The Broadcast Sweater

"I absolutely love fashion. I love doing new things and finding ways to swerve in a different direction. But one of the reasons why I try to use fabrics and cuts that don’t go out of fashion is because I like the idea of women buying the clothes and then… I don’t know what the word is… cherish sounds over-emotional for a relationship with a piece of clothing… but for a woman to feel proud, satisfied, comfortable and powerful in them, to wear them and get on with their lives."

— Phoebe Philo  (a designer I greatly admire)

Designing a sweater pattern has been on my to-do list for a long time. As long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a fashion designer - my grade six yearbook says "Likely to be a fashion designer living in a loft in NYC". While it's not the career path I've chosen, knitting allows me to fulfill my designing dreams. It took awhile for my knitting skills to catch up with my ambition, but I'm getting there.

The Broadcast Sweater is named after a seeding technique where seeds are scattered by hand or machine over soil. In the same way seed stitch covers the sweater and cables grow connect the arms to the neck.

I have some wonderful test-knitters editing the pattern and hope to have it ready for release in December. I am very excited to see the results!

Ravelry Page

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Recommended Read: The Little Stranger

 

Cooler weather and grey skies (for what feels like weeks!) make me instinctively reach for a mystery novel. I picked up a copy of The Little Stranger in Montreal where I was immediately drawn to the French version's cover art (far better than the English version, I'm afraid.). 

The novel is primarily set at Hundreds Hall, a decaying estate house which is home to the Ayers family in post-WWII England. It's an intriguing story about a family trying to hold on to the-way-things-were versus a more uncertain future. The narrator is a local doctor, Dr. Faraday, who is called to visit Hundreds Hall one night when the regular doctor is on vacation. As a result, Dr. Faraday becomes increasingly involved in the Ayerses' lives. Eventually it appears that something is working against the Ayeres and their weakening ability to hold on to Hundreds. 

This novel tricked me - I did not love the way it ended, but the more I let it roll around in my mind, I can see its subtle brilliance. The Little Stranger is not who or what it seems, it's an intriguing metaphor for the decline of English estates.

Finally, I'm currently obsessed with Downton Abbey, so The Little Stranger also offered to fulfill my need for more English estate drama.

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Apple Galette

I'm a picky eater. It's actually embarrassing for me to admit I'm picky and I try to hide it when eating out with friends. When faced with a new food item, I am usually gripped with irrational fear (irrational, because in the worst case scenario, I don't like it. The end) that passes in a moment or two.

Years ago, my friend Alison instituted a policy that required me to order a new dish every time we ate out together (she was frustrated with my constant order of chicken fingers and fries, and frankly, I should have been too). It was the best thing,and  thanks to her I discovered so many new dishes I was previously afraid to try.

Since Alison and I have both moved away from home in opposite directions, I've had to make my own policy. It's a simple 'try everything once' rule.

Which leads me to an apple galette. As a child, there was something unappetizing to me about baked apples (crazy, I know). Up until Canadian Thanksgiving, I had never tried and liked an apple pie. But I was desperately determined to change this sad, sad fact. I started with Elephantine's brilliant recipe (and adorable video) and eventually concocted my own version, below.

As it turns out, my fears were unfounded, baked apples are delicious.
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Montreal

(photo text inspired by these, I'm teaching myself photoshop step by step) 

Montreal was wonderful. We spent our time there eating the best food the city had to offer. This included the most melt-in-your-mouth roast beef, tarte au sucre, crepes (so many crepes from La Petite Marche) and delicious poutine from La Banquise recommended to me by Caroline ( she recommended it to us a year ago, but we finally made it this trip!).

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