Gerwerken

I don't want to be rich....

2009-04-01T10:19:00.001-04:00

for sale
Originally uploaded by netan

... or famous. I don't want to have a big house or a fancy car, or enough debt to drown in.

I want to feel secure in the knowledge that I can pay my modest bills, put food on the table, and set a little bit of money aside for saving. I want to be known in my little circle of friends as a fine person, and leave a legacy of doing good. I want a reliable, inexpensive car that is not so ugly that my kid's are embarrassed by it, and I want to leave my kids something that does not include debt.

Most of all, at the moment, I want a little house, that we can easily pay for, and call our own.

My husband and I are going to look at a house today, with an eye for possibly buying it. It is old, small, neglected, and cheap. I am hoping that we find it suitable to our needs, and structurally sound. I am hoping that I like it, and would like to live in it, and that soon we will again have a place of our own.

We shall see.

Good Bye Blogger.

2009-01-26T15:44:00.002-05:00

Dear friends in Blog land,

After much frustration with Blogger, I have decided to move on. As of today I will be leaving this blog behind, never to post again. My posts and I have found greener pastures on wordpress, and I hope you will follow me there.

I can now be found at http://gerwerken.wordpress.com

This new blog contains all of the posts that can be found here on blogger, as well as some new and (I believe) improved features that I think you will like.

I hope to see you there soon!

~Gerwerken

The Spoils of Christmas

2009-01-20T06:54:00.000-05:00

I realize that this post is a bit late, Christmas now being about 3 weeks past. My excuse is that I had some misgivings about posting about those gifts I was given in the first place. Given the current economy I didn't not want to flout the fact that my family has not been terribly affected.

I was especially fortunate in the present department this year, especially since my expectations were low. I asked for little this Christmas, and got more than I cound hope for. It was wonderful. I decided to share my good fortune at the risk of upsetting others.

These beautiful handmade sock blockers, one sized for my husband, one for myself were from the Gadaboutknitter. Her husband cut and sanded these himself out of some beautiful ceader. I can't wait to use them, but until then they can protect my statsh.

These wonderful crafty books were from my parents, my sister in law, and myself. You will no doubt be seeing projects from them in the comming year.A good friend of my husband and I sent me this book from his new home town, Austin, Texas. This book stemed out of the Rhizome Collective, a sustainable living group local to Austin. Many of the ideas in the book go way beyond what I had even considered possible in the city. I fully intend to implement many of the in the comming year.I finially got my very own i-pod. I have never had an mp3 player before (For that matter, I don't remember ever having a portable CD player, althoughI did have a tape player in college to recored lectures). My husband hd been letting me use his old i-pod shuffle - the small kind without a view screen. It served me well, except that I like to listen to books, and it was difficult to find the right place in the story if it got out of order. My husband responded with this cool new i-pod nano in pink (my favorite color), inscribed with a personalized message.

This final present was from my sister. He has been dubbed Sunny, and he is my new best friend. My floors have never been so clean. He even cleans under the couch. If you live where there is dirt, you need one of these.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas too!

We're Back

2009-01-19T18:25:00.004-05:00

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I hope everyone reading this enjoyed social equality today.

Well the kids and I are back after spending the better part of the last week visiting my parents as my Dad's Christmas present. When asked what my Dad wants as a present he always responds, "time." This year we decided to take him at his word, and used the money we would have spent on a present traveling there and back.

I have to admit that I was very tempted to give him thyme the herb as a bit of a joke, but I didn't think it would go over too well.

During the week there I got much needed rest allowing my mother to see to the needs of the children. Since we don't get to see my parents as often as they would like, my mother often fusses about not taking care of the kids often enough. I wanted to make sure that she got her fill while we were there, and I think we succeeded in leaving her in a state of happy exhaustion.

As a consequence of letting my mom watch the kids, I had a lot of time to work on my neglected Holly Jacket, and the knitting is nearly complete. Hopefully you will see it soon!

Expanding the Garden

2009-01-11T10:49:00.000-05:00

If you read my last post, you will know that one of my New Year's resolutions was to expand my garden, what you didn't know was that it had already begun.

Last year I planted a small garden bed that continues to provide my family with bell peppers.

This year I plan on planting a much wider variety of vegetables, and enough tomatoes that a

few can make it to our dinner table before my kid's devour them. The first step was creating a raised garden bed that our dogs won't be able to run right through and trample our vegetables.

Here is what we did. Keep in mind that we learned a few lessons along the way, and I point out what those lessons taught us below.

We created a 4' by 8' box, about 1' tall. Mr. Incredible used 1" by 4" untreated pine (cull lumber). He attached them with common sinker nails using overlap corners.

Next time we will use nails with a spiral or ring shank or wood screws because the sinker nails pulled out of the corners far too easily.

We then situated this box in a prepared bed (the soil had been turned to break up the heavy clay that lies just below the surface, and the soil had been leveled as much as possible).

We increased the height of the bed by installing 2" by 2" corner supports, and nailing the next level of pine boards to the supports. He also installed 2" by 4" supports in the middle of the 8' spans to keep the wood from flexing or bowing under the pressure of the dirt. In hindsight we probably should have made the entire structure before trying to stick it in the dirt. Preassambly would have kept the joints from shifting and requireing clean up/trimming after assembly. We may also use all 2" by 4" supports in the future.

He then trimmed off all the pieces of the supports that were above the top of the box using a sawsall.

He also ground off the ends of protruding screws to keeps hand from comming in contact with them while digging, as they could casue injury.

Then I layed landscape cloth in the bottom of the box, putting dirt in the corners to keep the cloth from blowing away. The landscape cloth should help keep weeds at bay, slow water runnoff and erosion, and is deep enough that it shouldn't interfer with veggie growth.

After filling the rest of the box with dirt I layered on some compost (that was not quite as ready as I would have liked), then more dirt.

Now I need to finish filling the box with more dirt, compost, and organic fertilizer. Then all that is left is actually growing the plants.

~Gerwerken

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-11T09:49:00.000-05:00

I know a lot of people dislike New Year's resolutions, because it seems as if they are rarely ever kept. I, however, think that New Years resolutions are a great way to start something new, or to renew one's resolve to stay on the path they have been following.

For me, the difference between a resolution that falls by the wayside, and one that is actually accomplished, is a plan of action. It is great to say that you want to do "x," but saying it does nothing to accomplish the goal. You have to know how you are going to get there as well.

All of that being said, here are my New Year's Resolutions for 2009 (broken up by category);

Crafting:

1) Reduce my total project involvement, and spend more time on knitting. How? By saying "no," to myself.

2) Become a reasonably adept spinner, by spinning the fiber currently in my possession, and keeping copious notes during the process.

3) Finish all currently unfinished knitting projects, by not allowing myself to start a new knitting project for myself before the unfinished projects are done. I will work on those with the least left to do first.

4) Craft small gifts throughout the year, to avoid the Christmastime crafting mayhem.

Green Living:

1) Learn more about homemade herbal medicines/remedies. How? I have been searching for good sources on this subject online for a while without much luck. I will begin to search the local libraries and book stores for a good reference.

2) Increase my household's sustainability by expanding the garden, and harvesting rain water for garden use.

3) Produce less waste as a family, by reusing a much as possible, making more from scratch, and making sure that all recyclable products are recycled.

Personal Life:

1) Better my health by walking to stores within 2 miles of my house at least 2/3 of the time.

2) Find a routine that will keep the house clean, and allow me more time for my own pursuits. This will probably involve a lot of outdoor playtime.

Does my list seem reasonable? What about yours? Do you have a plan of attack?

Extreme Knitting

2009-01-06T15:11:00.001-05:00

Is it strange that I want to do this too?

1,000 Strand Extreme Knitting

1st Craft of the New Year - Ribbon Garland

2009-01-06T07:06:00.000-05:00

When my husband and I first got married we had very few Christmas decorations, despite my inclination to decorate the house to the nines. We also had little money to put into comercial decoriations, or hand made ones for that matter. Our first Christmas our decorations consisted of a 1 foot tall tree, covered in small glass bulbs, and large bows I made from bargin basement ribbon. I was appalled at the prices of the ribbon at the time, and decided I wouldn't waste any.

Fast forward several years, and nearly every scrap of Christmas ribbon that has passed under my nose has been saved in some way. The same ribbon has been used in my family for years now, getting a bit shorter every year, as at least 8 inches of every piece has been added to my Christmas ribbon garland.

This year the garland grew to about 20 feet of recycled ribbon, each link 8 inches in circumfrence.

How can you make your own Christmas ribbon garland?

1. Ask your friends and family to give you the Christmas ribbon they would otherwise throw away.

2. Cut the ribbon into 8 inch pieces.

3. Sew the first "link" in the chain by matching the short ends of the ribbon (right sides together) and machine or hand sewing securely.

4. The second and all subsequent links in the chain is made by inserting the 8 inch length of ribbon through the prevous link in the chain, wrapping the ribbon around the link so that the short ends of the ribbons match (right sides together), and machine or hand sew securely.

5. Repeat step 4 until all ribbon lengths are incorrperated into the chain.

The chain lengths can be turned right side out as you work, or after all the links have been made.

The chain can be added to year after year, making a christmas timeline of sorts, showing change over time. My chain is already showing differences over time, as well as tremendous growth. I can only imagine what it will look like in a few more years time.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T14:41:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year Every one! As of today my family is officially back to business as usual. We shipped Mr. Incredible back to work this morning with no prospect of vacation in the near future. While it is good to get back to our normal routine, I think we all enjoyed Mr. Incredible being around during the day. He brings a playfullness to the atmosphere at home I sometimes forget to encourage. I get too wrapped up with getting things done, and he encourages me to let things go and just have fun.

At the moment my sink is overflowing with unwashed dishes, my bed is slowing sinking under the weight of unfolded laundry, the house looks as if it has been ransacked, and there is almost no food in the cupboards. Last weeks idea of a through spring cleaning seems somewhat daunting at the moment, but the house is slowly transforming back into it's nearly clean state. On the upside, with the exception of washing clothing, I throughly let go during the last week!

Perhaps I should resolve to figure out how to both get things done, and let go and have fun this year.

FO - Grandma's Knit Slippers

2008-12-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

My Grandmother lost her husband this last year. I know that I can't give her anything to make up for that loss, but I wanted to give her something that would comfort her in her greiving. I hope she feels that these slippers are like a little hug from me every time she puts them on.

They were made from the Plain of Flowerly Slippery Pattern, which is available as a download from Ravelry as well. I made them in Lion Brand, Jiffy Solid, an Acrylic yarn, that I knew my grandmother wouldn't have any problem careing for, and was already familiar with (unlike the newer superwash wools, which she is sure to treat like regular wool).

Even though the flowers will make them slightly harder to care for, I thought they were important to add. They are my version of my Grandmother's favorite flower, a yellow rose.

~Merry Christmas

Gift Idea #6 - Embroidered Brooch

2008-12-15T07:17:00.000-05:00

Another one bites the dust. Yet one more Christmas present in my queue has been completed. My latest project was this little embroidered brooch, approximately 2" in diameter. It depicts the Ebola virus, and will hopefully soon adorn the lapel of a young doctor. I thought it would be a laugh for her colleagues, and a great conversation starter with everyone else.

Gift Idea 5: Heated Eye Mask

2008-12-12T13:11:00.004-05:00

Christmas keeps comming closer, as inevivible as the passage as, well, time. With it comes more Christmas presents. I made this eye mask out of recycled materials for my grandmother who has eye problems. If you have all of the materials on hand, and hour can see several made.

Materials for One Eye Mask:

1. Burda Style Pattern Marcel #7997. This is a free download, and the entire pattern should fit on a standard piece of paper.

2. Two pieces of soft fabric approx. 9" by 5". I got enough fabric for 3 masks from the front of a cotton dress shirt (the rest of the shirt had already been repourposed as napkins.
3. Flat batting in the same amounts as the fabric above (optional). I used cotton batting let over from a quilt, but fleece, or rescused batting would work well too.

4. 50" to 60" of ribbon, .75" to 1" wide, cut in half. Deside on the total amount of ribbon you want to use based on head size. I used the ribbon from a kids store's elaborate gift wrapping. One package yielded more than enough ribbon.

5. Rice. I used about 0.125 pounds of inexpensive long grain rice. You can probably find enough in your pantry.

Instructions:

If you know how to sew, this will probably be a no brainer, but Burda Style has no instructions on this pattern (as of this writting), so....

1. After printing and cutting out the Marel pattern, pin the pattern piece to your fabric (with the grain of the fabric), mark the side openings noted on the pattern on your fabric, and cut the fabric in pattern. Do this so that you get two pieces of fabric in pattern shape, then do the same with the batting.

2. Make the following fabric/batting sandwich; (Beginning on the bottom) batting, fabric (right side up), fabric (right side down), batting. Then stitch around the edges of the mask with a 5/8" seam allowance, leaving the spaces that were marked "ribbon" on the pattern open.

3. Turn your "sandwich" inside out. The fabric should now be on the outside, the batting on the inside.

4. Insert one of the ribbons about 1" into the ribbon slot, fold the fabric around the ribbon slot inward to that it looks as if it had been sewn with the rest of the eye mask. Sitich the ribbon in place very close to the edge of the mask. DO NOT SEW THE OTHER RIBBON IN PLACE AT THIS TIME.

5. The ribbon slot on the other end of the mask is still open. Use this opening to pout in your rice. Make a funnell with a spare bit of paper, stick the small end in the ribbon slot, and pour the rice in the large end. Pour in enough rice so that half of the eye mask is full.

6. With the rice at the opposite end of the mask, attach the 2nd ribbon as shown for the first in step 4.

~Happy Holidays

Edit: If you would like to heat the eye mask, place it in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Test it's temperature on the sensitive part of your arm before placeing it on your eyes. It should be warm, NOT hot.

Crafts in the Attic

2008-12-08T21:44:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Mr. Incredible was rummaging around in the attic looking for an elusive box of Christmas decorations. He found the decorations, as well as two boxes of craft supplies (one rather large) that I had forgotten existed. I plan to have pics of the loot to follow.

I-Pod Nano Case

2008-12-05T14:47:00.003-05:00

My latest project is finished. It is an i-pod nano case for my cousin. The tutorial was from Made by Petchy. All of the measurements she gives are in cm, so if you, like me, live where yo can't find a metric cutting mat to save your life, let me know. I have already figured out all of the English measure equivilents and can share them with you.

