The Crafty Redhead

Lunch Totes

2012-02-16T13:15:00.000-08:00

I finished the handles for my little sock yarn lunch tote!

Isn't it cute?

I was very happy with how it turned out, so I made another with cotton/acrylic worsted weight yarn leftover from a baby shower gift.

This is one of the first projects where I've mixed fabric and crochet, and definitely won't be the last. I have to do some fine tuning for the handles, but then I'm hoping to put these up in my craft booth. That's right! I'm getting ready to sell my things in a holiday craft fair. Check back in six months or so for an update on that =)

Halfway through sewing the fabric on the sock yarn tote, (the color is called "clover") my sewing machine started jamming. I had to disassemble the needle portion to get it moving again, but I'm afraid I didn't put it back together exactly how it's supposed to be. Good thing the Bernina just came back from having its motor rebuilt! Eventually I'll have two machines that work, at the same time.

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a lovely V-day yesterday, whether or not you celebrated or did anything special. I just had a lovely dinner with my husband, which was take-out Indian food from one of our favorite places.

I also made Oreos again as I did last year. I don't remember which recipe I used, but this year I chose a recipe by The Baker Chick.

I made a couple modifications, including coloring the frosting pink. They were so cute!

I also used cream cheese in the frosting instead of shortening. The filling turned out a little soft, and they have to stay in the refrigerator. Next time I might add more powdered sugar so they travel better.

I brought some of them into the office, and I would have taken a picture whole, but I forgot and started eating it =)

Lunch Bag

2012-02-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

I finished the main part of a shopping bag this morning, so I used it for buying lunch.

Who needs handles, anyway? ;)

I ran out of this colored yarn, so I'm planning on making a cloth edge and handles for it. In the meantime, it works great like this because it has large loops.

I plan on making more of these, and I'm loving the self-striping sock yarn. This is Kroy Socks FX, which has a decent amount of stretch.

And I will resist tagging this under "finished projects" or making a new category for NEARLY finished projects =)

New Life for Old Clothes

2012-02-05T21:54:00.000-08:00

About a year ago at a friend's party, a few of us got on the subject of corsetry (not too surprising.) Someone was wearing a cool corduroy jacket, and well, one thing led to another and I said it would be AWESOME to make a corduroy corset. And the next day it still sounded like a good idea, so I started playing around with some fabrics I had. Then I remembered this old oversized jacket I had. I bought it online and never really cared for the fit.

I started building the corset right away, and then it sat on my shelf for nearly a year. I couldn't decide on the trim fabric or color, and then I got busy with other projects and simply forgot about it. Then a couple of days ago I picked it up and decided to make an invisible edge rather than a coordinating trim. Problem solved!

So here is my newest corset- a beautiful, soft, wide-wale corduroy in chocolate brown. I love it! =)

I wore it today for the first time, and it was very comfortable for about 6 hours. It's not a great picture of me :) but it went well with casual jeans and a t-shirt.

The antique brass grommets work very well. I'm not a huge steampunk fan, but it could definitely go that direction if I wanted to.

Corset Boning Rack

2012-01-31T12:36:00.000-08:00

This weekend I built something who's concept has been rolling around in my head for quite awhile, and finally found the time to put together.

The steel boning for my corsets wasn't very organized. I'd put rubber bands around the various lengths, but they'd always break or wouldn't go back on, and it was all very messy. So with two 9-foot lengths of 1-inch PVC pipe, some silver spray paint, and scraps of redwood, I built a rack for them.

This picture shows how I wanted it to look. I wrapped the tubes with painters tape and mashed them together with two boards. I had originally pictured two smaller cross beams, but I liked the look of the wider board.

Ta-da! I built the frame tightly around the bottom of the tubes, then added a floor, and two feet on the short ends.

I'm very pleased with how it turned out. Now everything's organized neatly and I can see what size boning and busks I have in stock.

Eventually I might paint the wood. I'm envisioning some corset-themed decoupage on the front.

Bobby Pin Control

2012-01-27T10:26:00.001-08:00

Now that I have short hair again, the bobby pin is my styling tool of choice. The problem is when they end up all over the place, and specifically not where I expect them to be when I need them.

Here is a simple solution. Drop a small magnet into the bottom of an Altoid tin, and voila! A pin corral.

For the truly lazy, the pins also stick to the outside of the box.

This one lives in my car. In the morning I don't have time to straighten my hair, so I towel dry and pin it flat. When I get to the office it's nearly dry, so I put the pins away in this nifty little box.

Last weekend I had a great sewing session with a friend who's learning corsetry. She's making her third corset, and doing a fine job. I worked on a couple small projects, including a handy trash bag for the car (prototype is done and ready for testing, but not for pictures,) and this cute little crochet hook bag.

Or pencil bag :) It just needs a zipper pull and it's done.

I had this post typed up last weekend, but was having issues with BlogPress, the app I use for posting. I had to reinstall it, so here's hoping it works again.

And finally, here's some Mouse cuteness from the weekend.

- Mobile post -

Christmas Trees and Scarves

2011-12-08T09:31:00.000-08:00

Our power came back on, after 4 1/2 days. Not enough time for me to exhaust my candle collection, but long enough to thaw everything in the freezer... Oh well :) We have our tree up, but haven't had a chance to decorate it since the power outage.

I think 25 days of Christmas was a little too ambitious for me =) I hope to have many holiday-themed posts this year, but I can't promise all 25.

Yesterday I put up my office Christmas tree, which I've had for 6 years now. It's a tiny little thing, less than a foot tall. I used to decorate my cubicle walls and put lights up, but this year I'm in a shared office, so I don't have as much space. While I'm not complaining about that, I kind of miss my old decorations.

I think I'll get some new ornaments for the little tree, and maybe put up a festive background. I also like putting up a little greenery candle ring as a mini wreath. They smell so nice!

For Thanksgiving we had a great visit with my husband's parents. My mother-in-law also loves working with yarn, and she gave me this beautiful mohair, which I made into a scarf.

I love the colors, and it's SO warm! The iPhone white balance is a little off, but this one is more true.

I call it my Very Hungry Caterpillar scarf =)

25 Days of Christmas Inspiration - day 1 and 2

2011-12-02T17:16:00.000-08:00

I've decided to post every day from now until Christmas with ideas, recipes and other inspiration for the holiday season. Enjoy!

Today you get two day's worth, because our house has been without power for two days now. That's part of living in the mountains, but we got hit pretty hard this time around. Here's a shot from my neighborhood

Fortunately, there's more than one way to get home, so we were able to get around it. And here's hoping we have power restored very soon.

I thought I'd start things off with something good to eat! Whether you're throwing a party, giving them as gifts, or enjoying them yourself, it's always good to have a stash of great recipes at hand.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

These look absolutely fabulous! I haven't tried them yet, but I have a feeling they'll be on my list this year. Yum! Here's another take using a different pretzel shape.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate and mint is one of my favorite combinations, so I'll definitely be trying this one also.

