Don't know which I've been doing more...

...knitting or baking, but both have been ongoing at the heezy. Don't have any pics of my current knitting, but do on the baking.

Christmas cupcakes!

They are vanilla cupcakes with a vanilla buttercream frosting. Sophia picked out the baking cups and the sprinkles. Both kids helped sprinkle. I actually received a compliment on these from my ten-year-old son. Those of you who know how rare that is can appreciate such an auspicious occasion.

Heads up...

Sorry for the lame title, but what you gon' do? Just finished a hat for Sophia. I've had this yarn pretty much since I started knitting and have been wanting to use it forever. My desires were not in vain because this yarn is AWESOME. It is a bamboo-wool blend that is super soft and has a lovely sheen to it.

Pattern: Turn A Square by Brooklyntweed
Yarn: Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo dk in Babe 134 and Little Lilac 137
Needles: US 6 (4.00 mm) 32" circulars (magic loop)
Yet another win for the ever popular Brooklyntweed. Turn A Square, so called because of the resulting square of stripes formed by the decreases, is actually meant for an adult hat. However, because I was using a dk weight yarn and a smaller needle, I was able to stick to the pattern as written. The only thing I had to alter was the length at which I began decreasing---4.5" from the CO edge, as opposed to 5".

I also made an attempt at jogless stripes per this tutorial. As you can see, the result was a nearly imperceptible faux seam. Please note that all of these photos are pre-blocking.


Overall, the hat is a bit big on Sophia, but will still fit next year so I am muy pleased with this FO.

Mitten knittin'

So the seaming of the baby sweater was really killing my spirit so after finishing one side, I put it down and started knitting something fun. I promised my mom some mittens so I started the Chevalier Mittens for her. With the exception of the thumb, the right mitten is finished. I also heart the Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool a lot. I would even go so far as to say that I puffy heart it. It's tweedy and rustic, yet soft and luxurious. I just wish there were a worsted weight version of it. I'm knitting these using the magic loop method so this WIP is flying off of my needles. I'm still using my cell phone to take pics so the brilliant golden color is not at all well-represented, but most accurately in the last pic. Someone who loves me should definitely buy me a new digital camera for Christmas.
I added a slit in the palm to make them flip-top mittens so she can use her digits without pulling them off...the mittens, not her digits.

I have tasted Heaven...and it is a cupcake

Today's post features one FO and one WIP. They are both just in time for Thanksgiving. First the FO, not knitting related at all. It is food, though, so it counts as a craft of sorts. This is quickly turning into a knitting/cupcake blog. Check it out, I made Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes! Seriously, these are so good that if I were a crackwhore, I'd sell myself AND my crack for just one. Don't they look like tiny little pumpkin pies?! Even better, though, because they're cupcakes. I used this recipe for the cupcakes and for the rich and creamy cream cheese frosting, I used this recipe. For the dollops of whipped cream, I just used Reddiwip. (Am I the only one that finds it a little obnoxious that they spell whip without the h?)

The WIP is for my cousin and his wife who are expecting sometime in December. Her family has already given the requisite baby shower. However, his family (us) would also like to give them a few things for their new addition on Thanksgiving Day. I opted to knit a Baby Surprise Jacket from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop and purchased some nonknitter-friendly yarn. It's Cascade Yarns Cherub Collection D.K. in color 31, a celery green shade, which can be machine washed and dried. However, me being me, I misplaced my copy of Knitting Workshop this weekend. Time being of the essence, I chose to cast on something else instead. I broke out my copy of Baby Knits for Beginners by Debbie Bliss and selected the pattern for the V-neck Cardigan with Contrast Ribs. Fortunately, I had some Knit Picks Swish DK in the Storm colorway that worked for the contrast ribbing. I cast on Saturday evening and was able to complete the back, left, and right fronts by the end of the weekend. (I, of course, found the book about halfway through the back of the cardigan.)

Here they are blocking.


Note the many pieces. I am not looking forward to all of the seaming. Hasn't Debbie Bliss ever heard of knitting in the round? I opted to omit that step from the sleeves and I'm magic looping them instead. There are a crapload of ends to weave in as well. Plus, I'm not even sure that the size I've chosen (3-6 mos) will fit. Man, I wish this were going to my kid or another knitter. I am so paranoid about giving handknits to non-knitters and that my efforts will be wasted, unappreciated, and/or not valued.

Back with the knitting.

Sometimes a knitter comes to regret what has been knit. It could be the finished object doesn't fit, maybe the WIP is a boring knit, or the yarn just looks awful in the pattern. Whatever the reason, some things will, inevitably, wind up in the frog pond. We call it frogging because you rrrrrip. Get it? Yeah, knitters are a quirky bunch. That's what happened with this sock. Once the yarn has been frogged, though, it's still knitworthy. However, after being knit up once and frogged, the yarn ends up kinky and gnarly-looking like this. Before reknitting with once-frogged yarn, I usually give it a bath to help it bounce back to its original state. I opted to forego that step this time and just started knitting with it. The difference is decidedly noticeable. Fortunately, it is only noticeable on the plain stockinette sole of the socks.

Needless to say, I recommend the bath.

The color is more accurately represented in the first pic and the pattern is more accurately represented in the second pic.


Pattern: TTL Mystery Socks-Cable Version
Yarn: Elann Sock It To Me 4 ply in Brick
Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) circular

Election Night revisited.

I could not be more pleased that President Obama is our new Commander-in-Chief. We held an election at home as part of our Election Day festivities. It should come as no surprise that he won by a landslide at our home.

Sophia votes in non-partisan green crayon.

Julian casts his ballot.

He takes the time to provide his political opinion.

Sophia casts her ballot so fast that her hands can't be captured on film. If you've never realized it before now...yes, we are ghetto. The minute my daughter gets in the house, the clothes come off. Well, usually she takes off her shirt and walks around in just pants for an hour or so. Eventually, though, everything comes off.

Although I couldn't have been happier with our new President-Elect, I was disappointed to learn that anti-gay constitutional amendments passed in Arizona, Arkansas, California, and Florida. The amendments in Florida and Arkansas effect straight couples as well. It jeopardizes benefits and health insurance provided to domestic partners. Most reprehensible in Arkansas is the forbidding of unmarried domestic couples from adopting or fostering children. It is unfathomable to me that proponents of the so-called "pro-life" agenda support the further reduction of foster and/or adoptive parents to scores of children. (I say, so-called because I have noticed that most who claim to be pro-life are, in all honesty, pro-en utero. They want you to carry your baby to term, but as soon as you give birth, bitch, you on ya own!) When being offered loving parents, do these kids really care about their potential parents' sexual orientation or marital status? California, as others have said, seems to care more about the rights of farm animals than those of people. I just can't comprehend the suppression of one of the most basic civil rights/liberties of an entire population of American citizens.

Sorry for the political rant. I'll be back with knitting content in the next post. Promise.

YES WE DID!!!

I arrived at work this morning still hopeful and jubilant in the victory of President-Elect Barack Obama. It wasn't long before I was being weighed down by the negativity of a few cow-irkers' (to use a friend's phrase) comments. However, after watching Obama's acceptance speech, my spirit was once again bouyed. Still crying, I watched my sister's slideshow featuring the international reaction to his victory. To see the hope and elation on the faces of so many who are not American citizens, but feel the impending effect his leadership will have on the world...it is awe-inspiring, to say the least. I have, happily and faithfully, placed my family and my country in his hands and have no regrets.

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