from pink to green

Posted on December 5, 2003 by mariko

To continue with the furry and fuzzy theme, I made a green furry keyhole scarf, using the free pattern offered by Bonne Marie as inspiration (her patterns are always inspirational!). I ran out of the furry stuff, so I finished with some green Fizz. You can tell how it’s kind of two-toned.
green scarf.JPG
I also whipped up this wristband with some leftovers from the bucket o’ chic:
wristband (Small).JPG
Yes, it is completely goofy. It’s a little big, too. I think if you’re going to knit wristbands at all, stretchy yarn is the name of the game.
I forgot to give details on the candy-colored bucket o’ chic. I used Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride in RPM Pink and Crystal Palace FIZZ in color 7129. It’s the next best thing to wearing actual cotton candy on top of your head! I ordered the yarn from ThreadBear. I had to get a second ball of the FIZZ, and I still have most of it. I’m thinking about making a little scarf or maybe combining it with some black to make a cap. Any ideas out there?

Posted in knitting | 5 Comments

the third time’s the charm

Posted on December 4, 2003 by mariko

Do I win the record for the slowest bucket o’ chic knitter ever? After knitting the brim twice with great failure, I took Rose’s suggestion and knit it in garter stitch. I bound off using K1, P1 bindoff. Guess what? NO ROLLING, and I didn’t even have to block it! I was feeling confident as I started on the top of the candy-colored bucket, but I ripped that out twice, too. The hat is very comfy and warm, but Peter was right–it is big and puffy!
candy bucket with dede (Small).JPG
Mailman Dave (did I ever mention how I called him Ed for about a year? He never said anything, either) brought me a little package today:
elann yarn (Small).JPG
I was bad and ordered some yarn from elann (and yes, ThreadBear, I feel like a total traitor!). I got some of the Stahl Big Oddballs. It’s superwash wool. Easy care. Like that. I think I’m going to make bpt from knitty but without the hood, and I’m going to call it blt because that is easier to remember.
Hey, everyone go check out Melissa’s amazing scarves she knit for the holiday bazaar at Posie in Portland on Sunday! If you live in Portland (or even if you don’t–Sharlyn is driving down from Seattle to attend), you should go!

Posted in knitting | 21 Comments

from tame to tangy!

Posted on December 2, 2003 by mariko

I was hoping to have a newly finished candy-colored bucket o’ chic to show today, but I’m afraid I’m feeling a bit like Pee Wee at the moment. I finished the top last night then decided it was too pointy, so I ripped it all out!
BUT, I did accomplish something.
grey jacket before (Small).JPG
I decided to jazz up the boring old grey jacket!
grey jacket after (Small).JPG grey jacket after back (Small).JPG
Peter wanted to know what the “swervy stuff” was called (that would be RICK RACK), and then he commented, “That’s insane, you know.” Yes, I know.

Posted in sewing | 8 Comments

and the bucket goes on

Posted on December 1, 2003 by mariko

Work on the bucket o’ chic continues! Peter commented, “That’s a big, poofy hat.”

Posted in knitting | 2 Comments

happiness of the freakazoids

Posted on November 30, 2003 by mariko

Last night I watched what will probably rank as the most insane movie I’ve ever viewed–Happiness of the Katakuris. It’s Japanese, and it is totally whacko! It was funny, though, and oddly uplifting. It combines murder, suspense, musical numbers, animation, and much more (including meal scenes that made me drool).
Oh, happy birthday to Taya today, and happy birthday to Claudia tomorrow!

Posted in General | 3 Comments

fun with fabric scraps

Posted on November 29, 2003 by mariko

I don’t know about you, but I tend to get kind of attached to some of my fabrics, and it’s hard for me to throw away the scraps, even though you can’t really make anything out of them. Well, I found a solution that allows me to continue enjoying the fabrics–cocktail napkins! You just have to have a square piece of fabric, and voila (front and back):
cocktail napkin front (Small).JPG cocktail napkin back (Small).JPG
Cakesicle, anyone?
cakesicles (Small).JPG
I was going to use a recipe from the Cake Mix Doctor, but I decided to just go for it and made the killer cupcakes from the Jan/Feb 2003 issue of Cook’s Illustrated.
Thanks for all the ideas and advice regarding the never-ending rolling brim on the bucket o’ chic! I think I will follow Rose’s suggestion and do a garter stitch.