Lastly, here's a new take on the traditional gingerbread house. Super cute!

Mini Gingerbread Houses

Kids or no kids, these look fun. I like the idea of using them for place cards at a holiday party.

Cord Wrap

2011-11-21T15:16:00.000-08:00

Over Halloween weekend we did some reorganizing of the house. I worked on the utility room for a bit, and discovered something simple but very useful for wrapping up long extension cords.

I took a piece of hook-side velcro (the black) about 6-8 inches long, and sewed on a piece of loop-side velcro (white) to the back of the hooks. I made two in just a few minutes, and you can see that my stitching isn't all that straight :) I like that they're different colors, so it's easy to wrap and unwrap.

Pumpkin Pot Pie

2011-10-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's really chicken pot pie, but in pumpkin bowls, which makes an already good thing even more AWESOME.

A co-worker mentioned the idea, and I was immediately all over it.

I apologize for the poor quality photos. I was in a hurry making these for guests, and grabbed my phone. The lighting was pretty terrible.

I had a couple sugar pumpkins, and a couple of acorn squash. Most of the recipes called for opening the top like a jack-o-lantern, but I quickly realized that it would result in HUGE portions. So I cut everything in half, and then I made a separate pot pie in a glass dish with the leftover filling, so people could go back for seconds if they wanted.

The acorn squash was so pretty, and also tasted delicious. I can't decide which I liked better.

I combined bits of a couple recipes, from We Are Not Martha and TLC. I had baked some chicken breasts the night before, and I used pre-made crust. The veggies I added were potatoes, carrots, onions and peas. Some of the recipes didn't specify how to add the flour, but I just made a roux in the pan after I'd sauteed the vegetables.

I didn't spend a whole lot of time making the crusts look pretty, because I had hungry guests waiting (myself included!) The whole pumpkin in the background I only filled partially, and I took it for lunch the next day. The pumpkin was very soft, but it was still delicious as leftovers.

Definitely something I'll try again!

I'm always looking for quick weeknight recipes, and pizza is one of my favorite things. I had tried making the crust late the night before, but due to a sleep-deprived calculation error, I had added WAY too much salt.

However, I was determined to have homemade pizza for dinner, so I found a quick pizza dough recipe that was delicious. I substituted just 1/2 cup whole wheat for flavor, and let my mixer knead the dough for 5-10 minutes. I topped it with (leftover) herb pasta sauce, sauteed zucchini and bell pepper, chicken Italian sausage and jack cheese.

YUMMY! Tasty pizza in under 45 minutes.

Bags by the Dozen

2011-09-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

I've been in the mood to make bags, purses and totes lately. One great inspiration is that Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties are banning plastic shopping bags starting next year, and are charging for using paper bags. Whether or not you or I agree with the ban doesn't matter as much as what to do about it.

I'm going to start by making some more market bags like some of the ones I did last year.

I was planning on putting together a list of great bags to make, but someone beat me to it over at whipup.net. This is a great list of bags. Go check it out, really! Very inspiring.

Here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order. There is a lack of pictures on my part, because I want to spend all afternoon sewing, not downloading and re-posting photos.

Quilting for Peace has a great little shopping bag tutorial. I think the shorter handles would make them easier to fill. Sure, the longer handles can go over your shoulder, but I've found that the grocery store clerks have trouble holding them open.

Skip to my Lou's boxy zippered bag is a classic.

For adorable little zippered felt purses, bluegirlxo is quite inspiring.

I love the recycled cargo pants messenger bag over at noddlehead.

Craft Nectar links to an ingenious grab bag design. Definitely want to try these.

I've been looking for a good yoga mat bag, something simple to make and easy to use. Pickles has a great crocheted bag that looks perfect.

BurdaStyle has a nice looking purse that looks like it would be fun to make.

There's a great beach bag tutorial over at obsessive crafting disorder (what a cute name!) I love the mesh panel idea.

Here is a cute crocheted tote from Classic Elite Yarns.

Lastly, here are three shopping bags to inspire you:

The Jane Market Bag

A simple grocery bag pattern

And a cute crocheted bag.

Enjoy!

Pumpkins

2011-09-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

Continuing with my love of all things autumn, I started sewing some fabric pumpkins. I haven't decided how I'm going to sew the leaf yet, but I'll probably add a crocheted stem, and maybe some tendrils. I have ideas on how to improve the shape, and I'm looking forward to making more of these.

While I was searching for pumpkin leaf designs, I ran across this lovely cake at Hurry Up, Cakes. Of course, now I want to bake some cakes =) Wouldn't this be perfect for a Halloween party?

And, speaking of Halloween, here is an adorable crochet pattern costume from Darncat Crochet.

Apple Cookies

2011-09-15T22:17:00.001-07:00

Last night we had some friends over, and I made these glazed apple cookies. I was looking for something that really tastes like fall, and these fit perfectly.

I used granny smith apples, and grated rather than chopped. Next time I'll chop, since the little ribbons of apple were I think less pleasant than chunks would be. Nobody complained, though, and the plate was empty in no time.

I also used butter instead of shortening, cut the sugar down to a heaping cup, and left out the nuts and raisins. I used my standard pumpkin spice blend- cut down the cloves a little and added a pinch of allspice. I also increased the vanilla in the icing to give them extra flavor. A hint of maple instead might be nice.

Next time I will definitely double the recipe.

They were a little on the sticky side, so I might also increase the dry ingredients if it looks too wet before baking.

I'm looking forward to fall with it's crisp air, mulled cider, and pumpkins. I already saw some pumpkins in the store!

-- iPhone post

Red Wedding Corset

2011-09-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend two of our friends got married, and I had the honor of making the bride's gown. It was a deep red satin corset with a sweetheart neckline and black beaded lace applique, and a black satin pencil skirt with ruffle in the back. I took a couple pictures of the corset in the works, but not too many.

I did something slightly new for the corset binding. Normally I would do either a contrasting or matching binding on the bottom or on both sides, but in this case I wanted both sides to be hidden. I did a standard seam on the top, and used seam binding at the bottom.

After all the edges were made even and the bones were bound, I lined up the seam binding with the lower edge, and sewed right down the middle, leaning slightly towards the edge.

Then I folded the binding in half and wrapped it around to the inside, pulling the fashion fabric about 1/8 inch over and hand sewed the binding in to make a clean edge. I definitely would do this again, especially for a corset with decoration on it. I discovered that Casper likes some of the music I play while sewing. Several times he stood close to the speakers like this and listened intently for awhile before curling up right in front of them. Very cute =)

Here's the initial placement of the lace, and mirroring it onto the other side.

