Just wanted to drop in and show off my new Daisy Stitch handwarmers (modeled in true QVC fashion by Mom) and my new backyard!  Aren't they lovely?  The pattern for the handwarmers can be found here!

Today I finally finished the socks I started during Spring Break.  They turned out really nice!  I just wish I had a set of sock blockers..

I really like the subtle color changes of this yarn.  It was one of those things I bought on an impulse off of Ebay, and I'm quite pleased.  Yarn Treehouse is the brand, and they have a lot more colorways and weights available on their site.  Also, the pattern I used for these socks is called Monkey, and it can be found here.

Since I had such a long time between classes and finals this year, I've had a really difficult time focusing on studying.  This, of course, just means more knitting..

I finished Leah's gloves today!  Aren't they great?  I really think she's going to love them.  The pattern I used to make them can be found here.  I know they look totally different in the pattern picture, but I just used the basic parts of the pattern for making gloves in one color.  Now that I've done it once, maybe I'll make a pair for myself someday.

So, it's been a really long time since I blogged last.  The end of my senior capstone project and the beginning of finals left me with little to no free time.  However, now that the year is really ending, I'm going to have a lot more time to do things like knit and bake..and write about it.  :o)  As a side note, this summer I intend to move my blog over to Wordpress.  I'll post more about that later when it actually happens.  So if you're reading this and you're not a close friend of mine or my mom (which I highly doubt at this point), keep that in mind.  It's going to be incredible.

In any case, I made a cake.  Actually, I made three cakes.  I think this picture pretty much sums up the deliciousness contained therein.

The cakes were "Tres Leche" cakes (that means "three milks" in Spanish!), and if you're looking for the recipe, you can find it here from Food Network.  Go Alton Brown!

More knitting to come soon!  I'm currently working on a pair of gloves for Leah, and they're nearly finished.  :oD

It's made out of paper with wildflower seeds pressed into it!  I was lucky enough to snag it when my class got out at 2 (right when the fair ended).  I just got some soil to plant a few other things, and I have a ridiculous amount left, so I'm going to plant the poster!  :oD

Here's a closeup of what the seeds look like in the paper.  Whoever invented this is a genius.

Although it may seem exciting to find an unlimited variety of recipes online, sometimes it's just better to bust out your old Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook.  The French bread I made last week was great, and even though I thought some guy's random sourdough recipe that popped up first thing on Google looked reasonable, I fully intend for my next sourdough experience to be had through the magic of BHG, and I'm willing to bet that it's going to turn out a whole lot better.

I finally made my sourdough bread, and it was kind of gross.  It didn't really rise the second time around, and it's just..not delicious.  You'd figure you spend HOW long helping those little guys grow?  It should taste like the best bread you've ever had.  I'm so disappointed that I just want to run out and buy some yeast and make some French bread to make myself feel better.

Renee and I had a lovely corned beef & cabbage dinner last night, made by one of her friends here.  I figured this would be the opportune time to try out this clover roll recipe.  Though they weren't bad, they sure didn't turn out as well as the recipe shows them.  I un-vegan-ated the rolls by using regular milk and butter..and I didn't add the flax because we couldn't figure out how to grind it without a grinder.  I mean, I suppose armed with the knowledge that making regular recipes vegan doesn't mean simply changing a few ingredients, I should've known that using this recipe with animal ingredients would be more difficult than that, too?

I've also begun a new cooking project, sourdough bread.  Here's my "starter," complete with yeast breaking down.  Breaking down sugars, that is!  (harhar)  Apparently, the natural "wild" yeast just start growing out of flour and water.  Who knew?  If I am not ruining the process horribly in some way, I should be able to make some bread this weekend.  This project seems terribly appropriate, considering I create ethanol from yeast fermentation at work, no?

In addition to all of this madness, I accepted an internship for the summer yesterday!  I am going to be spending my summer in Perrysburg, OH, and I couldn't be more thrilled about it.  I've already found a yarn store.  Surprised?  I didn't think so.

As far as I have discovered, I have but one weakness as a baker.  I can't make chocolate chip cookies.  WTF?  I mean, come on!  They're a STAPLE.  Maybe it's some sort of mental block, but I will never understand why my chocolate chip cookies don't turn out right.  In Albuquerque, I blamed this weakness on various circumstances: the altitude, expired baking soda, overmixing, etc.  I made these cookies last night (in Tucson), and they're still hideous!  This picture makes them look prettier than they really are.  But maybe I'm just a little too critical?  After all, they do taste great.  If you're looking for the recipe, it's here.  Maybe yours will be prettier than mine.

Whilst baking and complaining about my deteriorating old hand mixer, Mia went out and got me a new one for my birthday!  (Yes, my birthday is in June..it's a long story.)  It was so nice of her.  I can't wait to try it out!

In other news, I GOT MY CROCS TODAY!!  They're bright orange and ridiculously comfortable..if a bit ridiculous in general.  I am so excited.  My sweetie says you're not supposed to wear them with socks, but what's the point of not-sneakers if you can't show off your handknits?

CHALLAH!  For my first bread ever, I'd say it turned out pretty good, no?  In fact, for ANY bread, I'd say it turned out pretty good.  It tastes at least as amazing as it looks, which is pretty great if I do say so myself.  See what happens when I'm worried about my eggs going bad?

  They looked glorious going into the oven.

..and I DO mean toe up!  I finished this sock yesterday.  I probably won't get the chance to start on the second sock for at least a few days, especially as school is getting particularly busy at the moment.  I can't wait to finish these and get a chance to wear them, though!  They're made out of 100% cotton and SO soft.  Mmm.

I'm also currently working on a really pretty scarf (for MYSELF, gasp)!  But sadly, the pictures I took of it, well..suck.  Hopefully I'll get some better ones soon.  It's a lacy/leafy pattern, and I'm making it out of Malabrigo worsted (I had been eyeing this particular yarn for quite a while prior to my purchase last Friday) in the colorway "Curacao."  Apart from being by far the prettiest yarn I've ever had, it knits LIKE A DREAM.  I'm sure it will feel great around my neck, too!  :o)