Marley #2

Marley #2, originally uploaded by Alissao.

Here's the second Rainbow Marley! This is the same as the first one, just using the colors in a different order. All on a #7 needle, with this yarn there wasn't a big difference between a 7 & an 8 but just enough that I like the 7 better.

Next up? a bunny tail hat!

Not-So-Rainbow Marley

Not-So-Rainbow Marley, originally uploaded by Alissao.

Here it is, the first finished Marley hat. I love how cute this pattern is and I really love the squiggles on top. I've already cast on another one, doing the colors in a different order...

Squee worthy baby hats...

I'm only half way through the first one, but I think I might be addicted to baby hats. I first fell in love with the cutest baby hats ever, from reading the blue blog. Alison (author of Charmed Knits) has knit a bunch of Susan B. Anderson's baby hats (and other projects) and I really fell in love with them. I bought Itty-Bitty Hats (just look at the cutie on the cover!) when it wasn't available from the local libraries and I just knew I'd want to make at least a few of them over the next couple of years (with the baby boom going on between friends and family...). When I was at WEBS in March I picked up yarn for Rainbow Marley (ravelry link) and bunny tails (ravelry). I should be able to get more than one Rainbow from the yarn I have since you use bits of so many colors.
I'm calling mine a Not-Quite-Rainbow Marley because I couldn't get all the rainbow colors in the yarn I was buying... so it is a semi-muted rainbow. I'm using an 8 instead of a 7 because I didn't have a 7 in the right length. It's a bit loose, I'll use the 7 next time. I was just too anxious to start it last night to wait for a trip to the store. You can't see the pattern that well in this photo, laying down like that, but the different stripes use different patterns - most are knit, some are garter, and then a few wild cards are thrown in like seed stitch. The yarn is Valley Yarns Goshen (cotton, modal, silk) it is a little splitty but soft. I like it. This hat is for my soon-be-born nephew, my brother went through a reggae Bob Marley phase so I'm hoping he'll like it. :-) I haven't gotten to the cool part yet, with the squiggles on top, that will liven it up.

The other thing I like about this book is that for each pattern, there's a little box listing every technique/stitch you need for the pattern. Then it tells you what page each is explained on in the book! Not only does she give you all the info you need but she tells you which page so you aren't flipping all over looking for the stinking seed stitch if you can't remember which one it is! Each stitch also lists how to do it for both straight and circular knitting which is a bonus to not even have to think it out at all.

Sunfire and Moon dog

First the knitting... as mentioned last time, I'm making a pair of short socks using the Broadripple pattern. I want them to wear with shorts and my pink converse sneakers so I don't want them too long and I'm only doing the pattern on the leg. The first sock is just getting the gussets because I haven't been knitting much. I'm kind of in a rut, I feel like I should be making the baby surprise jacket for my future nephew but I just don't feel like it so it's making me not feel like knitting period. I did wind the yarn for it, and I started the cast-on but I'm just not feeling it right now. So I think, along with these socks, I'm going to start the Rainbow Marley hat from Itty-Bitty Knits for the same future nephew instead. Something I need to get done, but not a sweater on infernally small needles.

Now, on to Sunfire and Moon dog. This
is Sunfire and this
is Moon dog! Sunfire is my new PINK (obviously) bike and Moon dog is Trevor's. No, we didn't name our bikes, those are the model names and are printed on the bikes. Isn't mine kind of retro? I love it. Also I love how 60s surf movie/Gidget Moon dog sounds. Also they are pictured on our front porch which I also love. An enclosed porch is a lovely thing to have.

Now I just need to learn how to ride it...

The Yarn Harlot, WEBS, Socks, and the Loopy Ewe...

Last Sunday I went to the WEBS hosted Yarn Harlot talk with two friends, Kate and Katie. It was, of course, great! I got a few pictures at the talk then my camera died so I didn't get any at WEBS or around town. Thanks to Katie scouting out our seats, we were only in the fifth row so you can actually tell who it is in the photos, unlike last year. ;-)

Here's Stephanie getting the camera out
more getting ready

And here she is with the sock, taking a picture of the other side of the theater.


After the talk and the Q&A, we went back to WEBS for a bit. The book signing line was already long so we didn't do that (she said she'll be at Rhinebeck again this year and last year I was second in line with no problem so hopefully I'll get one then) but we did get these nifty tour buttons!

