wintry fun

Old Man Winter sent us about a foot of snow on Tuesday. Paul worked from home, and we took made the most of it by going for a midday walk around our neighborhood and a quick jaunt to the Southport Grocery and Cafe for lunch (mmm... the grilled mushroom/spinach/brie sandwich is to die for).All this wintry weather has been perfect for curling up under my giant granny square afghan with a good book (currently The Children's Book, by A.S. Byatt). I'm still weaving in ends, but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying it. I would have liked to make it a little larger, but I ran out of yarn. Man, this project truly was a yarn-eater.

Pattern: Craftstylish granny square tutorial + Grand Granny Square Afghan

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky, various colors, countless skeins
Hook: Clover Soft Touch "J"
Size: 44" x 44" (unblocked)

I'd love to start another big crochet project, but my stash just isn't up for it. I prefer machine-washable yarn, as the prospect of hand washing a giant blanket fills me with dread. I just don't have that much yarn in the same weight, in coordinating colors, in the proper amount. Time to visit the knitting shop?!? :-)

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Last weekend's trip to Madison with our friends for the Camp Randall Winter Classic outdoor hockey game was fabulous. One of the best weekends ever, plus the Badgers beat the Wolverines!

keeping warm at the game

In less than 36 hours we managed to visit:
- State St. Brats
- Capital Brewery
- Great Dane Pub/Microwbrewery
- Genna's Lounge
- Sunroom Cafe
- Lakeside Fibers/Coffee Room (great view of Lake Monona)
- New Glarus Brewery, which has a beautiful new building

hooked

Last weekend my knitting circle friends came over to my place for Crochet Fest 2010. A few of them graciously volunteered to teach us how to wield a crochet hook.It was quite fun, and I'm cranking along on a giant granny square, a la Fricknits, helloyarn and the Ravelry giant granny CAL group. I started off with this tutorial at craftstylish, then checked out this free pattern from Lion Brand.

The yarn is some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky that I bought on sale 3 years ago with the intention of learning to crochet and make a ripple afghan. Yeah, that didn't happen...

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Kylie cat trying to blend in with her surroundings...
That is one big fuzzy tummy! We put her on a diet when we first adopted her (she was 7 or 8 at the time), and this is the slimmed-down version of Kylie. Yikes!

fo: travelling woman

Yikes, it must look as if all I do is knit shawlettes! This one I actually knit back in November and December of 2009, but couldn't share until now as it is a gift for someone familiar with ye olde blog.

Pattern: Travelling Woman, by Liz Abinante
Yarn: The Plucky Knitter, MCN fingering, "Bev's Lava Lamp," .75 skein
Needles: Clover US 6 bamboo circs

Notes:
Easy, pretty pattern, and definitely a quick knit. I had lots of yarn left over. Next time I’d add one more repeat of the the first lace pattern.

The Plucky Knitter’s MCN is always a joy to knit – it’s soft, springy, luminous, and just plain wonderful. The color’s a little bright for me, but it should please the recipient and most definitely provide a cheery touch of color on a bleak winter day.

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in the kitchen...

It's winter, so I'm on a soup kick again!

The Cook's Encyclopedia of Soup is one of my favorite cookbooks, and it's a true treasure trove of all sorts of soup recipes. The Carrot and Coriander Soup is in my regular rotation.

Twelve Months of Monastery Soups is new to my kitchen bookcase, and I'm dying to try some recipes. That said, this books has a special appeal aside from the soup recipes themselves.

Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette is a Benedictine monk at a monastery in upstate New York, and his book definitely reflects this. The illustrations look like reprints of medieval-style woodcuts, and the ink is an unusual dark brown. A very unique aesthetic for a cookbook!

While I'm not a terribly religious person myself, I'm intrigued by the traditions of monastic life and dedication to a life of service. Plus The Name of the Rose is one of my favorite novels, and I watched those Brother Cadfael mysteries on PBS back in the day. So I'll keep you posted as to how the recipes are.

RIP

J. D. Salinger
sit terra tibi levis
may the earth rest lightly upon you

It's funny. All you have to do is say something nobody understands and they'll do practically anything you want them to.

~ Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye

NYT obituary here.

