Crazy Time

I'm sure many of you are in the same predicament as I, crafting madly in an effort to provide lovely gifts and/or cards for your friends and loved ones for the holidays. Still, I apologize for how long it has been since I last posted.

Above you see the socks I knit for Avi, in Opal. Last year, I knit him socks for the first time, by his own request, using up scraps of leftover sock yarn. The resultant stripey socks came out pretty well, and he wears them every night during the winter. I decided to make handknit socks for Avi a Chanukah tradition, but this time I knit the socks from a new skein of yarn. A year from now, if all goes well, he'll have what I was taught was the requisite minimum of any item of clothing, as per the following scenario: a pair in use, a pair in the drawer and a pair in the laundry.

Right now, I have one other completed gift. Another is nearly done. Then I have a number of other things in various early stages of development. Cryptic as that is, it's all I can tell you for now.


So I'll leave you with a gratuitous shot of baked goods, in this case a caramel cake, and wish you all happy crafting!

One Project Done

Today I finally got around to finishing up the dish and bone that go along with this puppy (pattern by Jean Greenhowe). Meital has had the puppy for a while now, but the project didn't feel complete to me until I'd finished the accessories. Now I'm trying to figure out if I should make her another toy as a surprise for Chanukah, or maybe give her something to wear (fingerless mitts?).

Meanwhile, I'm working on another gift that is coming along nicely. I've managed a few rounds on Avi's second sock today, but I really need a nice long chunk of time. He needs to go to Jerusalem again on Sunday, so I hope that will be my opportunity. I have an idea for another gift, which I will start as soon as I finish the other one. Sorry to be so vague, but I don't know if potential recipients are reading this blog.

The cookies have been a big hit (no surprise there, I guess). And other than that, the only thing I have to tell you is that this little guy


has been waking us up at about five every morning this week (kingfishers have quite a raucous call when they're in flight).

I hope to have more baked goodies to share with you tomorrow (wish I could share them in person!).

Stash Enhancement

A couple of days ago, Avi and I went to a bakers' supply store called Mr. Cake, where they often have all kinds of products and supplies that you just can't find anywhere else. I came home with a big bag of Belgian milk chocolate for melting, peanut butter mini-chips and caramel mini-chips. The last two items were new since the last time I'd visited Mr. Cake, and I was thrilled to see them, since I have a whole bunch of recipes I've been wanting to try that called for those items.


Today, I made 12 dozen peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies, some of which were then dipped in the melted Belgian chocolate. I must say, in all honesty and modesty: YUM. I left a fair number of cookies nude, however; they will be easier to take to school and share with friends that way.

I've also been working on socks, sweaters and other items I'd like to finish up within the next month. No progress photos, because right now I'm in the Slough of Despond, feeling like no matter how much I knit, I'm not making any progress! Hopefully I'll get past that over the weekend.

Cookies Interruptus

Now, see...that's what I'm talking about. I tried to be a responsible adult, and look where that got me.

I did all my chores (well, most of them) like a real, honest to goodness grown up. Then I went to make another one of those huge batches of chocolate chip cookies. Didn't really notice the time, except to realize that now I had some available.

There I am, innocently minding my own business, creaming the butter and sugar together in the good old Kitchen Aid, mixing together my dry ingredients like a proper little baker, when...all of a sudden...

Avi walks in the kitchen and says, "Are you sure this is the best time to make cookies?" (Pirates of the Caribbean aside: too bad he didn't say, "You don't want to be doin' that, mate." But oh well).

"Um..." said I, with my typical brilliance. I looked at the clock. Oh. Three in the afternoon. And I'm the one who asked Avi to make a roasted chicken for dinner. Check.

So, I finished up the dough and stuck it in the fridge. Avi's down there now, wrapping up the bird to put it in the oven to slow cook (it's wrapped in foil so it will stay juicy). And I will be making cookies after dinner, instead of before.

Sigh...

And on a different note, I give you:


My Go Team! socks (pattern available here). Of course, mine say Maccabi Tel Aviv. But you knew that they would.


