Bootie and Bossy Eat, Drink, Knit

How do you eat Cheetos safely while knitting so everything is not covered with a fine neon orange dust? Chopsticks! How do you keep your balls of yarn from doing the Tango in your knitting bag while you are not looking? Yarn bras! How do you get yourself to do the things that you really don't want to do, like bookkeeping and managing your social media? Wear a tiara! How do fix your yarn after frogging a project so you can actually use it again? These are just some of the fun and helpful tips that Michele Lee Bernstein of PDXKnitterati shares with us here. Michele is a wonderful designer, teacher, blogger and author of Brioche Knit Love: 21 Skill Building Projects from Simple to Sublime, but her knitting journey began when she was 14 years old and too boy-crazy for her mother. So off she went to visit her Aunt Rose for a summer in Huntington Beach, California. We don't know what happened in the boy-crazy department, but her Aunt Rose taught her to knit, and she has never looked back. Her ambitious first project, a baby-blue pullover sweater with cables in front, also taught her that she has "a two-skein attention span" and her favorite three words are "Gauge not critical."She loves designing and teaching brioche knitting, but her knitting is always evolving--there's just so much to learn about knitting and food! Definitely try her recipe for Chocolate Chip Shortbread! She has recently added assigned pooling to her brioche repertoire, as shown in this design, "Scattered Petals." Unlike planned pooling, which requires a rock-steady gauge and careful calculations--not the best combination for a gauge-not-critical knitter!--assigned pooling is more random and free-form, with a pop of color conveyed through a special stitch every time a color occurs. She writes her patterns with the idea that they offer suggestions:"Assigned pooling is really fun, but just remember that you are the boss of the knitting, it's not the boss of you. . . Everything it tells you is a suggestion, but you are in charge!"--Michele Lee BernsteinThis is the magical flow of knitting: the way we discover that we always have something more to learn from a whole new technique liked assigned pooling to a quick tip about making yarn bras from a mesh bath poof. Michele Lee Bernstein taught us a lot in this episode, and we are honored to share it with you!

Here's something we love: Hunter Hammersen's "quiet, everyday magic that's easy to overlook. But it's magic nonetheless." She is talking about her "Noteworthy" pattern for a little pouch that looks like a piece of paper because "paper is magic, and the right piece of paper can change the world." When Bootie knit this little gem, it brought her "a bit of happy distraction," and while that did not change the world, it did just what Hammersen promised: it made the world "a tiny bit more comfortable, for just one person, for just a moment. And that's a kind of magic too." This is the power of knitting to take us out of the present and into a timeless moment of making. Hammersen is right--look at the world through the frame of quiet, everyday magic, and you'll find all kinds of magic. And here's a bit of culinary magic: Strawberry Shortcake with a Lemon Curd Cream--an upgrade on the old family favorite that you just have to try.We also found some magic in Anne Macdonald's account of women knitting in the 19th Century in No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting. While we tend not to think of the Victorian era as particularly "sporty," this was when women started riding bicycles, playing tennis, golf and croquet; they were literally moving more and their clothing had to change to keep up. So they ditched their shawls, corsets and hoopskirts for sweaters and bloomers. Some regarded these new fashions as "ugly and eccentric," but thankfully, they persevered. The specter of a woman knitting was an assurance of womanliness that Mrs. Clorinda Nichols appropriated as she "tended strictly to her knitting" while she "duped male legislators into underestimating her crusade for more liberal property rights for women" at Kansas's first state constitutional convention (p. 143). Brilliant. But in the midst of all this moving and change, many women still found in knitting the space for creative transformation, as author Jane Croly expressed it:"The little work-tables of women's fingers, are the playgrounds of women's fancies, and their knitting needles are the fairy-wands by which they transform a whole room into a spirit isle of dreams."Jane Croly on her "view of knitting serenity," quoted in Anne L. Macdonald, No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting, p. 142.So we hope we offer a little bit of quiet, everyday magic in this episode--it's not changing the world, we know, but if it makes you smile just once, or provides a bit of happy distraction, well, that's the kind of magic we aim to make.

Inquiring minds want to know: where is Napolean's penis these days? We will give you a hint: it's not with the rest of his body, but it's a cautionary tale for today's despots that we think should be more widely known. To be clear, the whereabouts of Napolean's penis is not discussed in Anne Macdonald's No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting, but many other fascinating historical tidbits are. We are now up to the Civil War, and guess what both sides, Union and Confederate, need the most? Yup, you guessed it: SOCKS. "'Send socks!' pleaded Civil War soldiers, and when their heartrending stories of bleeding, frostbitten and blistered feet reached 'the womenfolk,' there followed an unprecedented fever of sock-knitting 'for the boys'" (p. 97). The dearth of socks even inspired Albert M. Hubbard to compose "The Knitting Song: Dedicated to the Patriotic Ladies of the North," "a zesty tribute that quickly became a great favorite with choral groups at fairs and parlor sing-alongs and accounted for even further acceleration of knitting" (p. 102). While the North had more resources and infrastructure thanks to the unfortunately named "United States Sanitary Commission," the women of South showed their devotion and ingenuity in other ways. Scarlet O'Hara's famous upcycling of the drawing room curtains into a dress had its roots in real events, and later made for great comedy on the Carol Burnett Show. And how can we not admire Lucy Nickolson Lindsay of Missouri for delivering vials of quinine and morphine hidden in the coiled locks of her hair and 22 pairs of socks tucked in the hems of her skirts to the frontline? Women on both sides sent notes to the troops in the socks and garments they made to inspire hope for better days:Brave Sentry, on your lonely beatMay these blue stockings warm your feetAnd when from wars and camps you partMay some fair knitter warm your heart."Quoted in Anne L. Macdonald, No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting, p. 105.These are the tales from American history that warm our hearts! And if you want something tasty to warm your palate, may we suggest our recipe for roasted balsamic onions? A treat in salads or sandwiches--tune in and try it!

