because being away from loved ones is poopies!

I started a new project today even though I really should not have.  I have a friend who moved away from her family with her new husband to Virginia.  January and February are just the hardest months of the year if your are single or away from those you love.  I started her scarf today. 

I have other projects I should probably be working on at work.  None for Christmas.  All the Christmas projects require my sewing machine but I do have a couple more crocheted gifts to make.  They are whenever they get done. 

But this one needs to be done in January or February.  I also have a lot of yarn to spin for it as well.  The Tall Short person that it is "a happy place for the momma lady."  She is right.  It means this will get done in a timely manner.  I may even get a chance to put in a hat for the friend's husband even though I do not know him that well.  I will see.

long Christmas weekend

We did what we normally do over Christmas and went camping.  It was the normal type of camping in December in Texas, one day it was 70 degrees, three days later it is in the forties, raining, and blowing.  We are prepared for it but it does not mean getting out of bed in the  morning is every very simple.

And tea does need to stay close to the fire to stay warm!  Sometimes it is not even hot.  We camped very simply.  Much more simply then normal.  I did not mind but it was good the day it rained consistently was the morning we were planning on leaving.

My best friend gave me a foldable rocking chair for camping and on the warm days it was lovely.

I had been given water buffalo bone crochet hooks for Christmas. Four in all.  A little personal shaping and I think I really like them.  They are not as warm as wood but they do have nice feel in the hand and they do not slip out of my work as easily.  Sitting in a rocking chair by the fire or picnic table working on a scarf with them was nice.

And I did get a scarf finished!  It is another very long one.  The Tall Short Person says her neck is always cold.  The darker middle is merino and yak.  I did not have quite enough of that yarn to make the length I wished so I spun some yak and silk yarn for the ends.  The ends are a bit asymmetric because I guessed at was half the ball.  I am pleased with the scarf.

I enjoyed the time camping.  Some ways I am glad to be home but in some ways I wish I was back out there.  Both make me smile.

blue silk

When my Mom asked for me to make a pillowcase for my Grandmother, she also asked for one for herself.

I had offered aprons or pajama bottoms but I got pillowcases instead.  King size pillowcases.  Which really are not that hard to make but were unexpected.  I always make some pillowcases during this season because I buy extra flannel when I make pajama bottoms and make myself new pillowcases for the year.  The difference this year is that they are for other people and king size, twenty two inches by forty two inches approximately.  It depends on which measurements can be found.

The blue silk pillowcase turned out well.  It is a greyish blue and so soft. 

The rest of the pillowcases are flannel.  Makes me smile.

wonderful but too fragile for shipping

I love palmiers.  I know they are easy to make with puff pastry but I will be honest, I rarely have room in my freezer for a premade box of anything unless it contains fish.  Actually, either freezer.  So I have never made them at home. 

When I was flipping through the Martha Stewart magazines at my mom's, I found a recipe for a palmier that did not require puff pastry.  I decided to give it a try.  I will not complain about the Martha Stewart magazine or the recipes or typefaces.  The recipe turned out well.  I had thought about putting it in the Christmas boxes but the end cookie was much too fragile to ship.  Especially since my sister complains about the shape of her cookie arrival already.

I did tweak this a bit.  The first thing I did, since I was testing, was make a small batch.  I will say the batch I made made just enough cookies for a few days.  There are not much to these so it is good to eat them fairly rapidly.  Then, I could not read the typeface well and the directions really did not make sense to me so I did not follow the recipe correctly.  I even had my Beloved read it and he did not much better then I did so I figure it was meant to be.  I think it was a nice change.  And then there were bits of the recipe that were just much too difficult in a home kitchen with a Small Mister helping.  I have always wondered how big the test kitchens for Martha Stewart industries are.  They are not home kitchens.  Let alone home kitchens with a three year old helping.

palmier

Note:  adapted from Martha Stewart

1 cup flour

a pinch of salt

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

granulated sugar for rolling

Mix the butter, sour cream, and 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons sugar together.  Mix in the flour, salt, and cinnamon.  Bundle it up and put in the refrigerator for about an hour.  Just long enough to make the dough not sticky due to soft butter.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Sprinkle a flat surface with sugar.  Roll the dough out into a rectangle that is about a quarter inch thick.  Take the long edge of the rectangle and to the center.  Roll the other long edge into the center.  It is a classic palmier shape.  Cut into a quarter inch slices.  Or whatever you can cut without the cookie following apart.  Place on a baking sheet that is covered with parchment paper or Silpat.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are golden.

This batch of cookies was gone within two days.

I feel the need to make more but there just has not been time.  Soon!

slowly moving forward

This is a busy time of year.  It is busy with things I like to do very much.  But the Small Mister and I have come down with the crud.  it started the night of skating outside.  It floored me yesterday, which was my Beloved's birthday.  We went out for dinner instead of me making shepherd's pie.  I needed a four hour nap just to do that.  The rest of the evening was spent watching the last season of Warehouse 13 and me spinning.  I got all the yarn made for gifts and then I started this yarn above.  It is also for a gift but not for Christmas.  Oh well.

Today has been about errands.  To the grocery.  To the library.  Finishing up Christmas shopping.  I have always liked to use real silver or silver plate silver ware.  I found some today.  Goodness.  Very unexpected because I usually have to be looking. 

I also found a basket.

A basket for my spinning and crochet.  Also a few friends.  My corner of the room feels much more organized.  When Miss A goes through some of the yarn for her art classes, I am hoping it will feel even better.

It was a productive day.  Just not productive in the ways I thought it would be.  That is alright.