I didn't really have any shopping plans but Kate and I both fell in love with this Plymouth Royal Llama Silk and each got it in different colors. It is sooo soft and scrumptious! It might be a lacy scarf, or it might be a hat.

My other purchase was from the button department, which is quite extensive! Especially extensive was the skull button selection! There were five or six different designs, believe it or not. These were voted the two best designs, one of each for Trevor and my sister who is a big skull fan. Project to be determined, or I might just give them to her to add to something on her own.

Next, the socks! I finished them Tuesday morning just in time to wear them to work. I loves them and they got many compliments at work.
Then I cast on my next pair! I'm making a short anklet pair for the summer out of this cute pink, green, and lilac Fixation. I'm doing the leg using the broadripple pattern but then I'm going to drop the pattern because I'm going to wear these with my pink converse sneakers so the foot pattern wouldn't show anyway. Not enough done to bother with a photo yet though.

I needed a needle that The Loopy Ewe had in stock so I ordered that and got one of their cute little tote bags too. It's a good size, good for a baby sweater sized project, or my sock bag and wallet etc.

The hang tag says "Sock yarns don't count as stash!" hee!

This was my free gift from this order, a super cute Loopy stitch marker.

edited to fix a link

Slogging along...

Geez, I didn't think it had been this long! I've just been working on the same socks the whole time so there hasn't really been much to report on. I have one sock and half a leg done my pink and brown broadripples
Here's the first one with my mary janes. I finished the first one the quickest of any sock yet, then I've been dragging my feet a bit on the second one. I do want to finish it up quick though so that I can wear them! Especially since I wear sandals all summer so sock time is drawing to a close for awhile. Also showcased in this oh-so-artistic photo would be my PJ pants with socks all over them.

The other thing I have to show you is my wee tiny sock from the wee sock swap! Slightly belated. Oh, my partner sent it lickity-split, I'm the one who is being belated. :-)

Isn't it cute? It came all the way from Germany, thanks Marcia! (not that I can read german :-P) And believe it or not, she's even been to my city before even though she lives across the world from me. Small world, indeed. Oh, the sock is made out of Opal sock yarn.

Finishitis???

For once in my life, I have a case of finishitis instead of startitis! Look over there ----> see how short that project list is? Shocking, I know.

First, Friday night I finished Trevor's Dashing gloves - his anniversary present from (cough) December. Hopefully he'll be able to wear them a few times this season before it gets hot. Let's just say after six pairs of Fetching and 1 1/2 pairs of Dashing, I don't want to make another pair of gloves for a loooong time.

I shortened them in these places:
After third cable round - work 12 rounds instead of 24
After thumb opening - work 15 rounds instead of 18

Yesterday I finished the George Socks, also for Trevor. Major SSS with these since I started the pair back in July, oops.


At that point, I was really enjoy the rush of finishing things. So I got out those green cabled toddler socks that I don't even need until god knows when and finished those too! ooh yeah.


Then I "finished" this hat. (it was already done but I never got a photo before it went into a display so I kept it as unfinished on the progress bar)

It's the Yarn Harlot's Ken's Dulaan hat in a child's size and will be going to charity the next opportunity that comes up. (Maybe they're doing a hat collection at WEBS next month? if not I'll take it to the City Mission)

That left me with only two WIP (not counting two I've moved to "hibernating" - the grey dashing that doesn't have a home to go to and the snowflake headband I'm not ready for) - two dishcloths!

So then I let myself cast on a new project. This is Broadripple in Elann Esprit.

This is the yarn that has all the same makeup as Cascade Fixation and seems to be exactly the same. Except it comes in different colors and is cheaper (except for the shipping from Canada thing since they don't sell it locally). I got three balls in this color 9055 and two balls of a blue and brown colorway from people destashing on Ravelry. I got a really good deal so it was a good way to try it out. I love pink and I love pink and brown so I had to have this color. I am a smidge eh about the grey that's in there but doesn't show much in the photo (if it was white it would be Neapolitan ice cream!), but over all I love the way it is working up.

This will be my portable project and I'll also be starting one of the Baby Surprise Jackets too, but I have to get all the yarn wound first.

