Sharing the Love

Hello everyone!  I’m sorry I wasn’t here on wednesday, it was Mike’s birthday, and I had much to do with all the preparations.  To makeup for it, I will combine two blog posts into one Super Post!

I would like to thank Domestic Cents has given me the Butterfly Award (with apologies for the grammatical error)!!  It was so sweet of her to think of me!  Now it is my turn to share this award with more bloggers that I love!

I am passing this along to Soule Mama and Craftlog.  These are blogs that I love and visit daily.  Thank you for being a part of the blogosphere!

 Here are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you
3. Award up to 10 other blogs
4. Add links to those blogs on yours
5. Leave a message of your awardees on their blogs

To the bloggers that I awarded, if you prefer not to post the award, that is ok with me, I just wanted to make sure that I recognized you!

I also want to share a recipe with you…Orange-Vanilla Bean Cake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache.  This may be one of the most delicious cakes I have ever had!  I got the idea from the February 2009 edition of Martha Stewart Living.  In it, there was an article on cupcakes, and the tastiest looking one was Orange-Vanilla Bean Cake with Orange frosting (or something like that anyways).  Well, when I looked in the recipe section for said cake, there was no Orange-Vanilla Bean Cake recipe! 

This was truly a catastrophe at this point because I had told Mike what  I was making and we both kind-of had our hearts set on it.  With a quick search of Epicurious, I found a great recipe with a high rating.  I only made two changes: I added 1/2 a vanilla bean instead of the vanilla extract, and I made this into cupcakes instead.  The cupcakes took a fraction of the time (about 20 minutes in my oven).

Another thing you should know is that this recipe made a HUGE amount of batter.  I had enough for 2 dozen cupcakes and 1 two layer cake, with some batter left over.

Orange-Vanilla Bean Cake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache

For the Cake: Gourmet, March 2002

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 7 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 9 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the Frosting: Martha Stewart Living Cookbook

• 1 lb. good quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 320 degrees.  Sift the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl (really large bowl!).  In another bowl (medium will be fine) whisk together the oil, egg yolk, orange juice, orange zest, and the vanilla bean pulp (to do this, slice the vanilla bean in half, length-wise, and scrape out pulp with the back of a knife).  Whisk this mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.  In another large bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are foamy.  Add the cream of tartar and beat until they hold stiff peaks.  Add the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar, a little at a time and beat until they hold stiff glossy peaks.  stir one third of teh whites into the batter to lighten it and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly.  Spoon the batter into cupcake cups, filling them to about 2/3 full.  Place in the oven.  Check after about 10 minutes, and adjust time from there.  Mine took about 20 minutes, but I am at a higher altitude.  Remove when done and cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting: Place chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl.  Place cream into a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Heat until just boiling.  Pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit for 10 minutes.  Stir gently until chocolate and cream are fully incorporated.  Place mixture in the refrigerator until cool to the touch, stirring every 5 minutes or so to keep the temperature even.  When it is cool, beat on high with an electric mixer until the frosting just begins to thicken.  Place back in the refrigerator for about 10 minute.  Stir the frosting.  Place into a ziploc bag and cut off one of the tips.  Use this to pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.  If you like, dust the top with some shaved white chocolate.

With Valentine’s day fast approaching, I will be spending this weekend working on a few projects…stay tuned for some cool ideas for the holiday!

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It wasn’t meant to be

Last week, we had record-breaking warm weather here in Colorado…as in, near 70 degrees!  This really got me in the mood for some spring-time crafting.  I took a trip to the good old fabric store, and found a great remnant piece of navy jersey, just the perfect size for a new skirt.  Oh, and did I mention that it was under $1!?  Such a great deal!

Anyways, on the morning of the day I planned to get down to business, I woke up to this:

Um yeah.  Not exactly skirt weather anymore.  I still decided to make the skirt, you know, just in case.  I did what I usually do when designing a pattern…take my measurements, tape a bunch of 8.5×11 pieces of white paper together until I get the size and shape I want, and start cutting.  I sewed everything together, and tried it on before I hemmed the bottom and added detail, and guess what?  The skirt was at least 2 sizes too small!!  I really don’t know how that happened!!  There must have been something seriously wrong with my math, or else I was secretly wishing that there was some way that I would fit into supermodel sized clothing.  I don’t know. 

