pjbknit

Actual Knitting

Look, actual photos of knitting. Unusual, having light for photos, since I am off from work. These are based on the Sock Yarn Mini Warmers, in leftover Mini Mochi yarn, with the addition of ribbing at top and bottom. I think the rosemary plant did a good job modeling and as backdrop. No, I have not woven in the ends. I did not show the burns that result from overheating pre-made cookie icing to soften it. (The red icing spurted all over me, my white shirt and the counter. It came out of everything. It looked as if there was a crime scene in the kitchen before I cleaned it up, though. Maybe Wilton should have a warning label-they probably do already. Note to self, the microwave has lots of watts.)

 

  

  

I did not get any burns today, but I do have food coloring on my finger, that can barely be seen above. I have enough royal icing left, made with Wilton meringue powder, for two more batches of gingerbread.

 

  

 

 
decorating palette

I made peppermint meringues with egg whites-I started to use the meringue powder. They are still drying in the oven. I crushed the candy canes with a hammer while DH vacuumed-Belv was outside.
 
 I am leaving to walk off cookies now.

Lots of Stuff

I have been meaning to blog about the Aerogarden tomatoes, and the gingerbread cookies, and now I have a new Belvedere photo too. So here is several days worth of bloginess.

I have more buds on the Aerogarden Heirloom Tomatoes after I decapitated them during pruning. I got an upgrade for my classic Aerogarden that has three lights instead of two, and allows the lights to be raised higher. I also brought home the office 3 pod Aerogarden that has lavender.

 
Tomatoes

 
Lavender

 

I finally got around to making gingerbread cookies Saturday
  

My sister-in-law's Westie, Biscuit, likes to play with Belvedere
  

 

It's Yogurt

I used to make yogurt when it was not as easy to find it in 32 ounce containers. I have a Salton one quart yogurt maker somewhere. Anyway, with the cost of tiny cups of Greek yogurt, I decided to try some using Greek yogurt as a starter. (It was plain fat-free Chobani with five active cultures.) I used the method noted in a comment here. I heated a quart of milk almost to boiling, then put the pot in ice water to cool it to around 110 degrees F, then put  powdered milk and the starter in, and placed the muxture in a preheated 2.5 qt Crock-Pot. Turned the slow cooker off, and wrapped it in 2 big, thick towels. The resulting yogurt is soft, and the photo shows it in a yogurt strainer to thicken up.

More Knitting and Stashing

I got a new spindle. Not that I needed another one, but this one was beautiful. I keep telling myself it was much less than the wheel on eBay I bid on. This is a Ken Ledbetter spindle with purpleheart, cherry and carved shell. I found it on Judy's site. I fell in love with it because it reminds me of a dogwood bloom

The spindle is resting on roving in the Biloxi Blues colorway from Maine Woods Yarn

I am on the first sleeve of the Open Summer Cardigan. Knitting Pure and Simple #294

I had an asparagus omelette for brunch

Spring Risotto and Summer Cardigan

Finding a recipe for Crock-pot risotto really changed my attitude on making it. I had it with roasted butternut squash during the winter, but Spring is time for asparagus, carrots and lemon juice. (Winter will be back on Monday and Tuesday.)

I stayed up to 1 a.m after my cortisone shot. I cast on for the Knitting Pure and Simple Summer Open Cardigan. 294.

Laissez les bon temps rouler, part deux

So, while I was hyped up on sugar from the second, better batch of pralines, I made King Cake for the first time. It was a cinnamon roll dough for the bread machine. The recipes I consulted said to divide the dough in two. Next time I will not do that, and have one big ring. I could not capture all the mess in one photo.  I now have Iko Iko in my head.  Darn, forgot the props. Most of my Mardi Gras beads have names of Harrah's casinos on them. The only time I threw beads off a French Quarter balcony was during the American Library Assocation conference in 2006. BTW,  I think that both Muffin and the tomato plants have grown some more.

I liked this one, though I also watched Dr. John and the Grateful Dead

Totally Non-Knitting Post

Except for the yarn in my Hot Cocoa Swap 2 package, from Rachel, not far away in Alabama. Purple yarn, cocoa mix biscotti and chocolate sprinkles. My Blah Buster Buddy is a crocheted pink cupcake with creamy frosting and a cherry. She also made wintry looking stitch markers with blue beads and silver stars that matched snowflake candles and blue lollipops.. Goodies were in a basket with a snowman.

The tomatoes are doing well in the Aerogarden. I have raised the lights two notches.


Laisses les bon temps rouler. I made pralines from a microwave recipe. The background is a KitchenAid silicone mat. Have not gotten to the King Cake yet.

In this corner, the Muffinator. Aaaaannnd in this corner, the Cookie Lab Monster. At least Muffin stopped chewing on me, and chewed on bestest friend Cookie.

And the winner-Muffinator

The reason the yellow water hose is there is to wash piles of puppy poop off the patio. She is passed out in the shade after a dispute with Doofus, the American Bulldog , over the Nylabone that resulted in much screaming and a bleeding Muffin ear. We had to comfort her and stop the bleeding.

Miscellaneous Stuff

I am still working on the sock a little. At least I finished the ribbing and started the pattern. Mini Mochi in Tapsstry Rainbow, Crystal Palace Eye Sock pattern. You can see the gold thick part that showed up after the knot.


 
The tomatoes are still doing well in the Aerogarden. though I need to reset the lights due to a power outage.

In the yard, the Bradford pears are blooming, and the Japanese Magnolia is budding

DH is still picking out pecans. As we like to say around here, nuts for the nutty

The Muffinator

I went out to photograph my Mini Mochi Tapestry sock today. I am using the Eye Sock pattern from Crystal Palace. I found a knot and some thick areas already, but it is so soft and fuzzy. Almost like what followed me to the rock garden and tried to chew on my knitting bag.

What's knitting? I can't chew on it?

Well. that's no fun.

Maybe I can chew on the Cookie's Lab monster butt.

Or Daddy's thumb. mmmhhpphhhm

Hmm, maybe a little salad...

DH has repetitive stress injury in his thumb from shelling pecans from our yard. These are all 5-6 gallon buckets. He thinks we have 85 pounds.

OK. see, there is knitting here. Most of the ribbing for my Mini Mochi Eye sock. Have yet to reach the pattern part.

I Made Cinnamon Rolls

I had not attempted to make cinnamon rolls using the bread machine before. Tonight I tried it out. I am glad the Hannbal Lecter movie ended before these were ready. I just Googled for a recipe.