Piety! Purity! Submissiveness! Domesticity! These are the four pillars of the "Cult of True Womanhood" in 19th-Century America according to Anne Macdonald in No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting, and we say, "No thanks!" We also say "no thanks" to knitting in covered wagons, the long skirts that created clouds of dust, and the bloomers that replaced them. And then there's Brigham Young who bemoaned the sock problem that seems to have always plagued our country--never enough socks, and those they had were ill-fitting. Whose fault was it? The ladies are to blame, according to Young: "it is a fact that the art of knitting stockings is not near so generally understood among the ladies as it should be. I could tell you how it should be done had I time and knew how myself" (p. 92). Knit your own damn socks, Brigham! Oh wait--he can't because he doesn't know how. But we say "yes" to the Fragment Society, the longest continuously running women's sewing circle in the US (still going since 1812 and still supplying needy mothers and children with clothing and handknits). We say "yes" to the ingenuity of the pioneer woman who hooked up a butter churn to her wagon so her family had sweet butter every evening. We say "yes" to the incredible spirit and resilience of women like Aunt Becky Morris who crossed the Overland Trail in 1848 and remembered her experience at a 1918 reunion in the following terms:“We didn't come in automobiles ... We came by ox teams ... It was a hard, hard trip, hard work, slow progress, and not always dainties to eat. But we got here! We never gave up, never looked back, just kept on the move. And I guess that trip and the tough times we had after getting here were good for us ... Look at me! I will race anybody in the crowd who is under fifty if the race is at least four miles ... If you find anybody who wishes to take on such a race, just tell them to ask for Aunt Becky Morris."Quoted in Anne L. Macdonald, No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting, p. 69.That's the kind of American pioneer spirit we celebrate here, and we hope it will carry us through these turbulent times, but it definitely helps to have a little dainty to eat, like Ina Garten's Spring Green Risotto--try it, it's springtime in a bowl and with that in your belly, you might just have a chance in racing Aunt Becky Morris!

If George Washington knew about Debie Frable's Killer Sangria, he probably would have wanted A LOT of it to help him get through the Revolutionary War because boy, is this good stuff! Make it TODAY. But at the time, Washington really just wanted socks--he never had enough socks, as we learned from reading Anne L. Macdonald's No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting. As much as knitting and needlework have been dismissed as the stuff of “Pots and Pans,” as the “prankish students” at Yale referred to their social history class in the 1930s, Macdonald reminds us that local women bearing clothing and food to the naked, starving soldiers at Valley Forge literally saved the day:“[T]here was no mistaking the joy of soldiers on the verge of open revolt when sentinels pacing the camp's outer limits spotted an advancing cavalcade of ‘[t]en women in carts, each cart drawn by ten pairs of oxen, and bearing tons of meal and other supplies, [who] passed through the lines amid cheers that rent the air.' Those devoted women . . . ‘preserved the army, and Independence from that day was assured.'”Anne L. Macdonald, No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting, pp. 36-7.The value of everyday things--adequate food and clothing--should never be underestimated. Macdonald reminds us that the war for American independence was fought on two fronts, the political and the economic. The burden of weaponizing the economy through the boycott of British goods fell mainly to women who were charged with making their own or doing without. As one Mrs. Troupe recounted Martha Washington explaining, “Whilst our husbands and brothers are examples of patriotism, we must be patterns of industry” (p. 39). Townships—which really meant local women—were charged with clothing their troops or risk being fined. Even children were expected to knit or spin a certain amount every day before going out to play. Can you imagine?! “Finish that row, buddy, because George Washington needs those socks!”As bad as we think it is now, we would not go back to those times, but reading about them reminds us of the sacrifices everyone—men, women and children—made in the fight for our nation's political and economic independence. We owe it to them to preserve that. Enough said.

Behind the scenes at Serial Knitters with Debie Frable in Bootie and Bossy's Episode 42!Ever wonder what goes into hand-dyed yarn? The short answer is A LOT, as we learned from Debie Frable, owner of Serial Knitters Dye House. First there's the prepping of the yarn—teasing out each tie on the skein so that the dye can fully penetrate the fiber (unless you want something that looks like tie-dye). There are 3 ties on a skein, so let's do the math: if she makes 300 skeins of her top-selling yarn, Cherry Creek sock, she is teasing out 900 ties for just that colorway in one base, not to mention the new ties she is attaching so she can manipulate it and hang it up. Then she has to wash it because dirt and fat on the yarn will resist the dye. Then there's the soaking in an acid bath (not the kind of acid used for dissolving dead bodies, in case you were wondering). Tired yet? You have not even started the dyeing, you slacker! Maybe that's multiple dips in a single color to get just the right depth of red for her “Drac Snack” (are you picking up a bit of a Goth theme yet?). Or Debie's favorite speckled yarns where she sprinkles on powdered dyes. She then “cooks” the yarn in a warming oven to set the color. Now more washing, and finally hanging the skeins up to dry. As Debie says,"Nothing about my dye process is glamorous. I consider myself a glorified washer woman, except for the fact that I am dealing with color, and I am in love with color--it inspires me and keeps me going. But it's a heavy job in that you are dealing with wet skeins of yarn, big pots of water, heavy pans of wet yarn. Then you're hunched over a sink washing out yarn. Sometimes knitters think it's so expensive, but you need to understand how much work goes into it."Debie Frable, Serial KnittersThere's a lot of work, but there's also artistry in her colorways, and some quirky creativity, like her colorway named for her favorite cat, Ted, and the adventures they have together in her dreams (look for “Snorkel Ted”). And there are the sweaters she makes for skeletons too--they are clearly having a blast!We learned so much from Debie, not just about dyeing and selling, but also some tips about knitting with hand-dyed yarn. And did we mention her “Killer Sangria” recipe? Because you are going to need a drink after all that work!

