Catching up

Time for a little bit of catching up. When I was waiting around in airports a week and a half ago I started this dishcloth. As it turns out, the pattern was very confusing and I was making mistakes all the way from the third row. So when I got home I started all over. This time I am very happy with the result. As I was trying out these lace patterns I began thinking maybe some day I can work up to doing a lace sweater. But there are other projects in my queue first. This is the chief cause of frustration for my knitting right now. I'm beginning to loath the word "swatch." Even though I know how foolish that is.
I have been trying to figure out how to make a cable in a different color from the background yarn. So far all I have to show are these two very unsatisfactory results. And even to get these poor results I had to cheat -- First I knit one panel, then the other, and sewed them together. Arghhh.

But then I got the recorded message I had been waiting for. The library had the video I requested long ago waiting for me. This video jacket says it is for intermediate knitters, but I thought I would give it a try anyway. The video covers techniques like knitting with beads, fair isle and intarsia. It also recommends watching the techniques through the first time, then knitting along a sampler with the video. So I'm facing many more swatches in the next few days. But hopefully with less frustration and finally some success.

After watching how to join colors the first time, I tried it on my own. I'm hoping that I failed because it was so late at night. Because the other option is that I'm just too dense! Just in case that less-than-flattering option is the reality I made a quick trip to the library on my way to dd's German School yesterday and chose some books that teach intarsia techniques. Someone has to teach this in a way I can understand, right? Perhaps I'm just not ready to jump from beginner to intermediate knitting patterns. I do finally understand a little about how to read those mystifying pattern graphs.

Over the long weekend we had some friends over for dinner. The kids had a picnic on the porch and the adults ate inside away from the heat.
























Last for today I have my mom's Peach Kuchen. So yummy in the hot weather. I use a 9x9 inch baking pan, but 8x8 is okay too.
1 C + 1 tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbs melted butter
3 large peaches (here I used 4 small)
1/4 C milk
1 egg (smaller size works best for me)
1/3 C sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift dry ingredients together.
Beat wet ingredients together.
Skin peaches. (Put them in a sturdy bowl and then pour boiling water over them until they are submerged - or would be if they did not float as some are wont to do. Let them sit in the boiling water until it is cool enough for you to comfortably reach in and take them out.)
Mix wet and dry ingredients.
Spread into pan with fingers (you may need to oil your hand first, especially if you used a larger size egg)
Arrange slices of fruit on top. Bake 30 - 45 minutes (use the toothpick test).
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar when hot from oven. (I use nutmeg too, because I like it).

In the photo I have this kuchen ready to go into the oven with the nutmeg already on.