Knitting a dishcloth

I'm sure we all remember our mothers or grandmothers having a few knitted dishcloths around the house, this particular pattern is a classic and has been around for a long time.

With Christmas around the corner I have been pumping these out like crazy. For me, I enjoy patterns that don't require a lot of mental effort and this pattern from www.verypink.com is the perfect thing to do at the end of the day when you just want to relax and watch some TV.

Needles: size 7 US, straights or circularsYarn: about 35 grams of worsted weight cotton (65 yards)Additional Materials: tapestry needle for weaving in endsGauge: really not important, but I got 4.5 stitches per inch in garter stitch


CO 4 stitches. Knit 1 row.

INCREASE SECTION (EVERY ROW):
K 2, YO, K to end.

Repeat this row until you have the desired width (on the diagonal) of your dishcloth. I repeated this row until I had
50 stitches total on the needle. Then move on to the decrease section.

DECREASE SECTION (EVERY ROW):
K 1, k2tog, YO, k2tog, K to end.

Repeat this row until you have 4 stitches remaining. BO all four stitches, break yarn, and pull end through
last loop to fasten. Weave in ends, and block if desired.

For instructional video click here: http://verypink.com/2011/06/14/learn-to-knit-a-dishcloth/

Spoonflower custom fabric:


Hello blog world! I know it has been a few months since my last post, I guess I went through a inspiration funk... When I saw this website the other day I knew I had to share it. www.spoonflower.com is a start up company that allows you to upload your own designs and turn them into beautiful fabric! You can also choose multiple designs from other artists. 


Here are a few designs I personally loved:

Neat Underwater Ink Photography:

Underwater ink photography by Italian photographer Alberto Seveso.

Hike Through Lynn Canyon:

Hey all! Over the weekend me and the boy went on a hike through Lynn Canyon in North Vancouver and I just wanted to share some photos with you guys. Enjoy!

Pops of Colour:

I'm a big fan of neutral rooms with big pops of colour. If you are like me then you are changing your mind constantly. By painting a space in a neutral tone and keeping the palette fairly plain you can incorporate pops of colour with art, accessories or flowers wherever you'd like!  

busybeingfabulous.typepad.com

www.designsponge.com

www.elle.es

Morning Walk:

3Form's LightArt Dragon:

Inspired by Chinese New Year’s, 3Form’s pair of dragon Light Art sculptures weave 75 feet long through a lobby, illuminating the space with custom controlled, colour changing RGB LED lighting. In addition to the crazy amount of lighting used throughout the sculptures, tons of individual bright and vibrant resin pieces were used for the body to create a breath taking installation that will definitely have that wow factor when people walk in the main doors.

Check 3Form’s ‘Year of the Dragon’ Video here:
http://www.3-form.com/lightart/seattlestudio/#dragon

Electric Blue At IKEA:
Blue is back in a big way this year, especially electric blues or cobalt blue. With the way that trends are changing you don't really want to spend a lot of money re-doing your space. By changing out a few of your accessories you can create a whole new look in every room of your home. Ikea is a great choice for accessories on a budget and they happen to have some fantastic finds in electric blues!

1. Stockholm cushion - $19.99
2. Solbrand salad servers - $2.99
3. Herrang candle holder - $19.99
4. Lekman storage box - $20.00
5. Cylinder vases (set of 3) - $24.95
6. Frajen cotton towel - $6.99
7. Ljusas table lamp - $34.99
8. Roxo chair - $20.00

Terrariums:

Loving this new plant trend! Terrariums come in so many different sizes and you can put almost anything in them...

Check out some ideas here:

"The Monroe" - www.cargoh.com

I love the feather touch

"The noir" - www. cargoh.com

Corno Studio Paintings:

On a cloudy Wednesday what better way to brighten your day than to look at some beautiful art. I was watching a documentary about abstract paintings last night and it reminded me of this women’s art I came across last summer and absolutely fell in love with.

If you've never heard of her, her name is Corno and she paints fantastically large and bright abstract portraiture with intense black contrast. Her painting method is thick with a lot of visible strokes... oh how I wish I could paint like her.

Here is some of her old and new work:

www.cornostudio.com

Simple Broccoli Cheddar Soup:

Hey guys, I thought I would post up a how to on making really easy and delicious broccoli cheddar soup. I found this recipe on 101cookbooks.com and i'm (or should I say my stomach) is very impressed with how it turned out...

Here is what you will need:

croutons
5-6 ounce chunk of artisan whole wheat bread, torn into little pieces (less than 1-inch), roughly 3 cups total

1/4 cup butter or olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons whole grain mustard ( I didn't use any :( )

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

soup:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 1/2 cups light, good-tasting vegetable broth
1 large head of broccoli (12 ounces or 3/4 lb.), cut into small florets

2/3 cup freshly grated aged Cheddar, plus more for topping
1 - 3 teaspoons whole grain mustard, to taste
smoked paprika, more olive oil, creme fraiche (optional)

(Note our makeshift wine bottle back splash)

Preheat your oven to 350F degrees and place the torn bread in a large bowl. In a small saucepan heat the butter until it has melted. Whisk the mustard and salt into the butter and pour the mixture over the bread. Toss well, then turn the bread onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the croutons are golden and crunchy. Toss them once or twice with a metal spatula along the way.  

While the croutons are toasting, melt the butter (or olive oil) in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the shallots, onion, and a big pinch of salt. Saute for a couple minutes. Stir in the potatoes, cover, and cook for about four minutes, just long enough for them to soften up a bit. Uncover, stir in the garlic, then the broth. Bring to a boil, taste to make sure the potatoes are tender, and if they are stir in the broccoli. Simmer just long enough for the broccoli to get tender throughout, 2 - 4 minutes.

Immediately remove the soup from heat and puree with an immersion blender. Add half the cheddar cheese and the mustard (a little bit a a time). If you are going to add any creme fraiche, this would be the time to do it. Now add more water or broth if you feel the need to thin out the soup at all. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Serve sprinkled with croutons, the remaining cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and a tiny pinch of smoked paprika.

Enjoy!