Okay sock knitters and enjoyers of hand knit socks (or just any socks, in general), I did the research for you, and it turns out that it's not too hard to darn your socks. 

There are several different techniques, and I tried out three different ones. There's the (1) Swiss darning (or duplicate stitch) method, the (2) running-stitch-weaving method, and then there's the (3) knitted patch. 

I found some pretty good videos from Knit Picks for the first and third methods (see below), and there are a lot of advocates for the woven method (but not many good videos). It's certainly the easiest, and for machine made socks, it's probably the way to go. 

The first sock had a fairly small hole, it appeared that it was mostly just the yarn between two columns of stitches that was broken, so I used Swiss darning to close it up. This basically means that you duplicate stitch over the area to be mended. It really works best for strengthening thin areas, not so much for closing up large holes, unless you want to build up a framework with heavy thread, which is later removed. I have to admit, I went a little cross-eyed trying to stitch everything in the right places because my socks were somewhat felted in that area. Still, the beginning of a greater disaster has been averted, and while it may not be pretty, it is definitely functional. I also didn't have matching yarn for this sock, but what I used blends well enough. Here's the part one video (you should be able to click part two when it's done):

For sock number two, I did have matching yarn. The hole was more like two holes, and pretty big. I used the regular old weaving method for this one. I am interested to see how strong it will be. It isn't super pretty, but it's better than a hole, and I'm glad I could match the yarn. It just blends right in. It's nice to see that Lorna's Laces really holds its color. This was about the best video I could find on the weaving method (I really wove my stitches, going over and under on opposite rows, this looks like just a bunch of random stitching to me):

The knitted patch is good for larger holes, and it wasn't too hard to do. As you can see in my picture above, the Malabrigo yarn has faded quite a lot from washing and wearing. It's so nice and soft, but I'm not sure I'll use if for socks again. I am a little concerned that the patch will feel like a huge lump when I wear them. I tried them on, and I can feel it, but it's not too bad. We'll see if it's bothersome after a whole day, though! I do like how nice and tidy it appears. Again, it's a two-part video, here's the first part: 

There are some advocates for just sewing a hole closed, but that seems like a bad idea, especially on the bottom of your foot where you would feel a big lump. So don't do that! Has anyone else darned socks before? What method did you use? I'm so happy to have my socks back! My feet will now be warm for the rest of the winter. 

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I have a lot of fun taking pictures with my iPhone, and I love sharing them on Instagram. I have a Moleskine notebook that I wanted to use as a small scrapbook for my trip, so I ordered some prints of my Instagram photos from printstagr.am. They just arrived yesterday, and they're so cute. 

 

 

Did you see what I did there? I Instagrammed my Instagram prints. hee hee! They are small, about the size of a business card, and the paper is very thick and stiff, with a nice matte finish. When I placed my order, they said it would take 4-6 weeks, but I think I got them in about three, so that's not too bad. I know they are trying to get them out faster and it looks like they are doing some upgrading as we speak. 

The mini prints were $12 for 48 (plus $6 shipping), so they're not a bad deal. They also have posters and tiny books and stickers. I'm quite happy with the quality, and will definitely order from them again! 

P.S. Sock darning report tomorrow. I've been gone all day! One sock is darned, two more to go.

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In case you were wondering what to watch while waiting for new episodes of Downton Abbey, I thought I would suggest two series on Netflix Watch Instantly. The Grand is set in a four-star hotel in Manchester, post WWI, and is full of intrigue, lust and general soap opera drama all dressed up in wonderful 20's style. Then there is The Forsyte Saga, which follows an extended family through several generations from the late 19th century and up to the war. It gets a little ridiculous toward the end of the series, but was still worth a watch. Are there any other good costume dramas that I'm missing? 

Now lets talk about socks. There is something wrong with my inner thermostat this winter. It first started when I went to a summer climate (Africa) in December and came home to a cold snap. Then we had a heatwave and it got up to the 70's even up here in the mountains. And now it's cold again. My feet have been freezing, and regular socks are useless. I need to wear my handknit socks every day. I was hurriedly trying to finish another pair when the first tragedy struck:

I ran out of yarn just a few rows from the end. I tried to find someone with a few yards of the same yarn to spare on Ravelry, but got no response. So I improvised as best as I could.

 

If I was ambitious, I would rip out the toe of the other sock and use the same yarn to make a matching pair. I don't see that happening any time soon, however. It's not like anyone will ever see it, and I'm happy to have another pair of cozy warm socks to wear. 

 

They are here on Ravelry, the pattern is Paraphanalia, and the yarn (which I still love, even if I ran out early) is Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in the Bloomsbury colorway (plus a little Yarn Chef Bouillabaisse).

But that is not the end to my sock tragedies, oh no. No fewer than three socks currently have holes! I put too much work into these socks to just toss them, plus, I am very dependent on my wool socks right now. 