Here is a picture of the skirt that wasn’t meant to be:

I didn’t add the cute patchwork I was planning on because really, I felt like there was no point. 

In other news, I had Chinese take-out before I started the skirt.  “Be sure to take your time on the details.”  Yeah.  That’s what my fortune cookie said.  Coincidence?  I think not!

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Cute Hair Pins!

Maybe it is my new short haircut, or the fact that I have slowly been styling it less and less, but I have been wanting some new cute hair accessories to change things up a bit.  Unfortunately, its not something I really think of ahead of time.  Mostly, I wake up in the morning and get dressed, and do my hair and think, “Oh man, I could really use something besides a boring old bobby pin to pull some of my hair back.”

Last night, I finally decided to end the morning frustration and make a couple of hair accessories.  They all have a similar theme…buttons!  I definitely have an overabundance of these little things, mostly from clothes that come with some extra buttons in case one falls off (How come I can never find the one that I need when this actually does happen!?!?).  Anyways.

I made the first one with a fancy button I found.  It is ivory and has some shiny flowers on it.  I “sewed” it onto a bobby pin using some grey thread.  You could also use some hot glue or super glue to do this.

For the second one, I used a small gold button and attached it like the first.  Then, instead of trimming the end of the thread with the needle, I used it to attach 3 small beads as well.

Finally, for the third I took some scrap fabric (about 1/2″ x 7″) and made a fabric flower with a running stitch.  I then “sewed” the button through the hole in the fabric and around the bobby pin.  Again, this could be attached with some hot glue if you prefer.

The best thing about these were they were free to make!  Almost everyone has all of these items somewhere around their house.

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Yo-yo Table Runner

I know that this is nowhere near a new concept, but when the idea came to me, I felt so innovative!  I guess if there are any differences between this design and many of the items utilizing yo-yo’s out there, is this is a bit more modern looking.  Sometimes, yo-yo’s can look a bit “country”, but I think with the colors (yellow and grey), and the asymmetrical pattern, this table runner will have a proud place in my home.  Ok, so maybe I’m kidding myself.  Maybe it’s just the nature of yo-yo’s to look “country”.  Oh well.  I still love how it turned out!

I haven’t made yo-yo’s before, but I found them really easy to make.  This project could easily be done in one afternoon/evening.  All you have to do is find circles of various sizes around your house (I used 4).  You can use plates, bowls, cups, etc…anything that you can easily trace around.  Cut out several circles of each size from scraps of leftover fabric. 

To make the yo-yo’s, start with the back side of the fabric facing up.  Fold an edge of the fabric over 1/8-1/4 inch.  Sew by hand with thread knotted at end, using a running stitch. 

Do this around the whole edge of the fabric, until you return to where you started.  Turn yo-yo right side out. 

Pull each end of thread tight, and tie together in a knot, and trim. 

 

Basically, that is it.  If the yo-yo doesn’t lay flat, you can always iron it.   One thing that I found with the yo-yo’s is the running stitch does not have to be super small and uniform.  In my littlest yo-yo’s I did use a smaller stitch because if I didn’t there wouldn’t be enough gathers.  But in my larger yo-yo’s, the longer stitches actually looked better…the small stitches created too many gathers.  So if you are one of those people who have some extra time on your hands (and seriously, who does these days…), then experiment with your stitch length and find the one you like the best.

To make the runner, gather all your yo-yo’s and begin to place in a pattern that you like.  Mine really was a lack of a pattern.  I just didn’t want two yo-yo’s of the same fabric next to each other.  Once you have place them, sew each together in the place that they touch.  You don’t have to sew a long area, just a few stitches to tack them together should be fine.  Repeat this step with every yo-yo.

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Gauge Swatch, As Promised!

Last week, I posted about knitting for the series over at Domestic Cents, Almost Lost Domestic Arts.  I didn’t get a chance to post a gauge swatch, so here is one!  As you can see, it is big enough to see how it would look if I was knitting a whole project like a scarf or a sweater.  However, it is not so big that it takes forever to whip one up.