...and, the finished product. I don't have too many pictures of the skirt, but the corset was really the main piece anyway.

I had my hair in an up-do with curls in the back, and a big red rose on the side. I also have a new lens (50mm prime) for my camera that I've been playing around with. Mainly I've been having fun with the shallow depth of field that comes with a 1.8 f-stop, but I haven't gotten too much practice with it yet.

I took a couple photos of our foster kitties with the new lens, and this is one of my favorites of that batch. His name is My Boyfriend.

Sock Yarn and Roots

2011-07-14T07:02:00.001-07:00

Currently I'm on a sock yarn roll, but I haven't made any socks (yet) =)

With this gold and orange yarn I'm making a set of fingerless gloves.

I love striping yarn, and the way it's always changing colors and keeping things interesting.

This project is also a test of patience, because normally I would pick a thicker yarn and be nearly finished by now. But I know in the end I'm going to have a beautiful project.

I've made a couple of coin purses lately, which are fun and easy, and very rewarding. I made one for my dad for father's day, since he had requested one awhile back. Sadly, I didn't take a picture.

Then I made one as a little giveaway for my friends. It was a prize for the person who could guess closest to the value inside the piggy bank that came with our new car, cleverly disguised as a stereo system.

Note: Don't leave kids unattended with a cd player and change! They're not getting any candy out, and it would be an expensive lesson.

The zippers were fun. Definitely want to make more of these.

While gardening last weekend I pulled out this poppy and got a pretty little surprise. I've never seen roots this uniformly shaped that it looks like a rusted metal rope.

-- iPhone post

Crochet in the Car

2011-06-29T23:14:00.001-07:00

The other day my husband and I carpooled into work. It's a little under an hour each way, and I usually bring crochet that I don't have to watch too closely, as it's a very curvy road.

On the way there I made most of a water bottle tote, but then on the way back I got the idea to try washcloths.

I thought rather than a flat one I'd make it 3D, kind of like a loofah.

It turned out ok, but next time I'll use cotton/acrylic rather than the 100% cotton.

The idea was very simple, I started with a magic ring with 6 sc, then did two sc in each for 12, and then a one-two for 18 to make the center. Then I did 3 dc in each, and then 2 dc in each for the last few rows to finish the ruffle.

Our kitties continue to take turns going to the vet. This time it was Casper with a foxtail in the eye (ouch!) He's doing much better now but is still squinty and requested no photography ;)

Mouse, however, is always happy to pose.

And here's a rare shot of Spook lounging in bed. She reminds me of a resting dragon in this pic.

-- iPhone post

Funky Dress

2011-06-20T13:17:00.001-07:00

I know, two posts in one week, don't look so shocked =)

I'm on the email list for Vogue and McCalls, and they send me specials every now and then. It's handy because patterns can be expensive!

I'm undecided on this dress. I like the general shape, and the panel in the front, but I'm not sure about the side "flaps."

As usual, the diagram looks very different from the photo, so that's not so helpful.

Hmm, I have some burgundy fine knit fabric kicking around, so I may just have to experiment.

-- iPhone post

Kitties and Quick Projects

2011-06-18T10:15:00.001-07:00

I think I'm making up for my 3-4 years last decade where I didn't have any cats. In addition to our 4 kids, we've been fostering some kittens. The first pair (we named Luke and Leia) just went up for adoption and now we have three little grey and white boys, yet unnamed.

Also, Mouse had a little lump taken care of, so here's the obligatory recovery cuteness :)

This afternoon she gets the cone off, which I'm sure will make her very happy.

As usual, I have many projects in the works, as well as a big exciting reorganizing of the craft room.

In the meantime, here's a pretty little washcloth that I'm going to enjoy making with my scraps of cotton and cotton-ease: (Lion Brand reg required)

Along with my craft room cleanup, I sorted out over 50 skeins of yarn that I no longer need, and will never use, and hauled them down to Goodwill.

I'm loving our new car, and all the storage space =)

Lastly, here's a BBQ sauce recipe that I haven't tried yet, but has rave reviews. Fire up that grill!

Hope everyone has a great weekend =)

Cleaning and Painting

2011-05-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

I know it doesn't sound very exciting, but those were a couple of my small projects this weekend.

I have this white square planter that's a couple of years old. The little lemon tree in it had been long dead, munched on by the deer and then sadly neglected. The wood had started to peel and fade, so it was time for a new coat.

It looks much better afterwards; in fact it's almost glowing in the twilight. You can also see one of my two new lavender plants in the foreground (which brings the front yard to 5 total, different varieties) and a newly planted Queen Elizabeth rose in between. I'm hoping the lavender will act as a small barrier to keep the deer away from my rose.

Some friends of ours were celebrating their 10 year anniversary this weekend, and I wanted to get them a little something special. A picture frame came to mind, and I found this wooden black one with carved flowers in the front.

I thought it was missing a little punch, so I masked off the edges and painted the flowers a deep red. Here's a before, and "in progress" with a grey primer:

And the deep red, all finished.

On Sunday I climbed onto the roof to scrub the skylights, which have gotten filthy over the last year or so. Right after I got up there, Casper trotted on over to see what I was up to, and then Mouse joined him in lounging near by. I can definitely understand why they like it up there, it's a fun spot!

And finally, here's a project from last weekend. My husband and I upgraded from an older full/queen size futon mattress and got a custom built California king mattress. What a difference!

So of course we needed a new bed frame. The one I built a long time ago got dismantled, and we found some plans online for a platform bed. With a little tweaking here and there, we now have a beautiful redwood bed frame, with plenty of room for storage underneath!

Marms supervised the whole thing.

The old bed will eventually be turned into a small planter, just like the wood futon frame before it. (The marigolds in the second picture are housed in that planter.)

And there are all our cats except for Spook! She came in last night with a couple small wounds on her neck, which look like a bite or a scratch. She held still long enough for me to put a compress on it and make sure she wasn't in any immediate danger, but we're still going to have to keep an eye on her and hope it heals up well.

Meanwhile we're going to have some stir-crazy kitties while they all stay indoors for a bit.

Turtle and Scarves

2011-04-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

First off, here's a present I made for a friend who loves sea turtles. Her birthday was back in November, and I ALMOST had this finished in time, but unfortunatelyit didn't get delivered to her until recently.

This was so much fun to make, and now I want to make others in different colors!

Last weekend was an engagement party for some friends of ours. I made them matching scarves. Yes, it's nearly summer here, but the party had been postponed and originally it would have been cold when they received them.

At least our Pacific evenings are still chilly =)

Speaking of scarves, here is one I made for my mother-in-law for Christmas. It's made with Caron's "Country" an acrylic/wool blend, which I had never used before.

And the final scarf for this post is one for me! This is from some beautiful wool yarn that my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas (I won't say which year,) that I made into a scarf in the beginning of winter, and have been enjoying immensely.

