Grown-ups having fun playing and being creative. They loved it. 🙂
The results! After I took the photo I cut out each item. They will be arranged and hung on the white walls of the baby’s room to add pizzazz. I have more templates and spent much of this morning working on several of my own.
On March 29, while I was going crazy with anxiety awaiting the amniocentesis results, I went the Purlescence Yarns to hang out and help tag merchandise. I didn’t bring my current knitting. (Danger! Danger! Entering a yarn store without supplies!) I didn’t want to go home after I finished the task, so I ended up buying a skein of Malabrigo and a circular needle and casting on. I had no idea what I would make; I just needed something to do. After working it for a few days, I decided it would become a felted bag, because I had two random skeins of Malabrigo that I’d no idea what to make with because the colorways were so bold. Well, I finished it today and felted it. (Working diligently on it this week helped me cope with the loss of my dear kitty.) Wow! I was a little worried it would remain huge, but I kept it in the washer a little longer (checking it frequently) until it was a size I liked. It’s very firm and sturdy. The handles aren’t perfectly aligned, but it’s a small quirk. I made this without a pattern, and I’m super pleased with the result. Look see!
Malabrigo Kettle Dyed Pure Merino Wool, worsted weight, 216 yards per skein: 3 skeins of #186 Buscando Azul, 1 skein #7 Cadmium yellow, 1 skein #97 Quartzo purple; knit on size 10.5 circular 29" needle.
Part of one ball of Rowan Calmer (75% cotton 25% acrylic/microfiber), colorway 482; size 6 needles using this pattern. I’m using up my stash of random yarn.
Here’s a batch of from-scratch goodies. I will never buy a box mix again. I always have the necessary ingredients on hand. I just haven’t ever tried to make homemade before. Vastly better! The recipe makes a fudgy brownie. For a more cakelike texture you can use 1/2 tsp. of baking powder.
1 & 2/3 cup white sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 Tbsp. water
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 & 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of baking cocoa or 4 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips or nuts (optional)
Stir together the sugar, butter and water in a large bow. Stir in eggs and vanilla. (If using chocolate squares, melt over low heat and stir into the mixture.) In a separate bowl, combine flour,cocoa, and salt. Stir into the sugar mixture and then add the chocolate chips or nuts. Spread into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 18 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out a little sticky. Cool in pan before cutting.
We were invited to a party on Saturday, and I was assigned dessert. (Wise choice by the host, as I love to bake. I also made from-scratch brownies.) I had only three large apples; not enough for a stand-alone apple pie. I searched the internet and came up with a recipe for apple-pecan pie. I modified a couple of things, and the recipe is below. One thing I’d do differently next time is not use molasses. The pie tasted fine; in fact, if you like mincemeat pie, the molasses is a plus. I’d like to try it without though and see which I like better.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 9-inch pie shell.
Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in eggs, molasses, corn syrup, lemon juice, and spices. Add apples and pecans and mix thoroughly. Pour filling into pie shell. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and crust brown. Cool before serving.
Via Eden… Take the list below, paste it into your own blog, put READ next to those you’ve read, WANT TO next to those you are interested in, AGAIN & AGAIN next to those you’ve read and can’t stop, and leave blank those you don’t care to read.
Continue reading
While I’m busy knitting the short-sleeved top (which is inches and inches of stockinette), I offer you a new forum to explore.
If you like to cook or bake, check out Bake Space. Join and hang out in the kitchen! Link up as a friend by visiting my profile.
My sister-in-law is in town tonight for several days, so the knitting is taking a small vacation too.
Today I knit a swatch to get gauge for a simple knit tee. My mother bought the pattern for me at Christmas, and I have yarn in my stash. After I got the gauge, I cast it on. Cheers for me!
It’s not incredibly complicated, but it’s several levels more complex than anything I’ve knit so far. If I can keep at it and just finish, it will help me break through my avoidance by perfectionism.
The dish cloths I made in the past were too large, and I didn’t like the stitch, so I made new ones this weekend. Knitting with cotton makes my hands ache. I used Sugar ‘n’ Cream yarn.