To make a gauge swatch:

• size of needles called for in the pattern you are going to use
• yarn you will use for your project

Cast on enough stitches to measure about 6 inches.  If you look on the pattern, it will say something like 24 sts. = 4 in.  This number (24 stitches) is a good place to start.  If you know that 24 stitches should equal about 4 inches, then 2 inches would be 12 stitches.  24+12=36, so if you cast on 36 inches you should have close to 6 inches, give or take a few stitches.

Knit enough rows to equal about an inch.  By this time, you should be able to measure the width of your swatch.  Mine was 6 inches.  You want at least 4 inches worth of stockinette stitch (knit one row, then purl one row), along with some border of garter stitch (knit every row).  To do this, take the total number of inches wide your swatch is (6).  Subtract the number of inches you want in the stockinette stitch (4).  The result for me is 2 inches.  Divide this by 2 (since you will have the garter border on both sides of the swatch).  For me, this is one inch on each side.

Knit enough stitches to equal one inch (or the number you came up with on the last step).  Write down this number.  Purl until you have the same number of stitches you knitted at the beginning of this row.  Knit these.

Knit the next row.

Repeat last two steps until you have about 4 inches in the stockinette stitch.

Knit enough rows to equal about an inch.  Cast off.  This is your swatch.

Lay your swatch flat.  Place a measuring tape or ruler on your swatch, where the stockinette stitch begins.  It should measure about 4 inches.  Count the number of stitches that are in an inch.  If there is a split stitch in an inch, count the number of stitches in 2 inches.  (It’s a little hard to see from the picture, but if you count to one inch, you get about 7.5 stitches, and if you count to 2 inches, you get 13).  If you counted the number of stitches in one inch, multiply this number by 4.  If you counted the number of stitches in 2 inches, multiply the number by 2.  This is the number of stitches you have in 4 inches.  If the number you came up with is higher than the number indicated in the pattern, you might want to try using a slightly larger needle.  (On mine, I got 26 stitches for 4 inches, which is 2 more stitches than the pattern from above.  Because of this, I would go to the next size needles up).  If the number you came up with is lower than the number indicated in the pattern, you might want to try using a slightly smaller needle.

When you have determined the size of needle you should use, you can rip out your swatch and use the yarn for your project.

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Fabric Flower

When I finished sewing my dress, I wanted to add some extra details to make it a little more unique.  I decided to make some fabric flowers to add along one of the shoulders and neckline.  I headed out to the store to find some coordinating fabric, and finally settled on some silk and sheer fabric of the same color.  I think that by using the same color, the dress maintains the modern look that I am going for, while not being overdone.

Here is the result:

Fabric Flower

• small piece of fabric, measuring about 27″ x 6″ (for large one) or 12″ x 3″ (for the small one)
• matching thread

I like to use the edges of the fabric because I like the way it looks.  If you prefer, you do not have to use the edge.  It just comes down to personal taste.  Fold fabric lenghthwise so that one half is a little narrower than the other. 

Sew with a running stitch at 1/4″ to 1/2″ from the fold.  This can either be done by hand or with a machine. 

Secure each end of the thread and gather fabric. 

Tie the two ends of the thread together.  Trim any loose strings, and secure to clothing, a headband, or anything else that needs a cute flower on it!

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Almost Lost Domestic Arts – Knitting

Nicki over at Domestic Cents is starting a new series for the new year…Almost Lost Domestic Arts. I am really excited about this series because I see many of these arts making a comeback!  This week, she is talking about Knitting.  For this edition, I decided to share some of the resources and tips I turn to whenever I knit.

When I first started knitting, I went to the local library and basically cleaned out their whole section.  I brought home books on everything from how to’s to advanced techniques.

One of the most helpful books that I found was The Knitter’s Book of Yarn, by Clara Parkes.  She goes through all the different types of materials used to make yarn, as well as the differences between plys and spin techniques.  This book helps you choose the right yarn for the job.  It also includes some great patterns that you can try with your yarn selections.

Another book I really enjoyed was Joelle Hoverston’s Last Minute Knitted Gifts.  When you are first starting out, this is a great little book to have because there are a ton of projects that can be done in a short amount of time (granted,  it may take longer to make each thing if you haven’t been doing it for long…I know it definitely took me more time when I was just starting to learn).  If you are looking for a confidence builder, this is definitely the book for you.

