2011 in Review

What a year! It's amazing how much can really change in just one year.

There are several things I made that I never got around to posting about and even more that I couldn't post about due to being Christmas gifts. I'll try to catch back up on those as I really would love to show them to you.

Here is a mosaic of all the projects I did this year. Not just the knitting, but the spinning, weaving, jewelry, painting, sewing, baking...! Not being tied to a 9-5 job has really allowed me time and creativity to dabble in other things I've loved to do, but just never had the time. There's even more things I have done that never made it to completion so never got photographed. Some day they'll get finished, and then they'll grace the blog.

Hoping you all had a wonderful Christmas - ours was a little hectic with numerous little relatives running all about, and one of them getting sick in the midst. And also that you had a wonderful New Years. We might have been in bed at 11:30, then woken up by fireworks at midnight. We did manage to roll over and whisper "Happy New Years sweetie/honey" before falling back asleep. Sad, I know.

Thin Mint Cookies

Apparently when I say 'tomorrow' I really mean '3 days later'. We have more family in town now, who we have been anxiously waiting for. So our extra time is starting to disappear, but we really don't mind! Tradition has us opening presents tonight at my in-law's and tomorrow for Hubby and I.

Now on to the Girlscout Thin Mint Cookies.

I found this recipe on Pinterest, where I seem to be finding some wonderful and unique recipes, and couldn't not try it.

My first warning on this recipe is to completely ignore the 'total time' the recipe lists. It is completely not accurate! I'll tally my time as we go here.

First up...the wafer:

Made from a box of fudge cake mix, flour, shortening, an egg and the smallest amount of water I thought could possibly work all mixed together.  At this point I was extremely thankful for my Kitchen-aid mixer as it's a beast to stir. Once everything is blended together you chill the dough in the fridge for 2 hours.

So that's maybe 15 minutes to mix everything, and 2 hours in the fridge = 2:15

Second...the rolling and baking:

You're supposed to take out small chunks of the dough and do this in batches. I found the dough MUCH easier to manage once it warmed up a bit. Honestly I couldn't get it to hardly roll out at all while it was still fairly chilled. Depending upon how large your cookie sheets are, I'd take out more. They bake for 10 minutes per sheet and then need to cool completely. I let them sit over night.

More calculations: maybe 10 minutes to roll out the first set, cut, and put on cookie sheets. Then 10 minutes per round. If you can fit 30 cookies per sheet then that takes at least 40 minutes for baking (assuming you're finished rolling and cutting and prepping a 2nd sheet before the first is out of the oven). = 3:05 (not including cooling time for cookies)

Third...the chocolate mint goodness:

This part is fun, but becomes tedious fairly quickly. You take chocolate chips, shortening, and peppermint extract and warm in the microwave.

[next warning, you need 3/4 of these ingredients. If you make the full you'll have plenty of leftovers. I let mine cool on a waxed cookie sheet, chunked it up once set, then put it in a baggie in the freezer.]

It took me roughly 5 minutes to get the chocolate all melted. (I did 2/3 of the chocolate, then the other 3rd so I didn't have to use a huge bowl) Then there's the dipping, flipping, tapping, tapping, tapping, tapping, scraping, and gently sliding down the fork onto wax paper.

Here's my biggest tip - keep the chocolate blend warm! You'll be amazed how easier it is to coat the wafers and get onto the sheet when the chocolate is warm. They even come out looking a lot smoother and nicer (but that's the perfectionist in me too). The tapping comes into place with the cookie on a fork against the side of your bowl to get the extra chocolate off. Believe me, this is a must. But it does slow things way down. Then again, the warmer and smoother the chocolate - the easier this part is! Also - scrape off some of the dripping chocolate on the bottom of the fork and cookie on the side of the bowl when you're on your way to put it on the sheet.

Then they go into the fridge for 20 minutes or until they're set.

Final calculations: 149 cookies (hubby ate one - and the batch was only supposed to make 108?!?) took me 2 1/2 hours to coat in chocolate. Including reheating of the chocolate, and making another batch. I won't count any but the final setting time since the other cooled while more were being made, and that's 20 min. So that's a grand total of 5:30. Yes, 5 and a half hours!

