Happy Holidays from at KnittenKaboodle.com!

It is very exciting that this project has come to life over the course of the past 12 months. It was slow to take off, mostly because I was working two long-running assignments in my other life as a management consultant.

This is a time of year to give thanks and reflect on the many family and friends that form the fabric of life -- and I would like to take a few minutes to do just that:

Thanks to Yan and all my friends back at Forever Yarn http://www.foreveryarn.com/ who kept after me to get the project going, and gave input on projects and never ever ever thought I was buying too much yarn. Yan also provides a wonderful backdrop for many of the photos and some occassional modeling! Also thanks are due to Nancy and my friends at Sew Smart Fabrics http://www.sewsmartfab.com/, who encouraged my ideas of melding together knitting and sewing, and even display one of my aprons in their shop window.

Thanks have to go to my able and willing assistants, my niece Meghan and friend Emily. The brave first artisans to contribute content include Cindy, Maxine, and Peggy. A few more people are working on projects that will become available in the new year. Some very interesting things to come!

Thanks go to Pam and Jack at Mikula Web Solutions http://www.mikulawebsolutions.com/. They made the shop come to life, and Pam got the the look right in one.

Finally, last but far from least, thanks go to my customers. I can only hope that you enjoy your new hand crafted items as much as we all enjoyed creating them!

Very best wishes for a joyful and peaceful New Year!

Joan and the crew at KnittenKaboodle

One of the most useful shapes a scarf can take is the basic triangle. Aesthetics and practicality come together in this three-sided wonder. There are many ways to knit triangles, and no limit to the materials, colors, size and overall dimensions from accent scarves to ponchos and wraps.





How do people like to wear the triangle scarf?? There are no wrong ways and your imagination is the limit. This season, many people are choosing to wear the scarves with the point in the front, which provides a lot of color and interest while serving the function of blocking out cold. Indoors, scarves brighten up jackets, denim shirts, turtleneck sweaters -- anything.





It is amazing that a simple concept, the triangle, can yield so many different looks! A small sampling of this versatility can be seen in some of the triangle scarves presently available on the KnitteKaboodle.com website:

• Some styles such as the Painted Desert Scarf (linen) and the Jewel Tone Accent Scarf (silk, wool, rayon) are created in open lacework patterns, while the Wildflower Triangle (merino with cotton trim) and Burnished Metals Accent Scarf (linen and poly) are of a more closed stitch composition.

Different artists turn the various yarns into unique looks that add color, texture, interest, and fun into a wardrobe. Adding one to your collection will garner compliments for years to come!

The scarf shown here is the Painted Desert Scarf created by Peggy.
http://www.KnittenKaboodle.com

About Fine Fibers & Yarns - Part 1: Mohair

When I was little, I thought yarn came in two general varities: scratchy wool and acrylic which was typically not scratchy. As an adult now wandering through the world of knitting yarns, I've learned about many different varieties of yarns and fibers. There is such a thing as wool that is not rough and scratchy. And there is such a thing as yarn that is so soft and luxurious you want to wrap up in it and never take it off!

One of the most amazing discoveries has been mohair and mohair blended with silk. Of course there are many different yarn companies that produce this wonderful material, which comes from the fine hairs of young angora goats. I recently sold a lovely collar scarf made from Habu silk-mohair http://www.habutextiles.com/. Now I am working on two different pieces from Rowan kidsilk haze http://www.knitrowan.com/ . The yarn is light and fluffy and yields remarkable warmth at the same time. Natural fibers give the benefit of breathing, keeping them drier and warmer. Some knitters claim that they are addicted to this yarn --they can't stop coming up with projects and uses for it!

I am early in the creative process with this oversized scarf pictured above. I couldn't decide on only one color, so I ended up choosing five colors and am working a stripescape that will evolve into color blocks. I will update this posting when I'm finished, so you can see the final result.

In honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I thought I would depart from usual topics and address the time honored tradition of Pumpkin Pie! Our family recipe has passed through several generations now and is still a winner with the next generations. We have made a concession to modern times and switched to using canned pumpkin (not canned pumpkin pie MIX). If you want to cut up, cook down and puree your Halloween pumpkin, that works just as well.

This recipe is very simple, but it does take a long time to bake. We typically make the pies the day before so there isn't a crisis with oven capacity and turkey cooking times.

Moms' (and Nanas') Pumpkin Pie

1 Pie shell (I used unbaked, but a 5-10 prebake will give a crisper shell if desired)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1-2/3 cups milk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ginger

dash allspice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Mix together: sugar, salt, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice)

2. Beat in eggs to mixture above; add sugar and spices to eggs

3. Beat in milk

4. Add pumpkin

5. Add pie mixture to shell

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees for duration of baking time, which can be anywhere from 35 - 60 minutes, depending on the custard and oven properties. A pie in 'done' when a knife inserted into the middle of the pie comes out clean (meaning no custard residue sticks to the knife). Tip: Whipped cream topping hides any unsightly knife scars on the surface of the pie. :-)

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Last year I made a 'fun' scarf for my Mother, using a combination of lovely textured yarn and a novelty yarn. These interesting yarns made a large impact in past years, although you see less of them around these days. That said, an accent yarn used judiciously can create an impactful wearable art piece. My Mother and I were driving south to a Carolina beach vacation, and twice, when we were at stops en route, she received offers to sell the scarf on the spot!

Today I am thinking about cowls and neckwarmers -- a very big trend this year and a wonderful knitting project and gift idea. They offer warmth and luxury, but a great alternative to a traditional scarf when you don't want the extra bulk of the scarf under your coat. Although warmwear, a cowl can incorporate into an outfit, making it a truly versatile accessory. I've just finished one for myself and sold out of all my existing neckwarmer-cowl items. So we're working on some more projects and expect them to be ready shortly!

This project is baby alpaca, a luxury fiber in a rich wine colors.

Hello and Welcome to the KnittenKaboodle BLOG! Shortly this BLOG will be linked to the www.knittenkaboodle.com website.


The website is a new venture that seemed to flow rather organically as a next step once a I was bitten by the knitting bug and began getting very productive. By day I am an financial manager-executive/accounting type and spend a large part of my life working, working, and more working. All work and no play, and all that. Then I wandered into a lovely yarn shop in my town (Forever Yarn in Doylestown, PA) and was amazed at all the wonderful items on display and the soft and lovely yarns. I signed up for a beginner knitting class and made two scarves and then made a coat. Nothing like jumping in with both feet! The classic over-achiever takes on a hobby!

The other thing I discovered was the community of others in town that also share the fun and camaraderie at the shop. And let me tell you, some of these people are amazing in their ability to create!

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll continue to add more as the days and weeks go on. I'd love to hear any of your 'first knitting' stories.