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Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Craft On: Not Quite on Target

So I'm already a little derailed. I forgot how much a new grandbaby and us being sick and beginning the school session again would throw me off of my knitting time. This is the first of a pair of fingerless mitts. I was not going to give myself any hard deadlines for anything but designs this year, but then a birthday party was planned and my idea of just giving this gift when it was finished as a birthday gift was lost. It kind of needs to be finished by Saturday. And that is not likely to happen. It might end up being given on Sunday.

This pattern has given me some fits. It's beautiful, but there are just enough errors in it to make it confusing and difficult to navigate in a few places. It was in a magazine, and I cannot find errata, but I know how sometimes errors are missed or introduced in that whole process

I am still knitting on the scarf design, and also have a mitten to work on for another design, as well as casting on a sweater for Amelia. The two latter are a bit on standby at the moment.

I put aside Pumpkin Roll for a bit while I started up with the latest doughnut mystery, Blame the Beignets. You Are Peter is next for non-fiction, and I've restarted it.


Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any time you click on a book link, it gives me the opportunity to earn a few cents for our family.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 5:10 PM 0 comments

Sunday, January 12, 2025

Menu Plan: Final Days of the Epiphany Octave


Christ is illumined! Let us shine forth with Him!

It's the last two days of the Epiphany octave, and we are still in the Christmas season. It's been a different Christmastide this year, with the new grandbaby and illness in the house. We are enjoying it, even if it is more subdued.

This week is pretty full, and after a busy weekend this weekend, too. There is a birthday party this Saturday and we are preparing for a baby shower. Plus normal life, schooling, catching up on some things that were not finished before Christmas, and so on.

I pray that your year is filled with blessings and that you can see God's hand in your life. In your generosity, please pray for ours.

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 12:42 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, January 08, 2025

Craft On: New Beginnings

One of my goals this year is to have a box/bin of gifts from things I have made a little more at the ready, rather than hustling at the last minute to finish gifts for people. I will make things I love and think others will like, and then block and put them in the bin. Likewise, I have taken a little motto for my projects this year: Something Old, Something New, A Design, and From My Queue. This permits me to start something fun and new, but also focuses me on things I want to complete (like designs and UFOs).

I have a huge scarf design (only because it is knit lengthwise) on needles, but this little coral bit of knitting is the swatch for how it is supposed to work. I also have a pair of fingerless mitts for a gift on needles, a third mitten from a sweetheart trio to finish, and a sweater for Amelia to cast on to match her mitts. There's only a deadline for one of those things, and I am feeling a bit better about managing my projects and UFOs this way. We will see if it is sustainable all year.

I finished another happy, little murder: Blackberry Crumble and I've started the next one in the series, Pumpkin Roll. We have postponed most of our school from this past Tuesday to next Monday, because we were all recovering from illness, so we also haven't started our next book we are reading together. However, I have You Are Peter and The Dress Doctor in line for my next non-fiction reads.


Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any time you click on a book link, it gives me the opportunity to earn a few cents for our family.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 8:26 PM 0 comments

Sunday, January 05, 2025

Menu Plan: 12th Night and Theophany


Christ is illumined! Let us shine forth with Him!

Today is 12th Night - the last day of the Christmas feast. Normally, I would make a Twelfth Night cake, but we are still recovering from the past week and a half. It would have been a perfect time to make it, though, as whoever found the baby in the cake would be obligated to make it next year.

Our wonderful church family has been providing quite a lot of the church dinners, either by rounding out what we are bringing or providing the meal entirely. It is such a gift to us.

More of us have fallen ill, however, so things are still a bit out of whack here at home. Please pray for us to completely beat this cold. The good news is that, while it hits pretty hard, it seems to go through fairly quickly, too.

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:42 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, January 01, 2025

Craft On: Happy New Year!

Each year, I like to do a recap, a wrap up, of all I have made and read in the year. I will share the update since my last Craft On post, but I will also put that wrap up and the end of this post.

Since my last post, we have had an amazing change! Our newest granddaughter, Madelyn, was born, three weeks earlier than expected. She and mama are well, but of course, everyone's life is a little turned over since then.

During the past two weeks, I did find the buttons for her vest, and I just today finished a little hat for her (which still looks a bit too big!). You can see above that I started a pair of socks in the GAL, and they were quick to make, but I finished the first about the time that Madelyn came into the outside, and life was a little busier after that. Also, I caught a cold from Amelia, while we were caring for her, that it seems she caught from an aunt, and so I've been down for the count since Monday. It is quick moving, but also grabs you pretty suddenly, so while it slammed me pretty hard, I'm also feeling quite a bit better than I was Monday and Tuesday.

