Nothing to report, except for desserts

Here's the cherry pie. I won "Mom's Best" again. Next year, I think I'll go with something less traditional, but it was fun.





This next one is a cocoanut cream pie with a cocoanut and graham cracker crust, topped with red raspberries, white meringues, and blackberries. Happy belated 4th of July!

Can She Bake A Cherry Pie?

Stay tuned to find out!

I've put one into production. (I've made the crust and put it to chill, and assembled the filling.)This year's Chifferobe Stars and Stripes event is featuring a pie contest, as last year's did. I won the "Mom's Best" award last year...that, and the empty pie tin, made me very happy! [See http://artdecodivaknits.blogspot.com/2010/07/raspberry-pie.html ]

Last year I made a red raspberry pie, so this year I'm going for cherry. I baked a test pie a few weeks ago, to take to a party, and it disappeared in short order, so I'm optimistic.

What's your favorite pie? Is it one you make yourself, or is it your mom's, aunt's, dad's?

Good Cooking: Hominy Muffins

It's raining today. I got a run in before it really started coming down, but even in warm weather, a rainy day brings comfort food to mind.

So when I got back (and changed into a dry robe: 1930s, of course, peach with brown & green appliques) I sat down to page through old cookbooks.

Last year I scored some great 30s cookbooks. One of my favorites is Good Cooking, by Marjorie Heseltine and Ula M. Dow, 1933 (rev. 1936).

It's well-named; the authors were serious about cooking, and there are not only good recipes, but excellent tips for cooking, baking, canning and more.

Anyway, I started looking in earnest in the "breads" chapter, and the first recipe happened to be hominy muffins. They're actually made with grits, a favorite of mine. And they are leavened with yeast, not baking powder. If you've never had yeast raised muffins, do yourself a favor and try some, even if you don't want to bake them yourself; they're great!

Hot cereals were common in the 30s,and so was the problem of what to do with leftovers. In cookbooks of the period you'll find plenty of oatmeal, rice, and other muffins. Most of them, though, use quick bread recipes.

This is faster than many yeast breads: little to no kneading is required, and only a single one-hour rise. The recipe makes one dozen muffins.







Hominy Muffins (12 muffins)

1/2 c. cooked hominy grits* (hot or cold)
2 tbl. fat [I used butter]
2 tbl. sugar [I used just one]
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk, scalded
2 cakes yeast [I used 2 envelopes of dry yeast]
2 c. bread flour

Put the cereal, fat, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl; stir the scalded milk slowly into the contents of the bowl to form a smooth mixture. Cool until lukewarm (when a drop poured on the wrist will feel neither hot nor cold). Crumble the yeast cake [sprinkle both envelopes of yeast] between the fingers into the bowl. Add the flour and beat in the flour and yeast thoroughly.

Fill greased muffin pans half full of the mixture. If a metal tablespoon is dipped into cold water each time before it is dipped into the mixture, the dough will not stick to the spoon**. Let rise in a warm room until the pans are full or about 1 hour. Bake in a moderate oven (375 to 400 F.) for 25 minutes.


If I make these again (and I probably will) I'll do two rises, but they're good. Dense and a bit chewy; they'd be great with a stew or any dish that tastes better with crusty bread.



*I made one serving of grits: 3 tbl. grits to one cup of water. There were a few spoonfuls left over. I smoothed it into a pan to be cut and toasted later

**I kneaded the dough briefly, and then divided it as follows: half, half again, and each of these quarters into thirds. Roll into a ball and place smoothest side up in the muffin cup.

Happy Father's Day

A happy Father's Day to all the dads, folks who stand in for the ones who can't be there, mothers who have to be both, and especially dads who also have to be mothers.

I wasn't lucky enough to know my father; he died when I was very small, but my mother did talk about him and we were able to know him through her.

It seems that I'm not alone in loving "vintage", either...when they bought their house, he promptly ripped out all of the carpets and refinished the hardwood floors. And preferred a gin (real!) martini to a vodka (I came late to that one), and loved to cook.

He was an artist--mostly in charcoal, I think. I have a few of his sketches. He loved good food, and cooking, and gardening.

So here's to my father, and yours, and you, and all of the fathers in our lives.

Just a quick update...

...to say that I'm still digging in the dirt: one small patch to go before I can plant my roses.

The Cat Blankie continues. It's nearly done.

I have begun a new 30s pattern. It's the Normandy, from the Minerva Paris volume. I'm making it in orchid Shetland, with natural as a contrasting color--it has a check pattern sailor collar. Lots of swatching for this one, as my Shetland is a little more coarse than the stuff called for in the pattern.

And I'm revving up for another pie contest. I made a test pie yesterday (cherry) and am glad to say my guinea pigs...er, tasters...polished off the whole thing in record time.

More photos soon. They're on the camera, but not yet uploaded. I hope your summer is as full and fulfilling as mine is!

Spring Garden, A New(ish) Cocktail, but not much knitting...

I just looked at the calendar. It's May. Howinthehell did that happen? Not only that, my anniversary and birthday are coming up, and Memorial Day, and we've been working on the yard, and...

...clearly, I haven't been posting about it.

Last first. Yes, I've done a little bit of knitting. It's the Cat Blankie, which is living up to its too cute name nicely. It's about 2/3 the length of my body at this point, and the cats are happy to burrow under as it continues.

Next: the cocktail. It's not really a new one--I just decided to ring a change on an Aviator (gin/lemon juice/creme de violette/maraschino). Regular gin is currently out of stock at the old booze cart, but I do have some Old Tom gin. And in addition to creme de violette, we have creme yvette.