If your cookies are thicker than mine you'd make fewer thus reducing the baking and coating times. But I'm happier with my thinner cookies than the thicker ones.

And I have received no shortage of compliments on these cookies! If you're up for the time and all the standing then I would definitely say make them.

[last warning, the chocolate doesn't like sitting at room temp once the cookies are set. We are keeping ours in the fridge out of necessity. After roughly 20-30 min of sitting out on a plate I picked one up only to instantly have chocolate fingers. But if they're in the fridge they aren't quite the temptation and last a lot longer! But it also makes them not as fun to have at parties.]

Time Flies!

How did a month go by that fast? I'm still trying to figure that out.

In the mean time I am finally feeling a little bit relaxed as the list of Christmas presents to be made is: 2. It helps that Many of the items simply fell off the list when I found other things that I preferred to purchase. Yes, making things was my attempt to save money. But when sanity and the joy of the project comes into question it might just not be worth it after all.

"Here is your present...I detested the process of making it, and I hope you love it."
Yeah, just not right and I couldn't bring myself to do it!

Something I did do was make edible goodies for some stocking stuffers. I only have a few people who'll receive these who actually read this blog (if they still do that is) so I'm not too worried about showing them off. But since these aren't the only stocking stuffers...the full surprise isn't ruined.

Homemade Marshmallows paired with Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate.
I used this recipe, but left out the salt & peppermint - both completely on accident. But leaving out the peppermint was probably a good thing since several people receiving these don't like that flavor. I've tested these, and they work wonderfully in hot chocolate, though they don't melt away completely link the mini's do.

This was my first time making marshmallows, and it was quite interesting. Somehow I expected them to be firm...to which I give you the next image to proove they certainly are not!

The mixing, boiling, mixing & moving to the glass dish was nothing compared to the tedious cutting. Before every cut you need to coat your knife in butter. I used a stick straight from the fridge and simply rubbed it on. Once you cut through the majority stays on the marshmallows thus prompting you to either coat the knife in butter again, or get marshmallow stuck on it with the next cut.

When it came to the 2nd smaller cuts I was able to do multiple at a time since some of the knife still had butter on it. But still, that's a lot of standing! I had also never thought of using powdered sugar to take the edge off the stickiness (think of how you use flower while rolling out cookies). I certainly learned a lot with this experience.

If you make these I suggest covering the 'raw' sticky sides with powder after the first cuts (while they are in long stripe like shown above), then the other two raw sides once you make the individual cuts. Makes the whole ling a lot more manageable.

I opted to use small plastic candy bags from Wilton's brand (Michael's Craft Store) and used 4 per bag. Then I realized that it would probably be smart to give the hot chocolate too! That got me creative with a label, stamps, and some old ink pads that are about 6 years old (and amazingly still worked)

If you look carefully you can see a faint cream and slightly glittery coffee cup stamp. I had hoped that and the small snowflake would show up a little better, but they are delicate and give a little sparkle in just the right light.

Tomorrow: Homemade Thin Mint Cookies!

Oops

I've been MIA for a while, my apologies! I've been quite busy lately, but have little to show for it. And even when I could have something to show for it my camera isn't on my person or somehow never makes it out of my purse. And since I've been so occupied my dream of finishing all the handmade Christmas presents this month most likely won't happen. And honestly, that's just fine!

In other news we got our first snow here in the Twin Cities. Of course it was on a day when I had a good hour drive to meet up with a friend, and then another hour drive to our destination for the evening. We both got home safe and had a lovely time.

Here are a couple more hats I finished late October.

A striped beanie for hubby's father. This is made with just over half a skein of both Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed in 409 - Night (dark gray) & Berroco Blackstone Tweed in 2607 - Wintry Mix (medium gray). The Silkroad was leftovers, which worked out quite well here.