Here are my finished projects from the GAL, though the hat was finished after the event ended.

I just finished Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages, so it didn't make it on the 2024 list, but it is a good start to my new year of reading.

For my year end review I will start with my books:

2024 Books

I did increase the number of non-fiction books I read this year, and I think the total number of books, as well. However, I didn't do as well as I had hoped. I will keep on this year and try again.

Now for my finished objects. Technically, I have finished a sewing project, but the buttons are still not on it, so I am not counting it this year.

2024 Finished Projects (knit, crochet, or sewn)


Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any time you click on a book link, it gives me the opportunity to earn a few cents for our family.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 7:52 PM 0 comments

Sunday, December 29, 2024

Menu Plan: Days 5 through 11 of Christmas


Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Our 12 Days of Christmas were a little turned upside down, but in the best way possible. Madelyn was born about three weeks early, but all well and Autumn is doing well, also.

Because of that change of events, our whole weekend suddenly became babysitting Amelia, and no sleep for us. Our church family came through amazingly and took over the dinner after church, as well as providing some meals and treats for Alexander and Autumn for when they come home. I will be setting up a meal train for them, for when they head home after their first night here.

This week is a busy week for us, as it is our wedding anniversary as well as New Year's Eve and Day. Rich already had our anniversary and New Year's Day off, but because of our exhaustion took Monday off, too. Hooray!

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:39 AM 0 comments

Saturday, December 28, 2024

Gift A Long Saturday Spotlight: Nashwa Sakr

The Indie Designer Gift A Long is underway on Ravelry and you can follow along on Instagram, as well. This year I am highlighting some of the designers on my blog, as well as in my Instagram feed.

My last designer is Nashwa Sakr. She is a designer from Doha, Qatar. Her patterns can be found on Ravelry. I happen to know that her patterns are all 25% off through the end of the day GMT, December 29, 2024.

Her designs are classic, lovely, and full of timeless details that will make them heirlooms. These patterns are so much like vintage knitwear, but usually not knit at the same tiny gauge. She makes such a good use of modern yarns.


Polar Coat (In Infant and Junior sizes).


Miss Orchid Romper (From Infant to 6 years old).


Crossandra Sweater (In Infant, Junior, and Adult sizes).


Diamond and Rose Cardigan (From Infant to 4 years old).


Biskrem Sweater (In Infant, Junior, and Adult sizes).

I love her work. In fact, I have one of those rompers planned for our little Peapod coming soon, and a Crossandra sweater planned for Amelia (to match another GAL project of gauntlet mitts I have made for her). If these patterns intrigue you, please take a look at her whole portfolio and find your own favorites.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:37 AM 0 comments

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Menu Plan: Fourth Sunday in Advent - Peace - and the Feast of the Nativity

It is the last push of Advent before the feast of the Nativity this week. It has gone by quickly, and we are a little overwhelmed, but it will be glorious, regardless.

Our sweet church family is taking care of dinner tonight, which allows me to rest and take a break today. Then it is only three more sleeps until Christmas! The beginning of our salvation approaches. May you have a blessed and joyous Nativity!

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.


Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 1:40 PM 0 comments

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Craft On: Rushing Until the Last Minute!

It has been a week of finishing and almost finishing. Shawn's stocking was finished and sent (and arrived in time!). Peapod's little vest was finished, but still needs buttons. Amelia's stocking was finished. I started and have nearly finished another tree garland, this time a spruce tree string.

Aside from finishing off the garland, I would like to find a cute baby hat from the Gift Along to knit for Peapod.

I've read a bit in Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages and think I can finish it by the end of the year, even with holidays and our anniversary.


Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any time you click on a book link, it gives me the opportunity to earn a few cents for our family.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:59 PM 0 comments

Gift A Long Saturday Spotlight: Tanya Lavine of TLCrafts and Design

The Indie Designer Gift A Long is underway on Ravelry and you can follow along on Instagram, as well. This year I am highlighting some of the designers on my blog, as well as in my Instagram feed.

This week's designer is Tanya Lavine. Her patterns can be found on Ravelry and her own website.

Tanya has become a friend of mine through both the Gift A Long and the Around the World Stitch Along. Her designs are fantastic and range from color work to texture, lace, and cables. She designs many accessories, but also some garments, which are lovely and flattering.