Also it seems that I was playing with shallow depth-of-field when I took this picture. Yep, digging into the archives, of which there is plenty that has never been posted.

Spring Projects

2011-04-11T23:01:00.001-07:00

I finally have a replacement for the Christmas mantle piece. This was a stack of squares I got a long time ago, but was a little afraid to start on for fear I'd "mess it up." So finally I decided on a random pattern basic square arrangement and just dove into it.

Looks great with daffodils!

I made a little market/lunch bag for my mom's birthday. I started it in some sage green Sugar'n Cream, as a free form shape, but I hurried it along and wasn't quite happy with the shape.

Then I found a great hemp mix in a pretty cranberry, so I decided to start over. I love the result. The hemp drapes better for a tote than the softer cotton did.

Then, as I was goofing off with the unfinished bag with a friend, we decided that it made a very nice hat.

Voilà!

Speaking of hats, I made a floppy sun hat for a co-worker's birthday, which was today. I used white and spring green Cotton Ease by Lion.

I think the pattern used thicker yarn, so I had to make a couple modifications, but I think it turned out ok.

All ready for the beach! Or the library... I modeled it quickly this morning because I knew my co-worker is a little camera shy :)

(yes, my colors clash, never mind that!)

So now I'm making one in that pattern for myself in the sage green, and my friend and I will have matching colored hats :)

That's it for now, and I'll try to post sooner next time!

-- iPhone post

What I'm Making Now

2011-03-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

First of all, I don't know what's up with my old photos. I may be switching host sites soon.

Second of all, it's been awhile! I have a lot to catch up on, but I'm going to start off with what's going on right this second. My husband and I both came down with a nasty cold/flu/fever thing this weekend, so we're not doing much other than lounging on the couch and listening to the rain. I don't like working on gift projects while I'm sick, so I'm crocheting for me. A co-worker gave me some yarn for my birthday, and now I'm making a sweater.

Cozy Classic Pullover

Lion Brand requires a login for their patterns, but it's free and I highly recommend their database as well as their iPhone app. I'm making this in Homespun "Marble" which the site describes as a painterly (striped) cream with light orange and taupe. I can't wait to post the finished product, and I'm looking forward to being quite comfy in those generous bell sleeves.

While browsing for that pattern, I came across this beauty. It just might be worth digging out the knitting needles for, in spite of the intimidating "experienced" skill level.

Midnight Glamour Pullover

Holiday Runner

2010-12-12T09:43:00.001-08:00

My blog app ate my last post a few days ago, so I'll try this again...

And here's my Sunday morning, crocheting with Marmalade. Life is good =)

It's already time to take down the fall decorations and put up Christmas! Of course I needed a new mantle scarf/shelf runner. This was a quickie, in fact it's just pieced together, but it looks good for a decoration.

I'm still learning how to piece quilts together while thinking ahead to the next step, but I'm having a blast doing it :)

The last pic shows the true colors, as that shelf is in a corner with poor lighting.

You may recognize the green fabric from my Zim pillow awhile back.

-- iPhone post

Mouse in the House

2010-12-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

Oh Blog, I have a very cute and fluffy excuse why I've been ignoring you. At least for the last couple of weeks, I do =)

Meet the newest furry member of our little family: Mouse

Mouse is a grey-flecked shorthair 4-month-old kitten from the rescue project I've been volunteering with, AFRP. I'm really excited about this organization and what they do, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it.

Lil' monkey in her basket =) You can see how little she is, and her tiny shaved belly from being spayed.

She's adapting very well. I was hoping she'd be a good playmate for Casper, and so far the introductions are going well. Marmalade quietly tolerates her, as she does the other two. Spook doesn't seem too, well, terrified, and they've even sniffed noses a couple times. Casper initially treated her like a toy, and chased her a bunch, (he's over 11lbs now!) but seems to finally be more accepting of her. I even caught him grooming her a couple times :)

That's right, we're a 4-cat household now! The older greys are inside/outside, and so is Marmalade when we're home. She doesn't like the fancy RFID door, so she won't use it even though she wears one of the key tags.

That door is a complete lifesaver. No more waking up at 2, 3, and 4am to chase out raccoons or the odd skunk. Also, it made bringing in a new cat that much easier. Mouse doesn't get a key yet, so she doesn't get to go outside until she's older.

Here's Mouse on the first day I saw her, trying to get a clear shot to take home and show my husband. Fortunately, he didn't need any convincing to come down and meet her ;)

I can't take credit for this caption, as I saw it on I can has cheezburger, but I thought it was just too adorable =)

In crafty news, I have tons of projects going at the moment, and am gearing up for the holidays. I'll try to post sooner next time!

Punkins!

2010-10-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

More adventures with quilting =)

I'm definitely in the mood for autumn.

The pumpkin was fun. I just drew it out and figured out which pieces I would need. Might tweak it a little bit for the next one, but so far I'm happy with it.

I posted the pictures for this mantle (shelf) scarf, and here it is pieced together. I'm pleased with how it turned out, especially since I just planned it as I went along. I'm almost over the Ohio Star design now =)

Of course, I can't sew without my trusty assistants / fabric warmers.

Casper's doing his best to keep the page open for me ;)

Pumpkin Muffins

2010-10-04T22:27:00.001-07:00

I'm so happy it's finally cold enough to feel like autumn, and that means baking time!

Black & white photos are brought to you by it's-too-dark-to-get-a-good-color-balance-on-my-phone. Just imagine a rich pumpkin color and you'd be spot on.

I made 2 1/2 dozen muffins and a heart-shaped mini loaf.

Recipe is from BigOven, Lynn's Pumpkin Bread. As some of the reviewers suggested, I added a bit of allspice, and also ginger. I cut the oil down to 1/2 cup and substituted about 1/4 cup each brown sugar and molasses for 2/3 of the sugar, and added a pinch more baking powder to make sure they wouldn't be dense. That's how I cook, but I made sure to remember this time, just in case it turned out well =)

Verdict: YUM

My Captain Obvious moment: when sprinkling the cinnamon-sugar on top, use a little tiny strainer or a small jar so you don't get any on the tins between muffins. Burnt sugar stinks in the oven! And if it gets into the sides, it makes that poor muffin look horribly burnt.

As my husband said: "Organic muffin liners!"

The stuff in the middle is still just as tasty :)

-- iPhone post

Fall Projects

2010-09-26T17:32:00.001-07:00

I love this time of year... holidays right around the corner, fall scents, spiced everything, and a crisp touch to the air.

Well, right now we're having a bit of a heat wave, but I'll be happier once it cools off.

In the meantime I'm getting my house decorations ready, including these panels for my shelf quilt.
I have a couple quilts in progress and I'm planning more. So far I'm doing smaller projects because I'm still learning just how precise and patient you need to be.

