French Girl Style

J'Adore: Knitting Green and French Shepherd's Pie

frenchgirlknits — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 07:00:00 GMT

This is the second stop of the 10-day blog tour with contributing designers and essayists to Ann Budd's Knitting Green: Conversations and Planet Friendly Projects. Kristeen Griffin-Grimes is the designer of the Caterina Wrap (page 110), an asymetrical wrap knit with a handspun yarn that was hand-dyed with walnut hulls. Here's Kristeen to tell us more about her pattern, and she shares with us a favorite recipe for French Shepherd's Pie-- a great dish for last night's leftovers!

Three sheep, one goat and a drop spindle--that's how my foray into the fiber world began. It was the 1970's and at the time I was fascinated with Navajo rug making, hand spinning and using plants as dye materials. We journeyed to Arizona to live and discover the new-age vortexes of planetary energy around Sedona (cue X-Files theme music, or perhaps, Enya). It was just a pack-up-the-baby, toss-some-clothes-in-a-sack kind of lifestyle then, and I came of age during the heyday of back-to-the-land experimentation... but that's another story too lengthy for this little blog. Just let it be said, I was and am green to the bone.

So, when my very esteemed editing friend, Ann Budd, asked me to participate in an upcoming book from Interweave, Knitting Green, I couldn't wait to get my hands on some yarn that had been naturally dyed and spun, especially by the venerable La Lana Wools, based near that same Southwest location that had enthralled me so many years past. We had lived there in a van down by the river, near a magical place called Red Rock Crossing (this is a cause for much shared laughter amongst our children and anyone who has seen Chris Farley's " Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker" bit on Saturday Night Live, will understand why it's so humorous to us). Many years later and countless lost spindles along the way, it was satisfying to work with a material that took me back to that simpler (but not necessarily, easier) way of life... something I touch on in my essay, "Knitting Stone Age Style," in Ann's book.

The Caterina Wrap

The Caterina Wrap was named for my Great-Grandmother, Caterina Gianotti. I designed this in as minimal a way as I could fathom, recalling faded photos I'd seen of her country-women in the hills of Northern Italy with the rustic, sheep-y shoulder coverings they had fashioned. The result was almost a simple wrap with kimono sleeves; however, the construction was anything but traditional, using picked up stitches and grafting to fashion a seamless garment. I hope those of you who've started it will enjoy the process. I'd love to see how this pattern is interpreted - perhaps, as a more refined version in an airy, silk/mohair or vibrant color. Please do share your projects and thoughts on the essays!

Traveling in France as often as we do for our tours in the deep rural south, you can't help but notice a certain attention to reusing and recycling that is always in fashion, especially in the countryside. Born of Gallic frugality during two country-crushing World Wars and a mind-set bonded to le terroir, eco-consciousness and respect for the planet have been alive in the Republic for millennia. It's a simple formula really -- electricity and fuel are expensive, so walking, biking and public transport are the norm, as are line-dried clothes (every tiny apartment has a window festooned with last night's dainties) and leftovers (aka: les restes).

This doesn't need to be promoted or even have a day of celebration, although the French enjoy celebrating anything, especially when it comes to the land. When I query our French friends about their minimal-waste way of life -- the response is always, c'est normal. As we honor our home planet with Ann's thoughtfully edited book and enjoy the lovely designs in Knitting Green, I look forward to a time, as it is in France, when eco becomes normal.

Never one to say adieu without the mention of something culinary, I leave you with a recipe perfect for recycling and reusing - in this case last night's veggies and protein (meat, tofu, what have you). It's a Franco-fied version of the British Isles' Shepherd's Pie - who's to say which came first - so today j'adore Knitting Green and Hachis Parmentier

Hachis Parmentier ~ French Shepherd's Pie

In 1800's France, Pharmacist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier championed the humble potato as a nutrient-rich solution to staving off famine...so merci, Dr Parmentier!