What's worth talking about? Pixar's short "Purl" in Bootie and Bossy's Episode 41!What happens when a pink ball of yarn named Purl starts working at B.R.O. Industries? Find out in Kristen Lester's Pixar animated short “Purl.” There's a lot going on in these 8 minutes that's worth talking about. It's “unbeweavable,” as Purl herself would say, but there's a deeper message underneath all of the knitting puns. Purl is the literal and classic “round” character capable of surprise and transformation as she reknits herself in the bathroom to look more like her male co-workers. Her knitting skills are rewarded too: when she looks and talks more like her “flat,” stereotypical male co-workers, she's accepted and listened to. But what's the cost? The arrival of another ball of yellow yarn—"Lacy"—forces her to make a choice: go back to her old, true, round, pink self, or stay flat in her knitted power suit and be accepted by the bros? There's a beautiful arc and message here as Purl returns to her former self. Here's what Kristen Lester, the director, had to say:"I wanted to tell and speak to an experience that I felt like we had not been talking about a lot . . . Believe in your voice, believe in what you have to say, believe in the things that you like. You can get challenged a lot, especially when you are a young woman going into the industry. It's really important to stay true to who you are and believe in yourself."--Kristen Lester, Director of “Purl”But Purl's round, colorful presence also transforms B.R.O. Industries, ostensibly making it a more welcoming place for all. That's the beauty of inclusion—it makes it better for everyone, right? But what about how the men are flattened and stereotyped? And the guys at B.R.O. Industries—what if they don't want to change? What if the culture of scarcity makes them feel like they are losing instead of gaining something? Art prompts these important conversations, and these things are worth talking about, especially today. And speaking of great conversation, did we mention that we will be hosting a Zoom Knit Night with Kim Davis on Friday, April 4, 7:00 PM EST/4:00 PM PST? Put it on your calendars now and plan to join us! We'll be sending out a link to register soon, so stay tuned!And if you need a little snack to go with your wine, may we recommend Dorie Greenspan's recipe for “Savory Cheese and Chive Bread” from her cookbook, Around My French Table? It's easy and versatile—throw in whatever you have on hand—those random hunks of leftover cheese, bacon, walnuts or olives. Even the ungrateful children love it! So whip up some cheesy, savory bread, watch “Purl,” and join us on April 4 for some laughs, some good crafting talk and great conversation!

Snow! Rain! Ice! Wind! When the blows of winter buffet us, we need to find joy in small things like bowls of warm, tasty Jamaican Chicken Curry, compliments of Kim Davis of Slaycation fame. Kim might not love cooking, but sometimes the non-cooks have the one tried-and-true recipe that hits all the notes. This recipe will definitely make it into your regular rotation because it's delicious, easy and flexible—throw whatever you have on hand into one pot and make the ones you love happy today and tomorrow.And speaking of Kim Davis and finding joy in good company, we are excited to announce that we will be hosting a Zoom meet-up for our Bootie and Bossy listeners and Slaycation crafters on Friday, April 4 at 7:00 PM EST and 4:00 PM PST. Sign up for our newsletter through our website, bootieandbossy.com and we will send you a link to register. Grab a glass of wine or one of our cocktails and join us for some great conversation with Kim. And did we mention the PRIZES?! There will be some good ones! Mom might even come too (hi, Mom)!And for our knitting pop-culture moment in this episode, there's lots to love in the latest Wallace and Gromit feature film, Vengeance Most Fowl. While Gromit, Wallace's ever-faithful canine companion, finds joy in making things by hand from knitting socks to cultivating his English garden, Wallace is determined to make his life "better" through time-saving inventions like Norbot, the happy, nifty gnome who does everything fast. Besides the knitting references, we love the commentary on modern life that this “simple” stop-motion/Claymation film offers, like the settings Wallace devises to capture the spectrum of available human emotional and moral states: Good, Pleasant, Unassuming, Dull, Boorish, Mildly Annoying, Bit Selfish, Grumpy, Mean Spirited, Really Nasty, EvilIf only we could wear this on a t-shirt to alert everyone to our setting on a given day. Or maybe everyone else could wear it so we would know when to steer clear. Remember, it's not their fault that they woke up on the "Grumpy" setting--it's just the programming. A good project and a nice cup of “Snoozy Choc” might be the answer. Keep finding the joy in cooking and making, and join us on April 4 too--more joy to come!

What could murders, vacations and knitting possibly have to do with one another? Kim Davis, one of the hosts of the podcast Slaycation, connects the dots in this episode. The name “Slaycation” says it all: these are true-crime tales of murders that take place on vacation—more reason, as if we needed it, to stay home and, well, eat, drink and knit. It's just safer. But in addition to her popular podcast, Kim is a crafter extraordinaire, and we dive deep into her story here. She learned to crochet as a child growing up in Brooklyn—even then she was fascinated by how a piece of yarn could become a fabric with a little deft maneuvering of a hooked piece of wood. Taking classes at a local yarn store introduced her to knitting and brought her skills to a whole new level. Now she teaches those classes and runs workshops. But the real connection between her twin obsessions with knitting and true crime is in the details. Knitting taught her to see, to pay attention to all the little things because the truth—what really happened on that beach or on that hike in Colorado—always lies in the little stitches that make up the tale. And like true crime, knitting is a bit like a puzzle, particularly when it comes to fixing your mistakes. First you have to see the mistake, and often it's lying there in plain sight, just waiting for you like that little clue, that critical piece of evidence that unravels the whole mystery of who done it. That's why she calls one of her classes, “Forensic Knitting.” But beyond the surprising parallels between true crime and crafting, knitting brings her peace of mind, something we could all use right now:“Knitting is the perfect combination of meditating and peace. It sounds crazy, but when I don't have knitting, I can feel myself shorting out a little bit, being a little crankier and just missing it . . . it's just such a great way to disconnect from the chaos of the world . . . to just center yourself and take your mind out of the orbit of insanity but on to what it is that is right in front of you. And I think that's really important. When I say to people that you need a hobby, it's not an insult. It's the best thing you can do for yourself.”Kim DavisIf only more people understood that the cure to our collective crankiness is more time alone with nice yarn and pointed sticks. So tune in for a great conversation with Kim Davis and explore the surprising parallels between the world of true crime and knitting because everything really is connected!

