Wool Bunny

I've been on a cupcake baking frenzy lately and I've been literally experimenting with whatever flavours I have in my kitchen.  For this experiment, everything went better than expected on all fronts.  The flavours are harmonic and the texture quite pleasing.  I decided to call this 3Cs because it's a Chocolate ginger cupcake, Chai cream cheese frosting and topped with toasted Coconut.  I definitely will be making these again!

**Ingredients**
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**Cupcake Batter**

1 tsp baking powder

2 1/2 Cups sifted flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp Cocoa powder, sifted

3/4 Cup butter, softened - if melted, wait for it to cool slightly before working with it.

1 Cup sugar

2 Large Eggs (or 3 small ones)

1 tsp vanilla extract or 2 real vanilla beans with the insides scraped out

1 Cup Buttermilk

1 tsp white, distilled vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

2-3 Tbsp. grated/ground ginger, to taste. (see notes)

**For the Cream Cheese Frosting and Topping**

You can make this the day before and put it in the fridge.  Before you want to use it take it out of the fridge for at least 30 mins or until it's room temp and you are able to get it to a spreading consistency. 

1 package plain cream cheese, room temp.

1/2 - 1 package powdered sugar (I used a little over a half because I didn't want very sugary, or too crunchy a frosting)

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean with insides scraped out

Chai Flavouring (see below)

2 heaped Tbsp room temp. butter (unsalted)

About 1.5 Cups toasted coconut.  Spread grated coconut on a baking tray lined with baking paper.  I set my oven to it's "grill" setting (which heats only the coils at the top of the oven) and allowed the coconut to brown.  Please watch this because it's soooo easy for the stuff to burn with that setting.  If your oven doesn't have this feature, turn it to its highest setting and allow to brown.

**Chai flavouring** can be done three ways. 
I'll start with the totally from scratch one: 

1) In a small sauce pot add 3/4s of a Cup of water, 3 cloves crushed, 4 Cardamom pods crushed, 1 tsp orange zest, 1 cinnamon stick slightly crushed, 3 black pepper corns crushed and 1 tsp brown sugar.  You will also need loose, black tea leaves (I used Ceylon) but because the other ingredients have to cook for a bit to release their flavourings, you put the tea in last so your mixture doesn't become bitter.  I let the mixture (without the tea) simmer with a cover on a medium heat for about 20-25 mins.  I removed the pot from the stove and then added my tea.  Now, the amount of tea you add is completely up to you. I love a reaaaaally strong tea so I put in about 2.5 Tbls - I'm thinking that might be a bit too strong for most people, so just try it till you  like it.  When the brew tastes how you want it to, strain out the tea leaves and return the liquid to the stove.  Boil down the mixture till you get about 2-2.5 Tbsp worth of liquid.  Remove heat, set aside and allow to cool.

2) You can also make a concentrate of chai masala with store bought tea bags by brewing 2 tea bags worth of tea in a small sauce pot. I use about 3/4 of a cup of water.   Let it steep for up to 6 mins, making sure it's not becoming bitter.  Remove the tea bags (I usually give the bags a squeeze to make sure all the flavour ends up in the brew) and continue boiling the liquid.  At this point, it's up to you if you want to add other flavouring to enhance the Chai taste.  For example, you can opt to add extra cinnamon/cardamom(which I did)/cloves/etc.  Reduce the liquid as much as possible so you're left with about 2 Tbsp. of the concentrated liquid.  Set aside and allow to cool.

3)Or use 2-4tsp (according to your taste)  of instant chai powder - this option wasn't available to me here in Germany, but I believe you can buy this in the US and Canada.  =)

**Notes on Ingredients**

There are several ways to adjust this recipe to suit your tastes or if you don't have certain ingredients on hand (like me).

**Cocoa** - If you don't have this, you can use 3-4 squares of semi-sweet cooking chocolate, melted OR 3 Tbsp. of melted chocolate chips.

**White Sugar** - You can surely substitue this with Demerara sugar (raw cane sugar) to give the flavour a different kick.  I originally created this recipe with a higher amount of sugar but with the frosting it was waaaaaay too sweet so I reduced and it was much more harmonic.

**Powdered or Confectioners Sugar** - The amount you use in your icing dictates how "firm" the icing will be.  Because the chai flavouring I used was the boiled-down kind and not the instant powder, I had to offset the liquidity in the frosting by adding more powdered sugar so it would "hold".

**Buttermilk** - As I was pouring the buttermilk into my measuring cup, I realised I wasn't going to have enough.  So, to make-up the remaining amount I substituted a mixture of plain yoghurt and milk.

