FO Friday 3

This is a cheating FO Friday because I've never posted this cowl as a WIP.

I started this honey cowl on Nov 19 and finished it on Dec 13. It's been sitting around for 2 weeks waiting for me to bind off and block! I bind off yesterday and these pictures are taken before blocking.

Here it is, with 2 skeins of madelinetosh vintage in the tart colorway.

This cowl is a surprise gift for a good friend. I love this color and the pattern. It is not the funnest pattern to do, the vintage is pretty rigid so it's not the easiest yarn to knit with for this pattern. I used this yarn for the purl ridge scarf and it worked really well so I think it's just the yarn and pattern combo that is not liking each other.

But the end result looks pretty and I hope she will like it.

Please check out Tami Ami's blog for more FO's.

Snap Thursday: Tall buildings

Santa (aka. hubby) a new lens for Christmas: Sigma 10-20mm.  I have not had a chance to play around much with it. But I did take a couple of shots when we were in downtown over the weekend.

To join Snap Thursday: Post your photograph on your blog on Thursdays and leave your link in the comment section of my Snap Thursday post. Please also link back to my site. Click here to get your widget.

WIP Wednesday 6

I hope everyone had a great Christmas/Holiday weekend!

I've made quite a progress on my projects. It's nice to have a long weekend. We hung out with friends, ate a lot, and I knit a lot.

My metal circular needles arrived from Amazon so I've been knitting up a storm on the Big Herringbone Cowl.

I was originally frustrated with this pattern. Partially because of not getting along with the bamboo needles. But also because it was a bit awkward using such a big needle. But after a couple of rows I got used to it and now I am addicted and in love with this pattern.

The cowl is about 5 inches in width now and I've started using the 2nd skein of yarn. The pattern said that it's supposed to be 14 inches in width. I think mine is only going to be about 10 so I might go and get another skein. Haven't completely decided yet.

The Celery Cardigan is going well but slow since I've been spending my time with the herringbone cowl. I didn't have time to take a picture of it but it doesn't look much different than last week.

I also worked on the Summer Flies shawl this past weekend. Finished the ruffle edges and have started on the picot edges.

Close up on the picot edges.

Please visit Tami Ami's blog for more awesome WIP's.

Snap Thursday: Merry Christmas

Just a quick Snap Thursday to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! If you do not celebrate Christmas, I wish you Happy Holidays! :)

I made these truffles last weekend. Will post about them next week!

To join Snap Thursday: Post your photograph on your blog on Thursdays and leave your link in the comment section of my Snap Thursday post. Please also link back to my site. Click here to get your widget.

WIP Wednesday 5

I haven't made a lot progress on my existing projects from last week. The Big Herringbone Cowl is pending. I gave up using the bamboo needles and have ordered metal needles instead. It hasn't arrived yet (!!!). Supposed to be this Friday so I am looking forward to do some catch-up knitting this Christmas weekend.

The Celery Cardigan is going well, though not as much progress as I had hoped for since last week. I finished the garter stitches for the body part and bind off. Then I've picked up over 300 stitches on both sides and collar. Picking up stitches is quite fun but frustrating at the same time because it's hard to gauge how to space the stitches. I've gotten to the end a couple of times and realized that I'm short 10 stitches and have to do over.

But that part is done and now onto doing the short rows. 

Here is what it looks like right now. It looks like a jumbled mess because I have the needle running through the sides and the collar. But you can see that nice section of garter stitches at the end of the body :).

I am also working on the Summer Flies shawl. This project has been going on for a month, longer than it should. I first started with a size 8 needle, following the pattern and adding the extra butterfly and ridgelet from Lethaniol and thetanul. And then halfway through doing the picot edges, I discovered I am out of yarn.

Since I have to rip out some section to "get" more yarn, I thought of just making the shawl as it is, without those 2 extra sections. But that would leave me with some yarn leftover and I don't want to have that.

I also don't want to shell out another $26 for an extra skein.

Yes I realize I'm being difficult.

So I started over. With a size 6 needle.

This is how far I've gotten.

It is going fast. I am now at the ruffle edge section and after that binding off with picot edge. I am hoping to have this finished for FO Friday next week.

I really love this pattern. Even with the do-over and the whole yarn drama it is my favorite pattern to knit. And madeleinetosh sock is just a dream to work with.

