Fifth Birthday!

Doll cakes are a tradition... My grandmother was a master cake maker, and baker. (She had weekly standing orders for dozens of rolls:  Not uncommon to see her kitchen filled with 20-40 dozen rolls rising. But I digress...)  As the only grandchild for 18 years, my early birthday cakes were often barbie knock-off dolls planted in richly decorated cakes.  Back then, she shaped the cakes, and bought real dolls.  That was the '50's, and even when my daughter had her early birthdays, grandma was the go-to source in the '80's.
My daughter couldn't wait to try her hand... and with the help of correctly shaped pan, and all sizes of top-only dolls, she created a beauty!
It was really impressive.  I wish I could have caught the look my granddaughter had on her face when she first saw it.  It's one thing to see it in progress:

 But pretty impressive when finished.

There were two parties, and at the first one, no one dared to ask for cake!  Funny... it was just a curiosity.  The second party was only 4 and 5 year olds, and there was much speculation as to what the rest of the doll looked like, and "is it really cake" was thoroughly discussed.
They couldn't wait to cut into it, which was a good thing.  I'd hate to throw it all away!
The chocolate cupcakes were a huge hit and disappeared without discussion.

It was all "princesses and pink"!

 And the boys loved it!

 And the girls got to kiss the frog.  Lipstick is always a winner!

Cupcake Mittens

Do I dare blog one more time about these mittens?  Comment all you like, but they will be finished WITH a funny crease across the back of the hand.

Instructions:  Pick up stitches across the back and knit.  This is the beginning of the mitten flap that covers the fingertips.  I don't know why the pick up bit is so pronounced... Here's the other side.

The ribbing gets sewn to the side seams.  There's really no 'seams' but it gets sewn where the seams would be, if there were side seams...

Fine

Meanwhile, I watched Roy demonstrating Navajo rug weaving at the Totah Festival annual event.

Lightning-fast wrist action as he beats the wool into place.

My keen eye picked up the familiar pattern, and he admitted that it's the same rug as last year.  It's been rolled up and put away since last September.  It confirmed that projects do not need to be finished.  SMILE!!

Many sticks and wool

Beginning of the semester... starting lots of new things.  Where did retirement go?  I guess I got a little crazy this past month with the realization that I would be 'home' for the rest of 2011.  So I signed up for all of the things that I've wanted to do, and some that others have wanted me to do.  Kind of fun as long as I get a few long knitting days, too.
Here's a recap of my last week.  (I have many more things on needles, but these have been in my hands during the past 7 days.)
A toddler pullover to use up leftover yarn:

 A topsy-turvy doll.  I'm stuck 'thinking' about a face...  The skirt was created by my daughter more than a year ago.

 Something NEW for me:  Dahlia pattern for the back of a light-weight cardigan. (This will be the MOST fun part.  After the back, it may languish in line behind my other cardigans...)

 Mittens, really mittens, with a flap over the fingers.  (Started last March/February?)

The cow, socks and vest are closer to being done...  Maybe this weekend!  Have a great one!  Pow-wow pictures are next.

Back by popular request:

Here's a link to that infamous video we keep referring to:
It's Eunny Jang demonstrating how to do jogless stripes, and amazing everyone with her speed knitting. (This time I'm going to label it properly so it SHOULD turn up in my search blog feature.)

I'm working on "jog-less" cupcakes;  I've really got it down now. Last night at Knit Nite, someone commented that it shouldn't be possible to work on colorwork and talk, too.  True, but this being technically my 5th mitten in cupcakes, it works.  Works so well in fact that I knitted too far, and had to pull out 2 rows.
  I'm leaving off the riff-raff edge stitches which don't line up (because of the above mentioned "jog") and making it purely cupcakes.

Mitten Picture

The third time knitted mitten is a fast knit.   :)  
Fewer stitches!  And I have changed up the colors and am finally happy with what I see.
Mitten on the left is the newest edition.  Mitten on the right is too narrow in the cuff and too wide in the hand (therefore, frogged).
Cupcakes, in my dreams!