Winter, Knitting, Skiing and where does the time go . . .

Since moving photos around can be a bit of a hassle I will leave these at the top of this post and then just carry on!

This was one of our recent ski challenges here in Unalakleet.  While many of you don't like our Alaska weather you have had down south we had this in January.  Believe me we don't like a warm winter which is one of the reasons we live this far north.

ahhh bliss snow!

This is the reason our ski program is so great and why we have wonderful skiers.  Our groomer, my husband, grooms our ski trails, he doesn't get paid for all his hard work, and he loves working with snow.  As a former downhill racer, he can set a great line on the hills that gives us great skiing in a very rough environment.  Tally is his grooming partner.

The snow fence is behind them and this builds our drifts so we can ski when many others out here can not.  This year our skiers have been training on a 1.2k loop since December.  I give them a ton of credit for staying so focused.

Sadie, my girl,  and I making the best of challenging ski season . . . rumor has it some white stuff should be falling soon.

I really enjoy writing blog posts and learning how to do this antiquated thing called "blogging" as more and more people just use the current social media sites.  I find this little world of blogging relaxing and actually more mine than the social media world.

What has been going on since my last post in 2013 . . . well winter!  Winter for us this is the busiest time of the year!  We try to do our best working full time and running a very fun and successful ski program.  We love skiing with the skiers out here and have a blast!  Our ski season is long and full of challenges but as a team we make it through the challenging weather conditions and keep skiing.

Knitting: I seem to be knitting up a storm in the small project department.  Let this be a lesson to you all-----PLEASE READ THIS IF YOU ARE A KNITTER! Just because you buy a yarn, and then really don't like the yarn, and as you are knitting with the yarn IT is fine to SAY:

"Yarn I don't like you, you might be a great yarn and a wonderful color, but you were not made for this project.  I really know better than to continue with you . . . GOOD BYE yarn! I will give you away to a more deserving home!"

Once I gave up on the above mentioned issue I moved right on to a wonderful yarn and project!

Current project: I have been knitting with a wonderful new yarn which I can highly recommend.  First this wonderful yarn from the Knit 'N Needle is a sport weight, 100% wool, super wash and HAND DYED!  I love it!  Polka Dot Sheep PDS Sport  has been a lot of fun to work with and the projects I have knitted are just coming out great!  I can recommend several very well written patterns from the Knit 'N Needle.

This is the pattern I am using for a parade of fingerless mittens for family members.  The pattern is written for men, ladies, children and toddlers.  The  Lomond Series is a great pattern and knits up quickly.

Yarn from my favorite Montana yarn shoppe.

Fireweed in sport weight and my camera did not capture this wonderful pink yarn well.  These mitts are for my grand niece and the pattern is the Lassie Lomond. 

This color way is Lupine and will be another pair of Lassie Lomonds.

I would say this wraps up this post and I will try to get myself back on a more regular schedule of posting about skiing, knitting, and life out here on the edge.

Jan's Grab Bag Socks and Felted Slippers

I recently had a friend contact me who has health issues and really needs some wooly items to help keep her feet warm and toasty.  Jan wanted a pair of 100% wool socks and I also suggested some felted wool slippers as well.

I immediately casted-on for the felted slippers as the pattern I have used countless times over the years from Fiber Trends.  The yarn I picked for these slippers is actually a wool (95%) silk (5%) blend which felts up rather nice and dense called: Clyde by Louet.  It is bulky/chunky weight yarn.  I knit this yarn held double and moved right along knitting one slipper with many interruptions in a day.

First completed slipper.  Once both slippers are completed they will be felted in the washing machine.   Felting is done by knitting an item oversized (100% wool or tested yarn to see if it will felt) and then purposely shrinking the wool to the correct size.

Then to take  a break from the slipper pattern I switched right over to the wool socks.  I have a healthy allotment of left over yarn--no surprise!  I decided to use a little technique that Elizabeth Zimmermann talks about in her Baby Surprise Jacket.  I found yarn that is the same weight for the most part and rolled up small balls of yarn and placed them in a bag.  The only rule was not to have matching colors next to each other.  With that in minded, I grabbed a small ball of yarn joined by my favorite method the old spit and felt and knit on which means there is no sewing in of any ends!

The colors of yarn I decided to work with for Jan's Grab Bag Socks.

The beginning!

First sock completed using Fiber Trends Hellen's Favorite Socks this sock pattern is my "work horse" pattern.  I modify it slightly.  This pattern gives all the basics one needs to knit socks and you can adjust/design easily to meet your fancy. 