They're all on the balls of the foot, what does this mean? And two are Lorna's Laces yarn, while the other is Malabrigo sock, and they are of varying ages, so I can't say that it's the yarn. My plan for today is to learn how to darn socks, I will report back later. I even got a darning egg so I can do a proper job.

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It's rainy and grey and I am so happy to be at home in my warm kitchen. It's been a long time since I've baked or made any dessert-type food. I've made lots of enormous pots of soup and slow cooker pot roasts and hearty stews these last few, cold weeks. My food styling and photography skills are not yet to the point where I can make a bowl of brown glop look good, no matter how delicious it really was, so I thought it was time for something pretty.  

I have still been eating the same way I was last summer. There were a few holiday and travel setbacks, but there is such a difference in how I feel when I eat well and stay away from grains and too much sugar and processed food, so I avoid them as much as possible. I'll do a follow up post soon and talk about that a little more. So it's a truly special treat for me to make something like this, and while there is a little sugar involved, there's no flour at all!  

I was inspired by this tart from Roost, and some delicate, small Forelle pears I picked up at the market the other day. Have you visited Roost before? The whole site is inspiring, as well as beautifully written and photographed. What's even better, most recipes are gluten free. 

 

I made the crust exactly as written, although my almond meal from Trader Joe's. The unblanched almonds make for a dark and nutty crust that was very dense. I think blanched almond flour would probably be a little prettier and lighter, and I'd like to try to find some for the next time. Still, it was very flavorful and rich, and not too sweet, so I made a nice backdrop for the pears and cream.

 

The rest was an experiment. I poached the pears in apple cider, and added star anise, cardamom, vanilla, and fresh ginger. Since they were small, they only took twenty-five minutes or so until they were tender.

I used Vanilla Bean Paste in everything. Have you seen this? It might not be exactly the same as using a vanilla bean, but it's very close and much less expensive. You can see all the little bean flecks when you use it, unlike plain old vanilla extract. 

I decided to make a pastry cream/creme brulee/custard sort of hybrid for the creamy part. And that's where my experimenting got the best of me, so I hope I don't make any pastry chefs out there cringe at my naivity (and of course, if you can suggest a better way to accomplish this, please do!). It was really, really delicious, but a little too runny.  

Here's what I did: I added a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste and a few crushed cardamom pods to a pint of heavy cream and brought it to a boil. Then I turned off the heat and put a lid on the pan and let it steep for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, I whisked three egg yolks with about 1/3 cup of sugar (raw, organic cane sugar), until it was nice and light. I added a little cream to the egg yolks, whisking constantly, to temper them, and then slowly added the rest of the cream and continued to whisk (I was fishing out the cardamom pods as I poured it in to save myself from having to strain them out). I returned all this to the pan and cooked it over another pan of simmering water, whisking the whole time, for about five minutes, until it was thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. I let it cool to room temperature, and it got a little thicker, so I poured it into the baked crust and put it in the fridge to chill for an hour or two. It did set up some more, but it's still a bit too thin.  

 

And it turns out I am not a champion pear-arranger either. Still, the pears were subtly spiced, and the cream filling was flavorful and well, creamy and addicting. It all worked together so well. Of course I can't show you what a slice looked like, because it was about on par with that bowl of brown slop I mentioned earlier.  

 

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I think I'm done editing all my photos, finally! I'm going to create a book with blurb this weekend and I can't wait to see them printed and all together. So now, on to Cape Town. 

We took a two-hour flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town. We were there for five days, so I won't bore you with a day-by-day travelogue, just a few highlights. We did a lot of touristy things while we were there, but it struck me as also the kind of place you could go to just relax as well. It's a beautiful area, with gorgeous beaches, vineyards, wild life, and a lively city. We stayed south of the city in a B&B in Muizenberg. I loved the colorful beach huts at the nearby beach.

The skies, as always, were dramatic and beautiful. A little further south, just outside of Simon's Town, we stopped at Boulder Beach to see the penguins. 

This little guy was just strolling through the brush near the beach. Most of the penguins were dozing on the beach. 

The coastline reminded me so much of California, and the climate was similar too. It felt very much like home. 

Of course, we went to the Cape of Good Hope. 

Much of the Cape is a nature reserve. We searched in vain for the baboons, but saw these baby ostriches! They were tiny, maybe 12-18 inches tall, and just the cutest. 

The English and Dutch architecture was pretty, although most houses are hidden behind high walls. That was something I found a little sad throughout the country, there is a lot of fear of crime, so there are lots of walls with razor wire or electric fences on top. Still, I did get glimpses of some lovely homes and buildings.

Table Mountain looms over the city, and it's just a short gondola ride to the top.

The fog kept rolling in while we were up there, but we still caught glimpses of the beautiful views.

The whole set is here on Flickr. I recommend viewing them as a slideshow. We also went to Robben Island, but I think that deserves it's own post. 

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