Fruity Caps

Swap Package Received!

2010-01-19T19:34:00.017-05:00

I signed up for a secret swap on Ravelry called "Soul Food Swap." The idea is to swap yarn, food goodies, and kitchen gadgets with another like-minded Raveler. I sent a package to NY and got one from VA! It was VERY fun! My spoiler turned out to be Amy (a.k.a. DeathByYarn). Here are some pictures of me opening my box and all the goodies that were inside!

I arrived home from work on a rainy, cruddy night to find a surprise swap package!

I couldn't wait to get my package open! Cunningham was excited too.

Everything was wrapped in pretty pink tissue.

Mmmmm! Choco covered beans!!

The yarn is BEYOND gorgeous! Amy got me Cascade Heritage hand painted sock yarn in hues of red and dark purple. I love love love it!

My swap pal sent a mix of some of her favorite songs - what a nice idea! I also received recipes for Amy's Super Bean Chili, Cous Cous-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars, and Fried Potatoes & Veggies! Thanks so much for passing along your favorite vegetarian recipes Amy - they sound awesome.

Sorry buddy, only treats for me this time.

Other goodies included Earl Gray Tea, a tea scoop, a pretty pattern called Loopy Laces Toe-Up Socks, adorable licorice scottie dogs, pumpkin scone mix and a nice card. My first swap experience was beyond what I expected - thanks SO much Amy!

Sole Food Swap Q&A

2009-12-09T16:26:00.006-05:00

I'm participating in my first swap on Ravelry! It sounded like so much fun I couldn't pass it up. These questions and answers are for whoever gets my name:

What weight of sock yarn do you generally prefer (fingering, sport, or DK?)
I've only worked with fingering and sport weight but I'm open to anything.
What is your favorite type of yarn to knit with?
I tend to lean towards superwash wool with nylon but like cotton as well.
Are there any brands of sock yarn that you have wanted to work with but have not had the chance?
I'm easy - if it's pretty I'll use it!
What colors do you like?
Blue, purple, dark reds and greens but I have a lot of this in my stash. I enjoy variegated and self-striping, as well as solids for intricate patterns.
What colors do you not like?
I can't imagine I'd ever like orange socks and I have issues with some browns / golds.
What type of recipes do you usually cook with?
I'm a vegetarian (no meat / fish) so I enjoy cooking pasta, rice, and vegetable dishes.
What type of recipes do you usually bake with?
Baking is my favorite!! I love love love to bake. I enjoy making cookies the most, but bars, muffins, pies, tarts, bread are right up my alley too.
What is your favorite food?
Bread and pasta with chocolate cream pie for dessert. *ok, I'm drooling now*
Are you a tea or coffee drinker?
Tea and hot chocolate! I don't touch coffee but for some reason don't mind eating the beans when they're smothered in chocolate.
What type of sweets do you like?
mmmm - I have a serious sweet tooth. Chocolate is my favorite (especially dark) but anything goes.
Does your kitchen have a theme?
Nah - my kitchen is very eclectic.
Do you have any allergies (to food, fibers, pets, etc) or diet restrictions?
Just that I'm a vegetarian. I eat cheese but only bake with eggs and milk (for example, I don't eat quiche or milkshakes). I pretty much have a 4 egg limit on baked goods - else they start tasting too "eggy" for me. I also stay clear of anything that has gelatin because it's an animal product. Unfortunately, this rules out everything with marshmallows, Skittles, Starburst and almost anything gummy (bears, worms, etc). Although swedish fish are fine - strange!
Is there anything else you would like your pal to know?
I'm super excited to be participating in this swap! I can't wait to get to know you and see what kind of cool stuff you've chosen for me! You can find loads more about me from my Ravelry profile, projects and stash.

