Mersydotes

Last night, Mr. Mersy came home to find the kitchen table, ironing board, and bed completely covered with various bits and bobs of crochet and knitting.  Yarn was tangled up everywhere, amigurumi chickens and mice peeked out from every corner, and the number of doilies strewn around was pretty shocking.  But he didn't bat an eye- his yarn tolerance is incredible! All this mess was part of preparing for a flea market tomorrow morning where, for the first time ever, I'll be selling some of my creations.  I'm not sure that New Jersey needs stuffed chickens or hanging ornaments in the shape of watermelon wedges, but I might just be pleasantly surprised!   Best case scenario: I sell everything I've ever made and my fascination with yarn becomes a profitable enterprise rather than just a relaxing pastime.  Worst case scenario: I don't sell a thing and someone insults my doilies.  Personally, I'm hoping for something in the middle- ...

Has spring sprung?  One day it seems like it has, with sunshine and mild temperatures and strolls around town, and the next we're back in the snow and wind and freezing rain with warnings of a Nor'Easter heading for the East Coast.  But there are signs that warm days are on the way, and on one fortuitous walk to the park we stumbled upon snowdrops- snowdrops!  Little bells tolling the arrival of springtime- we just have to wait a little longer. And while snowdrops are sprouting outside, yarn flowers have been sprouting in our living room.  This gorgeous batch of new cotton holds a million possibilities (and was only a buck a skein!).  It is actually a cotton synthetic blend, giving it a really soft feel without any pilling.  These little flowers are my first project with the new batch of yarn- I've been wanting to make a springtime flower garland for my grandmother, and these were the perfect colors- half brights,...

You've come to the end of your round or row or project, and it's time to tidily bind off your yarn and weave in all those pesky ends.  But what to do with that last bit of yarn sticking out from the final stitch?  Just pull it around back and weave it in?  Nah- there's a sleeker way to handle it called an invisible join.  Essentially, you just make a faux extra stitch to conceal where you stopped stitching. Here are the steps:  1. Once you've finished your work, cut the working end of the yarn and bind off. 2. Now your loose end looks like this, sticking up through the last stitch.  We're going to weave it in so that it lays flat and you won't be able to tell where you stopped.   3. Thread the loose end onto a darning needle, and identify the next stitch to the left. 4. Insert your needle from front to back and draw the yarn under both loops of that stitch.  Your yarn should now be at the back of your wo...

I used to think that there was a big secret to cooking that only a select few ever figured out.  Some "perfect" technique for each food that was the only way to do it justice.  How to roast the "perfect" carrot.  How to make the "perfect" strawberry jam.  But then one evening, I sat down with my family to steaming baked potatoes that had taken me hours to make but tasted just like every other baked potato I'd ever eaten, and I thought to myself, "Isn't it all about making something simply taste good?  Why should everything have to be complex and 'perfect'?"  If you can bung a potato into the oven, forget about it, and transform it into deliciousness, then that's good cooking! So here's my latest obsession: an iconoclastic one-pot pasta that doesn't care about perfection.  So what if it isn't al dente?  So what if the sauce isn't an all afternoon project?  Every ingredient tastes tasty- isn't that the p...

The key to stitching a circle is all about paying attention to the stitch count of each round.  Increasing the stitch count in a specific pattern keeps the circle flat, while no increases will create a bowl or basket shape.  For this little basket, I stopped increasing after three rounds:   On the other hand, if you increase too often, it will create a ruffly texture: This is reminiscent of beautiful corals, and has helped to create a gorgeous art installation at the Crochet Coral Reef project.  There are some beautiful images in their gallery, found here .  Check it out for some artistic and natural inspiration! For a flat circle, however, let's begin with a Magic Circle: I'll make 12 double crochet stitches in the circle.  You can make as many as you like, but it's easiest to work with an even number.  Here's the pattern of stitch increases: Round 1: 12 double crochet Round 2: Increase in every stitch (24) Round 3: Incr...

Warming spices...cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cardamom.  Isn't it funny how they all start with a "C"?  Anyway, the other day I saw a post from Bon Appetit on Instagram about how to make caramelized cinnamon toast, and it reminded me of the piping hot cinnamon sugar donuts my mom made in the eternal autumn that was my childhood.   On cold, gray days, she would take cake donuts, split them in half, add butter, and then sprinkle each half with cinnamon and sugar.  It was always my job to mix the cinnamon and the sugar, and I loved stirring the mixture in a little bowl, watching the two colors swirling together with every turn of the spoon.  They would come out of the broiler piping hot, with the sugar caramelized and crisp.  The very best, warming treat! The video from Bon Appetit combined everything together with the butter and prepared toast this way on a hot griddle, which is perfect for Mr. Mersy, since it means we can make the toast...

Happy Monday, one and all! It's getting to be that time of the winter when everything is steel gray, and it's hard to remember what it's like to go outside and have the air greet you gently.  And added to that, it can also be hard to get out and about in a new town filled with strangers.  How do you know where to go to make friends and find your niche?  Spaces outside of ordinary life with good folks to talk to? Luckily, two of my friends are much braver than I am, and they encouraged me to be brave last week and join them on an excursion to the local knitting group.  And guess what?!  It was great!  The folks there were friendly and nice and talkative- knitters and crocheters and sewers.  One of the group has even begun dying wool in his kitchen, with beautiful results.  The colors made me think of spring. Everyone was working on something beautiful- scarves and blankets and hats and sweaters.  If som...