Snow!

I just came across this photographer and his work with snow crystals. AMAZING!

Christmas Vacation has STARTED--Skiing-Knitting-Relaxing-Baking!!!!!

Hardly anything else needs to be said . . .  well I would add knitting and reading!  Always my biggest belief is one should get outside as much as possible under one's own mode of transportation also know as exercise.

Yesterday was the last day of school and Christmas Break started for us!  One of the things I love about not traveling for Christmas is that the vacation starts instantaneously and that is a wonderful thing.  I spent yesterday afternoon in the wax room getting ski gear out to some of our race team skiers.  Today I hope to get the gear out to our elementary skiers.  Then we can all get skiing!

Sadie voicing her opinion here, "Can we go skiing now!"  In the wax room known as Worm's Wax Room.

BOOTS, BOOTS, BOOTS!

This year we were able to get more poles, boots, and skis which were really needed for all the skiers.

Hard to tell in this photo but there are several new skis for race team skiers, younger elementary 

skiers, and adult helpers.

Skiing Nov. 24th when we had snow before it all warmed up and turned  into a mess.  Now we are basically back to this point as our snow is returning and temperatures are dropping to the normal lows.

This was posted on FB as well but just wanted to get these mittens posted here on the blog.  These are my new favorite ski mittens.  Made by TOKO and they are insulated and wind proof.  They has a soft back and thumb for wiping one's nose.

If you do a search online you will be able to find these mittens at most Nordic/cross-country ski shops.
These were purchased at Eagle River Nordic.

I also always wear a glove liner inside my mittens to keep my hands warmer.  This way I can remove my mittens and not expose my hands to freezing temperatures.

Knitting: I have been working on several projects which is so typical of me!  I just can not stay focused on anything to long no matter how much I try to stay focused.  I am of course still working on my Bláithín sweater. I have one sleeve knitted to the proper length and the body needs about 2 more inches.  I need to cast-on the next sleeve and get that knitted.  Once the body and the other sleeve are completed I can then join the 3 pieces and start my color work on the yoke.

I will be writing more about my knitting now that I am on break.  I felt I needed to give a bit of an update.  Next I will be posting about Jan's Grab Bag Socks a fun way to use up left  over yarn!

1st day of Skiing for the 2013/2014 Ski Season

I have always loved winter and snow!  It amazes me that there are people out there that don't love winter.  I don't know why I love this season so much.  I am not sure if it is the silence, the tidiness that fresh snow brings to the world, or the coziness I feel from a world wrapped in white.   

Many of you are looking at this photo and thinking that looks like a lot of grass you are skiing on there!  We have skied on more grass than this before and I am sure we will again!  I have learned living in rural Alaska one is not nearly as pick as when you are in the lower 48.   The other added bonus is skis slide well on tundra plants that are sticking up through the snow.  It is a case of the cup is half  full or half empty.  

Living where we live enables us to be able to ski a LOT!  I mean a LOT!  Since being here, I have skied at least 100 days a ski season.  Last year, I was able to get in 130 days on skis!  I would like to break that personal record this year if possible.  Skiing isn't about the amount of days one skis and I know this.  So why do I keep track of my ski days:  I keep track of my skiing so days off don't take over.  This way I get out the door as much as possible and why I try to encourage others to get out the door!  Being outside is simply a wonderful way to forget about daily issues and to be healthy! 

Gliding along on my skis over the tundra or through the woods is something I simply love to do! 

In the end, to ski is to travel fast and free - free over untouched snow country. To be bound to one slope, even one mountain,  by a lift may be convenient but it robs us of the greatest pleasure  that skiing can give, that is to travel through the wide wintery  country; to follow the lure of peaks which tempt on the horizon and  to be alone for a few days or even hours in clear, mysterious surroundings.

(Hans Gmoser)

Frozen Ground, Frost, Ice on the Puddles, Sky full of Stars & NORTHERN LIGHTS!

I finally feel like winter might actually be about to arrive here!  Usually by now I have some Ks of skiing on my skis.  This year for what ever strange weather pattern we have been having we have no snow and hardly a frozen ground to stand firmly on.  This mornings dog walk finally feels like WINTER is near. Winter is a busy time of the year for us as we run a small ski/biathlon program out here in Unalakleet. Once winter arrives for us we are all about skiing!