For basic tutorials, none of the books at my library were very helpful.  Instead, when I was stuck, I would visit Lion Brand Yarn’s website.  They have some great, free, step-by-step tutorials.  They also have some free patterns that you can try out.  I did one of them here.  For the patterns, you have to sign-up for an account, but it is free to join.  This is great if you are looking to keep the cost down.

Some important things to remember when you are first starting out:

It is very important to do a gauge swatch.  Doing a gauge swatch will ensure that your finished product is the right size.  It also ensures that you have enough yarn to finish your project.  Usually a pattern will say what the gauge is.  For example, a pattern will say 24 sts=4 in. (10 cm).  This means that with the needles specified in the pattern, if you knit 24 sts, you will have 4 inches.  If you have more than four inches for the needles specified, try using a smaller pair of needles.  If you have less than four inches, try using larger needles.  Continue adjusting until you get the right size of swatch.  For more information on how to make a swatch, visit this website.  *Stay tuned for a detailed tutorial on how to make a gauge swatch*

If you are using re-purposed yarn, make sure all the knots are out before you start.  I know from first hand experience that this can be a huge pain!

Start with something easy.  Something like a scarf is a good thing to start out with.  It doesn’t matter if you make it a little too long, or a little too short.  A scarf is very forgiving.  If you have done that, move on to something a little more challenging, like the blanket I did here.

Your first project will not be perfect, and that is okay!  With each project you do, you will get better and better.  I have even grown to love the things I did when I was just learning.  Don’t be too hard on yourself!  Knitting takes a lot of patience (something that I had to learn when first starting out).

When you are first starting out, count your stitches often to make sure you have not accidentally dropped some.

If you are looking for something on the easier side to start out with, try my knit cuff below!

Knit Cuff

Gauge: 8 sts = 1 in.

What you’ll need:

• yarn
• 3.5 mm knitting needles (US size 4)
• button
• 2 safety pins (I could only find 1 safety pin, so I used one safety pin and one bobby pin)

Terminology:

• Cast on = CO
• Knit = K
• Purl = P
• Bind off = BO

Measure around your wrist.  This will be the length from the starting edge to where you start your button hole.

CO 10 stitches.  K2 rows. *P1, K1.  Repeat from [*] until length of fabric measures the same as your wrist, finishing with K1.  Transfer 5 stitches over to one safety pin.

With remaining stitches, *P1, K1.  Repeat from [*] until button hole is slightly smaller than the width of the button, finish with K1.

Transfer these 5 stitches over to another safety pin.  With first safety pin, transfer stitches back to your knitting needle.  *P1, K1.  Repeat from [*] until you have reached the same number of rows as the other side of the button hole.  Transfer these 5 stitches back to the safety pin.  Transfer all stitches to your knitting needles.  *P1, K1.  Repeat from [*] 2 more times.  K1. BO.

Sew button onto cuff with yarn.  Weave in loose ends.

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Our Favorite After Dinner Snack

I think we made this recipe up one night when we needed a sweet/salty/crunchy snack one night, and our pantry was empty.  We made homemade kettle corn (or I guess, something fairly similar), and have never gone back!  This is definately our after dinner snack of choice.  It is especially great right now…its the begining of the new year, and we are aiming to make healthier food choices, as well as save money.  This snack is both relatively healthy and cheap.  I put the information for this recipe in a nutrition calculator, and if you eat half, your intake is about 176 calories,  not to shabby!

Ingredients – Sometimes my sister makes a more savory version by adding a couple teaspoons of chopped fresh rosemary instead of the sugar.  This is also very good!

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup popcorn kernels

Directions

Pour oil, sugar, and salt into a cheap stainless steel mixing bowl.  *Note: we use a separate mixing bowl from our others because, as you can see from the picture, cooking this way can cause charring on the bottom of the bowl, and I don’t want that to happen to my nice ones.  I think we got this bowl for under $3 at the grocery store.  You could also try a thrift store for a cheap one.

Pour popcorn kernels on top of these items. 