Wondering what to do for Valentine's Day for all those special Valentines in your life? Bootie and Bossy to the rescue with a recipe for FIVE POUNDS of our Aunt Annie's homemade fudge, also known as “Overseas Fudge” because it will withstand a military transport plane. And that's our Aunt Annie, rocking the yellow pantsuit in the ‘70s—how could it not be good when it comes from her?! The well-spattered recipe from 1968 is fool-proof and delicious, and even if you eat one pound yourself, you'll still have four pounds left to send to everyone else.But there's more to the story here, as we discovered when we read Lee Edwards Benning's Oh Fudge! A Celebration of America's Favorite Candy with Nearly 300 Mouth-Watering, Fully Tested Recipes. While fudge began as an accidental discovery (as its name suggests), it was Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, a freshman at Vassar in 1888, who began the trend of fundraising through fudge-making at women's colleges. Soon the women at Smith and Wellesley had their own recipes that they whipped up over a gas lamp after lights out at 10:00 PM. They even wrote songs about it:We love the sight of the fudge-pan bright,We love the sight of the spoon,And better by far than the light of the starIs the gas, now outshining the moon.Then gather around with whispers profoundFor the bell has rung ten at night,With the transom shut, at our very last cutWe'll sing to the fudge-pan bright . . . --Lee Edwards Benning, Oh Fudge! A Celebration of America's Favorite Candy (New York: Henry Holt), p. 9.Who says that they did not know how to party back then? And fudge-making is still fun now, just like our Aunt Annie, who is also a master of many crafts, including pet portraits! So sing the song to the fudge-pan bright and whip up some chocolate magic—the Cocoa bean is, after all, from the genus Theobroma, Greek for “Food for the Gods.” Then send it off to all your Valentines—they will definitely feel the love!

What is it about Martha Stewart? If you want a good watch while you are playing with your Christmas yarn and pointed sticks, tune in to the Netflix biopic, Martha. Talk about a phoenix. Launching her own I.P.O. in 1999, she became the first self-made woman billionaire in American history. Five years later, she's wearing her “Coming Home Poncho” that a fellow inmate crocheted for her as she leaves a federal prison, a.k.a. “Camp Cupcake.” We have watched her rise and fall and rise again, and there's a lot to admire here. Perhaps Joan Didion said it best in her New Yorker piece: “This is not a story about a woman who made the best of traditional skills. This is a story about a woman who did her own I.P.O. This is the 'woman's pluck' story, the dust-bowl story, the burying-your-child-on-the-trail story, the I-will-never-go-hungry-again story . . . The dreams and the fears into which Martha Stewart taps are not of “feminine” domesticity but of female power, of the woman who sits down at the table with the men and, still in her apron, walks away with the chips." Joan Didion, The New Yorker, February 21 and 28, 2000.This is a Martha who is 83, and she's got an edge—she even drops an occasional f-bomb! But it's an edge that she has earned, and she's not going to sand it down or dip it in sugar. And in the midst of the triumphs and the tribulations, she's learned a few things worth listening to: “If you want to be happy for a year, get married. If you want to be happy for a decade, get a dog. If you want to be happy for life, plant a garden.” She learns something new every day, and she lives by the dictum that “when you are through changing, you are through.” This is a Martha who is perfectly human, flawed like the rest of us and weathered by experience, but still standing and inspecting her peonies. She makes us think that whatever happens, we'll survive--a message we could use right now. Speaking of transformation, of taking clown-colors and making them wearable, check out Bootie's shawl that she over-dyed with Kool-Aid. Her daughter actually wears it on a regular basis! A knitting triumph, but it didn't start out that way. Between this and Martha's story, you'll definitely find some inspiration in this episode, and a healthy snack with Martha's Lemony White Bean Hummus! Please check out the Show Notes at www.bootieandbossy.com

Want to start out the New Year with a great read? If you are an Ina Garten fan, as we are, her new memoir Be Ready When the Luck Happens and this episode are for you! And with the audio version, it's like Ina is keeping you company while you're knitting—as Ina would say, “How great is that?”We decided that Ina is a bit like a Phoenix rising from the ashes. How can that possibly be, you ask? To be clear, she does not compare herself to a Phoenix. But as she describes growing up in a strict, 1950s household obsessed with appearances where her mother (a dietician) saw food as sustenance and insisted her daughter focus only on her studies, Ina rises from the ashes to create a food empire grounded on the opposite of those values. Ina's food is about love, something she learned when she started making cookies for her then boyfriend, Jeffrey: “baking something delicious was a way to express my feelings and to connect with Jeffrey—I'd think of him while I cooked, and when he reached for one of my cookies or brownies, I knew he'd think of me” (35). Grandma always said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.What Ina wanted—and still wants—is to be “independent and self-determined,” and if that meant leaving her job in the White House to own a specialty food shoppe, then that's the point: she wanted the freedom to make that decision, even when everyone else, including her parents, thought it was wrong. And guess what? Ina was right. The irony is that she worked incredibly hard to make cooking easy for the rest of us.“You weren't lucky. You make your own luck.”Oprah Winfrey to Ina Garten (303)There's only one thing we must take issue with, and we are going to side with Oprah Winfrey here, who smacked Ina on the arm when she returned to her seat after accepting an award and expressing gratitude for all of her good luck. Ina made her own luck. Oprah wins that one.A Phoenix is also the theme for Bootie's latest knitting project for our sister Melissa, who decided she needed a pussy hat emblazoned with a Phoenix rising from the ashes of 2024. As all good things, it was a collaborative effort, with Liss designing the Phoenix, Bootie's son providing the graphing paper for a knitting-stitch scale, and Bootie knitting and embellishing with duplicate stitches. A lot of work, but it looks great!So make a big batch of Ina's delicious carrot ginger soup—very healthy, depending on how much cream you add—and snuggle in for a listen to Ina reading Be Ready When the Luck Happens and to our podcast!P.S. Did we mention that Ina is also a knitter?!Show notes at www.bootieandbossy.com

