Spring Sweater in Schaefer "Susan"

I sometimes knit for designers and there are some really nice perks.  One, I get to knit some brand new patterns by talented designers in yarns that may not even be on the market yet.  Two, I get acquainted with lots of different fibers I might otherwise not try and three, I get paid in yarn.  Let me repeat that....I get paid in yarn!  I send in the finished project and a short while later a nice fat padded envelope full of yarn shows up in my mailbox that won't show up on my VISA card.  This is my most recent "paycheck."

It's "Susan" by Schaefer Yarn Company.  It's a sport-weight cotton and knits quickly and beautifully.  It has a really soft sheen to it.  I ordered it in the "Susan Sontag" colorway.  I love that Schafer names most of its colors after accomplished women and they introduce new colors frequently.  I did a little swatching almost as soon as I unpacked it.  I am into crocheting this year and I have been adding crochet edging everywhere I can.

I bought the most recent issue of Vogue Knitting at Gourmet Yarn last month because I loved the sweater on the cover and planned to knit it.

However, when I actually read the pattern it turned out that it is one-size-fits-all and measures about 48 inches around the chest.  I am a fan of oversized sweaters but being  petite I am pretty sure it would swallow me.  And because of the construction it is not a pattern that lends itself to being rewritten easily, at least not by me.

But I did fall in love with this sweater in the issue:

I think it will be perfect in the "Susan."  Unfortunately this sweater is a different gauge and I will have to rewrite it for sportweight, but it should be fairly easy for such a simple shape.  And I think a crochet shell edging might work nicely along the hem.  I hope to have it finished before a vacation up north this summer.  

Happy Knitting, Josey

Back Again

I'm back after a few months absence while I accustomed myself to a new computer format and took several lessons at the Apple Store on building my own website which you can check out here.

I have several projects to catch you up on but some of my knitting projects have given way lately to many batches of Easter and Spring cookies.  Here are a few pictures of them:

I bought the hive and bee cutters online from Sur La Table last year and have been waiting patiently for Spring to spring so I could use them.  I used Mrs. Field's sugar cookie recipe (which you can find here) and add my own flavorings and they seem to get gobbled up.

 I use CK Royal Icing mix for the frosting and AmeriGel food coloring to tint the icing.  I decided the bees needed a few flowers and made some six petal cookies with a cutter that I bought several years ago, I think from Michaels.

I took this plate to my Monday night ladies' group last week and not one came home with me.

Then I was on to Easter cookies.  One of my favorite sources for cutters is www.coppergifts.com.  This year they had a new sheep and a bunny that I couldn't resist.  Their cutters are a little pricey so I consider them a special treat.  They are also very heavy duty and never rust so they are the kind you will have forever.  Coppergifts gives you the opportunity to submit a review with each purchase you make and then receive 10% off your next purchase, and I always take advantage of that.  I also ordered some of the CK sanding sugar from them which is very good quality and comes in a wide array of lovely colors.

I had quite an assembly line going this year as I wanted to send some cookies to my sister for her Easter family dinner as well as share with friends and neighbors.

I bagged several sheep with the treat bags you can buy at Michaels or Hobby Lobby and put one on each plate at our Easter table and then my husband and I delivered the rest to friends' doorsteps the night before Easter.

I made two giant-sized bunnies for the children at the table this year and they seemed very happy.  I am sure their parents appreciated the massive dose of sugar.

 I had another burst of inspiration the Wednesday before Easter and decided to make a couple cookie bouquets -- one for the kitchen table where we put the buffet and one for the dining room table where we ate.  I found the little metal daisy basket in a closet while cleaning recently.  To bake the cookies on sticks I roll out the dough a little thicker than usual and make sure it is very cold before pushing bamboo skewers in for about 2 1/2 inches.  I usually put the cookie sheet with the cut dough back in the fridge to chill for ten minutes before I skewer them.  I handle them very carefully after removing them from the oven because they are very fragile until the dough cools.  Even after the cookies are completely cooled I handle them with care.  I would love to send cookie bouquets to friends and family members for special occasions but I have never figured out a way to mail them and have them arrive with skewers intact.

 Isn't it fun after a holiday to sit down with a cup of tea and some leftovers?

Next up, some of the knitting projects I have been working on.

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter.  Oklahoma City had rain most of the day, and I know that it interfered with many of the planned festivities but Oklahoma has been so desperate for rain we were just happy and grateful for the moisture and everything looks lovely and green outside today.  Josey