healthytension

Art. Bread in 5 One and Two

So I've made two loaves of bread using the master recipe in Artisan Bread in Five Mintues a Day. The second one is better than the first, but so far the New York Times recipe wins in the Crust Category. I have enough dough for two more Art. Bread loaves, so I'll see what I can do about crisping up that crust. I know there are probably three million web pages and comments out there that discuss this, but I'll try the old screw-up&learn method on this. In the meantime, I'm sure having me some tasty sandwiches!

What can I tell you

• I did the mending on Salsa. Yay! I did it half an hour ago just to have something half decent to post. Blogivation!
• The Family Finale of the Ersatz Day Camp (TM) was a lot of fun. Friends we hadn't seen in many months! Olympic medals from air-drying modeling compound! With star "beads" as well as spider buttons! Red/white/blue ribbon for hanging round necks! But the question remains: what is air-drying modeling compound?
• The finger puppets remain un-eyed (and in our possession), but Session II on Friday did feature seven children under the age of 5 in the wading pool. Some of them put their little hands over their little ears when the airplanes flew overhead during the Air and Water Show. Then they went back to throwing their Crocs (TM) into and out of the wading pool.
• That is all.

The once and future WIP

Yet another project unearthed in the move:

Bubby from Knitty. Ask not for whom the bear was started -- it was started for thee. Seriously, I have no idea why I started making this. May as well spend half an hour to finish it!

Belated thanks for the good anniversary wishes! Have a great weekend!

Potential, or the cat who turned into an elephant

I know this photo risks sending the blog over the line and well into the Craftee Zone, but it's late and it's what I've got:

Four of Ellie's friends are coming over tomorrow for Session II of the Ersatz Day Camp (TM), and it's Finger Puppet Day. The turquoise thing was supposed to be a feline-type creature. Perhaps it will not surprise you to learn that he was the last one out from under the sewing machine, at just about bedtime. Check out the sparkly action on some of those guys! My only comfort there is that those sheets of felt are made from recycled soda bottles. Incidentally, they are sitting on one camper's T-shirt from Session I. Fabric markers! Ric-rac! Why can't I make one?

Here's what the kids might/might not do with the above. They are my "test runs," which is code for "Hey, I want to play, too!" Maybe I should open a preschool.

Happy Friday!

Knits of yore

Drat. I missed yesterday. Bygones.

A long time ago, I knit Salsa from Rowan 33. I bought one fewer balls of Linen Drape (is that all I talk about anymore?) than my size called for because that's all the store had. Westminster Fibers came to the rescue with a final ball. I used it all up, somewhat unexpectedly, except for about six inches. After wearing it a couple of years, the yarn-conscious seaming job I did on the cuffs began to give way. I ignored it for a while, then stopped wearing the cardigan, which was really unfortunate because I loved wearing it. And every time I looked at it, I felt proud that I had actually finished all that lace!

Here is a terrible picture of it, with some matching embroidery floss I finally remembered to pick up yesterday. A few stitches here and there to re-attach the cuffs, a quick wash, and it'll be back in the regular rotation. Hurrah!

I'll never forget paging through the Rowan book in the store, seeing this sweater, and deciding immediately (or even more quickly if that's possible) that I would buy the yarn and knit it. I remember it as though it was yesterday. 

Ellie's first film

Still another good idea from Carolyn -- take Ellie to see WALL-E! It was our first venture into the land of cinema and candy, and she did pretty well, all things considered. I didn't fully realize, however, how hard it is to answer the question "Why did you laugh?" repeatedly (what if it had been a really funny movie?) and succinctly in a movie theater, even in a 90-percent empty one.

Thanks for the idea, Carolyn, for being brave (and patient) enough to join us, and for memorializing the event!

And after scoffing several days ago when I saw this softie of EVE, one of the characters from the movie (see Aug. 4), I caught myself thinking about how to make one myself. Ay yiiieeee!

Kneat

Going through the piles of pages I'd kept from newspaper food sections over the past 10 years, I found the No-Knead Bread Recipe that launched a thousand posts back in November '06. I meant to do it for several weeks after it ran and then forgot all about it.

I also recently bought Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (late to the party again...), spurred by the realization that the bread we like now costs $4 a loaf. I've got bread on the brain. I intend to test-drive the book's master recipe soon, but here's the NY Times bread:

I didn't get much volume, but the crust was, as advertised, amazing for a home-baked loaf and it's very, very tasty. I accidently let it rise about 22 hours rather than the suggested 18, but good ole Google gave me the confidence to bake it anyway when it led me to a Chowhound discussion thread in which someone else had done the exact same thing and was encouraged to push on anyway.  Newspaper + yeast + Google + heat = stunning turkey and Swiss sandwiches in your very own home!

Knitting for grownups

Another project emerges from the marination chamber...

This is a Linen Drape (RIP) top for me. I think it will be another Petulance. Incidentally, HOW CAN THAT HAVE BEEN FOUR YEARS AGO? I'm looking forward to wearing this top; hope I can finish it before the next Olympiad begins.

And look who's emerging from the yarn tube:

A little piggy!

The things you do for love

Before there was this:

There was this:

and an arm out the driver's window keeping the non-aerodynamic thing from falling forward onto the windshield.

Jumping for joy that we didn't leave it in the middle of Ashland Avenue!

Easy P-Z!

A post a day is easy (or easier) when your friends give you ideas for posts -- thanks, Carolyn! Ellie modeling Maisie:

That's Sprinkles there in the special chair/yogurt container. Speaking of special chairs, Ellie got a new bench over the weekend, just her size!  We're letting her bangs grow out, incidentally, and barrettes fall in and out of favor around here with great rapidity.

I've been thinking for years (literally) about having a contest here but could never quite settle on  what people might like for a prize. Any suggestions of things you've seen around here that might be nice for the prize winnings?