Lavender Cardi

Yay, it's done!!! Ok, its been done for about a week and a half now, but I have been to lazy to take photos, although I have been wearing it every chance I get. The pattern is Rosamunds Cardigan from Interweave Knits, Fall 09. I used Zaol Camelon. Zoal is a Korean brand that is begining to pop up here and there at my LYS (plural). I have tried their angora blend before, and was not too fond of it. I found this one on sale at Article Pract. Camelon is combination of 20% Baby Camel and 80% Merino Wool. I love it! It is the perfect weight. It is light, but warm. It almost feels like a cotton/wool combination. I really enjoyed making this. It knitted up quickly, and I love the reversible cable trim. The finishing touch were the large contrasting dark green buttons. I didnt have a clue it would work well. They just caught my eye among the overwhelming wall of buttons at Britex Fabrics. They are the perfect mismatch.

More yummy cake

Ok, yes another cake! This time it was for a special occasion, my birthday. It has been something I've been craving fir quite some time. Simple, classic yellow butter cake with dark chocolate frosting. Thank you once again Marth Stewart for giving me another foolproof recipe. Sorry, no photo of the whole thing. It didn't look nearly as lovely as Martha's, so I decided to keep it out. As much ad l love baking and my ability has improved greatly, I still need a little practice on presentation. Partly, I think it has to do with the excitement of eating your masterpiece... I tend to finish in haste so I can bite into it as soon as posible.



-- Posted from my iPhone

Yummy Cake

I came across the recipe for this cake on Molly Wizenberg's blog site Orangette. I just recently found her blog, and have become quite intrigued by her and her husbands ventures in opening a their own restaurant. This is her rendition of another recipe, which she calls "Everyday Cake". I must say I enjoyed it quite a bit. I loved the simple taste if the cake and it the nutmeg gave it a nice kick!
Below is the first slice... ( well , whats left of it). I also find it is a great companion for ice cream. We enjoyed it that evening with homemade avocado gelato and whipped cream. Yum! Thanks so much for sharing!

Botanical Garden at Berkeley

This weekend, we bummed around. Too lazy to get out of town, we decided to check out the Botanical Gardens in UC Berkeley for a few hours. We've been meaning to go, and almost went prior.... but laziness got to the best of us. Anyway, I always seemed to be amazed to find such fantastic treasures literally in our own back yard. Here are some photos i took of some interesting plants and shrubbery at the Botanical Gardens...

Green Sock

My 2nd attempt at making socks. My first attempt a few years ago was not so successful. I ended up "almost" completing a sock that didn't fit. It took so long and felt so tedious, that i just got bored. I put it away, never to be found again. This is more promising. The trick really is to keep trying it on while your knitting....and to cast on really loose. The yarn is a hand dyed merino from Piedmont Yarn and Apparel on Piedmont Ave. The owner hand dyes the yarn herself and no two skeins are alike. I love the variegation of this yarn. This is the first of the pair, and so far I have not lost interest ( thank god, I've got a few works in progress that I've abandoned).

Latest Baby Quilt

It took so long for me to post. This is the most recent baby quilt I've made for a baby show a week and a half ago. I found this fabric ( below) at Stonemountain and Daughters fabric store in Berkeley. I thought the squares were so kitchsy and cute. I decided to make a log cabin patchwork around the squares and put the squares together to form the quilt.

I used as much blues, greens and reds to make it as "masculine" as possible for a boy. I guess, masculinity is out the window when you are first born, but at least it would work for the next one which might be a girl. I love it. It came out well, if I do say so myself. I am now making another variation of this one on a smaller scale. Will post when that is done too.

Really? Ice Cream?