Creme yvette is the ancestor of creme de violette. I don't have all the information, but I believe that it dates from Victorian times, as does Old Tom (slightly sweetened) gin.

Therefore, my "new" cocktail is the Steampunk.

Steampunk Cocktail

2 1/2 oz. Old Tom gin
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
2 -3 generous dashes Maraschino
1/2 oz. Creme Yvette

Shake briskly for a short time with clean, dry ice. Strain out into a cocktail glass.


The drink will be a strong rose pink, and a trifle sweeter than an Aviation. The Creme Yvette brings a nice floral/herbal aftertaste to the drink.

Speaking of floral and herbal:

These are a few of my favorite things

Silk stockings. Yes, silk. Still made today (for a king's ransom) but I wear vintage. Deadstock, if I'm lucky.

Rayon stockings. Cotton stockings (with silk clocks, even better).

I've been lucky this year, after a long run of not being so lucky. Old stockings are still around, but they're not always easy to find. This year and the second half of last year I've found 20s and 30s stockings.

About ten years ago I found a box of three pairs of 40s stockings. They were marked "service weight", which I think means that they were to spec for wearing while in uniform. I could be wrong, but in any case, they are amazing. It's been ten years and I still have all three. There are a few pulls or snags, but not a single run! Amazing.

Now, I don't wear stockings every day by any means, as some vintage enthusiasts do, but they still get a workout for special occasions. They're the right thing to wear, after all, with vintage dresses. And stockings are far more comfortable than panty hose--believe me!

It's not always a foregone conclusion that the stockings you buy, even if deadstock, will be wearable. Silk in particular is prone to drying out so badly that a run zings down the leg as you're oh-so-carefully easing on the first one (this usually happens, of course, when you're on vacation and don't have a lot of spares on hand).

Real stockings, like good socks, come in sizes. Your stocking size is not the same as your shoe size. It's closer to a rough measurement (in inches) of the length of your foot. They came in long and short and regular. Some had reinforced toes, fancy clocks, even hand-painted designs on the sides. Until the 1960s, they all had seams.

Stockings can be held up by a girdle, garter belt, or plain old elastic garters (if you're in a 20s mood, feel free to slide jazz garters on under the roll created by rolling the stocking top around the elastic garter).

They're correct, sexy, make your legs look better, and can make an outfit.

Just the same, there are days when I leave them off, like Gertrude Lawrence did (in the 30s, it was considered positively outrageous).

Not Knitting

The golf socks have stalled out for now. I started a "cat blankie" last night; just a simple lace pattern in charcoal worsted. It'll probably be as much a shawl (albeit rectangular) as cat blanket.

In other 20s-style hand-made crafts, see above. I made the headpiece over a two-week period. It's based on a French design from the 1920s, but is considerably more complicated...because I couldn't find enough pearl beads of one size to make it as shown in the illustration I had!

The base is black figured velvet, with some shaping. I made a paper pattern first, and backed it with interfacing. All of the bead work is done by hand (no glue, or pre-made sections). The pearls are glass bead pearls, and the finished piece is heavy!

I haven't given into temptation and weighed it yet, but I probably will one of these days.

It's the first one I've constructed entirely from scratch and I'm pretty well pleased with it. I've kept the paper pattern for other, similar headpieces.

(The photo is courtesy of Providence Pin-Up, and it was taken at a Chifferobe event this past weekend.)

Still working on it...

...it, because I am still on Golf Stocking #1. But the toe will be coming up soon, and then we go all over again. Luckily, I know that my husband will really appreciate these, so it's certainly worthwhile.

I am also working on a beaded headband for an upcoming event for Providence's Cocktail Week: the Chifferobe evening, this coming Saturday. It's got a way to go, even though I am using larger beads than usual. I hope it comes out well.

The next knitting project is something I haven't decided on just yet. A 30s suit might be nice, but I'll have to see if I have enough of any one yarn to make one. (A friend gifted me with a lovely Bakelite cape fastener, and it would look good on a knitted piece.)

It's spring, though. And for some reason, I want to knit lace in the springtime. There are a couple of beautiful patterns on the new Knitty issue, and I can always dig through stitch treasuries or old pattern books.

What do you like to knit in the spring? Any suggestions?

Newsflash: Spring!

...is FINALLY here. Or so it would seem.

Review: The Manual of Detection, by Jedediah Berry

This is a modern book: 2009. I beg your pardon. I mean, this book was written recently, but it will be around for a long while. If you're another who loves old books and classic literature, don't worry; I think you're going to enjoy this a lot.

Its roots are deep, and they reach into more than one place. In the acknowledgments the author says, "This book is dedicated to my mother, Maureen Berry Bliss, who is always looking for a good mystery."

Yes, it's a mystery. An elegant, intricate, noir-infused puzzler. It also reaches into science fiction, and fantasy; urban faerie, in a way. When you read it, you will probably find categories of your own. You'll probably find them because its author didn't limit himself to the painstaking categories that Charles Unwin (good name; you'll like it more once you're reading) once found completely necessary to a correct life.

Mr. Unwin is a clerk in an unnamed city. This city has echoes of Manhattan, New England, even, to my mind, San Francisco and upstate New York. It's a real city where the scent of the subway rises to your nostrils and the people who populate it go about their various businesses carefully ignoring the bustle--or quiet--surrounding them.

Charles's job has been his life for years, until he sees the woman in the plaid coat.

Then it begins...a whirlwind, inexplicable week or so of the impossible...or is it impossible?