Ice Queen Wrap


Eat Your Greens


Middleton Pullover


Moss Brioche Cowl


Celtic Cable Mitts

Her patterns are full of delightful little details. I love that some of them are great for leftovers or mini-skeins; many use small amounts of different colors, so even if the pattern calls for two skeins, sometimes that means you can dig up your scraps and still have a beautiful finished object. Please check out her portfolio, and find some new favorites for yourself.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 8:54 PM 0 comments

Recipe Round Up: Christmas Jam

This jam was inspired by a relatively expensive jam we found at the store last year. It was good quality, and I wanted to see how it would taste, so we bought some and I recreated it this year. We made a huge batch, but you can make a smaller one, if you like. This makes a beautiful and tasty gift, however, so you may wish to make a lot and add them to your Christmas baskets. We use pints, half pints, and 4 ounce jars. This recipe makes about 14 - 16 pints total.

10 cups cranberries, washed and picked over
6 cups pitted cherries (sweet or sour, we used a mix of both), we used frozen cherries from the summer
1 cup candied or dried orange slices, finely diced
3 tablespoons calcium water
10 cups sugar (you can use less if you use all sweet cherries, probably 8 or 9 cups)
3 tablespoons Pomona's universal pectin powder

Place cranberries, cherries, candied oranges, and calcium water in a large stock pot. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat.

While the fruit is coming to a boil, mix together the sugar and pectin powder in a bowl and set aside.

When the fruit has come to a full, rolling boil, add the sugar and pectin mixture and stir to mix thoroughly. Return the mixture to a boil, then remove from heat, stir down a little, and pour into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims and cover with new lids. Screw on rings to finger tightness, not too tightly, just enough to keep the lids on before they are sealed.

Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Cool upright, remove rings and check seals, and store without the rings.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 7:39 AM 0 comments

Sunday, December 15, 2024

Menu Plan: Third Sunday of Advent - Gaudete (Joy Sunday)

Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete. Modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus: Dominus enim prope est. Nihil solliciti sitis: sed in omni oratione et obsecratione cum gratiarum actione petitiones vestræ innotescant apud Deum. Benedixisti Domine terram tuam: avertisti captivitatem Jacob.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. Lord, you have blessed your land; you have turned away the captivity of Jacob. — Philippians 4:4–6; Psalm 85 (84):1

Rejoice! And again, I say, rejoice! This is our little break in the darkness as we prepare for the Light to enter the world. This is a reminder that our fasting and preparation are in joyful expectation of the Lord who has come, and who is coming. He will redeem the earth and resurrect the faithful to life. This is not a fast of strict penitence, but of self examination and preparation to meet our Savior with joy. We are still in the Advent anticipation, and still busy with fasting, praying and almsgiving, but are also taking time to remember the happiness that awaits us in His Incarnation and return in glory. Life got in the way of our getting our tree and putting it up with lights for Gaudete Sunday, but we are going with Alexander and Autumn and Amelia to get trees for both our houses together. We will do the normal Christmas Eve decorating of the tree with the older kids next week.

We had a Christmas party to attend last night and broke the fast for the law of hospitality. We ended up coming home with two smoked turkey carcasses. Since we tend to loosen or break the fast on Sunday evenings with our parish family, as most are not required to keep the fast, we decided to make a creamy, smoked turkey soup to share for dinner.

This whole Advent has been racing. Regardless, Christ will come and come again. May your fast be fruitful, so you may welcome the Christ Child in your heart and home, and prepare for His coming in glory!

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:29 AM 0 comments

Saturday, December 14, 2024

Gift A Long Saturday Spotlight: Melissa Metzbower

The Indie Designer Gift A Long is underway on Ravelry and you can follow along on Instagram, as well. This year I am highlighting some of the designers on my blog, as well as in my Instagram feed.

This week's designer is Melissa Metzbower. Her patterns can be found on Ravelry and her own website. If you are a knit designer yourself, she is also a technical editor.

Melissa is not a new designer to me, but I have always enjoyed her work. I was glad to see her in the Gift A Long again this year. Her portfolio includes a broad range of types of designs and I have always enjoyed making them. In fact, besides the mittens I share below, there are several designs I have made or wish to make from her work. Perhaps this year will be the year for that red headscarf for myself (not sure mine will be red).

Her designs always include beautiful details, cabled or lace, sometimes both, and the construction is always great.