ETA: from the Onion...
Bunch of Phonies Mourn J.D. Salinger

wandering the concrete jungle

Pattern: Wandering the Moor, by Celeste Glassel

Yarn: Orange Flower MCN fingering, "golden honey," less than 1 skein (~350 yds)
Needles: Clover US 5 bamboo circs
Size: regular/small
ravelled

Notes:
A very pleasant pattern to knit! The stockinette portion is mindless and perfectly portable, and the lace pattern is intuitive. I like that it's geometric in design and not too frou-frou. The yarn is soft and wonderful to knit. There were a couple of minor typos in the written-out directions for the lace portion; Celeste has updated the Ravelry page with errata.

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In a couple weekends we're heading north with a few friends for the Badgers/Wolverines outdoor hockey game. Yep, outdoors! UW's putting an ice rink in Camp Randall for the occasion. I need to get the ball rolling on some red hats for Paul and me. I wound some red O-Wool already, and I'm debating between a Slouchy Copy Cat Hat and a 16 Cable Hat for myself. Any thoughts?

Wandering the Moor #2 is already in progress. This time I'm using Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in Verdigris, an absolutely lovely shade of blue-green. While I love Silky Wool for its sophisticated, nuanced colors, nubby texture, and crispness, it's a bit hard on my hands and wrists, so I can't do marathon knitting sessions with it.

I used Silky Wool for my Textured Shawl last year, and it's holding up beautifully. No pilling, snagging, or growing out of shape. I'm very tempted by Orange Flower's Textured Shawlette to give the pattern another go. While I'm happy with mine, I'd love to follow her modifications and make one that's wider and more scarf-like (hence more versatile).

fo: saroyan

off the needles

Saroyan is not only off the needles (which happened back in December), but even off the blocking squares!

Pattern: Saroyan, by Liz Abinante

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Cashmere, cassia (#016)
7 skeins @ 44 yds/skein
Needles: Clover US 8 bamboo circular

Notes:
The pattern's very intuitive and easy to knit; extra kudos that Liz at feministy has offered it gratis. In look it's similar to Alana Dakos' Cedar Leaf Shawlette, but the construction is completely different. I'm not in love with the ends of the piece. They look a little blocky and unfinished. That said, it wasn't at all fiddly to knit, and I most definitely did knit it while watching Bones. How fitting!

The Elsebeth Lavold Silky Cashmere is soft and silky, but the yardage is truly maddening. So many ends to weave in! Also, the woven-in ends are fairly visible. It might be wise to undo the plies of the yarn and weave them in separately, but with so darn many of them, I was less than excited at the prospect. So while the fiber content may be luxurious (55% silk, 45% cashmere), the knitting experience is not. I'm very glad I purchased this at a steep discount or else I'd have been very annoyed.

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Also off the needles is my first Wandering the Moor shawl. Yes, I enjoyed the pattern so much that I've already cast on for another (we'll save that for another post, though). This one still needs a good blocking. The bind-off was new to me, and I'm not 100% sure I did it correctly -- we'll see how it looks after blocking. It certainly is nice and stretchy.

I did notice a couple of wee typos in the written-out directions, but nothing major, and I'll email Celeste about them. The orange flower mcn fingering was delightful to knit (with magnificent yardage to boot), and I'm looking forward to trying more of Karin's yarns.

It appears I'm not alone in my disenchantment with Wuthering Heights! Jane Eyre, though, I do get. :-)

Thanks, too, to everyone for the hand cream recommendations! I'm using Aquaphor at bedtime now (per Buster's suggestion), and it has worked quite well. It's like slathering Vaseline onto your hands, though, so it's not the best for all-day use. I'll have to pick up a few more of your recommendations.

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in the kitchen

chai tea

I found this recipe for chai concentrate via Amy's blog, and it's quite spicy and good! For the cost of one chai tea latte at ye olde Starbucks you can make enough concentrate to gussy up 28 regular cups of black tea. The mixture requires a thorough stirring to get everything to dissolve properly, so it's probably not the best for iced chai.

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caramelized onions

Remember that Seinfeld bit about the milk conundrum at the grocery store? Do you have enough? Should you buy more? I always feel like that about onions. Somehow we end up with way too many. I hate having them go to waste, so the Everyday Food article on caramelized onions was absolutely perfect (same recipe for caramelized onions available for free here).

I topped my standard focaccia recipe with caramelized onions and goat cheese, I threw them into an impromptu pumpkin sauce for pasta, and some I just ate plain. Delicious and easy, though a little time consuming.

