Yarnside Chats 003 - Kitchener Stitch Made Easy

Did you all notice that there's a new Knitcircus online? The Fall issue is really beautiful! You should definitely go take a look. While you're there, visit Page 21 to see my newest video on Broomstick Lace! In the meantime, here's me demystifying the Kitchener Stitch.




Have trouble remembering the steps? Watch this video and you'll always know which end is up! 

The winner of Jennifer Hansen's Cabled Turban giveaway is Allyson, of SweatShopofLove! Allyson, drop me a line at thesexyknitter@gmail.com, and I'll get you hooked up with Jennifer for your prize. Congratulations!

Deliciousness: Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

First I just have to say that you really must try these cookies. The first time I had one of these was at my friend Lisbeth's house, and when she told me she was going to make "Banana Cookies", I was a little reticent. Then she told me they also had oatmeal and chocolate chips, and I felt a little better about it. The defining moment, though, was when she gave me a little round of frozen cookie dough to eat. Let me tell you - not only did I take back my snarky comment about banana cookies being "gross" (or something similarly gracious), I also wound up groveling for the recipe. Lisbeth, being the amazing friend she is, generously complied. You can find the original recipe here.

Raw, frozen cookie dough & warm, gooey cookies

The Dr. practically expects me to have a stock of these in the freezer at all times. In fact, we both like the frozen, raw dough so much I almost never even get around to baking any, but they are quite delicious both ways.

You can make up a batch of these in practically no time at all, with stuff you probably already have lying around your pantry. I almost always make a double batch, and am able to use my hand mixer to mix up all of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Once your dough is mixed, use a small cookie scoop (like this) to portion the cookies out into a large, airtight plastic container. You can get about 3-4 dozen cookies into one of Ziploc's large rectangular containers; be sure to put a piece of wax paper between the layers, so the dough doesn't all stick together.

If you're baking the frozen dough, heat your oven to 375 degrees and bake for 8-10 minutes. Basically, you want to leave them in just long enough for the cookies to set, or you'll wind up with crunchy cookies. Still tasty, particularly if you happen to like crunchy cookies, but I prefer these with a nice, chewy texture and just-barely-crispy edges.

Stacey's EASIER Magic Ring for crochet!

Looky, you guys! Stacey Trock from Fresh Stitches has made the Magic Ring for crochet easier! Didn't think that was possible, but apparently it was. Give it a watch, or see her original blog post and photo tutorial on the subject here.




Thanks, Stacey!

Getting to Know You #3: Jennifer Hansen

Welcome back to Getting to Know You, my series of mini-interviews with other knitwear designers I admire! This week I've interviewed the woman who holds the title of "Designer whose patterns I have knitted more than any other designer", Jennifer Hansen! Jennifer is the powerhouse behind Stitch Diva Studios, and I first got wind of her gorgeous designs when her sexy tank, Goddess, came out. Since then, I've knitted almost a dozen designs from SDS, some for myself and many through Jennifer's sample knitter program. Believe it or not, I actually got into designing because of Jennifer! But that's another story for another day. For now, on with the interview!

 

                    

Sahara and Goddess, modeled by me

TSK: You've built such a massive brand for yourself it's actually more like an empire! Offering everything from fabulously sexy, beautifully designed knit, crochet, AND tunisian lace patterns to kits, video tutorials and even your own in-house yarn brand, you've turned yourself into a household name among knitters. How did you go from being Jennifer Hansen to being THE Stitch Diva? What tips can you give other designers looking to expand their brand?

SD: Hard work! Although that sounds trite, it is true. Probably a more valuable insight would be to look at what you can do that provides value in a different way than other things you see out there. Find a niche you love.

Cecilia Chemise - sample crocheted by me

TSK: What would you say your niche is?

SD: I'm told that Stitch Diva garments have a certain look to them - a distinctive aesthetic sensibility. I also have interest in techniques like hairpin lace, broomstick crochet, and Tunisian that are not that commonplace. I don't think anyone would come to the Stitch Diva site for menswear, amigurumi or conservative female apparel. There is nothing wrong with those things, but that is not where I like to play.