I love to see the lights here in the mornings on the dog walk.  I have found over the years that the morning lights are mostly white, and occasionally blueish-green.  They shimmer, dance and shoot across the sky.  Often, large bands of light, like this morning are curving and curling slowly across our sky.  I love the Northern Lights!  They fascinate me!  Did you know if you whistle at them according to local custom they will sing for you?  There are many legends about the lights and I need to ask more questions about those before I write about them to make sure I get them correct.

Here is to WINTER in all its glory!

Unspun Wool from Iceland

  Icelandic Yarn from: Schoolhouse Press

I have no idea what I am going to knit with this wool. I do know once I get this post written I am going to cast-on and mess around with my unspun wool.  I am not a huge fan of that green so that will be the yarn I will play with as I think about what I might knit.  The two blues I just love.   For years, I have been wanting to knit with this unpsun wool. This was my birthday gift to myself this year.   

Schoolhouse Press has this to say about unspun Icelandic wool: 

"Un-Spun Icelandic— Extraordinary long-fibered fleece unique to Icelandic sheep produce the warmest wool we know."   The other wonderful item I ordered for myself was this pattern which is called Pools in the River.  I am really taken by the textured work in this design.   This pattern I am totally smitten with!  Elizabeth Zimmermann once again stuns me with her designs.  It is wonderful that her family keeps  sharing her work with us knitters.  This photo was taken with my iphone from Schoolhouse Press Pattern #45. One other thing I love about Schoolhouse Press is that they wrap their yarn in paper.  I feel like, I stepped back in time when ever I open a package from them . . . a time when everything moved slower.

Daylight: because someone will ask

I live in a rural Alaskan village.  This means you can not drive here but you can fly in, take a very long boat ride, come by dog sled like in the Iditarod Dog Sled Race, ski, ride a bike on the snow . . . but no matter what you can not drive here!  One of the most popular questions I would say most Alaskans get is "How can you stand the dark?"  First off it is not dark every where in Alaska during the winter months.  

Here in Unalakleet we live at approximately 63 degrees north and 160 degrees west. I enjoy many aspects of living this far north.  The light is always amazing with long wonderful shadows at certain times of the year. I appreciate how our daylight changes during the year and embrace the shorter hours of sunlight. One more reason I enjoy fall and winter so much is this change into the darker months.  The changing weather, storms, daylight, long hours of darkness are all very comforting.  


Here is a daylight chart for 2013 and you can make one for yourself at USNO

Fingerless Gloves

I was sent a wonderful pair of hand knit fingerless gloves as a birthday present.  Since these gloves have arrived they have been on every dog walk as I was told to use them!  As a knitter it is a great treat when you receive a hand knitted item!  As one knitter to the next gets it!  The work involved, the thought that went into the item, the yarn that was picked and used, the design, and of course the love that goes into a hand knitted item.

These were knitted with TOSK DK  100% superwash Merino, Antique Lace and Amber Tricket (don't you love that name) and the pattern is Gina's Wrister from Joseph's Coat in Missoula Montana.  This pattern is free and on Ravelry.  Thank you iusecreativejuices!

One of the things I like about these fingerless gloves is the design with two colors which gives a great feel to the glove.  The fit is spot on!

The first dog walk with winds clipping about 25 mph but no snow--ugh!

Winter and the lack of it is beginning to get to me a bit.  I have to admit I am tried of the rain and mud!  There I said it!  The temperatures need to drop and the ground needs to freeze up.  There have been years that I was skiing on my birthday.  The last few years no luck with that goal.   I really wish mother nature would do her job and push out this current weather pattern and get busy making winter!

Bláithín Sweater

My Bláithín sweater is coming right along.  I was able to get the provisional crochet cast-on easily mastered and on my needles.  I used a sock yarn for this as it would shed the least amount.  I did wonder if this crochet cast-on yarn should be the same gauge as my sweater yarn.  I went with the sock yarn as  it wouldn't shed, is very durable, as the only yarn in the same weight I was afraid might shed.

Provisional Crochet Cast-on in Opal Cotton Sock Yarn

Once I got the twisting out of the cast-on *****warning here you need to be patient with this step!   I am sailing along in circles for 17 inches.

I placed coil-less safety pins every 50 sts. so I only have to count this amount twice.   I casted on 214 sts. 6 sts are for the steek and 208 sts are for the body.

I am off to a good start.  I do place sts. markers for the front steek  and the side seam if there was to be a side seam.

My favorite yarn shoppe in Montana  Knit 'N Needle used one of my photos to show off some wonderful fall yarns.  I love the combination.  Today it is 43F here and I wish our snow was back pronto!