Closed.

Open, with an "i-pod" inside. I don't have an i-pod, so I made a paper one to the correct dimensions to make sure the case would work.

Open and Empty.

Back to the Daily Grind

2008-12-01T13:41:00.005-05:00

We have been back for a few days now, but I always find it difficult to get back into the swing of things after leaving town. It is especially hard when we cut ourselves off from all major modes of communication during the vacation. Thanksgiving found us in the mountains of North Carolina. There was ice on the ground, a chill in the air, a fire in the grate, and a cup of hot cocoa in my hand. There we have no TV, no Internet, little cell phone phone connection, and only one radio station. It is blissfully disconnected from modern life.

I decided not to bring any of my Christmas gifts/projects with me, as this was supposed to be relaxing vacation time. I intended to relax, at least as much as is possible with two toddlers in tow, and I spent much of my time there curled up next to the warm fireplace with a good book.

My kids spent as much time as they could outside exploring the mountainside. They were hoping to find snow, but instead found large and small icy pools all over the mountainside (the only ice we see in Florida comes out of the freezer). The smallest were ice filled ruts in the road which they used as an ice skating rink. The largest was a lake that they threw rocks at for at least an hour to see which would bounce off the ice and which would crack the surface.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

In this period of economic downturn it is easy to forget what we have to be thankful for, but, if you are able to read this post, you very likely have a lot to be thankful for. You probably have all of your basic needs, such as food, shelter, clothing, and safety, taken care of. There are still many people around the world who do not have these luxeries (but are still thankful for life, family, love, etc.). So, as we sit down to our dinners tonight, whether lavish or meager, know that you have something to be thankful for.

I am thankful that my family is spending the holiday in one of my favorite places. We will be back on Sunday, and I will tell you all about it.

Mini Stocking Advent Calender

2008-11-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

The website Burda Style has recently published a free and easy stocking advent calender pattern. They even have a step by step tutorial that makes this project easy as pie for even beginners.

The stockings are small enough to use up scraps of fabric and ribbon, and they sew up quick enough that they could still be made before December. Even if you couldn't make them all in one go, you could make them one per day in December taking only a few minutes per day. Pictures of a few of mine are below.

Not interested in the stockings? You should still check out Burda Style. They have beginner to advanced sewing patterns that are mostly free, and great sewing info, and several quick holiday projects (even a few for ambitious hand sewing).I made all of my stockings thus far out of home dec weight fabric leftovers from other projects (mine, and the leftovers I have collected from other crafters), and scraps of ribbon. I really love the eclectic look.

Gift Idea 3: A Gift Your Toddler Can Make

2008-11-25T07:39:00.000-05:00

Recently my friend K (a former elementary school art teacher) e-mailed to tell me about Crayola's Model Magic - a kind of modeling clay that doesn't stick to anything and dries to a flexible firmness after being left out of it's bag for about 24 hours. Since we both tend to stick to basic art supplies, like crayons and glue, I took the suggestion of such a high tech medium as high praise. She suggested that Violet - my 3 year old - would be able to work with it, and unlike traditional clay the finished product wouldn't easily crack in toddler hands.

We bought some on our next trip out, and Violet set out to make a present for her Granny. While I suggested what to make and how to make it, she did nearly all of the work herself.

Granny likes butterflies, so she is using cookie cutters to cut out butterfly shapes.
I poked a hole through the tops so they can be strung on ribbon and hung as ornaments.
After the medium is dry it can be painted.
I think they turned out beautifully.

Paved with Good Intentions

2008-11-21T18:53:00.002-05:00

I had big plans for this week's blog posts. A whole bunch of quick Christmas projects were buzzing along, nearing completion, and posting, and then.....
And then my very old sewing machine began to sound as if it was working VERY hard. Far harder than it actually was working. I thought that it was high time to do some long over due routine maintenance, before a real problem occurs. It was taken apart, cleaned, and oiled with little incident (the bobbin did give me a few problems - but I was sure that was nothing). I sat down to test out the machine , run the oil through the gears, and get oil on scrap fabric, rather than on anything I wanted to keep.

Within a few stitches it was clear there was a problem. The bobbin tension was far too tight. Despite the fact that I knew the tension was already set low enough for the muslin I was sewing, I adjusted it down, as if I was sewing the most delicate of fabrics. I ran the fabric through the machine, or rather I tried to run it through the machine again, because a few stitches it, the machine simply stopped working. I would not turn over, not even by hand. Even worse, the tiny screw that holds in the bobbin case (the part that I was pretty sure was the culprit), was almost completely obscured. I spent the better part of the next two days simultaneously trying to figure out how to reach the screw with a jeweler's screw driver and stay sane. In the end a stiff piece a wire was able to reach he screw and turn it. I was able to pop the bobbin casing out, and there was a small piece of thread behind it. Fixed, right? Wrong!

The bobbin tension was too high in the next test as well. The only thing that hadn't changed, that had not been fixed, was the bobbin itself. I changed it, and it sewed beautifully. I can't tell you exactly what happened to it, but somehow it had actually increased in width.

Regardless of what happened, I am back in business. I have already gotten a few more projects finished, and hope you enjoy the days to come.

Gift Idea 2: Recycled Candles Tutorial

2008-11-17T08:19:00.000-05:00

My kids love candles. They take an especial fancy to expensive pillars and delicate tapers, taking chunks out of them with their sharp little finger nails (so they smell nice), or brandishing them as swords while they wage epic battles with one another. However, their favorite thing to do with candles is carry them by their wicks, breaking them off in the process. Needless to say, candles in my house rarely live out their natural lives, turning slowly into stumpy little bits of over used wax. Our candles are broken, nicked, shapeless, wickless, masses of wax that have never been used. I hate to throw it out. The result; recycled candles.

How to Make Recycled Candles:

Supplies:

1. Broken Candles (feel free to mix colors, but be warned, mixing complementary colors like red and green will make muddy brown)
2. Wick (salvaged, homemade, or store bought)
3. Pretty Heat Safe Jar that the finished product will reside in
4. Something stiff that is longer than the jar's opening - like a pencil
5. A small heavy object to attach to the wick -like a washer (may not be needed if using a store bought wick)
6. A disposable, microwave and heat safe container to melt the wax in - like a paper cup or something from the recycling bin
7. A Microwave
8. A knife and cutting surface

Steps:
Using your cutting board and knife, cut your wax so that it go from resembling small rocks, like this.........to small pebbles, like this.
Place your small pieces of wax in your microwave safe container, and microwave on high until the wax obtains a liquid texture. Make to to check that the wax has not escaped it's container every 30 seconds to one minute.

While you are waiting for your wax to melt, prepare your jar to receive it. First attach your heavy object to your wick. As you can see, I simply tied a square knot around a washer. This is to make sure your wick stays in place while the wax is poured in the container.

Next, place the wick in the jar with the heavy object in the bottom of the jar, and the other end wrapped around something stiff covering the opening of the jar (I used a wrench because it was on hand). Be sure to center the wick over the middle of the jar, unless you would like an avant guard and likely shorted lived candle.
When the wax reaches liquid state, pout it into the jar.....
.....and let it cool.Once it is cooled, snip the wick to 1/4th of an inch.An your beautiful candle is ready to go.

Enjoy!

Preparing for winter: Chopping Wood

2008-11-16T14:44:00.002-05:00

During the past summer's hurricane season our neighbor lost a few trees; a water oak, a live oak, and a black oak. All of them make good fire wood, and all of them have been laying in the neighbor's pasture for months. A few weeks ago Mr. Incredible helped them cut the tree into pieces, in return for hauling some of the wood home. Today Mr. Incredible and my father-in-law used a rented wood splitter to break the logs into usable firewood.

Here is the family observing Grand-dad at work.

Mr. Incredible stepped in to help with the big logs. Manual labor looks good on my man.
Then my little man helped out with the big guys.
They grow up so fast.
Almost all of the dogs helped process the wood.

Here is my boy. See the intensity and determination.A little less determination.
This is my husband's boy. He is a very efficient wood processor.
My SIL's girl. The kid's dog was the only one that wasn't helping with the wood processing. He was too scared to go near the wood splitter.

This is what the stall in the barn that is used for wood storage looked like about half way through wood chopping.
We are not worried about any of the wood walking away. We have a "guard" dog.

Gift Idea 1: Melt-and-Pour Soap tutorial

2008-11-12T13:37:00.006-05:00

I have a huge family, and as a result I am constantly trying to find or make nice gifts for lots of people at low cost. This year my mother's sisters will be receiving melt-and-pour lavender soap.

Unlike soap made from scratch, melt-and-pour soap is quick, easy, fairly safe, and can be made in small batches. The following is a quick tutorial on making melt-and-pour soap.

Tutorial
1. Buy melt and pour soap base. It can be found at Michaels, Joann's, and most other craft stores. I got mine from Brambleberry.com which has great prices for large amounts. I am using an opaque goat's milk soap.
2. Find a heat safe mold. You can buy these at craft stores, but there is no need. I used paper cups left over from a party (this was their 2nd use, and they have at least 1 more use in them if not more).
3. If you would like to add anything to the soap, like herbs, put them in the bottom of your mold. I used dried lavender grossa, a non-flowering version of lavender that grows well in my Florida garden. Other herbs or flower petals also look nice, but some discolor in heat, so you may want to test whatever you use before you make a large batch.
4. Melt your soap base in the microwave (on high checking the soap every 30 seconds) or a double broiler (being careful not to get any water in the soap). Add a few drops of the essential oil of your choice after taking the soap off the heat. I melted about 14 ounces of soap base, and added 8 drops of lavender essential oil for a mild lavender scent.

As soon as your EO is mixed in, pour the soap base into your prepared molds. The herbs will rise and mix on their own, but you can mix it yourself while the soap base is still very hot.
5. When the outside of the mold is cool to the touch you can squeeze the sides gently and pop the soap out. The soaps seen below are about 2 ounces each, and about half the size of the bars of soap you get at the grocery store.

Alternative method: You can also weigh the amount of soap you want in each bar, place that amount in your mold, then microwave the mold to melt the soap.

How much? I already had all of the materials I needed on hand, so I didn't spend anything. However, joann.com has 2 pounds of olive oil soap base for only $9.99. That is enough to make 16 2 ounce bars. If you gave 2 bars per person, that would be only $1.25 per gift. Not too bad!

Note: Melt-and-Pour soap does not have to cure like soap made from scratch, but it will sweat for a few days after it's made (due to it's high glycerin content), especially in high humidity. So, it is a good idea to wait a few days before wrapping it in plain paper - although wax paper does a good job.

Enjoy!

Holiday Gift Budgeting Spreadsheet

2008-11-07T13:47:00.000-05:00

I have made a spreadsheet to help us all stay on budget while making and buying holiday gifts this season. The formulas that let you know how much you have spent and how much is left in your budget have already been inserted. All you need to do is type in your total budget, and info about the gifts you are giving. Feel free to save a copy for your personal use, and let other people know about it by linking back to this page.

Holiday Gift Budgeting Spreadsheet

November is the Time for Holiday Gift Making

2008-11-05T14:59:00.004-05:00

Now that the election is over, and we have a new president elect, it is time to focus on the holiday season. If you are anything like me, then the country's current economic situation has not gone un-noticed, and the thought of paying for holiday gift giving gives you pause. I have well over 20 people on my gift giving list, and if I spent only $10 on each person (a ridiculously low amount if I were buying off the shelf), my gift giving budget would still be a couple hundred dollars.

I don't want to go into debt this holiday season, but I still want to give everyone on my list gifts they will really love. What to do? I turn to crafting.

I know what you are thinking. Crafting gifts often leads to gifts that cost far more than they would have had you simply bought them (and many people don't appreciate the hard work you put into the gifts you make). However, I assure you, that beautiful gifts can be hand crafted for little money, if you take the time to plan ahead.

During the month of November I will be crafting gifts for my friends and family, and sharing my ideas, process, and finished objects with you, in the hope that I will inspire you to craft your own gifts.

First you need to know the people you will be giving to. Some people will not appreciate hand made gifts, no matter how perfect. There is no point in trying to make gifts for these people - save your time for someone who will appreciate it. You will then need to carefully consider the type of gift the rest of the people on your list would like (ex. make a hat for a person that likes hats, not a person that doesn't).

Halloween Costumes

2008-11-04T21:48:00.002-05:00

My daughter wanted to dress up as a mighty knight for Halloween since she saw the Backyardigans' Tale of the Mighty Knights. In fact she wanted the entire family to dress as characters from the video. So, Mr. Incredible and I made the kids mighty knight costumes.

"A Mighty Knight"

Then she got sick. She felt too bad to go trick-or-treating, and instead lay miserably on the couch wishing that she was knocking on doors and demanding candy from strangers. Even though she had only just turned two last Halloween, she remembered trick-or-treating vividly, and had been wanting to go for months."King Pablo"

The next day she was feeling better, so Mr. Incredible and I went to the store and bought some candy, gave it to my in-laws, and dressed the kids up for a mini trick-or-treating outing.

"A Mighty Knight with Eggbert the Dragon"

Did you do your civic duty today?

2008-11-04T21:41:00.001-05:00

Today was election day in the US. Did you vote?

SAFF - the Fiber (Photo Heavy)

2008-10-31T09:07:00.004-04:00

On the show floor we saw variations in fiber type, and color galore, but it was in the room full of unwashed, un-carded, and un-dyed fleece in which I was able to see the beauty in the variation between species, breeds, and even sheep. This variation knitters, and eve spinners are rarely able to see, but which I think can give the greatest appreciation for the materials of our craft.

Below are pictures of a few of the fleece we saw.

Welcome to SAFF

2008-10-30T22:11:00.003-04:00

The event floor.

Last Thursday Gadabout Knitter, myself, and our husbands set off in pursuit of fiber, and were awarded with SAFF. This was my first fiber festival, and while the event was a bit smaller than I expected, I was not dissapointed. There was fiber galore, of various types, and price points, and quantities, as well as in every state from unwashed, to hand dyed pencil roving, to finished yarn. Even in this relatively small venue the sheer amount and variety of fiber was a bit overwhelming.