I have a newfound respect for all quilters, including my mother-in-law :)

*sigh* Like I needed a new ~~craft~~ obsession... =)

-- iPhone post

Quilting and Garlic Chicken Pizza

2010-09-19T19:51:00.001-07:00

For my sewing group today, my friend R and I started learning about quilts. I've never done any kind of quilting other than the Tetris wall hanging for my dad, and a little doll blanket as a kid. So I was very excited about it.

We decided to start simple, with squares rather than anything diagonal or fancy.

R had a couple of fascinating fabrics, which contrasted well together. I love how the duck sits in the middle. This is going to be one snazzy cat bed.

I went to the fabric store, which happened to have a sale on fat quarters. I picked up a few to make a fall scarf for our "mantel" (a long narrow shelf which serves the same purpose,) and a few fun blue/grey/green ones just for fun.

Neither of us planned out the finished projects, we just dove in and started learning the basic techniques.

This is a first draft of what I think may turn out to be a lap quilt. I'm planning on putting black narrow strips between them.

For dinner I made pizza from scratch, all with ingredients already in the house (sometimes hard to do when I don't plan ahead.) The crust is from my Fannie Farmer cookbook, with a simple white sauce dressed up with garlic and a few spices, and grilled chicken marinated in worcestershire sauce and spices. Tasty, easy, and quick (aside from the dough rising).

-- iPhone post

Pinned by Cats

2010-09-15T22:05:00.001-07:00

"ok, guys, I WAS about to get up and be useful..."

And, cuteness from Marms, just because :)

Kool-Aid Dye and Voice Recognition

2010-09-15T21:06:00.001-07:00

Trying out a new program I have, an iPhone app called Dragon Dictation and the first two attempts didn't go so well, so we'll make it short and sweet... I give you: Kool-Aid dyeing!

It was a lot more fun and a lot faster than I expected so I'll be scouring my local Safeway for more colors =)

Flavors I used are cherry grape lemon and fruit punch and they still have a light sent, a little bit of a nostalgic feel, like candy.

we'll see how well the color holds up.

the red doesn't show very well in the pictures but it's a very pretty darker and lighter variegated skein.

Clearly this app doesn't like punctuation I don't think it will work very well with various knitting and crochet terms but so far so good!

Maybe this will even encourage me to post more often, ha ha...

Reverse Engineer Crochet

2010-09-05T00:50:00.001-07:00

It's black thread and low lighting but Spook is modeling the start of a doily which I'm making from a motif on a sweater I found at the thrift store.

So far so good, and I think it'll make a nice coaster with the cotton thread.

Spook snuggled on the "pattern," maybe in hopes that I would pet her instead.

The final product. It took just over an hour (including petting breaks.)

-- Posted From My iPhone

S&B This Week

2010-09-04T19:54:00.001-07:00

Here's a little snapshot of our weekly crafty gathering. I still call it a stitch&bitch even though not all of us are stitching :)

C is making the lovely earrings and bracelet, R is knitting natural alpaca baby booties and cap, and I'm making something with blue yarn. I can't show it off yet ;)

We're having a blast and I just wanted to show off our work. I have such talented friends =)

-- Posted From My iPhone

English Muffins, Take 2

2010-08-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

I made the sourdough English muffins again this morning. I doubled the recipe and it made 25. They look prettier than last time, I think, and also got the thumbs up from my husband.

They froze well last time, so I'll repeat that as well. This is definitely going to become a staple around here.

So far its been a great weekend. Even though we've lived here for a year and a half, I'm just now heading out to explore the local farmer's market for the very first time.

And tomorrow I'm putting together a small workshop for beginning sewers on making market bags from old (or new) sheets. Very much looking forward to it =)

-- Posted From My iPhone

Birthday Presents of Fluff and Sugar

2010-08-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

For my friend R's birthday last week, I made her a fluffy scarf from a Patons yarn called "Divine" in Denim Storm. I think it turned out well... I used a shell stitch, and a large hook. I finished it up at our weekly S&B at the coffee shop. Now I'm in a scarf-making mood, and ready for some cold weather!

My friend C's birthday party was last night, and I decided to make her something sweet: mint brownies!

Mmmm, swirly frosting...
Several people asked for the recipe, so without further ado, here it is:

Famous Mint Brownies

They were very easy to make. I kept them in the freezer a little too long, because I didn't pay attention to the time. So I had to thaw them before I could slice through. I started using my ceramic knife, but was concerned that I might break it. So I switched to a metal knife, soaked in warm water in between each slice. That was the way to go.

Definitely not low calorie.. make sure you have enough butter on hand! I doubled it and made two glass pans =D

I also made another batch of the mini apple pies that I did for 4th of July. I was really hoping to post the recipe here, but it's not ready yet... I made so many modifications to it yesterday that I don't know how I'd write it out. But, after another test batch or two I hope to have an actual recipe to give.

Tiny Pies on Fourth of July

2010-07-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

On the 4th of July (I know, really behind on posting this!) we went to a friend's BBQ and I wanted to bring something festive.

Something apple pie... I thought about an apple cookie with frosting, but then my husband came up with this idea. He said: "Why not make them like those little quiches?"

So I did!

I used a standard apple pie recipe with a couple tweaks, including adding applesauce, and put the whole thing in a sauce pan to simmer for an hour or so. The little tiny crusts don't take as long to bake, and I wanted to make sure we got the true apple pie consistency.

I cut out little tiny stars and put them on top. Aren't they adorable?

I started out using the mini tins, just the size of those little quiches. But as I was running out of time, I started using standard tins, so they'd be wider and flatter. Those are in the foreground below, and I think they turned out better in the end.

Definitely want to try this again. Maybe pumpkin next time...

At the BBQ I had brought some yarn to crochet by the fireside. As I was standing around talking, I realized it was getting chilly, being by the coast, and that my beer was uncomfortable to hold. Somebody joked that I should crochet myself a beer cozy.

Not to back down on a challenge, I made this in just a few minutes, standing and chatting with folks.

Much better =)

And for the kitty cuteness, here's a rare photo of all three cats together. Casper is on my lap (taking up the entire thing,) Spook is chilling out on the arm of the couch (pretending the other two aren't there,) and Marmalade is lounging on her corner perch where she likes to survey the whole room.

Apply Sharpen Filter

2010-07-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

On the left is a coffee cozy that I've used for a year or so. I wanted to make sure I still remembered the pattern so I made another this evening.

Between the slightly fuzzy wear on the yarn, the worsted vs. homespun trim, and a different dye lot for the oatmeal, it looks like somebody applied a sharpen filter.

I like it, and I'm glad that I still remember how to make the little hearts <3

For the kitty cuteness, Spook posed for this lovely glamour shot...