**Ginger** - I'm not sure what is available to you but I used fresh ginger because I like the "bits" as a form of added texture.  Obviously you can replace this with powdered or dried ginger to your taste.  Galangal (a root that also tastes like ginger, just more aromatic and in my opinion, milder) is also a good substitute if you happen to have this.

**Distilled vinegar** - I didn't have this and I wasn't about to go and buy this so I substituted with half regular vinegar and half water. 

**Directions**
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Preparation - Preheat your oven to 170°C (about 330-340°F) and line 2 cupcake pans with the paper cups.  This makes 16 normal sized cupcakes so you will need two pans because you're not able to set aside this batter.  If you're using those larger sized muffin pans you will obviously need just the one =)

1) In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder (if using).  Set aside

2) In a larger bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until fluffy and light.  Add one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition to allow each egg to incorporate properly.  Add vanilla and mix well.

3) Slowly add your flour mixture and butter milk alternating each time.  That is, add some of the flour mix, then some buttermilk.  Repeat these steps ending with the flour mixture.

4) In a small cup add your baking soda.  Pour the vinegar over and allow to fizz.  Working a little faster, flold the liquid into your cake batter gently.

5) Immediately spoon your batter into the prepared cupcake pans.  Do not overfill, 3/4 of the way is fine.  Bake for 15-20 mins or until your toothpick comes out clean.

6) Cool the cupcakes in the pans on a rack for about 10 mins.  Remove the cupcakes from the pans and set on the rack again for further cooling.  Allow them to cool fully before frosting them.

7) Frost as you like - piping or spreading.  Then with the toasted coconut spread on a plate/whatever invert the frosted cupcake onto the coconut and kinda, roll it around to coat it.

8) Eat and enjoy!

3 Cs Cupcake

Hey all I've added a listing to my etsy store - it's packs of Rowan 4-ply Yorkshire tweed so hop over if you're interested.  I'm seriously going to be destashing over the next few weeks so that I can make room for new stuff in 2008 and save up for a spinning wheel.  Message me if you'd like to find out what other stuff is going to be coming up on offer =)

Woolbunny@etsy

Rowan Yorkshire Tweed

I've been needing to do this but somehow couldn't be bothered.  There's just too much yarn/fiber =(  I'm also totally caught up in Etsy, Ravelry and spinning so I've not really had the desire to do anything else.

Will update this with photos in the afternoon <3

BFL 1 <3

Specs:
45g | 16-17WPI (fingering weight) | approx 175y/160m


Spun using my self-made, top-whorl convertible spindle that weighs 30g/1.05oz:

With Weight

Plied using my self-made lazy kate lol (it looks ghetto, but it works):

Lazy Kate

I'm not a terribly patient person.  Actually, it's more accurate to say that I'm all about the instant gratification.  This shrug project hit the spot knitting wise.  I was needing a "Sweater-like" accessory to cover myself while doing my daily stuff without my torso being covered.  I never really get cold on my body, just my arms and shoulders so this was an ideal gift to myself.

The Shrug pattern is generally a very easy project requiring only seaming.  It can obviously be converted to be worked in the round but I personally found it easier to knit back and forth.  The sizing for this is for 3-4x  

You will need:
Approx 500m of yarn that will knit on needle size 6mm
cable needle
Embroidery needle for seaming

Get someone to measure you with your arms outstretched, wrist to wrist.  I made my shrug a little longer because I like having my hand partially covered.
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6LC - Six stitch, left-cross Cable pattern
Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and let hang at front of work, knit next 3 then knit the 3 stitches from the cable needle

Directions
Cast on 48 and begin with cuff-
Rows 1,3: K1, P1
Row 2,4: P1, K1

Begin Cable Rows
Row 1,3,5,7 (WS): P20, K1, P6, K1, P20
Row 2,4,6 (RS): K20, P1,K6, P1, K20
Row 8 : K20, P1, 6LC, P1, K20

Repeat the cable pattern all the way until you get within 1.5cm of the other wrist end.  Then repeat the Cuff pattern from above.

To seam:
Get someone to measure you from your wrist to your underarm.  For comfort I would allow a little at the underarm.  The point at which you measure till the underarm is where you stop seaming.  View the following schematic for clarification on Construction:

If you wish you can pick up stitches around the open back to make a collar.  I just left mine as is.

The internet is the Debil.  There, I said it.  Etsy and Ebay are the spawns of the Debil.  I feel so dirty but at the same time I feel so good. *sigh*

My parents sent me money for Christmas.  My mum said "Don't you dare spend it on anyone else - get yourself some clothes, whatever, just spend it on yourself".  Gosh mum, it's going to be so hard to decide what to spend it on.

Uh huh.

