The evenings have been so mysterious…
Beautiful and enchanting…
I sat on the front stairs for a break from my crochet hook, watching the sky be watercolor painted, as bread was rising…
I know I know, you must think I am mad…
I am still at this –
And this -
It is amazing what you can learn about baking bread if you do it regularly. I decided to test this raisin challah recipe. I found that it is not an easy recipe if you are not used to making bread - and the bake time and temp. was too high for my oven.
The difference between this bread and the bread I showed you last week (besides the raisins which you have to soak, etc), was that this one called for two extra eggs, oil and honey and was much stickier and needed a whole lot of flour during kneading (more than suggested by the recipe).
Also, the recipe says to glaze the loaves before the second rising, which creates a matte glaze, as opposed to shiny. I like both looks myself. So now I know, glazing the loaves right before putting them into the oven, after they have done all their rising, creates a shiny glaze. Very very interesting 😉
The bread was delicious beyond words and I loved the rustic matte look of it…
But, I am still going to perfect last week's recipe, as it was much easier for folks who are not used ot making bread and don't know how to remedy little snafus, and it was just as good, but without the raisins and honey and extra sugar…
Anywho, I have been working with clay and paint (fun surprises to come), and in the evenings I am continuing to crochet. I needed a break from the great wall of blanket, so I decided to make a little throw to attach some of my weird flower thinga-ma-bobs to.
I was able to finish the throw part in two evenings…
And I started attaching some fun colors to the edges…
I just need to tie on a few more edging bits later this week. I will indulge in that later this week when I get some free time.
Then the fun part begins, attaching my wonky lil' crochet flower things…
I wanted some big puff balls, so I crocheted the equivalent of a tiny hat and then stuffed a huge cotton balls inside of it, and sealed the top. One of those is the yellow center you see above, and I made a red one too. I think I need to make more more more 😉
I just can't wait to start attaching those flowers. I have a couple more I forgot to photograph, a teal blue fuzzaliscious one and a yellow.
So, attaching flowers is something to look forward to indeed 😉
I had a slow start today, feeling noodley and headachey. But fresh air and a walk fixed me right up. I almost thought I wouldn't show my face today, but I just can't sit still. I have a huge behind the scenes list (what with wholesale etc.) that I am ever grateful for, so I best get to work.
Nothing a little hot cocoa (mixed with fresh air) can't cure ;)
Have a super duper lovely day!!!
🖤 ,V
ps: I was thinking, do you think we should have our yearly Mad Tea Party early this year (in spring)? What with the movie coming out and all, would that add to the excitement? I would love your feedback.
Your bread looks so wonderful, you sure have been busy. Everything looks great.
Lovely creations, especially the bread! I love bread and could practically live on it. xoxox
i love your bread!!!!!!!!!yes, it’s perfect your idea to do the mad tea party earlier this year. it would be my first time to it as i am a new blogger! thank you for yor marvellous photos and the inspiration you give me!Every day i search for sth new on your blog!
Oh my goodness, I’m up for a MAD TEA PARTY of your anytime…so Spring sounds good V! That blanket is sooo cute…two days wow! Mine take forevah, tee hee. What size hook did you use? Love all your bright colors too. That break looks de-lish…I think it’s time for me to go whip up some yummy pasta and veggies for din-din!
Jamie 🙂
A Mad Tea Party to coincide with the unveiling of Alice in Wonderland would be fabulous! Can’t wait!
How fantastic!! I am really wishing I could reach through the screen for some of that hot chocolate!!
Let’s have a party SOOOON!
Oh I want that tiny little blanket! 😀
You are really good at this.
Oh, that bread looks heavenly! I love nothing more than working with soft yeast dough – it’s so soothing and satisfying! And that throw and blanket – you are amazing!! I have a question for you – where do you get all your fun yarn?!? 🙂 Silke
Hi Vanessa,
I think that would be good! (the party)
I like the look of your bread-looks delicious. I made banana loaf this Sunday and added black treacle to the mixture and it came out very toffeeish tasting-really yummy. I like baking more thatn any other type of cooking because it is like one big tasty chemistry experiment.