I quickly became glad that I came armed with a plan of attack and a set amount of spending money (I gave my husband the plastic, just in case). I had planned to find small amounts of a variety of fibers. I did not want blends (although I did buy a few), because I want to spin each fiber by itself to see how it feels and behaves, and take notes on my preferences - like a wine journal. I purchased a very wide variety of fiber types (details and pictures to follow), and was able to stay well within my budget ... to my surprise.

Since we have been back life has been in chaos getting the kids back on schedule, unpacking, and finding space for all of my loot. In addition, Halloween is tomorrow night, and costumes must be made.

More of SAFF, my "new" office space, and Halloween to come.

Leaving for SAFF

2008-10-22T21:39:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow Gadabout Knitter, myself, and our husbands leave for SAFF. I am very excited, but already feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of fiber I will be exposed to. It should be fun.

Unfortunately the Holly Jacket is STILL not finished, but I still have a 8 hour car trip to North Carolina during which I can work on it. If Dramamine does it's job, I may have two finished sleeves when I get there.

Wish us luck in fiber foraging.

Holly's Front is Finished

2008-10-20T20:48:00.003-04:00

I don't know how it is possible, but it happened. About an hour ago I bound off the front panels of the Holly Jacket. I still have sleeves and the finishing to go, but it seems possible that I could actually finish this sweater in time for SAFF. Thank God for half sleeves!

In other news....
One of my best friends came to visit us this past weekend, just in time for Violet's party. He had to leave today, but it was wonderful having him visit. He seems to be able to come home, sit down, and magically integrate as if no time had passed at all. His birthday was a few days before the party, and even with the craziness of the party planning, I was able to make him a special little something for his birthday (probably because I started several weeks in advance of his visit).

He is a doctor currently in his residency in Maine. Hand knits seem the obvious gift, but after a conversation in which he told me that "everyone" in Maine was knitting, I decided to make him something a bit less ordinary. The following was the result;I did an embroidery of a human heart, mounted it, and framed it. The original mat was white, which did nothing to highlight the needlework. So I painted the mat blue, to bring to mind blue blood, in contrast to the red blood implied in the work.

Off for now to cast on the sleeves.

Turning 3

2008-10-18T19:51:00.004-04:00

The first event of my holiday season, my daughter's birthday, is officially over, and I couldn't be more happy. Yesterday we had a Super Secret Super Spy birthday party. The theme was taken directly from the Backyardigans special, "Super Spy." My daughter wanted to dress as the Lady in Pink, the bad guy in the story (I hope that doesn't imply any more than a love for pink). Jack-Jack was dressed as Agent Secret, Mr. Incredible as Henchman Tyrone, and I as Ms. T, head of the spy agency, per Violet's request.

Everyone was asked to dress in full spy garb for the party. This request was taken very seriously by some.

Those who didn't come prepared were outfitted with spy costumes at the party.

Then all of the "secret agents" went on super secret missions to find four secret containers, which contained a super secret recipe for........chocolate milk. It was great fun, and even the adults got involved; however, they didn't dance when the mission required it.

Now that the party is over I can focus on finishing my Holly Jacket. I still think I have a chance at finishing it before SAFF, if I neglect the housework and let the kids watch far more TV than normal. I finally got enough time after the party today to finish the arm hole decreases, and the front panels seem as if they are on the home stretch, which always motivates me to finish. Only about 5 more inches.

Obviously the party planning has been keeping me away from both my knitting and my blog, but it is not the only thing I have been doing. With luck I will get the opportunity to give you a glimpse of those other things that have been in the works.

2008-10-11T11:20:00.002-04:00

The weekend is finally here, and I have found some time to knit. My husband has had to work late nearly every night for the last two weeks leaving me at home for long periods with two toddlers. While I have very good kids, and I love them very much, they can be trying at times, especially when they don't understand why Papa is not home yet. I also rely heavily on my husband to give me time for myself during the week, and his not being home reduces the amount of time I can spend pursuing my own interests (such as knitting and blogging). My wonderful mother-in-law understands this, and took the kids to the park this morning, leaving to luxuriate in yarn, and uninterrupted time. This morning has seemed like quite the luxury!

My Holly Jackets is slowly creeping toward completion. The back, and half of the front is now complete. As the sleeves are about half length rather than full length, I still have hopes that the jacket will be finished in time for me to wear it to SAFF. I would like to have a few more hand knits to wear to SAFF, but despite the insane amount of knitting I do, I have found that I actually spend very little time knitting for myself. I knit mostly for others, and gift nearly all of my projects. I don't feel that this is necessarily bad, knitters in general seem to knit for others very often in very unselfish ways. However, my situation reminds me of the plumber who fixes leaks for a living, yet has leaky pipes in his/her own home. I shouldn't knit for others at the expense of myself. Like the loved ones I take care of by wrapping in hand knits, I need to take care of my self as well. I think that caring for others at the expense of oneself is a trap that many care givers fall into, and we have to be reminded at times to spend time on ourselves.

In the spirit of doing for myself I cast on the bag pictured above. The basic pattern is The French Market Bag from Knitty. I made the same bag for my sister in a more subdued color scheme, and have wanted one for myself ever since. The color work shown in this bag is my own doing, and has been designed on the fly, by pulling scraps out of my bag and guessing by the amount available the design I can make. I am really loving this project, and am finding it calling my name when I should be finishing the Holly Jacket.

Travel Knitting

2008-10-04T13:56:00.002-04:00

I actually accomplished a lot of knitting while traveling to and from Austin; however, I didn't even take the Holly Jacket despite the fact that I am trying to finish it before SAFF. When I left for Austin I was working on the two front panels of the jacket, each with their own balls of yarn. I would have had to take the jacket, both balls of yarn that were being worked, and at least one extra ball in case I finished either of the first two. It being a short trip we were packing carry on bags only, leaving only the room in my purse/knitting bag for all of my knitting supplies. The Holly jacket was just too big to take on the trip.

Instead I decided to start the Tuscany shawl from No Sheep for You, by Amy Singer. I already had the beautiful Handmaiden Sea Silk called for in the pattern, purchased and waiting for me cast on. As I would just be starting the shawl, and one skein for the Sea Silk would be more than enough for the trip, I decided it would make much better travel knitting, and cast on. Granted I really didn't need much convincing.

The sea silk is a joy to work with. Like the cotton I am making the Holly Jacket from, it has very little elasticity. Unlike the cotton, the sea silk slides gracefully from one needle to the next forming elegant and well defined stitches. As an added bonus, the unblocked lace pattern formed in the sea silk, actually looks like the finished lace pattern, making it very easy to catch mistakes early on. Despite it's high price (about $40 US per skein), Sea Silk will be high on my list of yarn choices for future lace patterns.

Wedding

2008-10-03T14:04:00.002-04:00

It has been exactly two weeks since my husband and I left for Austin, Texas. One of our good friends was getting married, and we wanted to be there to support him at the beginning of this new stage of life.

The wedding was beautiful in it's simplicity (the entire celebration probably cost less than $1000 - a minuscule amount compared to the $20,000 spent on the average wedding). They held the ceremony in their back yard, with only a small number of friends and family. They had legally gotten married a few weeks earlier, and dispensed with many of the formalities of a formal wedding, like a wedding party, ordained minister (opting instead for their youth minister), and lavish flower arrangements. Instead they focused on celebrating their union with friends and family.

When I found out that they hadn't hired a photographer I stepped in to make sure that their special day was captured for posterity. I know that they don't put the same emphasis on the wedding as many couples, but I also know that wedding memories are special, inspirational glimpses into the past. My own wedding pictures put a smile on my face on even the darkest of days. I tried my best to get truly beautiful shots that captured the spirit of the day. I feel that a few of my shots were able to do that.

Despite the fact that this wedding was incredibly small and inexpensive, it is one that I think I will always remember. It was a truly joyous event.

Knitting was accomplished during the trip as well, but that will have to what for the next entry.

Week in Review

2008-09-13T06:39:00.003-04:00

This week really seemed to fly by leaving my blogging good intentions in the dust. Perhaps next week.

Earlier this week we bought a new couch. It is a very inexpensive (dare I say cheap) pull out from World Market that fits our current. After having friends over last weekend, and watching them suffer on the extremely uncomfortable couches we had, my husband decided that it was time for a new couch. The couch came in a couch sized box that has since become my kid's play house (big enough for both of them). Knowing that it would likely be in my house for a while, I decided to pretty it up a bit, and here is the result.
In knitting news, my obsession with knit food seems to be slowing a bit, however, I am still planning to make this culinary delight for a friend's baby. I was also able to finally finish the husk on my corn, which is ridiculously cute.I also have both of the fronts of my Holly Jacket Hemmed, the Vanessa skirt is almost finished (to zipper, or button, that is the question), and new living room pillows are in the works.

Craft night this week was also a success, with my husband actually crafting. Ok, it involved sodder rather than fiber, but we all have our preferred mediums.

Have a good weekend,
~Gerwerken

The Width of Ribbing

2008-09-08T22:24:00.002-04:00

A quick and easy way to add curve hugging shape to a boxy sweater is to add ribbing. The question is, how much ribbing? Equal ribbing (ex. 1x1, 2x2, 3x3, etc.) is about half as wide as StSt in the same stitch count.

For example, if 20 sts in StSt is 4 inches wide, the same 20 sts would be 2 inches wide in equal ribbing.
x inches in StSt = x/2 inches in equal rib

Sleepytime Bear Nightgown GIVEAWAY !

2008-09-07T13:12:00.000-04:00

Sleepytime Bear Nightgown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Violet has been getting into very girly nightgowns lately. She would love this one. I am so glad Grosgrain's oldest daughter is about the same size as Violet. If I win I get a darling outfit for her, and if I loose, I still get great inspiration.

Holly Jacket

2008-09-06T15:27:00.003-04:00

I finally finished the back of the Holly Jacket from Interweave Knits' Spring 2008 issue. I had to modify it a bit, because I have a VERY long torso, but my waist is the same distance from my hips as a "normally" proportioned person. I ended up adding a few inches (yes, I said inches) to the length between the arm shaping and the shoulder, making it 9.5" long - the same length as a 50.5" jacket, even though I am knitting the 37.5" jacket. Based on my measurements I should actually make it longer, but I am counting on the cotton to stretch under it's own weight.

The was a few instructions in the pattern that I found rather vague. When you begin the neck shaping for the back, you cast of a middle section of sts, and then are instructed to work on both sides at once. The pattern then states, "At each neck edge, BO 2 sts once, then 1 st once - 10 sts rem each side. Shape Shoulders: BO 5 sts at each shoulder 2 times - no sts rem."

Which side of the shoulder are you supposed to BO? Your guess is as good as mine. After carefully reading the instructions for the front portions of the sweater, this is what I came up with;

on the set of sts 1st presenting (the set that has the original ball attached)
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: BO 2, P to end
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: BO 1, P to end
Shape Shoulder
Row 5: BO 5, K to end
Row 6: Purl
Row 7: BO 5 (no sts remain)

on 2nd set of sts
Row 1: BO 2, k to end
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: BO 1, k to end
Row 4: BO 5, P to end
Row 5: Knit
Row 6: BO 5 (no sts remain)

Okay. Off to Cast on the fronts.

I Got A Wheel!!!!!

2008-09-05T14:33:00.003-04:00

(My son thinks anything with wheels is his)

Yesterday I finally took the plunge and bought a spinning wheel. It is a Schacht Ladybug, Schacht's version of a beginner wheel.

I began thinking about getting a wheel shortly after I got my spindle. I liked the product I was making with the spindle, but I was, and am, extremely slow. It seemed as if it would take a life time to spin enough yarn to make a sweater. A spinning wheel seemed perfect. I could spin much faster, and as an ex-avid cyclist I already like to peddle.

(a little ladybug is hidden somewhere on every wheel)

For over a year I have been researching wheels and saving to buy one. After obsessively comparing features and reading reviews I picked the Ladybug. This is why;

It was available locally, and at a good price. Whenever possible I try to buy locally, as it stimulates the local economy, usually supports small business, and cuts down on shipping (both in cost and fossil fuel). When I found out one of our local shops, Really Knit Stuff, had cut the price on wheels (because she would no longer be stocking them) the Ladybug moved to the top of an already short list.
The Ladybug seemed to be of good craftsmanship and quality. Schacht is known for making high quality wheels, especially the Matchless, which many seem to believe is, well, matchless. The Ladybug uses a very similar design, and even some of the same materials and components.
The Ladybug's accessories are relatively inexpensive and can be used on the Matchless if I later chose to upgrade.
Experienced spinners seem to like the Ladybug more than most other beginner wheels, which led me to believe that I would not outgrow it right away.
Cost was a concern, and I found a great deal on the Ladybug. I feel like I got the best wheel for the price.
The Ladybug's wheel is a composite bike wheel. When I found this out (yesterday), I knew the Ladybug and I were meant to be.

So far my learning curve on the Ladybug has been extremely steep. I went from spinning what could only be called a big fat mess when I first brought it home, to spinning what I think could reasonably be called yarn, in just under an hour. I won't lie. It required quite a bit of pre-drafting. After struggling for about 30 minutes I realized that I wasn't ready to run the wheel and draft at the same time. So I pulled some long thin strips of roving, sat back, and watched the magic happen.

(The initial Product)

(about one hour later - only the green is mine)

I think I am really going to enjoy this.

knitting Math - Estimating Yardage Used

2008-09-03T20:06:00.004-04:00

Annie Modesitt is one of my favorite pattern designers because she usually gives an estimate of the yardage used when she uses only a small portion of a skein. Most patterns indicate that you need an entire skein even if you only need a few yards. In designs like Fair Isle where multiple colors are used, buying an entire ball of each color can get expensive. If you know the yardage of each color used, you can figure out if your partial skein has enough yardage left, or dye the yardage needed from only a few skeins.

Even if you are not using one of Annie's patterns it can still be useful to estimate the yardage you have used, and the yardage you have left. You may want to add up the yardage in several partial skeins, see if you have enough yarn left to make the same project again, or detail the yardage used in your own design project. You can even find out if you have enough yarn left for an additional pattern repeat.

The Process:
1) Weigh your full ball/skein on a scale accurate to at least 1/10th of a gram (A good kitchen scale should do), and take note of the humidity.
---> The weight of yarn will change based on the amount of water in the air. If there is a big moisture change during shipping, or even in your home, there can be a measurable weight change.

