Friday, January 1, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I am in the process of knitting several projects, and I would like to promise a few posts, but every time I make that commitment, I get bombarded by a round of doctor's visits.  I'm not making any promises, and I know that eventually the doctors' visits will fade away, and I'll get to spend some time on this blog.

I have been more successful at keeping my ravelry account more up-to-date.  Check it out: My name over there is yarninmama.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Spring Pullover Scarf



I had some leftover yarn from my Spring Pullover to make a little something extra. So I picked out this out of 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders. It is the Garter Stitch Loop-Through Scarf by Marci Richardson. I modified it slightly; instead of increasing to 32 stitches, I increased to 22 stitches.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Spring Pullover


Although I made this in the spring, I plan on wearing this as the weather cools off. In the spirit of school starting, I thought I would post my "school clothes."  This is the Split Neck T shirt for Women #257 by Diane Soucy from Knitting Pure & Simple.  I made it out of Universal Yarn's Vanessa.  Vanessa is a synthetic yarn that drapes so lovely.

I made a medium size, but my gauge was slightly less stitches per inch than the pattern so it turned out slightly bigger and not as fitted as the pattern.

Did I tell you how much I love green?

Friday, August 28, 2009

Frozen Key Lime Pie

Doesn't every cafe need a good pie recipe?  In the heat of the summer, I love frozen key lime pie. It reminds me of the beach and it goes down smooth.  After searching through several recipes, I found my favorite on Food Network.

Frozen Key Lime Pie
by Robin Miller 2007

1 (8-ounce) container nondairy whipped topping, thawed slightly
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 (9-inch) prepared graham cracker pie crust
Freshly grated lime zest, for sprinkling

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whipped topping, condensed milk and lime juice until smooth. Spoon the mixture into graham cracker crust and smooth the surface with a spatula.

Set in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle lime zest over the top before serving.

**I found that the lime flavor gets stronger as it is kept in the freezer longer.**

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Cabbage Dishcloth


I love knitting and crocheting dishcloths.  They are small and the various patterns give lots of variety. Also, a few handmade dishcloths can really add something special to a gift.  I love functional gifts, and dishcloths can be both pretty and functional. This particular dishcloth is the Cabbage Patch Knitted Dishcloth by Tomato Lady and I made it in a KAL on Ravelry. I have used this cloth in the kitchen and I have washed and dried it several times. It is holding up great, and I love the way it feels. I used Lion Brand Cotton-Ease yarn.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Lacy Ribbed Tee

This is the Lacy Ribbed Tee by Kristin Omdahl found in Creative Knitting Magazine, July 2009.  The yarn is Schulana Sojabama.  It is a bamboo blend and the yarn is very stretchy.  I started by making a medium according to the pattern, but after I made the armhole, I tried it on. The neck opening barely went over my head. So I've casted on (using a tubular cast on) 104 stitches on a US Size 7 needle, and then switched to the size 6 needle after the set up rounds.  I didn't increase in the set up rounds so I've been following the directions for a medium.
I tried it on after these changes, and it seems to be going well. I've stopped doing swatches (horrors!)  because I never knit the same gauge over a swatch that I do in the project.  So I've resigned myself to knitting a project a couple of times before it turns out how I like it. This works out well because I enjoy the process of knitting, and it is very important that a garment fits well.  I think this means that I'm am both a process and a product knitter.
The armholes made as instructed in the pattern turned out too big so I only cast on 5 stitches instead of 23.  This made the armholes just great.  Also since I have a shorter torso, I only made the center section 8 inches instead of 10. I really like how the tee fits and yarn is soft and slinky.  
After I took this picture, somehow this tee ended up in the washing machine with a black tee shirt and miracle of miracles, it over-dyed evenly.  The tee still fits and looks good, but it is a deeper, more muted color which works well in my wardrobe.