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left: Joy the Baker's honey cranberry cornmeal quick bread - yum! This really grows on you. Not too sweet, not too cornmeal-y.

right: oyster mushroom, leek, and fontina quiche (weird pdf link -- not sure where it's from, but it came up in a google search) -- made with half the mushrooms, double the leeks, and gouda instead of fontina. The sheer amount of butter that goes into this recipe is a bit scary, but it's delicious. I followed the crust instructions from the recipe, which I wouldn't do again -- I would use my old standby, Martha Stewart's basic pate brisee pie crust.

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on the radio

Even if you're not an NPR buff, you'll still most likely enjoy the second half of today's feature on "The Story," where Brad Stoller tells about a rite of passage adventure in Big Sur with his not-so-responsible father. Very funny but also heartfelt.

The bit about Carlos Castaneda and the "gait of power" is especially humorous, even though Castaneda was a huge weirdo.

baktusian

Yikes! I ran out of yarn on my lacy baktus. I weighed my yarn and started my decreases just before the halfway point, I swear. My gauge must have loosened up as I kept knitting, as it was the perfect relaxing project for knitting night at the coffee shop.

More yarn is on the way from the Loopy Ewe... we'll see if it's anywhere near the same colors. Madelinetosh yarn is gorgeous and the colors are almost luminous, but the hand-dyed skeins vary widely between (and even within) batches.

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So what's a girl to do? I cast on for another project for "10 shawls in 2010," of course. This time it's Wandering the Moor, by Celeste Glassel (a Minnesotan!). I'm more likely to wear it while wandering the lakes or perhaps the Mississippi River bluffs rather than the moors, but it's lovely nonetheless.
This is a new-to-me yarn -- orange flower's mcn fingering in "golden honey." It's soft and lovely, and the yardage is generous (430 yds). A slightly more solid colorway might be a better fit for the pattern, but I can always knit another. I'm doing the small size, and I just started the lace edging.

On a related note, Wuthering Heights is my least favorite book by a Bronte. I just don't get it. Brooding, dark Heathcliff does nothing for me (what a jerk!), nor do the hystrionics. Wuthering Heights fans, what's the appeal? The conflict of passion and reason? Usually I'm a sucker for 19th century British novels.

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mistress of the blocking squares

P.S. This winter weather combined with way too much time in the kitchen is taking a toll on my hands. Does anyone have any hand cream recommendations? I'm getting desperate. Bonus points if it's a) affordable, b) easy to find/order, or c) easy to stash in my backpack or purse.

tea and knitting

Tea and knitting -- what could be a better way to start the new year?I'm just past the halfway point on a lacy baktus. The yarn is proving impossible to photograph! It's madelinetosh glazed sock in "turquoise." It's a souvenir from my trip to Portland last summer and my meet-up with Sarah (Blue Garter) and Jodi at Knit / Purl. Oh, to be on vacation again!

Taking a break over the holidays really spoiled me. I am now (re-)addicted to sleeping in, drinking copious amounts of tea, and wearing microfleece yoga pants, AKA the coziest garments ever. Follow the link at your peril -- you'll have trouble wearing real trousers ever again.

bobbling along

Phew, this is the most labor-intensive accessory I've ever knit. So many cables, so many bobbles...

The finished product is cute and kitschy. I had intended to give it to a friend as a belated holiday gift, but I think it's the sort of thing only a knitter would love. So I'm keeping it for myself, and I will get joy out of it despite (because of?) its 1970s bobble-y aesthetic. Plus it coordinates rather nicely with my Manos Mini Shawl (which I tend to wear as a scarf) .

Pattern: orchids & fairy lights, by tinyowlknits

Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted, Bobby Blue, .75 skein
Needles: US 6 - 16" circ for ribbing
US 7 - 16" circ and DPNs for the rest

Notes:
I went down one needle size for the ribbing, which was a good idea.This is a labor of love -- it took about twice as long as a regular aran-weight hat due to all the darn cables and bobbles. This isn't very slouchy on me, but I love it nonetheless! Next time I would cable without a cable needle to speed it up a bit.

The stitch pattern guide has some bizarre errors. C2B, C2F, etc. should indicate holding 1 stitch on the cable needle, not 2 (and likewise knitting/purling 1 stitch, not 2). Otherwise a great pattern, though.