Cinnamon Rolls

I can not think of anything bad, or wrong about  cinnamon rolls !  I mean what is there not to love!  They smell wonderful, they taste great and the variety of cinnamon rolls out there in the world is endless. Sweden has a National Cinnamon Roll Day!

How can anyone not love a country that has a National Cinnamon Roll/Bun Day-----another reason to love Sweden in my books.  We even spent a whole summer bike touring around Sweden and Norway.  We were lucky to go back to Norway and ski one winter.  The Scandinavian part of the world is one of my favorite in the world.  No only is the land stunning, the people pleasant, but lets face it this culture can BAKE and let me add KNIT!  Back on topic . . .

Christian is our in house cinnamon roll baker and he makes my favorite rolls.  I am not a frosting fan but rather love the chewy brown sugar and nut topping, raisins, and abundance of cinnamon these rolls have----YUMMY! Below you will find Christian's Cinnamon Roll recipe that many people have asked for----pull out the floor, rollup your sleeves and bake away!

Brazil Nut/Walnut/Pecan Cinnamon Rolls clp2013
Enough for 12+ or so medium sized rolls on single med-large baking sheet. 
tsp = teaspoon; T = Tablespoon
MAKING DOUGH

2 pkg. (1⁄4 oz.) rapid rise yeast (~ 1 rounded T of yeast)

1T honey

1 T Brown or White Sugar 

2 tsp. salt

  2 cups lukewarm water

(warm to inside of wrist)
(Use extra 1⁄4 cup if high elevation, 4000+m)

 
Mix yeast/honey/salt/sugar/water stock
& let all stand for 5-10 min. until foamy in a large bowl/pot. Stir a bit to break/mix yeast clumps. (Important to read ahead)
Add 5+ cups of sifted flour in portions.
Mix flour by wooden spoon, then by hand till not sticky, scrape bowl sides. Knead in same bowl or surface till firm & elastic with a bit sticky & satiny texture &bit of a moisture feeling on surface. (~5 min)
Transfer to new bowl, sprinkle 1 T of olive oil over the dough and spin/flip/roll in bowl to coat evenly. Let rest/rise till ~ double in size in warm place with damp cloth covering for 20+ min, then punch down, then let re-rise 10+ min or longer & use.
You can use the dough immediately if you can’t wait, for it will rise ok as you prep & bake.
MAKING TWO TOPPINGS
1) Cinnamon/Sugar Mix to sprinkle on rolled dough
Mix in small bowl, 1⁄2 cup white sugar + 1-2 T Cinnamon as you like. Set aside.
2) Cinnamon/Brown Sugar/Nut Topping to place beneath each roll (prepare as rising)
In med. pan, heat 1⁄2 cup butter, 1⁄2 cup brown sugar, 1⁄2 cup white sugar, 1-2 T cinnamon to taste, handful of Brasil nuts, walnuts, or pecans chopped. Stir until well mixed. DO NOT caramelize! Use low heat.
ROLL THE DOUGH
Roll out until 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch thick rectangle (~2–3x as long as wide) on a clean surface.
Coat rolled dough lightly with olive oil.
Sprinkle Cinnamon/Sugar Mix evenly over rolled surface. Spread by hand & leave far edge clear. Drop bits of 4–6 T of Cinnamon/Brown Sugar/Nut Topping about the surface (keep rest for topping). ALTERNATIVE Additions: Add sprinkle of raisins, craisins, or etc. if desired.
Now roll up on long side and seal when done on far edge with light pressure & “patch” if needed. Cut roll in half, then half again, & finally each into 3rds. Place 2-3 inch thick slices on oiled cookie sheet to give 12 rolls equally spaced.
BAKING
Coat baking sheet with generous layer of olive oil. Lay 1/12th of cinnamon/brown sugar/nut topping under equally spaced location of each roll (3x4 spacing). Place rolls on topping & lightly pat.
Dribble olive oil on top & lightly pat oil even.
Bake @ 375o F (~190oC) for 20-25 minutes (depends upon stove! Watch! Check @20 min.)
Swap ends at midpoint in time for equalized baking if needed.
Remove, cool for a minute, flip sheet onto another larger baking sheet to invert rolls before sticking. Scrape residual topping with wooden spoon and quickly place evenly on needy rolls
Share the cinnamon wealth, & Enjoy a few!
You can freeze cooked rolls paired, wrapped in foil & saran wrap in zip-lock bags. Just thaw in fridge and reheat 15 min. @350oF for “fresh” cinnamon effused morning.

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