Becoming a Maker as a 2020-itis Solution

So, we all have our opinions about 2020, the Virus, Politics, etc. But I am trying to NOT focus on things that make me sad or mad. 

How? I make things! I have been sewing, quilting, and baking. I'll share the trials of trying to find bread flour later!

Here's my attempt at re-creating my Italian grandmother's buttery dinner rolls. Neither my sister nor I have been completely successful, even after watching Nanaw Mimi in her kitchen, with her hands coated in butter, shaping the rolls and then putting on MORE BUTTER. They were divine!

Well, I found a recipe in Fannie Farmer's cookbook . The recipe had had instructions following after the standard rolls for rolling the dough as if for cinnamon rolls, but using softened butter, rather than the cinnamon sugar. Had to try it! They are as close to hers as I have ever been able to re-create. As you can see from the second picture, George and I had to sample a couple!

Bread flour? Apparently, now, there is no issue. But back in April, May, June, there was none to be found in the Albuquerque stores or online. King Arthur flour even noted they didn't have any in stock, and didn't know when they would. Apparently the lockdown caused all of America to want to bake. 
 

Here is a really great, and interesting, article from Bloomberg Businessweek back in April that really discussed how King Arthur flour handled the huge surge in demand for bread flour. 

What's your strategy for staying sane during these insane times?

Getting ready for Holidays

Spent today busy, busy, busy. Baked cookies, delivered a Christmas gift, sewed on a quilt.

Delivered cookies and a bottle of wine to our hairdresser, Danielle. There was posole, cookies, and a wonderful young man playing the piano. I don't think it was their official Christmas party, just Nettie wanting the salon in a holiday mood.

Baked more meringue drops and peanut butter cookies today ... see >>>>>

I allow myself to bake during the holidays. If I did it as often as I wanted, we would both be as big as a house! The meringue drops are always a hit. And George loves peanut butter cookies. Depending on how many of them last, I will be taking them to Dallas. Although I still have a few people to see and deliver cookies to before we leave. You can get the recipes here

While the cookies were baking, I worked on my latest quilt. See >>>>

 It's not perfect, but it is getting close to finished. I am doing the echo quilting all on my Singer, so it's taking lots of turning and rolling. But it is coming along quite nicely. Two new year's resolutions ... learn how to use the long arm machines that Kokopelli Quilting will rent time on (I think they offer classes on how to use them) and learn to use the embroidery features of my Singer. See >>>

I have also been working on my sore knee. Greg (PT guy) gave me homework to use a rolling pin on my thighs and a lacrosse ball under them. The pressure feels like a deep tissue massage and releases the muscles, thus relieving the tension on the tendons connected to the knee. He did a very painful version of this on Friday and I have some pretty spectacular bruises to show for it. But my knee doesn't hurt any more. So I guess I'll keep doing my homework!

I am pleased with how the day progressed and feel like I accomplished quite a bit.

Cookie Recipes

Peanut Butter Cookies

1/4 cup Shortening
1/4 cup Butter
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 1/4 cup Flour
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt

Mix shortening, butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and egg
Blend in flour, soda, baking powder, and salt
Cover and chill
Shape into balls and flatten
Bake 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes

Makes approx 2 1/2 dozen

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Meringue Drops

6 Egg Whites
1 tsp Cream of Tartar
2 cups Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
12 oz. Chocolate Chips
1 cup Chopped Pecans

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until very stiff
Gradually beat in sugar and vanilla
Fold in chocolate chips and pecans
Drop by teaspoon on parchment paper cookie sheet
bake 225 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes

Makes approx 9 dozen

If You Learn From Your Mistakes ...

Then I have received a Master's degree this weekend.

The quilting project I showed a couple of days ago was supposed to be a tote bag. Now, in knitting, we are admonished to read the instructions ALL THE WAY through before starting a project. I now know that quilting is the same. I very carefully made and quilted together the outside, the batting, and the lining of each side of the bag. I should have read a little farther. The lining was NOT supposed to be attached to the outside of the bag. It would later be constructed envelope-style and turned inside out. SIGH!

So, I have cut each side of the bag into two pieces, each just the right size for a placemat and Scotty is going to teach me how to sew binding. Not a total loss, but I will eventually have to start giving away some of these place mats!!
Here's the colorway for the blocks in the new tote: 

So, do you get the idea that I like jewel tones? Note this are very similar colors to the hand-dyed yarn I'm doing my shawl with. Yup. Love those jewel tones!

And More Knitting

When I wasn't napping today, I was knitting. And here's how far I got:

That's really lots of rows! About 50. And the number of stitches grows with each row. So I am pretty proud of the progress.

Tomorrow is all sewing, though. Don't know if my project will be far enough along that it would give it away yet if I posted a picture. We shall see.

Knitting Today

Knitting:
One of my favorite blogs is Knitter's Review. This entry about needle tips came at a perfect point (pardon the pun) in my project, as I have changed needles a couple of times to get a better "feel" for the yarn. I find that I can't do lace with the speed of metal needles, but need the slight stickiness of bamboo, even though I can't get the sharp points that seem to work better with laceweight yarn. Knitting, like life, is a compromise.

Here's the progress from yesterday ... only had to restart once more. Now I am on my way into the first pattern.

A complicated shawl

Today will be spent knitting and sewing. As I said earlier, I can't show the sewing yet because it will be a Christmas gift, but here's the status on the knitting:

If that looks REALLY tiny, it's because it *is* really tiny. I have started this bugger over 5 times now in order to get the establishing lace repeats correct. Hope this is the last start!

Scotty and I will be running errands and then back home to sew. Just the kind of day I like! It's too hot and muggy in Austin to do anything outside.

Later that afternoon ...
OK. I figured out I can show some of my sewing without giving away the secret of the Christmas presents.

This is one small part. I am proud of the criss-cross quilting, even if the seams are a little wonky. I feel like I am getting better as I go along. More tomorrow ...