Hah, low light and a poor camera, but I still like it :)

-- Posted From My iPhone

Beatrice Start

2010-07-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

I started making the Beatrice shrug from Berroco with a dark teal who's previous project got scrapped. I thought I'd document the WIP. I'm very excited about the dolman sleeves, and I could see this being a very useful design.

If it turns out well, I'll try another with the nicer yarn and do the stripes. So far I'm very pleased with it, I just wish the iPhone would capture the color correctly...

Here is the pattern

I have to say, this pattern reads a lot more complicated than I would've thought. But now that I have the sequence down, it's not so bad.

And here's some cuteness. It was pointed out that I post more pictures of Casper than the other two, so here's Marms using her cat mat from the east coast. This is rare because she usually prefers a piece of paper to any fancy cat bed I've given her =)

Photo Sets

2010-06-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

My photo-a-day attempt didn't work for a couple of reasons. Mainly, I'd get so busy that at the end of the day I'd realize I hadn't taken my photo yet, and then the available lighting options were less than ideal.

So I decided to mix it up a little, and do groups of themed pictures which span a few days or a week.

The first one is "Sky"

These are from last week, with the exception of the sunrise over my house, which was taken in January.

Crocheting in the Air

2010-06-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

Well that was a one-skein flight! On the first leg of our trip home, about 5 hours long, I made a bottle carrier, a coffee cozy (which I re-worked 3 times, for one reason or another,) and a set of four coasters.

I used nearly all of my skein, and I love this yarn! I've never used it before. It's Berroco's "Comfort," an acrylic/nylon (lightweight) worsted weight yarn. Feels very nice to work with, more like cotton than acrylic.

Ok, off on the second leg! This is blogging on the run :)

-- Posted From My iPhone

Sox!

2010-06-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

A water bottle tote in Berroco Sox? Yes, please!

This will look fabulous with my tall stainless steel bottle.

My supervisor changed shifts, and Rumpus approves of the work so far.

Brown Shawl and Gloves

2010-06-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

I'm absolutely thrilled with this fingerless gloves pattern:

http://www.crochetme.com/media/p/90002.aspx

I love the thumb shaping. It's so simple, but it's brilliant!

I modified it a little since I had a different sized yarn and hook. It's Lion's Fisherman's wool and will match the "everyday" shawl I'm making myself in my favorite shawl pattern.

They work up very fast, especially if you have a helper cat.

This is Quartz, supervising and providing quality control.

Mother's Day Shadowbox

2010-06-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

I made this for my mother-in-law. I got the idea from a 4-square box with the hat, fence, and a tiny glove that I saw in a local German restaurant. I had a blast putting it together and intend to try other variations.

I knit the tiny swatch, where I discovered that bamboo skewers are very rough to work with.

Right now we're on the east coast visiting my husband's parents, and taking the first more-than-weekend vacation since our honeymoon two years ago.

So relaxing :)

Cinnamon Roll Cookies and Easter Lilies

2010-05-17T23:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been over a month! Sometimes life gets too busy to sit down and write about it. Here are a couple sites I wanted to share.

Sugar Cookie Cinnamon Rolls that look absolutely fabulous. I haven't tried them yet, but I think I will have to sometime this summer.

Those of you with toddlers will appreciate this article on modifying girls' clothes. Some very cute ideas in there...

And finally, I've been busy with photography work, both personally and professionally. I've been meaning to start up a photo-a-day set on Flickr, but never seem to get around to it... My (weak) excuse was that it should be started on January 1st.

Bah! Forget tradition, here's my first photo

And here is the daily photo set, just in case it should actually prove interesting.

Thoughts on Bread

2010-03-25T14:20:00.001-07:00

As I munched my breakfast of PB&J this morning I thought about the bread I've been making. So far it's OK, but not excellent, and I still want to improve the texture.

When the loaf rises, it gets easily to a good plump size, and then I bake it. But it's still fairly dense inside. I'm sure there are other things I could do to work towards a lighter loaf, but one thought is that it's possible the recipe could make more than just one loaf. (The recipe actually says to put it on a flat surface to make a round, but I'm the one that is changing it to a loaf shape

So I think I'll try getting a second pan (then I can experiment with metal vs. glass also) and let the dough rise longer, to see if that helps. Perhaps confining it to too small of a space is the problem.

Maybe it's like people: If you put yourself in too small of a box, you limit yourself and can't realize your full potential.

Also, hello 100th post!

English Muffins

2010-03-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend I made sourdough bread and realized that my starter is getting pretty big. I also decided that since it's going to be around awhile, it needs a name. Betty. Thrifty and useful, just like my starter. Betty has a large home, but I don't like to have the starter get out of hand. I didn't bake last week, and I didn't throw any out, so she was getting a little uppity.

I thought I'd be adventurous, and made sourdough English muffins last night/this morning.

There must be a reason this recipe came up #3 on a Google search: YUM

They were easy to make, too. I don't have a biscuit cutter, but a plastic cup (thin edge) worked just fine. I was worried that I rolled mine too thin, but they turned out just fine. I think if they were too thick they wouldn't cook evenly.

Also, the second side cooked much faster than the first. I was going by the timer and almost burned them!

Straight off the griddle they needed no toasting, but when I snacked on one later they only improved with toasting. Definitely going to hang on to that recipe.

They're partially whole wheat, and I've also started feeding Betty whole wheat to mix it up a little bit (also I was out of white flour at the time.) I don't know if that's by-the-sourdough-book, but then it wasn't that way from Betty's Amish-bread beginnings...

Tonight I started something else new: ginger ale! I can't wait to try it =)

Sourdough English Muffins
Makes about 12

1/2 C starter
1 C milk
2-3/4 C flour - adjust as needed for consistency of your starter
1 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Semolina or cornmeal, for dusting

Combine starter, 2 cups of flour, and milk in a large bowl. Stir to combine, cover with plastic wrap, and leave out for 8 hours or overnight.

After the overnight rest, add remaining flour, sugar, salt and baking soda and mix well. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes. Roll out to 3/4" and cut with a biscuit cutter into rounds. You can reroll the scraps, but you may need to let the dough rest before cutting more muffins from them. Place muffins on a piece of parchment dusted with semolina or cornmeal and let rest for 45 minutes.

Spray griddle or skillet lightly with spray oil. Heat to medium and cook muffins for about 6-8 minutes on each side, or until browned on the top and bottom and cooked through. These have great griddle spring and rise quite a bit during the "baking".

Split with a fork and enjoy!

Bags for Market

2010-03-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

I've been focused on making market bags lately. There are a couple color schemes floating around in my head, and eventually I want to get them up on my shop. However, this one I'm keeping for myself.

I seem to be drawn more to bright colors when I'm not feeling well. This one just feels so cheery, like it could be going to the beach just as well as the grocery store... And it's mostly reversible, but I like this little hint of stripes.