2) Check the yardage of your full ball/skein by checking the ball band or another reliable source, such as the manufacturer's website. We must assume that this measurement is correct, but it may not be. Most wool mills measure yarn by weight only, and again, if the humidity has changed the weight will change, and therefore the yardage as well. For example, in high humidity yarn will be heavier because it contains more water. So when the mill measures out a 100 gram skein of sock yarn, the skein might contain 430 yards. On the other hand, if the skein is measured in low humidity, where the same amount of yarn weighs less, a 100 gram skein might contain 440 yards. The yardage on the ball band is a good estimate of how many yards the skein actually contains.

3) Calculate the weight per yard (the amount each yard of yarn weighs) by dividing the weight of the skein by the stated yardage.

weight
------- = weight per yard
yards

For example: If a skein of Cascade Heritage weighs 100 grams, and is 437 yards long, the weight per yard would be 100 grams divided by 437 yards, or .229 grams per yard.

4) Use as much yarn as you need.

5) Calculate the yardage of the left over yarn. Weigh the partial skein. Then divide the weight of the partial skein by the weight per yard. In our example, if I had 50 grams left in my partial skein, I would divide 50 grams by .229 grams indicating that I had 218.341 yards left.

grams in partial skein
---------------------- = yards in partial skein
(grams per yard)

6) Calculate the yardage of the yarn used. Subtract the weight of the partial skein from the weight of the full skein, to find the weight of the yarn used.
weight of full skein - weight of partial skein = weight of the yarn used
Then divide the weight of the yarn used by the weight per yard.

Note 1: This is an estimate. Its accuracy relies on factors outside our control, and therefore cannot be considered an accurate measure of yardage. I recommend rounding up measures of yardage used to avoid problems of too little yarn.

Note 2: Meters can be substituted for yards.

Universal Wish List

2008-08-29T23:16:00.002-04:00

Did you know that your Amazon.com wish list is now a universal wish list? Thats right, you can add anything you find on the web. How? Just log into your amazon account, view your wish list, and there should be a notice near the top of the screen telling you how to make the magic happen.

30 Minute Gown

2008-08-29T16:46:00.002-04:00

Violet will be three soon, but she is already the height of the average four year old, and has the waist circumference of the average 2 year old. She is quickly out growing her clothing in length even though most of fits her just fine. The other morning, while I watched her walk around the house in too short pj's, I decided to make her a new night gown. So at 7:00 that night - 1 hour till bed time - I started making the gown that she would wear to bed that night.

Here is the finished result;
I had seen a similar gown made for adults out of vintage pillow cases; however, I had no vintage pillow cases, and while tall, Violet is much smaller than an adult. I do have a fabric stash though, which includes the cute paisley shown from Robert Kaufman's Barn Dandy's collection.

The gown was very simple in construction, basically a tube with semi-circle cut outs for the arm openings. Here is how I made it.

1) First I cut a rectangle that was about 125% of her chest circumference by her shoulder to knee length.
2) Next I used a french seam to attach the two shorter ends. This could be done using a regular seam. I used a French seam to give the garment a more finished look, without the use of a serger.
How to do a French seam:
a) Sew the seam with WRONG sides facing.
b) Trim the seam allowance.
Pre -trimPost Trim

c) Turn inside out so that the right sides are facing, and press the seam.
d) Sew the seam with the right sides facing.
This is what a finished French seam looks like.
3) Hem the bottom edge.
4)Cut the arm holes. I lay the garment out with the seam denoting the center back. I marked the garment at four inches from the top and four inches from the side on both the right and left sides of the top of the gown. Then I cut a half u shape connecting the marks through BOTH layers of fabric.
5) Finish arm hole edge by turning over twice and stitching in place like a hem.
6) Hem the unfinished top edges by turning them over a small amount, pressing, then turning them over about 1 inch and stitching them in place leaving the side edges open.7) Cut a very long length of ribbon, and run it through the open side of the top front of the garment (as seen above), then through the corresponding side of the back top. Tie the ends in a bow on one side.

Ta-da!

Increasing Evenly Across a Row

2008-08-26T22:29:00.002-04:00

I promised more knitting math formulas, so here goes;

Increasing Evenly Across a Row

If you have any trouble with this formula, or find a situation in which this formula does not work, please let me know so that I can improve it.

Thanks
~Gerwerken

Husband Interview

2008-08-22T21:47:00.003-04:00

I saw this little interview on Gadabout knitter's blog, and I had to interview my own husband. So here goes...

Me: What is your favorite thing about my knitting?
Him: It’s a hobby that you really enjoy that also produces really practical things.

Me: What is your least favorite thing about my knitting?
Him: Sometimes you tend to get “tunnel vision” regarding your projects.
Me: What do you mean by “tunnel vision”?
Him: A hyper focused state where every spare moment is spent seeing that to completion.

Me: What is something I have knitted that you recall as being good?
Him: All of the sweaters you have done have been beautiful. I really get a lot of use out of my socks, and I tried to eat the sushi. I coughed it back up, it was too dry.

Me: Do you think knitters have an expensive hobby?
Him: Compared to cyclists, no.

Me: Do you have any hobbies?
Him: (Evil smile) Oh, yes.

Me: What are your hobbies?
Him: Cycling, rock climbing, automotive repair, civil disobedience.

Me: If we compared money spent on hobbies, who would win?
Him: Are you seriously asking me that?
Me: Yes.
Him: I think this is the first time I have won something that I had completely and totally no desire to win.

Me: Has my knitting in public ever embarrassed you?
Him: Of all the things you could do in public that is probably the least likely thing you could do to embarrass me.

Me: Do you know my favorite kind of yarn?
Him: Malabridgo. Is it?
Me: That is one of my favorites.
Him: Ah…... wait, ohh. The kind you are going to make with the bag of wool in the garage.

Me: Can you name another blog?
Him: (cracks knuckles), Gadabout Knitter, um, that chic that runs wooly bully has one, there is a thread on Ravelry about willy warmers, Debbie Stoller (hopeful look), the Australian guy that gets looked at funny on the railway (Sticks and String).

Me: Do you mind that I want to check out yarn stores everywhere we go?
Him: Nope.

Me: Do you understand the importance of a swatch?
Him: (thinking) I think I do; you use it to figure out if the gauge needles you use work for the yarn. Essentially you use it to size up and yarn and needles for the project.

Me: Do you read my blog?
Him: Uh huh (Nods head)

Me: Have you ever left a comment?
Him: (nose scrunch) I think I have.
Me: I don’t think you have.
Him: If I didn’t I’ve meant to.

Me: Do you think the house would be cleaner if I didn't knit?
Him: I think the house has been cleaner since you have been knitting.

Me: Is there anything you would like to add in closing?
Him: A closing statement? I think any hobby is beneficial in that it provides relief from our life’s work. The point at which a hobby becomes an obsession is when it needs reevaluation. I am qualifying obsession as something that would cause you to loose site of your responsibilities and duties.
Me: Are you trying to tell me something?
Him: You specifically, no. This is for everyone.

Decreasing Evenly Across a Row

2008-08-22T13:53:00.002-04:00

I have created a formula to help you figure out exactly what you are supposed to knit, when a pattern asks you to decrease evenly across a row. Check it out (in PDF format to retain formula construction). I hope it helps you the next time you come across ambiguous pattern instructions.

I will likely put a few more of these up in the near future, as I realized how little mathematical knitting instruction there is out there while researching for this topic.

NOLA Part 4: Louisiana Children's Museum

2008-08-20T09:09:00.000-04:00

The Louisiana Children's Museum is a play to learn museum. In other words, there are none of the typical museum exhibits. Instead there are toys targeted at the elementary and under crowd. Through play the kids are introduced to scientific concepts.

Here is my Dad and Jack-Jack on a couch that is both very funny, and a lesson in perspective.
Violet plays with giant bubbles, mixing such concepts as air pressure, viscosity, and tension.
This human size bubble allowed you to see and hear the world from inside a bubble.
In short the museum was fun for children and adults.

Wrap Up:
New Orleans is a beautiful city of contradictions. I loved visiting my sister there, and want to go back again and again; however, (as cliché as it may sound) I wouldn't want to live there. I prefer the small, academic city.

This is part four of a four part series.

The Knitting - Free Patterns

2008-08-19T21:58:00.004-04:00

It has, yet again, been a while since I have posted on the knitting, but fear not! Knitting has been accomplished.

This ice cream cone was made on the trip to NOLA (no small feat since I get really bad motion sickness). It is from the scooped pattern by I like lemons.My daughter was also a big fan of the corn I made.

Ravioli - Free Pattern #1
I love this quick, little sewing pattern.
Directions: Cut off-white felt into 3"x3" squares. With two pieces of felt together, sew around three sides (leaving 1" seam allowance), stuff the square with a small amount of filling, then finish sewing the last side. Using pinking shears cut a small amount off the edges of the piece. Voila! Quick , easy, adorable.

Spicy Tuna - Free Pattern #2
This one is mixed media, but mostly knitting. Some hand sewing is involved.Using worsted weight yarn in US6 needles.
CO 10 in yellow.
Knit in StSt for two inches.
Switch to white, and knit in seed stitch until the seed stitch portion is long enough to loosely wrap around the yellow part two times - about 5 inches.
BO.
In red CO 3 sts in work in i-cord till the cord is 1 inch taller than width of previous piece. BO.
In red CO 3 sts in work in i-cord till the cord is 2 inch taller than width of previous piece. BO.
Tie in all ends.

Place red pieces on yellow part of roll. With red pieces flush with one side of the roll, and beginning with the yellow end, tightly roll the sushi until the white part has wrapped around twice (adjust rolling tension if necessary). Fasten end of roll to the rest of the roll.

Cut dark green felt the height of the roll, and long enough to wrap around the roll once. Using invisible thread, fasten the ends of the felt together.

Run a few pieces of invisible thread the entire width of the roll, being careful to catch the red middle pieces. With invisible thread fasten anywhere else that needs to be secured.

Hop you like it!

NOLA Part 3: City Park

2008-08-19T14:44:00.002-04:00

New Orleans' City Park is a huge, fully equipped, public park in the heart of city. The park is bordered on two sides by tributaries from lake Pontchartrain, and dangerously close to what looks like a ridiculously simple earthen dam (I was told the earthen dam was actually a levee - no wonder they broke).

After Katrina, City Park and the surrounding area was under several feet of water. All considered I thought the park was in remarkable shape, although parts are still under construction. The towering live oaks were especially beautiful.

Here are a few pics of time spent on the playground. With yards small and often shared, it must be a draw for kids miles around - it was for mine. My kids were determined to play on the equipment, even though it was intolerably hot (coming from a Floridian - thats hot).

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-08-18T21:34:00.000-04:00

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

I am really hoping I win this one. Violet would look adorable in it.

NOLA Part 2: My Sister's New Digs

2008-08-13T12:50:00.002-04:00

My sister just moved into an adorable little place in uptown. It is one of three apartments carved from a house originally built in the 1840's. While the original builders probably wouldn't recognize the building in its current state (with the addition of kitchens and bathrooms for instance), some of the pieces in the house look as if they could be original to the structure.

I fell so completely in love with this little place that I decided to make a pictorial tour of it (with my sister's permission of course), so that everyone else could see it too. While I did my best to capture the charm inherent in this place, the pictures still don't do it justice. I hope that some of it's polished, and rustic beauty still shines through.

The Living Room
The house opens to a cozy living room, with the first of two fireplaces in the space. Sometime during the last century the fireplace were converted to gas, but I can still picture a roaring log fire burning in it. The small room is separated from the kitchen by ancient looking pocket doors just out of the frame of this picture.
This is a close up of that beautiful fireplace grate. At first I thought that it might be an original part of the house, but on closer inspection the grate didn't appear to be metal. Based on the sound it made when tapped, I thought it might even be plastic.
On a personal note, the pillows in the chair were my creation. I was glad to see my sister using them.My favorite feature in her new house were these highly decorative ceiling lamp base. There was one in the living room, and another in the kitchen. There was no way to tell what these were made of as the ceilings were 15 feet tall, but plaster or plastic, they are gorgeous.
The Kitchen
The kitchen was larger than I expected, with room off to one side for a small table. The kitchen was certainly added long after the house was built , but still looked older, and in keeping with the rest of the house.I took a picture of the mint growing on my sister's window sill because I thought it looked both picturesque and quaint. I was also proud of my sister's ability to keep it alive, as she has a notoriously black thumb.The Office/Hallway
My sister used this large walk through space as her office. The room has access to her bedroom and bathroom, the backyard, and the enormous loft pictured.
It also contains the second fireplace.....
....And this ancient looking knob and lock combo.
The Bedroom
I skipped over the bathroom, as it is really the only unfortunate space in the house. My sister's bedroom does not have the architectural elements that the rest of the space has, but I think when she is finished with it, it will perfectly match her personality - sophisticated, yet fun and funky.Part 3: City Park

The Incredibles

2008-08-12T17:18:00.004-04:00

The other day I realized that in three short months I will have been blogging for a full year (Well okay, it hasn’t been consistent for nearly that long, but that is when I started it). I also realized that while I have mentioned the goings on of myself and my family, I have said very little about us. I also want to give everyone in my family an official name, because I tick myself off with all of the DH, DS, and DD stuff. Soon it will make me Deranged. Ha, ha! I love bad jokes.

At first I thought about using everyone’s actual nicknames, but since my husband is known as his nick name in most settings, I thought it might not be wise. Then I realized that names relating to fictional characters would not give away any privileged information, while at the same time saying a lot about ones personality if the character was chosen correctly. So……

Meet the Incredible’s:
Mr. Incredible – My Husband
Elastigirl – Me
Violet – My Daughter
Jack Jack – My Son

The reason I chose these characters will become more clear in the next few posts.

NOLA Part 1: The City

2008-08-12T13:00:00.006-04:00

The kids and I just got back from visiting my sister in New Orleans. Even though she moved there a year ago, it was our first time visiting her there, as well as our first visit to the city.

My impression of New Orleans was that it is a city with incredibly obvious dichotomies. The over priced and opulent sits directly next to the ramshackle and dilapidated. I was shocked at the distinct differences, made only more noticeable by their close proximity.

