oh man

do i need this? i think YES!

coffee sleeves

remember WAY back when i made a crafty to do list and (foolishly) thought i would get all of it done before i started school IN MAY?? anyway i had coffee cozy on that list to knit for a friend's wedding gift (she hearts starbucks!). that was march... i started and finished them this month. oops.

i made a his and hers. i am satisfied with them, but wish i had done something that didn't show how the top and bottom pulls to one direction. i saw one on etsy made in a solid seed stitch that was really cute. maybe next time.

you should have seen the look i got when i asked if i could buy empty cups at starbucks. the guy was like, umm...i guess i can just give you one. he gave me one tall cup without a lid...i didn't go further and ask for a second, but i sent the hubby back and he got two grande cups with lids in a bag. i guess he really knows how to sweet talk the baristas!

my plan is to pack them up with a few pounds of starbucks coffee or a gift card. i hope they like 'em. i get really anxious when giving handmade gifts lately!

details:

pattern - coffee sleeve free!
yarn - cascade yarns cotton rich dk in colorway 2730 (blue) & 5606 (green)
...also detailed on my ravelry page

warning: TOO CUTE

i can hardly stand the cuteness! idina wearing her shrug...i'm so glad it fits! i think arie's is still too big...

bread baking

i christened my kitchenaide this weekend...it was everything i thought it would be and MORE! we made bread together...she did all the work and i just assisted. it was awesome.



is everyone as messy as i am in the kitchen? my husband can't be around when i'm cooking/baking... its just too all-over-the-place for him.



this is the beautiful dough we made. its the french bread from this book (the only cookbook i've ever really used... good recipes that are easy with few ingredients and GOOD...you should get it)



after the first rise (1 hour) you roll the dough out and then form the loaf. it was so much fun!



here it is 45 minutes later after the second rise...she's a beauty, huh?



oh yea... we made the honey wheat bread from that book too. thick and hearty... she was pretty too!



the french bread fresh from the oven... SO GOOD! it was crusty, but soft and moist on the inside. it had a good 'crumb' as those in the bread making arena say. the second day the crust softened and it wasn't as good. next time we will be FORCED to eat it all in one sitting.



this is the honey wheat fresh baked. also good...you can tell its healthy...not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

each of these loaves required maybe 5 ingredients and a total of 20 minutes hands on time. the rest of the time they were rising or baking!



i also made this soup (one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE recipes), set out a few of our pumpkins, lit some candles...it was fabulous.

l+l embroidery

we have some good friends who got married this summer... they had a fabulous wedding at the university of oregon. it was in true duck spirit. we were so sad to miss it, but i sent along this little congratulations a few weeks ago. (only a few months late...)

i thought the font i used was kind of cool, but it accentuates my uneven stitches. oops. i found this idea online somewhere... but i can never remember the link. jenni made one a few months go...cute huh?!