The realities turn sideways, no one is the person he or she is supposed to be, and Charles finds the world upside down. In his efforts to right it and return to his safe, comfortable niche he finds more impossible things before next breakfast than Alice ever dreamed of finding out.

I'll leave it at that. I could not possibly explain it properly, even if I wanted to spoil it for you. Not only can Jed Berry weave a fascinating plot and strangely real people into an unreal but possible place, his writing is superb.

Treat yourself to a copy, mete it out carefully, in smallish doses, so it doesn't run out too quickly, and enjoy.

Golf Stocking

Singular. It will be plural...eventually.

I am still on the leg of sock/stocking #1 and have already begun on the second skein. Looks like there are contrasting heels and toes ahead; this yarn has been discontinued. )The sock is longer than it appears, as I have turned the stocking top down.)

Oh, and this is the color I'm calling "1930s Green". I'm told that it's also known as "Colonial Green". As real and faux Colonial were very popular in the 1930s I'm not surprised!

1930s Baby Blanket

This blanket was made for some vintage minded friends who just had a baby. It's FINALLY on its way. (Took me long enough, it's been done for quite some time.)

The pattern is from Bear Brand-Bucilla Manual of Knitting and Crochet, Volume 69 [1933]. I added the blanket binding for a more finished look. Yarn used is my favorite cone yarn stand-by, the same I use so often for socks (I think I'll probably cry when it's all used up).

Happy St. Paddy's Day

Yes, we're having corned beef and cabbage (braised in stout). Also, soda bread and potatoes.

No, the beer will NOT be green (see "stout", above).

I wish you and yours a happy one.

(Of course I'm wearing green. I'm Irish-American. And Catholic.)

Dr Who Continued

The Dr Who Scarf, (series 13) that is. It's verrry close.

That is:

*I finished the last row
*it's not yet bound off (we had a guest and he was leaving, so I got up and left the scarf)
*I still cannot decide what exactly to do with the fringe.

The recommendations online are simple, and a little thin in looks. But when my husband and I were watching the Tom Baker episodes I scored at the thrift shop I got a good look at the ends of the scarf. It appears to have very heavy fringe; at a guess, one strand of each color (seven in all) in each lark's head knot. There are probably seven or more knots in each end of the scarf.

I don't like making fringe. BUT. It's "absolutely necessary" for this one. So...I'm going to bind off, wash the thing, block it (not going to be fun, this) and then make the heavy fringes.

As I've said a time or two, it should be ready to wear by December!

One (pair) down, one (pair) to go.

I finished my own "stockings" and they've already been worn a few times. The above photo was taken about two weeks ago.

They're worth the time involved. And the tops themselves do a really great job holding the socks up. At first I also wore some stocking garters under the tops, but that was overkill, especially by the end of the day!

There are no increases or decreases in the leg, but I'd recommend them. My legs are slim, and though it works, they would be more comfortable if I'd used a few shapings.

The leg pattern is from Sensational Knitted Socks, and the tops pattern is Coral Lace, converted to the round, from Barbara Walker's second stitch pattern book.

I am now working on the pair for my husband. I had to re-do the tops in a larger size, even though I followed a pattern this time. I'm combining a pattern from one of my hardcover 30s knitting books with a knee sock pattern from the early 80s. The top is two-color, and the sock is all green. As I'm also making a pair of quick long socks for him from a self-patterning yarn, these golf stockings might take a bit longer to finish.

With any luck, I'll have evidence in a month or two.

Third Time's the Charm

Or, in this case, the stocking tops.

I haven't taken a photo yet, but hope to post one soon. Because finally, after three tries...

1. Adapt the pattern to the round, dummy. Oh, and turn the sock inside out, it's easier than knitting backwards. Really. (Dummy.)

2. No, same size needle with only a few stitches more is a bad idea.

2. Aha. Two needle sizes larger.


It worked. Even so, next time (and there will be a next time) I think I'll start the stocking tops first.

Those of you who don't knit (and also, possibly, those who do), "stocking tops" are fancy tops for knee-high or longer socks/stockings.

They're there to keep the stockings up, hide elastic or a garter (either elastic or knitted) and for fun. They also used to be a must for golf stockings.

And so, since my husband is as vintage mad as I am, he has been promised a pair of golf stockings, his with Fair Isle tops rather than lace. We found a gorgeous wool silk yarn in what I call 1930s green, which happens to match a vintage sweater vest he found last year.

Even with the greater size and length of knitting to contend with, I suspect this pair will be much easier.

Maraschino Cherries

I love cocktails. One of my particular favorites is Manhattan. A regular, a perfect, one with extras like orange bitters and a dash of Luxardo. The pit in the cherry, if you'll excuse me for putting it that way, is what passes for a maraschino cherry these days. Nasty.

Now, you can shell out $18.00 or so for a jar from Luxardo, but they're sweet cherries, and syrupy. I'm all for sour cherries...but they're difficult to come by, in or out of season.

On Tuesday I dropped by a local big box store and hit the jackpot. They had sour cherries in light syrup. This means that the cherries are still tart, and the "syrup" is more like cherry juice. We have a bottle of Luxardo, of course.

There are a number of recipes up on the web. The most simple is from the NY Times. In 2007 they recommended getting a jar of the same cherries I used today, and marinating them in Luxardo. Easy, but not quite the thing, to my way of thinking. I didn't want them to be so boozy that they would overwhelm a drink.

