How are you spending Black Friday?

How are you spending Black Friday? I know I am not going anywhere near any malls.



Beth

Shaun The Sheep

If you don't know Shaun the sheep, you are missing out on some great fun.



 I am not sure if Shaun appears on North American television, but he is a regular in Britain and will soon be appearing in his second feature animation movie.



In honour of Shaun, Rowan yarns are offering a FREE Shaun scarf and mitts pattern on their website.

http://www.knitrowan.com/

 I think it is one  of the cutest things I have ever seen.

Beth

Fleece Artist in the House

I love Fleece Artist. Just arrived; 30skeins, 3 each, of 10 colours of Fleece Artist Trail Socks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I missed one!

Beth

Serenity Knits 10th Annual Christmas Open House Recipies

Every year we get requests for the same three recipes so I have re-posted an old recipe blog from 2009. ENJOY!!!
Beth

Serenity Knits celebrated its 10th Annual Christmas Open House this past Saturday, November 21st. All the treats were well received but we had repeated recipe requests for three in particular. So here they are!!


Karen’s Chocolate Christmas Cake
Ingredients:
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 250 g pkg Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup candied cherries, cut into quarters
1 cup candied mixed fruit
1 tsp almond extract
Directions:
Melt chocolate chips in microwave oven (medium setting, stirring often) or in top of double boiler over hot water. Add softened cream cheese, stirring until well blended and no visible streaks of cream cheese remain. Stir in candied fruit, cherries and almond extract. Add marshmallows last, stirring gently. Press batter (thick) into a waxed paper lined loaf (approximately 4 x 8 inch) pan or 8 x 8 inch cake pan (if you prefer squares). Chill well before slicing into slices or squares. Store covered in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Leslie's Cheese Dip
1 lb shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
2 cups Hellmans Mayo (full fat, not lite & only Hellmans)
Mix well. Place in oven proof container. Bake at 350 until top is brown. Serve with crackers or bread.
Note: This dip can be made in advance, stored in frig and reheated by stove or microwave to serve.

Sugar Plums: From “Victorian Christmas Crafts”by Barbara Bruno
Sugar Plums are an ancient treat probably originating in the Middle East where whole figs were transformed into the original glace fruit by long and repeated simmering in sugary syrup. Victorians, always ready to guild the lily, added nuts, orange rind, a variety of dried fruits and brandy, to create the “Sugar Plum visions dancing in heads” in the Victorian Christmas poem, the Night Before Christmas.
Ingredients:
3 pounds of dried mixed figs, dates, raisins & currants
1 ½ pounds of blanched almonds
½ pound unsalted shelled pistachio nuts
½ pound of crystallized ginger
finely grated rind of 2 oranges
2-3 tbsps brandy (or orange juice if you prefer)
white granulated sugar
Method:Finely chop and mix all ingredients except brandy and sugar. Use a food processor or grinder because you want the ingredients to be well chopped/ground. Add 2-3 tablespoons of brandy to help make the mixture stick together. If you would prefer not to use brandy, use the juice of one of the oranges instead. Mix WELL. Form the mixture by hand into small balls, approximately a tablespoon at a time. Roll them in sugar. Store the Sugar Plums in a covered container. It is best to let them meld for a few days but they can be served right away. They will keep for several weeks in a covered container.

We are glad you enjoyed our Christmas treats and are pleased to share these recipes with you.



Beth

FUR BOTTLE



 

I had an idea for a Christmas Gift I wanted to make but couldn't find the right pattern. I really

wanted to use this super soft faux fur we have called Caribou. So I combined bit and pieces of a couple patterns I found on Ravelry and played around for a while. The result is a hot water bottle cozy I am calling FUR BOTTLE.

FUR BOTTLE uses one ball each of Caribou and Berrocco Comfort.

It knits up in a flash. The majority  of the cozy bottle is knit on a 7mm needle with a strand of each of Caribou and Comfort. If you are interested, we have Caribou and Comfort in several colours.

 

And my pattern is FREE with yarn purchase. If you don.t have a water bottle, I found a perfectly fine, uncovered bottle at my local Walmart for $8 plus tax.

Beth

 

 

Marte Marian

We have just received an order of 8 colours of one of our most popular cowl yarns  - MARTE

 

 

100 grams  54 yards (49 meters)

Fibers 70% Acrylic  30% Wool

The colorful, marled look of Marte is perfect for vibrant winter wear. Its bulky weight knits up quickly into lofty garments and accessories that won’t weigh you down. Marian Cowl, a FREE pattern on Ravelry knit up in a n evening with just one ball. It makes a fabulous, quick Christmas gift.

 

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/marian-2

 

 

 

Beth

Work Sock Designs

Good old work socks continue to inspire fashion. Roots has again this year featured a large selection of garments and blankets mimicking the famous work sock stripe.

 

   

 

I have done a little simple designing on my own and have knit a Work Sock Cowl.

The light grey marl Cascade 220 has been discontinued but we still had a few in stock which we have put into kits with the red and off white. The kit, which includes my pattern and 3 skeins of Cascade 220 is $29.99.

Another of my favourite work sock inspired designs is the Work Sock (Monkey) Snuggler, pattern FREE on Ravelry.

Sock Monkey Snuggler



http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/work-sock-baby-monkey-snuggler

 
  
The patterns recommends Berroco Vintage Chunky, a machine washable wool/acrylic blend. We have just restocked Vintage chunky and have made a point of ordering lots of the three colours needed for the Snuggler.

 Beth

Meredith Greycat

My apologies. I have kind of let the blog slide lately. My darling feline companion, Meredith Greycat, tried to encourage me to get started again.

 

 

She eventually tired of the task when I failed to pay sufficient attention.

 

Not sure what she was trying to say.

 

I promise to revive the blog over the coming days. Thank you for your patience.

 

Beth & Meredith



A Couple of New Classes Added to the Fall Schedule

Class	Getting Started Knitting Socks   (Beth) Three 2 hour class - $60 plus supplies
Date & Time	Thursday, November 12, 26 & December 3         9:30am – 11:30 am
Description	I love knitting socks. They are a small portable project, perfect for the commuter knitting, hockey mom or waiting at the doctor. The sock yarns available are out of this world in terms of fiber varieties and colour. In this class you will learn a good basic sock.
Prerequisites	Intermediate

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Class	Short Row Heel   (Beth) One 2 hour class - $20 plus supplies
Date & Time	Thursday, December 10  9:30am – 11:30 am
Description	Many sock yarns, especially computer dyed faux Fair Isle, are best knit with a short row heel so the beautiful patterning is not disrupted by the increased number of stitches necessary for the heel flap and gusset style heel. I was not fond of the look of short rows heels until I discovered Cat Bordhi’s Sweet Tomato short row heel. It is perfect to preserve the integrity of patterning sock yarns.
Prerequisites	This is not a learn to knit socks class, heel technique only.