Thursday, 23 April 2009

Solmupullat / Finnish cinnamon buns

Solmupullat

Taikina:
1 litra maitoa
100 g hiivaa
4 dl sokeria
2 tl suolaa
4 munaa
300 g voita
n. 30-33 dl vehnäjauhoja

Täyte:
200 g voita
12 rkl sokeria
12 tl kanelia

Voiteluun:
2 kananmunaa

Koristeluun:

raesokeria

Jos käytät tuorehiivaa, liuota se kädenlämpöiseen maitoon. Jos taas käytät kuivahiivaa, sekoita kuivahiiva osaan jauhoista. Kuumenna maito reilusti kädenlämpöiseksi. Kuivahiivan paras toimintalämpötila on + 42 astetta.

Sekoita maitoon muna, sokeri, suola, osa jauhoista ja pehmeä rasva. Lisää loput jauhot ja alusta taikina tasaiseksi ja kimmoisaksi. Huolellisella alustamisella saadaan hiivataikinaan hyvä sitko. Kohota taikina leivinliinan alla kaksinkertaiseksi vähintään 40 minuuttia.

Vaivaa kohonnut taikina leivinpöydällä hyvin, jotta saat ilmakuplat pois. Näin leivonnaisista tulee kauniin tasahuokoisia. Jaa taikina kolmeen osaan ja kauli jokaisesta neliskulmainen levy. Levitä pehmeää voita koko alueelle, ripottele sokeri-kaneliseos levylle. Taita levy kolmeen osaan ja leikkaa noin 3 cm suikaleita. Kieritä suikaleet kierteille (kieritä suikaleen päitä eri suuntiin) ja muodosta solmu.

Anna kohota noin 20-30 minuuttia. Voitele kananmunalla ja koristele raesokerilla.

Paista pullia 225-asteisessa uunissa noin 10-12 minuuttia. Käännä pelti paistamisen puolessa välissä.

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Finnish cinnamon buns

Dough:

1 litre of milk
100 grams of yeast
4 decilitres of sugar
2 teaspoonfuls of salt
4 eggs
300 grams of butter
n. 30-33 decilitres of wheat flour

Filling:
200 grams of butter
12 tablespoonfuls of sugar
12 teaspoonfuls of cinnamon

On top:
egg
sugar

If you are using fresh yeast, mix it into lukewarm (+37C) milk. If, on the other hand, you are using dry yeast, mix it with part of the flour. Heat the milk to approximately +42C as the dry yeast requires a higher temperature than fresh yeast.

Mix sugar, salt, part of the flour, egg, and melted lukewarm butter. Add rest of the flour and mix the dough so that it is even and springy. Let the dough rise double its size under kitchen towel at least for 40 minutes.

Mix the risen dough well so that there are no more air bubbles. Flatten the dough (in three parts) into a rectangle. Spread molten butter on the whole area, sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mix on top. Fold the dough into three layers and cut 3 cm stripes. Twist the stripes into swirls (twist the ends of the stripes into different directions) and make a knot.

Let the buns rise under a towel for 20-30 minutes. Put some mixed egg on top and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake the buns in 225C oven for 10-12 minutes. Turn the oven dish in the middle of baking.

Thursday, 12 February 2009

Cable gloves / Palmikkolapaset / Fonott kesztyű



Yarn: Cheval Blanc Laponie (55% acryl, 45% wool) 75 g, sticks 5

Tuesday, 20 January 2009

Cowl Neck Pullover / Isokauluksinen Villapaita / Garbó



Yarn: Cheval Blanc Laponie (55% acryl, 45% wool) 950 g, sticks 7

Saturday, 3 January 2009

Bamboo lace socks / Bambuiset pitsisukat / Bambusz csipkés zokni



Adult size 37 (40 stitches)
Yarn: Wendy Pure (100% bamboo) 100 g, needles 4

Knitted hat / Pipo / Sapka



Yarn: Ornaghi Club (50% merino wool, 50% acryl) 60 g, sticks 5

Knitted flower hat / Kukkapipo / Virágos sapka



Yarn: Ornaghi Club (50% merino wool, 50% acryl) 80 g, sticks 5
Flower pattern(in Finnish but good pictures)adapted from here

Monday, 29 December 2008

Bamboo sweater / Bambupaita / Bambusz pulóver



For a tall, thin man.
Yarn: Wendy Pure (100% bamboo) 700 g, needles 5.5

Felted slippers / Huovutetut tossut / Nemez tutyi





Size 39
Yarn: Novita Huopanen (100% felted wool) 150 g, sticks 8
48 stitches on 4 sticks, purge 1st round, knit 12 rounds in circle
24 stitches for heel, 20 rows
34 rounds for foot, reduce gradually
Foot length when ready: 40 cm
Colour wash in washing machine (shrinks 40%), stretch to fit foot

Saturday, 6 December 2008

Finnish "Northern Lights" pullover / Revontulineule / Finn "Északi Fények" pulóver



This is one of my proudest knits from the mid-1990s

Knitted bamboo socks / Kudotut bambusukat / Kötött bambuszzokni




The warmest and softest socks ever!!

Adult size 39 (40 stitches)
Yarn: Wendy Pure (100% bamboo) 120 g, needles 4

Laced cable socks / Pitsisukat palmikoilla / Fonott csipkés zokni



I mixed the lace of the lace socks below (in smaller version) with cables: I quite like it :)

Yarn: Wendy Emu Superwash (100% wool) 100g, needles 3.5

Sunday, 16 November 2008

Princess socks / Prinsessasukat / Királyleány zoknija



I had a vision of a pair of socks in which one would feel royally pretty - I guess I managed :)

Yarn: Wendy Emu Superwash (100% wool) 130g, needles 3.5

Cable socks / Palmikkosukat / Fonott zokni



Yarn: Wendy Emu Superwash (100% wool) 100g, needles 3.5

Friday, 14 November 2008

Lace socks / Pitsisukat / Csipkés zokni







One of my favourite patterns to knit - instructions here.

For the pink adult ones, I used Wendy Emu Superwash (100% wool) 140g, needles 3.5
For the child ones (bottom 16cm), about 70-80g is enough

Thursday, 13 November 2008

Flow

According to Csikszentmihalyi, flow is the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.

This is what knitting is for me. Complete absorbtion to the sticks and yarn. I use knitting to de-stress and to create something conrete and beautiful in the evenings whilst doing abstract academic work during the day :)