Wee Tiny Socks and Loopy Ewe Goodies

Last night I made my wee tiny sock for the swap, tomorrow morning this sucker will be headed off to the UK and its new home.
It's Cascade Fixation in Italian Ices # 9955 out of the Jennifer's Mini Sock pattern I've used before.

This one is for me, it's the same yarn but using the Keychain Sock Blocker Sock pattern that comes with the mini sock blocker. (used size 4 needles with the fixation) Very nice pattern. This is my second mini sock blocker, I had a Loopy credit and I used it to get another one of these for my knitting bag (the first is on my keychain)
and to get this
it's a kitchener stitch dogtag! This ingenious little thing comes from Knitcellaneous the same people who do the mini sockblocker keychains. Here it is at the Loopy Ewe, unfortunately they are out of stock at the moment but I'm sure there's more on the way! Oh, I see they are still available directly from Knitcellaneous. But if you're working toward Groupie status, cough cough... I am also in deep love with Sparkle the Peacock and really want one. But I'm holding off because Sheri said she'll be getting them and you know, I'm a groupie wannabe. ;-)

Here it is again in it's new home attached to my sockmonkey sockbag. Just what I needed to keep the steps in my head!
One more goodie from The Loopy Ewe, this time a freebie! This purchase put me one step closer to being a Groupie and got me this little treat from Sheri!

Fitting into the tiny sock theme, it's a Loopy's Red Sock Kit! Since I can't make it myself (wool) my friend Katie has offered to make it for me. yay!

A finished Danica and a bunch of cupcakes!

First, my Danica is finished!
yay! I love it. It ended up being 5 feet 4 inches long. I have a small ball of yarn left, but I don't think it is enough to do another pattern repeat - can't say for sure. I couldn't trust going to the length stated in the pattern before doing the ending triangles because the Cherry Tree Hill skeins are smaller than the ones specified in the pattern. I was really tired of it by the end but that's just because I don't have the project attention span for scarves, I really did enjoy the pattern.

On to the cupcakes, I've had a cupcake post in the works for months now and I've amassed quite the collection so I decided it was time. If last summer was the Summer of the Pancake, this was definitely the Winter of the Cupcake (not that the cupcakes will stop any time soon).

At Thanksgiving I made Pumpkin Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Pumpkin Ice Cream. They were fantastic. I don't have a recipe really, use your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe or mix and fill all the cupcake tins/liners halfway to start with. Mix up the pumpkin filling - I took a small can of pumpkin and did a pumpkin pie sort of thing just to taste - I added a splash of milk, a bit of sugar, and then your favorite pumpkin pie type spices. Put a dollop of the filling into each cupcake and add more batter on top of the pumpkin. Bake according to the recipe! Top with cream cheese frosting and serve with pumpkin ice cream! This is my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe (and I've gotten a lot of inspiration from the Cupcake Bakeshop!).

Then at Christmas I made Chocolate Cupcakes with Cranberry Orange Filling. Again, use your favorite chocolate cupcake and only fill halfway to start. For the filling, all I did was dump a bag of cranberries in a bowl, add a few splashes of orange juice and then microwave it. For my berries and my microwave, it was 5 to 6 minutes. When I took them out I smushed the cranberries with a fork and added sugar to taste. I wanted chunks of cranberry but if you wanted it totally smooth you could do the same thing and just puree it instead of forking it. One bag of cranberries made almost the perfect amount for 24 cupcakes - there was only a spoonful leftover. Fill the cupcakes and top with the rest of the batter. Bake as directed. I used the same cream cheese frosting recipe except I added a teaspoon of orange juice and some red food coloring. After frosting I topped each cupcake with a craisin (actually they were an organic version from another brand which I liked better than the Ocean Spray) As an alternative, you could chop some craisins and stir them into the frosting. Oh, I also had added a teaspoon of dried orange peel to the cupcake batter but I do not recommend that. The filling and frosting were great but the cupcakes tasted "burnt" even though they weren't. Since it was a good cupcake I'd used before I decided that was the orange peel. So if you want to try to orange up the cupcake as well, try some orange juice or fresh zest instead.