I Have a Disease - Webs Tent Sale 5/17/09

2009-05-17T17:48:00.029-05:00

So, of course I don't need more yarn. I have more yarn than I clearly know what to do with. It's mostly stuffed in the closet out of the way, but then I have bunches here and there through out the apartment because it won't fit nicely into the closet! I also have projects in various states of completion that take up even more space! I have made the bathroom off limits (eeeww that'd be gross) but there is literally yarn in every other room of my living space (and my cube at work).

Admitting I have a problem is the first step, right? Somehow I can't seem to make it past that first step and found myself dancing and singing my way to the Webs tent sale yesterday. Oh my - it was amazing. My husband drove us there (so I could knit on the way, of course) and we arrived at 9:30. The sale was scheduled to start at 10:00 but there were already hungry looking women devouring the sale tables. There were bags of great yarn at very reasonable prices and even more inside that you didn't have to buy as a 10 pack! Amazingly, there were even some boxes of free yarn that they put out every now and then. I tried to be good but I did end up with more than I thought I would.

I was there for about 3 1/2 hours and it was packed by the time I left. The Webs employees definitely deserve some time off for all the hard work they put in this weekend. Despite the crowds they were smiling and helpful the whole time I was there.

In addition to the sale, they had a Fleece Market featuring some of the local sheep and alpaca fleece vendors. Most of the roving was natural but Jean Willmann (S. Deerfield, MA) had some beautifully dyed fleece (pictured right) that made me want to learn how to spin.

After an exhausting but blissful shopping experience, we headed over to Cafe Evolution in Florence, MA. It's a vegan cafe / restaurant that serves up some good food! I had the peanut noodles (yum) and my husband got a burrito made with sheese. A trip there wouldn't be complete without a sweet vegan treat. I opted for the chocolate mint cupcake but the chocolate peanut butter and pistachio cupcakes looked really good too!

When I arrived home and emptied out my bags I was a bit aghast at the increase to my stash and what this means for my storage options. I'm thinking if I move my husband's computer area to the basement I could create a cozy craft corner! (With that much alliteration it has to be a good idea!) If you click on the picture you'll get a larger view of my new stash items and Cunningham surveying the damage.

Spring Déjà Vu & Nest Fodder Status

2009-04-03T20:39:00.009-05:00

My husband bought me some really pretty tulips the other night. I'm not sure if it was a mistake or a bonus, but there's a pretty pink flower among the orange ones! So pretty! Especially on these cold and raw days.

April means fundraising time and last year I blogged about making Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cheese Bars for the antique appraisal day that our Friends of the Library was hosting. I was really annoyed at the thought of baking something that would dirty lots of bowls last night but recalled that these bars were pretty easy and had gone over well. I pulled up my post and what do you know?! - A few slight recipe modifications and I was in business and having a major case of déjà vu!

Now onto the most important news: my yarn suet-feeder nest maker thingy!! (I seriously need to come up with a name for this - any ideas??) I've been watching the holder closely over the last two weeks and am sad to say there hasn't been any notable activity. It's still early though! We have just begun Spring and there are many nests to be made!!

Whoopie Pies & Turban Calzones

2009-03-29T10:02:00.010-05:00

I decided to make whoopie pies last weekend since I was having a major craving for them. I'd never made them and went to my trusty recipe box for mom's standby. What I found instead was a very complicated one I'd copied out of a book and it involved getting buttermilk and non-alkalized cocoa. My handwriting was so tiny on the card I immediately knew it was NOT what I wanted.

A quick call to my sister produced the "easy" recipe for whoopie pies that I remembered enjoying so much as a kid. I lined my pans with parchment and began dropping mounded tablespoons of the batter.

My husband (who had never eaten a whoopie pie) tried to grab one of the cookie halves when I wasn't looking. I slapped his hand away and asked "What do you think you're doing?!?!" I had counted them out so I had just enough for 21 pies. He said "I want to eat a whoopie pie!" The poor sheltered thing didn't realize that there was more goodness to come in the form of blinding white filling.

The only problem I ran into was that I didn't let the cookie halves stay on the baking sheet long enough when they came out of the oven. The only group that looked right was the last bunch. I forgot about them for a minute or two and rushed to get them onto the cooling rack. They were the only ones to stay puffed instead of deflating.

