie cutter (or my mom always used a small glass), cut out rounds and place them in a 9″ x 13″ baking dish (or in a large cast-iron pan if you like them a little crispier).

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden-brown on top.

Eat them immediately! Maybe with some beef stew.

The Helen Pencil Skirt

September 19, 20135 Comments

At long last my latest (and most favorite) pattern has finally been released!

It feels like this one was a long time coming. I believe the idea came to me way back in early spring but the process of bringing the idea to fruition, which you can read about in the Design Series, takes a long time. And now it’s finally here, just in time for fall!

Which is great since the skirt was designed with fall and winter in mind.

The inspiration for this piece is my friend Helen. She is a very stylish woman who always wears skirts and heels, even if it’s to take her two dogs and 3 year-old son to the park. Helen the lady is classy, sexy and curvy. Helen the skirt is, too. It’s the kind of skirt that would look great worn in the office with a fitted blouse, or to the farmers’ market with a simple t-shirt. It’s for the woman who does it all and wants to look good doing it.

You can find the skirt on Ravelry, or on the Knit Picks website where you can make a kit and buy the yarn and pattern at the same time. Couldn’t be easier!

I must again thank Eleanor Dixon for technical editing. And an enormous thank you to Helen Walls for being my muse and model. I asked her if she could bring some coordinating clothes and accessories to the shoot with her and she showed up with the most perfect outfit without having ever seen the skirt in person. And of course she looked amazing! Thanks lady!