Next up on the agenda, the vegan cupcakes I made for a bachelorette party a few weeks ago. Some of you may be thinking, ew, vegan? And I hear you. But last year I tried a recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and then I knew it was possible to have yummy vegan cupcakes! At last year's slumber party we made the Golden Vanilla Cupcakes with the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and they were great. This time I made Your Basic Chocolate Cupcake and topped them with Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting. The chocolate cupcakes were amazing. The frosting I only recommend if you really need the vegan - it had an off taste to me. (the chocolate buttercream last year was literally the best frosting ever so either the chocolate covers it up or the brand of vegan margarine I bought this year isn't as good as last year's) The second batch of cupcakes was an adaptation of a recipe in the book - it has a recipe for Margarita cupcakes and frosting and I adapted it to be a Mojito recipe to fit with a personal favorite of my friend the bride. Since Margaritas and Mojitos are both lime, we were on the right track. Here's the recipe with my many changes:
note: this is a different type of cupcake, dense and extra moist, just be prepared

Mojito Cupcakes - makes 12
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest
1 cup soy or rice milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp mint extract
1 tsp rum extract and 1 1/2 tablespoons water (or 2 tablespoons light rum - I didn't have any and the liquor stores were already closed)
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350'. Grease muffin tins or use cupcake liners. Mix in a large bowl: lime juice, zest, soy milk, oil, extracts and water or rum, sugar. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and mix. Fill tins 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick is clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Cool before frosting.

Mojito Frosting
This was so delicious I will be making it again for other cupcakes!
1/4 cup vegan margarine (you'd think all margarine was dairy free since it isn't butter but most still has milk products in it) softened (or butter if you don't need it to be dairy free)
1 tablespoon soy or rice milk
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon light rum and 1/4 tsp mint extract or 1/4 tsp rum extract, 1/4 tsp mint extract and enough water to make 1 tablespoon(ish)
optional green food coloring
2 cups confectioners sugar

Blend margarine until fluffy, add milk, lime juice, extracts and rum/water. Blend in confectioners sugar until smooth and yummy. Add more sugar if needed to make it your desired consistency. Chill until needed.

Oh, perhaps you are wondering about the decor of the cupcakes? It was a March 15th wedding so the bachelorette party had a light Ides of March/Roman theme. ;-)

yes, those are the club sandwich cocktail swords :-P but they have the loop ripped off to be more dagger like

Easter brought another cupcake from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World - Pineapple Right-Side-Up Cupcakes. Instead of baking the pineapple on the bottom, you put a cooked pineapple topping and cherry on top after they are baked and cooled. I wasn't thrilled with this cupcake, but the topping was good. I think I'd rather do the topping on a yellow cupcake. This cupcake had ground pineapple right in the cupcake it was a bit much for me.

O.k., the last cupcake was not baked by me, just purchased and eaten. We went to the CIA for lunch the other day and of course stopped at the bakery to get some goodies to take home for later. This was their "cupcake of the day" - it was chocolate but I'm not sure what else exactly. It was very good and very moist, it might have even had a filling of sorts? Not sure, but it was good. And how about those decorations! The frosting was ganache (yum) and then it had some multicolored dragee kind of things with handmade sugar flowers. I'm not a sugar flower fan but Trevor said they were tasty. Neither of us ate the dragees (silly little rocks really, but they are pretty). Oh, and what an awesome liner! The nifty cut paper thing was put on after it was baked, there was a regular silver cupcake liner underneath. I'd love to buy some of those paper lace things, I'll have to see if they are available anywhere.

There you go, six cupcakes and a scarf!

edited to fix a link

Two quick things...

1. My progress on Danica - I'd say I'm 70 to 75% done now? I'm guessing I have about a quarter of the yearn left. And it is just over four feet long so it should be a good size when I run out of yarn. I am kind of working on this all the time when I should be making progress on other things because I want to get it done so I get to wear it this year before it gets too warm!
2. Wee Tiny Sock Swap! - If you don't do sock swaps, like me, (too much work to swap away, the wool thing etc.) consider the Wee Tiny Sock Swap from yarnmiracle - all you do is make ONE tiny sock, send it off to your assigned person and get one from someone else in return! There's a flickr group, there's a ravelry group... You have to sign up by this Thursday, you'll get your assignment on Friday, you mail the sock on Monday. Emily has a pattern (pdf) you can use or use any tiny sock pattern - if you have the mini sock blocker that has a pattern, or this is the one I've used in the past. These things are quick so the weekend is really not a bad deadline. Or, get started now! Info here, sign up here