Category Archives: Jewelry making

Red Rover Necklace

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I have been knitting a lot, yes, but I’ve also been doing some beading. Okay, some wire-wrapping, I guess,  would be the more technically correct thing to say. I’ve made 4 necklaces in the last week (yes, 4, I know, do I ever sleep, blah, blah, blah). Truth is, sometimes I wake up in the morning with an image or an idea in my head and I just have to start it – I have to at least get the beads or the yarn ready to touch later in the day. A couple of these necklaces came from ideas like that.

So here, the first – The Red Rover Necklace. I started with an image in my head of red, black and gold, a combination I particularly like. Then I

Red Rover Necklace

went into the bead stash and found the square beads. I bought these last Nov. when Lisa was here and we made our annual pilgrimage to Kiowa Rose. Rose and just got these in when we were there – in fact, she was still sorting through them – and I believe Lisa bought some too. The finding at the bottom is something I came across at Baubles and Beads and I bought a couple. I made a nice pair of earrings using a pair of them and some Swarovski for my friend Karen’s birthday, and I liked them so much I went back to buy some more of the findings – and they were gone! Fortunately, they got some more in in a month or so. Moral of the story – buy it when you see it. The rest of the beads are black 6mm Czech crystals and 4 mm Swarovski bacons. I used every red bead I had in the necklace, so there are no earrings for this one. Alas. It is for sale in my Etsy store.

So let’s see. I was so happy with the way the Red Rover came out, the next day I went back to the bead box. This time, I went with more more usual color palette – purples, greens and blues. I dug our some more beads from Kiowa Rose – same trip, I think – this time using some cathedral beads (I think that’s what they are called. Instead of the scrolly findings, I picked something that looks like the leafy branch of a tree – again, something purchased at Baubles and Beads. This time, I suspended more beads from a pair of chains dangling from the leaves. I love the way this one came out. I call it the Pansy Leaf Necklace and it is also in my Etsy store.

It also has a dangle in the back to allow for an adjustable length, and this time I had enough beads left over to make a pair of earrings. Yeah!

Okay, then a day or so later, I made what I cam calling the Copper Butterfly Necklace. This time, I used copper wire (the other two are made with brass wire and findings) and I again used beads purchased at Kiowa Rose and Baubles and Beads (yeah, local bead stores!). I think I bought the copper butterfly at Kiowa Rose, but am not sure. And I again had enough beads to make earrings. This one, too, is in my Etsy store.

Copper Butterfly

No pictures of my fourth necklace yet as it doesn’t have a clasp yet – I was out of gunmetal lobster claws. So that just gives me an excuse for another, later post.

The back.

Beaded Waterfall Necklace Class

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Folks, I am behind and trying hard to catch up. The Saturday of Stitches West I taught the Beaded Waterfall Necklace for the first time. I developed this pattern from my Beaded waterfall Scarf when one of my students held her fringe section up and said, “Wouldn’t this make a pretty necklace?” She was right, and my four students all made gorgeous things. Check it out . . . . .

Kathleen and her pretty red necklace

And now here’s Rachelle’s . . . .

Rachelle's Blue and Silver

Pretty!

And Dale’s – she would not let me take a picture of her face!

Dale's green necklace

Maria’s necklace was not quite done, so I don’t have a picture of it here. I think it’s still in the camera. She finished it the following Thursday, I think, and it was gorgeous.

I love teaching people like you! Thanks you guys for all your enthusiasm and encouragement.

The Haul – Stitches 2012

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I have not written a post in too long. I got very, very sick after Stitches and was down for a whole week with the worst case of bronchitis I have ever had. I kept thinking, “Tomorrow I’ll feel better and I’ll do some writing,” but I didn’t feel better until last Sunday. Since then, I’ve been playing catch-up with work and housekeeping (ugh). I didn’t even do much knitting while I was sick – my head hurt too much. So I’m catching up there, too.

Which brings me to today’s subject - STITCHES WEST 2012. I look forward to this thing all year and I save my $$ and we stay overnight and we have drinkipoos all day in the bar and we go out to dinner and we spend money and just generally get in trouble. It rocks.

