What I've been up to

There hasn't been much crafty posting here, but there has been a fair amount of crafting ("fair amount" considering the traveling and parenting that's also been going on.) I find that when my crafting time is limited, it can be really nice to use a tutorial. No second guessing or starting over or craftfails -- and lots of nearly instant gratification.  I've been using some wonderful free tutorials and patterns from the internet and it's been so easy and rewarding. So here's a linky lineup in case you're in need of a quick crafty fix too.

Cooking
Well, not exactly cooking, but playing with food. I've been making my own chai latte mix (like the one from Trader Joe's but better!) loosely based on this recipe. I gave jars of it away as stocking stuffers at Christmas and it's been a big hit.

I leave out the instant tea (ew.) but the recipe still calls for non-dairy creamer (scary stuff.) so I'm thinking about trying this recipe which calls for sweetened condensed milk instead (I can get a nice organic version at my local grocer.)

Sewing
For my dear friend Beth's birthday, I made a reversible tote bag from Skip to my Lou. I made mine a wee bit bigger and finished it off with an apple print with an appliqued leaf.


I put a few goodies for Beth's beautiful baby Jonah in the bag: a ball from felted wool sweaters and a flannel crinkly square using an old baby wipes package...  The crinkly square especially is perfect: it only took about 10 minutes to make, saved an old diaper wipes package from the garbage, and (most importantly!) it was such a hit I had to make Finn one too.  It's become my go-to last minute baby gift.


I've also been whipping up a bunch of these super easy wool pants for Finn.

They're made from the sleeves of adult-sized felted sweaters and they seriously only take a couple of minutes to throw together. Wool is a perfect material for diaper covering as it's naturally antibacterial and absorbent without feeling wet. Plus you can add fun and easy (no unraveled edges) appliques. I'm kicking myself for not keeping all the shrunken sweaters I've sent to the Goodwill over the years!

Knitting
I've been knitting too, several as yet unfinished projects -- and these ones are (almost) all for me! I'm making a simple sleeveless cardigan, the Shalom Cardigan from Involving the Senses.
Finn's helping with this one:


Also a Burberry-inspired cowl (every girl needs a little luxury, especially if it's homemade and $720 less than the Burberry version.)


And I'm finally attempting an Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern, the Baby Surprise Jacket), just in time for Finn not to fit it at all.


And I haven't cast on for the last project yet but I just had to show you this yarn: Malabrigo Merino Twist, isn't it beautiful?

I'm thinking some sort of slouchy beret for myself. Perhaps the Star-Crossed Slouchy Beret or maybe the Grace Lace Beret. Do you have any suggestions?

Any other good (quick and easy) tutorials I should be looking at? What are you working on?

Walking between raindrops

Finn and I have been taking advantage of those lovely hours between rainstorms. We've been walking a lot and enjoying the lush greenery, the swollen creeks and the squelchy mud. We don't talk much when we walk; my normally chatty little man gets very quiet and just looks around. And up, he loves to look up at the very tall redwoods. I imagine that he is experiencing awe and wonderment for the first time and I'm reminded to allow those emotions into my life again too.

So here, without much chatter, are some of the wonderful things we've been seeing.

Flourless Chocolate Cakes

Arnoud's birthday was a few days ago and we had a very quiet celebration. We took Finn for a walk, talked to the continental relatives on skype, had dinner at home with my family, and lit a big bonfire on the upper meadow. It was quite a change from years past when we've done big parties with costumes or ski jumps in the backyard or brunch for all the neighbors. But there were some very sweet, intimate moments that just may become traditions, starting with these individual flourless chocolate cakes.



I don't usually make individual birthday cakes because there's just not enough room for the candles. But this time I put a candle in everyone's cake and we all made a wish for Arnoud before we blew out our own candle, and really what's better than your own cake and 12 wishes?


folding the beaten eggs into the chocolate

I've been playing around with this recipe for years and I think I've got it figured out now. Although the end result is impressive, the preparation is pretty easy, no double-boilers or sifting required. The recipe consists of just chocolate, butter, sugar and eggs (and a little water,) but together they are transformed into something decadently chocolate without being cloying, especially if you cut the richness with raspberry coulis and homemade strawberry ice cream like we did. And the pink fruit and dark chocolate would also be perfect for your valentine!


the cakes before baking

So happy Valentine's day to you and your love, and happy birthday to my love!



