Too Much Yarn

Making Bags

Before I knitted socks, I knitted bags.  Here are some bags that I've knitted at least 2 years ago that I never felted.  They didn't get felted because I didn't finish knitting the handles (well, some have 1 knitted handles and I guess I have Second Handle Syndrome!)  Anyway, I decided to felt them this afternoon and I will just have to purchase handles for them.  I want to have them lined anyway, so it would be good for the person to attach the handles for me as well.

Before felting:

And after (they are being blocked now)

Will show you again these photos after they have been lined and handles attached.  Now, I have some bags with handles attached, but I just haven't finished attaching buttons to them for decoration.  I will take photos of them soon and show ya.

p.s  The purple bubble bag was a gift for my good friend, Eve, or her birthday in October 2007.  I guess I'd better get the handles attached by October 2009!!

Zucchini Fudge Cake

Yes, this is related to knitting...

Until 2 days ago, I have never heard of such a dessert.  Now, when I googled for this recipe, it's all over!  A friend gave me this gigormous zucchini and I decided to make zucchini bread.  Most bread that I tried to make ends up being a bit dry... so I was wary on just trying any recipes there are out there.  Now, comes the knitting connection... I read Anne Hanson's blog at Knitspot.  Anne not only has beautiful knitted shawls, sweaters, and socks, she also have beautiful photos of the produce from her garden.  So, I thought she would be a good source for Zucchini Bread recipes.  She gave me this Zucchini Fudge Cake recipe and I baked it today.  I DID NOT squeeze out the extra water from the shredded zucchini.  The cake is to bake in a 9x13 pan for 40 minutes, but it took me close to 70 minutes when the middle was cooked.  But it was still moist and good!

 

Besides Emily, we are not frosting people...I took Anne's advice and just sprinkle some powdered sugar on top.  It is sweet enough.  I still have 1/2 a Zucchini left after making this plus 2 loaves.  My next try is to use the zucchini on Friendship Bread starter (which I have 18 in my freezer!).  And, I'm going to try it on a Bundt pan.  Instead of the Vanilla pudding mix it asks for, I'll substitute it with chocolate pudding, add 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa and we'll see how that goes..

Thanks, Anne!   Here's the recipe:

Zucchini Fudge Cake

4 large eggs

2-3/4 C sugar

2 t vanilla

3/4 C butter or margarine softened

3 C unsifted all purpose flour

1/2 C unsweetened cocoa

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

3/4 t salt

1 C buttermilk (or 1 C sweet milk with a little added vinegar, let stand)

3 C coarsely shredded zucchini

1 C chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Grease & flour a 9x13 baking pan.  Preheat oven to 350° F.  Beat eggs with electric mixer until fluffy.  Gradually add sugar, beating until thick & lemon colored.  Gradually beat in vanilla & butter.  In a large sifter, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda & salt.  Sift half the flour mixture over egg mixture, stir together.  Add buttermilk & stir until combined.  Sift in remaining flour mixture and stir until combined.  Fold in zucchini & nuts.

Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

(Notes:  I cream the eggs, sugar and butter, add the buttermilk, skip the sifting part and just stir the dry ingredients together and mix everything except the zucchini & nuts together at once - it's never turned out bad for not going through all the fancy steps.  The frosting recipe that goes with the cake is below, but I usually just dust the top with powdered sugar)

Chocolate frosting

1 C butter or margarine softened

2 pounds unsifted confectioner's sugar

1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder

1 T vanilla

1/3 to 1/2 c milk

Beat until creamy.

Meeting Chrissy Gardiner...

Chrissy Gardiner is a sock designer from Portland, OR.  I have not knitted any of her patterns, but it is the bindoff from her recent book, Toe-Up! that may convert me to a toe-up sock knitter.  The bindoff is elastic and I'm no longer afraid of having too tight of cuffs for my toe-up socks.  Chrissy is originally from Minnesota and she taught a couple of classes at The Yarnery today, but last night, there was a greet and meet session.  I went there to meet Chrissy and have her autograph my book:

Here's Chrissy and me: (we have a few things in common:  our names are Christine, she used to be a computer programmer (I still am), and we both love to knit socks!)

Now, the bad news about in a yarn store is that I CANNOT walk out without any yarns.  These came home with me:  Claudia Hand Painted in Limeade (yep - these will be socks for Emily!)