I gave them out to a few people who uttered things like "OMG!" and "amazingly delicious!" so I guess they were a success after all. The cookie is cakey but not too dense, and the filling is creamy and delicious. Yay for whoopie pies!

For dinner we decided to make our turban calzones. (The way I roll the ends together and the size of the calzones reminds me of a turban I could wear on my head.) The double batch of homemade pizza dough is filled with caramelized onions, diced tomatoes, basil and cheeses. The recipe makes two, and as you can see, I can hardly get them on one cookie sheet. They taste SO good though - especially with a side salad or peas and a nice bottle of wine. We share one and refrigerate the other for another meal later in the week.

It's Spring - Let the Nest Making Begin!

2009-03-21T15:39:00.009-05:00

I've been waiting for today for a long time! All winter long I collected up my yarn scraps, bits of raffia and Cunningham's fur and put it in a suet feeder. I decided on the first day of spring that I'd hang it up so the birds could use it to build their nests with. I'm not sure where I saw the idea (sadly it wasn't originally mine) but I love the thought that this spring and summer maybe my throw-away items will be turned into a little nest. How cool would it be to look up at a nest and see bits of yarn from the socks or hat I knit?!?

Birds love building their nests with fur so I made sure lot's of Cunningham's soft fur made it from his brush to the holder. I'm not exactly sure when the nest building begins, but it seemed like a good day to put it out there. I have it hanging next to a suet-filled feeder and right now the birds seem much more interested in that one. I captured a chickadee in mid flight as he flew from nest supplies to...yummy food.

I'll keep taking pictures every couple of weeks and track the progress. We have so many birds in our back yard that I can only imagine it will get used eventually.

Joe the Cup

2008-07-09T09:14:00.003-05:00

I managed to get quite a bit of crafting in over the long weekend. Since I'm a beginner crocheter, I gravitated to Ana Paula Rimoli's book Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet. Her patterns are really easy to follow and the results are darling! I've been obsessed with knit and crochet food, so my latest was her "Café con Leche" (i.e. Joe the Cup). I didn't add the pink cheeks in her pattern because 1) I wasn't sure I liked them, and 2) I didn't have pink felt.

I love using safety eyes. Besides the fact that it's impossible to find them at any of my three local craft stores, I ordered a bunch online from Harvey's Hobby Hut. They have a great selection of craft eyes and sell them in bulk or in the smaller packages. The prices are pretty good and they ship fast! I'd definitely recommend them if you are having trouble getting safety eyes locally.

Recent Crochet

2008-07-05T13:00:00.006-05:00

I'm now saying that I officially crochet. After completing two projects that actually look like what they're supposed to, I feel like I deserve to list it as one of my crafty skills.

My little black cat sat around for awhile in pieces - for some reason I was convinced he wouldn't go together easily. It did take a really long time to get his face just perfect, but I think he was worth the effort. For a first pattern, it was definitely easy, but I should have chosen another color. It was really difficult to see the stitches when I was working. One of the good benefits of using black was that it hides all of my terrible sewing for his little arms, legs and tail!

I haven't decided if I'm going to give him up or not. I've gotten somewhat attached since he is my first crochet project. And he's just so darn cute!

My second project were a couple of Happy Eggs. I fell in love with them as soon as I saw the picture, so I borrowed the book from the library and made it my second project. I started by making the yellow chick with wool ease and then was annoyed that the white has a strand of glitter running through it and bought a white Vanna's Choice. The shell was way too big for the little guy so I made the gold chick and ended up making the yellow chick's shell by ripping out the shimmery strand. I actually like the wool ease chick and egg better even though it's not as firm as the Vanna's Choice. The little chick is fuzzier and the gauge works out to be more the size of an actual egg.