Individual Flourless Chocolate Cakes
Makes 12 small cakes
See notes at the end for a Mexican chocolate variation.

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I leave mine in the package and just bang on it with a rolling pin)
3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick butter, cubed
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar, divided
3 large eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin or twelve 3 oz ramekins with nonstick cooking spray (if you use butter, they will stick. Ask me how I know.)
2. Combine chocolate and butter in a large heatproof mixing bowl.
3. Bring water and 1/3 cup sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour over chocolate and butter and stir until melted.
4. Beat the eggs and sugar in a separate bowl until soft peaks form and slowly dissolve when the beater is lifted.
5. Gently fold the eggs into the chocolate in three additions.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans and bake until a soft crust has formed on top of the cakes and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Cool the cakes 5 minutes (they will fall a bit) and then turn out onto plates to finish cooling. Serve at room temperature with raspberry coulis (raspberries blended with a little bit of sugar and then strained) and ice cream.

Mexican Chocolate Cakes: swap the water for strong coffee and add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to the chocolate and butter. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipping cream.

Acorn Cap Pattern

This little acorn cap is worked in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, so it is soft and warm, and perfect for covering your little one's ears on a blustery day. This hat is knit in a berry stitch adapted to work in the round, and the decreases for the crown shaping are integrated into the pattern.

Materials:
Size 8 DPNs
1 skein Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (I used a tan color, #300029)
Tapestry needle

Gauge: 4" = 5 pattern repeats and 30 rows
Finished size: 15" unstretched. Just fits my very large six month old.

Abbreviations:
CO = cast on
DPNs = double pointed needles
PM = place marker
P = purl
K = knit
tbl = through back loop
K2tog = knit 2 together
K3tog = knit 3 together
P2tog = purl 2 together

Pattern Repeat:
Row 1: *P3, (K1, K1 tbl, K1) in next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Row 2: *K3tog, P3. Repeat from * around.
Row 3: *(K1, K1 tbl, K1) in next stitch, P3. Repeat from * around.
Row 4: *P3, K3tog. Repeat from * around.



Directions:
CO 72 stitches across 4 DPNs and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist work.
Work in pattern for 30 rows. You will have 108 stitches after finishing odd rows and 72 stitches after finishing even rows.
Row 31: *P2tog, P2tog, (K1, K1 tbl, K1) in next stitch, P3. Repeat from * around. 72 stitches.
Row 32: *P5, K3tog. Repeat from * around. 54 stitches.
Row 33: *K2tog, P3, (K1, K1 tbl, K1) in next stitch. Repeat from * around. 63 stitches.
Row 34: P1 *K3tog, P4. Repeat from * to last 6 stitches. K3tog, P3. 45 stitches.
Row 35: *K2tog, P3. Repeat from * around. 36 stitches.
Row 36: *P1, K3tog. Repeat from * around. 18 stitches.
Rows 37-46: P all stitches.
Row 47: P2tog around. 9 stitches.
Cut yarn, thread through remaining live stitches. Weave in all ends.


photo by Leandra


Acorn Fairy illustration by Cicely Mary Barker
There's a bit of a resemblance there, no?

Home sweet home.

It's early, still dark, and quiet in my little house. My boys are still sleeping but the jet lag got me up early this morning. I've got a cup of tea and the quiet night noises to keep me company: clock ticking like a heartbeat, water rushing by outside the window, fingers tapping on the keyboard. It's good to be home.

Our trip was a whirlwind, here are the highlights:

We saw old friends


And met new friends.



We soaked up the culture


And gobbled up the food.


But mostly this trip was about Family

photo by: Tante Tinie





And it was a big trip for Finn. He saw his other homeland (the Netherlands) for the first time in all its snowy, wintry glory.


He started eating


And grew his first little teeth.


He went skiing with Papa


And sledding too.



And now we're home with our sweet memories and joyful photos. And blessed internet access! Oh, how I missed you!