So here’s a picture of my haul. I did, literally, throw it on the floor and roll around in it. No, I was not naked . . . .Alas.

Now, you’ll notice a couple of things. First, I like skinny yarn. I don’t think I bought anything bigger than fingering. Second, I like jewel tones in the purple/blue/green category. Third, I bought a lot. HEE HEE. Well, I had been saving the $$ I got for selling the pattern for my Revidere Shawl to Claudia Hand Paints. And I think I put it to good use.

So, my first stop, as always at Stitches, is the Blue Moon Fiber Arts booth. I am always at the door on Friday at 10 a.m. when the thing opens and I still have to push my way into the crowd at this booth. This time I got two skeins of lightweight “Socks That Rock” in the Nodding Violet color way, one for me and one for my friend Sara who could not go to the show. Then I got two skeins of their “Marine Silk,” a fingering weight fiber of silk, merino and sea cell. You cannot believe how soft it is and the color just seems to float on it. I got it in color ways “Smokey Mountain Morn” and “Sky Blue Pink.” Delicious. Nutritious. Knitablicious.

From Blue Moon Fiber Arts, it’s a quick dash to Lisa Souza, another favorite of mine. This year, I did not buy there, tho I saw many goodies I wanted. I am in the middle of a big Aeolian Shawl made with Lisa’s gorgeous silk in color way Sedona, bought at last year’s Stitches, so maybe this is what held me back. I need to finish it – I only have about 20 rows left and I need to get on it. Next year, Lisa, next year!

Then it was quickly on to Knitted Wit and Sincere Sheep, which had booth just across from each other – so cool. Just two nights before, Lorajean Kelly of Knitted Wit had given a presentation at K2Tog, and Brooke Sinnes of Sincere Sheep was there, too, to talk about their new yarn club, Among Friends (which I must remember to sign up for!). Their booths were so attractive!  Lorajean had been so swamped with our K2Tog customers at our event that I put off buying from her til Friday, and I had my eye on her “Cashy Wool,” a blend of super wash, cashmere and nylon. Guess what color I got? Orchid! This joins the skein of her “Shine” I have in my stash, already wound up and about to go on the needles for something, something, something.

A quick walk across the aisle and I was in Sincere Sheep. At the Interweave show, I bought a skein of Brooke’s “Keen,” a blue-faced Leicester fingering that I LOVED working into Michelle Miller’s “Flambe” shawl. I had to have another skein, this one in a plum-color called “Brocade.” I also got a skein of “Agleam,” a super wash merino and tencel fingering blend. And be proud of me – this one is a green-blue combo called “Suerte.”

Check out Brooke’s lovely booth:

So let’s see, from there I went to Fickle Knitter Designs to see Michelle Miller, who also

appeared at K2Tog the Wednesday before Stitches. Michelle specializes in lace patterns for one-skein projects, usually made with luxury yarns, and she had a new pattern I wanted, called “Ballerina.” While I was there, she and her helper, Andrea (I think this is right, I am terrible with names!) showed me some yarn by Teresa Ruch that they were selling as one of Michelle’s patterns, “Bird of Juno,” is made with it. OMG this is 100% tencel lace weight yarn in the most vibrant jewel tones. And best of all it’s only $20 for 520 yds. I bought two in Michelle’s booth – the turquoise and the red you see at top –  and made a beeline for Ruch’s booth at the back of the show. WOW! I love her yarns! I bought another skein – making a total of 3 skeins of TR tencel for me! – in a beautiful fuchsia with undertones of purple. You won’t see this in the pic above of my haul because IT IS ALREADY ON THE NEEDLES. I cast on for a Haruni Shawl for the class I am teaching next week. It is a great knit – lovely hand feel and the color just wows me. Never knit with 100% tencel before and have to say I am now a fan.