I love how it turned out! I made it a little larger and longer than normal. This way the brim will fold up just above the ribbing, and be able to fold down when there is an extra chill on the wind. If I had made it without the extra length (a full stripe's worth) It could have been closer to using half a skein of each.

For this 2nd hat I used just under 1 1/3 skeins of the Berroco Blackstone Tweed in 2607 - Wintry Mix. Both hats are identical in size, and this one will go to hubby's grandfather.

I have a feeling he'll really like the simpleness of it. Besides, the fabric from the Blackstone Tweed is incredibly nummy! If it weren't so pricey I would make a sweater out of it in a heartbeat.

Béret généreux

The Béret généreux by Isabelle Allard is a free download from Ravelry. I stumbled upon it while we were visiting my parents. I needed a tam with a flower-like pattern on top for worsted yarn I had just purchased. If I couldn't find a pattern I would have designed my own, but having everything laid out for you certainly makes things quicker and easier. Somehow between waiting for planes, a flight, more waiting, another flight, and resting at home that evening I managed to get this done. Practically in one day! (cast on the brim the night before, and redid the brim a few days later)

The details:
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Worsted Merino Superwash Solids in Light Moss (13) and Butter (20) 1 skein each. (I actually used just under half a skein of each)
Needles:US 3 - 3.25mm & US 6 - 4.0 mm

Changes:
I didn't have a good mental image of what the colorwork brim was supposed to look like, and I had trouble understanding the instructions. I blame it on a loud TV, a very cold house, and being fairly tired that evening. I opted to switch the brim to a K2P2 ribbing since the math would work out perfectly. I switched to a US 4 - 3.5mm needle instead of the US 5 - 3.75mm the pattern called for. I wanted a stretchy brim!

After blocking I realized that the brim was still too large. I cut the yarn just above the increase row and pulled out all the stitches attaching the brim to the body of the hat. I then picked up stitches on  a US 3 - 3.25mm and worked backwards.

Here's how I did it - in all the gory detail (for those of you who actually wish to know)
(and there's even a little explanation to you non-knitters at the end of the post!)

The pattern calls for: 108 stitches CO, increase at the rate of K3, M1. Which gives you 144 stitches.
Reverse equals 144 stitches on the needles, Decrease with K2, K2tog, which gives you 108 stitches.

I took a gauge of my ribbing and discovered that my brim was 24 inches! Wowza. I wanted a brim that was around 22 inches instead. Here's where math comes in. 108 (cast on) / 24 (inches) = 4.5.  Take that 4.5 x 22 (wanted inches) = 99. Rounding down, because it is ribbing after all, the nearest number divisible by 4 (for the K2P2 ribbing) is 96. Voila! A perfect match. And it was perfect because of one little detail: I was able to decrease evenly across the hat instead of at an odd rate.

To break it down even further, here's what I found. 108 (orig CO) / 3 (orig K sts between M1s) = 36. Multiply 36 x 4 (K sts + the M1) = 144. I wanted 96 sts....96 (new CO) / 2 (guessed new qty of K stitches between M1s) = 48. Multiply 48 x 3 (K stitches + the M1) = 144. The only thing that changed was the CO number, and the quantity of stitches K between the M1s, hence my considering it as 'perfect'.

What I did: started with 144 stitchees, decreased with K1, K2tog, which gave me 96 stitches.
Reverse equals 96 stitches for the CO, increase at a rate of K2, M1. Which gives you 144 stitches.

(CO = Cast On - K = Knit - M1 = Make one stitch)

I'm still not the best stranded knitter, but my work is certainly improving. I think having this thicker yarn certainly helped. I had just knit the Beaumont Tam (posting about that one soon) and I was fairly loose in my gauge. I easily tightened up and kept consistent with this hat and yarn. I couldn't be happier!

And for those of you who like to see the inside of color-work, here ya go...

