Baking & Birds

This morning I baked a third trial-run of a dessert for my graduation party this weekend. I know I want a fruit salad and thought individual cakes with fresh whipped cream would go nicely. I bought a silicone mini-bunt pan and tried a disasterous sugar-free angel food cake recipe on Sunday. On Monday I bought a Nordic Ware individual bunt pan and tried a boxed angel food cake. It rose too far and made a mess of the oven. Oops. This morning I ran the Nordic Ware pan through the dishwasher because it was impossible to clean the angel food cake out by hand and tried a Bisquick shortcake recipe. I greased the pan well and they came out perfectly. So it's settled, dessert will be shortcakes with fruit & key lime pie.

While I was baking I saw a scarlet tanager and a male cardinal in the hawthorn tree vying for the suet. I was able to run upstairs and take this photo from a window.

Lobster Pot Cashmere Shawl

I started the lobster pot cashmere shawl last night. I'm using Fiber Trend's "Leaf Lace Shawl" pattern. It seems like this is going to be an easy pattern to follow once I get used to the repeats. And, the cashmere is so soft that I don't want to put it down!

I think I will switch a pair of Knit Picks Options needles because the addis I am using are too blunt and are slowing my pace.

Winding Cashmere

I'm excited to start my new cashmere lace shawl project using the Lobster Pot Cashmere from Purl Soho. Here's a photo of my ball-winding apparatus.

Fish Blanket Update

I've been knitting fish all week so I decided to lay out the pieces again tonight. Here's how it looks so far:

Right now it would be a nice sized baby blanket, which was my original intention. But, now I can't decide if I want to stop at this size or continue to make it larger into a throw size. I could either add dark brown fishes around the entire edge using yarn I bought to make a brown & pink fish blanket, or buy more blue and tan to continue in pattern. Thoughts?

Mother's Day Breakfast

I made these deeeelicious muli-berry pancakes for my mom for mother's day.

Multi-Berry Oatmeal Pancakes

1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
2t baking powder
1/2t salt
1 egg
2T melted butter
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup blueberries
3/4 cup crasins

Baby Gifts

Here is Luca wearing the hat that my mother made for him and with the elephant that I made. He's so tiny and looks like he's smushed in my arm, poor little guy!

I think I need to knit another elephant for my own collection.


And here's a pic of Luca in his sling that I made (post about its creation below).

For the Love of Cashmere

It is a lovely spring day today,
which means that it's a perfect day to express my love to my cashmere sweaters. This morning I used three huge rubbermaid totes to wash lights, darks and white sweaters by hand and then spun them out in the washing machine on the gentle spin cycle. Here is a photo of one of the three drying "stations" I set up outside. The chairs are holding down towels and each sweater is clipped to a towel. I hope nothing blows into the pool!

Study Break Shopping Trip

I took a study break trip to the yarn store today. I went with a specific project in mind and bought only what I went for. Yay for me. Here's what I bought:

Two skeins of Organic Cotton for Baby Bobbi Bear, three Jo-Sharp for Elephants and one lace pattern for my lobster pot cashmere. I'm starting the elephant tonight.

When I arrived at the knitting shop the parking lot was chock full of cars. When I stepped in the door I almost stepped on a knitter - there were at least a dozen women at a knitting group. I had no idea there was a Thursday night group. I couldn't join them this week because my allocated study break was only one hour, but next week I think I'll check it out. I'm nervous to join though, perhaps I'll feign a problem with a pattern and go in seeking mock-advice...

Animal Mobile

I saw this mobile at a store recently and am going to try to design and make one of my own. Isn't it cool?!

Purl Soho, I Heart You!

Big hearts to Purl Soho. This arrived in the mail while I was away visiting boy:

Lobster Pot Cashmere in lobster bisque (400 yds.), Ted by Knitting at Knoon, and Safari Friends from Knitting at Knoon. I can't wait to add more projects to my WIP box!

Tesselating Fish Blanket Progress

I finished all of my fish last week, but when we laid out the blanket on the floor boy and I agreed that it was too small. "Too small to serve any purpose" according to boy. So upon my return from sunny Fla. I promptly (as in within 10 minutes of my arrival) visited my LYS and purchased more Rowan All Seasons Cotton. Right now the plan is to make it 4 fish wide by 9 fish high. Bring on the fishies.