I bought a few non-yarn items, too. At A Verb For Keeping Warm, I snagged a great Romi pattern for a lovely lace shawl called “Lisianthus.” Looks hard, but as I have two skeins of AVFKW silk lace weight, I wanted and needed it. Romi was there selling and she was a doll. I also bought 4 spools of Artwire to knit with so I could make some earrings Romi designed for Knitty. I already made one, but you’ll have to wait for another blog post to see that. This one’s getting LONG.

There were many other things I wanted, but did not buy. There were many things in Claudia Handpaints I wanted, and I was overwhelmed by the gorgeosity to be found in the booths of  Miss Babs, Little Red Bicycle and Anzula. But those will have to wait to next year. I better design another pattern to sell!

Albany Middle School Craft Fair

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This week, in moments here and moments there, I am trying to get ready for the Albany Middle School Craft Fair. This is the third year this local middle school has held the event, and it is the first year I am participating. I hope it turns out to be fun, first, and worth the time and energy, second. because if we can’t have fun with what we make, what the hell is the point?

School craft shows can be hit or miss for the artist. Once, when visiting my mother-in-law in rural Wisconsin, I went with her to one where she was showing her fabulous domino jewelry, which she sells for between $5 and $20. It was in a school gym and it was fairly well-attended – but people would walk up to the table, pick up Naomi’s painstakingly-made work, and say – I MEAN OUT LOUD – “Huh, I could do that.” Or, worse, “Oh, this is just a domino.” Yeah, corn-fed hick, you could make it, but would you actually put down your cheese curd long enough to get up off your ginormous butt and actually do it? My mother-in-law did and she’s standing right here so would you shut your pie hole?

(Sorry, tirade over. My apologies to Wisconsin.)

Okay, so I think I have enough jewelry for the show, so I’ve been concentrating this week on cards. I’ll also be taking Naomi’s domino jewelry – perfect for kids to buy for moms and sisters, etc. I’ll also have my husband’s fabulous origami ornaments. Each star ball takes more than 30 piece of  3″ x 3″ paper and then I add a needed hanger. Here’s some of what I have made, both this week and in the past and will have at the show. If you’re in or near Albany, Calif. this Sunday from noon to 3, please stop by and support your local artisans, even if it isn’t me. And the go to my friend Janie Rose’s open studio held at her house a mile or so away in El Cerrito.

Some cards I made

 

Naomi's Dominos

 

Terry's origami ornaments

 

Craftapalooza

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I have a had a most crafty weekend! After cooking Thanksgiving for 12 people and working 5 hours of Black Friday at the yarn store mostly by myself, I told myself Saturday was my day to do whatever I damn well pleased.

Art Yarns Summer Flies - Unblocked, but done!

I started the morning finishing the Summer Flies Shawlette with the ArtYarns Rhapsody light and Beaded Silk. It is glorious. I am deeply, truly in love with it. The experience of knitting it was so satisfying because of the gossamer feel of the yarn that I am tempted to buy another two skeins. We’ll see. I think I’d like to make a lace scarf this time. I made the longer version of Summer Flies by adding on the pattern called “My Version of Summer Flies” that can be found on Ravelry. If you do this, know that you will need both skeins of Art Yarns, but you will have some of each left over. I did mine using the Beaded Silk for all sections named “Ridged Eyelet” except the first one, because it is so high up behind the neck no one will see it, so why waste the silk? Then I used the Beaded Silk for the very last 3 rows and the bind off. One more important thing – bind off using a needle two sizes larger than you used on the rest of the shawl – a 10 for me. Otherwise the bind off is a bit tight. I may have to take mine out and work it again.

That only took me to about noon on Saturday. So it was on to the elliptical (I had a lot of spice cake on Thanksgiving) and then lunch – turkey sandwich, what else? Then I went up to my studio and finished a set of greeting cards I am making to sell Sunday, Dec. 4 at a craft fair at Albany Middle School. My goal with all the cards I am making for this show is to use up what I have, dammit! So I had these little party hat buttons, and I chopped off the button shank, and here you are.

Birthday Cards

Then I started another set of cards with some K and Company butterfly stickers I have that match some of their Wild Saffron paper I also have. These were fun to make – a little corner punch and some letter tiles I had and – done. Three are blank on the inside and three say “Thinking of You” inside.