What I'm Reading: Angela's Ashes: A Memoir - Frank McCourt

2008-07-04T19:43:00.000-05:00

Thumbs way up! I'd heard people say that Angela's Ashes was a must-read book, but for some reason it took me a very long time to get around to agree. I think I made the decision to put it on my 2008 list when we got back from Ireland and wanted to mentally prolong my visit. After reading The Glass Castle (TGC), I thought "eh, why not another memoir?" I was on a memoir roll!

Once again, I listened to the audio - which happens to be done my McCourt himself. I found this particularly nice because he sings all the old Irish songs.

Overall I thought it was well written and very good. As with TGC the subject matter was at times difficult to listen to, but what amazed me in McCourt's experience, was that often times, there were people around to help out. That's not to say he didn't endure hardship, it was just different from TGC.

I feel like I have a much better understanding of what it means to be Irish and Catholic (I'm neither). McCourt does an amazing job of setting you in his shoes - tape and holes included - to get an idea of what it is to be both.

Cappuccino Cupcakes

2008-06-06T10:00:00.001-05:00

My friend and co-worker, Andrea is getting married next month. A bunch of us decided to surprise her with a shower at work, so I of course, volunteered to bring dessert.

I wanted something simple, yet pretty. Since there were going to be a lot of men at the shower I also needed something that wasn't TOO pretty. I decided that Cappuccino Cupcakes would be perfect!

The recipe comes from my copy of Old-Fashioned Bake Sale (page 122). It couldn't be simpler because you just need a chocolate cake mix and frosting. To achieve the mild coffee flavor, the cupcakes are made with strong coffee instead of water (I used hazelnut), and you mix coffee liqueur into the frosting. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons but I gave it an extra dollop of Kahlua - this does make the frosting too thin, but just beat a spoon of shortening in and it will come out really good. I topped with a coffee flavor chocolate candy (couldn't find any choco covered beans) and I was done! So simple!

The cupcakes came out very moist and delicious and everyone loved them. They look great on the cupcake tree too!

Amigurumi - I'm in love

2008-06-04T10:00:00.002-05:00

I really didn't think I would ever want to crochet. EVER. I didn't like the look of it and thought knitting was superior. Then I saw amigurumi. I couldn't get enough of all the adorable little animals and items and decided I had to make them. Little did I know that almost all amigurumi patterns are crochet.

I took a quick lesson with my mom and ta da! I have the makings of my very own amigurumi black cat. The pattern is actually pretty easy but now, as you can see, I have to figure out how to put him together. I worked on his face FOREVER until it was just right. I could only get my hands on solid black eyes (they are hard to see in the photo), but I ordered a bunch of natural eyes so I can make more of these little guys. Isn't he cute!?!?!?

Tree of Life Knit Along

2008-06-03T10:00:00.005-05:00

Lion Brand Yarn sends me emails every now and then and I was so excited when I saw they were having a knit-along with the Tree of Life pattern. Even though the pattern is labeled "Experienced" I read through it and was only mildly terrified of what lay ahead. It's so amazingly beautiful I just couldn't help myself and had to start it right away. I'm using Lion's Fisherman's Wool (100% wool so it smells really nice) so it will be very cozy when I'm done. There is a scary flower garden section coming up but onward I go! *insert marching music here*

My poor husband thinks I'm possessed when I'm working on this blanket. It takes SO much concentration because I don't want to mess it up. When he starts talking to me I usually end up giving him sinister glares or bite his head off with "Stop talking to me! I'm knitting!!" I of course apologize when I finish the row, but I think he's catching on that when he sees the cream colored blanket come out, he should hide. hee hee.

So far I've made one mistake. Instead of hiding it and pretending it's not there, I've taken a picture and am pointing it out to the whole world. I was very disappointed when I noticed it but since the pattern is so complex, I've decided to call in a knot in the branch, and move on. I knew I would just make more of a mess if I ripped the rows out and tried to fix my mistake. I blame Bill for the error, of course. He must have chosen that moment to tell me something and I held the cable needle in front of my work when it should have been behind. (I hope he doesn't hate this blanket by the time I'm done.)

