Another Headband

Angela Juergens at Absolute Knits has designed the cutest headband.  I have knit three so far, with orders for three more.  I am thinking my model Shaylene Aspen #3206 is pretty durn cute too.

Three finished headbands

These are the headbands I was talking about in yesterday's post. They are knit in the round, very simple. One skein of worsted weight yarn.  I used Cascade  220 Superwash.  Makes three headbands and three sets of leaves.  I used size 8 circular needles. Cast on 76 stitches. K1P1 for 5 rows. Stockinette stitch for 16 rows.  K1P1 for 5 rows and bind off loosely.
For the flowers and leaves, I just went to Ravelry and looked up Crochet flowers.  The two bands Olivia is modeling has the same flower.  The light pink one is quite a bit larger because I used a larger hook.  The bottom band has a flower that is not quite as dense.  I actually prefer the top two flowers.  The leaves are very simple single crochet and sewn onto the band after they were crocheted.

Now I am working on a headband by this designer.  I love her work.  You can purchase her designs online.  She is also on Ravelry.  I am loving this band.  It is a little more like the ones you are seeing in the stores these days.  I am sure I will use the same flowers I used on these bands instead of the flower she uses.  Just because I really am very happy with how they look.  I think I will also add leaves to mine.

Been knitting, knitting, knitting.

Usually I post all of my knit projects on my other blog.  However, I have been working on some headbands that have turned out so cute I will just have to share them here. Also, these are not for sale. I have one completely finished and two knit, but not put together totally.  They all three have crocheted flowers and leaves that go on them.  I just finished the flowers and leaves for the two unfinished headbands.  I need to sew them on and weave in loose threads.  I am sure they will be finished in the next day or two.  I will post pictures then.
I am trying to ramp up my sewing also.  I have a very cute teddy bear downstairs in my sewing room.  All I need to do is finish the stuffing and sew his appendages onto his body.  My original thought was that it would be a Christmas gift for our "Bonus" grandson, but as I worked on it, I decided it was not a baby teddy bear.  It is not soft and squishy enough.  More of a big kid bear that sets on top of a bed or bookshelf and looks cute.  I also bought said "Bonus" grandson a squishy teddy bear this weekend and he does not like it.  He chewed on it for a couple of hours right after I bought it but totally rejects it now.
I also noticed that I have reached the magic 100 followers.  I wonder how many really do take the time to read my blog on a regular basis though.  I have been planning a give away when I reached said number.  However, with the approaching Holidays, I am going to postpone my give away until after the first of the year, so stay tuned.  It will be fun to see who enters.

Cinnamon/Dinner Rolls

This recipe comes from my 90 year old aunt.  Her cooking prowess was well known in the Yakima Valley of Washington State.   She was published several times in local newspapers.  It is my go to recipe.  My copy is handwritten in the center of a letter from her.  On a now, very stained piece of yellow legal sized tablet.
2 cups of milk scalded.  Aunt Deb uses 1 can of canned milk with enough water to equal 2 cups.
                                     I did not have any canned milk when I made these so I substituted 1 cup of milk and
                                     one cup of very heavy whipping cream.  Can you say RICH!!
1 T salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 pkg yeast proofed in 1/4 cup warm water and 1 T sugar.
2 eggs
7 cups flour

Scald milk, add salt, sugar, margarine and 3 cups of flour.  (I have a kitchen-aide so I use it and the dough hook to mix all together.)
Be sure the milk is not to hot.  It will kill the yeast if it is.  Add yeast and eggs and beat again.  Add the rest of the flour.  At this point you may have to knead by hand if your mixer is not strong enough to mix the dough.
It is a VERY soft dough.  You may need to add a little flour to be able to knead it by hand.  Do not add to much though, you want the dough to be soft and not stiff.
Place into a greased bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  It should be very close to double in size.
It is at this point that you either pinch it off into rolls or roll it out into cinnamon rolls.
If you are rolling into cinnamon rolls, roll into a rectangle, about 3/8th of an inch thick.
For the filling, I melt 1 cube of real butter, add brown sugar.  (I don't know how much.)  You want it to be kind of thick yet spreadable.  I think I may add close to 1/4 cup of cinnamon.  Play with this, it is dependent upon what your tastes are.  I spread this over the dough.  You can add nuts and raisins if you like.  I prefer them plain.
Roll into a roll like pictured in the blog below.  Slice into about 3/4 inch slices and place into a greased pan.  Do not crowd.  If I am using a 8x13 pan, I put 3 across and 4 down.  Or 12 per pan. I usually have more dough than one pan, but not enough for another large pan.  I think I get four more rolls from my measurements.  I just bake those in a smaller pan.
Cover and let rise for almost an hour.  In a warm place.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.  I am kind of vague on this one because I go by smell and not time.  When you take them out, just pull them apart a little in the middle to be sure the dough has cooked through.  If not put them back for a few minutes.
For the frosting, I use one cube of butter.  (I like butter)  1-8 oz pkg of cream cheese, 1t vanilla.  Mix this all together until smooth and creamy.  Add powdered (10X) sugar until spreading consistency.  This makes a huge amount of frosting, but what you do not use can be frozen.  Spread over warm rolls, pour a glass of milk and ENJOY:)

I might say Aunt Deb is still with us, but she has slowed down a bit in her cooking.  She does still live in her home and is sharp as a tack.