The beautiful yarn came from one of my favorite knitters/bloggers, Heather over at The ADD Knitter. Thanks, Heather! What a cheerful shade of blue. Starting off the new year with Malabrigo is exactly the right way to go.

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10 shawls in 2010, here I come...

inspirations

1. travelling woman, 2. damson, 3. cedar leaf shawlette, 4. rhapsody in lace and ruffles, 5. wandering the moor, 6. gaenor, 7. citron, 8. multnomah, 9. hayworth shawlette, 10. trinity shawlette, 11. echo flower shawl, 12. lake of the woods

Ravelry group here

more handknits in action

As the temperature plunges, more handknit gifts are seeing action! It warms the cockles of my heart, I tell you.

My friend sent me a photo of her little girl snuggled up in the Diagonal Stripes Blanket that I knit. (details on Ravelry)

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One of the Owl Tuques is also seeing some serious use! I knit this one for Paul's coworker's little guy.
I knit the 6-month size, which apparently works OK for a 2-month old with the brim turned up. The Swish Bulky is very soft and cushy. I've knit 3 of these already, and I'll most definitely be making even more.

(there and back again) again

Look who packed her bag for a Christmas trip to Milwaukee
My, what a large suitcase for such a small creature!

Paul had the perfect opportunity to model some handknits:
Yep, we trekked up to Green Bay for the Packers/Seahawks game yesterday. There's nothing like outdoor football on an 18-degree day!
Cheeseheads right in front of us, of course.

Alas, I ran out of green yarn for a hat for me, so I stuck with my trusty Unoriginal Hat and Just Enough Ruffles scarf combo. Blue Moon Fiber Arts Leticia is some warm stuff. I may have made my hat a wee bit too snug, though, as it tends to migrate northwards and give me a gnome-like appearance.

Wishing you peace, joy, love, and adventure in 2010!
~ Jodi

more mmmmalabrigo goodness

What's cozier on a chilly winter day than a Malabrigo neckwarmer? I knit a Thermis for barefoot rooster for parcel #2 from my long-ago 3rd blogiversary giveaway. Here's a modeled shot, ganked from her blog:

Pattern: Thermis, by Kris Patay (rav)
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Sweet Grape, .75 skein
Needles: egads, I've forgotten already (note to self: take notes)
Size: s/m

Notes: Super soft and cozy! Perfect for cold weather – more like a warm neck gaitor than a decorative cowl.

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The cushy thermal stitch pattern was so fabulous that I knit up a thermal scarf for Paul for Christmas. We exchanged gifts last night, so I can unveil it!

Yarn: Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd's Wool, Sage, 2 skeins

Needles: US 8

Notes: Man, is it a challenge to knit a 6-foot long scarf in secret! I've been knitting like a fiend on this one -- hence the late-afternoon marathons of Tivo-ed Bones . Whenever I heard Paul's key in the door, I stuffed it in my knitting bag or hid it under a blanket on the sofa. Turns out he never suspected a thing...

Thermal Scarf Recipe

CO 42 (or any multiple of 4 + 2)

Rows 1-2: K all sts
Rows 3-4: K2, P2 ribbing - end K2

End after completing a Row 1. Bind off knitwise.

I'll post modeled photos soon.

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I picked up the Shepherd's Wool yarn at Stitches Midwest in 2007. It's a great value, especially when you factor in the generous yardage (250 yds), cushy feel, and almost local origin (Michigan). On a side note, I was not a big fan of Stitches, and I don't think I'll return. Even though the vendors were quite nice and there was a wide array of yarn and sundries, convention centers are my idea of hell. I'm sticking to the outdoor fiber festivals as much as possible.

happy solstice!

God jul, as my ancestors would say!The tree is up, cookies are baked, most of the shopping and wrapping is done, and it's officially winter break. Hurray! There's even a Yule party on my agenda for tonight. I still have at least two knitting projects to finish for Christmas, though, so it's not exactly smooth sailing, but close enough.

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With Paul's extended family we do a drawing for a holiday gift exchange. I managed to draw the name of a dear family friend who is a doctor and owns a villa in Italy. What do you buy a man who owns an Italian villa? I ended up putting together an odyssey of syrahs from around the world. Sigh...

