Blueberry Macarons

   

My Boyfriend had some leftover blueberries that we picked from a farm from the beginning of the year and he thought it'll be good if I can make some blueberry macarons for him.  Since he's been really stress at work this week, I thought I can bake him some treats.
I bought the book Macarons from Annie Rigg and follow her basic macarons recipe but it didn't have  the trademark crinkly 'feet' when they came out of the oven.  A bit disappointed by the look, but it still taste really good.  I made my own Blueberry cream ganaches.  Here's the instruction.

150g white chocolate (finely chopped)
3/4 cup cream
1 cup blueberries

1. heat cream with blueberries until it starts to bubble on the side.
2. mesh the blueberries and let cool for an hour.
3. sift through the cream so there's no blueberry skin in the sauce.
4. heat the cream slightly and add in the chopped chocolate and mix well.
5. let cool and transfer to the fridge to thicken.

and start nom nom nom. Enjoy!!!


Killerbees

Yellow Bird plush toy pattern

Sorry for the delay again but here's the pattern for the yellow bird.  This pattern is for the Yellow Bird who is the mascot of the game, whos special ability allows them to pick up speed to cause more damages to the pigs.  The pattern hasn't been tested yet as I have misplaced my notes when I knitted the first bird so please tell me if you find any mistakes.  Hope you guys enjoy knitting him along with the pig.

 

As this is a free pattern, pattern is for personal use only and may not be sold, photocopied or copied electronically or distributed in any way.   Please don't sell the toy you've made, and please provide credit for the design of the pattern to myself (Knitterbees).

Materials:

1.       8 ply weight wool or acrylic. 

2.       3.25mm  40cm  circular needles/ 3.25 DPN or size needed to obtain gauge. 

3.       Buttons for eyes

4.       Stitch marker

5.       Yarn needle

6.       polyester stuffing

Gauge: 2 inch = 13 stitches, 19 rows

Colours for Red Bird:

MC – Yellow

CC1   - White

CC2   - Orange

CC3   - Black

Knitterbees stitch dictionary:

CC: contrasting color (CC1= contrasting color 1 etc.)

dpns: double pointed needles

k: knit

k2tog: knit the next two stitches together.

Kfb: knit front and back

MC: main color

pm: place marker

rm: remove marker

ssk: slip next 2 sts knitwise onto your right needle, insert left needle purlwise into the front of the sts & knit them together.

St st: stockinette/stocking stitch. k a row, purl a row. (In the round however you must knit every round.)

st(s): stitch(es)

yo: yarn over

Head:

With the double-pointed needle cast on 6 stitches (MC).  Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches. Place a stitch marker on the first stitch.

Please change to White yarn when the text is in White.

Row 1(MC): knit. 6st

Row 2(MC): kfb.  12st

Row 3(MC): and all odd rows  to row 29– knit

Row 4(MC): (k1. kfb) repeat 6 times. 

Row 6(MC): (k1, m1, k4, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 8(MC): (k1, m1, k6, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 10(MC): (k1, m1, k8, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 12(MC): (k1, m1, k10, m1, k1) repeat 3 times.  

Row 14(MC): (k1, m1, k12, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 16(MC): (k1, m1, k14, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 18(MC): (k1, m1, k16, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 20(MC): (k1, m1, k18, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 22(MC): (k1, m1, k20, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 24(MC): (k1, m1, k22, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 26(MC): (k1, m1, k24, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 28(MC): (k1, m1, k26, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 30(MC): (k1, m1, k28, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 31-33(MC): knit

Row 34(MC): (k1, m1, k30, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 35-37(MC): knit

Row 38(MC): (k1, m1, k32, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 39-41(MC): knit

Row 42(MC): (k1, m1, k34, m1, k1) repeat 3 times. 

Row 43-49(MC): knit

Row 50: k16, k6. knit to end of round.

Row 51:  k1, m1, k13, k10, k13. m1, k1, (k1, m1, k36, m1, k1) repeat 2 times. 

Row 52: k13, k14. knit to end of round.

Row 53.: k11, k18. knit to end of round.

Row 54: k9, k22. knit to end of round.

Row 55: k7, k26. knit to end of round.

Row 56: k5, k30. knit to end of round.

Row 57: k3, k34. knit to end of round.

Row 58: k1, k38. knit to end of round.

Row 59(CC1): knit

Row 60(CC1): k40, bind off to end
Row 61-63(CC1): knit
Row 64 (CC1): k1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1
Row 65-66 (CC1): knit
Repeat Row 64 -66 until you have 20stitches left on your needle
Row 67(CC1):  k1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1
Row 68(CC1):  knit
Repeat Row 67-68 until you have 12 stitches
For the remaining rows (CC1):  k1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1
Repeat until you have 4 stitches left and bind off.