Luxardo Cocktail Cherries

(1) 24 oz. glass jar of sour cherries in light syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water (or juice from the packed cherries)
1 tbl. lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
1 dash freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Luxardo maraschino liqueur

Combine everything except the cherries and liqueur. Bring mixture to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium and add the cherries; simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in liqueur.

These can be simply stored in the refrigerator as is, but I chose to can mine. I used three 8 oz. jelly jars, and processed two of them for 20 minutes in a water bath; I put the third in to chill. They'll be gone soon enough!


I got a bonus from these canned cherries. The remainder of liquid from simmering with the cherries, added to some more lemon juice and the rest of the juices/syrup from the jar, was enough to make two 4 oz. jars of spiced cherry jelly. (Roast duck, here I come.)

Madhouse: Sorry

"Sorry seems to be the only word." "Being in love means never having to say you're sorry."

Popular word. And its application has many different uses, it would seem. (For the record I hope I'm never in a situation that applies to the first quote, and I really do not agree with the second one!)

Being sorry is difficult. It means letting go, and usually when one is in no mood to do so. And as often as not, the other party doesn't give a lot of help in the matter.

However, the most difficult part of saying "I'm sorry" is to encounter a recipient who doesn't give a damn--and says so--or, worse, says "It's okay, I forgive you." but doesn't mean that at all.

Sorry and I-forgive-you are a couple of those damned two-way streets you hear about growing up. The ones you're expected to drive without a license.

I don't know if growing up makes it easier, but it does grant more of an understanding of the words and why they are so important. Nearly every time the phrases are used they seem to give a little more understanding, even if it's very hard-won knowledge; maybe especially if hard-won.

Books

Yesterday was Sunday. That's usually a good brunch at home, and a leisurely persual of the NY Times. The Times is one of our luxuries.

We had champagne, French toast, bacon, juice...and instead of the Arts section, I grabbed the Book Review first. There are some good books in there this week. A new biography on Humphrey Bogart is out, for one. And the antiquarian book listings are always fascinating.

As I was reading it, I wondered: really, will real, hold-them-in-your-hands books ever leave us? Please God, no!

I can see that a Kindle is useful,especially while travelling, or using a knitting pattern. You can buy/download book texts that would be too expensive to buy in real copies.

But what about the books themselves? Has anyone ever read Helene Hanff's books...on books? 84, Charing Cross Road is not only a love story about people. She discusses the feel of a calf-bound book, its romance, the superiority to "the stiff cardboardy covers" of books in the 1940s. What in the world would Miss Hanff think now?

One of the best parts of my childhood was books. Libraries. Walking out with a stack so tall that I had to balance it with the edge of my chin...the luxurious, dusty, rich scent of books en masse in a building made for them. Will children born in the next few years have no chance to experience that? Life will be duller without those books, touched not only by other minds, but by other hands as well. (And cats. I'm always amused by sharp toothmarks in the corner of a book. Someone feline left His Mark as well.)

We belong to a private library, and spend a fair amount of time in the public library as well. Don't forget about them. If you haven't cash to support them, use your time and ideas. And ideals. Books are a luxury we can't afford to discard.

The Cat Afghan...I mean, Dr Who Scarf Progress

It's really coming along. The cats are very pleased; at this point it's an excellent length. Both of them can snuggle underneath as I'm knitting it above them.

In other knitting...it's annoying to make stocking tops after you've made the socks. Next time, tops first. But I'll come up with a pattern I like and get it done. A gift is nearly done, and I'm contemplating another 30s sweater, in more boucle yarn: cream, gray, and plum.

Betsy, Tacy, and Tib

This is to send my thanks to Maud Hart Lovelace (aka Betsy). I suspect I've got plenty of company in not only remembering those books fondly, but re-reading some of them on a yearly basis. I like her high school years onward, but the saga begins when Betsy is five.

Mrs. Lovelace, so the blurb in back of the books tells us, wrote these stories after telling them to her daughter, Merian. They're the tales of a girl in a solid middle class family in the Midwest (Minnesota) from the late 19th century into the beginning of the Great War.

They are a terrific introduction to the times, and more than just an escape. The writing is funny and charming and pulls the reader in to a world of comfort and privilege...but there are sad moments. She doesn't dwell on them, but parents of friends die too early, young hearts are broken, and the necessity of being good to other people (and some of the consequences, if you are not) are laid out for you, too.

These books have been in and out of print since the first was published in 1940. I don't know which, if any, are available in new editions, but keep your eyes open. Look in used book stores, antiques stores, and online used book sites.

It doesn't matter if you're 8 or 85, you'll find something to love in the Betsy-Tacy books (Tib is their the chum, she comes in after the first book), and it's also possible that you'll learn something about writing, and story telling, if you're a writer.

Madhouse: Shoes

Shoes. What about them? I'm no Imelda Marcos but I like them.

But as is often the case, my taste in them has changed somewhat. I remember pleading with my mother for a pair of Candies high heeled slings, only to be told that it was trashy to wear heels with pants! (This was in the dark ages...I mean, late 70s, folks.)

In high school I remember when she and a salesclerk talked me into a really handsome pair of burgundy leather slingbacks instead of the rather awful ankle strap shoes I coveted at the time. They were right. Classic is a really good thing. I wore those shoes all through high school and college...and beyond, until they literally began to fall apart.

So we're still with heels, but now classic. College mostly meant boots and tennis shoes and so on; I went to New England Conservatory after SCCC and walking around Boston and taking the T makes you fairly practical, even at 20 or 21.

Back to heels next, fairly classic. That continued for a while, though I developed a taste for silver shoes for formal wear, instead of black. (That trend continues...only now they're glace leather, not glitter!)