For you non-knitters 'stranded knitting' means knitting with 2 different strands of yarn simultaneously. While you are knitting with one color the 2nd color 'floats' along the back of the work until it is needed again. At that point the yarns swap places and the first color 'floats' along the back. Above you will see horizontal lines 'floating' along the hat. These are exactly that - Floats. The longer the float, which means the longer you knit with the other strand, the more of a chance one of those floats will get caught on something. You don't worry about it so much in hats, but it's vertainly a concern in mittens. Which is why a lot of mittens that are knit in multiple colors with patterns will be lined. It's not so that your hands keep warmer (which is a bonus though!); it's so that your fingers or rings don't get caught on the floats and get stuck or damage the yarn, or even the pattern.

There, you are now a more informed consumer.

9 Years Ago

E and I had our first date.

I remember it in such detail.

I even remember what we wore. E in a tan sweater and jeans. Me in a pink 3/4 sleeve t-shirt with a red peacock on it, and jeans too.

Applebees ~ the only respectable and cool restaurant in the little city where we went to college

Bourbon steaks ~ he actually ordered for me!

A virgin Mucho Mud Slide ~ because he said he'd share a dessert with me and that he liked unpredictable women. I though, "you want unpredictable? Fine now you'll have to share a Mucho Mud Slide with me on top of your apple streussel. Ha!" Yeah, he was absolutely shocked when that dessert came to the table.

Such a fun and quirky evening. One I'll certainly never forget.

And now 9 years later we're more in love than we've ever been. We'll even be going out to dinner tonight to celebrate, though it won't be to Applebees. The Bourbon steaks, if they even still have them, started to wane in quality around or 3rd or 4th celebrations. So we decided to make it dinner at one of our favorite places instead.

There should even be dessert at Starbucks afterwards.

This was us this past Friday night. We were invited to join some friends at the FMSC yearly Gala event in Minneapolis. It was a great evening, and they were able to raise a healthy sum of $$ for a focus in Africa this next year. I got to meet some wonderful people and spend time with others that we already knew we loved. Plus it's always a lot of fun to get glammed up.

~ Hubby ~ 

Thank you for helping to make the last 9 years the most magical of my life. 

I love and respect you more every year 

and am so thankful that you asked me out that night on the phone. 

I never could have expected how things would turn out when I called you 

just to tease you about something. 

{smooches}

November

How did it get to be November already? First we were carving pumpkins with friends (I didn't get any pictures of mine before the frost got to it) then suddenly it's the 8th of November!

We're still trying to hold onto what's left of a beautiful fall, but the wind is doing it's part to steal every last leaf from the trees.

This was the view from E's Mother's back yard 6 days ago. I am completely in love with the colors. If only I had the skills to turn these shades into dyed roving. Speaking of which I didn't dye a single thing this summer. I'll have to remedy that next year.

My November challenge is to attempt to finish making the rest of our Christmas presents. It's quite the list actually.

Knitting:
Stole (halfway done - new pattern too!)
Scarf (Was going to weave this but don't have enough yarn)
Piano Runner
Secret item
Sweater

Sewing:
Lounge Pants
Lounge Pants
Lounge Pants
Lounge Pants
Lounge Pants
Lounge Pants
Secret item

Jewelry:
Bracelet

Other:
Secret item

Finished:
Hat
Hat
Tam
Secret item
Secret item
Bracelet
Bracelet
Bread Basket Liner

Ooh, it's overcast outside! I need to go take some detail photos of some finished items...quick!

Vacation Pics Take 2

While visiting my parents we got to drive into Ecola Park. That's right between Cannon Beach and Seaside. It's also the location for some of the filming of the Goonies movie. (think back to the scenes with the kids riding their bikes in the woods).

The roads back through Ecola park are incredibly windy. There were several moments when I was thankful I wasn't driving and I just stared at my knitting. This picture is my tribute to that road.

There are two vantage points you can drive to in the park. This first one was at ocean level.

Of course I had to get a picture with my sweet father.

Closer to the park entrance is a picnic area that is much higher up. It affords a great view of the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse and the rocks to the south. The tall rock near the center of the photo below is Haystack Rock.

Another angle.