This dish is perfect after a night's repast of potatoes, some veggies on the side, and a dash of protein or even leftover stew. You'll hardly have a thing to do if les restes is camping out in your fridge.

The Recipe

Set your oven at 400 degrees. Brush an oven-proof 6-Cup casserole with olive oil or coat with soft butter.

About 2-3 cups or more leftover potatoes (steamed or mashed). Or you could steam about 2-3# of potatoes cut in chunks if you have none.

Leftover poultry, beef, or vegetable protein (tofu or tempeh work very well), about 2 cups.

1/2 onion or medium shallot, minced

1 medium clove garlic, minced

2T butter or olive oil; more if needed

1/2 C white wine

2 eggs

2 fresh tomatoes, chopped or 1- 15 oz can of organic tomatoes (whole or diced)

3 T of fresh parsley, chopped

2 t. fresh or (1/2 t. dry) thyme, or to taste

1/4-1/2 red pepper flakes

4 T crème fraîche (or sour cream)

2 cups leftover vegetables (other than beets) - corn, green beans, broccoli, kale, etc

1/4-1/2 C fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

Sweet paprika for dusting top of casserole

Sauté onion or shallot in oil (or butter) until golden, add garlic and sauté till soft. Deglaze pan with wine, then add tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes or until reduced by about a half. Finish by stirring in 2T of crème fraîche, veggies, herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste; then pour into baking dish.

Mash or rice potatoes until smooth; taste to correct for salt/pepper. Beat eggs till frothy, stir in remaining crème fraîche, Parmesan cheese; then blend mixture into potatoes, whipping a bit, till light.

Spoon over veggie mixture, sprinkle top with paprika, and bake for 15-20 minutes, then finish under broiler for a lightly browned top, if desired.

Voilà, c'est fini! Bon Appetit et Bon Tricot!

--Kristeen

Fulling and Furoshiki : Today's J’Adore from French Girl Style

frenchgirlknits — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:51:00 GMT

Bonjour Lovelies! Today J’Adore

Furoshiki (Wonderful Japanese Eco-Friendly Wrapping)

Having stumbled across this (I love how the French say par hazard to denote discovering something by chance), as I was preparing my Etsy storefront, it was just too good not to share, and I immediately began thinking of some applications to knitting…bien sûr!

If you’ve ever found yourself somewhere with too much knitting (or yarn) and no way to transport your goodies, and you have a large square scarf or piece of fabric at the ready (we always carry that around, right?), you can fashion your own carrying sack, as the Japanese have been doing for centuries. How artfully practical is this? Take a look at this short video for the basics (my favorite being the wonderful bag and the 2-bottle wine wrap—perfect for toting my favorite French vins). Fascinating, non? Delve further into Furoshiki if you desire with this video link on Furoshiki Gift Wrapping. Or watch it here:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Fulling (By Hand)

Never one to leave a good idea rest for very long, I mused, What about creating your own piece of fabric via knitting, then fulling it lightly by hand to increase sturdiness yet still retain stretch? Voilà—your own handcrafted furoshiki! I suppose you could really go over the top and work colorful slip-stitch patterns (which would add to the bulk of the final product), or try out a band of cables—possibilities, yes? Endless! Consider it a knit facecloth on steroids or the largest swatch you’ll ever make. Are you a beginning knitter with tension and gauge issues? The forgiving nature of the process is just what you need. Hand fulling gives a wonderful lightweight texture to your knit fabric, if it is knit using a large gauge. Too tight and it’s a lumpy-disaster-in-the-making!

Here’s what I will use to create my project:

About 100 yds of non-superwash wool yarn (I’ll be using my French Girl Luxury Doucette – an alpaca/silk/wool blend).
Needles that give you a loose gauge – bump up the needles you would normally use to about 2 – 3 sizes larger (in my case I’ll be knitting with #7’s or #8’s).
Make a small swatch. Test full (see link below for directions). The trick is getting the gauge large enough so the scales on the wool fiber can get cozy with each other, and they need a little room to do that, yet not so large a gauge as to create too open a fabric—consider it a little adventure!

