Seamless Intarsia

From Let Me Explaiknit.

The other method makes the joins where two of the color blocks meet, and is done by linking one yarn around the other as with flat intarsia, but with some changes because the yarn to wrap around isn't on the correct side yet. It has the disadvantage of having a slightly higher potential for getting tangled up in your work, and the advantage of being quite seamless; I definitely prefer this method. We'll continue using our smiley-face hat example; we'll need one strand each of yellow and blue, because in a seamless hat, there is one section of each color. On the first row which contains the motif, you will work with the blue strand to the right edge of the motif, then twist the yarns as usual and work the motif with the yellow strand. Now, having reached the left edge of the motif, you need to wrap the yellow yarn and blue yarn together, but the blue yarn is still back over on the right edge. What you're going to do is bring the blue yarn all the way around counterclockwise in a very long strand, and lay it over the yellow yarn; don't worry about the length of this very long strand, because we're going to take care of it in a minute. Once you've laid the blue yarn over the yellow, work counterclockwise with the yellow until you're back on the right edge of the motif. Drop the yellow strand inside the loop of blue yarn that you created in the previous step, and then use that blue strand to continue working counterclockwise through the entire blue section; pull out slack from where the end of the strand is caught by the yellow as needed. When you've completed the blue section and are at the left edge of the yellow motif, pull the blue strand taut, so there's no more slack in it and it's snug up against the yellow section. At this point, the blue strand is at the left edge of the motif, and the yellow strand is at the right edge. Draw the yellow strand loosely across the back of the yellow section, and lay it over the blue strand, and then work clockwise with the blue strand until you're back to the right edge of the motif. Drop the blue strand through the loop of yellow, work the yellow stitches clockwise, and then pull the yellow strand taut. As you can see, you're essentially working flat, with the turning point at the left edge of the motif (a brief note: if you have more than one motif, as when you put a design on the front and another design on the back of an item, the join point will end up at the left edge of the last-worked motif), but the left edge of the motif and the right edge of the background section are being linked together in exactly the same way that the other edges are; this gives you an effectively seamless tube. At the top of the motif, if the last row of the motif was counterclockwise, the yellow yarn will be at the right edge; do not draw it across the back, but simply do a YO with the blue yarn and resume working clockwise in rounds, using SSK to work that YO together with the stitch before it on the next round. If the last row of the motif was clockwise, slip the motif stitches in the counterclockwise direction to get back to the right edge of the motif, and then simply pick up the blue strand and resume working clockwise in rounds.

Decor: Cable Management

Studio Desk by Blue Lounge

Cable Box by Blue Lounge

Straining Ladle

Image by The Spoon Sisters
Neat Idea
Pretty Form
Available Here

Haba

Haba Toys ...
The first installment, which focuses on the primary (i.e., blue, red, yellow) and the secondary colours (i.e., green, orange, purple).
Next up ...

S & P

Granit by Eva Zeisel

Gaufres de Liege

What
How at The Kitchn:

Gaufres de Liege
makes 12 waffles
6 tablespoons warm milk (no hotter than 110°F)
1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 cups (230 grams) bread flour, sifted
1 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 medium egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, at slightly cooler than room temperature
140 grams turbinado sugar, or pearl sugar if you choose
Cooking spray

Dissolve the sugar in the warm milk; then add the yeast. Make sure that the milk is not too hot, lest it kill the yeast instead of promoting its growth. Place a plate or some kind of cover on top of the bowl with the milk, sugar and yeast. Set aside for about five minutes. When you check on it, the yeast should have bubbled up, looking light brown and spongy.

Meanwhile, mix the sifted bread flour with the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour in the yeast mixture; then add the whole egg and egg yolk. Mix on medium speed until it is fully combined. The dough will be yellow and stiff, yielding only slightly to a poke.

Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place for about thirty minutes.

Beat in the butter piece by piece; you do not have to wait for the prior piece to be fully incorporated before adding the next. When the dough has incorporated about half of the butter, the mixture will be like a very thick, somewhat broken-up paste. If you keep engaging the mixer on medium-high speed, the dough will eventually become a cohesive whole, looking smoother and more feeling more elastic. Scrape the sides of the bowl if needed.