Wild Saffron Cards

Then I got out some glass tiles I bought at the BABE Show with Lisa and I slapped them on some washi paper I also bought there. The hope is that these will become earrings. I’ll attach some bails to the backs and wire-wrap some Swarovski crystal bi-cones that will dangle from the bottom. Think I’ll ask $10 per pair because they are so easy!

THEN I got really ambitious. When Ellen and I went to TNNA last June we were in the ladies’ room washing our hands when I noticed the bracelet on the woman at the next sink. It was a series of flat circles she had crocheted around and then connected in an asymmetrical fashion and adorned wit beads. It was green and purple – my favorite. t was really cool – looked like mod bubbles. Now, did I take a picture? NO! Because I am stupid. But I have remembered, and Ellen and I ordered some of the disks and I have picked up a few more of some different sizes since then.

Wouldn’t it be cool to use the Art Yarns Beaded Silk I had left over from the Summer Flies to make a bracelet?

YES IT WOULD!!!!! TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT I MADE LAST NIGHT:

Here’s what I did – I had three sizes of cabone rings – which are made by Boye and available at craft and sewing stores – 1 inch, 3/4 inch and 1/2 inch. I used a small crochet hook – it doesn’t matter too much what size – to crochet around them in small groups. I made two groups that consisted of three disks, one of each size. Then I made two groups of two, one of the 3/4 inch and one of the 1/2 inch. Then I crocheted around two single 1/2 inch rings. Then I laid them out on the table and monkeyed with them – I arranged them into several shapes, decided on this one, and then used the tails to close the crochet around the rings and to connect the groups. I sewed in all my tails. Then I used Fireline to sew on the beads – coin pearls and Swarovski crystals, some framed by size 8 silver seed beads to make them fit in the circle. Then I attached the clasp.

I FREAKING LOVE THIS. I am going through my stash to see what little schnibblets of silk and other nice yarn I have left from other projects to make some more. So if you wanna make this, get to K2Tog or Michaels or Joanns before I do and buy up all the Boye rings.

And that was just Saturday. Here it is Sunday morning! Check with me on the next post. Of course, meanwhile my house needs to be cleaned  . . . .

My Lisa Hangover

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It is Tuesday and I am still recovering from my 4-day weekend bead-binge with my college pal Lisa Beaudo, the designer behind Lisa’s Bead Closet and the blogger behind Japanese Beading Blues. Every year at about this time, she flies in from Houston to stay with me for 3 or 4 nights of beading frenzy and this year it was a short trip, only three nights, and we packed in the beading and the frenzying.

Lisa arrived on Thursday night at about 9 and on our way home from SFO we stopped in Berkeley and had a late dinner and drinks at Skates. It was a gorgeous night – the kind we folks in the Bay Area hope to be able to show out-of-towners – crystal clear night sky and the city shimmering across the water from our restaurant. One of the things I love about Lisa is no matter how long it’s been since we’ve seen each other, we just pick up where we left off, and this time was no different. We yacked away over French onion soup, artichoke cheese dip and chicken wings ( eating like we were young things again!).

Friday was bead-buying day. We headed down to Fremont to go to Kiowa Rose, a great bead shop in the historic Niles district. I love this bead store for its Victorian-chic esthetic and its excellent Czech glass strands but I only seem to get down there from our house, an hour away, when Lisa comes! So I tend to drop a bundle. This year was no different – lots of strands, brass chain and I a few tubes of the new Tila Beads from Miyuki. They let me take a few pics of samples I’d like to make.

But bad news – Kiowa Rose is up for sale! Owner Rosie and her husband are moving to Oregon. SOMEBODY PLEASE BUY THIS SHOP!!!! Lisa and I fantasized about it. We could live on the same street here in Pinole and take turns going down to the store –  3 days a week each. Then on the other three days we could each make jewelry! PROBLEM SOLVED.

