Coffee cup cozy

Here is my finished coffe mug cozy. It fits my starbuck cup pretty good. I ended up not following the pattern I was doing simply because it wasn't tall enough. But I'm happy with my cozy. I think Miss Silver would appreciate a nice gift like this. What do you think? lol

For the buttons I used 2 knitting charms. the top one says I heart knitting and the second one is just a ball of yarn with needles.

Whoduknit Spring Mystery Swap

FOR WHODUKNIT MEMBERS ONLY!

The mystery in this swap won't be who , since it will be a mutual swap - the mystery will be what!
Here's how it works:
Part 1: You and your pal will send each other one skein of yarn. You know that special skein of yarn in your stash that you just couldn't resist buying but have no idea what to do with? Or maybe it's a single skein leftover from another project. Or, maybe it's even an excuse to go out and buy an interesting skein of yarn. You will want to get to know your pal first and find out if she has any fiber or other allergies and what her interests and knitting abilities are - you wouldn't want to send me some of your gorgeous lace yarn for example, since lace is still a mystery to me!
Part 2: When you receive the skein of yarn from your pal, you will knit something with it for her- this is the mystery. You won't be telling your pal what you are knitting.
Part 3: You will send the finished project back to your pal, along with a book you think she would enjoy, and maybe even her favorite treat.
Part 4: You will have made a new friend on Whoduknit, (or gotten to know an old one better) and you will have a handknit item that you didn't knit yourself!

Sign-ups for this swap are open now and will close on April 25. You'll receive your pal's name by May 1. Yarn should be exchanged by the May 14 and finished projects should be mailed by June 30. That should give you plenty of time to knit a one skein project.

E-mail me (grammieknits@yahoo.com) with:
Your name
Mailing Address
An E-mail address that you check frequently
Blog address if you have one
Do you prefer US or International?
Also, to help with match-ups:
Would you say you are a beginner,
intermediate or experienced knitter?
Do you have pets? Cat? Dog?
Allergies?
Smoke or smoke free home?

Miss Silver Recipe Number 2

Better with Butterscotch
Group Recipes is to cooking as Ravelry is to knitting. While recently exploring all things butterscotch, I came across the following recipe and thought it would be a perfect Miss Silver contribution. I had read the Grey Mask (1928) already, and I recently read Anna Where Are You? (early 1950s). I thought the contributor comments here were particularly appropriate.

Butterscotch Pie From The 1920s
By Chefmeow
This recipe comes from my mother's collection. She obtained it from her knitting group in 1952. She said it had been around for years at that point. She is guessing that this is a recipe from the 1920's.

Cook Time: 20
Prep Time: 10
Average rating 5 (dunno what this means)

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup water
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1-1/2 cups milk

Brown butter in pan. Add sugar and cook together stirring constantly until sugar is melted. Add water and stir slowly cooking until sugar is again dissolved. Combine cornstarch, egg yolks and milk then add to sugar mixture.Cook until thickened; then pour in baked pie shell and top with cream. (From http://www.grouprecipes.com/)

Miss Silver project

No cozies for me! In the book I read (The Case is Closed), when Miss Silver was first introduced she was knitting white socks. So here are my off-white socks (close enough), which I just finished for another KAL.

Joan in West Texas

Jacobean Socks

Recipes for Miss Silver (Patricia Wentworth)

Yorkshire Pudding

1 Cup flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. sugar
3 eggs
1 c. milk
1 T water

Sift together flour, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl beat together eggs, milk and water. Add egg mixture to the flour mixture. Chill for one hour. Heat meat drippings from a roast in a pan in the oven at 450. Pour the batter into the pan and cook at 450 for 20 minutes. Serve with gravy. Serves 6-8 people.

This recipe comes from my nephew's wife's great great uncle who served Yorkshire pudding at their inn in Scarborough, England, which is about 300 miles from where Patricia Wentworth lived from 1920-1961.

English Trifle

Sponge Cake Base:

4 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
4 T hot water
1 t. vanilla
1 full cup flour
1 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt

Beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Add water and sifted dry ingredients. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and flavoring. Bake in two layers in a moderate oven (350) for 20 minutes.

Creme Anglaise:

3 egg yolks
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. flour
2 T. cornstarch
2 c. rich milk
2 T. butter
1 c. whipped cream with vanilla to taste

Cook ingredients in double boiler until thick. Strain so that the custard will be smooth. When chilled, add whipped cream.

To assemble:
The trifle should be assembled in a glass bowl for presentation. Place one sponge cake layer in bottom of bowl. Sprinkle lightly with Grand Marnier. Spread with currant jelly.

Cut second layer into triangle shapes and place around the sides of the bowl. Spread currant jelly along the triangle edges.

Pour the chilled custard into the bowl on the cake layer taking care that the side pieces remain in place.

To decorate:
Place mounds of whipped cream on the surface of the custard. Decorate with toasted almonds or fresh strawberries.

This recipe is from my sister's neighbor who is from England.

tea cozy and Patricia Wentworth books

I've decided to make the above item for this months project. Since I don't have a teapot but do have lots of mugs I think this can fit on my coffee mugs just fine. I got the pattern from Ravelry, here is the link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/knit-tea-cozy-3

I will start on the cozy while I'm waiting for the book to come. A group member is sending me one. Isn't that the nicest thing?