Kneading very gently, incorporate the sugar crystals just enough to get them evenly distributed. Work quickly so as not to soften the buttery dough too much.
Divide the dough into a dozen equal pieces, gently forming them into balls.
Place the balls of dough on a cutting board in a warmish place for fifteen minutes or so. During the last two minutes of this resting time, preheat your waffle iron until it is very warm, but not hot.

Spray the griddles with cooking oil. Place each ball of dough in a whole square or section of the waffle iron. Like regular waffle batter, the dough will start to puff up. Cook the waffles until the surface is golden to dark brown. Be sure that the waffle iron you are using is appropriately deep, or else the interior of the waffle will not be cooked through. If you are using a vintage stovetop waffle iron, flip the iron every thirty to forty seconds, lifting the iron to check the rate of browning. The browning should be gradual to allow the interior to fully develop.

Set the waffles on a cooling rack as they come out of the iron to promote a crispy exterior. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Any leftover waffles, if they are not dark brown, can be carefully re-cooked in a toaster for approximately thirty to sixty seconds. Leftover waffles may also be kept in an airtight container between sheets of parchment paper, for up to three days.

Pearl Sugar
What
How
Where

Elliptical

Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer

A more compact option:
Horizon Fitness E30 Folding Elliptical Trainer.

Miniatures: Gidon Bing

Images by Gidon Bing

Does Gidon Bing consider these dollhouses or sculpture? The colours and material palette are lovely. These make me question a highly detailed aesthetic for a dollhouse. These are very simple but so lovely and clean.
They were done in partnership with Resene. They have a PDF you can download.
You can find out more about Gidon Bing here.

Parfum

L'Eau d'Hiver, by Jean-Claude Ellena for Editions de Parfums

Despite all the floral notes (the clear freshness of water with the softness of white heliotrope, iris and honey), this scent is suprising crisp but warm. I first read about it here and was determined to get a sample. This was a gift and I love to wear it.

The same article mentions Cologne Bigarade, also by Ellena. For that reason and the description in the article of its scent being a strange but pleasurable, retina-expanding experience, like "like looking down into a well of cool, black water," it is intriguing.

Eau de Parfum by Comme des Garcons

Beautiful packaging (like a droplet encapsulated in film, that typography, the assymetry) and a beautiful scent: abdanum, cedarwood, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, honey, clove, nutmeg, sandalwood, "... woody and resin work in concert with harmonies of honey and cedarwood. Full of softness and warmth…the complexity subsides."
I haven't worn this in a few years but I still remember the excitement of first discovering it and how much I loved it.


Avignon Eau de Toilette by Comme des Garcons Series 3: Incense

"Roman chamomile, cistus oil, elemi, incense, vanilla, patchouli, palisander, ambrette seeds, ... the scent of gothic cathedrals and Papal palaces, of tapestries imbued with centuries of incense. Of cold marble steps, holy relics and dark confessions."

Who wouldn't want to smell like a church? But then, oh yes, I like to burn this. In earnest, I would love to try this.

Herbs

Prepara's Herb Savor
Great idea; not sure I entirely love the aesthetic. But it beats trying to pull this feat with a glass of water and a plastic bag! The DIY version always manages to tip over and make a boggy mess.

Eames Walnut Stools

Image by Herman Miller
Eames Stools
Or are they tables?

Diem Chau

Carved Crayons
Embroidery (over ceramics)
Teeny, tiny Mah Jong

Fools' Gold

Pyrite, Manganocalcite, and Quartz.
Picture bf Ebay Seller Rohowell

Make that pyrite.

Pyrite Dot by Ball & Chain

MIEN at Ikea

Images by Ikea
I saw this at Luxirare and now want/need at least three!

Mann Booker Prize Winner

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Must Have read this.

Encapsulated

Images by Sarah Hood
Landscape and Spice Jewelry by Sarah Hood


Images by Anika Smulovitz.
“Herbarium Specimen” by Anika Smulovitz.

Spherification

Image by Luxirare

Spheres in Parfaits by Luxirare
I must try this!