Rachel met us at Kiowa Rose and we had an excellent lunch a few doors down at a place I think was called The Vine. We had great sandwiches and salads – tho someone must tell the woman in the gold cowboy bots that she must not clomp around on the wooden floors like a great elephant! Rachel and Lisa and I all went to University of Texas’s Drama Dept. together. Again, it was like no time had elapsed. Rachel, who is an actress, had us in stitches over a recent job she had – as a disruptive floozie at a rather staid 60th birthday party for an architect. Hysterical.

Then it was back to Berkeley and our wonderful Baubles and Beads. Somehow, I managed to spend more $ here. Sigh. Then we came home with a pizza, opened some great red wine and sat at the dining room table and beaded all night long.

Saturday was a BIG day. Saturday was the Bay Area Bead Extravaganza, which was happening at the Oakland Marriott, a few blocks away from Occupy Oakland. Two nights earlier a man was shot and killed at the encampment. Lisa was prepared for any disruption of BABE with a great slogan: DO NOT IMPEDE THE BEAD! DO NOT IMPEDE THE BEAD! The BART let us off right at the encampment and we took a look. Squalid is the word that comes to mind. OFF TO BABE.

Where, alas, I spent more $! Mostly, I bought chain. I am proud of the fact I bought no seed beads, as I have enough to start my own seed bead farm. I did buy some glass squares and blobs to do some decoupage-under-glass, one of my favorite things. Lisa bought some semi-precious coins to make some more earrings. We had our usual lunch at Ratto’s – yummylicious. We were there for about 4 hours and by the time we left I was dragging.

BUT NOT SO DRAGGING THAT I COULDN’T STAY UP LATE AGAIN BEADING. We were preparing for Sunday’s big event at our house – our second annual Jewelry Hoo-Hah! We invited about 50 people to my house to eat, drink Lisa’s famous Bloody Marys and pomegranate martinis, eat some yummy food and shop our jewelry.

Jen's Jewelry

I’ll tell you what was funny, tho. The party was to go from 12-4 so at 12 we break out the Bloody Marys. And then Lisa, Jen and I sat there until 1:40 before the first person showed up. What were we to do but drink MORE Bloody Marys until people got there. By the time the first person came – Sheri – we were feeling no pain.

My jewelry

 

It was a blast – about 25 or 30 of my knitting/beading friends came, each bearing something more delicious than the last – and they shopped out stuff only if they wanted to. In addition to my jewelry, which was spread out upstairs, Lisa had her most gorgeous things arranged around her bedroom, and my dog care professional Jen had her semi-precious strands upstairs, too. I also arranged  display of my husband Terry’s origami, which I beaded and turned into Christmas and Hannukah balls (I have never met an item that could not benefit from a little beading).

Some of Lisa's Baubles

And we just had a blast! My favorite part was walking into the living room and seeing every seat and even the floor filled with my friends knitting away, chatting, eating, drinking. The house was FULL of so much talent. I am a very lucky girl.

After the party, Lisa and Terry and I went out for some sushi at Miyuki. Yumm. Then, after crashing, we got up Monday and got Lisa all packed up and we headed off to Japantown, one of her must-stops. We hit the bookstore, the origami paper store, the china store and I did a lot of Christmas shopping. We had lunch at Suzu, the noodle house that makes their own delicious noodles, and then we shopped some more! I had her at the airport by 3 and was home by 4:30.

And then I crashed, baby. I mean seriously crashed. I was in bed early, tho I read and practiced my ukulele (yes, I am playing the ukulele now). And today I feel in need of a blood transfusion a la Keith Richards!

Lisa, I love you, but man you run me ragged! It was AWESOME and I can’t wait til next year!

 

 

Decoupage Glass Pendants

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I used to do a lot of decoupage under glass. I got my hands on this fabulous book called The New Decoupage by Durwin Rice – a real artist and a good writer whose book was a lot of fun to read as well as clear and informative. See that plate on the cover of the book – I made about a billion of those and coasters and pictures and I don’t know what all. I must have a ton of paper I saved over the years to do this hobby – and then I stopped.

Decoupage Necklaces

But this week, back to the past! I found these great little glass tiles and pictures that just fit them at Baubles and Beads. They come from a company called Craft Fantastic and I had a ton of fun making them! I have nine, but only three have their chains and the little charms and embellishments I plan to add to each.