Let's set the scene. It's December, 1946, and it's beginning to look a lot like a disappointing Christmas at the Fort Hamilton, NY military base. No Christmas tree, no decorations for eight-year-old Mom waiting to disembark with her two sisters and mother for Heidelberg, Germany where they will join their father, then serving as an Army intelligence officer. The only gift? A pair of mittens for each girl handknit by their grandmother, wrapped and waiting on the bedstand Christmas morning. The disappointment of a handknit gift is what Mom decides to share on our knitting podcast. We can't make this up."I have wished many times over the years that I had asked our mother more questions when she was still with us. Eight-year-old me was disappointed in such a sparse Christmas, but I now realize how difficult that time was for our mother, and I am grateful for what she managed to do under the circumstances. I wish I could tell her that.”Janet Lewis Klein, "My Strangest Christmas"​Thankfully, it does not end there. Her older sister didn't remember the mittens, but she did remember the stocking filled with candy hanging at the end of the bed. Which version is more true? Perhaps the Christmas miracle here is that both are true, and it takes a family to reconstruct the whole story. But that little detail changed the story for Mom and what it meant to her. As she says, “Our memories are unreliable. Thank heavens we grow up.” This is why we need each other, and why we share these memories and mis-rememberings.We hope you find some time over the holiday season to share some memories with family too, and maybe make some new ones. And Mom, we are grateful for all you have given us over the years, but it was a C and H Pure Cane Sugar ad, not Hawaiian Punch.Check out the Show Notes at www.bootieandbossy.com

Shear delight is the only way to describe our conversation with the wonderfully talented Christina Kading, who began her career as a second-generation sheep-shearer at the age of 8 ("I was born on top of a sheep!"). What's so hard about sheep shearing, you ask? First there are the kicking animals who don't necessarily want a woolcut, even though they have it growing out of their ears and eyeballs. Then there's the sheer physicality it demands, second only to jackhammering. And finally there's all the sexism, the men like Gary in Pennsylvania who didn't think Christina--a woman!--could shear his alpacas. Step aside, Gary, and let Christina Kading show you just how capable she is. She can do so much more than shear Gary's alpacas, though that alone would be enough--she's an accomplished artist, working in wood and wool, and a mixologist to boot. Try out Christina's recipes for a Jade Gimlet and an Espresso Martini--they are divine concoctions to warm up and refresh on a cold winter night (or day)."Just because we are women, and we are gay, doesn't mean we are not capable of shearing an alpaca."Christina KadingWe met Christina at Rhinebeck where she was selling her rugs, hand-made from the unwanted wool from her shearing. Her designs are wonderfully geometric and coincide with the wood tabletops she makes using pyrography, a technique of inscribing designs with fire. Her fascination with lines and shapes began in her high school math classes (as a way to avoid learning math), but that has blossomed into beautiful art informed by sacred geometry, the sense that we are all connected through universally shared lines, shapes and patterns.We hope you enjoy our conversation with Christina as much as we did--we learned a lot, and it is true that "sheep-shearers are just irresistible. . . we just hypnotize people with our loving, gentle, sheep-shearing skills. I don't know what it is, but it gets them every time." So grab a Jade Gimlet or Espresso Martini and take a break from the holiday chaos to tune in for a great conversation with a fascinating artist and sheep-shearer!Check out the Show Notes at www.bootieandbossy.com

We're back--we hope you missed us! And we brought scissors, and we are not afraid to use them in spatchcocking a turkey for Thanksgiving. "Spatchcocking?" You may well ask. It's not just a word for removing the spine of the turkey to make for a wonderfully evenly roasted bird in half the time--say goodbye to over-cooked, dry breasts and under-cooked thighs (the turkey's, that is). But it's more than that as chef, teacher and cookbook author Kim O'Donnel explains in "Spatchocking: A Culinary Term for Our Times." Written in 2022 after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, but perhaps even more resonant today, O'Donnel reflects on her own freedom to make choices that have shaped who she is."The right to decide allowed me to become the woman I am . . . The choices that were mine to make allowed me to forge my own path. They've given me the wisdom to know this: Without safe, legal abortion, this country is spatchcocked."Kim O'Donnel, "Spatchcock: A Culinary Term for Our Times," Lulu Pork Chop, July 3, 2022But what about Rhinebeck?! While other podcasters might broadcast live from the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, we prefer to wallow in the womb of time and reflect on our experience for a month. What did we conclude? It wasn't just fun, it was joyously inspiring. We met so many designers and knitters we admire--Aimée Gille, Vincent Williams, Patty Lyons, Sarah Schira, Jamie Lomax, Bristol Ivy, Gigi Queen of Orange, the Grocery Girls and Rosann Fleischauer. What about Andrea Mowry? Don't worry, her pattern "Framed" clearly caught the collective fancy this year and was everywhere in all colors and sizes. It was magical to see so many people wearing hand-knit their framed garb on the hill for the meet-up.​

Whether you have an abundance of tomatoes in your garden like Bossy, or bought them on sale at the market like Bootie, you will love this super simple and amazingly delicious recipe. It's great for those back to school nights when you need something fast. And if you prep everything in the morning (your future you will thank you for that), your kitchen will smell wonderful all day. The recipe for linguine with tomatoes and basil comes from the Silver Palate cookbook and we've made a few updates, as always.​Our knitting in pop culture moment is brought to you by Gilmore Girls Season 7 Episode 9, "Knit, People, Knit." We loved how they really got the philosophy of knitting, (if not the mechanics) and the knitting puns had us in stitches ;-)​Bootie and Bossy both have finished objects! Just in time for Rhinebeck!Please check out our show notes at www.bootieandbossy.com