In the 90s I began to swing dance. Oddly, for a while that meant I started to wear absurdly high heels to dance in. Four inch heels and doing swing-outs? Sure, I'm still indestructible, I'm in my 30s! Eventually I went to lower heels, wedges, oxfords and the occasional vintage shoe in good condition.

This is what really cured me of very high heels, though, and it was only about 5 years ago. I was working in a downtown office and that day was wearing my brand new white stiletto pumps. When I say stiletto...I mean five inches high. Yes.

And on this day, the office jerk (there's one everywhere, as a rule) decided that I (the acting receptionist, not mail room clerk or delivery clerk or runner) would walk a mile across the area and make a hand delivery for him. Never mind the phones.

I damn near killed myself. (I had plans for him, too, but decided I didn't feel like finding out what my bail would be in the circumstances, though I knew that it would be justifiable...whatever-I-did-to-him.)

Now it's 2.5 or 3 inches for heels, lots of loafers and even ballet flats.

Haven't you heard? I'm a knitter now. How else can I show off my handmade socks?

Madhouse Post: Ugly

H'mm. For some reason, "jolie laid" is the first response that comes to mind; a woman so "ugly" that she is beautiful.

When I use the word "ugly" myself it does tend to the bad. I find it springs to mind when someone is being particularly nasty, unkind, selfish, or mean.

Just now I took down my copy of the Pocket Oxford Dictionary to find this:

ugly (adj.) Unpleasing or repulsive to sight; morally repulsive, vile, unpleasantly suggestive, threatening; formidable antagonist; ugly duckling person who turns out the genius of the family after being thought the dullard

Yes, that'll do for definition(s).

The Year of the Sweater?

It's mid-January, and I have two new sweaters of my own making. Admittedly, one was a UFO from last year, but the second was cast on, knitted and finished after New Year's Day.

I don't make many sweaters...I get bored and move on to another pair of socks, or some lace, or even a scarf. But lately I haven't found as many modern sweaters I liked, and though I have found some lovely vintage pieces they aren't quite scratching the sweater itch, if you will.

Last night I found myself wondering if I really did buy a cone or two of Shetland this past summer (don't think I did) and wondering why not. My 1930s knitting books seem more enticing than ever lately, and I keep thinking of cones of Shetland and eyeing the yarn I bought for the Dr Who scarf (safely underway now) and thinking, "Wouldn't that be great sweater yarn?"

We'll see what happens.

What projects are haunting you these cold winter days?

The Usual January Knitting Frenzy

It's finished. No, no new photos yet, but the long-suffering "30s Sweater" is finally done.

Now I need to seam (and decide on a closure) for the top-down raglan I made last week--it's a heavily modified version of a pattern I knitted about five years ago...one of those that swim around in your head for several years and when you finally pick up the needles it's all there, just waiting to be knit.

I'm also working on some [gift] and a [gift] and am plotting some more [gift]. There are two--okay, four--UFO socks. Two will be frogged, two finished. And a bolero which I began and nearly finished in 2008 (!) will go with me to Area 51 to be finished (that's for UFOs specifically).

I want to knit another 30s skirt. In gray, I think. And I spent much of Tuesday on Ravelry, digging up more 30s patterns.

My 30s knitting books are calling to me too. The hardcovers. One in particular has a few good pages on embellishments/trims. Lace falls, bows, etc.

And...

Remember This?

I'm in my workroom, breathing in the wonderful (to me) scent of wet wool.

Why is it wonderful? Well, two reasons. One: I just plain like it. Two: I am blocking a sweater.

This is the 30s sweater that I knitted in very short order late last winter and promptly put away unfinished. D-Day is Monday; I'm planning on attending Area 51 at Fresh Purls to begin seaming and picking up for the neck ribbing.

Now I just have to find the rest of the yarn. I know I saw it around here somewhere....

Expectations

(This is for a "Madhouse" entry. Sorry, Kate, I'll probably continue to be hit or miss on it.)

Exoectations? Whew. I've had a few!

As a very little girl, I thought I'd be a ballerina. Nope, didn't happen...though I did eventually become a decent (social) swing dancer.

In my late teens and early 20s it was opera. To that end I studied voice for ten years...scrimped and saved and bartered for voice lessons, scraped by on "no money" and finally gave it up because though my voice is actually pretty good, my technique and self discipline were not.

In general as a child and young woman I didn't have set expectations about my personal life as an adult, perhaps because I came from a small family without lots of "examples" to see.

I didn't expect to be divorced. Or re-married. I am, it's working, but is work. (That's something you don't generally expect as a child!)

I certainly did not expect to be staying at home (albeit because I am presently unemployed)...and most especially did not expect to like it. Liking it still makes me feel rather guilty (lapsed Catholic and feminist that I am).

Most of all, I did not expect to be good at it, nor so very domestic. What did I do yesterday? All day? I mended, cleaned, and ironed.

Cooking and baking? Yes, the expecation of enjoying that and being good at it was the one thing now occupying me that is not a surprise.

Life is full of expectations...and life goes on in spite of them!

Vintage Cookbooks

How Mama Could Cook! is one of my recent acquisitions.

It's a keeper. I love older cookbooks, especially from the 20s and 30s. This one was written in the 40s, and contains the reminiscences of a daughter about her mother's brilliance in the kitchen, and flamboyant, marvelous personality.

Scraps of stories surround the recipes, and nearly all of those recipes are ones I'd like to try. To date, I've made the White Velvet Cookies (good, but would be better in a cookie press than rolled and cut, as they become tough very quickly).

