Stitching for Sanity

After twenty-four hours (it’s really humid here) of blocking, my mom’s scarf is finally done.  The ends are even woven in and the tails are cut, there’s nothing left for me to do except give it to her.  I love how this came out.  The yarn is so soft, the cables pop beautifully (look at the picture below) and even the bobbles look good.  The only problem I have with it is that the edges keep trying to roll in a little, but I think I can live with that.

Look at the squishy cables, I love cables.

The Details:

• Pattern:  Fair Isle Jazz from the book Scarf Style
• Yarn:  My handspun, around 600 or 700 yards.  I spun three skeins that were equal, around 200 yds each.  It’s a three ply, around DK weight.  The fiber is a 50/50 Rambouillet/Llama blend from a local farm.
• Needles:  US6/4mm
• Modifications:  I only knit the cabled section of the scarf, left off the fair isle.
• See more on my Ravelry page. 

I made cookies again today.  These are my favorite cookies, my mom used to make them all the time when I was little and the were the first thing I could bake by myself.  I even had the recipe memorized.  The recipe is from my mom’s old Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, it’s the one with the red and white gingham cover that is a three ring binder on the inside.  My grandma gave it to my mom when she got married in 1972.  These cookies are rich, buttery and crispy.  They have a very strong peanut butter flavor and they will melt in your mouth.

Peanut Butter Cookies

from The Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Thoroughly cream butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg and vanilla.
3. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; blend into creamed mixture.
4. Shape in 1-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Press 5 peanut halves atop each or crisscross with fork tines.
6. Bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes (mine were done in about 6 minutes, but I have a dark cookie sheet).
7. Cool slightly; remove from pan.
8. Makes 4 dozen.