Our recipe for this episode is perfect for busy back to school nights: Pineapple Marinated chicken breasts! It's super easy, tasty and you'll probably have everything you need in your larder except the chicken and the fresh pineapple. The leftovers are fantastic too! Bossy first discovered the recipe in the September 26, 2021 edition of the New York Times.​Our Knitting in Pop Culture moment is brought to you by Wallace and Gromit's "A Close Shave" where we are introduced to Wendolene Ramsbottom who owns a wool shop and plays Wallace's love interest. We're also introduced to the charming Shaun the Sheep (even his name is a pun!). From start to finish, it's a treasure trove of knitting puns and simply a delight. We also love Chicken Run where the sheep are knitters. I mean, right?​Happy 90th birthday to our dear Aunt Ruthie who is rocking the poncho that Bootie made for her!Show notes can be found at www.bootieandbossy.com

Our recipe for this episode is a summer classic: Gazpacho! Bossy has been making this recipe for many years, as evidenced by all the splatters in her cookbook. It meets all of our criteria: makes a lot, uses one pot, and you have most of the ingredients in your larder. And it's versatile! It's perfect for a hot summer day. We recount our visit to a wonderful yarn shop during Bossy's recent visit to the PNW, introduce our newest feature: knitting in pop culture, and give updates on our projects. Please check out the Show Notes at www.bootieandbossy.com

Here comes Janet with her damn four bean salad! This is the first recipe our mom (Hi Mom!) included in the recipe book she gave to us. It's perfect for the summer when you don't feel like cooking or if your kitchen is under renovation like Bootie's. We made it a little more gourmet by using fresh green beans and fresh herbs. So let's celebrate the "thousand extra hands" that we get when we open a can of beans! We discuss the history of industrialized food and recommend the January 3, 1955 issue of Life Magazine, along with a documentary about food and one called "Brandy Hellville and the cult of fast fashion." As always, we give updates on our current crafting projects.

We have made it to episode 30 and you guessed it, time for another cocktail! This one is from Laylita.com. The melon sangria is a combination of delicious summer melons (your future self will thank you for balling up the melons and making melon ice cubes to have on hand), grappa, honey, and moscato. It's the perfect summer refresher. And there's a nonalcoholic version too. Bootie recounts the joys of her Alaskan cruise and Bossy has a finished object to share.

Mom's banana bread has been a staple in Bootie's household for forever. And now it's even better with the addition of a little buttermilk, nuts, chocolate chips, and coconut. If you want to take it over the top (pun intended), you can add a crumble or cream cheese frosting. It's so good! Bootie and Bossy give updates on their current projects.

Our beautiful sister, Melissa generously agreed to come back on because we need more vegetables in our repertoire! Melissa discovered this recipe for roasted tomatoes on NPR and if anyone know who deserves the credit, let us know. The recipe is as simple as it gets--throw a couple of cans of diced tomatoes in a pyrex, along with a bunch of cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper, then run around panic cleaning for before your guests arrive. Melissa also shared her recipe for baked polenta--a total game changer. Melissa also describes some of her current projects.Bootie and Bossy discuss their mostly failed efforts at spring cleaning (anybody else storing a large box of dirt in their basement?). As promised, you will feel better about your own efforts.

Even though we are not in her demographic, Bossy and Bootie very much enjoy the food porn on Tieghan Gerard's website, Half-Baked Harvest. We tried the chicken tortilla soup and it is a winner, winner, chicken dinner. It's perfect for those nights when you need a little comfort food because you pulled eight ticks off your dog, got poison Ivan (as Bossy's son calls it), and there's a snow storm, all in the same week! Bootie and Bossy are embarking on their first official KAL (knitalong) and would love for you to join us!. The pattern is Glymur by Jennifer Weissman and we're both using Treasure Goddess Yarn's Yak Silk DK Treasures.

The recipe for this episode is Bossy's homemade granola. It's the perfect blend of healthy grains and delicious fruits. Bootie and the rest of the family look forward to receiving the granola every year in her Xmas and birthday packages and now that she knows how easy it is to make, Bootie looks forward to making it herself. Wait a second, this is exactly what happened when Bootie encouraged Bossy to knit! Bootie has been had! Oh well, she can now console herself with a bowl of granola and it makes so much that she might even share with her friends. Bootie and Bossy discuss the highs and lows of swatching. We highly recommend Patty Lyons' book, Knitting Tips and Tricks, as well as a touching and funny video about what happens when you don't swatch. Show Notes are at www.bootieandbossy.com

Whelp, Mom is in the hospital again, so it's time for another cocktail! Update: she's out of the hospital and in a rehab where she is making excellent progress! So cheers to that! Bootie first learned about the Bobby Burns cocktail from Darcy Cameron, the owner of Shibui yarn on her blog, Shibui Life. Bootie and Bossy did not have the required Scotch (or Benedictine, or Absinthe, well, ok, Bootie had the absinthe but is keeping the bottle purely for aesthetic reasons), so they used what they had on hand, and it was delicious. ​As for Robert Burns, a.k.a. Bobby or Rabbie, he is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and an early promoter of the Romantic movement. When he wasn't farming and writing poetry, he was quite busy fathering children (12!). His birthday is celebrated on January 25th, and many toast him with this cocktail. In addition to writing the New Year's classic, "Auld Lang Syne", he wrote this gem, "The Answer" (can't you just here the Scottish brogue?):​Ev'n thena wish (I mind its power) A wish, that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld Scotland's sake Some useful plan, or book could make, Or sing a sang at least.​Bootie and Bossy review the book A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage. We loved how he highlighted the fascinating details about beer, wine, distilled drinks, tea, coffee and Coca-Cola while putting them in the context of larger and broader historical trends. ​We also give some knitting updates.