I bought it for a recipe entitled Brimstone Duck. How could I resist that one? Duck with apples, onions, and applejack. Sounds like a very good thing, does it not?

There are also some very interesting ideas for preserves and cordials, even homemade wines...if you love to cook, and especially if you love to dig around in vintage cookbooks for ideas, search out a copy of this book. It's brilliant.

New Year's Resolution #1: Dr Who Scarf

Today I ordered the yarn online. I did try to buy it from a couple of brick-and-mortar shops, but no go.

This particular version is the Season [Series] 13 scarf, and I'm going to make it with Brown Sheep Nature Spun in sport weight. That should result in a scarf that measures about 10 feet, give or take a few inches, what will varying gauge and blocking.

Yes, it's a vintage thing! Mind you, not nearly as vintage as my usual, or even (gasp!) as vintage as me, because although the series premiered in 1963, the scarf is associated primarily with Tom Baker, who debuted in 1974.

I am using a pattern provided by Tara at Witty Little Knitter

Wish me luck! It should make good standing in line or television knitting. (What a fabulous excuse for a Dr Who marathon!)

Happy New Year Part II...and Part III of Bachelor Mother

Ooops! Sorry about that.

And a comment: I listened after I made the first post. It doesn't compare well to the Lux broadcasts, especially script-wise. The movie is far better and much funnier.

Still, it's a nice little diversion. I hope you enjoy[ed] it.

Happy New Year!

Here's a radio version of Bachelor Mother (1939) starring Ginger Rogers and David Niven originally.

Enjoy!

It's one of my favorite holiday movies, it covers the whole week and even shows Times Square on NYE!






Oh, and here's something to listen to while you're having that hangover--I mean, Champagne--brunch tomorrow afternoon:

Listing Times
Direct Link on LoudCity

This is one of--no, the best--online source of vintage jazz I know. The live broadcast takes place tonight, but it will repeat tomorrow. Check the first Dismuke link for worldwide programming times.

Happy New Year!!!!

Christmas Loot

Do my friends know me?


Are they wonderful?




YES.

Many, many thanks to Sue, "Ann Gibson", and Rae and Scott.

On the 4th Day of Christmas...

...I'll give you another recipe.


This is my favorite "new" recipe of 2010.

The original is from a September 1930 issue of Women's Home Companion, for candied grapefruit peel.

I've made this so frequently since first trying it on Halloween night that I've done a little tinkering. If you've tried to candy peel before and failed, or you never have tried and would like to, this is the recipe for you.







Candied Grapefruit Peel*

2 1/2 c. sliced peel, trimmed of excess pith (white portion)[~3 halves]
2 c. sugar
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. grapefruit juice
granulated sugar

Cut peel into strips and boil in lightly salted water for 20 minutes (time from when water comes to a boil). Repeat twice, for a total of three 20 minute boils. Drain well each time, and use fresh water for subsequent boiling.

Combine sugar, water, and grapefruit juice into a clean medium sized saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.

Add peel, bring to the boiling point (stirring as little as possible) and cook to 230 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

Drain immediately. It will cool quickly. As soon as it is cool enough to handle (in five minutes or so), lay the strips out on a cooling rack. When completely cool to the touch, roll in granulated sugar and leave to dry overnight.

Store in a container with a tight lid; I layer the pieces of peel in more sugar. This will keep for weeks, but can be stored in the freezer if you prefer.


*Orange and tangerine also work very well. Lemon is not recommended.

CAVEATS, etc., etc.

1. Buy a candy thermometer. They are not expensive!
2. Follow the directions. You don't need to hang out in the kitchen the whole time. Set the timer for the three boils.
3. Drain immediately. If you leave the peel in syrup it will become stiff and hard and won't taste of much but sugar.
4. DO leave to dry overnight. If it's put away too damp, it will mold, even after having been candied and rolled in more sugar. Sugar is a preservative, but it's not a miracle worker.

5. Enjoy!

Christmas Knitting 2010

I have photos of most of it. This is the tea cozy I made for DH. It's based on an online pattern but the color work is my contribution. It's specially made for the Danish teapot from the 30s, made of pewter, which he uses nearly every morning.

These are the boot socks I made for him. They're from a 40s pattern I've used before; in fact, I made a solid cream colored pair for a friend of ours, too.


This is the Wurstwaermer dog sweater. (You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry. It's about $3.00 and the profits go to a shelter in Michigan.)
The friends who have the dog for whom it was made told us that as soon as they put it on her, she curled up and went to sleep, happy as could be. So those of you who have doxies, or doxie mixes, it's dog-approved!

This is a Kindle cozy, for the latest version. I made it for my mother's new Kindle. The yarn is cone yarn from the stash, and the button is a hand-carved wooden button, Art Deco in period. This is my own pattern.

I also made the large Cozy for my MiL, and a neck warmer from burgundy homespun for a friend, but I don't have a photo of the neck warmer. I forgot to take one before wrapping it, and we didn't have our camera when she unwrapped it.

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and Boxing Day.

Merry Christmas Eve and plum pudding for all

I have been busy! Let's see...here are the cookies I made:

almond spritz
hazelnut chocolate spritz
fruit & nut bars
noels
cranberry brownies
lavender shortbread
chocolate cocoanut kisses
cream cheese cinnamon
Christmas hermits
peanut butter Kiss

...and candied peel (lemon, tangerine, orange & grapefruit), mince pies, and plum puddings too.