I have seen the pics to your last tea party and I have to say it looked soooo whimsical. What a great idea to have it early on. I am mad about Alice In Wonderland!!!! I became obsessed a few years back with everything Alice:) Very Vibrant blanket, I love it,nicely done Vanessa:)
Your throw is wonderful. I love the colors and the little balls. It’s charming. The bread – I could smell it from Michigan.
As for an early party – I vote yes.
Happy Monday.
Perfectly mad timimg to have the tea party then! Your bread looked amazingly yummy, the thing I have found with bread making is you never follow a recipie in the end, it all just becomes intuition and love xxx
and the beautiful throw looks cosy and fun all wrapped up together. cant wait to see the new creations, have fun with your work
thanks for making the time to post
xxx sheree
I would say….go for it Vanessa!!! It would be great timing with the movie comming out and something wonderful to do for a springtime blog post! OMGosh!!! the bread does look yummy…I love bread but my waist does not LOL. Lastly, your crocheting is wonderful for winging it as you say. Keep up the fantastic work.
xoxo,
Dena
“Oh! My ears and whiskers! Absolutely,” she said with the dormouse chiming in drunkenly from the teapot.
Please do. What a great tie-in indeed. I can not wait for that movie. – Kathy
Yes, yes another Tea Party would be lovely. Mr. and Mrs Hatter have ideas and talk about what a good time they had at the last Tea Prty. Mr. Hatter, is/was all puffed up about all the attention he was getting.
Do you ever sleep? All these wonderful projects and great blog posts. When I grow up I want to be like you ;]
What a lovely and colorful world you live in, you are always an inspiration to me to add more color to our home up here in (grey at the moment) Washington.
what more is there to life: homemade bread, color pompoms,enchanted* evenings, hot chocolate, & a wild and wonderful vanessa?
how do you keep up with yourself?
* when i was a kid, we used to sing: sam and janet evening…
i have never been to one of your parties. i vote yes, but please tell me if i need to generally behave.
have fun, very vivid vanessa.
xoxo
kj
Oh my You know who; yummie yummie; the bread, so speciffic (? my english is a bit poor< sorry for that) looks brilliant; your crochet looks brilliant; ánd having a headache... Crush my life to pieces...
I woke up with a horrible headache this morning ~ at least it was warmer today and a walk helped, as well as great coffee! I love that you bake these delicious breads…they look so yummy and I can almost smell them from here in Texas. The throw is adorable and adding those gorgeous colors is a great idea! As someone else asked, ‘do you ever sleep?’ 🙂
I think having a Spring tea party would be lovely! I’m good to go whenever you want to do it! And I love that you always make whatever you’re working on YOURS…with your own special flair! I love the beautiful white with colorful fringe and embellishments…why didn’t I think of that?! Have FUN!
You are having ever so much fun with your crocheting! I love the whimsical throw you are making…
Yes! Yes! Yes! A Mad Tea Party in spring would be awesome (and the weather would be better in most parts of the country too).
I can hardly wait for the movie to come out. Will probably go to the first mid-nite showing of it!
Cheers!
V~
Oh the bread…the glorious bread. I’m just about to hop in my car and drive to your home and snatch that bread right up 🙂 I tell ya!!
p.s. I say the earlier the Mad Tea Party the better..{wink wink}
your weird flower thinga-ma-bobs
are so delish*looking
they make me think
of some sort of candy-yummy.
🙂
i am so wanting 2 C this movie,
i just cannot TELL U !
{{ i am up for a tea party
most every day
that ends in Y 🖤🖤🖤 }}
I envy your winter sunsets. We don’t have those, here, in the SoCal High Desert.
You crochet with such wild abandon. Love it!