Christmas Wrap-Up

So it turns out I was a bit over ambitious in my Christmas plans. Apparently I was too busy sunbathing in Baja to knit much. Who knew that working with wool while covered with sunblock, sand and baby slobber would be rather unappealing and tricky? I did get a few projects done, however, and now that we've finished up our third and final gift-giving session, I'm finally at liberty to divulge what ended up getting made.

Among the little knit projects that made it onto (and off!) my needles (Toasty, Thermis, Turn a Square, Star Crossed Slouchy Beret, Fetching, Plum Blossom Mittens, and a seed stitch eternity scarf of my own devising) there was one stand-out pattern. A pattern so quick, simple, and fun that I ended up making seven (!) pairs, two of them finished Christmas morning.  And only one pair was for me. They're the felted slippers from French Press Knits, and they are a little bit of magic.

They start with a few pieces of oddly-shaped knit work


Which, after a little seaming, become grossly over-sized slipper-shaped oddities
 

Which, after felting


and finishing become adorable house slippers!


From start to finish, I can make a pair of these in under two hours, including seaming (and there is a lot of seaming but it's of the "just sew those two pieces together any which way" variety that can be done while your baby is chewing the other end of your work.)  So after making my own pair, I whipped up six more pairs for gift giving.  I gave them out pre-felted with the idea that we'd have a felting party after opening presents on Christmas morning.  



Another lovely feature of this pattern is that they travel well.  They were made in Mexico, finished in California and I'm now wearing them in my sister-in-law's house in Pau, in the southwest of France. They pack well and stand up to getting shoved into a suitcase. And they look great with my new skinny jeans which is handy because, despite being told that all the cool kids are wearing skinny jeans, I've yet to be brave enough to wear them out of the house.

Champagne Truffles

Happy 2010!

We rang in the New Years in Pau, in the southwest of France, visiting Arnoud's little sister and her boyfriend, and I have a couple of recommendations for you if you ever come to Pau: eat all the cheese and chocolate you can get your hands on and make sure you're breastfeeding because you are going to need that additional caloric allowance.



Marianne and Seb, our hosts, like to cook even more than we do and made us a spectacular New Years Eve feast of Jerusalem artichoke and arugula soup followed by spinach and roasted tomato cannelloni with homemade (swoon!) noodles. The finish was these beautifully simple chocolate and champagne truffles with a heavy dusting of cocoa. The recipes are from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook and I'm having some serious cookbook envy for this one.



The truffles are rich and decadent but still have a delicate flavor from the addition of champagne. They have a soft center surrounded by a thin layer of chocolate that offers a slight crunch when you bite into them. If you have some leftover champagne from last night, whip these up today and relish the beginning of 2010.



Champagne Truffles
adapted from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
Feel free to use inexpensive champagne here but splurge on the chocolate, at least 60% cacao for the dark chocolate.

for the truffles
2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces
7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup plus 3 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup champagne
2 1/2 Tablespoons brandy

to finish
5 ounces dark chocolate, for coating
cocoa powder for dusting



1. Cover an 8x8 inch square pan with plastic wrap.
2. Place first two ingredients into a heatproof bowl large enough to accommodate all ingredients. Warm the chocolate in a microwave or over a pan of simmering water, stirring periodically with a rubber spatula, until it is semi-melted. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
3. Pour the champagne and brandy into a small saucepan and heat until hot but not boiling, about 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Add the champagne mixture to the chocolate and stir until it melts completely.
5. Stir in the butter in a few additions and continue stirring until the mixture is smooth.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and chill until it has set, at least 3 hours.

To finish
1. Melt the chocolate for coating in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water. Dump the cocoa onto a flat plate.
2. Turn the chilled chocolate out of the pan onto a sheet of parchment paper on your workspace, remove the plastic wrap. Cut the chocolate into squares (1 to 2 inches per side) using a sharp, long knife. Clean the knife in hot water after every cut.
3. Use a skewer or fork to pick up one chocolate square and dip it into the melted chocolate. Wipe off any excess on the edge of the bowl, quickly roll the square in the cocoa powder, and place on a clean tray. Repeat with remaining squares.
4. Allow the chocolates to set in the fridge but bring them to room temperature before serving.