The other challenge was a gift for a good friend who gave me a car last winter. Yes, she gave me her old Jeep. How do you possibly reciprocate? I ended up knitting her a hat. Small peanuts, but at least it took time, thought, and effort.

Pattern: Star Crossed Slouchy Beret, by Natalie Larson

Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Pagoda, .75 skein
Needles: US 9 and 10.5

Notes:
Super cute! I enjoyed knitting this, especially with the soft and cushy Malabrigo. It was looking a bit small and not so slouchy when I finished knitting. Then I blocked it on a dinner plate, and the plate may have been a bit too large. Time will tell if it fits properly -- I can always wash and re-block, I suppose. Great free pattern -- definitely give it a try.

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I found this at a used bookstore last week:
Fabulous illustrations by Edward Gorey may make this one of the best books ever.
I've determined that Kylie is a Gumbie Cat:

I have a Gumbie Cat in mind, her name is Jennyanydots;
Her coat is of the tabby kind, with tiger stripes and leopard spots.
All day she sits upon the stair or on the steps or on the mat;
She sits and sits and sits and sits--and that's what makes a Gumbie Cat!

But when the day's hustle and bustle is done,
Then the Gumbie Cat's work is but hardly begun.
And when all the family's in bed and asleep,
She tucks up her skirts to the basement to creep.
She is deeply concerned with the ways of the mice
Their behaviour's not good and their manners not nice;
So when she has got them lined up on the matting,
She teaches them music, crocheting and tatting.

I have a Gumbie Cat in mind, her name is Jennyanydots;
Her equal would be hard to find, she likes the warm and sunny spots.
All day she sits beside the hearth or on the bed or on my hat:
She sits and sits and sits and sits--and that's what makes a Gumbie Cat!

sunshine

Finally, a sunny day when I'm at home and can take pictures! I'm puttering around the house in my PJs when I should be reading books and articles on literary theory. Ah well, it's nearly Christmas.
I knit these slippers using Mission Falls 1824 wool last year, and they're holding up marvelously! The seaming's a bit of a pain, but they're cozy and snug. Plus I feel rather elven as I wear them. Not as elven as Pam's cute new Elf Shoes, though. ;-) Anyway, if you're looking to knit up a quick holiday gift, I do recommend the pattern.

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I'm using Knit Picks Palette for my wee mittens, and I'm quite taken by the color combination:

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The scent of fresh-baked cookies was in the air chez Caffeinated Yarn over the weekend.
I tried something new as well as an old favorite. The little circles are a variation on Sarah's peppermint cookies on the blog Handmade Homeschool (which I found via Mary Catharine's post). I substituted 1/4 C. Penzey's natural cocoa powder for 1/4 C. of the flour. Yum! I used my usual powdered sugar icing, adding a dash of mint flavoring.

A few years ago I tested many recipes in a quest for the perfect sugar cookie. The winner is from one of my mother's old church cookbooks -- Peaceful Pantry, from Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, Minnesota.

Grandma's Sugar Cookies
~ Ilah Robbins

1 C. butter
1.5 C. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3.5 C. flour (sifted if you're feeling fancy)
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter; add sugar gradually, creaming until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Sit in vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together; add gradually to creamed mixture. Chill thoroughly (at least 3 hours). Roll out on well-floured surface to 1/4" thickness. Cut in desired shapes. Bake on cookie sheet covered in baking parchment 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees.

Tip: fill each pan with the same shape so that the cookies bake evenly

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Frost with a basic powdered sugar/butter/milk/vanilla icing.

wee mittens

on the needles...

a bounty of wee mittens is in the works (pattern here):
What have I been up to? Another trip to Minnesota, lots of (unbloggable) gift knitting, cookie baking, and reading, both for research and for pleasure. Busy, busy. :-)

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in the kitchen...

Over the years I've learned that there are a few key ingredients that nearly always ensure culinary success chez Caffeinated Yarn. Leeks, shallots, almonds, pumpkin, goat cheese, and black beans are at the top of the list. Leeks and shallots are under-appreciated in the U.S. but absolutely phenomenal. They're like onions' more sophisticated older cousins. You know, the ones who can get by with wearing dramatic hats and actually impress you when they pull out the guitar (rather than send you scrambling for your earmuffs).

Shallots are more delicate than onions, with a slightly garlic-y and sweet flavor and an immensely satisfying deliciousness.