Melissa reads the chapter "Imperfect Hearts and Roses for Valentine's Day" from her memoire, Match-Liss Tales of Online Dating by Melissa Klein

For this episode, we interviewed Melissa Klein, who has recently written a memoire about online dating. Melissa is a commercial artist, muralist, illustrator, logo designer, author, and standup comedian who works in a wide range of styles and mediums to reflect her client's vision. And she's our sister!! Our recipe for this episode is a family favorite: French Silk Chocolate Pie, perfect for Valentine's Day. Show notes can be found at www.bootieandbossy.com

​It's snowing in colonial Massachusetts and threatening to snow (mostly large drifts of paranoia) out in the Pacific Northwest so we offer Ina's Winter Minestrone to warm the cockles of your soul, and your belly. It meets all of our criteria: one pot, it makes a lot, and uses mostly ingredients from your larder. Bootie and Bossy do a deep dive into the brilliant short animation Visible Mending by Samantha Moore. Show Notes at www.bootieandbossy.com

Bossy reads a letter she wrote to Bootie the year she gave Bootie her family creche. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!"I just learned from Mom that Aunt Betty made our family creche when she was hospitalized and struggling with a deep depression. I know that was a very dark period in her life. I'd like to think making our creche might have had something to do with her recovery. But I am glad to know this now because it reminds us that out of darkness can come an unexpected light, and after despair can come great joy. That is perhaps the most miraculous part of this story--the essence of grace and all that this season is meant to inspire. Aunt Betty probably had no idea how much that gift meant to us and how many memories it would provide, and it means even more now"Show notes at www.bootieandbossy.com

In this episode, Bossy shares her recipe for a delicious cranberry cocktail, using your leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving (or if you already ate it, Bootie recommends a recipe). Bootie is immortalizing her aunts and mom in gnome form while Bossy is upcycling one of her father in law's sweater. And as always, we share our family stories and for a special bonus you get to hear Bossy speak middle English in an Elmer Fudd accent! Show notes at www.bootieandbossy.com

We had many (ok, one) requests for our corn bread recipe that goes with the Portuguese Bean Soup from Episode 19. So, our recipes for this episode are corn bread! In terms of knitting, the merits of shawls versus ponchos are discussed. No rats were harmed in the making of this podcast. Ok, maybe one rat but that rat didn't seem to phased and we're guessing its progeny are alive and well.

That's right, in the name of scrupulous research and purely out of devotion for developing the content of our podcast, Bootie and Bossy made the sacrifice and went to the famous Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival in New York. So we have seen and experienced Rhinebeck's wonders, and we are Rhinebeck virgins no more! We met the knitting celebrities--Andrea Mowry, Adella and Jimmy Colvin, Aimee Gille, and many others--oh my! But what was most inspiring was seeing so many people gathered in one place all wearing their handmade garb and eating cider donuts. We have found our people. It was like walking into a yarn store where all of the mannikins had come to life and wanted to tell you about what they were wearing--like the person we saw wearing a tutu they fashioned out of a fleece crowned by a bodice they knit themselves. As they said, "I wanted to wear something special for Rhinebeck." We say, objective achieved! "Take the risk."--Adella Colvin of LolaBean Yarn, Co. We would add, "Knit who you are." And with the sweater weather coming on, we share a favorite family recipe for a fabulous fall soup--Portuguese Bean Soup, which meets all of our criteria--one pot, a big crowd pleaser, and it gets better everyday (an especially good thing because it makes A LOT). And where did we get this recipe? Ironically from a place where you will probably never have the occasion to wear a sweater--the island of Kauai in Hawaii, the wettest place on earth. We learn after some hasty research on the Google that Waimea Canyon gets 440 plus inches of rain a year, whereas Sturbridge, Mass gets 42 inches and Seattle a mere 38 inches a year. There, we did it: the only time in history where Sturbridge and Kauai will ever be compared for anything. But who would have thought that Sturbridge is wetter than Seattle? These are the kinds of profound revelations and small surprises we offer in this episode. It's those small miracles that light each day with the sparkle of wonder--we are so glad we took the risk in making our podcast, and we hope you will continue to take a risk in listening! Thank you!! For show notes including pictures of our adventures, go to Bootieandbossy.com

Bootie and Bossy each thought they had the best ginger snap recipe. It turns out that their recipes are virtually identical! Bootie's came from her wonderful friend, Mary Ellen Haley, who is well known for her delicious baking. Bossy's came from Marion Cunningham's cookbook, The Breakfast Book. Bossy has been luring her coworkers into attending meetings with these cookies, along with the accompanied lemon curd, for many years. One of her coworkers said he goes to bed dreaming of them. Bootie recounts her knitting get together with Marie Greene, the author of the most wonderful book, The Joy of Yarn. Got yarn? Marie to the rescue with wonderful tips about how to rediscover the joy in the stash you already own, plus gorgeous patterns to use it up! Show Notes , including the recipe, can be found at bootieandbossy.com

We present Fanny's (aka Bootie's mother in law) recipe for ratatouille. This delicious vegetable dish always reminds Bootie of relaxing summer visits to Fanny's house in the country. See the recipe page for more details. Bootie and Bossy discuss the bittersweet transition of our children's moves to college (Will they have enough deodorant for the after life? Will they use the right pan? Will they ever find the Better than Bouillon?). As usual, knitting gets us through the emotional roller coaster. We give updates on our latest projects (ah, the joy of Fall knitting!) and adventures. For show notes, please go to bootieandbossy.com