I could share the recipe, but it IS Wordless Wednesday

Check back tomorrow, there may be a recipe.

A Sunday Walk

It is long, I know. There were just too many to choose from in order to tell the story.

Whidbey Island

Today I went for a drive.  I was going to go to the beach.  A quiet restful place to be alone in my thoughts.  I drove to Whidbey Island.  I took some knitting and just planned to find a spot to sit and enjoy the water.  All was good for a while.  I sat in my car and knit for a while when I realized I had not shut off my headlights.  Of course, I ran my rather weak battery down.  Rather than panic, I just decided to take a walk along the beach and hope my battery would recharge on its own.  I did and it didn't.  Weighing my options, I knew I could ask other beach goers if they had jumper cables or I could call for roadside service.  Chose the first option and the second person I asked was able to accommodate me.  I had really wanted to stay there and see if I could get a good sunset picture.  I decided however, that given the fragile state of my battery it would be prudent for me to head home before it was completely dark.  I had not told anyone I was going.  It was just a spur of the moment decision.  I did have my phone with me so I was not in any real danger. As I started driving home I noticed my speedometer had quit working. Driving on the Island is a drive that must be done without speeding at all.  What to do, what to do?  Just paced myself with other traffic.  If I felt cars were piling up behind me, I increased my speed a little.  Seemed to work.  Made it off of the island without incident.  Still had several miles of freeway to navigate also.  That was easier though because you can pace yourself with the cars around you.  Not the same as driving on a two lane winding island road.
Stan said it could be related to the bad battery.  I really need a new car.  We do not need a payment though.  The solution is for Stan to drive my car the three miles to work and I will take his car.  It will work for a while.

There were 6 deer feeding in the open field as I rounded the curve and dropped down the hill at Ft. Casey.  They were not at all threatened by my presence.  Very used to human interaction.

This ship passed through the passage between Whidbey Island and the peninsula.  It was headed North out of Puget Sound.  I like to think it is taking things to Alaska.  Something that may even find its way into Tricia's home. 

Took just a short walk along the beach.  Liked this tree lying there.  I always wonder where it may have floated from.  What storm tore it from its spot in the forest.  The way the kelp is lying across it, I think that probably some children placed them there.   

A pile of logs being held captive by the tree in front of them.  Maybe they are being protected by it.

An old dock no longer in use.  A safe resting place for the Comorants.

Looking across the sound to the Olympic Peninsula.  The Olympic Mountains in the  background.

The path I returned to the parking lot on.

After I left the Ft. Casey area I drove down a road I had not been on before.  This huge house looks like it has been abandoned.

Directly across the road from the highway was this barn nestled into the hill.

Yesterday, Olivia, Darius, a little neighbor girl and I

Walked down to our neighborhood park.  These pictures were just too cute to me.  I could have put my camera down and helped him, but if I had done that I would have missed all the "Photo" action.  Some choices are hard to make.   

For the record, he hung on.  Never fell.

We went to

LaConner yesterday.  Just the three of us.  It is a little tourist town along the Swinomish Channel.  I had plans to take lots of pictures of the area, but Gina called and they were headed to our house so we hurried home so we could play with cousins.  Far more fun for them than hanging out with Gramma while she takes pictures.
I did take this one though. It is on a ramp leading down to a very narrow dock.  After I took it a gentleman came up and asked if I wanted one of all three of us.  Of course I did.  It is in my archives now, not to be made public.  As he handed my camera back to me, I commented the kids are wanting to go down on the dock but I was a bit reluctant to allow them to do so as I am not as nimble as I once was.  I then turned and returned to the kids and we did walk down to the end of the ramp and stood for a while.  I would not allow them on the dock though.  When we turned to come back up the ramp, the man was standing there watching us.  As we returned to solid ground, without a word, he turned and walked away.  I like to think he stayed close by just in case something happened.  Gives me faith in the goodness of strangers.

Life in Arlington Washington.  Linking up with Unknown Mami and Sunday's in My City.

Having a personality

That tends to dwell on what hurts and what cannot be changed. I have decided to instead focus on what makes me happy.

A Rainbow and the promise it holds definitely makes me happy.

This rainbow was last week.  I took the picture from my back porch looking East over the rooftops of other homes in the neighborhood.

Fighting a little bit of depression

When God walked me over to my back door and showed me a little of his splendor.

The Cutest Little Freckle Face I know.

Abigail Evalina #6416