Malabrigo in Primavera (it's hard to capture the colors on a photo, but it is very beautiful):

and finally - a Casbah: (I think the colorway is Caicos)

Today, I stopped by Amazing Threads - the nearest yarn shop to me (darn it! I have to drive by the store everyday on my way to work and on the way home.  I should consider moving - I may save some money that way).  Anyway, this caught my attention and the scarf was so soft... just a k2p2 rib.. so 2 skeins came home with me!

Well, I think I'm going to finish that Mystery Sock I've been working on.. I have 9 more days to finish a sock for the July Sockdown.  The Mystery Sock is not due until September 30, but well, I feel like knitting that tonight.

Lots to share...

Sock #14 for the year:

These are Cottys designed by Carrie.  Pair #15 is Wendy Johnson's Seaweed Socks.  These are my VERY first pair of toe-up socks by Wendy Johnson and because of the bindoff I learned from Chrissy Gardiner's Toe-up book, I may like toe-up socks more now...

Now, for the new yarns...  The Woolgirl Sock Club for July was the Dream in Color Smooshy in "It's Raining Cats & Dogs"... Packaged:

Opened:

Dye Dreams Summer Package consists of this yarn with Tencel:

And lastly, the Hazel Knits August Kit:

Yummy!  The yellow skien is a sample of a new yarn base and I LIKE IT!!  When I put the 2 purple skeins together, well, they're really not quite the same.

I like them both!  Hope you enjoyed this post!

New Friends, Old Friends

I recently found out about a group of women who meet once a month to knit.  These are women I used to work with more than 10 years ago. Well, I invited myself (or encouraged one of my best friends, Lisa to invite me).  Lisa is just learning to knit socks.  Lisa, by the way, introduced my husband to me.  She is like a sister to me, she knows me EXTREMELY well.  Anyway, I met them once and decided I want to be with these gals once a month.  We laughed, we knitted, we talked about old times, we talked about current problems, and we can just TALK (and knit at the same time!).  Oh, and there are also homemade cookies from Barb!  Anyway, as a scrapbooker, I decided I'm going to make an album of our get togethers.  They have been meeting since January, I think... so I'm a "newcomer".  Watching Barb knit her sweater makes me want to finish mine or knit a pair of fingerless gloves when I see Margret and Joy's mittens.  I think this group is a GOOD THING!

 

I'm at Sock Summit...

NOT!!

I had planned to go to Sock Summit as soon as it was announced, but it is held the week my co-worker always takes time off with her family so I knew it was not going to happen.  I'm reading blogs and seeing photos of the convention with envy, but at the same time, I'm glad that I'm not spending the money and adding yarn to my stash that I don't need.

I knitted a lot since I last blogged.  The Teosinte socks are finished, although I've learned a new bindoff technique that I may redo the bindoff:

During the Season Finale of Food Network Star on Sunday, I cast on Seaweed socks.  It is just an addicting and easy pattern that I finished one sock by Wed. night.  I have yet to wind the hank of yarn for the second sock...  This is the first time I'm using Claudia Hand Painted and I'm liking it.  The colorway is called Caribbean Blue which I felt was appropriate for this pattern.

Also working on the Nutkin - it's a bit tight going over my ankle so I've adopted the mini heel flap with short row heels, designed by Debi of FluffyKnitterDeb.  You can find the pattern of the heel on her Crystals, 'Combs and Cables Socks pattern.

Last Saturday, I met up with fellow Ravelrers from SKA:  Kendra and Katie.  We had breakfast at a restaurant across the street from Coldwater Collaborative in Excelsior.  Then, we went to the yarn shop and spent 3 hours there.  We loved the kits they put together for sweaters and hats.  Kendra and Katie each bought a kit (or two).  I bought a hat kit: (you can see the finished hat on the table), but I picked a different set of colors so John may wear it:

I received a few kits in the last week, but I haven't taken photos of them yet.  Except this -  Stick O Butter from Hazelknits, all ready for September Sockdown!

Ok - take a break from yarn photos and enjoy this when I saw him about 10 days ago (did you hear that he ALMOST died?  There was a storm that collapsed the stage he was about to get on.  His band was next to perform and they were under the stage when the storm came in.  One person died and two of his band members needed to go to the hospital.  While he was fine, he went to comfort those who were at the hospital.)  I brought my knitting, but did not knit when he performed.