Aiming for a final product of about 30-32 inches square, do the following:

Cast on enough stitches (based on your gauge swatch) to result in about 40 inches in width – then knit in stockinette to about 50-60 inches in length (it will go quickly because of the larger gauge!). The shrinkage will be about 20% widthwise/30% lengthwise. The happy news is that it doesn’t really matter how large you make it—just remember to keep the proportions about 2:3 (width to length).

Time for the hot water bath! Gloves. Soap. Gentle Agitation. Done!

Here’s a much more detailed tutorial on hand fulling courtesy of Beth Brown-Reinsel, with an adorable (and sturdy) fulled children’s mitten pattern as well.

Other tips:

Heavy machine felting results in shrinkage of about half in the lengthwise direction and a third across the width; with hand felting it’s not quite that dramatic because you can control the direction of the felting much more easily (see further directions in the link to the tutorial below); but I would still suggest a swatch, of course, to discover how your particular yarn will behave.

Block out to a rough square (don’t stretch too much), let dry, Furoshiki style tie up and you are on your way. A crocheted or knitted-on edging added before fulling would be some nice frosting, but remember to keep a loose gauge. Happy fulling!

I’d be very curious to see your finished projects and hear if this worked for you… hopefully mine will be done soon!

In closing, I wish you all a good end to winter with clear roadways ahead. If some of you are setting up an online shop on Etsy or are thinking about starting a blog, it really is never too late to share your creative vision with the world. I’d recommend this short, thoughtful post by my new amie, Tara Gentile (aka: scoutiegirl). In a world where we are drowning in other people’s opinions and tweets and flickrs, as wonderful as all that is, it’s a breath of spring air to think about finding your own authentic voice.

Photo at left courtesy of Tara Gentile.

Mes Amis, create something beautiful today! Bon Tricot!

Kristeen Griffin-Grimes

www.frenchgirlknits.com

P.S. More on my Etsy little adventure in the future.

Bienvenue! Welcome to the French Girl Style Blog

frenchgirlknits — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:00:00 GMT

Bienvenue Knitting Daily readers! I'm Kristeen Griffin-Grimes, proprieter of French Girl Knits, and I hope you will join me as I add my thoughts to the blogosphere, as well as document the creation of my next book, French Girl Knits: Accessories (Interweave, 2011), with this online journal. There's no roadmap for this little exploration save the weaving of my dual passions of knitting with all things French (fashion, gardens, perfume, cuisine...ah, the endless list). Emphasis will be on a visual exploration of inspiring images sourced from hither and yon, notes from my sketchbooks, and the creativity-inducing bits and pieces that pop up on my radar - a hodgepodge of sorts - of anything and everything that entertains the eye and mind.

Today J'Adore

Winter Pink

Though I dwell in a fairly monochrome world of neutral wardrobe and white rooms (quite refreshing, actually), the winter months cry out for a bit of brightness against the gloom. Pink (which has been exiled from my life except for cheek enhancement) suddenly seems so right!

But there is pink, and then there is pink. Consider the range that covers cherry to shell to Moroccan clay, and the choices became more appealing... the palest whisper of color looks perfect to me in our winter light. To whit, a small teaser of my hand-dyed Doucette yarn... embrace the pink!

Maid Marion!

Marion Cotillard... we know her from "La Vie en Rose", although a movie of hers I find so very charming is A Good Year... the perfect winter escape to the South of France... all golden light-bathed vineyards and beautiful people drinking the palest rosé wine....y ou can almost feel the warm, herb-scented breeze. Ah, I have been fortunate enough to taste wine just that color while sitting at just such a linen-draped table on our French Girl Tours - minus Russell Crowe of course! The critics generally panned it and called it "innocuous" - personally I could use a little innocuous right now.