Lace Panel Socks - You mean I have to make two?

2008-06-02T19:48:00.012-05:00

Here is my first sock (you can click on the picture for a nice big closeup)! That's right, I haven't finished the second one (I'm not even close!!) but I'm very proud of the one I have. A friend hooked me up with some very nice washable merino wool but it was VERY fine. I fortunately had a pattern in my copy of Patons' Pull Up Your Socks! that worked when I held both colors together. The Lace Panel Socks pattern is beautiful and I'm really pleased with how this one came out.

I was always afraid that making a sock would be really difficult and that I couldn't do it, but I was surprised how easy it was! You do have to be used to double pointed needles, but there were no scary moments. I did have to undo rows a few times but that was my fault for not paying close attention to the pattern and/or trying to watch TV at the same time.

I'm not sure if I have enough yarn to make a second pair or not. It looks like there's enough to make 10 pair but I think I'll go blind from using the size 1 needles!

What I'm Reading: The Glass Castle: A Memoir - Jeannette Walls

2008-05-11T14:51:00.011-05:00

Thumbs way up! I just finished The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls and found it to be so interesting. What I found most surprising, was that even though the subject matter was often difficult to read (Walls' life was filled with neglect and the struggle to survive each day), it was done in such an un-drama-like way. It was partially so striking because I listened to the audio version and the reader did a great job reading the horrors of Walls' life with a sense of nonchalance and at times, even mirth.

Walls recounts her childhood from about 3 to adulthood and the many difficult things she had to endure (from getting burned, eating out of school trash cans, moving and being on the run, and almost raped to name a few). I know some people have criticized Walls' ability to remember things that occurred when she was a small child, but I think she should be given a little slack. While the events may not be 100% accurate, her story is one of survival and shows that if you put your mind to something and work hard, that you really can accomplish great things. It would have been so easy for Walls to play the victim, follow in her father's footsteps (a very smart man, who unfortunately, was very in love with the bottle), or live a life convinced that she wasn't worth anything, but she somehow managed to get past that and come out standing on top. It's well worth reading and makes me thankful and grateful for the childhood I had.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2008-05-06T12:05:00.001-05:00

Since the cranberry bars were such a hit, I decided to try another recipe from Ocean Spray (I really am addicted to Crasins). I typically don't care much for cookies that have white chocolate, but I decided to try the Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I read all the reviews before I began and was surprised how many people either loved or hated them - there were hardly any luke-warm comments. Some people said that it was missing something so I added 1 tsp. of pure vanilla flavoring. One reviewer questioned if the brown sugar should be packed. Yes! Brown sugar should always be packed unless stated in the recipe. The mix wasn't dry and after a quick chill in the refrigerator, it was very easy to work with.

I used a cookie scoop but it was larger than the suggested heaping teaspoon. Mine were tablespoon size which I think is much better - I like a cookie that you can really sink your teeth into!

As you can see, they don't really spread very much. The result, however, was a very soft and chewy cookie that tasted AWESOME! Bill approved and demanded seconds but then I wrapped the rest up to take to work with me.

The response to these cookies was great. They disappeared within an hour (many people going back for two or three) and someone even suggested that I bring them in every Monday from now on.

So, I would say this recipe is definitely a keeper. I would highly recommend adding the teaspoon of vanilla - it was delicious and had a very tasty flavor. The Crasins and white chocolate combo worked really well and the oatmeal made it nice and chewy. Ignore all the negative reviews and go ahead and make these cookies!

Red Sox - May 2, 2008

2008-05-05T15:12:00.008-05:00

For once I was in the right place at the right time. One of the Project Managers I assist ended up getting tickets for the Red Sox game on Friday night which he could not use! I had absolutely nothing planned for the evening (except a potential game of Boggle with Bill) so I was thrilled to get the tickets! Bill picked me up from work and we drove to the city, stopping at Bertuccis for a quick bite to eat. It was packed and there was a ton of excited energy in anticipation for the game. On the way there I even spotted John Lithgow walking towards Fenway. We ate in record time not wanting to miss the opening pitch, and dashed back to the park. But it was raining...pretty hard actually.