Posted in sewing | 9 Comments

hits and misses

Posted on November 28, 2003 by mariko

Happy Post-Turkey Weekend to all! In between fixing turkey, dressing, and other eats, I was able to sew up a couple more hats for Megan (the pretty one is still to come).
megan bee cap (Small).JPG megan ears hat (Small).JPG
The black one got a bit snug when I sewed on the ribbon, so hopefully it will still fit.
I also whipped up a batch of lip balm:
lip balm (Small).JPG
They are supposed to be grapefruit-peppermint, but they don’t really smell. The directions command that you only put in a few drops of the smelly oils, but it seems like you really have to dump in a heap to really scent the stuff. I erred on the side of caution this time, since I don’t want the peppermint to burn off any lips.
Work on the candy-colored bucket o’ chic continues, but I am having such troubles with the rolling brim that I am ready to just make a pillbox hat and call it a day (okay, so not really). The first time I picked up four stitches for every five rows and did a suspended bindoff (in the Vogue Knitting book). Rolling. The second time I picked up three stitches for every four rows and bound off on the purl side, thinking that maybe that would influence the brim to roll inward. I steamed it, and it seemed to roll even more! And I got the ruffly effect! So I had to rip that out. Now I’m on the third attempt. The yarn is tired and kinky from the steaming, but I refuse to use fresh yarn until I’ve got this brim figured out. This time I thought, “What would Claudia do?” Ah, yes, SHE would pick up two stitches for every three rows, so that’s what I am doing now. I picked up and am about to start the first row, but I’m already feeling the roll. I MUST BREAK THIS CURSE!!!! Any suggestions or magic spells would be greatly appreciated.

Posted in sewing | 8 Comments

happy deliveries

Posted on November 26, 2003 by mariko

Two good things came today. First, Dave the mailman brought me this:
cakesicle (Small).JPG
It is from Mrs. Harris. You know, the genius. It came with some recipes, too. I can’t wait to make some cake-sicles now!
Later, Pete the UPS guy brought these:
cabaret chocolates (Small).JPG
Yup, it’s those Cabaret Chocolates! I had to take advantage of the supereggplant 20 percent discount, after all (type “superegg” for the coupon code). Unfortunately, I cannot sample these until 1pm on Thanksgiving Day. I went to the acupuncturist again today, and this time I’m supposed to avoid all foods in the “yeast mix” category, which basically includes EVERYTHING, including SUGAR, which is really, really hard for me to avoid. I can eat rice, pasta, vegetables, fish, and meat. No sauces, breads, vinegars, cheese, yogurt, and did I mention SUGAR? It’s only for 25 hours. I can do it. I can do it.
Happy Turkey Day everyone!

Posted in General | 4 Comments

how to attract rabidly devoted customers

Posted on November 25, 2003 by mariko

I think maybe the guys at ThreadBear have discovered the key to client loyalty, or at least they have in my case: CANDY. I needed some more Fizz and some needles, so look what Rob included:
threadbear order (Small).JPG
Yes, they are Milky Way Caramels, and yes, they are delicious! For those of you who always thought Milky Ways were too fluffy, THIS is the solution!
And speaking of candy, well, I can’t eat it day and night, so why not wear it? Check this out. I have to confess, though, that while I adore sweet treats, the idea of smearing it on my lips is not as appealing as you might imagine. Still, some of those flavors might not be SO bad …
Well, I can get back to the candy-colored Bucket o’ Chic now that I have more Fizz and needles. In the meantime, I worked on a little surprise for Megan:
christmas hat (Small).JPG
Shouldn’t everyone have a Christmas hat? I know I’ve only been making these crazy hats for Megan, so I do have plans to make her a really soft and pretty one soon!

Posted in knitting | 13 Comments

pumpkin + marshmallow = yum

Posted on November 24, 2003 by mariko

First of all, anyone out there living in Portland must check out the Holiday Craft Bazaar at Posie! It sounds very, very cool, and you just can’t beat free hot cocoa with homemade marshmallows! And besides, Melissa will be there selling her handknit scarves.
I’ve got some more sewing projects cooking but nothing to post. Therefore, I will instead share a recipe I got from the Michael Recchiuti newsletter. You may have seen him make it for Food Finds on Food Network last week!
GINGER CAKE WITH MARSHMALLOWS
3/4 butter (that’s what the recipe says, but I’m assuming it’s 3/4 cup)
4 egg yolks
2 T ground ginger
1/2 t ground nutmeg
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t instant granulated coffee
1/2 c canned pumpkin
6 T sugar
4 T brown sugar
1 c molasses
2 c flour
1/2 t ground cloves
2 t baking soda
1 T plus 1 t warm water
8 egg whites
5-8 pieces marshmallows, pulled into bits (the recipe calls for the Recchiuti marshmallows, but I think you can substitute regular ol’ marshmallows)
Cream butter and brown sugar and set aside. Blend together yolks and molasses. Sift together the dry ingredients (i.e., ginger, flour, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, soda). Add bit by bit to yolk mixture, making a batter base.
Dissolve the coffee with warm water and add to the BUTTER mixture (as opposed to the BATTER mixture). Fold into the batter, also adding the pumpkin. Whip the egg whites with white sugar until firm. Gently fold into the batter.
Pour into a 1/2 sheet pan lined with parchment paper (or a Silpat! Those things are magic!). Dot the top with the marshmallow bits. Bake at 300 F for 20 minutes.
Disclaimer: I haven’t made this recipe yet myself, so I can’t say whether it’s delicious or not. It SOUNDS tasty, though!

Posted in baking | 3 Comments