On this gray, dreary day, Husband and I still have our sweats and jammies on, and it’s nearly 3:30 in the afternoon. Our intention had been to finish unpacking the last of the boxes and to hang art work, but he got involved in a novel, and I dedicated myself to knitting new dish cloths (now my hands ache from working with inflexible cotton). I made beef stew yesterday, so we’ve no need to make effort in the kitchen. And there is still tomorrow to accomplish our tasks.
As I knitted, I was entertained (and educated) by some NPR programs. First is the always informative, witty, and downright funny Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me! which featured among its guests P.J. O’Rourke. I’m pretty well-informed this week, because I got all the answers right. The guest for the “It’s Not My Job” segment was Neil DeGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist whose Nova shows I avidly watch. “Not My Job” is when an expert is asked questions completely out of his field, and if he wins, a selected listener gets a prize; in this case, his quiz focused on the upcoming Guns ‘n’ Roses album. He was consistent in that he got all three questions wrong, and therefore did not win the prize for the chosen listener. He was really funny and good-natured about his pop culture ignorance. (What’s amazing to me is that I got all three questions correct, even though I know next to nothing about the band.)
Next I heard This American Life with Ira Glass, and the topic was “In the Shadow of the City.” The three stories were about events and life that happen in desolate places in urban areas.
Following that show was a locally produced show, Health Dialogues. This week’s show focused on birth, and here’s the blurb:
The infant mortality rate is down, the number of premature births is up and the average age of new moms in California is at an all-time high. What are the ethical implications of pre-natal testing and concerns about Caesarean deliveries? How are changing demographics, attitudes and science affecting the birth process?
I found it interesting in general, but I was disappointed there wasn’t any time focused on the ethical concerns about pre-natal testing. If you want to hear the show (it’s one hour), click here.
And lastly I heard a fascinating piece from American Radioworks about the work Justice Thurgood Marshall did before being appointed to the United States Supreme Court. Prior to Martin Luther King, Jr., Marshall was known as “Mr. Civil Rights,” as he worked tirelessly for many years to end segregation, particularly in public schools. I had not known he was the lead counsel for the landmark case, Brown vs. Board of Education. The documentary included tape recordings of speeches he gave, interviews with people who worked with him, and commentary from people living in the south who opposed desegregation. One dismaying point made: while there are no longer any laws promoting racial segregation in schools, it continues to exist. If you want to read about this, I recommend The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America, by Jonathan Kozol. It’s a heavy, even discouraging read, but as a taxpayer and citizen, one that is important.
I’m about the press the “publish” button and see it’s just about 4:00 p.m. It’s been a lovely, quiet Saturday. I hope yours has been as well.
I’ve been on a reading binge. In the past 13 days I have read 1600 pages. The second novel I just finished yesterday was The Mists of Avalon. In between reading sessions I’ve unpacked my books and finished unpacking the office. The guest room is almost totally clear of boxes, and lots of items were stored in the attic with the help of our friends.
I haven’t had much to say, and again, being immersed in these epic stories has taken me into another realm than the Internet. I’m a little dazed; it’s like coming out of a dark movie theater matinee into broad daylight. I’m adjusting, and I have a massive headache at the moment. Too much brain work lately.
Recently Husband and I saw Children of Men. It’s a brilliant movie, both depressing as hell but with a glimmer of hope. For me, the grimness outweighed the glimmer. Toward the end of the movie during a scene of momentary calm saturated with hope and wonder, I lost control and broke down into loud sobs — uncontrollable boo-hoo sobs. Fortunately for my ego (embarrassed) the peace ended and loud gunfire broke out in the scene, so my sounds were drowned by that. If you are feeling emotionally fragile about the state of the world, or if you are contemplating parenthood (particularly motherhood), I would recommend you avoid seeing this movie. A friend of mine said the same of Pan’s Labyrinth, which she was was brilliant and imaginative but also tragic.
Now on that cheerful note, I ought to get started on unpacking boxes in the office. Have you seen either movie and if so, what impact did it have on you intellectually and/or emotionally?
Angelina Jolie speaks about her motherly feelings toward her adopted and biological children.