Endless Knitted Cardi Shawl - Modeled by Jennifer and green sample knitted by me

TSK: Social media is touted as one of the most important things in brand-building, yet you are scarcely to be found on Twitter or even (gasp!) Ravelry. How do you keep your customers interested in what you've got going on, and how are you pulling in new followers?

SD: At the end of the day, I think people are interested in the quality of the design, the quality of the instructions and the value of what a designer does as it contributes to the craft and to a knitter/crocheter's enjoyment of their hobby.  There are only so many hours in the day and I really try to create distinctive work that says something different than other offerings out there. I can only hope that defines the brand.

No. 6 - sample knitted by me

TSK: You design, you photograph, you model, you Photoshop, you build websites....is there anything you DON'T do? What tips do you have for those of us who feel overwhelmed by all this technology? What would you say is the single most important thing for a designer to get right, besides writing a top-notch pattern?

SD: I come from a pretty varied professional background in IT, architecture and professional services, so I am fortunate that I have pertinent experiences to bring to bear. Many of these skills have no relation to being a good designer. I also am fortunate to have met some very good people along the way who work with me. I don't do all of this alone.

Silken Scabbard - sample knitted by me

TSK: Interesting that you noted all those extra skills that have nothing to do with the design work itself. It's so true, but unfortunately for self-publishing, these skills do seem vital to a designer's overall success! If you had to pick one skill to recommend a designer develop outside of pattern-writing, what would it be? Photography? Styling? Layout? Having a great website to promote the pattern?

SD: I think photography is key for online sales - this applies to patterns or just selling your used personal items on CraigsList. You can have the most beautiful design in the world, but unless you are able to convey what you have done in a compelling visual way, it just won't be successful. On the same token, it is important for the photo to convey the reality of the design. Other people will make it and post their results online as well. I have ripped designs that showed shaping flaws in photography and then fixed them and rephotographed to get the kind of photo I wanted. The camera is a great design tool.

Cabled Turban - modeled by Jennifer

As a special thank you to my readers, Jennifer has generously offered a copy of my current favorite pattern, the Cabled Turban (above), to one lucky commenter! To enter, you must first "Like" Jennifer's fan page on Facebook, then leave me a comment here telling me you did (be sure to include your Facebook name or I won't be able to look you up)! Winner will be announced on Wednesday, August 31.

Looking for the winner from Angela Tong's interview? It's Miss Julep! Congrats, Nancy, Angela will be sending your free pattern along shortly! Didn't win? Don't forget you can still get $1.00 off Angela's Kouyou or LaReine shawl patterns with the coupon code "sexyinterview", now through August 30!

Deliciousness: Pretzel Bites

Cooking always gives me a little pick-me-up when I'm feeling sad or bored, or need to feel like I've accomplished something. With the Dr. at Vascular Fellows Bootcamp in Houston all weekend, I needed something to do. So, I whipped up a batch of pretzel bites and invited the neighbors over for some board games!

Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites & Vanilla Glaze

I followed Jonna's recipe from Get Off Your Butt and Bake! You can find it here. The genius of this recipe lies in the fact that you get to use purchased, frozen dinner rolls as the base for your pretzels! Jonna recommends Rhodes Texas-sized rolls, so that's what I bought. The recipe says you have to thaw them out, so genius me, I decided to toss the whole bag of rolls in the refrigerator to thaw out overnight. I, um, exploded the bag (these are yeast rolls). Oops. Actually it wasn't too bad, the bag had popped a seam and a big chunk of dough had oozed out. I just cut that part off and continued with the recipe as written, except that I had one ginormous piece of dough to work from instead of individual rolls. Ah, well.

Garlic Parmesan Pretzel Bites

I followed the recipe for the cinnamon sugar bites exactly as outlined in the original recipe, except that I didn't need to let the balls of dough rise before boiling, and I forgot to grease the baking sheet. Don't forget to do this. For the parmesan version, I added a generous shaking of garlic salt to the parmesan before I rolled the bites, and they were DELICIOUS.

I'll definitely be making these again! They're quick, easy and inexpensive, plus you can make a huge platter full of pretzel bites out of just one bag of rolls, so they'd be great for parties.

Oh, and the board game we played?

 

Mid-Life Crisis, ca 1982. What can I say? I go for the obscure.