novamade

pie for everybody!

Pie, the banana cream variety

Today is National Pie Day.  I have no idea why the 23rd day of January was designated to be such an auspicious day, it is sort of random, really.  But far be it from me to argue; because, as you all know, I am a fan of pie.  So in honor or National Pie Day, it's randomness and its tastiness, I am going to give you a few bits and bobs that I have been thinking about lately.  Also, Kwana tagged me for randomness, so here you are:

I recently got a pair of new glasses.  Due to the weird shape of the bridge of my nose, I can only (really) wear glasses with nosepads.  The new glasses have nosepads; they are also pretty shiny.  I heart them; but, they are hip and funky.  I am not.  Every day I fail to live up to the expectation of coolness set by my glasses.

It's no secret that I like to bake pies.  But I actually enjoy making cookies more than I like making pies.

We are scrumptious.  Ice box cookies from Martha's Baking Handbook.

And as much as I like making cookies, I like baking cakes more.  I think it's because cakes make me think of birthdays (which I also like).  A whole lot.

Maida Heatter's boston cream "pie", it's not a pie, actually.

I really like baking and sweets in general; but if given a choice, I would pick savory over sweet every time.

Martha's mini-corn puddings, they want to be sweeter next time.

Before I started knitting, I was a quilter.  I had no idea what I was doing; but, I was really into it.  I think it's fair to say that I am into it again. 

washed, pressed, and ready for a good time

I recently prepped fabric for five quilts.  Five.  That's like saying, "oh yeah, I cast on for 5 sweaters for Special K last night."  It sounds and reads a little on the ridiculous side, doesn't it?

we want to be ironed and then cut into pretty pretty squares

That's it.  It was random, and it is what has been going on around these parts...lots of baking, quilt prep and Tomten avoidance (I have no idea why I thought striping it as much as I did was a good idea). 

Happy Pie Day, everyone!

busyland, it's my home

Things have been busy lately.  I am sure you have all been there, Busyland.  I won't bore you with the details of my job, Little Sir's new stubborn streak and the extracurricular professional stuff that is trying my patience.  Instead let's talk about the things helping to maintain the happy.  Like knitting.

People have been talking about posting more work in progress posts, so here is mine. 

After using some of the Beaverslide McTaggart Tweed in the stash on hats for Little Sir's funky bunch for Christmas, I thought I would use the leftovers with the the red-orange left from my Sienna cardigan.  Little Sir looks good in bright colors, and I thought, "he isn't even 2 yet, he isn't going to argue with me."  So I started the tomten.  I asked Little Sir if he was excited about his new sweater.  His response: "no.  Pockets, pwease."  It was clear to him that I was taking the easy way out by omitting the pockets.  So yes, afterthought pockets.  Fun.

I like the stripes; and, the garter ridges with this color combo reminds me of a rug my grandmother used to have in her kitchen; but, I think it's good.  What's not good?

I have only gotten to the armholes, but I am pretty sure that weaving in the ends is going to be the worst (read: most painful) part of this project.  But that is okay.  I am venturing on, because I want to play with some other yarn.

Last year, I ordered some Farmhouse Yarns Andy's Merino online and the vendor accidentally sent the wrong shade of green.  She told me to keep the first skein and then sent the shade I ordered at no extra charge.  So yes, free yarn.  I really like this yarn.  It's rustic and there is all kinds of vegetable matter in it, but the color is so vibrant and fantastic.  And really, the wool came from Andy.  What is not to like?  I feel like I need to finish something so I can cast on for something new with the yarn pronto.  I am thinking fingerless mitts for a certain friend who likes green.

And because it is Wednesday, and it makes me happy, there must be pie.

 

Chocolate Cream Pie using the recipe from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.  I was going to make a Banana Cream Pie this week, but my bananas weren't ready to be pie (or anything else for that matter, still green).  I generally like to use recipes from the internets so I can link to them for general consumption, but Rangsiwan inspired me to use a book from my collection.  The pie was good, it was really messy because the custard seemed resistant to firming up, but it was pretty tasty (I mean, really, it's chocolate).  Next week, banana cream pie.  For reals this time.

of retrospectives, cakes and pies

One of the things that I have really enjoyed about the early January posts are the year end retrospective mosaics.  I opted not to do a mosaic of my finished works from last year because that's what the gallery is on my sidebar; but the mosaics are fun, and I wanted to play too.  So here are 9 of the 11 wips/ufos floating around casa de novamade (I decided that the knee hi socks that have been frogged doesn't count as a wip and the yellow baby "blanket" is just a problem.  It depresses me, so I just couldn't include it)  :

due to my laziness, you'll have to go to flickr for info on the pics

I tried to go to bed early last night and I couldn't sleep, all I could think about were all of the projects I left unfinished in 2007.  Special K has decided that my preoccupation with knitting (and crafting in general) has crossed the line from entertainingly obsessive to concerningly unhealthy; but, I am sure I am not the first knitter to lose sleep over projects in the works, right? Someone, back me up here.