Oh, and I also have some beads going as you can see in the picture below. I am using size 6 TOHO beads from Michaels. The beads are added to the butterfly section. This is my 1st beaded project too and it is fun adding beads!

Please visit Tami Ami's blog for more awesome WIP's.

Santa Lucia Buns

 
In keeping with the "I want to be a better bread baker," I made another WW bread from Peter Reinhart's book.

Flipping through the book, I was attracted to this recipe because of the photo. The bread has this interesting spiral shape. It looks really good.

Peter Reinhart wrote that Santa Lucia day is a girl who was prosecuted for refusal to renounce her faith. Her day is celebrated every year on December 13th, mostly in Sweden. Though according to Wikipedia, it is also celebrated in Norway and other European countries. Wikipedia has a long article about Saint Lucy's history and it is a sad one so I don't feel like elaborating it here.

There are many different versions of this bread, depending on the country. Peter Reinhart's version is the Swedish one because it uses raisin, instead of currants.

The recipe itself is pretty similar to the other WW bread that I've made, except it uses oil, 1 egg, and more honey.

Chocolate Madeleines

I have made madeleines several times but this is my first time making the chocolate version.

Rose said that since this version used melted chocolate, the texture is heavier and not as airy as the non-chocolate version.

She was right.

FO Friday 2

I have two projects to share with you on today's FO Friday.

 I started the toast arm warmers last weekend and finished it in a couple of days. It used less than 1 ball of Patons Wool yarn in this lovely white color with blue tweed.

I am surprised at how much I love this yarn. It is very soft, much softer than the non-tweedy Patons. And considering I got it on sale for $3, it's not a bad deal.

I've been wearing this arm warmers every day. I love it. I can see myself making this again. But I think I will modify the pattern so I can use a whole skein of yarn.

I've also made this mug sleeve. The pattern is from the book Knitted gifts: irresistible projects to make and gift that I borrowed from the library. I've never seen knitted mug sleeve before so of course I had to make one.

I used leftover yarn from the Idlewood sweater. It is a very fast knit and took me an hour to do. Good for scrap yarn that you don't use.

I checked on ravelry and unfortunately the pattern is not available there. But I did a search on "mug sleeve" and there are a lot of pattern results. Mostly free.

I want to make this one and this one.

Please check out Tami Ami's blog for more FO's.

WIP Wednesday 4

Hi everyone!

I visited Stephen West's blog yesterday and saw this post where he talked about knitting whatever you want.

Inspired, I decided to cast on a new project last night. Yeah I know, I'm just looking for an excuse to cast on something new. That is the most exciting part of knitting after all.

So I am making this crazy Big Herringbone Cowl, using size 17 needles. It is going to be huge and massive. And shocking in color.

The yarn is 2 skeins of Manos del Uruguay Maxima. I fell in love with it when I saw it at the store. It is crazy bright reddish pink.

This is how far I've gotten with the cowl last night. I am only on the 2nd row!

But it is very exciting.

Though I have to tell you I'm not crazy about bamboo needles but it's all I could find in size 17. I'm going to go see if I can find a metal one in other stores.

And here are my progress in the other 2 projects I told you about last week.

The Celery Cardigan is going really well. I almost finished the body part. Only 1 inch of garter stitch left. Then onto the sleeves and garter ridges on the sides and collar.

If it continues to go this well, I might be able to finish this by the end of the year. Yeah - so psyched! :)

Things are also going well on the Still Light Tunic front. I'm on the last part of body increases, the one before I'll have to separate the yarns for the pockets.

I complained about this yarn (Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine) last week but it is growing on me. It is pleasant to knit with. As long as I try not to make mistakes, that is, because undoing this yarn is annoying.

Please visit Tami Ami's blog for more awesome WIP's.

Panettone: Allrecipes vs. RLB

The contenders:

Allrecipes' Panettone VS. Rose Levy Beranbaum's Panettone

Allrecipes:
Last month Hanaa asked me if I wanted to bake together. She suggested bread and mentioned panettone. I jumped to the idea right away. I have been wanting to bake panettone since last year but never got around to it.

We agreed on a recipe from allrecipes website. It has good reviews, the bread in the picture looks good, and it looked pretty easy.

Rose's Heavenly Cake - The Collection

BUTTER CAKES

SPONGE CAKES

MOSTLY FLOURLESS CAKES and CHEESECAKES

BABY CAKES

WEDDING CAKES