guess 2006 wasn't nearly as unproductive as I'd thought!

wow. another year all done. really... where does the time go? I guess it wasn't unexpected that 2007 was going to show up yesterday, but sometimes it really does seem like time just whizzes past us without so much as a "hey, how ya doin'?" luckily, the transition from 2006 to 2007 wasn't bad at all. it all went so smoothly, it just seemed like it was just another day.

so, the weekend was great! most friends and family were still around from christmas, plus other friends who had been around but were too busy for me in the last days of '06. and there was shopping, coffee, baking, eating, silly games, movies, ikea, knitting, champagne... a whirlwind of activity! I wish I had more pictures of all the fun, but I really am terrible at taking pictures when there are things going on, so... well... sorry. I do have a few little things to share, tho!

this is my mostly successful pumpkin cheesecake bread. if you've ever had the pumpkin cheesecake bread from peet's coffee, you have an idea of what I'm going for here. I love their version, but they want $2.25 a slice these days, which is a bit more than I'd like to pay. the one I made is actually from the trader joe's pumpkin bread mix and, if I do say so myself, it's really good! nice and moist and flavorful. yum! for the cheesecake chunks in there, I just made a mix of cream cheese, sugar and egg and dropped big spoonfuls here and there in the batter as I poured it into the pan. I can get a good eight thick slices out of a loaf and the total cost of ingredients is right around $5. I should have let it bake for about 5 minutes longer than I did, tho, because there was one little spot right in the middle where the batter didn't completely set. darn. but I will definitely make this again!

inspired by this, I felt the need to try out this superyak business too and whipped up a watchcap a week or so ago. last year's news, but still new to you! heehee.

pattern: prime rib watchcap from elizabeth zimmerman's knitting without tears
yarn: karabella superyak in dark charcoal, one skein
needles: knitpicks options us8
finished: december 23, 2006
notes: quick and easy! I probably could have stood to make it a few ribs skinnier, as it's not that snug on my head. I'm debating whether I should do it over or just give it away. anyway, the yarn is super soft and warm - I would love to have a sweater made out of it! maybe it'll go on clearance someday... it is weirdly splitty, though, which caused some issues when I'd realize I'd split a stitch in the row below. that may or may not be due to the pointiness of the needles. as for the pattern, I love it. brioche rib all the way, baby! it's so fun to do and I love the way it comes out looking. will definitely use it again.

I'm sure there are other things to talk about, but we've got a whole year to get to that. in the meantime, I've gotta start thinking about what will be the first FO of '07! hmmm.... decisions, decisions!