Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Sugar Rush

Fruit Jellies from Harbor Candy ShopHappy Valentine's Day, everyone. I'm running on very little sleep today, since I spent a lot of last night trying to install my new blogger template (more on that later).

Uncool Guy has continued his customary Valentine's Day generosity and has showered me with flowers (tulips) and candy. These are the most wonderful fruit jellies from the Harbor Candy Shop in Ogunquit, Maine. Man, are they good. Plum is currently my favorite, but that could change because they are all just so lovely. If you are ever in Ogunquit, be sure to stop in at this store -- it is a chocolate/candy lover's haven.

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In knitting news, here is the completed bowl that I showed you the other day. It came out pretty well for my first felted item, I think. I had a little problem with the edge though. I kept stopping the washing machine every 5 minutes or so to check on the progress of the felting, and I didn't notice until it was too late that part of the edge had started to curl in. By the time I noticed it, the edge was already too firmly attached in some places to unfold it. So I tried to curl the rest of the edge all the way around and felted it some more. It sort of worked, but the edge came out lumpier than I would have liked.

I based this bowl on the mancala pattern at Knitty, but I doubled the yarn and used bigger needles. Here are the specs:

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Pattern:
I followed the instructions for the Large Bowl in the Mancala pattern at Knitty
Yarn:
Manos del Uruguay [100% wool],
color: 38 (dark purple), which I got from Windsor Button last year
Needles:
US 15 (used with the yarn doubled)
Gauge:
who knows?
Finished Size:
3" high by 6" wide
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Comments:
I felted the crap out of this bowl and it came out pretty thick and sturdy. Interestingly, the felted fabric seems to have a sort of "boucle" surface. I wonder if this has something to do with the fact that this is a thick & thin yarn. I'm guessing that the thicker yarn sections turned into the boucle "bumps" when felted. Anyway, it's a cool effect.

I shaped the bowl by stretching it tightly over a glass bowl. The bowl had slight vertical ridges on the outside and a sharply defined bottom ridge. It's funny that I can kind of see the ridges in the dried bowl and I can definitely see an indent from the bottom ridge in the bottom of the bowl. So next time, I'll have to find a different bowl for the shaping and drying.
[Updated to add: It has been brought to my attention that the bowl in the mancala pattern has an attached i-cord edge. I did not make an i-cord edge on my bowl, because I, apparently, cannot follow directions. Anyhow, I bet if I had made the i-cord edge, it wouldn't have partially curled in like it did. I'll try that next time.]

Oh, and Daughter#1 made this little shrinky dink tiger for me the other day. Isn't he cute?

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5 comments:

  1. Hooker Hat: 4 balls sugar n cream or 2 Lion Cotton. 1 thinger of floral wire.

    Where exactly is this candy place? I mean, if I am going to be there anyway....

    Love the bowl, and the shrinky dink. I always loved those things. Coolest thing to watch them shrink. And you can get pin backs and glue them on and make cool pins.

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  2. That candy does look good (kind of like Turkish Delight). It seems like it would melt in your mouth.

    I really like the felted bowl. You did a wonderful job on it. Felting does take a lot of attention.

    Shrinky Dink! I love it. Cute tiger, there.

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  3. Yumm! Those candies look delish! (and they taste good, too)

    I love the colors of that bowl! I am planning to make a bowl like it at some point in my future.

    That shrinky dink is adorable! After all, I did make it. (hee hee)

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  4. I am dying to make that bowl, but chagrined to see it has the attached I cord edge! Oh well, I'm sure "someone" will help me with that when the time comes. Very, very cute tiger.

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  5. Its really great to see you back!!!

    That candy looks sooo good is it at all like turkish delight??

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