pieKnits

I've been chipping away at the hip scarf; it's an easy pattern but somewhat monotonous for long stretches. Unfortunately, it's not very exciting to show in progress, lace being the tangled looking mess of string it is on the needles.



I have an idea to try spraying it with sparkle fabric paint for a some extra glitz. Thinking it'll probably be best to test that idea on a swatch, anyone ever used the stuff before?

And in completely unrelated other news- I got glasses!



Hopefully now I will not have to sweat it through my next eye test at the drivers license office, heh.

Just a fun quickie for a friend. A little "Thank you" for coming over and teaching me bread making. Now I at least feel like I'm not completely guesstimating about kneading.

Only a camera phone shot here (I had just finished this up while lake-side knitting, woo). The ever popular Beer Sweater. As you must keep your beer nice and insulated and no one wants cold wet hands of course.

Yes, there were mods- even on something like this I can't seem to help it. I used a DK weight yarn instead of the recommended sport weight and thus ended up adjusting the pattern to about 75%.
I worked the sleeves as double-knit tubes (at only 12 sts this was much easier).
Also I always use my alternating knit/purl long tail cast-on method whenever starting in rib.

I'm still here, just been summer busy! I do have a few things finished, just yet to get to taking some photos. In the meantime I thought I'd share a cake I made and decorated for a friends wedding shower. I love food decoration. I think I just never grew out of wanting to play with my food.



The couple is having a destination wedding so my other friend and I who hosted went with a beach theme. I tinted the frosting (I'll admit it's from a can. Not being a huge icing person myself I rather dislike making it from scratch). Then I made the shells from melting white chocolate and pouring it into molds. I then dusted them with edible gold dust/luster, pretty!



The "sand" is crushed vanilla wafers with a bit of brown sugar. This was also my first layer cake. My Mother always considered layer cakes the enemy, having terrible luck with them. So I had yet to venture trying on until now. With some handy internet tips think it turned out ok!



Also got a group shot of my bellydance class from our recent Spring recital. Shows us all wearing our handmade headbands I posted about last time. I had a great time and think we did pretty good!

My bellydance class got together to make these head scarfs as part of our costumes for our upcoming performance. I will tell you, making lots of pom-poms is really something best done in a group- much less tedious.



It is rather incongruous with my street clothes, but you get the idea. We used  Full o' Sheep by Stitch Nation yarn. I really love the great vibrant colors in this line. Nice to be able to grab a 100% wool yarn like this at a big box store too (I live in a No Yarn Store Zone unfortunately).



We just hand stitched a simple tube for the scarf from fabric scraps. I've inserted a clear headband in mine for extra stability. Excited for our performance next week when we'll be wearing these!

ETA: Wow just realized I totally missed my 5 year blog anniversary! Probably because I can't believe it's been 5 years!

I found this great vintage auto-body work shirt at a thrift store several years back for a whole $0.62. I recently decided it could use a little extra personalization however.



Locating a free script style font I liked (dafont.com is a great sight), I printed out a sample in my name. I then pinned the print out to the inside of the shirt in the location I wanted and held both up to a sunny window. (A light box is ideal, I've also used a clear plastic clipboard over a lamp light in a pinch.) Using a dressmakers pencil I traced the text onto the front of the shirt. Then using that as my guide, worked a simple split stitch in red embroidery floss over it. I think it adds that little extra somthin'.


View of the back and charmingly simple print.

Yep, I did it again. Had to try another chocolate chip cookie recipe. As I'm a chewy, deep flavor type of cc cookie type person, when I saw this recipe using browned butter my thought process pretty much went - "Oh! I love browned butter, must try!".




While these were very tasty I did have a few comments. One, if you plan to chill the dough, because of the melted butter, it becomes very hard. If you like to snack on the dough as much as the finished baked good then this is a bit annoying, as well as difficult to portion out. I also tried lowering the baking temp as I usually like the softer cookie that produces but it will turn out wide flat cookies (again due to browned butter, cookie spreads fast before setting up). So def. stick with the 375 in the recipe. The brown butter taste does dissipate a bit in the baked good but still a very nice flavor. I may try my usual recipe next time with more a 1:1 ration of creamed butter and browned.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
via Cooks Illustrated

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)
  

1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

4.  Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.) I also sprinkled a little sea salt on top.

