Is it an Armadillo, a Stegosaurus, or a Buffalo?

Opinions vary with the time of day, the angle of the light, and the mood of the viewer. All I know for sure is it has four legs and a tail. Better than a football no matter what it is.

**Edited to add** The lady who owns the bungalows here, Louise, thinks it looks like an elephant with too short legs.

Oxymoronic Knitting (Post #100!)

When you see what I'm knitting you'll understand the post title. I'm just starting the gusset on a Wool Ease sock made on #6 needles. Not exactly what you think about knitting in the tropics. Does this mean I'll be knitting bikinis when we get home? And the name of the color is Wood, a mix of dark brown, cocoa brown, and forest green. If I wear them in the woods and take my shoes off, my feet will disappear! But I'm enthralled with the magic of making socks. I will definitely be ready to tackle socks made out of DK weight yarn and smaller needles when we get home. I figure I'll work my way down to sock yarn and #2s.

JAD (just another dishcloth)

Gotta have something to do when it's rainy so I knitted a dishcloth. I like the colors but the stitch isn't as holey as I thought it would be.

And some flamingos in the mangroves.

Finished Socks!

And, look, they almost match!

Got the second sock done last night and the tails woven in. I was very careful so I didn't make a lump to rub a blister on my toe. I'm loving the colors and the way they don't make solid stripes. Nice yarn to work with too. I cast on and did the first day's dishcloth KAL while Don napped.

Bonairian Yarn Shopping

I couldn't resist asking an American lady in the grocery yesterday if there was anyplace on the island to buy yarn. Not that I need yarn, I just wanted to look at it. She said, "Oh sure, Tung Fong Store has it." And they do; two cartons of Red Heart Super Saver for about $4/skein and one carton of crochet cotton I didn't see the price of. I don't suppose people knit or crochet afghans or sweaters around here; it's just too warm. Didn't see any needles or hooks.

Sock Done!

This morning I finished First Sock! The first photo is her official portrait; the second one is her kicking back on vacation. Ain't she purty? I solemnly swear I'll cast on her sister before I go to bed tonight. Cross my heart. Right now I have to go get some tanks and weights so we can go diving today.

More Sock

I packed the January Dishcloth Knit-A-Long for airplane knitting, but couldn't resist bringing First Sock too. First Cotton Sock, that is. It has a heel--just like a real sock! I couldn't resist trying it on.

Socking Fever

But I must confess it's a self-inflicted case. There I was minding my own business happily knitting fingerless and regular mitts when I asked DD to show me how to knit a sock before she went back to Kentucky last weekend. I've been reading the Yarn Harlot's blog and books and am fascinated by how quickly she turns out socks. When I read through the Harlot's blog archives I was boggled by all the first socks people show her and the sheer volume of socks she cranks out. I cast on a sock in Wool-Ease just for practice, to play with, not for serious sock making. I intended to find some cotton to knit into dishcloths and maybe some other something to knit in cotton to take to Bonaire for a month. I mean, who wants to knit wool while they're sitting on a Caribbean island? Not me. Well, there's cotton and acrylic and polyester yarn, and it's worsted weight and you can make socks out of it. Did you know that? I found Berroco's Love it Colors and had to buy the colorway called Monday Monday, soft and variegated. Three balls so I'll have enough (I have big feet). Then I was looking around to see what other sock yarn was on the shelves and found Filatura di Crosa's Maxime print in the festively named #5048. Yummy colors, but it's merino and DK weight so it's staying home and will have to wait. I've been knitting sock when I should have been finishing packing so I can calm down and be ready to leave without having a nervous breakdown. But see how pretty? The packing's nearly done and our flight isn't until 6:15 PM tomorrow. I can make it.

WIPs

Evidently I have a "hands & feet" fetish because everything I have on the needles is on DPNs and either mitts or socks. I knew as soon as I finished grafting the toe of my training sock that it wouldn't be long before I had a life-size one cast on. I'm knitting it in Lion Wool-Ease worsted as a salve to my patience, or lack of it, plus the floor at the dive shop is freezing and my feet usually are too. I can use all the wooly socks I can get.




Don't know who the yellow mittens are for but I couldn't resist the combo of screaming yellow Paton's Melody and the Moda Dea Cheri in green (which is really a mix of yellow, turquoise, lt. blue, and green, and discontinued evidently). They'll keep somebody's hands warm--and awake.







And, of course, I have to feed my Forbidden Love (scroll down) addiction. I love 'em!

Hope everyone's staying warm. It's -3 here right now. Brrrr.

A New Year Contest

Kay over at Mason-Dixon Knitting has posted a contest.
She's calling it: The Grandma Mabel Memorial Recipe Box Show & Tell Contest

This is my late MIL's recipe box, a plain metal box from the office supply store, but inside there is treasure. The family's favorite recipe is for Never Fail Coffee Cake. It came in her Illinois Power & Light bill in the middle-30s or 40s, I think, and was an instant hit. It's sure to draw even the most dedicated dieter to the table.

NEVER-FAIL COFFEE CAKE

4 cups flour
2lb. oleo/margarine (I use ButterUp)
Cut oleo into flour as for pie crust

Mix in 1 pkg. dry yeast, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup sugar.

Separate yolks and whites of 3 eggs. Set whites aside, keep at room temperature.

Beat the yolks, add 1 cup milk and mix into the dry ingredients. Cover with plate or cloth and refrigerate overnight.

FILLING: whip egg whites and gradually add 2 cup sugar until stiff.

When ready to bake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into as many as four parts. Roll each part fairly thin. Butter dough lightly to 1" from all edges. Divide filling into the same number of parts as dough. Spread filling over dough, then sprinkle with brown sugar and shake cinnamon over the whole mess. Roll up, jelly roll style, seal edges with water and pinch. Place on baking sheet. Let rise awhile (about an hour). Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees--watch it--take out when light brown. Frost if desired.

You can do all sorts of things with it. Mix jam with the egg whites, add nuts or raisins. I also sometimes used canned apples but always went back to the plain brown sugar filling. When rolling up the dough see that the edges are sealed; otherwise the sugar runs out when melted.
If you make 3 or 4 small ones, freeze the others AND remember your figure.

I'm quite sure this is the entire recipe. I might wake up in the middle of the night and remember something else. Cutting the oleo into the flour gives it the flakiness. I've seen this same recipe where the oleo is melted in the milk and the sugar is dissolved as well and it isn't the same texture at all. Frosting is just powdered sugar, a bit of milk and vanilla if you want.

Good luck & Happy Eating!
(The italicized parts are Don's Mom's notes to him when she sent the recipe.)