Wow! Really? Ok, if you were to tell me that I'd be making ice cream a few weeks ago, I would have thought you were crazy! Who would have ever thought. Well thanks to Sur La Table for waiving the ice cream machines in front of me...everywhere I go.. I made a impulse purchase, wondering.... "I'm I going to spend my money a one time use thing?" I have been hooked ever since. Ok, this isn't the first thing I've made, but this is the best so far. And this is what got me hooked! I have never been a fan of strawberry ice cream, never been much of a fan of strawberries at all! Inquiring what my mom would like, if I were to make her some ice cream, she said "Strawberry Ice Cream, please." So I bought some strawberries.... and it sat in my fridge. I opened it one day and , oh crap, they were going bad. In a rush, I took them to the sink and cut off ALL the moldy stuff. Then I made the cream and left for work. That evening i churned. I churned and churned. Wow! who would have ever thought. It is one of the most delicious things I've ever had! Its is like fresh strawberries, but better!

Anyway, I'm hooked. I spend my days thinking about coming home to it. I dread the day it will be gone....

oops, all gone. =(

Carrot Cake Cupcakes!

For the sake of making my Matt happy, I decided to make his favorite dessert... carrot cake, in cupcake form. The recipe comes from Flo Braker's "Baking for All Occasions". The cake is moist, with a good amount of carrots! Hmmm..... not only yummy, but a good source of vitamin C. The frosting is fantastic. A traditional cream cheese frosting with a twist of citrus. I'm quite happy with the turnout. By the way, the basil plant lovingly nestled behind the cupcakes is not the original seedlings posted earlier. The seedlings did not grow...... they just went to the trash....

For the love of Cheescake

My first cheesecake. I decided to make the ricotta cheesecake from Martha Stewart's " Baking Handbook" What was supposed to be an easy cake to make, i found pretty difficult. Mine (above) kind of got squashed while transporting from pan to rack, so it's not as pretty as hers (below)

but man was it good! Sorry, didn't take it for a test taste at work. There wasn't any left to take!

New Bake Books!

Really, Borders has got to stop sending me these coupons. My book obsession is just out of control. I just acquired the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook last week and have been obsessing over a variety of recipes I hope to make in the near future. It's so fantastic. So many pictures of techniques and of the baked goods themselves. For a baking beginner, or for someone who is stimulated by pretty pictures, I highly recommend this book. Anyway, back to my book obsession.... I was watching the Martha Stewart Show ( hmmm... it just happened to be on TV), she had a lovely baker named Erin McKenna on as a special guest. She had come out with a new book called Babycakes, filled with recipes of vegan, gluten free and sugar free baked goods. I have never tried making goods for special diets, but it looked so delicious on TV. I have never been impressed with vegan treats I have tried before, but there is always a first. I think the first thing I make will be the Carrot Cake Cupcakes.... of course only after I make the Ricotta ( completely un-vegan) cheesecake from Martha's book.

Loppem

Yay, I'm done! The loppem sweater from Nora Gaughan Vol 3. I first saw the sample at Imagiknit and had to make it. It also helped that I got to try it on too. After the frustration of making two sweaters now that didn't fit me this year, I just couldn't bear yet another one. I used Palace, from Berroco yarn. It is 50% Merino, and 50% Silk, and it feels like butter. Very light and has a nice drape. Not much for keeping warm, so I think I'll save it for when it gets a little warmer. Yes, below.... another ridiculous attempt to photograph myself with it on.

First Signs of Life!

Oh my first plant from seedling. I thought i would share with you the early stages of my basil plant growth. I bought this basil plant starter kit at Ikea last weekend, and already it is sprouting! Wow, it is so amazing how one could progress so quickly. " Ahhh, one day you will be a fully grown basil plant... and one day... you will become pesto.... " More to come in the days and weeks ahead.

Early Mother's Day

Finally, FINALLY!!!!! After 8 months ( OK, so it was stashed away as WIP for about 6 months) I finished the Cap Sleeve Eyelet Sweater from Closely Knit by Hannah Fettig . Once again I have made a sweater that doesn't fit. This is the second time this year! Unfortunately I think I knew it wouldn't fit from the moment I started knitting it. I brought it home to mom and dad to to use their floor ( blocking space), and who of course decided it would be hers to have and to hold?

