this is the state of our table all this week—knitting projects strewn as far as the eye can see. cookie found my “hand” and immediately fell to playing with it . . .
having a houseguest is always fun for david and me—we enjoy taking a break from our routines to spend time talking, sharing meals, and showing friends around. it’s a pleasure for us to share our home with others, especially friends who create unexpected fun in any situation.
monday we had knitting class and everyone arrived in rare form at 3 pm—some of them didn’t know who cookie was, but soon made friends with her. the troublemakers gigglers all sat in one corner . . .
debbie and susie brought their finished matching sweaters to model for us
susie’s was still a little damp but you can’t tell from the photo
the art directors shouted instructions and had them moving every which way
front and back
the sweaters look nice either way
i think susie didn’t realize we were actually photographing the back view . . .
after class, we ate supper and then settled in to knit and explore the new camera cookie ordered and had delivered here. we kept talking about how unfortunate it was that i didn’t get around to baking a cake and finally, around 9 pm, we caved and just started one.
cookie is with david in the all-chocolate-all-the-time camp of desserts and i’m happy to oblige, so we decided to bake the nigella lawson fudge cake, which goes together pretty quickly.
cookie did most of the work actually—she loves baking (who knew?) and seems a little obssessed with melting things like butter and chocolate (whatever!). i pretty much found what we needed, did the sifting, and prepared the pans—i’m happy to give the kitchen over to someone else.
of course this was the perfect opportunity to collect blog fodder and try the new camera
we blogged everything that night, even each other—and she actually posted something. you can see her take on my house at her blog
mmmm, cake
while the layers cooled, we prepared the frosting ingredients and then got up to some more shenanigans with the cameras and the hand
cookie’s new camera got us talking about light settings and stuff so we got out my manual and read up on technical stuff in the hopes of improving our photos—i learned three or four things i didn’t know about using my camera.
it was a good chance to try out new settings and make adjustments.
cookie took control of frosting the cake
with the hand nearby for comfort and encouragement.
i touched up the sides to use up every last bit of frosting, and then finally, we served it, sometime around midnight.
i gotta tell you—it’s delish. david says it could use more frosting, though.
of course, before it was cut, there was the obligatory series of shots with the hand.
(fair warning: you might see the hand a little more before this week is over . . . just sayin’.)
since we have a nice view here of one of cookie’s new socks, i may as well tell you about the beautiful yarn she’s using in her projects this week.
on the right there is a stockinette sock in destination yarn variegated sock in colorway copenhagen. i am so in love, i want to steal it from her: would that be so wrong?? but i’ll be good—who knows, maybe she’ll leave them here “by mistake” . . .
the yarn itself, BTW, is knitting up beautifully; i think i might have to get me some . . . i peeked at the store and there are several colors there that are making my heart pound. i like the sock yarn postcards series and several semi-solids as well (if that harvest moon color is gone when i go back, someone is going to be in big trouble . . .).
cookie’s other sock project is a new design using indigo creating sock yarn from a verb for keeping warm; the color is really similar to the one i used for nightingale wing.
i’ve been working away on the henley sweater and have gotten past the waist on the back piece. i’ve done some intermittent work on the mink scarf as well.
but i had to start a new small project too, now that the yarn for it has arrived. i think i mentioned a while back that once again, i’d be working on a yarn4socks club design, this time with zen yarn garden serenity sock; the theme of our kit is the element of fire. didn’t roxanne do an aMAZing job dyeing the yarn??
each skein will be dyed in a random, slightly varied way from the next one, so that all knit up differently (no two flames are alike!). i just adore the way the yarn glows with firelight and the way the colors flicker across the fabric. droool-worthy, right??
fortunately, the yarn4socks club offers the opportunity to purchase single installments—you can preorder a kit at their website (but fair warning: these kits often sell out very quickly).
it’s a gorgeous late fall day here, so i think we are going to head out for a walk. no sense wasting a beautiful afternoon. til next time . . .
42 thoughts on “the unexpected guest”
I saw Cookie’s blog post earlier this morning – what fun to see your house and projects through her eyes. Then to come here and read your post, seeing your take on it. Very fun.
Now I need to find a piece of chocolate cake…
Do you know what month your sock will be featured? I’m kind of a groupie or something. So enjoyed your blog and will now skip over the Cookie’s blog.
OK, I’m heading over right now for some of that cake and for the fun! It looks like you guys are having a fabulous time 🙂
Wow! How do you both keep that lovely slim figure eating cakes like that! Looks like you both had a lot of fun.
Chocolate cake (faints in pleasure) – must find and try that one!!! Although after a day like today I’m afraid I’d eat the entire cake (and a gallon of milk) at one sitting 🙂
I was going to make pecan pie this afternoon. Now all of a sudden I think I want cake–wonder why that could be?
How fun! The cake looks great, and I think I’d be a tad obsessed with that hand too, it’s so cute!
Whenever I see “the hand” on anyone’s blog, I have instant flashback to being a kid and watching The Adams Family with Lurch, Cousin It and Thing. Me thinks you got a “Thing” too! Have you taught it to clearn house yet?
