I found the idea here and used this recipe for the Vanilla Cupcakes. ( Note to self: Next time fill the baking cups only halfway.) The blood on the inside and top was Raspberry Jelly mixed with Raspberry Syrup to make it more liquid. I used this recipe for the icing.

I made them for a Halloween party my kids were invited to where they were supposed to bring a treat. I was a bit disappointed when they came back with half of the cupcakes leftover, but then I realized I should have made a mini version. A kid standing in front of a table filled with sweats  usually wants to try as many different things as he or she can. A large cupcake was probably too much to take on. Well, we live and learn ( and enjoyed the leftovers.)

Happy Halloween!

I have had a lot of fun lately working on new projects and playing with my spinning wheel. Unfortunately within a span of 2 weeks my three kids have been sick and I have been so exhausted that I have managed just what had to be done. Well, it is over now and I am trying to get back.

With the leftover yarn from my striped sweater I made a hat for my niece. I used this stitch pattern, but I knit the hat top down and switched randomly between the lighter and darker yarn. I knit it on 4mm needles to make the stitches denser. I hope she likes it!

Then I dyed a merino/silk top and spun it into a 2-ply aran weight yarn. It amazes me how much the yarn puffs up after it is plyed and washed. It looked much thinner on the bobbin. The reason for this of course is, that the yarn on the bobbin is under tension. Also I find it difficult to know how much fiber to pull out to make the yarn the thickness I want it to be.

To help me figure this out I have started a spinning journal where I keep samples of my handspun yarn and write down how I made it. Also I think it would help if I compare my singles to commercial yarn so I can see the difference in thickness.  The other surprise is that while I spin the yarn I think it is fairly even and in the end it isn’t. I feel like an adventurer exploring a new country and have a lot of fun doing so. I was very proud when I managed to ply my new yarn evenly and it came out balanced!

I hope you enjoy whatever you are doing!

In recent years we have turned our front yard into a mini orchard. There are 6 small apple trees and one sour cherry tree. We have Spartans and another kind whose name I don’t know. This year we had an amazingly large harvest. At first we picked the Spartans and were astonished how flawless the apples were. Then we picked the other kind and found out that the local wildlife prefers the bright red apples by far. I ended up with a large basket of apples that needed to be worked with right away and 4 and a half crates of apples which can be stored a while.

After surveying the bounty I bought an apple peel-core-slice thingy and I am glad I did, because it is very fast and turns the apples into pretty spirals.

So far I have made

• 5 batches of apple sauce
• 4 different kind of apple cakes and pies
• 2 kinds of apple strudel
• 3 batches of candy apples
• caramel apples (new recipe!)
• apple jelly
• apple crisp
• apple pancakes
• baked bagels with apples and cheese
• apples with Dulce de Leche

and I have given apples away to friends. There are still four crates full of apples left!

Also, now that it is October it means the quinces are ripe…

When I still had only my borrowed spinning wheel I spun 4 oz of superwash Merino Top into a thick and thin singles yarn. ( What else can a beginner spin?) I did well on the twist especially after reading this article about twist angles. In the meantime I might have learned how to avoid spinning the thin, thin parts ( if you don’t want them that is).

Apparently when I spin yarn I have to knit it up immediately, so I was looking for a project and found this scarf pattern on Ravelry. ( Instructions can be found here)

I partnered my handspun with undyed Riverstone yarn from Louet and after all the knitting was done I added little triangles in crochet as a border*.

It took about 100g ( 3 1/2 oz) each of the two yarns. I knit it on 4.5mm needles and the scarf is 5 1/2 inches ( 14cm) wide and just under 2 yards (1,75m) long.

It was a fun knit, the scarf looks pretty and my daughter wants it – a successful project.

*I made it up, it was something like this: (chain 3, turn, single crochet 1 into the chain and single crochet 1 into the scarf, turn, slip stitch one into the chain and 1 into the scarf) repeat

When I was looking for something to knit on our vacation I found a picture of a cheerfully striped sleeveless sweater on Ravelry. I thought it was the perfect vacation project: an easy knit and colourful.

The yarn I chose was Louet Gems worsted weight and I dyed it as a transitional yarn in two giant skeins: one in dark colours and one in light colours. I decided the stripes two rows wide and alternate between the dark and the light yarn. To ensure a good fit I decided to make my own pattern. For that I went to my dress form and took measurements on it, starting from the length of the sweater to where the waist would be, the armholes and neck opening. I wanted a somewhat loose fit and added 2 inches of ease.