When we first got there and began walking around the streets, I was surprised that many of the people on the streets did not say hello as we walked by. In fact, many people didn't seem to acknowledge our existence. I thought that perhaps there was still a bit of racial animosity left over from Katrina, as most of the people we passed on the street were black, and we are white. But that wasn't the case. As I met more people, I realized that there didn't seem to be any racial animosity. I met people of all races that were incredibly pleasant , friendly, and helpful, and an equal number of people that were cold and distant. However, I met few people that were in between.

The houses were equally dichotomous. A beautifully restored 200 year old mansion stood next to boarded by houses that could barely stand under their own weight. The houseing situation was even worse in the areas hit hardest be Katrina (I did not see the 9th ward, and cannot speak to its current condition). Some of the houses that had been flooded were fully restored and occupied, but I saw a few homes that still bore Katrina body counts.

The famous magazine street was also a surprise. I was familiar with many of the high end shops that called magazine home, through online shopping. I expected the exteriors of these shops to be as opulent as the inside. Instead, I found them distinctly shabby and run down.
I don't want to give the wrong impression, however. Overall, I found the city, beautiful, friendly, and most of all comfortable. I could see how such a city could survive a disaster like Katrina, why many people were reluctant to leave before the storm, and why the cities inhabitants are so proud of it - it feels like home. I felt welcome there, and even as a tourist I didn't feel out of place.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of things around the city.

Mardi Gras beads in trees.
"Graffiti" as art. Tree size bougainvillea.
Inside a cafe on Magazine.
Beautiful home detail in uptown.
Lawn Ornament.
One of the many iron fences around yards.
Crape Myrtle.
Surprisingly tropical foliage (we also saw banana trees in fruit).
Part 2: My sister's new digs

Summer Squash Pattern Errata

2008-08-11T09:50:00.001-04:00

The summer squash pattern had a mistake (it can happen to the best of us right?).

The pattern should read;
Rows 30, 32, 34-39, 41: sl 1, k1, sl 1, then knit all sts to end of row
Rows 31, 33, 40, 42: k1, sl 1, then knit all sts to end of row

I hope this clears things up!

Nantucket Weekend GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-08-11T09:22:00.000-04:00

Nantucket Weekend GIVEAWAY!!!!

If you haven't checked out these adorable clothes, you really should, even if you don't have kids.

Paperdoll Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-08-05T07:51:00.000-04:00

Another Giveaway from Grosgrain.

Paperdoll Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Goodbye July!

2008-08-04T15:29:00.000-04:00

Well the July no buying challenge is over. I have to admit that I wasn't completely faithful. I bought a hand made yarn bowl for The Gadabout Knitter's Birthday, and some beautiful Handmaiden Sea Silk when a local store had a sale. Overall I feel like the month was a success for me and my family. I didn't find it especially hard to wait to wait to buy items that were not necessary. Some of the sales were a bit difficult to resist, as I like to buy things that I know I will eventually use while it is on sale. I didn't realize that July is considered the end of the summer season in most stores (we still have a few months of summer here), and lots of stores were having end of season sales. I have been most surprised that many of the things I have made a mental note to buy at the end of the month, have not been bought yet. I haven't bought much more than laundry detergent since the beginning of August. I won't say that I have been able to completely break with consumerism, but its a start.

As a last addition to our challenge, here are a few things you can stop buying;

Paper Towels - use cloth rags instead
Herbs - All you need to grow them is a sunny window
Cleaning Products - make your own instead, there are recipes online (my favorite all purpose cleaner is water and soap in a spray bottle)
Fabric Softener - Vinegar in the wash does the same job, but most fabric doesn't require softener at all
Plastic Sandwich Bags - reuse glass or plastic containers instead
Shaving Cream - out of date sunscreen does a great job

Water

2008-08-03T20:52:00.004-04:00

Liquids, if left to their own devices, will flow toward the least resistance. This being the case, one might think that the moisture in the air at 90%+ humidity would flow into a person's body, leaving them perfectly hydrated. However, our bodies insist on sweating regardless of the humidity in a hopeless attempt to cool us off. This is exactly what my body was doing when these pictures were taken, about one hour before I was rushed to the doctor, hardly able to stand on my own.

(lounging in the sun)

(mama's new "tattoos")

I took my kids inside for lunch, and my heart began to pound violently. I was having trouble taking care of myself, much less my kids. I called my husband, asking him to come home as soon as work was over. Instead he came home immediately and rushed me to the doctor. My left arm started tingling and became numb on the way there. When we got there I was transfered to a wheelchair, and my husband informed the nurse that he thought I might be having a heart attack.

This was Friday, and the culmination of a week of strange and worrisome symptoms, as well as several weeks of exhaustion. What was the culprit? Water, or should I say a lack thereof (as well as a bit of anemia). I was dehydrated, very dehydrated. My Prescription? To stay inside, take it easy, and drink lots of fluids.

I am feeling much better now. I don't feel any more hydrated, but I do feel less likely to die unexpectedly. I am also much more conscious of the amount of water I am drinking, and the amount I am losing by simply sitting outside in the Florida sun.

It is amazing how our bodies seem to maintain such a delicate balance with almost no effort on our part. Rather, it is through our own effort that we seem to become unbalanced. In my case I was ignoring my body's thirst cues. A few endurance athletes have even managed to drink too much water. My kids have a video on potty training that tells them to listen to their bodies, so they know what their bodies need. I think that is advice I could learn from as well.

Fields of Gold Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-08-02T16:18:00.000-04:00

Blogger Grosgrain makes beautiful children's clothes, takes amazing pictures of her kids in them, and then gives them away.

Check out the latest give away.
Fields of Gold Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Since her daughter is almost the exact same size as my daughter, I will probably be linking to her often.

0 Calorie Ice Cream

2008-07-28T14:14:00.004-04:00

A surprising amount of knitting was accomplished this weekend, almost all of it done on knitted food. Here is a pic of my newest culinary delights.
The ice cream is Scooped by i like lemons.
The Peach is Georgia by Peachcake Knits.
Finally, the pretzel is my own design. I just made a 3 stitch i-cord long enough to fold into a pretzel, tacked down the intersecting points, and stitched some white blobs on it to look like salt.I think they are a hit.

Potato Stamps

2008-07-27T11:40:00.000-04:00

My daughter and I made these shirts for her a while ago. She really enjoys wearing them.Here is the super simple process we used to make them;

Cut a potato in half (I used small new potatoes yielding 2 stamps).
Using a sharp knife cut a simple design in the flat side of the potato. Remove the excess potato around the design.
Blot the potato on a dry rag.
Apply paint or ink to the potato that is appropriate for the surface you will be stamping on (we used fabric paint). Remove any excess by blotting.
Apply to your surface in whatever pattern you desire (my patterns were regular, but my daughter loves her very irregular stamp pattern).
Repeat. Use your potato stamp as much as possible in the next day or two, storing in the fridge between uses. The potato will go bad and need to be tossed in a few days.
Allow your surface to dry as your medium indicated before using.

Told you it was simple, and they look really cute!

It Tastes Like Pink

2008-07-26T14:37:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday my kids got to eat Cotton Candy for the very first time. I thought I would share some of the sugary goodness.
My son thought it tasted better with dirt.

When we asked my daughter what it tasted like, she replied, "Pink."

Free Pattern - Summer Squash

2008-07-25T14:00:00.001-04:00

In honor of the July No Buying Challenge, I thought I would offer my first free pattern. Summer Squash is a cute little plush squash, perfect for use as a child's toy or as a quirky member of a fake food arrangement. Enjoy.
Yarn: Worsted Weight, I used Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool hand dyed yellow.
Needles: US 6 double pointed needles, or size needed to obtain a fairly tight knitted fabric, so that the filling material does not show through.

CO 6 sts, evenly divided between 3 needles (2 sts per needle)
Join for working in the round, being careful not to twist stitches. PM at beginning of the round.

Row 1: k f/b around
Rows 2, 4, 6, 8-9, 11-15, 17-19, 21-22, 24-25, 27-29: Knit all sts
Row 3: (k1, k f/b) around - 18 sts
Row 5: (k2, k f/b) around - 24 sts
Row 7: (k3, k f/b) around - 30 sts
Row 10: (k4, k f/b) around - 36 sts
Row 16: (k4, k2tog) around - 30 sts
Row 20: (k3, k2tog) around - 24 sts
Row 23: (k2, k2tog) around - 18 sts
Stuff Main Compartment
Row 26: (k1, k2tog) around - 12 sts
Rows 30, 32, 34-39, 41: sl 1, k1, sl 1, k to end
Rows 31, 33, 40, 42: k1, sl 1, to end
Row 43: k all sts
Stuff top portion
Row 44: (k2, k2tog) around
Row 45: k around
Row 46: (k1, k2tog) around

Break Yarn, thread through loose sts and secure
Weave in ends

If you want a stem, i-cord about one inch in brown yarn, then securely attach base of stem to top of squash, and weave in ends.

Errata

Lemon Yellow Yarn

2008-07-25T12:00:00.003-04:00

It has been a while since I have posted anything knitting related, but you need not worry. I have been knitting, and doing other yarn related activities. I have actually been doing a lot of dyeing lately.

I was trying to get a lemon yellow clor for this skein. How do you think I did?
What about now?This cute little lemon was made following the lemonlime pattern from PeachCake Knits. I used worsted weight yarn, and US 6 needles.

It's not about the money

2008-07-18T14:50:00.003-04:00

My parents have started reading my blog, and the last time I visited them, my Dad commented on the July No Buying Challenge. He stated that he and my mother have always been careful careful with their money, and it's true. They have always had little to no debt, and did their best to live within their means. With consumer debt ballooning, and home foreclosures at a 20+ year high, reducing spending is of huge importance, but, it is not what the no buying challenge is about.

The July No Buying Challenge is about reducing consumption, not spending. Reduced spending is often a happy consequence of reduced consumption, but it is not always the case. Buying something that will last the test of time often costs more than disposable items (at least in the short term). For instance, outfitting your house with cleaning cloths will likely initially cost more than a roll of paper towels. However, the cloths can be used again and again, potentially giving you years of use. The paper towels on the other hand are used, then tossed, requiring you to consume and spend more in the long run (then there is also the issues of shipment and chemical production representing further environmental impact).

-Cloths do require washing which uses water, and likely electricity, and detergent. Using environmentally appropriate washing techniques can reduce this impact, as can composting paper towels.

How do you know if a product will last for the long term? The old adage "you get what you pay for" comes to mind. Bargain basement prices are generally not synonymous with high quality; however, you don't have to break the bank to get a quality good either. Companies that have enough faith in their goods to give life long product guarantees are probably producing quality products. Goods that are meant to be repaired rather than replaced are likely better quality than their disposable counter parts. Finally, quality goods do not need commercial advertisement. You will likely hear about them through word of mouth.

My favorite clothing company is Patagonia. They offer a lifelong guarantee against manufacturing and material defects, and will repair clothing damaged through the users actions. They have also been working to reduce their environmental impact, create organic clothing, give a percent of their profits to environmental causes, and support their employees in environmental efforts. What keeps me from having a closet full of nothing but Patagonia clothing? Reality. While their prices are reasonable, full price if often more than I can afford. Rather than buying cheaper clothing that won't last as long, I wait for their sales. They notify me by e-mail when their sales occur, and I buy the quality I want, at prices I can afford. The rest of the year I just don't buy clothes, unless I find something equally suitable and need the item.

The moral of the story:

The July No Buying Challenge is about reducing consumption, not spending.
Buying quality items that will last will likely cost more than the disposable alternative.
Reducing consumption (by not buying, buying used, or buying quality) will likely save money in the long run.

One last thought; all products must be properly cared for to last.

Craft Table $2

2008-07-18T11:56:00.005-04:00

Both of my kids are now coloring, and doing "crafts" (gluing or cutting paper). Their crafts supples were everywhere, until I decided to give them a place of their own to create their masterpieces. The end result was their craft table.

A while ago my SiL was painting and decorating children's tables and chairs, and selling them a local stores. One of her tables was imperfect and wasn't put up for sale. Instead it put up residence in my in-law's barn, and later their dining room. When my kids needed a table, I asked my MiL if she would be willing to part with the tiny table holding clutter (as all extra furniture does) in her dining room. She was happy to put the table to better use. Unfortunately the table's time in the barn allowed it to mold. The table had to be sanded down (removing my SiL's decorations), and repainted. I painted the bottom of the table to match our other white painted furniture, and the table top in black chalkboard paint (allows chalk doodles and hides crayon marks).

What about the chairs you ask? My MiL found the chairs that my DH and SiL used when they were children. Fortunately they were in great shape. She also sewed cute little seat cushions for the chairs, and had enough fabric left over for me to make matching bags to hang on the chairs.

DH also drilled holes in corresponding table legs large enough to insert a sturdy dowl that holds a paper roll.

Before:
Original Design:
After:
The Cost Breakdown:
Table $0
Chairs $0
Paint $0 (Already in Stash)
Dowl $2

Total Cost $2

Avoiding Impulse Shopping

2008-07-16T14:44:00.003-04:00

As part of the July No Buying Challenge, I thought I would give a few tips on avoiding unnecessary or impulse buying.

Avoid stores, both physical structures and online stores. Try setting a number of times to go shopping per week, and go no more often. I try not to go shopping more than once per week.
Make an inclusive list and stick to it. Keep a list throughout the week, and put everything on it that you will need for the next week. Don't buy anything that you did not include on your list.
Have a meal plan. Don't just write down the meals you plan to make during the week, write down the ingredients as well. Try to plan meals with corresponding ingredients (ex. if you have to buy an entire head of cabbage make sure you plan meals that will use an entire head of cabbage.
Trip chain. Trip chaining is making multiple stops on a single trip out of the house, rather than making several trips to the store and back home. Getting everything done on one trip saves time, gas, and discourages the additional shopping that occurs on multiple trips.
Shop local. Local shops may not have prices quite a low as big box stores, but you might still spend less at them. Why? Local shops usually can't afford marketers that know exactly where and how to place products to make you want to buy them. They also have fewer products, so you are less likely to find a product that you have never heard of but can't live without. Shopping local also helps the local economy, which can help you in the long run.

any other suggestions?

Wrap Pants

2008-07-15T20:45:00.002-04:00

Three pairs of pants, zero dollars.