Shopping List:
Syringe(s) or. better yet, Dropper Box
Sodium Alginate here or here
Calcium Chloride here

Fat Quarters

Image by Janet Wickell

Furniture for Tots

Bekvam by Ikea
The possibilities are endless, endless, endless.

Diplomatic Jewelry

Read My Pins by Madeleine Albright

Holy Grail - Rubirosa

Ikea

Another Reason I Can't Wait to Return to Cape Town

what is your idea of a perfect day in cape town?
this is such a difficult question to answer, because, while i don’t mean to be smug, cape town really is the perfect city, so you’d need days and days to do everything there is to do! for me though, i’d love to wake up and do a yoga class, then meet my husband paul at lola’s on long street for a big eggy brunch and lots of coffee. a perfect day should include a nap at some point, but i’m not sure where i’ll squeeze that in, because i’d like to go walking on noordhoek beach while horses gallop by, have an icy swim at camps bay and do some drowsy beautiful-people-watching, i’d need to get to milnerton market, my favourite spot for vintage bargain hunting, or maybe i’d have better luck scouring the bric-a-brac on kalk bay’s main road. the evening would have to be outdoors, as the weather would be balmy and windless. so maybe we’d break the rules (unlikely – i’m a line-toer of note) and make a big bonfire on clifton beach, watching the sun go down behind the yachts while sipping a glass of bubbly. wow, i got a bit carried away there. life’s generally not quite so glam, but it’s a perfectly achievable day in this beautiful city of ours.

From an Interview with Heather Moore at SFBayGirl

Holy Grail - Coffee Table with Storage

Platform Coffee Table by CB2
Nice access and palette; not sure about the proportions

Zeitgeist - Trees

Beautiful Arboreal quilts by Kellie Wulfsohn

La Vie Pillow by CB2

Recipe

I gotta try this!

Kin pira ... a stir fry of root vegetables, sesame oil, soy sauce, and mirin (sherry) ... a classic Japanese side dish ... usually ... with juli­enned gobo root, sliced lotus root, or car rots ... salty and sweet, and goes so well with rice ... only takes like 5 minutes to whip up

Nin jin no Kin pira (Carrots & Sesame Stir Fry)

1 car rot, juli enned
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
bonito flakes

1. Heat a fry ing pan over medium-high heat, and pour in sesame oil.
2. Throw in car rots and stir fry for a few minutes.
3. Move car rots to one side of the fry ing pan, and pour in soy sauce on the naked side. Let it bub ble away and caramelize a bit, and quickly stir fry to mix. Repeat with mirin.
4. Remove from heat, and mix in sesame seeds and bonito flakes.
5. Kin pira holds for a few days refrig er ated in a sealed tup per. Nom with hot white rice!

Recipe from the wonderful food blog I Nom Things.
Visit to see her beautiful photo!

Jelly Molds

The human brain.


The human heart.


Oh, God. Gross!
But just in time for Hallowe'en.

More off-beat International Museum of Surgical Stuff here.

Tasseography

Image by Thorwald at Etsy
Vintage

Image by Unica
alma fortune cup by toby wong and the red str/collective Neat but the vintage one is lovelier.

What
How

Blind or Deaf

Would you rather be blind or deaf?

I was listening to NPR.
As much as I like music I'd have to choose deafness ... I couldn't live without Flickr and its ilk.

(Nuclear) Wessels - Gardening

Guy Wolff Pottery
Ben Wolff Pottery


Pigeon Toe Ceramics
Especially the footed tripods. here and here.
Pigeon Toe Online

Zumi

Photo by Photojojo

Photography

The Level Camera Cube by Photojojo.
Actually, I just want a couple of dozen in a bowl on my desk. So pretty ... like jellies.

Tupperware

If you didn't already, you'll love Tupperware after meeting Aunt Barbara!



Read about Aunt Barbara in New York Magazine.
Watch Aunt Barbara here.
Aunt Barbara's Homepage

Must Haves:
Modular Mates
Freezer Mates

Photoshop Tricks

Virtual Bulletin Board by My Janee.
I need to find an excuse to use this.