I wanted to start the year with a clean slate, obviously that was unrealistic (there are projects in the mosaic that were never blogged for grief's sake--and casting on for 2 projects on New Year's Eve didn't help at all either).  So in trying to figure out a reasonable plan for finishing some of the "old" projects before casting on willie-nillie for new ones, I have come up with a plan (because you can not be humbled by failure unless you have a grand plan from which to start).  It's pretty simple.  For every old project I finish (re-purposing of yarn is totally allowed), a new one can be started.   Seems reasonable, right?  Sewing projects don't count for or against the plan, it helps maintain the sanity by offering healthy breaks from the knitting.  So yeah, good plan, right?

And whenever I fail at the plan, I can just bake something.  That always makes me feel better, at least it does when the cake turns out tasty, as it should. 

I recently made a cake that didn't work at all.  The recipe was for the Flourless Citrus Cake in The Greystone Bakery Cookbook (the second book, there are two).  I liked the idea behind the cookbook, it's beautiful, the recipes sound tempting and the photographs are pretty amazing.  The flourless cake sounded promising, in theory: ground almonds in the absence of flour, lots of sugar and blood oranges.  But my gut instinct after I read through the recipe and realized that all of the orange (including the whole peel) was used was, "what?! How could that possibly taste good?"  It can't.  There isn't enough sugar in the world to correct for the bitterness of the whole peel in a fourless cake.  The texture of the peel in the cake didn't add to the glamor either.  The cake was disgusting.  I hope it is just this recipe.  I had high hopes for this book, but noticed a few typos as I was making this cake which didn't offer a lot of hope for future success.  Que sera.  And a reason to make another cake.

Tosca cake, a simple butter cake with an almond glaze on top.  Can't go wrong with that.

And because it is Wednesday and I am sad that new episodes of Pushing Daisies will not air any time soon and that reality TV will reign on the airwaves until writers get their fair share of profits (and recognition, really--is there anything that wikipedia will not cover?), I made a pie...

I am not going to wax poetic about Aaron's Chocolate Pecan Pie.  Elinor has already covered all the bases.  I am just going to say that you should go make your own.  Because it's easy and oh so very tasty.

I think I am going to make a Banana Cream Pie next week, which, I am pretty sure, is my favorite kind of pie.  After seeing Rangsiwan's pie, how can I not?

of winners and wheels

So I had a little contest.  Some of you commented.  Of 93 guesses, there were 7 correct guesses.  Seven.  Apparently, I am a craftilicious woman of mystery.

The bag I originally made for myself was bag #6.

Bag #3 was for my friend Anne in New York.  She is very hip and very funky and she doesn't even try (it might be a New York thing, but she was that in when I knew her in Boston too).  I thought adding the "grandmother's couch" interior fabric to the bottom of the dotty circle fabric toned things down a little.  I liked the effect.  I hope the contest winner does too.    Little Sir drew the name for the contest winner.  I tried explaining the procedure to him, but I got this look of "mom, I have done this before."

After playing with the bag for 5 minutes, he finally pulled a name from the bag.

Congratulations, Elinor!  You are getting THE bag with a bunch of yarn shoved in it!

The bag that I am keeping because it went wonky is bag #11.

I tried to give you a hint by stuffing it with the yarn of a current project (a bunch of Noro Silk Garden, I am sure none of you have any idea at all what I am knitting).  The process of making this particular bag taught me quite a bit:

• yelling at whatever you may be sewing is not going to make the situation better; really, it won't
• sometimes, it is not your sewing machine; it's you (or me, you know what I mean)
• polyester is a little bit "melty", there is a polyester setting on the iron for a reason
• mixing synthetic materials with cotton, probably not the best idea (especially if you are not going to change the heat setting on your iron)
• slinky materials are not fun to sew
• I should not buy polyester ever again.

As wonky as it is, it does make for a cute project bag.  Special K's birthday scarf has been very happy sitting in all that slinky feels-like-silk-but-isn't goodness.

And lastly, I wanted to introduce my newest friend.  Well, really she is an acquaintance right now. We don't know each other that well, yet.

This is Penny.  She is a Lendrum DT.  I tend to like dark finishes and, originally, that was going to drive my selection, but then I realized that was probably not the best plan for me.  After testing a few wheels, I knew that this was the wheel for me (though I think Christy's wheel is pretty special too).  I still don't really know what I am doing.  But I managed to get something on a bobbin.

Since he didn't want Penny ("the Spinny") to be a source of great frustration, Special K also threw in some spinning classes (to make the whole package the best Christmas gift evah).  So that should be good.  I am pretty excited.  I am not so excited about spinning that I will drop the knitting though...because really, the whole spinning thing drives the whole knitting thing, right?