And the view out to the ocean. The large rock below is the Sea Lion Rock Arch. If you look closely you can see the light shining through hole carved into it by the waves. (Tillamook Lighthouse is off to the right of this picture.)

This is also were E saw his first slug.

And where we counted over 30 of these Wooly Bear caterpillars covering the sunny pathways and grass. Did you know there is an Old Wives' Tale that the Wooly Bear can predict the coldness of the coming winter? The narrower the stripe = the colder the winter.

This same day we ran into a group of ladies who were in Seaside for a quilting retreat. About 6 of them collaborated on this quilt. It was being sold by raffle tickets in Montana some time this month.

Then on another day there was Long Beach in Washington.

17 miles (from what I remember) of beach.

We even got to see Jake the Alligator Man.

I laughed, E wasn't impressed.

And cranberry fields.

I really wish I had taken my SLR camera on the trip. It felt like my little Fuji just wasn't up to a good chunk of the photos I tried to take. Then there was the issue that we always seemed to be shooting into the sun. Oh Well.

All in all it was a great trip. I missed my parents before they even drove away from the airport.

Vacation in Photos

...and a few captions.

November should be a very busy month for me. Instead of the traditional sweater challenge I'm challenging myself to get the majority of my Christmas gifts made. I already know what they all are (as I've previously stated) but I'm starting to feel the pressure. Before I start posting about that I must needs post about the trip!

I've had a bit of a hard time getting going this time around. I'm not sure why, but I'm going to push myself right along.


E and I had the special treat of having L & K pick us up from the Portland airport. We were all super hungry so we headed over to the Observatory for lunch.

This place was wonderful and certainly didn't disappoint. I would definitely recommend it.  And what a cool ceiling!

Taking the girls down to Haystack Rock

Warming up at the Sleepy Monk in Cannon Beach

Looking super cute in that hat

Checking out buttons at the antique store (just a wee bit pricey, but very well displayed)

Walking to the end of the strip in Seaside

Climbing around the Peter Irredale Shipwreck on the coast.

Becoming even better buds

I miss these girls so much. I have to admit I cried after they left to go back to Seattle.

Girls, again, thank you! It meant so much to us that you drove all that way.

Home Sweet Home

As much we love the Oregon Coast, Hubby and I are certainly happy to be home. And the kitties are certainly thrilled to have us back too. I've been in the office for a half an hour and this is the longest I haven't had a kitty glued to my side since we've been home.

The trip was wonderful! We got to spend some great, albeit short, time with K & L. We got to spend lots of time with my parents. And even time playing with their kitties and tormenting them by holding them or forcing them to sit on our laps for 30 seconds. Apparently they are now walking around my parent's house looking and crying for us. I think my parents might be crying a little too.

This is one of our views today as we take it easy sitting next to a window. Hubby is engrossed in a book while I'm knitting, cataloging new yarn purchases on Ravelry and updating projects there. I actually had quite the productive trip!

Finished the Bread Basket Liner for Hubby's Mother.
Finished a beanie for Hubby's Father out of Blackstone Tweed. (that stuff is simply amazing!)
Started the El Hatto Negro pattern for Hubby's Father's Father out of Malabrigo worsted. (about 1/4 of the way done)
Started and finished the Beaumont Tam for Hubby's Grandmother in Classic Elite Fresco.
Started and finished the Béret Généreux for Hubby's Aunt in Plymouth Yarn Worsted Merino (which I bought the day before we left to come home!)

Everything that is done from the trip is upstairs blocking. I'm a littler nervous that the Tams are going to grow too much and I"ll have to knit them again at a smaller gauge. Especially the Beaumont. I knit it on a size 7 and very loose. Of course I didn't bother to do a swatch as I started it after we made it out to the coast.

At least this certainly eats a chunk out of my Christmas knitting! Two of the hats up above were last minute requests. As is a shawl for Hubby's Father's Mother, which I found yarn for in Cannon Beach. Just goes to show Minnesotans need wool for the winter!

And now, not even 10 minutes later there is a kitty on my lap and another on the blanket next to my desk. Yeah...they missed us!