Kansas (part of her United States of Socks series)


Sybie and Marigold


Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail


Cabled Sleeves Pullover


Snow Day Mittens I made five pairs of these one year! They are great mittens. This picture is of the four I made for our children.

If these pictures intrigue you, please do check out her other designs. I'm sure you will find something you want to make.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 7:39 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Craft On: Big Stockings and Little Vests

Surprise! The stockings are not finished, but they are so close. I'm really making too many things at once. I am well over my three project at a time limit. Besides these two stockings, the little baby vest, and the baptismal gown (finishing all the ends and crocheting the button bands and loops and sewing buttons on it), I also have a scarf design for my newsletter subscribers to finish and get written and ready in time for the January issue and an almost finished mitten pattern that I really want ready for beta knitting at about the same time. So, no pressure or anything.

I changed both stocking patterns a little bit to match my own style of knitting and sensibilities. The vest is really perfect the way it is, and I love its construction. I may start making some other pieces in this same way for myself.

We finished Emma today, and our kids finally like some of the characters. I picked up Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages last night, and I am determined to finish it by the end of the month. It is an interesting book, and it has been on loan to me forever. I am closing my eyes to any other books! I realized, too, that the book book actually ends sooner than I thought, because the majority of the book is actually recipes at the end, and ways to make/use dairy products.


Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any time you click on a book link, it gives me the opportunity to earn a few cents for our family.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 1:27 PM 0 comments

Sunday, December 08, 2024

Menu Plan: Second Sunday of Advent - Love

I know the picture says peace. We don't know why. Peace is the last Sunday.

We are in the second week of Advent and this week has fewer major feasts. It is still during the lighter part of the fast, however. It has been a good Advent thusfar. It seems more preparatory, and everyone is doing well, I think. We haven't even started our Jesse Tree meditations, though we are doing our Advent wreath and readings each night.

The weather, on the other hand, is atrocious. The cold has finally set in and we had freezing rain, plus a few light snow days. I am counting the days until spring, already, though I should be grateful for the milder winter we've had. It is regularly about 20 to 30 degrees warmer during the day than it normally is at this time of year. It's just that that is still frigid.

Rich is helping me re-inventory our home and also make room in freezers, so we can finally get those muscovies butchered. That will help in multiple ways. Also, a former commissioner here mailed some Meyer lemons from his new home to us, and I am going to use every bit of them, if I can. Aside from what you see here, all of them will be zested and the zest added to sugar and salt, separately, for fun seasonings later. Blessed fast!

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 3:22 AM 0 comments

Saturday, December 07, 2024

Gift A Long Saturday Spotlight: Tisserin Coquet

The Indie Designer Gift A Long is underway on Ravelry and you can follow along on Instagram, as well. This year I am highlighting some of the designers on my blog, as well as in my Instagram feed.

I have another French designer for you this week! Chloé of Tisserin Coquet is a new designer to me. Her patterns can be found on Ravelry and her own website.

Since she is new to me, I asked for her designer story. Almost all of us became designers because we couldn't find a pattern we needed, or wanted to change something on a pattern, or had an idea we just couldn't see in the patterns available to us. For Chloé, it was that she had a friend selling yarn. She had received a new colourway of Filcolana Arwetta and did not have any idea of how to showcase it for the biggest upcoming yarn fair of the year in France. Nothing she tried worked. Chloé suggested that she should make a sock with it, as it would be lovely paired with a plain light one and with a motif such a broken rib stitch. Her friend dared her to write it up and that’s how Premier Flocon (her first pattern) was born. She fell in love with pattern writing from this and hasn't stopped since then. She especially likes helping knitters realize that they can knit whatever they want and that the magic is in their hands. "They don’t have to be experts to try brioche, socks, lace, all the scary things. Exactly as the saying, if there is a will, there is a way and you just have to find the pattern/teacher/tutorial that speaks to your brain to help you learn the technique."

Chloé hails from Rhone-Alpes in France and I can't help but think that her beautiful environment must influence her designs. Her designs are mostly accessories like socks, mittens and mitts, shawls, cowls, and hats, but there are a few garments for adults and children, as well. Here are some of my favorites from her portfolio.


Aerial


Hanging Gardens


Première Neige


Not Bothered by the Cold


Houx

I encourage you to take a look at the rest of her portfolio. She is an intriguing designer to me, and takes a clear interest in the details of her designs. Those details distinguish her work and give them a depth that isn't always found in patterns.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:56 PM 0 comments

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