Off the Needles: Climb Journey

Climb

from Journey

These socks were a great knit! I would highly recommend the pattern for any knitter. If you've never knit socks before, the pattern is really simple and easy to follow. The most complicated part would be the Turkish Cast-On, which Jane Richmond made a great video tutorial for! The yarn recommendation is also spot on. KnitPicks stroll sock yarn is soft, beautifully dyed, and machine washable! So many of my wool socks don't get the wear they would if I didn't have to hand wash them :)

 

 Onward

also from Journey

I used Shepherds Wool in Worsted Weight, which just happens to be my favorite yarn ever! It is incredibly soft (serious squishy factor going on), with great stitch definition. I chose the color Pewter for it's versatility.

All my notes are on Ravelry, but the only modification I made was adding another repeat of the stitch patterns! This pattern definitely rates amongst my favorite all time patterns!

Cookies and a Knit-a-long!!

Chocolate Pecan Oaties

Inspired by Isa's  jumbo oatmeal cookies from her new book Isa Does It, this is my kind of cookie. Healthy enough to not feel bad about, but still decadent enough to share with people who aren't so in to that "healthy" thing. Oats and coconut provide the texture, pecans add a buttery decadence and mini chocolate chips and chopped dark chocolate take them over the top!
(oh yeah, and they are whole wheat and vegan if you are into that kind of thing...)

//Ingredients//
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped 70% dark chocolate

//Method//
Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Grease two cookie sheets and set aside.

Combine the oil, applesauce, vanilla, sugars, and flaxseed in a mixing bowl and whisk together until well incorporated. Add the flour, soda, salt and spices and mix until almost combined. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix until just well distributed.

I used a size 30 cookie scoop, which I would say is about the size of 2 tablespoons. This got me about 14 cookies. Bake for 6 minutes and rotate the cookies and move them from the top rack to the bottom (or visa versa). Bake for 5 more minutes. The cookies should be just golden on the edges. Adjust your baking time if necessary (if your cookies are a different size or your oven runs hot or cool.) Let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheets and then transfer to cooling racks.

Eat them. They are delightful with a cup of tea.

In other news, the ladies of Journey have just announced a knit-a-long for their book! I already have Onward and Climb on the needles so I will just put them on hold until the knit-a-long starts! (Giving me ample time to focus on finishing that baby blanket.) I would love to also get started on Swift! Leaving me just the two sweaters on the book to dive into. I think I will put those on hold until I don't have a giant belly anymore. 

(Does anyone else out there find it totally challenging to write without emoticons?! What is happening in todays world?! How will you know when I am joking? Will you pick up on the sarcasm? Will you truly know that I am smiling as I write? Winking?)

On My Needles: Onward, Climb, and The Baby's Blanket

Sunrising over our backyard

It is currently -7F here in our little part of Michigan, and that doesn't include the -30F windchill. The only proper thing to do is to surround myself in yarn, tea and maybe turn the oven on for some baking later.  I actually really love winter. But the winters you can participate in. Not so much the days where they warn you to not go outside for more than 5 minutes and your heating bill sky rockets to almost $300. Full of ice storms and wind sheers, power outages and dangerous roads. This kind of winter I would like to hit the fast forward button on. Thankfully though, I knit. And knitting really does make winter worth it. The cold air continues to push my motivation button, and I wish there were more hours in these short days.

So on my needles, keeping me busy as I am trapped inside...

Baby Girl Mowry's Blanket

The baby blanket is almost finished! I had to order more yarn because of the custimizations I made to the pattern, and those last 3 skeins arrived this afternoon! All of my notes can be found on Ravelry, but I will also do a post here with finished instructions for my alterations. I can't wait to finish it and have it all washed and cozy for her arrival in just 6 weeks! We attended our first birthing class last night and really enjoyed it. We are so happy we found a class that really seems to touch on everything that is important to us.  The excitement builds everyday as we get closer to meeting her!

Onward

After finishing the Spate mitts from Journey, I couldn't wait to get more of their projects on my needles. First off, I cast on for Onward. This pattern by Shannon Cook is simple, yet so satisfying and interesting. The shawl works up fairly big and in the book they have pictures of the model wearing it wrapped around her. So cozy! I thought it would double nicely has a nursing cover, and so I got to move it up higher on my priority-to-knit list.

Climb

This is the pattern I first really fell in love with from Journey. Jane Richmond  produced an incredibly simple pattern with such perfect accents (and color choices), that pretty much everyone on Ravelry has followed the pattern exactly, including the yarn choices! Simplicity makes these socks timeless and perfect.

And just for fun...I did turn on the oven! So I could make a batch of these granola bars from Isa Does It. They are vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Recipe from Isa Does It

//Ingredients// makes 8 bars

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup brown rice syrup

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup crisp rice cereal (aka Rice Krispies)

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

//Method//
Preheat oven to 350F. Prep an 8-inch square pan with parchment and cooking spray.
In a medium size bowl, stir together peanut butter & syrups until smooth. Add in the oil, vanilla and salt and stir again. Mix in the oats and cereal. She suggest using your hands to knead it all together but I found my sturdy spatula worked just fine! Work in the peanuts and chocolate chips.
Pour mixture into your prepared pan and use wet hands to firmly pat the bars into the pan in an even layer. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Let cool completely before depanning and cuttting. Can be stored by wrapping the bars individually in plastic wrap.