News From The Nest, July 20

New on the Blog

Speaking of cucumbers, if refrigerator pickles have been the only pickle in your rotation, it’s time to meet their tangier cousin. In this Fermented Dill Pickles post, I walk through true lacto-fermentation — no vinegar, no canning, just salt, water, and a little patience while the good bacteria do their thing. I’ll admit I’m a pickling fool right now with cucumbers taking over the garden, and this method has been a wonderful way to use up the overflow while landing on a deeper, tangier flavor than my quick-brine version, plus those gut-friendly probiotics vinegar pickles just can’t offer.

From the Knit + Crochet Studio

If you’ve got a baby shower on the calendar, our Little Diamonds Baby’s Knitted Hat is the sweet, speedy knit you’ll want in your queue. It’s worked in DK yarn from preemie to six months, and that eight-round diamond repeat is easy enough to memorize so you can knit along while half-paying attention to whatever’s on TV. Pair it with our Argyle and Diamonds Baby Blanket for the ultimate gift-ready set.

Since this hat (and plenty of other small-circumference projects) calls for knitting in the round, I thought it was the perfect week to circle back to the two most popular methods. First up, this Magic Loop Knit Tutorial walks you through using one long circular needle to knit socks, sleeves, or the crown of a hat without wrangling a fistful of double-pointed needles. If you’ve ever dropped a DPN mid-row and wanted to cry, this technique might just become your new best friend.

On the flip side, if you’re more of a traditionalist, this Knit in the Round with Double-Pointed Needles post breaks down exactly how to split your stitches, join without a gap, and keep four or five needles from feeling like total chaos. That first round really can feel wonky, but stick with it — it gets easier, I promise.

I wrote this Knit Potholder Pattern Using the Linen Stitch because so many of you told me you had plenty of dishcloth patterns but nowhere near enough potholder options. The linen stitch lies wonderfully flat, and worked up in sturdy cotton yarn, it’s a potholder that will actually protect your hands rather than just look pretty hanging on a hook.

With a cucumber crop that shows no signs of slowing down, our refrigerator pickles are still a quick option worth bookmarking, too. This Refrigerator Dill Pickles Recipe is the one I have memorized — I mix up a batch of brine, keep it in the fridge, and fill a jar every time I’ve got two or three cucumbers ready to go. These are the crunchy, Clausen-style pickles, not the soft canned kind, and one reader told me her whole family devoured them before the two-week mark ever arrived.

If you need a recipe to feed a crowd, this Slow Cooker Pulled Beef deserves a spot in your rotation too. Let a chuck roast simmer low and slow with garlic, Worcestershire, and soy sauce, and you’ll have fork-tender shredded beef ready for sandwiches, burritos, or piled over mashed potatoes. Pair it with our Homemade Barbecue Sauce Recipe — a smoky, tangy sauce built on a bacon-and-onion base that comes together in about twenty minutes and works just as well on grilled chicken or ribs.

For salads, this Curry Salad Dressing Recipe comes with a bit of a mystery attached — my mom always called it “French Salad Dressing,” even though it’s nothing like the sugary red stuff sold under that name. Bright with curry, garlic, and lemon, it’s the kind of dressing where a little truly goes a long way.

On the dessert side, Strawberry Crumble Recipe is a simple, low-sugar treat built on juicy strawberries and a buttery crumb topping — no oatmeal required, unlike its crisp cousin.

And Sourdough Discard Banana Muffins are a fantastic way to use up extra starter discard while turning overripe bananas into something moist and just barely sweet, especially with that optional cinnamon crumb topping.

Rounding out my canning shelf, my Smoky, Spiced Tomato Jam Recipe might be one of the most-loved preserves in my archive — dark brown sugar, smoked paprika, and toasted cumin give it a savory depth that turns a simple cheese board into something special.

From the Arts + Crafts Studio

Remember loom potholders from summer camp? This Loom Potholders post is having a real resurgence, thanks to bigger looms (now making 8″ squares instead of the classic 6″) and gorgeous new colorways of loops. This one is less a tutorial and more an enthusiastic reminder that these are quick, satisfying, and endlessly giftable — I start and finish one in under an hour. And not for nothing, these potholders seem more robust and useful than the stiff fabric ones I’ve purchased in the past. I find myself reaching for my loom potholders when I open my potholder.

And if you’re looking for a little self-care project, our Herbal Bath Salts Recipe combines Epsom or Dead Sea salt with dried lavender, chamomile, and rosebuds for a soothing soak that’s just as lovely to give as a gift as it is to keep for yourself.

In the House + Home

With the heat keeping all of us indoors more than usual, I felt like this was the right week to share a genuinely useful little project: this House Paint Touch-Up Kit for Quick Repairs post. Instead of hauling a full gallon can out of the garage every time a nail hole needs patching and painting, this small kit — paint, spackle, sandpaper, and a mini roller — lives right in my laundry room and makes quick repairs actually quick.

And for a bigger transformation, my DIY Bar Cabinet from Corner Cabinet post shows how an inherited (and not exactly to-my-taste) curio cabinet became a genuinely useful little bar. Peel-and-stick grasscloth wallpaper, a repositioned wine rack, and a cordless lamp turned a piece that had been languishing for years into one that finally earned its keep.