So fun to read stereo blogs! Midnight chocolate cake baking – yum! That’s my idea of a good time! Thanks for sharing the knit-fest.
What fun to get a tour of your house on Cookie’s blog! I LOVE your kitchen. And the cake looks even more scrumptious than all the pretty yarn and WIPs.
Looks like you two are having so much fun! That cake looks delicious. And, so does that Copenhagen yarn…I love it! Love that hand too!
My mouth is watering. Is that fair? I can’t believe how much I want chocolate cake right now!
I have that same paper that you have in your kitchen! Bought it about 25 years ago from Williams-Sonoma and have never seen it anywhere else.
Looks as if you had a great weekend all around. Just have to ask, is Cookie eating a cookie in the first class photo?
(Originally posted under another entry in error.)
wow. That cake looks so good! not to mention the knitting and of course, the hand.
Well, you look like you are having so much fun!!! And I’m with David – at LEAST a half inch of frosting between layers and on top! hahaha but then. . . . me and David can eat ourselves sick when it comes to ‘confections. . . .’
Mmmmm, cake. It’s been such a long time since I’ve baked one. You have inspired me.
I love that hand. A cool tool for photographing small knits and yarn balls.
Cookie A for a house guest. Can you say “envy”?
LOVE THE HAND! It really makes the project come alive.Love love love it!
It sounds like you had so much fun, knitting, baking and eatting. Can’t do any better than that. I immediately had to run over and order the yarn4socks club kit. I mean yummy yarn and a pattern from you, how can I go wrong. Only bad thing is I have to wait for December!!
I am so hungry for cake! And A Verb for Keeping Warm yarn!
Whoa! To have Anne, Cookie A, and fudge cake in the same house would have been too much for me!! Looks like one grand slumber party!! Woo Hoo!
i’m curious as to what the hand is for (i’m new here you see.) for modeling or blocking? or for holding yarn?
everything looks beautiful, but i am lusting after the cake!!
How fun! I just gotta ask – is that really sour cream in the pantry or were you just trying to see if we were paying attention to the details?? I hope you’ll be sending out slices of that cake to share. I’m so hungry. Actually, I’ve never made this cake, but have heard of it, so you may have motivated me into chocolate bliss. So glad you all had a great time.
OK – who is the artist whose work finds its way into many of your pictures? There are some nice shots in Cookie’s blog as well. Is it you or David?
Oh, I’m so jealous of the fun you’re having with Cookie! And here I am stuck with the flu…. waaaah.
That cake looks delish!
Thank you so, so much for the Destination Yarn links!!! I’m glad that you like the yarn – I can absolutely send you a skein of Harvest Moon if you’d like.
Actually you might be a good person to ask this – everyone keeps telling me I need to dye a “Cleveland” colorway and quite frankly I’m stuck. This city means too many things to me to distill into one colorway. As another Cleveland Area knitter any thoughts?
Oh and that cake looks amazing!
I can’t tell which I like better the cake or the yarn!!!
It was fun reading BOTH of your versions of this visit. I read Cookie’s yesterday. Both posts are permeated with FUN, FUN, FUN!
Dang. I just looked up that cake recipe, strolled over to my pantry and I have all the ingredients on hand. Now I’ll have to bake the cake. And eat all of it by mistake.
I visited Cookie A’s blog and got a snapshot view of the artwork in your home. Wow! Very, very nice! Is it your work?
Would you guys try to cheer up and have a good time. geesh! 🙂 (wish I was there too)
Must. Have. Cake. Now!
And am knitting socks as we speak.
Hi…You are having too much of a good time…LOL.
That cake looks delish. Can I ask where you get the little cable needle that I see weaved into your work? Need one like that. I try to do most of the cabling without a needle but sometimes you need one.
I wish I was living next door to you & I could pop in for a cup of tea & cake!
sounds and looks like an awesome time! That cake looks like it is to die for!! YUMMY!!!
Susie’s reaction is priceless! Love the sweaters they knitted and the cake you and Cookie baked!
Oh my…my hubby loves me, but would love me more if i would whip up cakes for him at 9pm…I can’t tell him about you or he’d hold it against me! LOL!!
It looks like you guys are having a tres fab time!! Love the new socks!! The Postcard series of yarns is wonderful…was the harvest moon still there for you? Hope so!!
Have a great weekend!!
One would think I could spell my own name, apparently not before coffee! 🙂
I was excited when I spotted the Dec sock club on the Yarn4socks site. I know I really like your patterns (recently knitted up the Roger sock for my DH) and I’ve always admired Zen yarn colors — sounds like a great combo! Enjoy your company and I have this sudden urge to make chocolate cake — can’t imagine why. 🙂
I need to know what the pattern they used for their matching sweaters! That is just what I have been searching for!!
And thank you so much for making me crave some chocolate cake!
Yum! Now I have a craving for chocolate cake… Sweaters look great! Looks like your having a ton of fun!
Wow, these here apples are ALMOST as good as that cake looks. NOT!
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