12 November 2012

Leaf Prints Shawlette by Anne Hanson for Kollage Yarn

This is called the Leafprints Shawlette by Anne Hanson for Kollage yarns. I knit this with Cascade Heritage sock yarn in Italian Plum which I like especially because it has undertones of red and is a deep, rich, purple. It's an unusual choice of color for me! I was a bit concerned about how this pattern would turn out because of the slightly higher percentage of nylon in the yarn and, also, the somewhat thicker weight of this yarn compared to the recommended yarns from Kollage; Creamy, 1/2 & 1/2 or sockalicious, but none were readily available to me. I shouldn't have worried because this project turned out so very well. The yarn is soft and, after blocking, it was perfect!

I had never used a HiyaHiya circular knitting needle before, and I have to admit to be verysurprised at how much I liked them! I've been an Addi Turbo gal since I first began knitting but I would love to have a set of Hiya Hiya interchangeable circulars now. What I like is that they are very light, very pointy and very, very comfortable to knit with. I looked at a set of their interchangeable needles that a friend has and the connection is super smooth with a very nice, smooth, flexible, cord. They are less weighty than Turbos and, in my opinion, knit as quick too. I had no hand or wrist fatigue using the the US3 circular. Less money and great quality? Yes, it's a good thing I think!

05 November 2012

Cocoa-Shea Hand Butter Bars: A Break From Class Notes

Cooling hand butter bars. I made one round shape which is why there is an empty in the mold.
 Today I was in the mood to make some soap - unfortunately I was out of a necessary ingredient!

I have very dry skin that gets more intense in the Winter.  I like to using a barrier cream - one that is not  sticky and that makes my skin feel quenched and protected. Since I couldn't make soap today I decided to made some hand butter bars instead.These bars are about 2.75 inches long and 1 inch high. They are made from beeswax, cocoa butter, shea butter, jojoba oil and avacado oil with a bit of neroli essential oil added for a heavenly scent. Yum! They really do the trick!
Finished hand butter bars. Divine! They are just a tiny bit sticky at first  because of the Jojoba oil that's in the recipe. That feeling disappears really fast however - leaving my hands feeling like silk! It's a good thing!