2011-01-16

cookies

i baked some cookies this week. i found some simple and easy recipes.

first, russian tea cakes:
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/russian-tea-cakes-i/Detail.aspx



i added too much walnuts, but i didn't mind. i like that they're not too sweet and fall apart in the mouth. next time, i'll roll them into smaller bite-sized balls.

next, chocolate crinkles:
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/chocolate-crinkles-ii/Detail.aspx

before baking:


after baking:


they're so pretty! they're also soft, chewy, and delicious.

success.

2011-01-05

hat with earflaps

it's winter; knitting season. last year, my dad and i saw some guys on the street wearing knitted hats with mohawks; it was so cool! i think he wanted one. and so did i.

i looked it up. knit head sells such hats, at $100+. that's too much for me. alternately, i can buy their book for less and make it myself. but nothing beats free: there are some online previews of the book, and the free pages show how to make the hat. their method consists of knitting the two sides pieces, then sewing them together with a centre seam.

then, i found this pattern:
http://knithappyri.com/2010/02/hello-world/
and it's even better because it is knitted as one piece and seems simpler.

as an inexperienced knitter, i used some cheap yarn for my prototype: bernat supervalue (100% acrylic) in dark burgundy.

since i used 4.5mm needles and single worsted yarn (instead of 6mm needles and double worsted or bulky yarn), i had to make some modifications.

earflaps: (make 2)

cast on 3 sts
row 1: p
row 2: sl1, m1, k1, m1, k1 (5 sts)
row 3: sl1, p to end
row 4: sl1, m1, k3, m1, k1 (7 sts)
row 5: sl1, p to end
...
row 22: sl1, m1, k21, m1, k1 (25 sts)
row 23: sl1, p to end
row 24: sl1, k to end
row 25: sl1, p to end
row 26: sl1, k to end
row 27: sl1, p to end

the hat:

with one earflap, knit across the 25 sts on circular needle.

cast on 27 sts with backward loop. knit across other earflap. cast on 19 sts with backward loop. join in round.

knit in round until the hat measures 7.5-8 inches from the bottom of the earflap, then begin decrease:
round 1: k14, k2tog, repeat to end
round 2: k
round 3: k13, k2tog, repeat to end
round 4: k
...
round 23: k3, k2tog, repeat to end
round 24: k2tog to bind off, repeat to end

i-cords:

pick up 3 sts from bottom of earflap.

knit 12 inches (approx. 70 rows), hiding the loose ends inside (trim loose ends after 15th row).

since i was using acrylic which doesn't felt, i omitted the mohawk part.

i ended up with this:


different view:


the fit is good, except the earflaps feel a bit too long on my face. for dad, the cap should be longer, with shorter earflaps as well.

overall, this was an easy project. i'll need to get some nice wool. i'll try to get some bulky weight. i should also get the suggested 6mm needles. i found out that there is a yarn shop at a 20-minute walk from my home.