It’s hot here in the Midwest. And really humid. We’re only a couple of inches of rainfall away from breaking the “most rainfall ever” record for our state. The rain plus the mid-90 degree heat (Heat index in excess of a 105 degrees, anyone?) Has got me feeling a little bit melty here in the studio. And it’s actually slowing down the dyeing as it’s so hot that I have to strategically plan my dyeing so I don’t kill the studio air conditioner. Yesterday, it was 83 degrees here until well after sundown even with the A/C running continuously. eeek!

Despite the heat, boxes of yarn are still arriving here in the studio. These are the three that arrived this week, so I can finish up my last couple of orders before taking maternity leave. For size reference, that big one has about 40 lbs of Elizabeth Bennet inside. It makes the others look positively petite!

I’ve also been working diligently on writing and knitting up two new patterns. I have a new shawlette pattern being test knit right now, plus a cabled beret & mitten set. I might be crazy for working on cold-weather patterns during the hottest part of the summer, but it should mean they’re ready for you when the cold weather comes calling. I’ll post pictures as soon as I can get the mittens to behave!

Perfect Mocha Java Coffee

It’s literally too hot for me to dye yarn today. We have heat indexes above 105 degrees and my air conditioner cannot keep up if I create any heat inside the house. Yesterday after 3 hours of dyeing in the morning (before the worst of the heat) my interior temp got up to 85 and stayed there for hours, while the AC ran and ran. Since I am waiting for some base yarn to come in anyway, we’ll take a bit of a break from the studio this morning to show you how I make a cup of perfectly wonderful coffee.

It is Wednesday, and therefore time for Wednesday Morning Coffee™! I’m going to tell you how I do it step by step. (I whipped out the camera while I brewed.) We’re making a perfectly delightful cup of Mocha Java “espresso”* which we’ll then turn into a latte with “stuff”. “Stuff” being sugar, chocolate and caramel. Yum!

Step One: Grind the Beans finely

This is a 50/50 mix of Ethiopian Sidamo (Water Process Decaf) and Sumatran Nihota (KVW, regular chemical process decaf done in Germany). According to the lovely folks over at Sweet Marias Coffee they like this mix of beans for a custom Mocha Java blend. (Those decaf links will take you to more info on the different methods on the decaffeination process.) I roasted these beans on Saturday.

Step Two: Start the water and prep the Aero Press

Put the water in the kettle and start heating. Pop the filter in the Aero Press, and measure 4 level tablespoons of ground beans into the body.

Step Three: Prep the cup

With an Aero Press you brew directly into your coffee cup. I usually prep my cup with milk and sugar while I wait for my water to boil. Then I heat the cup, plus the cold contents so it doesn’t cool the coffee down too quickly. I add milk and sugar based on the darkness of the coffee roast. It’s easier to add more than take away so my default recipe is:

1 T Heavy Cream

2 T Milk

1 T Sugar

You can easily substitute half and half if you prefer. My microwave is extremely powerful, so I pop the cup plus contents in for 15 seconds, until it’s warm. Then stack the Aero Press on the cup and wait for the kettle to whistle.

Step Four: Brew

When the kettle whistles, slowly pour the water into the top of the Aero Press, on top of the grounds. I pour to the top, wait until the water level falls just below the 4 marking and fill to the top again. Then I stir for 20 seconds, insert the plunger and press. Discard the grounds and filter, and wash out your coffee maker.

Step Five: Yum!

Stir your coffee, adjust to taste and garnish. I ended up putting in another 1 T milk, plus 1/2 T. sugar. Then I topped with whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate and caramel….and enjoyed.

Now go make yourself a truly exceptional cup of coffee!

*I use an Aero Press coffee maker for my “espresso” & some people contend that because water is added to the beans, and not steam that this is really a form of concentrated drip coffee, not espresso. They might be right. I’m still saving for an ultra luxurious espresso maker…..

Yarn Love shawlette just off my needles!

I’m so excited! I just cast off a beautiful shawlette last night. It’s my first shawl ever, and even though it’s small, I love it. I wasn’t aiming for a full sized shawl – more of a shoulder and neck wrap for the cold drafts of fall & winter. (Which is really ironic considering we have heat alerts in our area today for heat index above 105 degrees.)

The main color is Solstice – and the contrasting colors, in order from left to right are Art Deco, Pizzaz, Stallion, and Martini.

I still need to finish weaving in the ends, and then get to go on my first ever lace blocking expedition. I hope it’s as fun as most lace knitters claim.

Specs: triangle shaped shawl with a simple 8 stitch central lace pattern ending in a modified feather and fan garter st border.

Yarn: 90 grams of MC used, plus about 20 grams of each CC color. Shown on Juliet. Easy to incorporate sock leftovers in a beautiful new garment.

Wednesday Morning Randomness

Wednesday Morning Coffee ™

f you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed a recurring theme. Every Wednesday morning, I post about what cup of coffee I’m enjoying. Since I am pregnant, I severely curtail caffeine intake. This puts quite a dent in a coffee lover’s drinking habits, as you might imagine. I limit myself to 3 cups of 100% decaf coffee per week. If you’re also a coffee lover you might be thinking, “What’s the point? Decaf coffee has no FLAVOR!!!!” And in most cases you’d be right. Caffeine is a flavor enhancer, and when removed from products (i.e. Coffee, Coke, etc.) a sensitive nose can literally smell the difference.

Thankfully, about a year ago I got into roasting my own coffee. I’m a bit of a food hedonist – I simply love great food – and do a lot of cooking and baking. (Not to mention brewing my own beer, and roasting my own coffee….) I discovered that you can roast your own coffee beans very easily with only a small investment of $$$. All you really need is a cheap air popcorn popper, a little info on what to look for when you’re roasting coffee, and green beans. The taste difference between freshly roasted beans and the ones you buy in the store is incredible. Almost like a completely different product!

If you want to roast your own coffee or just learn more, go see the great folks over at Sweet Maria’s. They have an amazing amount of information on their site, plus everything you need to roast your own coffee.

New Yarn – just shipped

I have a rather sizeable shipment of yarn going out to EatSleepKnit today. It’s a big box full of Elizabeth Bennet loveliness. Erin and her helpers stock every single color I dye on this spectacular base, so if you’re in the mood for an elegant shawl, sinfully decadent socks, or a whisper light cardigan go see their selection.

Elizabeth Bennet: 65% superwash merino/20% bamboo rayon/15% silk. 50 grams, 195 yards. Fingering weight. Recommended needles US 0-3.

I’m off – to an appointment this morning & then back into the studio to dye yarn this afternoon!