After a 2 1/2 hour rain delay the game started and it was COLD. I had a rain jacket and winter coat layered on over a t-shirt and sweatshirt and I was still freezing! Thankfully we were in the grandstand (really good seats!) so we didn't get wet. I had thought I'd be a tough chick and stay till the last pitch, but at midnight I couldn't feel my legs so we left at the top of the 7th. We listened to the game on the way home (yay! The Sox won!), picked up my car from work (very spooky at 1AM!) and crawled into bed at 2AM.

Now that I'm warm and dry I can look back on the game and think nice thoughts about it. It was very neat, for example, to see them run the tarp off the field and prep the dirt for the game. We also had really good seats that in warmer weather would have had me dancing in the stands. Actually, I did dance for most of the game - I had to so I wouldn't freeze solid!

What I'm Reading: Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen

2008-05-01T12:38:00.010-05:00

Thumbs way up! I recently read Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen and really enjoyed it. The story was good, but I was really impressed with the way Allen created an environment where you felt like you could literally smell, taste and feel right along with the imaginative characters she created. Her descriptions were so good that I swear I could feel the sun or smell the herbs and flowers she was writing about.

The plot reminded me of the book/movie Chocolat a bit since it's about influencing people with food. There is good character development and drama, and the characters are quirky and fun. As an added bonus, the cover is really pretty and looks nice on an end table!

On Allen's website: http://www.sarahaddisonallen.com/ she lists some recipes that characters were making in the book which is wonderful. I really want to try the Lavender Bread. Yum!

It seems like Allen is on a roll because soon to hit the shelves later this month is her second book: The Sugar Queen. I am eagerly looking forward to reading this one as well and will be sure to pass along my opinion once I'm done!

Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cheese Bars & Antiques

2008-04-29T11:17:00.011-05:00

Saturday the Friends of Richards Memorial Library held our first Appraisal Day fundraiser. I had to find something quick and easy to bake up late Friday night. I'd been craving Cranberries, so I went to Ocean Spray's website and tried their Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cheese Bars. The dry ingredients mixed together well but I did put the whole thing in the fridge to cool while the oven was warming up. I find it best to do this if the butter starts making the crumble texture turn to mush. (You can also catch a bit of my cherry apron in the background. It was my fist sewing project!) Next I mixed the wet ingredients together while the bottom crust was baking in the oven. You pour this over the hot crust and then spread the reserved crumble on top of the whole thing and put back in the oven. The result is a very heavy pan!

I taste tested the next moring and was slightly disappointed that there was so much in them. I think maybe 1/2 a bag of choco chips would have been enough, or maybe it would have been better to have a larger cheese layer since it came out so thin. I wasn't thrilled and my husband didn't come back begging for seconds, but I put them on a platter and brought them anyway! Come on, you would have too. They were still pretty good!

Well, whatever reservations I had about bringing them disappeared when I saw people gobbling them up. There were several baked goods and these were gone within an hour! Fortunately we didn't run out of cookies/bars/bread - we had just enough!

Appraisal Day was our new idea for a spring fundraiser. An appraisal house in Boston (Skinner Inc - you may have seen them on Antiques Road Show) sent two appraisers for five hours. We sold out after 2 1/2 hours, so it was a very sucessful event. I saw SO many interesting items! There was a gumball machiene that looked and worked like a slot machiene, a ladder that collapsed into one long beam, and my favorite - a stunning crystal bowl that looked like it had sunflowers all around it. One woman had Barbie and Ken dolls from 1962 in their original boxes with the little booklets in the original plastic. They had never even been taken out of the boxes. Apparently Ken isn't worth that much but Barbie was worth quite a bit.