We remember two great spirits we lost in the past few weeks--Connie Morrison, Bossy's beloved mother-in-law, and our Uncle Harold, who managed to keep up with his wife, the indomitable Aunt Betty. Connie was a wonderful knitter and never failed to keep all six of her children and husband warm in hand-knitted sweaters every year, not to mention baby blankets for her 14 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. She left many to remember her, and she embodied all of the best qualities of a fine knitter--warmth, kindness, generosity, productivity and a wit as sharp as her needles!​Uncle Harold never missed an opportunity to embrace the moment, whether that was sporting buffalo horns or helping Bossy's son climb up the rocks in the Black Hills of South Dakota. He has joined Aunt Betty in the great beyond where their spirits soar on the wings of eagles. ​Our recipe for this episode is family favorite from Connie's Cookbook: Zucchini Casserole. Shownotes, including the recipe can be found at BootieandBossy.com

In this episode, Bootie and Bossy remember their beloved Aunt Betty who passed away on June 15th. As Bossy said, the world has lost a beautiful soul. Bootie and Bossy share their love for another Ina Garten favorite: Panzanella. Updates on Bootie and Bossy's knits are also shared. For more information, check out the show notes at bootieandbossy.com

Bossy and Bootie share the recipe for Fourth of July cheesecake. It's the best part of Fourth of July! Bootie and Bossy review Peggy Orenstein's book, Unraveling: What I learned about life while shearing sheep, dyeing wool, and making the world's ugliest sweater. Show notes and the recipe can be found at bootieandbossy.com

Bossy shares her delicious cocktail, which we are now calling Bossy's Colonial Ginger Mint Hooch. This one is excellent as a host/ess gift, a mocktail, or to accompany you on a Champeaux Road lazy river experience. Bootie shares her tips about swatching and Bossy has an update on Mom's consolation hedgehog. For more information check out the show notes at Bootieandbossy.com

Is 13 a lucky or unlucky number? Bootie and Bossy discuss various lore about the number 13 and discover that the overriding message is "be inclusive!" You can definitely do that with Ina Garten's pork posole recipe, which is sure to feed a hungry and diverse crowd. As always, family stories are shared (Hi Mom!) and updates on our knitting projects. Show notes can be found at Bootieandbossy.com

In this episode, Bootie and Bossy have three book recommendations. First, we discuss the cookbook Community by Hetty McKinnon. She approaches salads like a good novel: with tantalizing characters and delicious plot twists. She has excellent advise for what to put in your larder so that you're ready when 5PM rolls around to put together something nutritious and satisfying. In fact, it's so satisfying that you might not even mind that it's vegetarian! Next, we discuss Knitted Animal Friends by Louise Crowther. Bossy gave this book to Bootie for her birthday and we got to see one of the animals in person at All Wound Up yarn store in Edmonds (see the video below for a tour of the store). Finally, we discuss the book Knitting the National Parks by Nancy Bates. All Wound Up features kits for these wonderful park inspired hats. Check out the Show Notes at Bootieandbossy.com

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Bootie and Bossy were very excited about all the excellent adventures they had planned for Bossy's visit to Washington. Three days in, our Mom fell and fractured her pelvis. Spending time at the hospital was definitely not what any of us had in mind, most especially Mom, but we did manage to salvage what we could and were glad just to be spending time together. We love you Mom and we wish you a very speedy recovery so you can enjoy our cocktail, the Blackberry Ginger Rye for this episode!! Show notes can be found at Bootieandbossy.com

Bootie presents a delicious jell-o recipe similar to one from her childhood. Bootie and Bossy reminisce about April Fool's jokes of the past and discuss ideas for this year. Vintage craft projects that need a come back, such as toilet paper covers and beer can hats are presented. Show notes can be found at Bootieandbossy.com

For this episode, Bootie and Bossy interviewed Michelle Obama's...book, The Light We Carry The entire first chapter is devoted to knitting and how learning to knit helped Michelle get through the pandemic. Michelle speaks openly and honestly about parenting (we really appreciated her honestly about the less than stellar parenting moments), marriage, overcoming fear, and remaining positive during the most trying of times. Even if we wouldn't be invited to Michelle's "retreats" with no alcohol, no dessert and lots of rigorous exercise, we still love you, Michelle! The recipe for this episode is a classic, just like Michelle: Chicken Marbella.

Bootie and Bossy had the honor of interviewing Layla Pujol, the creator of Laylita.com, an Ecuadorian food blog and one of the contributors to the cookbook Yo Cocino Latino. Bootie has had the pleasure of tasting many of Layla's dishes and they are all wonderful. You can find more information by checking out the Show Notes at Bootieandbossy.com

This is the episode where pretty much everyone gets thrown under the bus! Our amazing mom shares her wonderful recipe for brownies, along with many family stories of "camouflage and subterfuge." We have updates on the Knitalong Bootie is doing with Marie Greene and Bossy's Arpeggio poncho.

In this episode, we share our tried and true recipe for chili, along with our childhood memories of eating it. We present our (insert trumpet sound here) January knitting projects.

In this episode, we discuss the merits of homemade marshmallows. Who knew this delicious treat was so easy to make and so much better than store bought? In terms of knitting, we take a look at projects we completed for the holidays and projects we are making in the new year.

In this episode, we have pumpkin bread, a remembrance of Pussy hats past, hats for the present, and hats to work up to in the future, such as brioche (knitting, not bread). For more information , check out our website: bootieandbossy.com

Bossy reads the Christmas letter she wrote in 2011, the year she gave us each a stocking made out of our dad's old ski sweater.Instructions for felting an old sweater and turning it into a Christmas stocking can be found on our website Bootieandbossy.com, along with a picture of our dad skiing in Colorado.

Happy Holidays!! Aunt Betty's famous dinner rolls and great small knits, plus memories of Christmas Joys.

First off, Mom's OK! Bootie shares her recipe for Tarte Tatin. Bootie and Bossy talk about their current projects which include a cowl, toys and a baby blanket. Gender and color are discussed. The recipe and patterns discussed are in the show notes.