Coconut cone cakes

Fellow Cancerian and Sit ‘n Knit regular Maia celebrated her birthday over the weekend, a perfect reason to make coconut cupcakes!


Toasted coconut & cacao nibs on top

I had been wanting to try this recipe for awhile, and it is a winner…even a non-lover of coconut said she enjoyed her cupcake. I also tried out my new ice cream cone cupcake pan! The ice cream cone cupcakes came out beautifully, but they were too top-heavy to stand on their own, even before frosting…wahh!!


Falling ice cream cone cupcakes = messy

Maia wisely suggested I try using skewers to hold the cone cakes up, perhaps stuck in floral foam…I will have to experiment with this next time…Dan took a cupcake-to-go in the Cup-a-Cake carrier, a brilliant solution for cupcakes on the go...


Coconut-to-go

I also made a knitting needle case with fabric from my Knitters Tea Swap pal, and a set of origami coasters, for the birthday girl!


Crafty birthday gifties

Stitch n' Pitch

On Thursday I went to Giants Stitch n' Pitch, an event for baseball-loving knitters at the ballpark. Such a fun game, with a section filled with knitters! I foolishly forgot my camera, but Joanne snapped a picture of a few of us knitterly ladies. Goodies included a tote bag with orange and black yarn…


Ball of yarn with needle and bat

And the Giants even won! The Giants hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning, but I think the highlight of the game was the knit-off, when two knitters were facing off, shown on the big screen between innings. They both started out knitting normally, then one did the “blind seed stitch,” holding her knitting above her head so she couldn’t see. The other countered with the “one-handed seed stitch,” holding her knitting in her mouth, and knitting with just one hand…the other knitter just continued her knitting above the head, with an apple in her mouth…then the one who had been knitting one handed starting knitting with baseball bats, the knobby sides, no less! It was hilarious! Or at least we knitters thought so…not sure if fans in the rest of the ballpark were laughing…I hope the Giants have another Stitch n' Pitch next year!

Happy returns of the day

Over the weekend I completed my first triathalon...and celebrated my birthday! Joanne and I participated in the Tri For Fun, a sprint distance triathalon...and though challenging, it really was fun! (Especially the finishing part.) Thanks Joanne for encouraging me to try something new...I couldn't have done it without you!

Birthday festivities filled the rest of the weekend (after a nap), and here are some lovely gifts from very thoughtful friends...


Love the celadon cupcake card!

...including a knitting book I had been eyeing, a pastry bag kit for decorating and filling cupcakes, and an ICE CREAM CONE cupcake pan!! I must try knitting the cupcakes in the book and baking ice cream cone cupcakes soon. And birthday yarn from Dan, Colinette Prism....it is soooo nice...


Moss colourway

All the subtle hue changes in this hand dyed yarn are not seen in the photo...I started another capelet with it, this time for myself!

Thank you everyone for making me feel so special on my birthday!

Big lime bag

A few months later than planned, the Nappy Bag is complete! And it is huge! All the better to carry baby stuff in, I suppose...


Gi-normous bag

As suggested by several folks on the Sew I Knit? along (back in May, when the theme was bags), I left out the bottle pockets, which I think was a good move, as there are six huge pockets in the bag already...here is a peek at the lining and the changing pad...


Pooch and kitty changing pad

I hope the mommy-to-be finds the bag to be useful!

Banany cakes

Had a couple of too-ripe bananas in the house, so I finally tried the banana bread recipe from mailorder #2...now I just need to make the bonnet project...


Choco chip and orange zest add-ins in the muffs

In knitting news, I tried on Green Gable yesterday, and she seems to fit...phew! But the world's slowest knitter continues to knit very, very slowly...


Maybe halfway done?

And what's this? Could it be? Yes, the beginning of a Nappy Bag! Finally!


Lime floral Nappy

So far the cell phone flap has been the most challenging part...that darn little flap, all lumpy and bumpy and askew....it looks kind of horrible, but I am ready to move on...putting in the lining comes next...I hope I finish in time!

Independence Day

Somehow I managed to catch a bug in the SUMMER and have been sick with strep throat...yuck! So Dan and I celebrated Fourth of July at home. After reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, we are trying to be more aware of where our food comes from...so we got a grass-fed steak that Dan barbequed, and I made warm corn salad with corn, green beans, onion and garlic from our box, and thyme from the backyard. Quite yummy!


Salad in the fading light

And we were able to see the fireworks from our house! Here is a view of Bernal Hill from Chez Arrow...


Lovely power lines and everything!

Poor Arrow was terrified though, since after the city fireworks ended there were still plenty of booms throughout the night. Independence Day is not for the dogs!