Crumble Aux Pommes

Continuing with the rosy theme, I present a new love, Crumble Aux Pommes.

The cross-pollination between the British Isles and France is centuries old - from royal families to sun-seeking authors. Cuisine is another matter - a homey British staple appearing on a French menu? I did a double take at first glance. We originally ate this dessert on a chilly spring evening in the South of France; our hosts, having just survived punishing floods in the region around Nîmes, somehow managed to feed us in style. The crumble was made with gnarled heirloom apples whose flavor was so potent there was no need for spices or sweetening; topped with a coarsely cut, butter-drenched flour/nut crust, it was heaven!

Use the tastiest apples to be found (no Red Delicious allowed here) and you'll be surprised how rich a simple fruit dish can be - of course, notwithstanding the butter's contribution! In my version of the French recipe, I've chosen warm spices and citrus to bump up the flavor for winter and substituted nutritious oats and agave for the more common white flour and sugar. It's so fast to make. Pop this in the oven and curl up and knit! Do you have a favorite recipe for comfort food? Please share!

Recette du Jour (Today’s Recipe!)

Baking and knitting are the ultimate comfort combination – kitchen steamy with oven heat, sun pouring in (or for me, rain dripping down), old jazz tunes, a squishy chair and an inspiring new technique to set your needles to. Put this sweet apple treat together in a flash when you feel the urge for something that drives the winter blues away.

* * * * *
Crumble Aux Pommes (Apple Crumble à la French Girl)

Topping:
2 cups whole organic rolled oats
1/2 tsp. whole cardamom pods or 1/4 t ground cardamom powder
6 T organic unsalted butter – cut into chunks
1/4 tsp. sea salt (if using salted butter use 1/8 t salt)
2 T agave (or use honey as a substitute)

Filling:
2 lbs. (about 8 small) Organic Pink Lady or Gala Apples (or heirloom apple such as Macintosh or Winesap)
2 T agave (if apples are on the tart side, more may be added to taste).
Juice (and grated rind if you are feeling adventurous) of one organic Blood Orange or Valencia Orange (any sweet citrus will work here, eg Tangerines).
1/2 tsp. whole cardamom pods or 1/4 t ground cardamom powder
2 T organic unsalted butter
Pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

With chopping blade in place, put topping ingredients into a food processor: the oats, butter (cut into chunks), salt, agave, and cardamom powder or crushed and cleaned pods (remove the chaff from the pods by crushing in a mortar and pestle – I love my French olivewood one – then separate out the chaff and pulverize the seeds – it’s easier than you think and so flavorful!). Pulse food processor for about a minute or less, until a coarse texture is achieved; it should be crumbly (of course!) and rough looking.

Empty onto a plate for later, then slice the apples using the slicing blade on the food processor (no need to wash it out) or slice by hand into very thin, 1/8 – 1/4” pieces. Lightly butter a 2” deep 8” wide circular baking dish (a 6 x 10 inch rectangular baking dish will work as well).

Place apples in buttered baking dish. Drizzle with agave, sprinkle with cardamom and a pinch of salt; mix gently, then squeeze juice of citrus (and citrus rind, if desired) over all. Dot with 2 T butter. Lightly crumble and mound topping over apple mixture, being careful not to pack down.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 min or until top is deep golden brown and apples are bubbling. If topping is browning too quickly, cover with tent of aluminum foil for last 10 min. Let rest for about 10 minutes (if you can), then splash on a bit of crème fraîche or whipped crème and Bon Appétit!

* * * * *

Note: Since I wrote this, the tragedy in Haiti has been unfolding over the last few days. Many of the designers on Ravelry have joined together to offer all or part of the profits of our pattern sales to Haiti relief efforts. I will be donating the profits of my Violette hat to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) from sales through Valentine's Day. Please purchase some lovely patterns and do good works as well!

Mes Amis, Create something beautiful today... à Bientôt & Bon Tricot!

Kristeen Griffin-Grimes,
www.frenchgirlknits.com