I think I feel so much more for Madd and Zee because they’re survivors, they came through so much. Shiloh seemed so privileged from the moment she was born. I have less inclination to feel for her…I met my other kids when they were six months old, they came with a personality. A newborn really is this…Yes, a blob! But now she’s starting to have a personality…I’m conscious that I have to make sure I don’t ignore her needs, just because I think the others are more vulnerable.
I wonder how many years of therapy Shiloh will need? Let’s hope the Queen decides against having more biological children.
A Glimpse of My Youth
Tangles of Virginia creeper drape over
the pool, a shimmering gasoline puddle
of Japanese beetles.
I am sodden in my second skin,
sprawled on the ground murmuring secrets
to cicadas,
watching my father wash lettuce
from the garden.
I made these dishcloths for my Mom for Christmas. I ended up making four (one a day) and she loves them. I made them from Rowan All Seasons Cotton on size 7 needles.
Do give books — religious or otherwise — for Christmas. They’re never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal.
–Lenore Hershey
Four 100-yard balls of Classic Elite Waterlily extra fine merino wool, colorway 1927, lot 6209, on size 9 needles
This will be a gift. I didn’t enjoy the yarn as much as I would like, because it split so easily. However, the color variation gave it depth and the stitch texture is great. I’m pleased with the overall result.
—
Update: the lower right corner of the scarf looks a little faded. That’s really a dash of sunshine!
Yesterday Christmas Part 2 arrived. (See this post for Part One if you missed it.) My Blogging By Mail package came! Gili sent me a passel of goodies for my sweet tooth, with some New York City coffee to complement them. I look foward to savoring the Chocobillys chocolate chunk cookies with a strong cup of Mud (the Hippie Blend, natch). I’ll nibble the Art Bar and Endangered Species chocolate while wearing my wild pink eyelash yarn boa. And then I’ll eat the dried fruit to expiate my sins. 😉
Thank you so much, Gili! May your holidays be full of joy.
This is savory and served warm. Incredibly good.
2 lbs. red new potatoes
olive oil
caraway seeds
dill weed
2 bundles of green onions
1/2 stick butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 can of beef or chicken broth
3 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp spicy German style mustard
small jar of apricot preserves
salt and coarse ground pepper
1 lb. of crisp lean bacon
Fry bacon, cool, and crumble. Set aside.
Select good, firm small new potatoes. Boil until tender yet still a little firm. Slice with the skins left on. Sprinkle with oil, caraway seeds, and dill weed. Add chopped green onions (use the bulb too) and set aside.
Melt the butter and 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet. Add 2 Tbsp of flour and stire. Add broth slowly & whisk until mixture thickens into a thin cream sauce. If it thickens too much, add water to thin down the sauce. Add vinegar, mustard, and preserves. Salt and pepper to sates. Pour small amounts of the hot thin cream sauce to coat the potatoes (there will be sauce left over — too much will make them mushy). Sprinkle bacon on top and serve hot. If not serving immediately, keep warm in a 150 degree oven. Add some of the remaining sauce if the salad dries out.
Makes 12 servings. Weight Watcher points per serving: 6
This recipe made two lovely baguettes. I got it from a Fleischmann’s RapidRise Yeast packet.
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
2.25 cups whole wheat flour
1 envelope Fleischmann’s RapidRise Yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1.25 cups water
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter or shortening
Combine flours in a large mixing bowl. Reserve 1 cup; set aside. Add undissolved yeast, sugar, and salt to flour in mixing bowl; mix well.
Heat water, milk and shortening to 120F to 130F. Add warm liquids to dry mixture; mix well until well blended. Gradually add enough reserved flour to form a soft ball of dough. Turn dough onto floured surface.
Knead (with reserved flour) for about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Divide dough in half. Roll each half to a 16 x 10 inch rectangle. Roll up length-wise, as for a jelly roll. Grease baking sheets; place each loaf on a baking sheet. Slash top of loaves diagonally about 1/4-inch deep and 2 inches apart. Cover; let rise until doubled, about 30-40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400F. Brush loaves with cold water. Bake for 15 minutes. Brush again with cold Bake for 10 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.