Sock (s)

Well, well, well :=) Here it is. “The Sock”.

As i mentioned before I have not been knitting much in my life. The mittens I made were my first pair of mittens. In the end of the 60’s I knitted a sweater. I would not have been able to do it without a lot of help from a friend of mine. And I have knitted 3 pairs of socks long ago. I think it was in the beginning of the 70’s. Oh, and a knitted sweater and skirt. Back then I thought it turned out pretty well. Today I think it did neither look good nor fit well at all. I even wore the outfit at work ! Gosh, thinking of it now makes me feel so embarrassing.  Well, that was about 45 years ago I guess and hope no one other than me are able to remember it anymore.

Back to “the sock”.  Not the perfect one but a sock. After struggling a bit with the heel I finished the sock yesterday. Then I had used all the yarn. On the way back home from my language lesson I went to the shop, from where I bought the yarn for all my knitted works, to buy one more yarn skein. Oh no, there was no more of them. I asked whether they are going to have some more of them. Unfortunately, she said, no, not for now. Maybe in the fall. I was very disappointed. I went to couple of other shops. Nope, could not find the same kind and same color. The internet, yes the internet. I found the manufacturer of the yarn and was able to order one skein. That was yesterday so I think I will have it on Monday or Tuesday. Meanwhile I am going to buy more yarn today, but not in grey, to knit yet an other pair of socks.

Mittens

After finishing the knitted scarf there was again, as was after the knitted hat, some yarn over.  On Tuesday I bought some more and began knitting mittens. I found a real simple basic pattern on the web. I have not knitted much in my life and was a bit skeptical about the project. I am pretty surprised to have finished them in two days. There is a slight difference in the size and some other minor mistakes. It does not matter. They are good enough to wear when I walk the dog. Also this time there’s yarn leftover. I think I have to try to knit socks as well.  I need to find a simple sock knitting pattern.

“Rievä Bread of Tampere”

Last week I read on my good friend’s Facebook wall that she had made tamperelainen “rievä” bread. Thank you my friend for copying the recipe to the wall. First time I heard of the rievä but as the recipe really seemed a quick and simple one I decided to bake some. Also I read more about the tamperelainen rievä on the web. “The rievä is a traditional barley bread. Tampere once was known as Rievä town for the quantity of the bread consumed there.”

5 dl lukewarm water or milk or 2,5 + 2,5 water and milk
50 g yeast
1,5 tsp salt
5 dl barley flour
4 dl wheat flour

Dissolve the yeast and the salt in the water. Add the wheat flour and stir even. Keep adding the barley flour until the dough starts to detach from the bowl. Even the surface sprinkle some flour on it. Cover with a towel and leave it in a warm place for half an hour.

Flour the table and your hands. Knead the dough until it feels firm. Form two breads and put them on a baking sheet. Cover them with a towel and come back after half an hour.

Punch holes on the surface of the rieväs with a fork. Bake them in a 250°C oven for about 20 minutes.

I used about 1 dl more flour when kneading them to breads. It probably depends on your oven but I think I could have let the breads stay in the oven a little longer.

Valentine’s Day 2014

Wishing you all a great day !

This year’s photo is almost identical to my Valentine’s photo of last year 😉 Am I running out of ideas ? 😕

Runeberg’s tarts/cakes

On February 5th we celebrated the birth of Finland’s national poet J. L. Runeberg.  Of course I would bake Runeberg’s tarts/cakes also this year. I made them last year and even the year before.

I should have made them already on Tuesday the 4th. Unfortunately I forgot to buy gingerbread. I didn’t want to make them without. When I cook or bake or anything for that matter I need to follow any recipe or any instructions to the dot. Yesterday I bought the gingerbread but forgot an other thing, raspberry jam for the topping. To my disappointment I had to use strawberry jam instead. Good thing we had it at home.

The recipe says mix the dry ingredients together. I measured all the dry ones into a mixing bowl. Then the recipe says whisk the sugar and the butter and add the eggs. What ? ! Oh no ! Where’s the sugar ? Oops, I had mixed it with all the other dry ingredients. Blaaah ! I was convinced the whole thing would turn out a disaster. I certainly could not add more sugar. What else was there to do than to add the butter and eggs into the bowl and knead it like you knead a dough.

To my surprise they turned out pretty good. After all, I’m going to make Runeberg’s cakes also next year.