It does look fantastic on her. Ugggh, my cashmere blend yarn!! Well I think I still have two balls left. Maybe I can make a hat for myself one of these days..... I told her " It is your Mother's Day gift! You can not wear it until Mother's Day!" She's wearing it on Easter.....

My Buttony Sweater

Finally the perfect project for my stashed Artfibers "Chianti". They just recently closed their store on Sutter St in San Francisco. ( Ahh farewell to my many lunch breaks spent salivating at their unique fibers). They are still available online by the way. It was one of the first yarns I purchased 9 years ago when I was a beginner. I originally bought it for a v neck sweater, but after frustration from not understanding the pattern, and finding out from an expert knitter that I was knitting incorrectly.... i put it away, never to look at the light of day. Always a skein, never a sweater. Finally, thanks to the lovely Ravelry, I found the perfect pattern. It is The Buttony Sweater, by Katie Marcus

It fits perfectly! I made a few slight changes, such as spreading the buttons a little further apart. I also made 3/4 length sleeves ( this was due to not having enough yarn for long sleeves). Oh, finally as finished sweater that I like.. on me that is. It is a top down raglan, knitted in one piece so no seams!!!. I have found that the last few projects as well as my next one have been knitted that way. Buttons, of course, from Britex fabrics. Just in time to lounge in my new sweater this weekend.

My First Fabric Print

A while ago, I acquired the book " Printing by Hand: A Modern Guide to Printing with Handmade Stamps, Stencils, and Silkscreens" by Lena Corwin. This has given me inspiration to start yet another craft hobby, although it is something I have contemplated on for a very long time. I have made my first tea towel, an original design by moi! I used an organic cotton fabric, and yes I made the towel from scratch. I'd love to hear any thoughts you might have or any suggestions to other projects. Simple as it is, I think it came out quite well. I'm pleasantly surprised.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

This Valentine's Day weekend, we decided to go to Monterey Bay Aquarium to spent time with some water friends. This little guy was one of the few otters waiting for his meal. He was quite friendly and adorable. How cuddly.

The penguins were quite friendly and playful too.

This was one of my favorites. The jellies were glowing. It was such a spectacular sight.

I would love to have a fish tank like this one day. I love the vibrant colors of the tropical fish

This little guy was waiting for us to share our clam chowder bowls with him. Sorry, get your own.

February Lady Sweater

Oh, My, how it's coming along. Just an update to what the yarn below has turned into. It's coming out quite well, but now that I'm on the sleeves, it's such a pain to carry around with me. In the meantime, I've started the cable hat from the Debbie Bliss Magazine. I will work on the sweater during my nights at home in front of the TV. The yarn is lovely. I have made smaller things with this yarn before, but a sweater is a first. I'm so excited to see the finished product.

Yummy Yarn

My acquisition from my most recent visit to Imagiknit. I found this adorable sweater pattern from Ravelry. It is called the February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne. The pattern can be found on her blog Flint Knits. So cute. She's got some other fun patterns on her site as well. It is a raglan cardigan knitted from the top down. I've started the raglan shaping and so far so good. I'll keep updates posted, but for now.... the splendor of the yummy yarn.

Soft Snood

Here are some photos of the snood I finished right before Christmas. Sorry it took so long to post, but I have been lovingly wearing it every day and never really got around to taking photos. I got the idea from seeing one on a mannequin in an English clothing shop. It was so adorable, so I thought " I should make one!"

Really, it is so simple. It's just a long tube. You can adjust it to your desired length and play around with different yarns. My version is listed below.

Soft Snood

Yarn: 2 skeins Malabrigo Chunky

Needle: Size 11 circular, 16" length

Gauge: 12 stitches to 4 inches

CO 80 St. PM connect, being careful not to twist

"K2,P2" for 10 rows

Next Row: Decrease every 10 st ( 72 st)

Knit in the round until piece measures about 17 inches ( or desired length)

Next Row: Increase every 10 st (80 St)
"K2,P2" for 10 rows

Bind for loosely in rib.

Tada!!! So easy!