On my fabric shelves there is this large (but dwindling) stash of dark denim that I purchased for the lining of the cat bed couch I made a couple years back.

The arms and the "cushion" part each open up and are removable, so the cover is fully washable. I also intend to make a holiday cover for it, with red or green plaid and a hint of shiny, with matching catnip pillows.

But I'm getting off subject.

I bought too much of the denim, and so I've been using it for various projects. I have some of it lining a w.i.p. corset-like bodice with fuchsia satin, and I'll finish it if I ever find my favorite grommet tool...

Wait, I was talking about market bags! So I've been using this denim, since it's nice and heavy, if rather dull. The first time I tried putting designs on it, I laboriously cut out fancy designs from freezer paper, ironed them on, and sprayed bleach around them. Unfortunately the bleach solution wasn't strong enough, and didn't remove enough color.

I'm glad I didn't go with my first impulse to spend hours cutting out Celtic knots!

I grabbed a bleach pen and scribbled around the designs. It has words like Wholesome, Fresh, and Grow, along with hearts, stars and spirals.

That worked, but it came out really bold and slightly childish. I do want to give the freezer paper stencil another try.

Last night I had the brilliant idea to try a tie-dye technique with the bleach...

The jury's still out on this one. Again I had a hard time controlling the bleach strength, and I would've liked more variation.

I have two more ready to sew, as I didn't want to waste the washer space while bleaching them. Also, I'm still figuring out how to get ALL the bleach smell out... tried rinsing in vinegar, but it may just take time.

Meanwhile, the denim's almost gone, so it's time to turn to other fabric anyhow.

And I thought I wouldn't have much to post about today!

Welcome, Spring

2010-03-20T18:24:00.001-07:00

The weather's been so beautiful these past couple days. As someone recently told me, "It's too nice out to be sick!"

I agree, but I still haven't shaken this darned cold. In fact, I'm missing out on a friend's birthday party tonight. To console myself, I made some no-bake cookies.

My batch doesn't look very pretty, that's for sure :)

I found these over at Nutmeg Nanny. They are delicious and very easy. I'd never made this type of cookie before. They taste like peanut butter fudge, and I must say I didn't wait for them to cool before sampling one or two...

In other springtime news, the strawberry plants I thought I'd killed with neglect are loving their new pot. In fact, they started blooming again!

Sunny Apron

2010-03-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a friend's bridal shower, so I decided to make her a cute little apron.

I used McCalls 5997 Pattern view A, and modified the pockets, added trim to them and eliminated the rick-rack on top. I also extended the ties and attached them just like a waistband.

I think view C on that pattern could also be very cute.

Bread and Apple Pie

2010-02-28T21:52:00.000-08:00

I've been a little under the weather for the last few days with a cold, so I've felt like I'm running at half-power. Needless to say I didn't get all my projects done this weekend (do I ever?) but we did sit down with the seed catalog and pick out some vegetables to order. I also made more of the newspaper seed pots, but we're going to need a LOT more... The pattern is from eHow, and I cut down the layers by only using one sheet of our smaller local paper, and also I don't have to cut anything off.

Last week was a co-worker's birthday, and so I thought I'd make an apple pie for her. Cook's had a recipe that intrigued me, with a crust included. I used shortening instead of lard, and it turned out lovely. For the filling I did the variation at the bottom, and lowered the sugar (by request) and I think it turned out well. I used mostly Granny Smith, with Braeburn, Honeycrisp, and one I think Fuji. Definitely a recipe to keep on my shelf.

I usually do lattice tops on apple pies, but this time I decided to do something different- Stars!

I made sourdough bread today, with mostly white flour, but added 1/2 cup oatmeal and about 3/4 cup ground brown rice. The rice isn't super-fine, so it actually adds a bit of crunch to the bread. I thought I'd have to grind up the oatmeal, but it turned out just fine (I used what I had on hand, quick oats.)

The risings had some help from our wi-fi station. I've started putting the bread in my husband's office to rise, since it's so warm with his computer. Then I realized that the airport box was really the warmest, and so we put a few spacers on it and set the bowl right on top! Brilliant!

It got the thumbs up, can-I-have-another-slice from my husband, which is a pretty high rating. I think this is the best loaf so far, definitely lighter than the others.

Now I'm finishing up my last project for the weekend, which is cataloging the contents of our pantry. I get so frustrated when I can't keep track of the expiration dates and end up throwing food out.

So I'm making a spread sheet with all the items on it, and I'll print out one copy sorted by expiration date, and the other sorted by type. I'll keep notes in the margin, and revise it as needed. We'll see how it goes... I'm optimistic =)

Gardening

2010-02-22T11:23:00.001-08:00

What do you get when you mix gardening, recycling and origami?

Newspaper seed pots!

These are holding some more fruit seedlings, most likely apple. At least I marked one in the fridge, so I know it's a honeycrisp. The others will be a mystery!

I'm going to start making more for our vegetable garden soon. There are several different tutorials for making these, and when I find the link again I'll post it.

In other news, my apple tree is 1 year old this weekend! It's now living outdoors as long as we don't freeze.

It also has new friends in three Bosc pear seedlings.

< disclaimer >
These fruit seedlings are not being grown to full size for bearing fruit. The best way to propagate fruit trees is by grafting, I believe. This is a fun experiment, which I will likely train as bonsai in a few years.
< / disclaimer >

Just had to add that :)

Maybe in our grand landscaping plan we'll find room for a few more standard fruit trees. My orange is limping along, but it needs a fence so that the deer don't keep snacking on it.

The Continuing Sourdough Saga

2010-01-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

Here's where I stop counting the loaves... That last one was very tasty by the way. It was a tad under done, but made a fabulous toast.

Now I want to start making it more than white bread, but not ready for whole wheat starter yet (maybe someday.) The coarse ground mini-loaf was ok but not perfect. It was tasty when cut into cubes and served with artichoke dip.

Now I'm trying a loaf with only 1/4 cup ww, ground in the blender again, but to a finer texture. So far it's a lovely dough, and seems to be rising well.

Maybe some day I'll be able to replace our $4.50/loaf grocery store multi-grain.

Since I'll be baking nearly weekly, there are a couple more thing I want to try.

- Sprouted wheat / other grains
- Multi-grain flour (look into a mill!)
- A small amount of grape nuts, soaked in milk first (I like muffins made this way)
- Brown rice ground into flour?

-- Posted From My iPhone

Crochet by Candle Light

2010-01-19T20:40:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday the storm took out our power. We had breakfast by candle light, and it was still out when we came home, but it came back on at around 10. So far it hasn't gone out again, but it's still stormy.

Fortunately I had a project I could almost do in the dark, but a little backlighting was nice :)

The lightning and thunder were spectacular that morning! Being in a little valley, we could really hear the close ones rumble.