Thinking about making one of these for my mom for her birthday and one for my mother-in-law for hers. Don’t worry – they never read my blog.

In the meantime, I have posted these 3 on my Etsy store and am selling them for $15. Feedback? Too high? Too low? Ugly as all get out? Let me know – NICELY.

Detail

Netted Necklaces

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Been beading a lot lately. The weather hasn’t been good this week, and the week – okay, the month – before that, I had been in the dumps. I am so tired of depression. So tired of being depressed – about nothing! You want something to be depressed about, go live in a third world country! Go visit the children’s cancer ward of a hospital! I know that, and knowing that only seems to make it worse. Ugh. Hate, hate, hate depression.

So, I’ve been doing a lot of beading, a lot of knitting, a lot of reading when what I should be doing is writing. Which only makes me more depressed . . . . okay, enough.

So here’s what I’ve been beading – lots of necklaces with a netted base with fringe or swags of beads. I took the initial pattern from an old back issue of Bead and Button and then I riffed on it. Here are some of the results . . . .

Emerald Leaves

This is the latest one I’ve done, with emerald green seed beads, pressed Czech leaf-shaped beads and emerald Swaorvski crystal. I like this one.

Here’s another one I wore for Valentine’s Day – obviously . . .

All of these rest on the collarbone, at the base of the neck. Here’s another one I did with leaves, tho this is in a more soft green colorway . . ..

and another made with dyed pearls and Swarovski crystals.

But wait, there’s more. Here’s another one I did with gold dagger beads, and another purple one I did with little beads that looks like raindrops, and the very first one I did, with silver beads and Swarovski gunmetal crystals.

Daggers!

Raindrops

Gunmetal Swarovski

Told you I’d been busy. Now, some of you may be asking, Kimberly, why so many damn necklaces? Because I am getting ready for Art in the Yard this Sept. 17. It is an invitation-only party and art show I do every year, and I plan to sell these there – if they don’t go through my Etsy store before then.

Now I am trying to make these even smaller, with size 13 seed beads and 4 mm crystals. We’ll see.

Memory Wire Bracelets

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Seafoam Bracelet

Sometimes it is hard to say what inspires us. I have had bracelet-sized memory wire in my bead chest for maybe 10 years. At least 10 years. I know I tried to make a few bracelets when I first started beading about that long ago, but I don’t remember what happened – what I made or if I liked it. I must not have, because I haven’t touched memory wire since.

Until this past weekend. I do not know what got me – the bug to clean out, to use up what I have, some subconscious recollection of something I saw and liked made with memory wire. Who knows? But on Sunday, I sat down with memory wire, some memory wire cutters (also 10 years old) and some raku seed beads, size 8, and some 6 and 4 mm Czech crystals.

The results? Four bracelets, each made with five wraps of memory wire. I love ‘em and wanna make more. So what did I do yesterday? I bought more memory wire!!!! So much for cleaning out!I am selling them in my Etsy store.

Green Iris bracelet

To make one of these bracelets, you will need:

memory wire

memory wire cutters

flat-nosed pliers

size 8 seed beads

24 4mm faceted Czech crystals

24 daisy spacers

12 6 mm Czech crystals

Bronze Iris Raku bracelet

With memory wire cutters, cut about six wraps of memory wire. Use flat-nosed pliers to fold back about 1/8 inch of memory wire to inside of circle formed by memory wire (this will stop beads from sliding off). String beads in following pattern: *20 seed beads, 1 4mm crystal, 1 daisy spacer, 1 6 mm crystal, 1 daist spacer, 1 4mm crystal.* Repeat between * and * until all crystals are on wire, finish with 20 seed beads. With memory wire cutters, cut memory wire about 1/4 of inch from last bead. Use flat-nosed pliers to fold under 1/8 inch of memory wire towards center of circle formed by bracelet.

Hex Cut Beads bracelet

I Need a Wife

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And four hands. If I had a wife and four hands, I could clean house, bead and write at the same time. I could cook, knit and walk my dogs all at once.