I found this wonderful tutorial on making these super simple wrap pants. So far I have made two pairs, and assisted my sister in making a third. The adult sized pants used about 2 yards of fabric each. I used the left over fabric from my own pants to make my daughter's pants. I origionally made my pants MUCH too large, so much too large that I used the fabric I trimmed off my pants to make my daughter's. I wonder what that says about my self perception, or maybe my diet? I think next time I will have someone else measure me.

The pants were all made from some linen fabric that has been sitting in my stash for at least two years, so I didn't go out and buy any of the materials to make them - hence, zero dollars. However, these pants could easily be made for less than $10.

Here are a few pics of the finished products.The front of my pants. These do expose some thigh when I sit down. The back of my pants. The ties are hidden by my shirt.My sister's sparkley linen pants.The pants unwrapped. They are huge. They remind me of the after picture for a diet plan.My daughter's pants. I used elastic in her waste band rather than relying on ties alone to hold up her pants. She has one tie that is purely decorative. I think she likes them!

Mushroom Land

2008-07-14T14:01:00.002-04:00

When we came home from my parent's house, DD was pleased to find "Mushroom Land" in our backyard. Here are a few pics of the most beautiful ones. I think we must have had a spore attack. They are EVERY WHERE.

I'm back!

2008-07-14T09:19:00.002-04:00

Actually I have been back since last Monday, but I have been marathon knitting and haven't had time to blog. The kids and I visited my parents during the July 4th weekend while DH was in NY for a wedding. Since DH flew out of the city my parents live in, it only made sense to combine the trips.

The kids loved their time with my parents. They did a LOT of swimming in their pool, saving worms from hot asphalt (we have very little asphalt here), and even got to see dinosaur bones, and the effects of static electricity on hair at the local museum of science and history. They especially liked the area set aside for kids 5 and under, which had little to do with science or history, but had lots of stuff to climb on and water to splash.DD climbing a fake tree.DS playing in the water.

Since then I have been knitting like crazy trying to get my sister's birthday present finished before her next birthday. I knit so much in one week that the yarn from her bag actually dyed a line in my index finger where I wrap my yarn for tension.
However, my fingers and wrists held out, and I was able to finish her bag this weekend, which was lucky, since she was able to visit this weekend. She received her finished bag only one week after her birthday, and it looked great!

Pattern: French Market Bag
Yarn: Cascade 220 in 8892

Pre Felting Post Felting

My sister also brought us some yummy lush products, including face masks that you can't mail order. My DD loved them.
Last but no least, DS had his very first haircut this weekend, and he no longer looks like my baby. Now he looks like a little boy. Pictures to follow.

108+ Things to do Instead of Shopping

2008-07-05T00:31:00.004-04:00

At times it seems that the all American pastime is shopping. If we are bored, there is nothing on TV, or we just feel like getting out, all too often we go shopping. What else is there to do? I have created a list of things you can do instead of shopping. Some are fun, some practical, some silly. All of these ideas should cost little or no money. Not all of these ideas will apply to everyone, but I am sure many of these ideas do.
Note: My DH helped me with these ideas, perhaps you can tell which are his :)

108+ Things to do Instead of Shopping:
1. Work in a garden (your own or the community garden - container gardens count)
2. Play a Board Game
3. Hike a nature trail
4. Read a Book
5. Walk
6. Woodworking
7. Sharpen your Kitchen Knives
8. Visit a Park
9. Play a Video Game (do you still have that 8-bit Nintendo lurking in the back of a closet)
10. Bake from Scratch
11. Go to the Library
12. Run
13. Practice for NTN trivia
14. Spend Quality Time with Friends and Family
15. Bike
16. Yoga
17. Sew down the fabric stash
18. Knit down the yarn stash
19. Spin down the fiber stash
20. Draw
21. Paint
22. Detail the Car
23. Lounge
24. Watch an Old Movie
25. Listen to the Radio
26. Swim
27. Dance
28. Have Sex
29. Catch up on your favorite sports team
30. Go Surfing or skateboarding
31. Repair something that is broken in your home
32. Audit a class at the local college
33. Mentor a Kid
34. Give the Dog a bath
35. Send a kid in the 3rd World $0.25/day
36. Practice the Instrument you used to play
37. Clean out the Garage
38. Humanely trap a household pest, and release it next to a big box store
39. Plan your Next Gorilla Gardening Expedition
40. Fix and sell the car on blocks in the front yard
41. Collect old campaign signs in your neighborhood
42. Pick up Litter
43. Write a letter to your senator or congressman
44. Read the Onion
45. Play fetch with the dog
46. Drink a beer in your front yard and wave and/or yell at the kids that walk by
47. Develop a working knowledge of a language you always wanted to learn
48. Listen to the "Dark Side of the Moon" while watching "The Wizard of OZ"
49. Churn your own butter
50. Learn to juggle
51. Write Thank You Notes
52. Clean behind the fridge
53. Make Pizza
54. Spend more time naked (inside the house)
55. Make crock pot caramel
56. Plan a party
57. Do Push-ups
58. Do Sit-ups
59. Hold a potluck
60. Mow the Lawn
61. Clean the Dryer's Lint Trap
62. Make new friends on the internet
63. Write a fanfiction
64. Learn to Weld
65. Ask the utility company to perform an energy audit on your house
66. Write the next great American novel
67. Volunteer at the Animal Shelter
68. Visit your town's poorest area, and see if you can help
69. Find a homeless person, and give them $5
70. Polish your shoes
71. Stretch
72. Bring your stash of mini soaps and shampoos to the homeless shelter
73. Climb a tree
74. Plant a tree
75. Bird Watching
76. Paint your Nails
77. Have a Scavenge Hunt
78. Sing a Song
79. Take a Nap
80. Feed the Birds
81. Go to the beach
82. Start a Digital Scrapbook (No paper, and a lot of freebies)
83. Visit a Public Garden
84. Make a Bird or Squirrel Feeder
85. Play Dress Up
86. Get a Hair Cut
87. Tell stories or Read Aloud to Kids
88. Visit a Museum
89. Go to a Cultural Event
90. Take a Self Defense Class
91. Make a Rain Barrel
92. Make or Fill a Compost Pile
93. Star Gazing
94. Teach a child arcane slang
95. Change the Oil in your Car
96. Create your own home spa day
97. Rearrange the furniture
98. Have a tea Party
99. Scrub the Baseboards
100. Make Presents (DD's suggestion)
101. Begin working on the project you got supplies for two years ago, but never got the time to start.
102. Cloud Watching
103. Target Shooting
104. Go Fishing
105. Visit your friends and family
106. Make a scrap paper Hat
107. Take some Photos
108. Make a time capsule

Any other suggestions? I will add them to my list.

Show your support

2008-07-02T22:48:00.003-04:00

The July No Buy Challenge now has it's own button. Add it to your own page to show your support.

Just add the following text to your blog;

Links

2008-07-02T09:20:00.001-04:00

Here are a few Links to free and cheap craft resources, and other fun stuff. This list is by no means exhaustive. Please let me know your own free and cheap craft links, so I can add them to this list.

"The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,531 groups with 5,390,000 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them's good people). Membership is free."

This is a great resource for those of us who may need supplies but don't want to spend the money - or those who either don't have the time or resources to make many gifts...these are free!" - Thanks Apples from an Apple Tree
http://www.freecycle.org/

Sew Liberated's Fun for Nothing Challenge. You will even see a few pics of my kiddos in their Flickr pool.

An insightful article asking why conspicuous consumption exists.
Dangerous Intersection: Shopping for Sex

Free sewing patterns and tutorials.
Burda Style

Homemade Deodorant

DIY Everything
Instructables

Christmas in July

2008-06-30T11:16:00.001-04:00

I know, it does seem a bit crazy, or cruel to bring up the idea of Christmas right after encouraging a buying ban, but I assure you, there is a method to my madness.

I have a large number of family and friends that is getting bigger every year due to marriages and pregnancies. That means that every year I have more and more people to get Christmas presents for. I currently have about 30 individuals or families I would like to give personal gifts to. Even if I spent only $10 on each of these people/families (which we can probably all agree is a fairly small amount for a nice personal gift), I would spend $300 on gifts. In reality I usually spend much more than $10 on many of the people on my list.

The Christmas season (one wish should end with happy memories of family togetherness) often ends with reminders of debt accumulated during the season. We are also left with a mountain of discarded wrapping, but that is another story.

As green crafters we have the ability to make wonderful gifts, for little or no money, but it does require some time and planning. For crafters, especially knitters, July is the perfect time to begin thinking about holiday gift giving. Check out some of my Reuse posts for ideas on material scrounging. I will be adding more ideas in during the month.

July No Buying Challenge

2008-06-29T17:55:00.000-04:00

Nearly every eco-friendly blog or website I visit focuses a lot of it's content on the cool new green stuff you an buy, so that your consumption leaves a smaller footprint on the planet. They forget to mention that an even smaller foot print is left by NOT buying the cool new green stuff. Keeping and using your old stuff, even if the old stuff was not produced in an environmentally friendly manner, is almost always better for the environment then buying new green stuff (see note at bottom). Using your old stuff has the additional advantage of keeping a lot of green in your wallet.

This observation has led me to focus my blog on reusing products whenever possible, but I would like to do more. That is why I am officially issuing a challenge to friends, family, and readers. I challenge everyone to limit their purchases to necessary items only for the entire month of July. Lets try to do what is right for both our world, and our bank accounts.

Who: All of you, your friends, family, friendly strangers, whomever will listen.
What: Limiting purchases to only necessary items.
When: July 2008
Why: To open our eyes to truly sustainable living, both environmentally and economically.

What do you win? Potentially hundreds of dollars, and a new perspective on what is really needed, and what really contributes to our overall happiness and wellbeing.

What is necessary? I will leave this distinction up to you. My list of necessary items includes food (minimally processed, not including take out or eat out), prescription drugs, gas, personal higene products, and anything required for work, or basic home upkeep. It does not include shoes or clothes, craft supplies, or even gifts. I also plan on using items that have been building up in my house, like the speciality lotions that are often received as gifts, before I buy new ones.

Through out the month I plan on giving tips for buying less, and spending less, while living a eco-friendly, sustainable lifestyle. This will include eliminating many convenience items from your life, reusing items that would otherwise be discarded, and making or repairing items that would otherwise be bought.

I hope to hear from everyone that takes on this challenge. Please share both success and failure, as well as your own tips and tricks.

~Gerwerken

Note: When something must be replaced it is better for the environment to buy an environmentally friendly product; however, products are often replaced when they could be repaired or reused.

Convergence

2008-06-27T23:02:00.002-04:00

Today should have been my second day at Convergence, the Tampa yarn fest; however, I am at home. I started feeling bad the night before I was to leave, and thought it was probably just stress after all of the medical issues we have been having lately. Since we still don't know what is wrong with DH I was a little worried about leaving him, and not being able to get back to him if something happened. After hours of vomiting the day before my wedding, I know that I react poorly to stress. My DS also vomited twice this week without any apparent cause, so I knew that real, contagious illness could also be the cause.

While I think stress may still be the cause of my own nausea, the kids obviously have some kind of GI illness. At this point I think I did the right thing by staying home, rather than potentially infecting lots of people, but I would still really liked to have gone to Convergence.

All I have to say about this situation is that only hospitalization or institutionalization will keep me away from SAFF this year. If I have to I will wear a bubble, just slip the yarn through the food slot.

Gardening

2008-06-21T22:15:00.003-04:00

Organic, local, cheap.... which type of food is best? How about all three?
The picture above is a sweet pepper blossom from my garden. It was grown organically, from seed, about 20 feet from my back door. Organic, local, and cheap. It's even better though. Not only does it provide everything I want in my food, it also gives me exercise, and time outdoors with my kids.
My kids love our garden. We play in it and around it. They help take care of the "baby" plants, and learn about them in the process. My DD has been particularly fond of it. She has her own planting box that she takes care of that is filled with non toxic flowers, but the edibles are her favorite. She received the tomatoes in the above picture as a treat for good behavior - a treat she requested.
In the future we would like to grow most, if not all of our produce ourselves, but this year our garden is rather small, housing only our favorite vegetables and herbs, as well as a few bug repellent plants.

Organic gardening has been a learning process. I can't just pour some chemicals on the plants to make them grow faster/bigger, and I also can't kill off the bugs and weeds with chemicals either. Growing in Florida has been a blessing and a curse. We have a much longer warm season than most areas so I can wait for plants to mature and fudge a bit on the planting dates. Our heat also kills off some plant varieties though (hardy here means an ability to survive the heat rather than the cold), encourages weed growth, and gives us more prolific bugs than most other places. Most gardening books are geared toward more temperate areas than ours, so finding information can be difficult as well.

Here is a few things I have learned from gardening in Florida thus far;

Very tender seedlings should not be planted in the ground before April, because freeze is still a possibility however remote.
Try to get seedlings established before June, or the heat will kill them. If seedlings are not established by June they can still survive with careful tending and protection from the heat.
Herbs that like full sun else where may need afternoon shade here.
Strong barrier methods are the best protection from weeds, but in Florida weeds still manage to find a way through barriers. Weeding is a must in organic gardens.

There is more. There is much more to know about organic gardening in Florida. I, however, am a novice, and I am learning as I go. I do plan to keep notes on the progress of the garden though, and I will be posting those notes regularly.

Salvaged Skirt

2008-06-20T13:01:00.002-04:00

After my first child was born I was in need of some new clothes, as mine didn't fit. I wasn't willing, or able to go out and buy a new wardrobe full of clothes that I was hoping I would only wear for a limited time. My solution was making some new clothes that could be easily taken in as my waist line diminished.

One of my first and favorite post pregnancy creations was a pleated, green linen skirt in New Look Pattern 6566 (I don't think it is in print any more). The skirt was worn extensively, taken in several times, and worn some more. The skirt was finally retired when one of it's small holes turned into one giant rip, that was beyond repair.