Kashmiri Rost Project Prize Winners

And the winners are....

Joan, Joyce Laurie, and Penny (scroll down to see their great projects) - will each receive a set of felted roses with knitting needle stems. Thanks for your great projects ladies!

This is my project for The Last Kashmiri Rose - and also the project prize.

The stems of the felted roses are size 8 bamboo knitting needles.

Projects for this book are due April 15 - can't wait to see what you come up with!

THE LAST KASHMIRI ROSE PROJECT

Here is my project for The Last Kashmiri Rose. I chose to make a bag from recycled sari silk I had in my stash. If I had time I would have made the tote bag but due to the shortage of time instead I made the Unbiased Bag from Knitty.com. I have calls out for some funky fabric to line it with and I will also look for a unique button to close the bag with. I think using a lining fabric will stiffen the bag and give it a bit more shape and having a closure is always a plus. I took this photo outside hoping it would photograph better and the color would show up better. It almost blew away it was so windy out there. Here is a close up taken inside for what the photo is worth. If you can't tell the bag is knit in all garter stitch. Four identical parts which are sewn together. I changed the handle just a bit. I was talking to a friend and telling her I was going to decrease the handle to nine stictches from 10 and do an icord as I felt it would hold up better. She suggested I take an idea from the Sophie bag and make three icords braiding them together when completed (not done on the Sophie Bag) which is what I did but I don't think you can tell from the picture.
I had to wind the fourth skein I had into a ball for this project but used very little of it. I just used some to sew up one of the seams and add to the handle.

Who's Who on Whoduknit New Contest

In order to answer the questions for this contest you will need to visit the Buddy Map, the files on the Yahoo Group, and the archives on the blog. If you cannot access any of these sites, let me know and I will try to help you out.

The Whoduknit member who answers all of these questions correctly will win......... your choice from the prize locker.

If there is a tie there will be a drawing to determine the winner.

So, then, let's get to know each other!

1. Which Whoduknit member do you live the closest to?
2. Who do you live the farthest from in your own country?
3. Who do you live the closest to in another country?
4. Who said "love is snuggling in bed with my children"?
5. Who guessed the correct number of eggs in the "Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket" contest, and how many eggs were there?
6. Who made DNA and for which book was the project made?
7. Whose goal for 2008 was "To live my life the best I can"?
8. Who won the Left-over turkey recipe contest? What was the name of the recipe.
9. Whose name is before yours and after yours on the "Sleuths" list.
10. Who posted the very first message on the Yahoo Group and on what date?
11. Who is our newest Whoduknit member (as of the date you submit your answers)
12. Name every book we have read on Whoduknit.
13. Who 'made' a cheeseball for our 'Anniversary Party"
14. Who taught us how to knit two socks on two circs?
15. Who taught us entralac?
16. Who (author) joined our group while we were reading her book (hint: her books were based on the Lambspun Yarn Shop).
17. What did Joan knit with her mystery yarn ball?
18. What was Vigdis' birthday (anniversary) gift to us?)
19. Post a message on the blog telling us 5 things about yourself!
20. Find the prize locker and choose the prize you would like to have if you win this contest.
21. E-mail me your answers and choice of prize personally (not to the group!) grammieknits@ yahoo.com
by Sunday, April 13.

Have fun getting to know your way around Whoduknit!

Joyce Laurie's Kashmiri Rose Project

Five things about Mary Lynn

1. My husband and I will be married 28 years on April 18
2. Our kids are 22, 14 and 7
3. I am a stash, ummmm, what is the nice word for . . . ummmm . . . hoarder, yeah, that's it.
4. I can sew incredible things but can have hems and buttons that need to be fixed or replaced
5. On April 29, I am going to have my past the middle of my back, hair cut and dyed and my husband will lose his strength . . . sigh . . . it is only hair.

Five Things About Me and Last Kashmiri Rose project

1. Besides knitting and reading, I like to do needlepoint, most other types of needlework, and beading.

2. I'm addicted to knitting socks!

3. I'm a natural born collector--I currently collect owls, Santas, Laurel Burch cats, purple (amethyst)glass, and thimbles. And books. And yarn.

4. I'm married, have five children and 10 grandchildren+one on the way

5. In Feb. I made a major life-style change. My daughter-in-law has lupus and is unble to care for their two small childre (ages 2 1/2 and 5) without help. So, I left my house and husband back in Lubbock and am staying in San Antonio with my son and his family so I can help take care of the kids. Not easy at 55!

5 things about dob

First, I have not had nearly enough time in my life due to teaching full time and taking classes to be a certified high school math teacher.

Second, my son is a senior in high school and we just got back from attending the open house at UM of Technology - Helena. (He may be getting older, but that doesn't mean I am.)

Third, I will be painting 2 houses this summer...at Dayton and here at the farm.

Fourth, I am going to make the Must Have Cardigan...it may take me forever, but I"m doing it!

Fifth, I hadn't really read many mysteries until I joined this group. I had wanted to expand my genres and everyone has helped me do just that. Thank you!