Cover bowl with foil, and place over high heat.  Shake vigorously until popping slows (I always us oven mitts or a dish towel to protect my hands from the heat). 

Remove from heat and transfer to a new bowl…there will be a lot of hot steam, so be careful. 

Enjoy!

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More Gifts

But wait??  Hasn’t Christmas already passed?  I know, I know…you are probably getting a little sick of hearing about all the Christmas gifts I gave out this year, but I swear…there are just a couple more!  This is one that I made for one of my sisters.  She just moved into an apartment, and her walls are super bare. 

What is a little funny about this piece is the colors.  For some reason, my sister has always been attracted to the color purple (no, not the book…).  I’m not sure its really even intentional, the amount of purple things she owns.  When we were still living at home, she had purple carpet.  To match, she had to get purple bedding.  When she moved to college, she got MORE purple bedding.  And now, once again, her bedroom is purple.  I wonder…can you ever turn purple like that kid in Willy Wonka just from being around the color too much, or do you really have to chew the gum to get like that?

Anyways, what else was I supposed to do?  I have no idea, so I decided to add to her growing collection of plums and lavenders.

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Almost Lost Domestic Arts – Sewing

Nicki over at Domestic Cents is starting a new series for the new year…Almost Lost Domestic Arts.  I am really excited about this series because I see many of these arts making a comeback!  This week, she is talking about Sewing.  For this edition, I decided to try my hand at making a dress. 

I was flipping through some of my old magazines and ran across one similar to this (sorry I can’t find the picture…).  Anyways, what I really liked about the style is it is so versatile.  It is something that you can wear in the winter (over a long sleeved shirt and some thick tights), just as well as you can in the summer with a pair of cute sandals.  This dress can also be both dressed up and dressed down.  With a strand of pearls you could wear this on a nice date, or with a pony tail and sandals, you could wear this for shopping around town.  **I apologize in advance for my non-technical language and general awkwardness in this pattern.  It is the first one I have written, and I am  not really sure of all the terminology etc.  I welcome any constructive criticism to help me make this and future patterns better.**

This dress fit me generously.  I am 5’3″ and wear about a size 4.  If you are taller you can always extend the length a few inches on the bottom.  Also, if you are more curvy than me, you can always add width as well.  If you do this, make sure to also extend the length of the sash as needed.

To make this dress you will need:

• 2.5 yards of a light knit fabric
• 1 yard of matching ribbon.
• matching thread
• scissors
• pins
• Dress Pattern

Start by ironing your fabric.  If it is made from a material that can shrink (like cotton), make sure you pre-wash (you may need more fabric if it shrinks).  Lay the fabric out on a wide, flat surface.  Cut out pattern.  Pin the pattern to the fabric, and cut it out.  Repeat for the second side of the dress.

Align the two halves of the sash on the fabric (where is says “A”), pin and cut out.  If your fabric is not long enough, you may  have to cut out each half separately and seam them together.

Mark the dotted lines on the inside of all pieces of fabric.  Each dotted line is 1/4″ in from the solid or dotted line that is closest to it.  What I usually do is mark in 1/4 inch with either a fabric marker or with pins.

Fold each arm section on the dotted lines (you will fold over 2 times, so the exposed edge is on the inside) and pin.  Stitch along each of these edges, using the edge of the foot of your sewing machine as a guide to keep the seam straight.

At the neckline of each panel, fold fabric along dotted line and pin.  Stitch along each edge.  Fold again over the dashed line, and stitch over each.  This will create a “tunnel” through which you can run the ribbon later on.

Align the two panels of fabric, inside facing out.  Stitch each side along the dashed line.  If you like, you can use a zigzag stitch along each of these raw edges to prevent fraying.

Along the bottom of the dress, fold fabric on the dotted lines (two times) and pin.  Stitch along the bottom.

Run your ribbon through the two “tunnels” you created earlier.  If it is a little hard to get through, you can attach a safety pin to one end of the ribbon.  Tie the ribbon in a bow.

Take the sash you cut out, and fold twice along the dotted lines on each side of the sash.  Stitch along each side. 

Your dress is ready…wrap the sash around your waist, and tighten the neckline as much or as little as you like.

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