Hello! Is it just me, or did this week go by faster than last? I’ve been busy trying to complete all my wips and made some progress on the book I’m reading, but I am still working away with no finished objects to show you.

On top of that, I stopped at Dharma with Shortie last weekend. I really had no business being in a yarn store considering all the projects I have to finish and the amount of yarn already in my house. Perhaps my daughter is right to say that I should limit the number of projects I start, but it’s so hard!

Of course, as much as I tried, I didn’t leave empty-handed. I found this yellow yarn (Universal Yarn in Pale Banana) that looked so soft, that I wanted to try it. I was good! I only got two skeins. The color isn’t pure yellow. It has a hint of green in it, so it’s more like chartreuse, which I’ve always been drawn to.

I was thinking of making a scarf and perhaps using brioche stitch to make it ultra squishy, but later in the week, I watched a video where I learned how to make fabric by connecting diamond shapes that are knit using garter stitch.

The process is pretty simple, a mix of increases and decreases, a perfect project to use up bits of yarn you might have leftover in your stash. (By the way, if you understand Spanish, this teacher (Lucila) is great at explaining things.)

So, I knit a few diamonds with the new yarn and loved the result, but I really didn’t want to buy more yarn. I wanted to find a way to use up other yarn I already had. (That is one of the goals I set for myself this year — clearing my stash.)

I suddenly had this idea that I could perhaps come up with some cool color combination that might even look like something you’d find at Anthropologie: a little different and unique. Perhaps making a wrap or a small throw blanket for when I am reading in bed or on the couch.

Color combination intimidates me a bit. It’s funny that it doesn’t worry me when I pick out what to wear, but when it comes to combining yarn colors, I’ve been very conservative with my choices.

Then I saw that Stephen West was offering a color workshop online. As I mentioned in a previous post, I love his use of color, and I love his shawls. Just look at all these fun colorful examples! (Photo, Stephen West website)

Here was my opportunity to learn how he comes up with such wonderful color combinations. So of course, I signed up. (I am that person that all crafting platforms adore. I buy all the courses, try all the techniques. They have me hooked.) So, I’ve been watching and learning a lot tonight and hope that this week I can put together a few palettes I like with what I’m learning so I can get started on my wrap.

The workshop is called “Colorplay the Westknits Way: Stripes & Slip Stitches”. Stephen West is super entertaining and shows you his technique for picking colors in great detail. He teaches a “Say yes. Don’t stress.” approach which takes the fear out of mixing colors that “don’t go” together. The Painting Stripes shawl is also included with the workshop. And, once you buy the class, it’s yours forever, so you can revisit it as many times as you want. I think it’s fantastic.

Finally, if you are into shawls, there’s a new workshop launching next week, so check out his website and while you are there you can pre-order his new book, “Painting with Shawls” which is all about shawl design. This one’s definitely on my wish list.

Toscakaka

And now for a sweet treat… I made Toskakaka yesterday (one of my favorite Swedish cakes). I am still trying to use up all the almonds I have in the pantry, which I mentioned a while ago. I love that it takes only about 30 minutes to get this cake from the mixer to the table. And while it bakes, you have time to make the glaze and clean up your kitchen. Let me know if you try it.

for the cake

• 100 g. stick unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup half-and-half

for the topping

• 100 g. unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 100 g. slivered almonds (about 1 cup)

Prepare a 9″ spring-form pan by buttering and coating it with flour or bread crumbs. Melt the butter and let it cool. Using the mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until they turn light in color. Add the flour mixed with the baking powder, the melted butter, and half and half. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the oven at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes.

While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze. Mix the glaze ingredients in a small pot over medium heat and stir until the mixture thickens and acquires a golden color. When the cake is ready, spread the glaze over the top of the cake. Put the cake back in the top part of the oven for 10 minutes or until it turns a nice golden color.

Remove the cake from the oven and slide a sharp knife carefully around the edge to ensure it doesn’t stick to the form. Transfer the cake to a serving platter.

Share and enjoy!