But I don’t have four hands. Damn. But I did watch a TLC show last week about a man with three wives and I gotta tell ya it made a lot of sense to me – for the women, that is. They get to sleep alone two of three nights, they get shared childcare and shared household chores. Of course, they have no privacy. And too damn many kids – 13 at last count. I wrote about them this week for Religion News Service.

Blue topaz earrings

Okay, on to what’s on the needles, both knitting and beading needles. First, I finally got some stuff into my Etsy store. I have been so lax about it. It’s the pictures that hang me up – it takes me forever to get the right pictures, get them in focus and light enough and then to edit them, organize them and upload them. Again, if I had four hands or a wife . . . Anyway, about a week ago I went on an earring jag and made a whole bunch. Here are a few samples.

Another cool thing I did in the past week was go to yet another Friday Morning Knitting Group feast. This one was French-themed and was at Janie Rose‘s adorable house. It looks like a professional decorator did it. Hate her.

Dinnah is served

But loved the food! Here’s what we had – cheese platter, hummus platter, asparagus wrapped in dough, salad, tomato bisque soup, coq au vin, cassoulet, au gratin potatoes, madelines, pear cake, chocolate bread pudding, and wine, wine, wine. OMG.

The dinner fell just after Carolyn’s birthday, so we honored her with a toast and a giftie. It was a lot of fun.

Absolutely everything was restaurant grade excellent. I hope the women in the group will read this and send me their recipes so we can all share them. Here’s mine, for the tomato bisque soup:

YOU WILL NEED:

2 28 ounce cans whole or crushed plum tomatoes – the better quality, the better soup

1 32 ounce carton of chicken stockLots of goodies on the stove

1 C whipping cream

1 stick butter

1 onion, finely chopped

about 16 basil leaves

about 1 T garlic, chopped

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in  heavy stock pot. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion is clear.

2. Add tomatoes and their juice, stock and basil. Use an immersion blender to break up tomatoes and basil till smooth (or pass them through food processor before adding to the pot). Bring to a steady simmer and cook for about 30 minutes (at least).

3. Add cream and salt and pepper to taste.  Scarf it down.

And here’s Carolyn’s, for Potatoes Anna (aka, au gratin potatoes, or as my kids used to call them, “all rotten potatoes”) . . .  from Clay Cookery and Carolyn’s kitchen:

“The charm of this classic French dish is in unmolding it perfectly into a crusty golden potate cake. However, if that sort of sleight-of-hand seems risky, these potatoes can be appreciated spooned directly from the clay cooker”…..which is what we did at our recent French dinner at Janie’s.

“Before baking, the potatoes should fill the cooker right to the brim, as they cook they shrink into a less formidable volume.”

Ingredients:

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

½ cp butter

6 large baking potatoes

Salt

White pepper

Carolyn adds garlic cloves to infuse the flavor.

1.      Soak top and bottom of 2-quart clay cooker in water about 15 minutes, drain. (If desired, you may line cooker with parchment paper cut to fit bottom to facilitate unmolding.)

2.      Melt butter in small saucepan. Pat dry and brush bottom and side of cooker generously with some of the butter. Arrange single layer of sliced potatoes over bottom and around sides of cooker, overlapping slices slightly. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange remaining potatoes in horizontal layers, sprinkling each layer with salt, pepper and butter. Pour remaining butter over the top.

3.      Place covered cooker in cold oven. Set oven at 425 ◦. Bake until potatoes are tender in the center, crusty and crown, about 1 ½ hours. Remove cover, bake until top browns, 5-10 mins. Loosen edges with spatula, invert onto warm serving plate.

Pink lacy one

Now on to the needles . . . I have been absorbed with making moebius scarves lately. Some of us in the Friday group are hoping to get into the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco this December selling our knitting wares, and these are what I have been working on. I am trying to dig only into my stash to do it, and so far pretty good. Thank you Karen, for teaching me how to do this. Here are some of the pictures of my items we took for our application.

Blue lacy one