When I had knitted about 8 inches I tried the sweater on and it was much too wide. I had knitted it exactly to my measurements, but the fabric stretched so much, that it became too large. So I started over with zero ease.

The hem is knit in garter stitch. The collar is 9 inches long and knit in stockinette, because I like how it drapes. To tidy up the armholes I crocheted one row single crochet and added a second row in slip-stitch to mimic a knitted stitch.

I like my new sweater a lot. It fits exactly the way I wanted it to and adds some colour to my wardrobe. It took 460g ( just over 1 pound)/ 800 yards of yarn and I knit it on 4.5mm needles.

Look, what was delivered to my door:

I am so excited about my first, very own spinning wheel! The decision to buy one was not easy. I had been thinking about it for 2 years. First of all they are not cheap and then I am very busy as it is. How much time will I have to actually spin? Will it end up gathering dust in a corner while I feel bad about it?

The reason why I decided to buy it is that I enjoy spinning immensely and I almost love knitting with handspun yarns even more. So I treated myself to something fun even though I might not find a lot of time for spinning or I might never quite get the hang of it. Not everything in life has to be sensible, right?

So here I am already planning my first project, immersed in my spinning books whenever I have a moment:

• Intertwined by Lexi Boeger
• Start Spinning by Maggie Casey
• Creative Spinning by Alison Daykin and Jane Deane

Oh, the possibilities!

…. you fall asleep at 8pm while your 9 y/o daughter is on the phone with a friend

…. you wake up at midnight still wearing your glasses

…. you can’t remember if you got up again and “asked” your daughter to go to bed

…. you are wide awake at 4 am

…. you crave Pork Roast and Potato Dumplings for breakfast

Yes, it is true! We are back from our “vacation” to Germany. It was wonderful, overwhelming, full of laughter and late night conversations, beautiful and sad.

I started this sweater last year in August on our vacation. It has been so long that I barely remember how I did it. It all started when I saw this sweater. I wanted to make it, but change a few things: a deeper, round neckline and that the ribbing starts directly under the bust. I used Barbara Walker’s Knitting from the Top to make my own pattern.

I ordered the yarn from Louet ( sadly  discontinued). It is a single ply wool/silk blend and I kettle dyed it in red-violet.

Due to our heatwave I have been able to wear the sweater only briefly, but I think this one is a winner. The yarn is very soft, the neckline flattering, the sleeves have a nice length. The only negative is that due to the ribbing the sweater is very close-fitting. I thought about adding more stitches, but I really don’t like how increases look in 2×2 ribbing.  But all in all I am very happy with it.

I made this cake the other day and it was absolutely delicious. It would probably also taste great with strawberries. This is the recipe:

Crust:

35g soft butter, 35g sugar, 1 egg yolk, 70g flour -  knead together until smooth, wrap in foil and rest in fridge for 1/2 hour

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C)

Roll  crust out to fit a 10 inch ( 26cm) spring pan. Poke holes into crust with a fork and bake for 10 minutes.

Lower oven temperature to 360 F (180 C)

Cake:

3 eggs, 75g sugar – beat in a stand-mixer on high for about 6 minutes until fluffy and light in colour, dust it with

75g flour – fold it in carefully

Spread 2 Tbsp of raspberry jam onto baked crust leaving the edges free, top with cake dough  and bake in the oven for another 30 minutes.

Glaze it with jam while it is still warm and top it with about a pound of fresh raspberries. Using a large spoon drizzle Dr. Oetker’s Clear Glaze over the raspberries ( I used cranberry juice for the glaze)

Don’t forget the whipped cream!

My Etsy store will be closed in August. So please let me know if there is anything you need before I put my store in vacation mode. Thank you!

Even though my blog suggests I have not been doing much lately the truth is that I have not blogged about the things I have done. I have been making jams, jellies and syrups. I have made cakes, cookies and bread and (big surprise) I have even been sewing. The sweater I started in August last year is almost finished and I have started another scarf with handspun yarn.

Unfortunately I also have been hit by another worsening of my Asthma so that all that activity has slowed down to a trickle yet again.

In the photo is a silk/merino blend for my oldest daughter whose favourite colour is blue. The yarn is inspired by Intertwined. It is a single ply yarn where you add sparkly embroidery thread. I have been trying hard not to overspin the yarn. It will all be obvious when it comes off the bobbin! I think I should spin more often so that I remember the things I have learned the last time I did it.

I am not sure what I enjoy more: spinning the yarn or knitting with the handspun yarn…