My mom got this Native American knife from her father. The appraiser told us it was used for skinning buffalo and is fairly rare. It's not worth the $20K I was hoping it would be, but it's still a very neat item to have.

Dehydrator Dreams

2008-04-22T09:03:00.006-05:00

My coworker just got a Excalibur dehydrator and said it is amazing (but really loud). One of my favorite things to eat is fruit leather so I'm thinking of buying one. They are pretty expensive, but everyone seems to rave about this brand. Bill and I are going on a camping trip in June so I think it would be fun to take along some fruit leather, and dehydrated fruits and vegetables. We're only going for two nights so maybe getting a whole dehydrator is a bit excessive,...but it's so cool!

I didn't knit at all last night. I got home from pilates and decided I'd done enough for one evening. I really like the Stott Pilates mat I got from Amazon - I have no trouble rolling around on my spine using this mat. Well, I should really say, any trouble I have rolling around on the floor is not the mat's fault. hee hee. My favorite moves are seal (tap feet, roll on spine, tap feet again) and boomerang.

First Ice Cream of 2008

2008-04-20T18:37:00.010-05:00

Yesterday was a staggering 80 degrees! It was beautiful outside and I was in no mood to do any chores at home so Bill and I headed up north to Kimball Farm. We played a round of mini-golf and then couldn't help but treat ourselves to some ice cream. I tried the Chocolate Almond, which was delicious, and Bill tried the Buttercrunch (also good). I still think that Richardson's ice cream is the best around. They sell it at the Big Apple in Wrentham but haven't opened up for business yet. The lines for ice cream at Kimballs were long, but it was worth the wait for the first ice cream of 2008!

Now for blankie progress! I think I've finally got this stitch figured out. I had thought that the puff was created by the YO and slipped stitch, but that actually creates the divider. I also changed the needle size from the size 10 suggested to 9. You can see from the picture that the first three (bottom) puffs are looser and less defined than the top three. I'm going to make it in white with a couple of stripes near the ends. Should look nice - I'll post a picture once I'm done!

I have also started a Jean Greenhowe puppy. I haven't gotten very far so I won't bother putting up a picture yet. I couldn't find the same color used in her creation, so mine will be a cute dark tan. I just ordered a lot more Astra yarn for these projects - I'm going to need a house soon just so I can have a room to store my craft supplies.

I haven't done any baking lately but I'm gearing up for some early spring canning. I opened a jar of strawberry rhubarb jam that I canned last May and it was divine. I had a little trouble with the blueberry jam I made (a bit too firm) so I'll have to try to be more careful testing the jams while they cook.

Blankie from Hell & Cherry Fruity Cap

2008-04-18T10:16:00.012-05:00

Just when my head started to swell from my amazing knitting abilities, I was put in my place. I started a new project last night (i.e. the blankie from hell) and simply could not figure out the pattern. It's sort of a bobble (which I admit I need practice at) but does not look at all bobble-like when I'm done. It's really called a puff stitch blanket but I can only find instructions for a crochet puff stitch. I'll try again tonight, but this time I'm only going to try the pattern instead of co all 152 stitches and starting the blanket!

On a good note, I've been making a lot of Fruity Caps to sell and give as gifts. I tried a cherry but I'm not sure how i like it. At first I put a brown pipe cleaner up into the long stem so it would bend, but then my mom convinced me that was somewhat dangerous for a little kid. I argued that I'd sewn it in really really REALLY well and that it wouldn't poke through but I thought I'd better rip it all out. Let me tell you that it was sewen in really really REALLY well because I had an awful time getting it out! I replaced it with some fiber fill and it still looks good. It doesn't have the awesome bend I acheived with the pipe cleaner, but now I don't have to worry about some kid getting poked in the eye.

Where does the time go?

2008-04-17T08:12:00.007-05:00

I'm not sure how nearly two years have gone by (was I in a coma?) but here I am!

Here is my latest kitted creation from one of Jean Greenhowe's books. The duck is so cute and has a removable hat. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the little blue guy on the right is his whale friend. I chose to make the hat removable because it's not a gift for a small child.