Today I'll be making a liverwurst and cream cheese roll and a cheese ball for tomorrow's open house, and that's all, folks! (Except for making our brunch tomorrow.)

Here's a little plum pudding action, Part I:

Cookies and boxes and knitting. Oh, my.

I'm getting there. The last boxes of Christmas gifts and cookies are packed up and ready to go. It's hard to believe I've already sent some out!

But now the cookie stocks are seriously depleted, and surprise! I think I need to bake some more. Well, I want to.

Thus far I have made noels, fruit and nut bars, Christmas hermits, cranberry brownies, peanut butter Kiss cookies, lavender shortbread and almond spritz cookies.

Now that I have a feel for the cookie press, I'm going to make some more. They look so professional, and besides...they make me think of my grandmother. She wasn't a cuddly, stereotypical grandmother, but she had a cookie press (my sister has it) and she used it.

More gift knitting--nearly all of it--is done, and even wrapped. I'll be glad when I can post some photos here. At least this time I've remembered to take pictures before wrapping them up.

I hope everyone is having a good holiday season. Merry Christmas!

Holiday Bonus

[This post owes its existance to Kate, whom I know from Knitty. Thanks!]

Holiday bonus...maybe this is a bit shallow, but for me the holiday season is a time when my talents--knitting, cooking, baking, singing--feel less like indulgence than something positive.

Mind, I don't sing professionally anymore. But we went to a Lessons and Carols service on Sunday, and in singing there it felt as though I was contributing to the happiness of the occasion and the people around me.

There are times, and plenty of them, when I feel guilty for knitting, or baking or (fill in 'hobby' here) during the daytime. This feeling has certainly intensified since I have been unemployed.

But in preparing for the holidays I am creating gifts for the people I like and love. These actions (or recreations) are producing something that will, I hope, make those people happy. And at least in the knitting, I am saving us some money. I have a very large stash of yarn. And vintage buttons. Very little has been spent on buying the raw materials for the gifts I have made this year.

So, in preparing for the holidays I get a bonus. The joy of giving, coupled with a kind of validation, give me a lift beyond the beauty of Christmas and the New Year.

Meanwhile, in Santa's workshop...

...in a manner of speaking. That's the first day's baking. Two kinds of Christmas cookies (noels and peanut butter Kiss cookies), plus plain peanut butter cookies for DH.

The wrap/shawl/lap afghan is a large Cozy (pattern for free on Knitty) which is to be my MiL's Christmas present. I bound off, washed and dried it today.

Yesterday I made lavender shortbread and fruit and nut bars. We'll be well-stocked for our open house on Christmas Day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful for many things this year: my husband, other family, friends, good health...our house.

And as always, knitting (yarn!) and food.

But I AM knitting...really

It's just that it's all gift knitting. And some (though not all) of the recipients read the blog, and so I'm stuck keeping track and/or griping about it on Knitty, to the cats, or to DH.

In other news, I did make DH's birthday cake today. Chocolate with chocolate marzipan filling and almond buttercream frosting. The leftovers I turned into cupcakes (filled) for the Rhode Island Antiques Mall Black Friday Sale.

And now, for the Circus

Here we are...another Chifferobe event. Lady Medusa and The Ringmaster!

Getting Closer...and a birthday wish

...to the holidays and all. But first: Happy Birthday, Meg! (My baby sister...who turned none-of-your-business this year. Wish I could see you today.)

We went for a drive yesterday and ended up at the North Shore (Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly Farms, etc., in MA). A lovely day and a gorgeous area.

The first thing we hit was a church craft fair/Christmas sale. We passed on the crafts, but found some wonderful things at the White Elephant sale...including tins for holding cookies, a nice glass jar for candies, a needlepoint pillow and more. Cost? A whopping $2.00!

The book sale yielded some goodies, too; DH found a birding guide, we got a few vintage boys adventure books, and I found another narrow basket--I use them to hold produce on the cellarway. I've paid as much as $10.00 for one. This one set me back twenty-five cents. And...DH spotted a vintage Swansdown Cake Flour promotional booklet from 1939. It's in sad condition, but still readable. The endorser is Kate Smith (the Kate Smith who sang Irving Berlin's "God Bless America"). Great recipes! I'm going to use the Almond Butter Cream frosting for DH's birthday cake in a week or so.

We pressed on, to a LYS, as I needed yarn for a gift project. We stopped at the shop we've been to previously and walked in on a signing and trunk show for Ann Weaver.

Yes, we bought the book! DH has already requested the cabled scarf/wrap, etc. pattern (can't remember the name of it now); about 200 yards of worsted cables, with button and buttonholes to take it from one incarnation to another.

She was fun to talk to, and we stayed a while. She was also very gracious about a scarf and hat I designed and made last year (I wore them yesterday), but never wrote up. It's not on the blog, though I might have mentioned it in passing.

She's even offered to be a test knitter. So if you're reading this, Ann, I really do intend to find the pattern notes and send them on; failing that, I'll read the end results and send that. I'm not sure exactly when, but I will do it!

I am doing some knitting--and finished some more--but can't mention any of it until after the holidays.

On a final knitterly note, my KnitPicks package just came. I used the gift certificate my sister sent me more than a year ago and used it toward a couple of blocking board squares and some sock yarn. It was on the doorstep when we came home last night!

Veterans Day / Armistice Day

Today is Veterans Day (US) or Armistice Day. "Happy" seems an odd word to tack on to either one, but it's an important day to remember.

