Just sent out a finished design to DRG Publications for an upcoming book (yeay!) so not much knitting for me to show around here yet. I have been managing a few little things here and there however.

This was one of the quickest easiest projects I've ever made- and they work great! Finger puppets come double-point holders, brilliant I tell you. You can get the whole tutorial by clever Robyn over at Sweet Little Domestic Life. I got a bag of multi-colored monsters at Party City and plan to make a nice set for my most used sizes.

Scored some thrifted things too. As I've mentioned several times on here I love thrifting. How can you not with things like this?

A cute owl painting with neat plaster-over-wood frame that just needs some sprucing up for a whopping $3.99. Flip it over and take a look at the signature.

Robb Wallace
   Xmas
      1895

!! The frame has an inscription too, but a little harder to make out. A woman's name, the artist, and the same date so it looks like the original frame as well. How cool! Some of the plaster was broken off on the corners so I took some wall spackling we had on hand and with a moist paint brush molded it into the holes. It worked surprisingly well. Added a fresh coat of white paint and viola! - new craft room artwork.

Posted by Jen at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

I have been meaning to post about this book for ages. Because it is made of awesome.

The Knitter's Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn by Clara Parkes

Let me say I'm rather picky when it comes to knitting books. I have my favorite classics and most new releases I feel I already have covered. This not to say I don't always have my eye out though. So when I first heard some things about this book I thought cool, I'll have to check that out.
Then I was fortunate enough to make it to Yarn School and there got to meet Adrian Bizilia who showed some pieces that would be in the new Book of Yarn as patterns. I thought wow with patterns too! I really need to check this book out.
I got it, and I'll tell you- in this book is everything I wanted to learn with starting to spin.

What fibers are used and how the yarn is actually formed all play a major role in the resulting knitted fabric. Understanding how these elements all work together has been really integral in design work and at the least for yarn substitution. Oh if we'd all had more knowledge in that area when we began knitting. I'm pretty sure it's safe to say everyone has had at least one project fall flat due to improper yarn choice.

This book is so wonderfully put together, taking you from fiber, to yarn to sample patterns illustrating everything covered. As an instructional/graphic designer in the day job, the layout of this book just makes me happy. It's what I would dream of having if I ever get a book together.

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And now, some more food pørn

Texas Sheet Cake

Holy crap was this good. I used this recipe and will simply direct you to the awesome blog, for there's no way I could do it better. Only variation I did was to use a 13"x9" pan (since mine has a lid and thus more mobile as I was bringing it to a party). I added a few minutes to the cooking time and cut the icing down by half and it was the perfect amount.

Posted by Jen at 05:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

A little themed something for today- Mint Brownies!

For me, I'd have to say the chocolate-mint combo trumps even the peanut butter-chocolate one. This probably has something to due with my thing for deep dark chocolate, as mint is the perfect foil. A rich fudgy brownie fulfills this role nicely.
This recipe uses a neat trick of cooling the brownies in a water bath when done in the oven. Easy to do and it really improves the texture throughout. I also like to add a pinch of instant coffee granules, not enough to make it coffee flavored but I find just a little brings out the cocoa flavor even more. (If you're really going for it, I also sub a bit of cocoa powder for flour.)

New Classic Brownies
(from Cookies and Brownies)
8 tbsp unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
pinch of instant coffee granules (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400F and line and 8-inch square metal baking pan with foil.
In the microwave or on top of a double boiler, melt the butter and the chocolate together, stirring often until smooth. Stir in sugar, vanilla and salt. Add eggs one at a time, and instant coffee if using, stirring in each addition. Work in flour. Stir until very smooth, about 1 minute.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare a water bath. Fill a large roasting pan with water and ice about 1 inch deep.
When the brownies are done - and they will look a bit dry on top - take them immediately from the oven and place in the water bath. Add more ice to the water if necessary. Allow to cool completely in the bath before removing the pan and cutting the brownies.

Mint Icing
2 tbsp softened butter
1 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar
1 tbsp cream or milk
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
few drops green food coloring

Cream together all ingredients until smooth. Spread over cooled brownies and refrigerate while you make the chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze
1 oz semi sweet chocolate (or mint chocolate chips)
1 tbsp butter

In the microwave, melt together chocolate and butter in a small bowl stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Drizzle over chilled iced brownies.

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

See more entries on recipes here.

Posted by Jen at 01:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I had hit that burn out point, lost the interest, you know? Uninspired and bored with current projects I had decided to tell my nagging voice of "finish up other WIPs" to stow it and cast on for Juliet. It was a good decision.

A great fling of a knit, quick and does the interesting/not-overly-complicated balance well.

Modifications weren't much for the body other than to use SSK (Improved) instead of SKP in the lace section. I usually do this sub as a personal preference. For the buttons, I did like the asymmetrical ones in the pattern but I liked the look of button tabs more. Cast on about 14 sts, worked two self-reinforcing buttonholes then bound off, can't get much easier.

Pattern: Juliet by Zephyr Style
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft, held doubled; Deep Plum; 4 skeins (of the 5oz size)
Needles: 10 1/2 (although probably should have gone down to a 10, at least for the garter section)
Size: Small

I had originally intended this to be more cropped but after only 5 repeats and binding off it simply didn't hang right. It probably would've worked better in a cotton that had more drape as the back just stuck out too funny. So I ripped back and added 2 repeats to be safe. I'm much happier with it now although still, in retrospect, I think a cotton blend and 6 repeats would've been Goldilocks perfect.

And finally- Happy Birthday to Meeeeeeee!! Hehe, my new piano and bestest present! Thankoooo Mr. PieKnits ;)
Music has always been large part of my life and piano one of the heftiest. I took lessons as a kid up through college but have not had a piano since I lived at my parents. (Non-full size keyboards aren't the same!)
Now I'm on the hunt for some cool fabric to sew a cushion for the bench and reupholster a matching new settee, more on that later!

Posted by Jen at 08:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (26)