biddeford cowl + quince & co.

I’m beyond excited to share a secret I’ve been keeping for a few months now: this morning, my Biddeford cowl was released as part of Quince & Co.’s yearly publication, Scarves, etc. 7!  

When Quince sent out their call for submissions last year, I had just finished knitting a cowl in their Lark yarn for my sister’s birthday. Reluctantly, I decided to take a chance and send it in. A few weeks later, I squealed with delight when an email arrived from the Quince team letting me know that it had been selected. It was one of those true, joyful moments in life.   

Biddeford is the piece you’ll reach for time and again when you want a bit of comfort and warmth around your neck. When knitted in a neutral colorway, like this creamy Lark Canvas, it’s equally at home when worn over a blouse at work, layered over a flannel for pumpkin picking, or as a wool coat topper for date night with your partner.

The project uses just three skeins of Lark - a smooth and bouncy worsted-weight wool, and the lace pattern is perfect for both beginning knitters looking to expand their skills, as well as advanced knitters who want something interesting, but meditative on the needles.

I’m over-the-moon honored to be a part of this gorgeous collection, and hope this sweet and simple knit will help keep your necks warm and cozy all winter long. Get the Biddeford pattern here. Be sure to tag your projects with #BiddefordCowl!

You can view the full collection here: @quinceandco on Instagram | the Quince & Co. website | on Ravelry

Thank you, Quince!

creativity in progress

The past few months have been full of behind-the-scenes creativity, and I'm finally starting to make a bit of progress towards my long-term goals. Each morning, I awake at 5:15am, make myself a cup of coffee, then sit at my dining room table to work on something knitting-related before heading into the office. Whether it's pattern writing, swatch knitting, perfecting a call-for-submission, notion designing, or knitting a few rows on a personal project, I've grown to love this quiet and productive creative time. 

There are three main projects I'm focusing on right now, each with it's own special significance. I'm excited to eventually share them with you!  

Since tomorrow’s a holiday, I plan to spend my day pattern writing and knitting the front gansey on my Willow sweater. I hope you all have a wonderful Fourth of July!

baking + wool

This was one of those perfect little weekends--there were no obligations to meet, no significant errands to run, and lots and lots of down time. On Saturday morning, I spent a leisurely hour on the couch knitting a little Quince and winding this smoky gray ball of wool for the Log Cabin socks. Using this week's leftover blueberries, I made Eva's Blueberry Dutch Baby from her new book, First We Eat. (If you love baking and stunning photography, you must check out her website, Adventures in Cooking. It's such a treasure trove of inspiration!) Anyway, we're big fans of Dutch Babies in our house. If you've never had one, you should make one immediately--they're a glorious cross between a pancake and a popover. Typically, we default to the Dutch Baby with Lemon Sugar on Epicurious, but as soon as I saw Eva's dark and luscious blueberry version, I knew we'd have to try it! 

Don't let the beauty of this Baby intimidate you--it's actually quite simple and straightforward to make. First, you prepare a quick blueberry jam by combining blueberries, sugar, and water in a small pan and simmering until it thickens. It takes all of about 15 minutes to prepare and, really, it's the best kind of kitchen puttering one can do on a Saturday morning. Then, you preheat a cast iron skillet in the oven while you prepare all the ingredients. When the pan is scalding hot, drop in softened pats of butter until they sizzle and melt, then pour the batter in and bake until it's puffed and golden. Immediately top the Baby with the homemade jam, fresh blueberries, and almonds (I toasted mine for extra flavor) and eat warm from the oven with a glass of cold milk. The custardy pancake, combined with the sticky-sweet jam, the pop of ripe fruit, and the nuttiness of the toasted almonds, made this one of the best Dutch Babies I've ever had. 

Please pick up the ingredients and make one this weekend! I promise you won't regret it.