To finish off: Stuff Body and stitched up the base.

Beak:

Pick up 34 stitches as indicated in Diagram 1, using CC2.  Divide stitches between 4 dpns.  Start round from the bottom mid-point of beak.

Row 1(CC2): knit

Row 2(CC2): (k1, k2tog, k11, SSK, k1) repeat once

Row 3(CC2): knit

Row 4(CC2): k1, k2tog, k24, SSK, k1

Row 5(CC2): knit

Row 6(CC2): (k1, k2tog, k8, SSK, k1) repeat once

Row 7(CC2): knit

Row 8(CC2): k1, k2tog, k18, SSK, k1

Row (CC2)9: knit

Row 10(CC2): k1, kfb, kfb, k5, SSK, k2, k2tog, k5, kfb, kfb, k1

Row 11(CC2): knit

Row 12(CC2): k9, SSK, k2, k2tog, k9

Row 13(CC2): knit

Row 14(CC2): k3, k2tog, k3, SSK, k2, k2tog, k3, SSK, k3.  Insert stuffing before hole gets too small.

Row 15(CC2): k2, k2tog, k2, SSK, k2, k2tog, k2, SSK, k2

Row 16(CC2): k1, k2tog, k1, SSK, k2, k2tog, k1, SSK, k1

Row 17(CC2): k2tog, SSK, k2, k2tog, SSK

Use tweezers to stuff beak firmly and bind off using kitchener stitch.

 

Feathers:

Pick up 6 stitches (in circle) to create the first feather on top of head

Row 1 (CC3): knit in the round. 

Row 2 (CC3): k4, kfb, k1. 

Row 3 (CC3): knit

Row 4 (CC3): k5, kfb, k1. 

Row 5 (CC3): knit

Row 6 (CC3): k6, kfb, k1.  

Row 7 (CC3): knit

Row 8 (CC3): k1, kfb, k5, kfb, k1. 

Row 9 (CC3): knit

Row 10 (CC3): k1, kfb, k7, kfb, k1. 

Row 11 (CC3): knit

Row 12 (CC3): k1, kfb, k9, kfb, k1. 

Row 13 (CC3): knit

Row 14 (CC3): k5, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k1. 

Row 15 (CC3): knit

Row 16 (CC3): k4, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k1. 

Row 17 (CC3): knit.  Start inserting stuffing before hole gets too small.

Row 18 (CC3): k3, k2tog, k3, k2tog, k1. 

Row 19 (CC3): knit

Row 20 (CC3): k2, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1. 

Row 21 (CC3): k1, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1.  Bind off using kitchener stitch. 

Pick up 10 stitches (in circle) to create the middle feather on top of head

Row 1 (CC3): knit in the round. 

Row 2 (CC3): k8, kfb, k1. 

Row 3 (CC3): knit

Row 4 (CC3): k9, kfb, k1. 

Row 5 (CC3): knit

Row 6 (CC3): k10, kfb, k1.  

Row 7 (CC3): knit

Row 8 (CC3): k1, kfb, k9, kfb, k1. 

Row 9 (CC3): knit

Row 10 (CC3): k1, kfb, k11, kfb, k1. 

Row 11 (CC3): knit

Row 12 (CC3): k6, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k1.

Row 13 (CC3): knit

Row 14 (CC3): k5, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k1. 

Row 15 (CC3): knit.  Start inserting stuffing before hole gets too small.

Row 16 (CC3): k4, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k1. 

Row 17 (CC3): knit

Row 18 (CC3): knit

Row 19 (CC3): k3, k2tog, k3, k2tog, k1. 

Row 20 (CC3): Knit

Row 21 (CC3): knit

Row 22 (CC3): knit

Row 23 (CC3): k2, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1.

Row 24 (CC3): Knit

Row 25(CC3): Knit

Row 26 (CC3): k1, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1. 

Row 27 (CC3): knit.  Bind off using kitchener stitch. 

Pick up 6 stitches (in circle) and repeat as the first feather to create the last feather on top of head.

Finishing:

Worked the eyes in duplicate stitches and sew in eyebrow as shown in Diagram 1.

Chart Rules for Diagram 1:

1. All stitches are knitted.

2. X indicates the pick up stitches.

3. Read from bottom row to top.

Diagram 1:

 Hope you'll enjoy kniting this little fellow as much as I did.

And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE post pictures to my Ravelry account if you make these little guys!! 

Killerbees