New Lampshade

Today, after my second to last law school final exam ever, I bought two of these ticking stripe lampshades. Notice how they match the window treatments (and the bookshelf slip covers, and the anti-dog hair blanket on the bed...).

I was planning to buy simple white shades and cover them with ticking fabric. Imagine my delight when I found these for a mere $4.99 each. Nice.

Best Knitting Tool EVER!

While seaming the green sweater and still super excited by its potential I discovered the best knitting tool ever. Hold Everything Clips:

They are perfect for holding pieces together while seaming. They are perfectly smooth so nothing will snag and they hold the pieces really well. Hold Everything Clips rock (they rock in the kitchen too). Available at Bed Bath & Beyond for $2.99.

Blah Sweater

Here's a photo of the green sweater.

1. The sleeves are from a different dye lot, boy likes the variation at the cap, I don't.
2. V-neck is super deep, eeuh I can deal (boy does not like).
3. I'm tall and it's too short. I really don't know how this happened because I measured many times, but it did and I'm not happy.

Overall, I'm disappointed.

No Sweaters

I finished the green v-neck sweater using Rowan's Calmer. I'm not that in love with it. I just don't think sweaters are my thing, I'm too picky. Darn.

White Bobbi Bear

Yesterday the white bobbi bear was a headless WIP, today he's a finished bear, head, ears, nose, eyes, and all. It's amazing how motivating a reality check can be...or am I just procrastinating from writing the memo that's due on Monday? Hard to tell.

Reality Check 101

There's nothing like a good reality check every now and then. So, here it is, a photo of those WIP's that actually warrant attention (i.e. those that aren't in the frog box - don't worry the froggers are living out their last few months in a pretty box; they're happy). It's rather embarrassing to have so many projects that are a few hours from completion. But to be honest this really doesn't look excessive to me.

Starting from that small white thing in the upper left we have:
White Bunny (sans ears)
Felted Flamingo
White Bobbi Bear
Ribbon Tape Cardigan
Fish Blanket
Gray Top-Down Wrap Sweater (I may move this to frog box)
White Bear
Clapotis (may join the wrap sweater)
Blue Socks with an Afterthought Heel
Red Alpaca Braided Scarf
Green Calmer V-Neck
Blossom (in the center)

Last month's reality check was when I organized my stash and didn't have enough room on a queen sized bed to fit it all. Now that was excessive...to anyone. I didn't take a picture so I may need to organize it again and have a visual reminder that yarn doesn't grow on trees, it grows in my closet...and dresser...and cedar chest...and under the bed...

Rectangle Shawl is Done!

I stayed up late last night adding the picot edging to the rectangle shawl. I am so pleased with it! I used a Blue Sky Alpaca pattern and 100% baby alpaca worsted weight. I love it. I love wearing shawls, I'm obsessed. Notice the snow in the background...there's still snow on the ground and we're supposed to get more tomorrow!

If anyone knows the widget or html code to enable the "comments" link on the main page in blogger please let me know. I've tried all of the settings and can't get it to work on the main page, only in individual posts. thanks!

Baby Wearing Sling

Last night I made this baby sling for a friend who is having a baby shower this weekend. I used fabric from Amy Butler that I purchased at Cabbage Rose, a pattern that I found here (I modified it to fit a taller person), and sling rings from this site. I'm really pleased with the results! The shoulder and the rails where the baby's head and legs will rest are padded quite nicely. It's really cute. I may have to bring the bear with me to the shower to demonstrate. We also bought her the baby wearing DVD available here, which claims to show over 200 baby wearing positions. So cool!

Yarn Purchase

Here's a pic of my latest yarn purchase. Thanks for the gift certificate, bro. I don't have a project in mind for the coral calmer yet but it's my favorite yarn so I had to buy the skeins that were on sale. I used it last year to make Blossom in the same coral color and loved it (blossom needs about 6" of icord edging before it's finished and has been in my to do box for almost a year).

I am such a huge Rowan yarn fan!