I really LOVE Jean Greenhowe's patterns. They are a bit time consuming and not for those who hate sewing up seams or working with small needles. The end result is just so charming though, that I use it as motivation when I'm grumbling about sewing up my endless seams.

I have been having trouble finding DK weight yarn that wasn't in baby colors, so I ordered a whole bunch of Patons Astra. It's good because it comes in so many colors and is affordable. I'm still looking for a green that would be good for a witch's dress or monster. Astra doesn't really have a good color green for that (think Oscar). If anyone knows of a good DK weight that's this color, please let me know!

Pie - Yum Yum Yum

2006-09-11T21:37:00.002-05:00

I've been baking up a storm and knitting like crazy! My husband and I picked blueberries 3 weeks in a row and ended up with around about 10 lbs. of berries. There's still quite a few in the fridge I need to use up, but so far I've made muffins, buckle, kuchen (this was AWESOME), blueberry peach pie. The pie was a bit runny but tasted very good.

I'm trying to get a jump start on Christmas gifts too. I've been making mittens (requires login) and have 2 and 1/2 pairs complete! Only about 12 more to go... I've promised my husband I won't buy any more yarn for awhile until I actually finish some of the projects I want to do with the yarn I've already purchased. There is an exception, however. I've been really wanting to make some cabled fingerless gloves/wristlets/arm warmers (they have so many names) out of the cashmere blend lion brand makes. I'll post pictures soon of the projects I'm working on.

Blueberries

2006-08-05T07:04:00.001-05:00

Now that it's August I can't wait to start picking blueberries! There is a pick-your-own in a neighboring town that I'm hoping will have some ripe berries today. If it's still a little too early I'm hoping I may be able to get a couple of handfuls of raspberries even though it's getting late to pick them.

One of my favorite things to make is Blueberry Buckle. It's sort of like a crumble/cobbler and is simply divine! I'll definitely be making it this season so I'll post a picture as soon as I do. I'm still searching for the perfect blueberry muffin recipe so if anyone has one that they think is good, please pass it along to me. I've tried several and they're either too sweet, not sweet enough, too bland...please help!

Last night my husband and I went to see Click. I thought it was surprisingly good given all the negative comments it received. It was in typical Adam Sandler style which suited my mood perfectly last night. We went to one of our favorite spots: Route One Cinema Pub, which is a theater that has tables and chairs set up (instead of just theater seats) so you can eat while watching the movie. They serve bar food and beer and wine and the movie is only $5 so it's a great place to go. Unfortunately, I ordered cheese fries last night (I know, not a very healthy dinner!) and I ended up with some sort of meat in them. I couldn't quite figure out what it was since it was dark but it was definitely meat and should not have been in my fries. I told the waitress and she thankfully did not charge us for them. Ah the struggles of a vegetarian...

Marble cookies and ones for furry friends too!

2006-08-02T20:39:00.001-05:00

My husband and I were invited up to New Hampshire for a relaxing weekend with friends. They have an adorable dog named Daisy so I thought I'd make her some cookies. I got the recipe for these off of Allrecipes.com and have made them in the past. Unfortuantely, Daisy did not like them one bit! She prefered to eat the ones I'd baked for us even though she's not supposed to eat chocolate. I'm hoping the dogs at the nearby shelter will like them and am planning a trip there Saturday.

These are the other cookies I made from my Mrs. Fields baking book. They have a neat marble pattern and are cake-like in texture. I was intrigued by this recipe because it called for a 1/2 cup of sour cream. They were very tasty and there weren't many left by the time our weekend was over.

Greetings!

2006-08-02T20:04:00.000-05:00

Hi my name is Michelle and I love to bake. I'm also a vegetarian and like trying out new recipes. Other hobbies include knitting, cross stitch and other crafts, reading, watching movies and spending time with my husband and 19 lb. cat, Cunningham. Thanks for visiting my blog!