Sunday, March 1, 2009

Overthinking It

Unbearable cuteness

I reclaimed the yarn from my Ophelia, which was too small and I would likely never actually wear it. It was fun unzipping all the rows. I wound the yarn into balls as I ripped so I wouldn't end up with a hopelessly tangled pile of ramen.


I've been moving along on my Soap Bubble Wrap and have completed the right front piece (left front in the pattern, but I'm knitting left-handed without changing anything so mine is mirrored), with only a few snags:

- I did three gauge swatches before I came up with the correct pattern gauge.

- I started the front and messed up on the first line of double increases (a few inches in) and had to frog it.

- I’m substituting kfbf for the double increase because I couldn't get the specified increase to work correctly.

- About half way up the front chart I dropped a stitch and had to unknit a few rows, but I was able to fix the mistake to my satisfaction.

- Finally, I overthought the short rows on the shoulder shaping. I did the wrap and turns and got to the point when you put the piece on stitch holders to wait for the three-needle bind off, but the instructions tell you to put the front border stitches on a holder, then the rest. Well, I was starting at the sleeve end so, in my overthinking way, I figured it must be due to the left-handedness. I unknit all the way to the start of the short rows and then did some research online, only to figure out that what I had done was correct. So I redid what I had just undone. Its all about learning...

Soap Bubble Wrap - Right Front

I attempted yet another lemon meringue pie yesterday, this time with the Jello lemon filling I found at the grocery store. The filling is not nearly tart enough, and too custard-like, but at least it doesn't taste flat-out bad. I've also made a few pie shells lately, and now find that I dislike the premade Pillsbury crusts you can buy in the refrigerated section - they are too salty and tough compared to homemade. And homemade is surprisingly a lot easier than I thought. I'll be sticking with making my own from now on, I just have to remember to add in the extra hour or so it takes to prepare one (mostly chilling time).

Lemon meringue pie attempt eleventy-billion

I put the pie in the refrigerator without completely cooling it on the counter, so the meringue shrank, pulling away from the sides of the pie plate, and those little beads of sugary moisture formed on top. I think they're rather pretty.

Nectar

I also whipped out a double-batch (four dozen) of my favorite Outrageous Chocolate Cookies courtesy of Martha Stewart today.

Cooling, and making the whole house smell like chocolate

The dogs have been bored due to the rainy weather. In fact, Ayla is looking at me expectantly, and perhaps a little disappointedly, right now.

Ayla: I didn't do it.

Mac, dejected and bored. Or just sleeping. Same diff.

Please entertain us!

Little pink toesies!

2 comments:

Liz and Kurt said...

Um, in that first picture your cats looks like she's the same size as the dog. Maybe she should lay off the fatty foods :)

Liz and Kurt said...

Oh, and your cookies are delicious!!