Needlepoint

Kaffe Fassett at Erhman Tapestry
Wait a minute!
This is on the top shelf in the closet ... unfinished. The shame!

~


Been thinking about Bargello lately.
But so has JA, apparently.

Podcasts

Tables

Seen in Canadian House & Home Makeovers (Fall 2009, p. 42)
I think that this is available at Vi Jull's store French Country in Toronto.
I love the architecture-y feel of it.

And a closer, grainer look ...


~


Crank Trick #2 by Nobuhiro Teshima
Who doesn't like hidden compartments?

~


Image from Takeshi Miyakawa Design
Wouldn't this be the be the end all of stash storage ... yarn or otherwise?

Colour

Itten's Colour Wheel
Itten's The Art of Color: The Subjective Experience and Objective Rationale of Color
Itten's The Elements of Color

~


British Standard Colours at Fine Paints of Europe

Cocktails

Twig Swizzle Sticks at CB2

~


Pimm's Cup at Shelterrific

1) The first thing to do is track down a bottle of Pimm’s. Pimm’s was invented in 1823 by a Mr. James Pimm. The exact recipe remains a closely guarded secret, though it has a very citrus-y, herbal taste. It is useful to know that it is 25% alcohol by volume. I’ve been able to find Pimm’s at liquor stores in the US, but not everywhere.

Pimm’s No.1 Cup is gin-based and is the most commonly available type. At one time, there were six different “Cups,” each based on a different liquor, but nowadays only No.1 and the vodka-based No. 6 — my personal preference as I’m not a great gin drinker — are produced, though I haven’t been able to find no. 6 in the US. There is also a winter version, Pimm’s Winter Cup, based on brandy and winter spices.

2) The next bit is easy. Fill a pitcher full of ice and add one cup of Pimm’s to two cups of lemony soda (such as Sprite) or ginger ale. Keep adding in these proportions until you are happy with the amount.

3) Then go to town on the garnish. At the very least, add some half-moon slices of orange and lemon to bring out the citrus-y flavors of the drink. A very traditional British accompaniment is slices of cucumber (there’s something very delicious about picking slices of sweet alcohol-soaked cucumber out of your drink) and some sliced strawberries to make it look pretty.

4) Finally, gently crush a handful of baby mint leaves and stir them in. By the time you’ve finished, your pitcher should look like you’ve just added a small fruit salad. You see? It’s practically a health food!

Seating

Settee by Windsor Smith Home
Oh, for an excuse to use this!
Seen in House Beautiful (September 2009, p.73) sans piping, upholstered in light grey Rogers & Goffington silk

~


Windsor Workshop
Finished in Chinese Blue (90) in Canadian House & Home (September '09, p. 25)

Eye Glasses

Colour Therapy at Momentum
Love this concept, hate the shape ... so Vicki Gabereau
Love the blue but need the green.

Red - (Base/Sacral Chakras) - Red makes you feel more energetic, outgoing and ready to move in some overt way. Red helps to motivate fire and passion, ferocity and strength. Red denotes a strong sexuality.
Orange - Orange is the color of success. It helps to expand interests and activites.
Yellow - (Heart/Cardiac Chakra) - Yellow encourages openmindedness and attention to detail. Yellow generates positive and optimistic qualities in those who wear it.
Green - (Heart/Cardiac Chakra) - Green creates calm, soothing and balancing atmospheres. Green tends to create harmony and equilibrium.
Blue - (Thyriod/Throat Chakra) Blue suggests spirituality and order. Those who wear it reflect a wish for peace and quiet, tranquility and even solitude.
Indigo - Indigo has the highest positive vibration. It cobimes reason with intuition and discipline with creativity.
Violet - (Brow/Third Eye Chakra) - Wearing violet generates the feeling of self respect and dignity. It has creative and spiritual qualities.
Turquoise (Thymus Chakra) - Turquoise stimulates a quiet and reflection. It helps to clear all your thoughts and feelings, generating clarity in your communications.
Magenta - (Crown/Pineal Chakra) - Magenta generates feelins of softness, gentleness and kindness. It creates feelings of love and compassion.

Cutlery

Laguiole Steak Knives
Digging that stripey, I mean Marquetry, one