This skirt was recently reincarnated as a pillow cover. It is sized for a standard 14" x 14" pillow form with a side Velcro closure (a closure type I am not planning on using in the future). The leafs were simply painted on with fabric paint. I would have liked to make another with the same fabric; however, the fabric was in such bad shape that while there was enough fabric for a second pillow, it could be used. My kids enjoyed playing with the extra fabric though.
You can see in the second picture that the area directly under the leaves is slightly lighter than the surrounding fabric. That is because I originally tried to bleach the pattern into the fabric, rather than painting it on. Needless to say the bleach didn't work. That is probably what I deserve for using a harmful chemical I probably shouldn't have had in my house in the first place. My only excuse is that it is a left over from my nesting, have to sanitize everything, phase from my last pregnancy, and I didn't want to waste it.

Jean Coasters

2008-06-20T08:45:00.000-04:00

The good news is that I am finally posting about all of the projects I've done in the recent weeks. The bad news is that I hurt my wrist (probably due to the marathon knitting done at the hospital the other night), and that most of my crafting endeavors are out of the question until my wrist is feeling better. Since I have several blog back logged projects, I am considering it a blessing in disguise.

On with the show.

While it is still not technically summer, here in Florida we have already had one full week of temperatures bordering 100 degrees F. I am behind on clothes shopping for the kids, especially for my oldest, because she is not wearing hand me downs. On a particularly hot day when there were no shorts to be found, my DH took scissors to my DD jeans and made long shorts. Not wanting to throw away perfectly good material, I decided to make the remnants much needed coasters. The following is the result.

Process:
I simply cut the jean material into 4" x 4" squares. I did the same to some wool felt (the felt adds an element of waterproofness to the absorbency of the jean material). I layered the jean and felt, then did some simple, geometric machine quilting to attach the pieces. Voila!

Oops...I upcycled all over the wall.

2008-06-19T07:45:00.000-04:00

I generally take issue with the word "upcycle", preferring to use the word "reuse."

The word upcycle was origionally proposed in the book, From the Cradle to the Grave: Remaking the Way We Make Things, by McDonough and Braungart. It was coined to give a name to the use of waste materials to make useful products. It is also obviously playing off the word recycle, that is now in the common vernacular, and is common practice. Recycling is the reprocessing of old materials into new products. The problem with recycling is that many of the most commonly recycled goods, i.e. paper and plastic, are turned into a lower quality good. For instance, recycled plastics are a lower grade than the plastics they were made of.

I believe that the word "upcycle" implies the opposite of "recycle," or the making of higher quality material from waste goods; however, in upcycling the nature of the good does not change, it is simply used in a new way. "Reuse" seems to me a far more appropriate term for the process.

However, I believe that I may have finally produced a product worthy of the name "upcycle."

A few years ago my grandmother gave me a beautiful ornate picture frame, with a gorgeous picture in it, that just didn't match my style.

The picture in question.

After about a year of looking at this picture frame everyday, I was in need of a message board, but I really didn't want a giant ugly white board on my wall. Finally, I had a use for the frame. I decided to paint the back of the glass in the frame leaving the front of the glass a perfect surface for dry erase markers. This system worked perfectly for about two years, but I was never very happy about the look of the paint on the glass.

The painted white board.

Then I found out about looking glass paint.

Looking Glass is a spray paint by Krylon that creates a mirror finish on plain glass. So I scraped all the paint off the back of the glass, and painted the back of the glass with Looking Glass twice. The finish I got is very similar to an antique mirror. I do not know if this is the finish that the paint should produce because despite the admonition on the bottle that the paint should not be used in high humidity, Florida did not provide me with humidity under 70%. The finish is however, exactly what I was hoping for, and I think it turned out beautifully. Unfortunately the picture really doesn't do it justice.

The new mirror message board.

Summer Knitting Goals

2008-06-18T22:00:00.002-04:00

Ali over at Skeins Her Way is having a Summer Knitting Goals Contest with some great prizes. It is actually the kind of event that I would love to host one day when I have a larger readership, and more money. Until then, here are my goals;

Finish my sister's bag by her birthday, which is only about 3 weeks away. After about 5 different design iterations, I think I have finally landed on an idea that I can stick with.
Finish the Gone With the Wind (ravelry link) hat. I have actually finished the knitting, I just need to install the brim wire. I have been having a hard time finding a local store that sells millinery wire, so I may have to go online.
Fix my mistake, and knit at least one repeat of the Icarus Shawl, installing life lines at least every 20 rows.
Finish all of the large projects that are currently on the needles before starting any more large projects. I am going to consider the sweater that I swatched for last night as on the needles. This goal feels like a not knitting goal, rather than a knitting goal, but I just can't leave these projects languishing any longer.
Take pictures of and notes on the progress I am making while knitting, rather then the finished project alone.

Thats it.

I should note at this point that Ali, the woman that is running the project, has shammed me with her knitting goals. Despite the fact that she has 6 kids and one on the way, she seems to have more knitting time than I have day light hours. I need to find out her secret.

Back in the Hospital

2008-06-18T20:48:00.002-04:00

For the second time in two months I spent most of the night in the emergency room with my husband. He again had symptoms reminiscent of a heart attack. He appears to be in no immediate danger, but we still have no idea what is wrong. So another barrage of tests is on the horizon.

Ironically, I spent yesterday in our doll hospital, performing plastic surgery on Isa, my daughter's iguana friend who was brutality attacked and mauled by our dog. She will always have the scars, but I believe that once she fully recovers from the surgery she will be able to lead a normal life.

The following pictures are of Isa post surgery. I will not be sharing preoperative pictures, as they are simply too gruesome.

On the up side I was able to do a lot of knitting in the hospital. I finished the large swatch for my sister's bag, and felted it today, Swatched for the Holly Jacket, and made an apple and lime which I finished today. Here they are;

The Diaper Dash

2008-06-14T23:52:00.003-04:00

Wow. Somehow it seems like it has been a long time since I posted last. Even though it has only been a few days a lot has happened. Last week my kids ran the Diaper Dash with M's kids. The local track club holds a track series every summer, and the first several races are 40 meter dashes for the under 5 crowd. Despite the sweltering heat here on the gulf coast the kids had a great time. Here is a picture of the girls getting psyched for the race. Little brother is running around in the back ground - there are no boys allowed, of course.

Below is a picture of my son running the race.
Here is my DD and her friend M on the home stretch.
This is another one of M before the race, ......
and one of my son after.
It was really hot, and bed time was approaching.

I have a lot of new projects to share with everyone in the next few days, but for now I will leave you with just a little peek.
I got my new bag, and so far I really like it.

What is living simply/voluntary simplicity?

2008-06-06T12:35:00.003-04:00

That is actually a difficult question. Living simply means different things to different people. As I have tried to practice it over the years my concept has evolved, and will probably continue to evolve as my priorities change. At the moment I believe that living simply means getting rid of the excess in our lives in favor of the basics, and getting rid of those things that do not positively contribute to our lives in favor of those things that fulfill us. Things can mean objects, projects, jobs, or even people.

One of the ways I have simplified is by becoming a SAHM. I decided that my kid's care was more important to me than my job or the income that it brought in. Now that my kids are getting older, and will be able to start preschool soon I may decide to go back to work or work more extensively from home.

Another way in which I have simplified is by getting rid of nearly everything in my home that had no greater purpose than collecting dust. Now my house is rather more empty than it was, but those things that remain have value for me and my family. In getting rid of those things I have saved my self time and money on the upkeep of those objects that I can instead spend on something that really matters.

Does living simply mean getting back to basics or living like the Amish? It can, but I think that "basic" living simply highlights those aspects of our lives that matter. It highlights family, people, self reliance, and social connections; however, a technologically advanced lifestyle can highlight those values as well.

Organopónicos

2008-06-05T10:11:00.001-04:00

I came across this article the other day while researching organic gardening, and thought others might find it interesting as well.

Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Block Cuba got most of it's fertilizer and other agricultural chemicals from the Soviets. After the collapse their chemical supply was cut off. The city of Havana had been producing food through hydroponics. The hydroponic facilities were almost immediately converted to container gardens. Now small scale container gardens are all over urban Cuba, even in highway medians. These gardens now produce about a million tons of food a year. All of these gardens are sanctioned by the government, and use organic gardening practices (the only type of gardening allowed in Havana proper).

This practice in Cuba reminds me of Gorilla Gardening, but instead of being illicit, it is legal and encouraged. Just imagine what Gorilla Gardeners would be capable of producing if they were encouraged to produce.

Mmmmmm......Fiber

2008-06-04T14:29:00.004-04:00

See!!!!! I haven't forsaken knitting!

This pattern is Knit Strawberries by Pezdiva. I followed this patterned EXACTLY as written, which is very rare for me, but it is a really good pattern. It is actually my new favorite intermission pattern (that is when I need a break from a larger project). It takes only about 20 minutes to make a strawberry so they give me near instant gratification. Knitting one of these little babies helps me remember that larger projects will eventually be finished.

Knitting the fake food has also helped me realize that my kids don't need anymore cheap toys. Notice that I didn't say inexpensive.

According to Merriam-Webster cheap means "at minimum expense," and inexpensive means, "reasonable in price."

Christmas of 2006 my DH and I bought our DD some cheap toy food from the dollar section at Target. We bought a mix of fruit and vegetables. They were all one color, and about one size, regardless of the fruit or vegetable represented (the strawberry and celery were the same size). The following picture is a comparison between the strawberries I knit, and the plastic strawberry that was in the set we bought at Target. Sure there is a place for cheap plastic foods, but that place is not in my house anymore. Instead my kids are going to get inexpensive toys like these knit strawberries. The yarn was already in my stash, and it took very little time to knit. The cost to make these strawberries in both time and money was quite low, but they were not as cheap as $1 during a trip to Target. So now instead of supporting a big box store, the inappropriate use of oil (in the form of plastic), and instant gratification, I am supporting hand work, renewable resources (wool), and patience (waiting a little while for mom to finish the new toy). Most of all I enjoy making the toys for my kids, and my kids have already played with their fibery fruit than they ever played with the plastic stuff.

Speaking of reasonably priced, but not cheap stuff.......
After months of researching all of my options I have finally ordered a new knitting bag. It was a difficult decision to make. All of the options were really quite good, and the decision finally settled on preference alone rather than any particular strong point in the bag I picked or weak point in the bags I didn't pick. In only a few short days I will be receiving a Swift by Tom Bihn. It seemed the most utilitarian and adaptable for me. In a few weeks I plan to do a review on it.

Finally, a little something from the Tom Bihn website.

Simple Sunday

2008-06-01T21:52:00.001-04:00

According to Duane Elgin, "we can describe voluntary simplicity as a manner of living that is outwardly more simple and inwardly more rich, a way of being in which our most authentic and alive self is brought into direct and conscious contact with living."

Loving life with less......

Stay tuned.

Don't recycle paper........

2008-05-30T19:07:00.003-04:00

until you've gotten every possible use out of it.

According to the Bureau of International Recycling, paper can only be recycled 4 to 6 times. That really isn't very many. So instead of dropping it in the recycling bin as soon as you are finished with a piece, reuse it.

Ways to make paper more useful, or less used:

Print on both sides to begin with. PC's, and probably Macs, allow every other page of a word processing document to be printed, for instance, you could print only the odd numbered pages. After the first set of pages are printed turn the paper over and print the second set of pages. I usually put a mark in one corner of the top piece of paper in my printer, so that I can figure out which way the paper needs to be oriented to print correctly on the second side.
Use paper that has already been printed on as drawing paper for yourself or the kids. Chances are your doodles will not be the next Picasso.
Reprint on paper that has only been used on one side. The backs of the paper won't make any sense, but the fronts will look fine. Just remember to re-orientate your paper again, so the blank side is being printed on.
Make a avant guard used paper note book. Cut paper that was used on one side into 4 equal pieces. Cut one piece of thicker paper in 4 equal pieces. Arrange the paper so that the blank sides are all facing up. Poke two or more holes in the left side of all the pieces. Stack the pieces with the thicker paper on the outsides, and tie ribbon through the holes.
Throughly used paper is an excellent biodegradable weed blocker. Just stack several thicknesses of paper, overlapping edges, on level, weed free dirt. Put several inches of dirt and compost on top of the paper, and plant. Week new weeds can't come up through the paper, but the roots of your seedlings will be able to penetrate the paper as it biodegrades.
Shredded paper can be used in addition to leaves and other brown matter in compost.
As business cards. Crafting a Green World has a great tutorial on making business cards/seed packets out of used paper grocery bags.
Shredded paper also makes great confetti!

There are so many more uses for used paper it would be impossible to list them all. I would love to see some of your ideas as well.

Note: Protect sensitive information! Papers with personal information can be used against you. It is best to shred all sensitive information.
Lest you think I have forsaken fiber, I have some fibery goodness to come.

Napkins, napkins everywhere

2008-05-29T12:51:00.003-04:00

What can you make with nearly any piece of clothing past it's prime? A napkin of course.
Napkins range in size from a 16 to 18 inch square dinner napkin, 12 to 14 inches for a lunch napkin, to 4 to 6 inches for cocktail napkins. You can cut at least one square, of one of these sizes out of even baby clothing.

A little while ago my husband ripped a large gash in a nice button down oxford shirt. When I finially got around to cutting it up, I was suprised to find that I was able to cut 4 12" squares from the back and sleeves of the shirt that I can make into luncheon size napkins. The rest of the shirt should yield at least 4 more 4 to 6 inch squares for cocktail napkins. One of the finished napkins is pictured below.
How to do it:
1) Cut as many squares of the desired size as possible out of the ruined piece of clothing (make sure you cut the squares with the grain of the fabric, rather than at an angle to it. If the fabric is woven, and as thick as you feel a napkin should be you can simply stop here (woven fabric cut on the grain will unravel very little after washing).
2) I felt that my squares were too thin, so I doubled them up. You could then hem the pieces under, or stitch around the edges so that the pieces stay together and leave it at that. I decided to make mine a little more polished, and decided to use bias tape to finish the edges.
3) Bias tape can be found in any craft store; however, it can also easily be made out of any light weight woven fabric, and since this is all about reusing that is what I did.

how to make bias tape;
Tutorial
If you have any questions feel free to ask.

4) Pin the bias tape around the edge of your napkin, so that the bias tape encloses the edge of the napkin, then stitch around the edge of the tape.

Ta Da! A beautiful napkin.

An Ode to the Humble Flat Sheet

2008-05-27T20:32:00.003-04:00

A spare flat sheet is one of the most versatile implements in the home decorating arsenal. Why you ask?