And to further satisfy your sockish cravings, I present the first completed Chanukah sock for Avi (need to cast on the second one) and the start of a sock for Meital. The yarn was a gift from a sweet friend (thanks, Ellen!).

And that's it from here. Wish I had a cookie (grumble, mumble...).

I Don't Wanna Grow Up

I am very lucky to have a family who doesn't complain when I'd rather bake pecan bars (with and without chocolate on top) than make dinner - though today I did both - or knit stuff instead of dusting the living room.

Because if you give me even the slightest opportunity to choose, I will always do what is fun, rather than what is responsible.

Today I did some of both, though, as mentioned in paragraph one. In addition to knitting and baking, I mended clothes, did laundry, and finally, at long last...


...updated Liat's denim jacket. The four patches I sewed on today were purchased on our 2007 vacation. We bought the jacket itself in Maine in 2006, and Liat had the brilliant idea of displaying her patch collection (a work in progress) on the back. Too bad she doesn't have patches from all of our trips - it would have made a cool record of all of our destinations. Even so, it's a fun piece of clothing. Too bad sewing the patches on is anything but fun. At least that's done until we take another trip.

Of course, the list of things I didn't get done today doesn't bear mentioning. But after all, I need to leave something for tomorrow's To Do list.

On the Mend

Although I've still got the sniffles (and a bit of a cough) I feel much better. Want proof?


Last night I made these Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies, from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, 365 Great Chocolate Desserts by Natalie Haughton. You've got melted chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and more chocolate chips in these babies. They are soft and extremely chocolatey. Want a bite?


The recipe calls for chopped pecans, but I didn't use any because Meital doesn't like them. I think next time I will include them, because I think they would add that something special...


Today I attached the photos of the new players onto Liat's Maccabi bag. I know, it doesn't look all that different, but trust me: those in the know, know. See that one empty spot? I think soon there will be some changes made in the roster, so I have left one spot open.

Other than that, I've done some translation work, some housework, and just a wee tiny bit of knitting. I've thought quite a bit about stamping, but haven't accomplished anything in that area...yet.

But tomorrow is Saturday, and I've got high hopes...

From the Sick Bay*

Yep, I'm struggling with my second bad cold in two months. What fun. I'd been planning to post for awhile, but haven't had the energy. Here's a little of what I've been doing (the stuff that's worth sharing, at any rate).


While searching for the small umbrella I know Liat bought last winter, I ended up cleaning out the bottom of her closet. Aside from the dust bunnies and dessicated bug corpses, I found four pairs of sneakers that were too small for her. Luckily, three of those pairs still fit Meital, who is now enjoying them. I also cleaned out several rather ratty pairs of slippers, and these plastic scuffs. Liat and I each got a pair of these a few years ago (mine are pink). We mostly loved the beads and sequins that decorated them, but it also turned out they were perfect for wearing outside by the pool, since any overflow of pool water wouldn't hurt the plastic. But as you can see, the plastic didn't hold up too well in the toe area.


You know I wouldn't let these scuffs go into the trash without salvaging all that bling, right? While some of the sequins are losing their pearlescent coating, most are just fine. Now I need to get busy de-nuding my scuffs. Wonder how Liat and I will end up using all this bounty?


I've also been knitting. As you can see, I'm past the heel now on Avi's first Chanukah sock (in Opal, of course). I am trying to work on these without his noticing, but Liat thinks he is on to me. We'll find out next month. I just turned the heel today on my second "Go Team" sock (pattern is from the Six Sox Knitalong Yahoo group). Of course, my socks say Maccabi Tel Aviv! (but you knew that). Originally, I ordered two balls of yellow and two of blue (this is Knit Picks Palette), specifically to make this pattern. Unfortunately, somehow my order got turned around (I had to order through a friend, as Knit Picks doesn't ship internationally) and I only got one of each color. My friend suggested doing the socks this way, and I think it was a brilliant idea on her part. And finally, the green (Plymouth Encore) sweater back you see there is the start of Meital's Starsky Jr. sweater. Once I can manage to keep a thought in my head, I plan to get back to work on that. But for now, I'm sticking with good old stockinette.

It's for the best, trust me.

*Sick Bay