So to all the veterans I know--and don't know--thank you. This includes my father, my great uncle, my husband and father-in-law, my good friend Nathan, my ex-husband and his father...and many, many more.

There are many books about war, in all centuries, non-fiction and fiction. If you are interested in a slightly biased account that is an excellent first-hand depiction, I recommend The Ladies From Hell, by R. Douglas Pinkerton.

He was a Scot who penned a fairly short, terse memoir that includes enough of the horrors of trench warfare to give an idea of what these men--mostly very young men--went through.

At present, there are several modern mystery authors who write of the post WWI period, including Jacqueline Winspear, who writes the Maisie Dobbs series.

An excellent post WWI (Great War) mystery of the Golden Age of mystery is Dorothy L. Sayers's The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club. Her own husband, Mac, was a veteran who suffered from mustard gas damage and shell shock.

So, again: thank you everyone, for serving your country.

Cocktail Time

This is an Ideal Cocktail, courtesy of the Savoy Cocktail Book.

Recipe:


Ideal Cocktail

2 parts gin
1 part Italian [sweet] vermouth
3 dashes Maraschino liqueur
1 tbl. grapefruit juice

Shake over clean ice; strain.

The original recipe calls for "a small nut" for garnish. (I passed.)


Happy Weekend!

On your mark...

Go! Here we are heading into the holidays. I got a jump start with all that preserving / canning.

Since I went so crazy last year, with the tree being decorated almost entirely with handmade ornaments (I'm not sure I ever want to see royal icing again) this year will probably be relatively low-key in that respect.

Thanksgiving first, of course. As we ate at home last year, we're going out this time. DH doesn't want to make it into a trip, so we'll be dining locally at one of the "fine" restaurants in the area--we're spoiled for choice, so it's bound to be good, no matter the place.

I think I want to make a dessert, though. Once we climb out of our food coma, there will be something good on hand...a couple of years ago I made a cranberry polenta tart, courtesy of a recipe from the New York Times. That's a front-runner; so is apple pie. We found more RI Greenings!

So what are the Christmas plans?

*See if the tree will be safe with the traditional ornaments, now that the cats are three.

*Finish the (minimal) gift shopping and send things off. I probably won't include cookies this year, it will be preserves instead.

*Do the bind-off on MiL's gift, which is otherwise finished. The second gift is done, too (can't show it, I think the recipient reads the blog), and I need to dig out the pattern for the third gift to be made.

*New this year: mince pies, now that I have the homemade mincemeat. Also, I want to make a plum pudding. On Halloween night I made candied orange and lemon peel, which are necessary for a traditional pudding.

*Dinner at home, as usual, though maybe we'll do the big one on Christmas Eve and then have brunch, followed by tea on Christmas Day.

Everyone take a deep breath, make your lists, and we'll all be fine. (Bookmark this and feel free to come back and laugh at me in about five weeks if you like.)

Vote

It's not a right everyone enjoys, even today. Revel in it; let your voice be heard.

Only seven

Only seven trick-or-treaters this year. But a five year old did tell his mother to tell me that we had good jack o'lanterns, which I was glad to hear. It was fun to carve them.

The smiling fella is copied from an October 1926 Good Housekeeping (one of the ads), and the other a product of my retro brain. I think he looks the part, too.

I hope you had a happy Halloween. Ours was good...and I've got lots of roasted pumpkins seeds. A nice dividend from the pumpkins!

All Hallow's Eve Eve

The mask and its holder.

I hope you've got lovely spooky plans for this weekend.

Tick...tick...tick...

...Halloween is approaching.

This year we are not giving a party of our own, but will be going to a Chifferobe event.

That is, DH will be attending and I'm one of the actors; the main event theme is a murder mystery.

I've made myself this to go with the mid-30s gown I'll be wearing:

This is how it looked a few days ago while still drying. It's a paper mache mask, made with newsprint and old-fashioned flour paste. It's since been painted and attached to a stick.

Tonight's the night, so with any luck I'll be posting photos of our capers soon.

Recipe: Cranberry Marmalade

I've received a request for the cranberry marmalade recipe. The title of this blog post is linked to the original post about the making of it; those photos will give you a good idea of what it should look like, start to finish.

Cranberry marmalade is just a little more refined than cranberry relish, and contains the same sort of ingredients.

The making is straightforward, but you will have to be on hand for most of the cooking; as with most preserves, the high sugar content makes it liable to catch, and when the cranberries first begin to cook, they will foam quite high and need to be stirred down frequently. Make sure the pot/kettle you use has high sides. A 4-1/2 quart dutch oven is just large enough.

Cranberry Marmalade

2-1/2 lbs. washed and picked-over cranberries (frozen may be used)
2-1/2 lbs. white sugar
1-1/4 c. grapefruit juice
1 lemon; 1 orange; 1/4 grapefruit

Strip the zest, discarding the pith (the bitter white portion of the peel); cut into very thin slivers and set aside. Juice the citrus fruits next; set aside.

Stir water & sugar together until dissolved, over low heat. Add cranberries, juice, and zest.

Simmer until it jells. (This should take about an hour.) The simplest jell test is this: dip a wooden spoon into the mixture and allow the liquids to drop off the long side. When two drops come together into one before falling, the mixture is jelled. Cranberries contain plenty of natural pectin; it's not necessary to add any more.

Pour the mixture into sterilized jars, and cover. When cool, cover with a thin layer of melted paraffin. When that has cooled, add one more. When all wax is solid, replace covers and store in a cool place.

If you prefer to process in a water bath, process for 25 minutes.

Makes approximately ten 8 oz. jars.