From the top, left to right.
1) Rowan Yorkshire Tweed (4 packs | 40 skeins!!) from Jannette's Rare Yarns
2) 100g Suri Alpaca Roving from Forest Fibres
3) Delicious lip balms + soap sample from Cavendish Soapworks @ etsy
4) 100g Huyaca Alpaca Roving from Coolwoolgirl
5) 150g | 560y 4-ply Cashmere from Colourmart
6) 100g Blue Face Leicester roving from Coolwoolgirl
7) 100g Baby Camel down (15!!!microns) from Forest Fibres.  It's like BUTTAH!
8 ) 2 x 100g | 400m skeins of Baby Alpaca from Woll Land

Now, I only provided links because I want to showcase handmade stuff for Christmas.  It has nothing to do with the fact that I'm enabling YOU.  Really, it's more like sharing.  =P

Most people know of my knitting obsession but not a lot of people know I also love spinning.  About 6 months ago I bought a really cheap/basic, bottom whorl drop spindle and a crap load of fiber.  The spindle was ok and it did the job but I found myself spinning less and less because I just didn't like the spindle.  About 2 weeks ago I bought a top whorl spindle because I'd been reading that for some, top whorls are much better/easier to spin with.  I thought perhaps that trying out this kind of spindle would reawaken my spinning.  Did it ever.  It's a very basic top-whorl that I got off of ebay for €4 but it does what I want it to.

Then, last Friday I was thinking to myself that I wish I could try my hand at making my own spindle.  That way I could tweak it until I got exactly the spindle I wanted.  Off I headed to the home improvement store and bought all the stuff needed:

1 x 5mm dowel
1 x 6mm dowel
2 x wooden toy car wheels
2 x rubber rings
2 x metal hooks

The plan was this- make a spindle that was convertible (bottom and top whorl capable), with an adjustable weight.  This is how it went:

1) Spindle with rubber weight

2) The weight removed

3) Removable spindle hook

4) Hole to convert to a top whorl

5) Bottom Whorl detail

One length of dowel was more than enough to make 2 spindles - there is enough left over to make two more I think.  The wheel was basically already the correct size for the whorl so I didn't really do much to that except make the center hole larger to accomodate the dowel.  Using a fine drill bit I drilled out the holes at the ends of the dowel for the hook.  This was a bit tricky and I ended up splitting the wood on my first attempt.  My second try was sucessful however.

The wood was sanded with very fine sandpaper in order to make sure the fiber didn't catch on anything and so that I wouldn't get splinters, of course.  The wooden components were then treated to a rubdown with Antique wax in order to preserve the natural wood colours and provide a smoother finish after sanding.  I *am* considering painting one of the spindles just to see what it would look like in a different colour.  

The finished weight of the spindle:
With weight: approx 30g
Without weight: approx 22g

Even with the weight on this is going to be able to spin laceweight effortlessly.  I've already tested the spindles for useability and balance and I have to say that I'm very, very pleased with the resulting yarn.  The spindles definitely lend themselves better to finer weight yarns so my next project is going to be building a spindle for heavy spun yarn.  However, the spindles do ply very well.

I will definitely be making more because god only knows it's fun to play with power tools =D

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Now playing: Lior - Sitting with a Stranger

So I've been gone a while due to various personal reasons.  However, I am of course still knitting.  Mostly I've been knitting gifts because my parents are coming for a visit and I thought that this sudden change to cold weather would be well met with a couple of knitted items.  Socks for dad and a shawl for mum :D

I've also been working on a sock pattern and have successfully knitted the prototype.  There are a few things I might need to tweak that mostly has to do with the sizing.  It's basically a "Little bit of everything" sock.  It has lace, cables, picot bind-off for the cuff and it's toe-up.  While I knit the second sock I'll have to come up with a name, although, the more I read it to myself "LIttle bit of everything" seems ok :P

I took some photos but it's reaaaaally hard for me to take a photo of my own foot for some reason :|  So I'll finish the other side and then get someone else to take photos for the .pdf :D

After dealing with a couple of really hard months, I was nicely surprised today by a wonderfully generous gift from Elemm.  Thank you so so so much sweetheart!! The gift was perfect - chocolate, a skein of sock yarn and a lovely postcard :D  I love the colour and it certainly brought the sun into my life today!

You are definitely going to be getting a gift in return :P so watch out for it!  btw those moo cards are awesome :)

What are your deal breakers in a relationship?

1) Cheating - but not sexually.  I would find it harder to deal with if my man told me "Oh I met this woman and she's funny, smart and she makes me feel wonderful" than if he said "I shagged someone in a motel and never saw her again".

2) If he's too smothering.  I freakin' HATE having my freedom taken away. 

3) If he expects me to do everything and takes me for granted.