weekending....

::  Lots of bulky knitting...

 

I'm not sure exactly why this was in the stash (of course, I know why---did you see the price on that??!) because I pretty much hate knitting on needles larger than a size US 4 or with yarn heavier than dk.  But there it was (actually 2 skeins!!  I must have had something in mind for it at purchase time other than grabbing a great deal), and it was perfect for these.  

I found myself with no competition for the television this weekend....and there was a Castle marathon going on---and before I knew it...

two pairs!  I guess that bulky yarn has something going for it after all.  A sweater out of bulky---and I look like the Marshmallow Man in Ghostbusters; but fingerless mitts in bulky work for anyone, and I got the two pairs from the one skein (with almost nothing left over).  Stash busting--holiday gifts--hours of Castle....that was so much fun, I went out and BOUGHT another skein of chunky, and made

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the Hampstead wreath while listening to the latest Stephanie Plum, Notorious Nineteen.  It is exactly like all the other Stephanie Plum books (and I've read/listened to them all)--totally mindless, nothing whatsoever to redeem it stylistically, but I could wander around the house and let it keep running and not really miss more than a couple cars or vans getting blown up--and by the end of it, I had a wreath--and the stash had less in it than when the weekend began.

:: Lots of cookie making.

*Bourbon balls (a bit potent....little people were banned from tasting)

*cut out sugar cookies  (Darth Vadar with sprinkles all over his face?!)

*spritz cookies we couldn't get through the cookie press (I dumped my old press last year for a new and improved electric press---but we must have needed new batteries---and it was Black Friday---and we weren't going to ANY store THAT day for batteries) so we turned them into thumbprint cookies

*my mom's chocolate drop cookies.  

(First time ever.....more sprinkles ended up on the COOKIES than on the floor.  Major success.  Note the concentration on those faces....I obviously wasn't concentrating at all.)

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  They don't look the least bit like Christmas cookies, but we only make them at the holidays because they are so good we always eat waaaaaay too many and who needs all those calories?  Special treat.  Once a year.  (Well, we usually end up making three or four batches of them during the holidays, but we count that as ONE.)

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CHOCOLATE  DROP COOKIES

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup cocoa

2 cups flour

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup butter

1 tsp soda dissolved in 4-5 tbls hot water

Drop by the teaspoon and roll in granulated sugar.  Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.  The cookies should be puffy.

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YES.  They are that good.

Comments

[Valleyp]

Looks like lots if fun this weekend! Bringing some of those Chocolate cookies for us girls this week??

[Tracey]

Working on Annabel cardigans on size 10 1/2 needles and then working on the Daisy Cardigan on a size 4 keeps throwing me, I feel like I am holding toothpicks in my hand!
Love the look of those cookies and will be baking a batch tomorrow for my guys.
Love seeing your face and the last photo is a hoot!

[karen]

Love the mitts and I could have easily sat and watched a Castle marathon (hooked!). Looks like you had a great time with your family :)

[lori]

steph you are awesome, i love reading what you've been up to. i LOVE your gloves, oh my gosh they are so cute, lucky recipient! i feel the same way, small needles, fingering to lace weight mostly here, yet i am knitting on a size 10 needle right now (fingering weight yarn though) and loving it so far...
the wreath is amazing, i may have to try to make one too. and the cookie making, honestly you are the best granma. darling photo of you and the grands.
(thank you for the recipe, i think.) ;)

[Amber]

I think I've mentioned this before, but I really love your weekending posts. So much goodness! They make me happy.

[tanna]

How DO you get so much done in a weekend?! LOL! Love those mitts and the wreath. I've been dabbling with chunky, too... and I hate the big needles, but they're worth it sometimes. I used to love reading the Stephanie Plum novels! LOL! You're right... they are pretty much all the same, but good for some laughs! And, I do enjoy a laughter. ;) blessings ~ tanna

[amanda {the habit of being}]

i love your smile in the cookie picture! so funny. and holy moly, you must not sleep. that is a lot of baking and knitting - i need to know your secret ;-)

[Annie @ knitsofacto]

The mitts are lovely! I'm another knitter who thinks DK is quite chunky enough, but sometimes the thicker yarns have their uses!

Thank you for the cookie recipe Steph :)

[Heather]

I hear you on the marshmallow sweater look. Love that you got two sets of mitts out of one skein though. Cookie baking perfection is liking the beaters! I love the wreath. We may need one for our door too.

[farfromharmfarm]

hello, new here, but just had to say i loved your knitted wreath! and those cookies may just get made over here.