Spring Sweater

My spring sweater--or transition sweater--is finished. I like the pattern (free from the LionBrandYarn website!), but will make a change or two when I knit this sweater again. Instead of using yarn overs to make the raglan sleeves, I will use a M1 increase. The yarn is Bernat denimstyle, very soft and cozy and inexpensive. I wanted to make this sweater out of an inexpensive yarn to see if I liked the pattern, because All About Yarn has a beautiful silk tweed ($7.15/skein) that I just couldn't afford to use on an untried pattern. I'm thinking either Lichen or Moss.

Gracious Professionalism

Peter's robotics team, Error Code Zero, tanked at the Las Vegas competition. The team placed thirtieth out of forty-some teams. They did, however, win the award for Gracious Professionalism (and they are really good at it, according to Craig). Hightlights of the trip: dining next to one of Elvis' guitars, being saved from Borg assimilation by Captain Janeway and the Doctor, and finding out just how thick Roy Orbison's glasses really are.

Jacket

Fabric Depot has been calling to me for several weeks, ever since I found a pattern for a very cool jacket. I had hoped that Andrea would be in town to make the trip with me, but I couldn't wait any longer. I found so much cool stuff. I bought the fabric to finish the denim jacket. This picture is not good, but the flowered fabric will be the front, the middle fabric (a navy blue uncut corduroy) will be used for the collar, and the sleeves will be made of the lightweight blue-white denim. On impulse, I also bought a yard of the most beautiful taffeta I have ever seen, and will post a picture when the lighting is better (i.e. daylight). I'm thinking of a jacket with the front made of taffeta and the back (and maybe sleeves) made of brocade, velvet collar ... think j.jill or Coldwater Creek.

I haven't stopped knitting. The transition sweater will be finished tonight, I just have a few more rows of ribbing. I'm getting better at picking up and knitting, although I have to admit I frogged the first try at ribbing on this sweater ... and the second ... and the third. Maybe I will also post a picture of the finished sweater tomorrow.

Strawberry Cupcakes

The Strawberry Cupcakes were delicious. I used Martha's recipe, which calls for fresh, pureed strawberries. Several of the reviews suggest that the frosting does not look like the picture, so I decided to strain the strawberry puree before adding it to the frosting. That step is a very important omission, I think, in the original recipe. The seeds definitely need to be removed. When I make the recipe again, I'll also strain the strawberry puree that goes into the cake batter, and the recipe will be perfect. The cupcakes were great with vanilla ice cream and tea.

Happy Easter

OK, I have a confession. I, on occasion, make a jello salad. Shocking, I know. I sometimes even regret that I didn't keep the mother's jello molds. I don't go so far as to include Cool Whip or, heaven forbid, capers (but that would be aspic, and another topic altogether). This particular recipe incorporates yogurt. The boys love it. I've always wanted a trifle dish (even before reading Harry Potter), so picked one up at Target yesterday with plans to make this salad. Either our refrigerator shelf is not level, or the dish is not entirely symmetrical ... there is a distinct slant to the layers. I should have gone to Crate and Barrel. The layers in a trifle, however, won't be so revealing.

I finished the sleeves on my spring sweater last night, and now all I need to do is the ribbing on each side of the front. I decided to block it first, because the front edges were curling and making it difficult to pick up stitches for the ribbing.

Berry Twist Bread

I needed to do some work and I didn't have a car (yes, still a one car family), so decided bread dough could be rising as I read files. And I had seedless raspberry jam left over from the Linzer Cookies. The dough is a sweet dough, filled with raspberry jam, and glazed with an icing flavored with orange zest. Yum! Definitely something my co-workers would enjoy. Both boys liked it, but Ben thought it needed cinnamon.

Eyelet Flowers

I finished the blanket for Alison's baby. The pattern is from Fiber Trends and I used fingering weight yarn. When the boys were babies, I loved the lightweight, small blankets that could be used with car seats and strollers.

A bit early

My trip to the yarn store was a bit premature. I wanted spring, but winter was still on the shelves. When I explained what I was looking for, the shopkeeper took me into the back room and let me peek at some boxes she was just beginning to unpack ... ahhhhh, just what I had in mind. Pastel pinks and greens and yellows, all cotton ... perfect. Come back next weekend, she says. In the meantime, I had some worsted weight cream colored cotton on hand and started a transition sweater, short sleeved and cropped in length.

Spring!

The daffodils are in full bloom in the backyard, a sure sign that spring is here. I love that the daffodils keep multiplying. The goats have cleared much of the berry vine undergrowth and the daffodils are taking over. A great exchange, in my mind.

This spring weather makes me want to put away all unfinished wool projects and start on something with cotton or bamboo, perhaps even silk. Good thing I finished Alison's baby blanket! (Pictures later, it is currently being blocked.) I pulled out a pattern for a cropped raglan sweater (top down!) and am off to the yarn store for something spring-like ... I'm thinking pastels.