sweater is done!

My Beloved's sweater is done!  Or at least to pattern.  His first handmade sweater even though his Mom makes sweaters.  We have decided that I am going to add a few more rows of ribbing to each sleeve.  I may need to spin more yarn.  But that is not a hardship.  I have spun all the yarn for this so far.

Making the sleeves a bit longer will mean he will not have to wear his "blue" to keep his wrists so warm.  He told me that it made between his shoulder blades VERY warm.  He is planning on wearing "blue" and this sweater on the land.  I am curious to see how long he can keep it on!

Now, once the ribbing is done, the rest of the fleece goes to my sweater!  And I get to figure out how to make 

TWO! (and pumpkin cake)

My Small Mister is two today.  He is my best helper.  He actually helped me make his birthday cake.  Well, really his Momma did.  He was more interested in bikes and Poppa.

And the chocolate cake bowl.  We put him in the bath after this so he did not get to try the pumpkin cake batter bowl.  I have to admit that I am now very tired.  But it was so much fun.  Small Mister had lots of fun.

This was his cake.  Pumpkin and chocolate with berries and buttercream.  My Beloved said I had to replicate the pumpkin cake.  I am writing it down now before I forget!

pumpkin cake

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 can of pumpkin puree (I had canned pumpkin chunks and drained them, then pureed)  or a full can and cook it down to 2/3

1 cup millet flour 

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup arrowroot flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter and flour an 8 or 6 inch cake pan.  The 6 inch pan needs to be at least 3 inches tall.

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla together.  Mix in the pumpkin puree.  Mix in the spices.  Mix in the millet.  Mix in half the heavy whipping cream.  Mix the sorghum.  Mix in the last part of the heavy whipping cream.  Mix in the baking soda, cream of tartar, and arrowroot flour.

Pour into the prepared cake pan.  It will take 45 minutes to 90 minutes to bake depending on the size of the pan.  It is done when a knife poked into it comes out clean.  

I am one tired Grandmomma but the cake recipe is written down!

greens and egg pizza

I was reading blog today and came across Smitten Kitchen.  I always like her ideas but I feel like she makes everything very complicated.  I never seem to finish reading a recipe let alone trying one.  The description for a spinach and egg pizza sounded really good.  I have pizza dough in the frig so I decided why not?  I needed to go to the grocery store anyhow because there is a small boy in my life who will be two tomorrow.  I was trying to make a cake tonight but I admit to fading very fast.  

What can I say about this concoction.....  My Beloved kept making noises like he was in heaven.  I am finding me and greens are not always a combination I like.  This is a way I like.  But then there was lots of garlic, olive oil, a bit of cheese, and pine nuts.  Just lovely.  And the egg?  I would never have thought of that bit.  Just lovely.

greens and egg pizza

1/4 pizza dough recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil, or one good glug

4 garlic clove sliced

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 large kale leaf, washed and slice small

6 spinach leaves, washed very well and slice small

a pinch of salt

a pinch of pepper

about a 1/4 cup grated parmesan

about a 1/4 cup creme faiche

1 egg

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cover a pizza stone with parchment paper.  Roll out the pizza dough very thin.  

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add the garlic and pine nuts.  Let brown.  Add the kale.  Let cook until the stems start to soften a bit.  Add the spinach.  Cook until wilted.  Add the salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Transfer the mixture to small bowl.  Mix in the cheese and creme fraiche.  Cover the pizza dough with this mixture.  Crack an egg on top.  Put in the oven.

I cooked it until the crust was golden on an edge or two.  This meant the egg was hard.  If you wish a softer egg, do not cook as long.

Let the groans begin.  Tell your children it has greens and they will not like it.  That way, you may not have to share!

patterns

Today was all about making patterns or receiving patterns.  

I bought this little dress for wearing on the beach in Florida.  We were so ready to get out of town we forgot a few things.  We also did not know how much time we were going to spend where.  We picked up a few beach things at a local surf shop.  This dress was a find.  Years ago I had something similar from Target and I really liked it.  I actually went back to see if they had any other prints that I might like and they really did not.  I did find lovely remnants at one of our local fabric stores that are big enough to make this dress.  I took the pattern off of it and I am getting ready to make it.

I am also waiting for patterns in the mail.  This corset is one.  I have other things coming.  So much fun!  But the federal holiday did not help much. 

This week is about preparing for the Small Mister's birthday.  It is going to be interesting.

11 days and two sleeves to go

The body of this sweater for my Beloved is done.  I now just have the sleeves to do and he wants it before we go to the mountain.  Eleven days.  Sleeves and weaving in ends.  The blocking may not be finished but I can hope.

I learned to do ribbing for this.  Or at least a different way of doing ribbing.  I admit that my hands were not very sure about it at all but I decided I really like the texture and the stitch.  

I am probably going to have to spin more "brown" yarn for this before I am done.  It is the background yarn and the yarn I am using for my sweater.  I like to spindle spin for my sweater but that is because that whole process is meditative.  At this point, I am just going to focus on this quilt.