Rice Pilaf with Shallots and Parmesan

Serves 2-3 as a side dish ~ doubling this recipe works very well

2 tsp. butter
2 T. minced shallots
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 C. basmati rice (can sub long-grain, but basmati has more flavor and aroma)
1 C. chicken broth
1/4 C. dry white wine (or sub more broth)
2 - 3 T. grated fresh Parmesan cheese (I use something halfway decent like Grana Padano)
2 T. minced fresh parsley
dash of salt freshly ground black pepper
dash of salt

Melt butter in a small saucepan over med-high heat. Add shallots & garlic, saute 1 min. Stir in rice; saute 1 min. Stir in broth and wine; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15-20 min.

Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, parsley, pepper, and salt. Bon appetit!

snowflakes

A few snowflakes danced merrily through the air yesterday, and it made my heart sing.
The holiday decor on this lovely row house caught my attention on my way to campus yesterday. Badgers spirit! Now that's what I call decorating.

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I should have spent all of Wednesday on my research, but I surfaced for air partway through, binging on Tivo-ed episodes of Bones and casting on for a new (Bones-related) knitting project -- Saroyan by Liz Abinante (rav).
The pattern is completely intuitive and makes perfect sense. I can tell this is going to be one of my serial knits (like owl hats, feather and fan shawls, and just enough ruffles scarves). Saroyan's very similar in appearance to the Cedar Leaf Shawlette, but much less fiddly in construction, plus it's free.

The yarn is Elsebeth Lavold Silky Cashmere in Cassia, purchased on closeout at a steep discount from Webs. Talk about skimpy yardage! 44 yds/skein. Now briefly ponder the blurb about this yarn on the website:

Silky Cashmere from Elsebeth Lavold is a worsted weight yarn of 55% silk and 45% cashmere. Wrap yourself in comfort as this fiber is exceedingly soft and feels wonderful against the skin. Silky Cashmere is designed for cooler weather fashions such as stoles, shawls, boleros, pullovers, cardis and blankets. (emphasis mine)

It truly is soft, with a nice sheen to boot, but can you possibly imagine knitting a blanket out of this yarn? At 44 yds/skein? Can you imagine the number of joins and ends to weave in? Or the cost? Someone was definitely smoking something when they wrote this up.

over the river and through the woods...

Paul and I made the trek to Minnesota for Thanksgiving. It was unseasonably warm and sunny, which was a delight. We managed to squeeze in visits with family and friends, a baby shower, a trip to the Happy Gnome in St. Paul (great selection of microbrews from the Midwest), and a walk along the mighty Mississippi in St. Paul. So pretty despite the lack of foliage!

view from Mississippi River Blvd. in St. Paul

Plus we stopped at State St. Brats in Madison for a Spotted Cow and cheese curds. That's a lot to do in just a few short days! All that time in the Jeep was good for my knitting mojo, although my leg muscles feel as if they've atrophied from too much sitting.

Pattern: Upside-Down Daisy, by Susan B. Anderson (rav)
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (pink), less than 1 ball
oddments of Lion Brand Cashmere Blend (cream) and Cashmerino DK (green)
Size: 6 months
Needles: US 6 needles for the hat
US 5 for the green stem (I used a DK weight yarn to make it less bulky)
US 7 for the cream-colored petals

Notes:
This little hat reminds me of flower fairies! The hat itself is very quick to knit, and the pattern's very clear but rather fiddly. Only 5 petals fit on the hat (rather than the 6 specified in the pattern), and applying them is a pain in the neck. I made each of the petals a few rows longer, a fairly common mod on Ravelry. The finished product is darling, and I'm looking forward to giving it to my friends' new baby girl next Sunday.
Babies are popping up everywhere, by the way. My friends are reproducing at an alarming rate, and I'm hard-pressed to keep up with the baby knits!

I had sworn off knitting baby blankets a while back. They take too long, they use so much yarn, they get pretty boring... you know the drill. Well, apparently I fell off the wagon, as I'm almost done with one:

I'm using Jennifer Braico's Hip to Be Square pattern (rav) and (many, many) balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky. It's soft, squishy, and nice to knit, but most balls have a knot or two, plus the yardage is pretty skimpy. All that's left is the applied i-cord edging and weaving in a million ends.

One more photo from Minnesota:

Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis