bombshell and amy singer

7/27/07

My Bombshell is so close to being done. I am working on the neckband, but I don't have enough yarn to bind off, so I need to go back a row (I added extras) and start the bind off again. bummer. It does have edgings on the sleeves, though, so that's progress! I took it in to Purlescence today to show Sandi how I was doing, since she helped me change the back shaping. She oohed and aahed for me.

7/28/07

Speaking of Purlescence, I also attended Amy Singer's No Sheep workshop today. It was quite informative, as I knew it would be! On Amy's recommendation, I bought one ball of Pima-Tencel to do the GKY thing with to see if I think it will work for Lift and Separate from Big GIrl Knits. I'm still itching to knit some silk into Annie Modesitt's silk corset and some linen into the lotus blossom tank from a recent issue of Interweave Knits. So many projects, so little time.

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definitely not too big now

7/17/07

My Bombshell is definitely not too big now. It might be bordering on too small. I am just going to finish it and see how it looks with the edging and the neckband. I'm thinking that I went too far in the stretchy direction for this pattern and should have just made one in All Seasons Cotton. I might still.

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copycat cookies

7/11/07

I posted a picture of copycat cookies in my Flickr account and Chikn with Stix asked what a copycat cookie is, so here they are!

They're a copycat of a Mrs. Fields cookie, according to the recipe in my newspaper this week. I made half the recipe, left out the nuts (so Stefan could have one) and the grated Hershey's bar (since I didn't have it) and used Rapadura in place of the brown sugar, because that's what I had. They are incredibly good. Next time I make them I am going to try replacing half of the flour with whole wheat too.

Copycat cookies

Makes 112

2 cups (1 pound) butter

2 cups sugar

2 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups flour

5 cups oatmeal, measured then finely ground in a blender

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

24 ounces chocolate chips

8-ounce Hershey's chocolate bar, grated

3 cups chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together butter and sugars and add eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix dry ingredients with creamed mixture. Add chocolate chips, grated candy bar and nuts. Drop golf ball-sized balls of dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for eight to 10 minutes.

Many Home Plates readers

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back on the horse

I'm not giving up on the Bombshell. I measured myself tonight, after reading Chickn's comment on my last post. I think she hit the nail on the head, or at least, one of the nails. I am smaller than I thought, for one. The other problem here is the yarn. Sandy, at Purlescence pointed out when I bought the yarn that the sample she knit was sized for the mannequin in the store, but she can wear it. This yarn is major stretchy. The size I was knitting, it turns out, is only 1"  smaller at the bust than my bust, not 2". Also, the waist of the size I was knitting is actually too big, and it's ribbed, so that can't be good. I am very tempted to knit the smallest size, which would make the bust 5" smaller than my bust and the waist 3" smaller, but ribbed and with a stretchy yarn that somehow seems like a non-issue.

Either I am a glutton for punishment or I really like this pattern. Or both.

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the bombshell bombs again

Why, oh why will this sweater not work? I did everything right this time. I swatched. I got gauge. I tried it on at the perscribed moments. I did the many short rows required to give myself extra room in the front. And yet, it looks like this.

The front looks okay. It's baggy under my breasts, which is never good. I do like the shape-enhancing aspect of the ribbing. But… BUT.. the back! Why is the back still baggy? What the F? I think that what I need to do is get a friend to put a pin in the row where the back darts should start. I'm also thinking that if I reknit this, and right now I'm not feeling that urge, honestly, I should forgo the short rows in favor of more bust darts as detailed in the recent post on Knitting Daily. I'm actually tempted to give up on this one for the moment and go knit me a tomato in some All Seasons Cotton. The All Seasons Cotton loves me, even if no other yarn does. Le sigh.

On the plus side, from the right angle, at the right moment, the Bombshell looks like this. (The right moment being when I accidentally took a photo instead of setting the timer.)

if only it really looked like this one

If only it were that flattering and sexy from any other angle. Seriously.

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finished anouk!

I made it my goal today to finish Anouk so I could put her int he mail to my friend, whose baby is due any day now. In spite of having more ends to weave in than anyone should, I did it!

7/10/07

I think it turned out really well. The only concern I have is that it's a touch on the big side. I don't know if that is part of the design or not. It fits on Stefan! Of course, I can't measure it and check against the pattern because I already mailed it. It'll fit her at some point, right? She's not even born yet.

(Yes, I can see the problem on the right pocket. I was feeling too rushed to knit another one.)

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short rows are a wonderful thing

It looks like my calculations for the short row shaping at the bust for my Bombshell were correct.

I'm a little concerned that the whole thing might be too big but we'll see how it looks after the bust and back darts are in and the ribbing is in at the waist. I also think it might shrink a touch. My Panda Cotton socks feel tight after they've been washed and Bamboozle is basically the same yarn, only a larger gauge. Time will tell!

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birthday food

Today was Niels' 5th birthday party. We had the party in the middle of the afternoon so I figured I didn't need to provide actual food, just cake. Niels opted for cupcakes, specifically: cookies 'n' cream cupcakes. I was glad to oblige. I took Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World out of the library recently and that is where I got the idea for cookies 'n' cream. Niels can have dairy now but I figured I'd follow their recipe anyway. Man, were they good!

7/7/07

My mom came down to watch the kids run around at the gym where the party was and she and some other friends came over for dinner afterwards. I made lamb kofta and tahini sauce to go on top and served them with grilled vegetables, lavosh bread and basmati rice. It was a pretty easy dinner over all and very tasty! It does help that Erik did the grilling, of course. I'm definitely saving that recipe and making those kofta again. Yum!

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a parade of wips

Anouk is almost done, which is good because my friend's baby is due like next week. I have all the pieces knit, I just need to sew them together and weave in a few ends. I mostly used the weave in ends as you go idea but with a cotton yarn, it doesn't hold that tightly. I'm considering taking some sewing thread and sewing the very end to the back of the dress since I want my friend to be able to machine wash it without the ends coming out.

I also picked up my Bombshell again. I was hoping to finish it before I go to Chicago, in two weeks. I'm not sure if that's doable or not. I'm just past the part where you divide for the body and sleeves. I took a picture before joining the body in the round last night. The back seems very long but I think part of that is because I had it on the needle instead of on a string and the weight of the needle pulled it back. I will also be adding some short row bust shaping. I just have to do it backwards from the instructions in the book. I think I have it figured out. At least, I sat down with a piece of paper and measuring tape and calculated what I need to do. Wish me luck!

I also keep forgetting to post about my footie socks. Sock, really. I finished the first one while we were in Carlsbad. I ripped back the ribbing and stole  borrowed Brenda Dayne's i-cord cast off idea. I think it worked. I need to sew the ends of the i-cord together, but that's about it. I weighed the sock and my fairly imprecise scale says that it weighs 20 g and the remaining yarn weights 25 g, so I should have enough left for the second. Of course, the ball originally weighed 50 g, but I won't wonder where the last 5 g went.

finished footie?

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someone stole cookie’s face

I was in the Starbucks in Carlsbad a couple of weeks ago and was staring idly at the employee photos while waiting for my drinks. For a couple of seconds I started to think that Cookie was secretly working there.

isn’t that cookie’s crazy face?

She isn't, of course, but that lady certainly does a good Cookie crazy face.

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