~elaine~
We are having sunsets like that here in Kuwait. All the colors of God’s artwork in the sky! I love how you crochet with abandon and make things up as you go along. The throw is lovely with all the colorful frills on the side. And the flowers are fun! I need to play more and just make things up as I go along. I haven’t made real bread since high school when I took Home & Family — I should dig that recipe out (yes, I still have it) — and give it a try this weekend. Blessings to you and hope you are feeling all better now. 🙂 Tammy
I love the throw! It is going to be amazing. When I was pregnant all could think of were blankets, juice, and hot bread with herb butter. Oh, and I got silly with socks, stripes, polka dots, etc under my big, pretty nightgowns. I was silly, but, happy. This reminds me of those days. Wow. This world just rocks, doesn’t it? I mean just the joy and luck swirling around us in all its glittery goodness? I really remember that when I visit Bloglandia, a snowy path, and definitely here Vanessa! Good luck with the whole sale! Wow! Would love to hear about what and where that will be. Keep enjoying the yarn. “Thanks for the memories… just channeling Bob Hope thinking of the gal above who said she is in Kuwait. What a blessing to be able to visit A Fanciful Twist from Kuwait. When Don was there it was not possible. Blessings from the scattered but, loveable, Amy
Yummy bread!!! ’tis cozy over in your neck of the woods…I think I’ll stay for awhile & catch up 🙂
Beautiful sky. I loved my ornament from Small Fox btw – lovely!!
There is a fury and a wildness in your yarn art…I LoVe it. It’s so exciting. You, my magical little New Age Hippie, make bread look like art. It made me think of Alice’s First Holy Communion retreat…we made the bread for communion with the children…the work of human hands…it was so lovely. And so are you! **happy smiles** Deb
Beautiful, All beautiful. Now, I’m off to bake bread make hot chocolate and dream about adding crocheting to my arsenal. Thanks for the inspiration.
Yes have it early darling, that would be so awesome.
xoxo
I admire your ability to “wing it.” I’m the kind of person who has to gather all the information, possibly take a class, read up, think about it, on and on …. Lots of pondering, yes, but not a whole lot of doing gets done. I’ve been working on winging it, though – doing little projects that aren’t as “serious” as usual and trying to be less attached to the outcome – definitely trying to stir a bit of fun into the crafty mixture. Thanks for the inspiration!
I just adore your creations… What wonderful color you added to make such a WOW piece of work.. It looks great.
Staci
Oh! Cozy Fuzzy, indeed!! And there you’ve gone again, and made my hungry for fresh baked bread!! tee hee! 🙂 What a beautiful loaf!! 🙂
I love your blog. You make me feel like I can do anything and anything is possible as long as I can dream it up.
Your blog is dangerous! Not only do I lose time reading your older posts, but now I have a real need for marshmallows and challah!!!
I add another vote for an early party!
Bread, hot chocolate, yarn, parties! Wow – too much to digest. The bread looks so yummy – wish I had the patience to let bread rise. I usually resort to those of the “quick” variety! It is quite chilly here, so that hot chocolate looks divine. I look forward to hearing more details of your party! 🙂 Theresa
That is a super cool blankawhatchamacallit, though i have to tell you, “wall of blanket” has become part of my vocabulary. Like yesterday we were in a meeting and i was describing the revision of the thing that was revised prior to editing the thing that was re-written for the policy supporting the document and i said, “They told me to re-write it again-you coulda hit me with a wall of blanket!”
and also –
“brrrr its colder than the other side of a wall of blanket!”
bread. oy. i come from a long line of peeps where you scrape the toast to the shade you prefer-you can imagine what my bread looks like :p
BUT i can make cute marshmallow shapes for your cocoa 🖤
Yes please to a HATTER coinciding with THE HATTER!!! XOXOXOXOX
Spring is fine! any time…
You are really making pretties with that hook of yours.
I’d like to thank you for such a delightful journey through your senses…..
You’re as comforting as a warm snuggly and a cup of tea.
Blessed be Vanessa!
~Vivian