Spring Pullover

Although I made this in the spring, I plan on wearing this as the weather cools off. In the spirit of school starting, I thought I would post my "school clothes."  This is the Split Neck T shirt for Women #257 by Diane Soucy from Knitting Pure & Simple.  I made it out of Universal Yarn's Vanessa.  Vanessa is a synthetic yarn that drapes so lovely.

I made a medium size, but my gauge was slightly less stitches per inch than the pattern so it turned out slightly bigger and not as fitted as the pattern.

Did I tell you how much I love green?

Frozen Key Lime Pie

Doesn't every cafe need a good pie recipe?  In the heat of the summer, I love frozen key lime pie. It reminds me of the beach and it goes down smooth.  After searching through several recipes, I found my favorite on Food Network.

Frozen Key Lime Pie
by Robin Miller 2007

1 (8-ounce) container nondairy whipped topping, thawed slightly
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 (9-inch) prepared graham cracker pie crust
Freshly grated lime zest, for sprinkling

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whipped topping, condensed milk and lime juice until smooth. Spoon the mixture into graham cracker crust and smooth the surface with a spatula.

Set in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle lime zest over the top before serving.

**I found that the lime flavor gets stronger as it is kept in the freezer longer.**

Cabbage Dishcloth

I love knitting and crocheting dishcloths.  They are small and the various patterns give lots of variety. Also, a few handmade dishcloths can really add something special to a gift.  I love functional gifts, and dishcloths can be both pretty and functional. This particular dishcloth is the Cabbage Patch Knitted Dishcloth by Tomato Lady and I made it in a KAL on Ravelry. I have used this cloth in the kitchen and I have washed and dried it several times. It is holding up great, and I love the way it feels. I used Lion Brand Cotton-Ease yarn.

Lacy Ribbed Tee

This is the Lacy Ribbed Tee by Kristin Omdahl found in Creative Knitting Magazine, July 2009.  The yarn is Schulana Sojabama.  It is a bamboo blend and the yarn is very stretchy.  I started by making a medium according to the pattern, but after I made the armhole, I tried it on. The neck opening barely went over my head. So I've casted on (using a tubular cast on) 104 stitches on a US Size 7 needle, and then switched to the size 6 needle after the set up rounds.  I didn't increase in the set up rounds so I've been following the directions for a medium.

I tried it on after these changes, and it seems to be going well. I've stopped doing swatches (horrors!)  because I never knit the same gauge over a swatch that I do in the project.  So I've resigned myself to knitting a project a couple of times before it turns out how I like it. This works out well because I enjoy the process of knitting, and it is very important that a garment fits well.  I think this means that I'm am both a process and a product knitter.

The armholes made as instructed in the pattern turned out too big so I only cast on 5 stitches instead of 23.  This made the armholes just great.  Also since I have a shorter torso, I only made the center section 8 inches instead of 10. I really like how the tee fits and yarn is soft and slinky.  

After I took this picture, somehow this tee ended up in the washing machine with a black tee shirt and miracle of miracles, it over-dyed evenly.  The tee still fits and looks good, but it is a deeper, more muted color which works well in my wardrobe.  

Flower Coasters

Pattern: Springtime Coasters by Doni Speigle (found here)

This was another addition to my friend's birthday gift. These were very easy to make, and I could make 2 or 3 of them in an evening. Again I used scrap yarn that I think was either Sugar and Cream or Peaches and Cream and Lion Brand Cottonease. I really love Lion Brand Cottonease because it is so easy to work with. It is much easier on my hands than 100% cotton. Besides dishcloths, I have used it to make spring and summer baby blankets, and I think I might use it to make a summer cardigan someday.