Half-Stranded Socks

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Rebecca

I thought I’d never finish these socks!  The 3rd sock in Green Planet Yarn’s “Socks for All” sock club was the Half-Stranded sock pattern by Anna Zilboorg.  The pattern can be found in the book Sock Knitting Master Class by Ann Budd.  This was my first attempt at color work and that part of the knitting experience was really pretty fun and not hard at all.  Where I ran into trouble was on the bottom of the sock where I ran into fit problems.

These socks are constructed in a toe-up manner in an unusual way.  The first step is to knit a 4 stitch band with the contrast color.  Then, stitches are picked up along the edges of this band with the main color and about 7 inches of the color work pattern is worked to form the top of the sock.  Then, stitches are picked up along the other side of the band to form the bottom of the sock.  The top and bottom are joined up above the heel and worked up the leg in the round.  The tubular binding method is used to finish the sock at the ribbing.

Our chosen yarn for this sock was a Merino and Bamboo blend called Pediboo from Frog Tree Yarns.  I chose a skein of light purple and one of off-white.  While this yarn looks beautiful in the color work pattern, I was simply unable to get gauge with it despite using size 0 needles, so the bottom of the foot was much too big.  I tried several alteration methods and finally ended up with ribbing on the bottom of the foot to pull in the excess fabric.  My other challenge was that my foot is several inches shorter than the pattern design, so I had to alter the pattern and continue the color work on one side of the sock while knitting in the plain color along the back.

This sock was certainly an education!  While I really enjoyed the color work technique, I don’t think I will be repeating this particular pattern.

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Designer Apple Pie

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Rebecca
Happy National Pie Day!

This recipe comes from The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Thin apple slices are arranged inside of pie crust to form the petals of a rose and the border of the pie is made up of pastry leaves. This is not a quick dessert to make and probably should not be attempted by a novice baker or someone who doesn’t truly enjoy cooking. However, if you take the time to make this, the results will wow your guests and you may even impress yourself!

My favorite apples for this pie are pippins, but any cooking apple will work. You can use store-bought pie crust, but the results will be even better if you take a little time to make your own from scratch.

Designer Apple Pie
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Recipe type: Dessert
Author: BakeNQuilt.com adapted from The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum
Cook time: 50 mins
Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 8
Beautiful open face apple pie laid out like a rose.
Ingredients
  • Pie Crust for a 9-inch, 2-crust or lattice pie
  • 1/2 (1 tablespoon) egg white, lightly beaten
  • 2 1/2 lbs. baking apples; (about 6 medium), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/8-inch thick to make 8 cups
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup apricot preserves (optional)
Instructions
  1. Remove one piece of dough from refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes until it is soft enough to roll.
  2. Between 2 sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap, roll pastry 1/8 inch thick or less and about 12 inches across. Transfer it to the pie plate. Trim the edge if necessary so that it extends 1/4 inch past edge of pie plate. Cover the pastry lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for minimum of 1 hour and maximum of 24 hours.
  3. Roll out the second piece of dough 1/8 inch thick and cut about twenty-six 2 1/2-inch leaves, using cutter or small sharp knife. Use small sharp knife to make veins. Cover and refrigerate.
  4. Preheat oven to 425F for at least 20 minutes before baking.
  5. Line the pastry with parchment or foil, pleating it as necessary so it fits into the pan and completely covers the crust. Fill the crust with dried beans or peas to weight down the paper. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully lift out the beans and the parchment. With a fork, prick the bottom and sides and bake 5-10 minutes more or until crust is pale golden. Check after 3 minutes and prick any bubbles that may have formed.
  6. Cool the crust on a rack 3 minutes, so it is no longer piping hot, then brush the bottom and sides with lightly beaten egg white. Turn off the oven at this point as you will not be baking the pie for a while.
  7. In large bowl, combine the sliced apples, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; toss to mix. Allow the apples to macerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours at room temperature.
  8. Transfer the apples and their juices to colander suspended over a bowl to capture the liquid. The mixture will release at least 1/2 cup of liquid.
  9. In small saucepan (preferably lined with a nonstick surface) over medium-high heat, boil down this liquid, with butter, to 1/3 cup (a little more if more than 1/2 cup of liquid), or until syrupy and lightly caramelized. Swirl the liquid but do not stir it. Meanwhile, transfer the apples to a bowl and toss them with the cornstarch until all traces of it have disappeared.
  10. Pour the hot syrup over the apples, tossing gently. (If liquid hardens on contact with apples, allow them to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes or until moisture from apples dissolves it.)
  11. Arrange the apples, overlapping the slices in concentric circles in the pie shell, starting from the outside edge. Keep adding more apples, using the tip of a knife to help insert them in between the other slices, until you have used all the slices. Pour any remaining apple juices evenly over the apples.
  12. Brush the baked pie crust rim with egg. Brush the bottom of each leaf with egg and place the leaves on the border, tilting them and overlapping them slightly. Brush the top of the leaves with egg. Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes before baking to chill the pastry . This will maintain flakiness.
  13. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F for at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating. Place a large piece of greased foil on top to catch any juices.
  14. Set the pie directly on the foil-topped baking stone or sheet and bake 15 minutes. Cut a round of foil to fit over the apples and the edge of the crust and crimp it in 3 or 4 places to create dome. Cover pie with the foil and cut 3 steam vents in the foil, about 3 inches long. Continue baking for 45 to 50 minutes or until the juices bubble and apples feel tender but not mushy when pierced with a cake tester or small sharp knife. Remove the foil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until the top of apples is golden brown. Remove pie to a rack.
  15. To make the pie look even prettier, you may want to glaze the apples. In small saucepan or microwave oven, heat the apricot preserves until melted and bubbling. Strain them into a small cup. Brush them over the top of the apples.
Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

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