It is one of the cheapest fabric values you can find. For example, a 100% cotton, 250 thread count, Queen size flat sheet from Target is $14.99. How much fabric is that? A Queen size flat sheet is 90 inches x 102 inches. That is twice the width of a wide piece of cloth available from a fabric store, and almost three yards of length. That is about $2.50 per yard, and better values can be found at discount stores.
A flat sheet that same size as your bed (a queen size sheet for a queen size bed) can serve as a bed skirt on beds of standard height.
Flat full size sheets are about the same width as most beds are long making them great candidates for bed curtains - and can be a perfect match for your bed sheets.
Sheets are also so long that they can serve as floor to ceiling curtains on all but very tall windows.
Sheets are the perfect no sew option for the always popular toga party.

Below is a picture of my sheet, turned one time bed skirt, and now bed curtain.

Cork Trivet

2008-05-25T21:52:00.004-04:00

Do you try to recycle? Do you drink wine? Do you save all the corks from all the bottles of wine you drink, because you don't have a way to recycle them, and feel bad about throwing them away? Well I do. I must have a hundred or more corks in my house from years of collecting, and I never had any idea what to do with them. Until now....
How to make a trivet out of corks
Materials: One pipe clamp (I used a 5" to 7" pipe clamp. It was about $2.50 at home depot.), and lots of corks of approximately the same height (the number of corks you will need will vary based on the size trivet you make, but 50 is a safe number to start with).
Procedure: 1) Gather corks, standing on their ends, inside the pipe clamp; 2) Organize corks as desired; 3) Move clamp so that it is centered in the middle of the corks - see pic below; 4) Tighten pipe clamp - At this point you may need to adjust the number of corks so that there is a tight fit; 5) Trim loose end of clamp if desired
That is it. A brand new trivet for the cost of a pipe clamp. It even looks cool.

I also found a book that is all about reusing objects in fun new ways, and I thought I would pass it on. The book is "Ready Made: How to Make (Almost) Anything."

Enjoy!

More than one use for cereal

2008-05-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

Ok, not the actual cereal, the box. My kids eat a lot of cheerios, so I buy the giant boxes that never fit on the shelf correctly. Rather than struggling with the giant box several times a day (cereal is not a breakfast only food if you are 1 and a half), I decant, leaving me with a cereal box in pristine condition. Typically this box would immediately be broken down and sent to recycling, but in the throws of organizing, this box looked suspiciously like a magazine file box.

Mark a 45 degree angle on a large cereal box. The high side of the angle should end in one of the top corners of the box before the flaps begin (if the high side is at the top right on the front, it will be on the top left in the back).Cut along the mark you made. Be careful cut the box cleanly.This is what the box should look like after it has been cut.Wrap the box in heavy weight paper. I used craft paper, which requires strong tape.Then shove some magazines in it. Ta Da! The box really can't stand up to the weight of the magazines on it's own, but it does a great job when propped against something heavy, like other magazine boxes.

Enjoy!

Reuse

2008-05-23T08:03:00.005-04:00

This is the start of something new! I really hate to waste things, but our disposable culture makes it not only necessary at times, but cool, to simply throw something in a land fill when we no longer have a use for it (think the swiffer sweeper pad - use and toss, or the latest digital gadget that costs more to fix than to buy anew). Well, I have decided that about once a week I will show you one of the ways in which I have made something into something new; however, this week, until next Friday, I will try to show a way in which I have reused every single day.

Without further ado, reuse of the dreaded bride's maids dress.
A little more than a year ago my sister in law got married, and asked me to be one of the bride's maids. The dresses she picked really were tasteful, but like nearly all bride's maids dresses really wasn't appropriate to wear ever again. That, and the fact that the wedding was only 1 month after I gave birth to my second child, meant that this dress was doomed to spend the rest of it's days in the back of my closet.

A few months ago was my sister in law's birthday. I find her difficult to shop for, as we are not terribly close, and our aesthetic differs considerably. I had recently made some pillows for my sister's new apartment, and thought that my SIL might like pillows for her new house, but which fabric to use? Then I realized, I already had fabric she liked. In fact I had yards and yards of fabric she had picked out. I had a bride's maids dress.

I ripped the seams on the dress (rather than cutting) to get the maximum amount of usable fabric out of the dress. The bodice area was not wide enough to provide usable fabric so I cut it off. I cut 4 15 inch squares from the remaining fabric, giving me materials for 2 14" square pillows with .5" seam allowance. Then I simply sewed up the sides, stuffed the pillow, and shut the opening. They turned out well if I do say so myself.

I will try to update with a picture of the dress if I can find one.

High Fiber Diet

2008-05-22T16:27:00.003-04:00

I would like to introduce the latest in high fiber foods. The eggplant.
I am so happy about the way this turned out.

The original pattern is Baby Fruit and Veggie Rattle Patterns by Allison Judge; however, the pattern makes the leaves look like they are growing directly out of the top of the eggplant. Since I have never seen an eggplant that looks like the pattern, I picked up the stitches at the cast on edge, and knitted up, decreasing between the leaves every other row (give or take a row), until there were 4 stitches left, then i-corded the stem. The leaves tended to roll up, so I tacked them down on either side with some thread.

I used Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool, that I hand dyed the appropriate colors, and US6 double pointed needles.

I love, love, love the finished product!

If I knit it again I will probably knit it from the top down, rather than the bottom up, and avoid picking up quite as many stitches.

Back Home

2008-05-20T14:26:00.002-04:00

Well DH and I are back home after a long weekend away in Missouri. Why Missouri you ask? Well my very good friend, and children's godfather Aaron graduated from medical school. Now he is officially a doctor. Wow. We have been doing our best to help him through this experience for the past several years, and the knowledge that it is over seems so huge to me. I can only imagine what a relief it must be to him.

We were also able to explore Kansas City, MO with our friend K. She just moved into the downtown area and we were able to explore her new neighborhood together.
The city is currently undergoing a transformation. Abandoned factories and warehouses are being turned into living spaces and store fronts. Small businesses appear to be thriving , and low income areas are receiving much needed improvements. I really enjoyed the downtown area, except that we were exploring on a Monday, and nearly all of the businesses were closed on Monday.

We were able to find one open local yarn store, "The Studio." I would recommend the studio to visitors in the area. The store was well staffed, the staff seemed knowledgeable, they had a good selection of inexpensive yarns, and a wide selection of straight and DPNs, as well as other accessories. Their high end yarn was on the lean side, but the lack didn't take much away from the store.

Now that I am back home, I thought I would share pictures of the birthday loot, as well as the spoils from our Ikea trip.
The birthday first;
My brand New Niddy Noddy

My giant new swift
Next, Ikea.....

DD's New Bed, complete with DD

Bookcase with glass doors, and our new bed.

I love Ikea!

High in Fiber, Zero Fat

2008-05-15T07:12:00.003-04:00

First of all, two days in a row. Whoo, hoo! I may be able to make a habit out of this yet.

In the past couple of days I started knitting my kids some play food, and I had to share the outcome. They are incredibly cute! The kids already have cheap plastic versions, but with all the talk recently about the toxicity of plastic, my DS's ability to fit the vast majority of it in his mouth, and the dog's unfortunate affinity for the plastic variety, I had to do something.

As a result, I present to you;
Realistic Carrot
For this carrot I used the Baby Fruit and Veggie Rattle Pattern by Allison Judge.
I modified the cute baby carrot pattern she created, to make one that looked more like it had just come out of our garden. I basically made it "ugly" by adding purl bumps, paired increases and decreases, small cables, and circular ridges embedded in the knit fabric.

I also made an apple;
(try to ignore the dog hair)
For this piece I used the Ms. Saucy Apple pattern by Peachcake Knits.
However, the original pattern had to be altered because it was incorrect. The modifications I made were as follows;
After k4, kfb around there are 36 stitches as stated, next the pattern indicates that you should kfb 3 times spread out across the row. This adds 3 stitches, for a total of 39 stitches, not 40.
There is 8 rows knit even (I knit 9), then the decreases begin.
The pattern indicates that you should k9, k2tog around. This implies that there is some multiple of 11 in a single row (k9, k2tog involves 11 stitches, and the pattern does not say what to do with the left over stitches). Instead, k11, k2tog around, knit 2 rows, skip the instructions to k8, k2tog around, and it's corresponding knit row, and restart the pattern at k4, k2tog around.

Hope this helps anyone struggling with this pattern.

As you can see my kids really like the new toys.
Finally, for you viewing pleasure.....proof that pit pulls are safe with children (at least my pit bulls with my children).

Almost Over?

2008-05-14T08:19:00.002-04:00

Well the past two months or so have been some of the craziest of my life. As my previous post noted, my husband was thought to have a bleed on his brain, which after "minor" brain surgery was fund to be nothing but begin calcium deposits. Then shortly after coming back from the hospital , I remarked to A (a friend who is finishing medical school) that a tick had left me with a strange rash (picture below). He rushed me off to our local urgent care clinic where I was diagnosed with a probable case of lyme disease. I was put on a course of antibiotics and the CDC was contacted. Next came my birthday, anniversary, and Mother's Day within three weeks of each other (pictures of all the cool loot to come). This period was really great, until the end, when on Mother's Day my DH went to make me some chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, and found a tiny chew hole in the bag of chocolate chips. Yup, mice.

I actually don't have anything against mice in general (rats are a different story), as long as they are where they belong, ........outside. However, these are in my house!

I really can't blame them for coming in my house either. Their natural habitat is currently being destroyed by a developer that is trying to put high end housing in an area that was until recently, fairly rural (for example, the people that live behind us still have cattle and horses, and at one point raised sheep). As a result of the development we have had to cut a new driveway as well, further destroying their homes.

We found the first mouse last night. I was putting clothes away, and opened a nearly empty drawer in my DH's dresser, and to my surprise found a cute little mouse looking back at me. Feminists everywhere will cringe when I say this, but, I have to admit, I screamed and called for my husband. I even got up on my bed as if this mouse, that was about the size of two cotton balls was going to jump at me and begin eating my face (thank you "1984").

The mouse was eventually caught in a mostly humane fashion, and was taken to the loading dock of a nearby big box store. Good luck mouse!

Stuff I have learned since I began fighting the good fight against mice:
Since I would rather the mice simply leave my house than than have to kill all of them I thought I would share with you some of the natural deterrents I have found effective against mice. Note: these do not kill the mice, they simply make your house an unpleasant place to live.

1) Mice, and most rodents, do not like mint. Grow it inside and outside your house (orange mint is an espically aggressive variety, but can become invasive). Get mint essential oil, natural potpourri, candles, etc and put it all over your house. I found that a combo of canola oil and peppermint and spearmint essential oils in an oil burner will quickly fill your whole house with the scent of mint.

2) Get rid of all possible food sources. Sounds simple, but this means even the tiniest crumb in a crevice that you have never even thought to clean. With a 2.5 yr old, 14 month old, and two dogs, I have found this extremely difficult. This also means decanting all food that could be chewed into, must be decanted into chew proof containers - metal or glass with tight fitting lids.

3) Sonic wave plug in pest deterrent products do work, but for a limited range.

4) Eliminate all possible nesting places. This is the hardest part. Mice can fit into a hole the size of a US dime, and can chew a bigger hole if needed. The most important part is to minimize their hiding spots, and remove all clutter so that disturbances can be easily seen, and deterrent efforts can be concentrated on a limited number of areas.

Good luck!

Can it get worse?

2008-04-03T00:33:00.002-04:00

It started around Easter when the kids got runny noses. We thought it was just allergies (the pollen down here is already turning my car a sickly shade of yellow-green), but when I started getting the same symptoms plus exhaustion and aches and pains, we discovered it was the flu. I felt terrible, but being a stay at home to two small children, it is very difficult to take time off to rest and recuperate (my 2 year old daughter did her best to help however; she made me a lovely pick-nick of plastic fruit and vegetables, and her homemade tea).

After a week of aches, pains, and breathing through our mouths, the kids and I started feeling better. Then Tuesday afternoon my husband called me from work, telling me that he had just experienced some chest pain, and left arm numbness. My first thought was that he had a heart attack, and then that it was probably nothing, after all, he is young, and in good physical condition. After a long day in the emergency room a CT scan revealed fresh blood on his brain. Another day in the hospital and a MRI later revealed an AVM (a congenital malformation of blood vessels) in his brain had burst, and he would likely need brain surgery. He also needed to be transfered to a bigger hospital with neurologists who routinely deal with AMVs.

An incident like this really puts the fragility of life into perspective. My husband literally could have died, just suddenly, without warning, dropped dead at work Tuesday afternoon. He still could. Before Tuesday my biggest problem was running out of tissues. Now, just two days later my husband is about to have brain surgery.

We are not guaranteed our next breath. Life is not a given. The young and healthy can die suddenly and unexpectedly. While I knew all of this before, I had never been confronted with the reality of these statements. So I asked earlier, can it get worse? The answer is yes. As cliche as it may sound, enjoy the moment, it may be your last.

Adventures in Dyeing

2008-02-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

I experimented with dyeing for the first time today, and it turned out better than I could have expected. I used Wilton's dye paste in Golden yellow, and no taste red. I tried both kettle dyeing and hand painting. Both techniques turned out beautifully, but the kettle dyeing produced more vibrant colors.

Gadaboutknitter's Handspun

2008-01-26T20:20:00.001-05:00

Gadaboutknitter gave me some beautiful handspun for Christmas. This one is in the color way river walk. Can you believe that she has only been spinning for a few months?

The second one is from Flawful fibers, and is also beautiful.

There is not a lot of either, so they are going to have to be used for something small, or a border of some kind. Any suggestions?

Icarus

2007-12-18T14:46:00.000-05:00

Christmas knitting is more or less finished. I still have to block my daughter's sweater, and my husband's scarf is still on the needles (but it wasn't promised for Christmas anyway), but I am pretty much finished. That feels nice. FINISHED.

I would stop and take a breath of fresh air, but a new project beckons. The Icarus shawl.

I have never made, bought, or worn a shawl before, nor have I had any desire to, that is until I met Icarus. I have already bought some beautiful Malabrigo Lace weight yarn for it, and I can hardly wait t cast on. I am, however, waiting. I will finish the scarf first, as well as several more rows of the socks I am working on. Casting on will be my reward.