5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Makes about 16 large cookies.

Lately I seem to be spending more time with belly dance and thus less with knitting so I thought why not combine the two. Ok, so not knitting while dancing, but knitting a dance item to clarify.



Here we have the beginnings of my new hip scarf! It's a bit further along now than this photo (I'm behind, re: above). The pattern is the Faux Spanish Lace shawl (Raverly download) that I plan to knit to a size that ties around my waist. The edge will be finished off with beads and tassels as well. I love the color of this yarn, a great thrift store find. It's the same I used for my zill covers, matchiness!



The weekend before last I was lucky enough to take a class at the DFW Fiberfest - "Photograph Finished Items & Fiber" from the wonderful Franklin Habit. It was just what I needed as my Nikon D80 and I have had a slow start to our relationship. I feel we understand each other better now. Bonus was I got to use my lovely B-day gift (thanks Sis!) this awesome camera bag from Photojojo. While my standard bag is great if I need to carry all my gear, not so much if I want to take it somewhere casual and not look like a wedding photographer.

Whipped up this little confection for my friend. I love hair accessories- instant gratification. I may just have to make one for me!



Of course even this simple pattern I couldn't leave well enough alone.

I made the bow a little smaller, casting on only 11 sts and working until it measured 5" for main section. The loop was therefore only 2.5" long. I also CO the bow alternating in pattern with my Purl Long Tail Cast-On to match the bind-off in-pattern better.

For the Loop, to avoid sewing, I used a provisional cast-on and the three-needle bind-off to join the ends together.

Also I made two bands instead of three since it seemed sufficient for this size.

Pattern: Moss Stitch Bow Headband by Stefanie Fail of A Common Thread
Needles: US 7 / 4.5 mm
Yarn: Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller Full o' Sheep, color: Aquamarina

A good friend of mine started "cook through" blog awhile back where she is cooking her way through The Joy of Cooking. Although I read several "foodie" blogs I really enjoy her posts. As she is someone who wanted to start learning how to cook and just started at it, which is exactly what I did, learning as I went.

One of her posts that I kept thinking about was for "Nutty Meringue Kisses". Airy crunchy cookies studded with pecans that are surprisingly low in fat, sign me up! So I got out my copy of The Joy of Cooking I scored at the thrift store but alas, that recipe wasn't in my version!



From her description of the recipe I set out scouring the web to find something that sounded similar. The inclusion of almond extract is what really sold me, I love almond extract! I could not find a recipe that looked spot on but I found a decent looking one and modified it. They were worth the hunt, delicious. They even earned a rare Mr. PieKnits approval (he typically doesn't eat sweets).



Pecan Meringue Cookies

• 2 egg whites
  
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  
• 2/3 cup superfine or granulated sugar
  
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
  

1. Preheat oven to 250°F. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add the salt and continue to beat/whisk at high speed until the whites barely hold soft peaks.

3. Gradually add sugar, approximately 2 tablespoons at a time, beating in each addition until mixture is stiff and shiny and stands in peaks.

4. Beat in extracts (can use all vanilla, all almond or half and half like I did). Fold in pecans.

5. Drop meringues onto cookie sheet using two spoons. Alternately fill pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch tip and pipe on to sheet.

6. Bake 45 minutes. Switch off oven and leave in cooling oven for another 45 minutes.

Makes about 12 cookies.

I haven't been getting much time to knit lately (or blog consequently!) but I manged to finish this little sweater and get it sent off before my niece grows too much more!



When we visited recently I got to bring my booties and matching bonnet I made to go with the sweater, despite the sweater not being quite finished in time. Somehow I forgot to take a photo of the bonnet. It was the Feather & Fan Bonnet by Larissa Brown. It used the same yarn as the booties (Red Heart- Heart & Sole), with the base part where the ribbon goes through in the same yarn as the sweater, to tie them together.

The sweater is the Offset Wraplan by Sara Morris (raverly link). When we visited I had it nearly completed but then found my niece is quite the little grower, in the 90 percentile for length! Of course one of the great things about knitting is customizing, so I ripped back the sleeves and body edgings and worked them for the length of the next size up. The yarn is Knit Picks Shine Sport, which is really a nice soft cotton-blend.