-- Posted From My iPhone

Sourdough Gets Better

2010-01-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

First off, I saw not one but two gorgeous sunsets tonight. One I captured in town with my iPhone, wishing I'd had my slr on me. After it went grey I headed up the mountain and got to see the rest of it, which was just as stunning, but with more gold than pink.

I was given an Amish Friendship Bread starter before Christmas. Never having had one before, I did a little research. Long story short, I just cannot get past the instant pudding mix, nor the _cup_ of oil.

Not trying to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I decided to try something else. I fed it like sourdough for awhile, and then started baking. I've made pancakes that were pretty tasty (imho.)

The first loaf was tasty, and rose well in a glass loaf pan. However, it wasn't very sour, more like traditional white bread. The second loaf I tried flat on a pan, and didn't give it enough time for a second rise, so it's not very tall. But it's tasty, and finally has the distinct sourdough flavor.

In the backround is loaf 2, and in my hand is a small third loaf. I made it half whole wheat, ground in my blender. It's very coarse, maybe too much so. I may be looking for a small wheat grinder soon....

Here's hoping it bakes well!

After I get this kitten off my lap, I can go finish my chores for the evening =)

-- Posted From My iPhone

Me vs. The Ironing Board

2010-01-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all the positive comments so far! I'm so glad this has been helpful for so many people.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I've been busy, and haven't sat down to post in ages. Tonight, though, I want to tell about how I conquered my ironing board.

Before I get to that, look at my surprise super awesome present from my husband! I am now the proud owner of a Canon Rebel T1i.

I've been wanting my own digital SLR for ages. Expect good pictures now ;)

On to the ironing board. It's been stuck in the "up" position for the better part of a year, when the lever came out. I did a little searching online, because I couldn't see immediately how to put it back in, and got frustrated with the results. The "hire someone," and "just buy a new one (several times if needed)" attitude was a little irritating. Not to mention wasteful in the second case. It turns out it's not that difficult, it was just hard to see the mechanism!

If you just need to see where the lever goes, look at the last picture.

Otherwise here is an illustrated guide to replacing the lever in an ironing board.

This is what it looked like when the board was stuck open. You can see the metal plate covering the horizontal beam, making it hard to see anything except the vertical rod which has notches on the top (from use)

This is what the mechanism looks like, once it's been collapsed slightly. You can see the ratchet design, the plate with a spring underneath. The plate has an oval opening with the spring pushing it up, but when you press in the direction of the arrow, it becomes a circle, allowing it to move. This is why it will open but not close, in this case.

Here is a shot looking at the open board again. The arrow points to that same plate, which needs to be pushed toward the flat end of the ironing board with a screwdriver (or the original lever, which worked for me)

Once you get it open, here is where the lever gets put back. The dotted line shows the lever behind that horizontal bar.

This is how I made sure the lever wasn't going to fall out again. I think the small tab to the left of my pliers was supposed to hold it in place, but with both of them covering the lever, it should stay in place.

Action shot!

Hopefully this helps others with the same problem.

And hooray for not wasting $15 and not creating extra waste!

New Leaves and Merry Christmas

2009-12-15T09:21:00.001-08:00

My apple sapling is doing great! (History here)

It's got new growth, check it out:

And here's a Merry Christmas from a sleepy Casper.

Awwww....

Quick 'n Dirty Mittens

2009-12-12T13:57:00.001-08:00

Take 2...

I had this written out a couple days ago but the app crashed, so I'm just now getting around to a retry.

I was reminded of the mitts I made for a co-worker last year, and thought: "I want a pair of those!" I'm not always very patient, so I stitched these up that very evening.

The idea was to not only be quick, but also to do it in one piece, as I dislike ending and starting new yarn when not needed.

I like them, but they're super bulky.

Version two is in the works, in a heathered lilac wool. Definitely more wearable. I like the sapphire, but it doesn't match much of what I wear other than my ring :)

Then I'll post the "pattern"

-- Posted From My iPhone

Yarn and Fabric Sorting

2009-11-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I started organizing the craft room, which is long overdue. The two main components in there are yarn and fabric. The yarn towers were doing OK, but besides from being near capacity, they didn't lend themselves to sorting.

Plus I kept going back and forth on HOW to sort the yarn- color, weight, fiber? I finally settled on color sorting exclusively, with an exception for the thread, the baby yarn, and the fun fur. I also switched it to the cubes I we got at Costco for the linen "closet" at the old house. The result is much more pleasing.

And I have more room in the cubes! The clothes pins have little numbers written on them, to tell me how many skeins I have stored behind them. I decided to treat it like a store front and try to have unique yarns at the front, and duplicates behind them, out of sight. I love it :)

It's a lot of yarn, I know... But now that I can SEE it, I know what I have, and I can start using it first, before I run to Michaels to buy more. This collection is from the last decade, plus some even older than that.

While I was sorting the fabrics into the wire bins, Casper decided it would be a great place for a nap.

He's so full of energy, it's hard to get a photo of him on my phone, unless he's asleep. So here's another.

Isn't he a cutie?

I know it's dark, so I had to touch up the exposure, but I couldn't resist, as he was being too adorable!

Thanksgiving, and New Family Member

2009-11-26T00:05:00.001-08:00

This year I'm sharing the cooking of Thanksgiving with a friend. I'm in charge of the deserts, and here's a preview of a favorite I made at my 'first' Thanksgiving dinner 3 years ago.

It's a chocolate pecan espresso pie. Yum!

In other news, we have a new 4-legged furry kid in the house.

The little cuteness himself, Casper:

He's a 5-month-old rescue with long grey fur, white boots and a white chest and chin.

The girls haven't accepted him yet, but that's not much of a surprise since he only came home on Sunday. He's quite adorable and violently friendly, as my husband aptly puts it. It's hard to get a decent picture of him, as he keeps moving around and loves to investigate whatever you may have in your hand.

Here's a picture of Spook and Marmalade from a few months ago, as they pretend to get along.

-- Posted From My iPhone

The Zim Pillow

2009-11-01T19:18:00.000-08:00

Here's a long-overdue post about the pillow I made for my little brother. I started designing this thing about a year ago, and finally finished it in time for his birthday this summer.

If you're unfamiliar with Invader Zim, this little music video will help. Maybe.

Lots of fun to cross stitch, which I don't normally do. Also haven't made pillows in awhile... Definitely had fun picking out the fabric colors, and got a big grin from the fabric store clerk when I described what it was for.

Z!

The Gir detail is a little lost in the picture, unfortunately. The eyes really are blue.

It'd be fun to crochet a Gir toy. Hmm...

Pin, pin, pin...

Frosty v1.0

2009-10-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

But I'm not ready for winter/Christmas!

I know, but innt he cute??

=D

This is my first snowman, about 8 inches high. The next one will have a better nose (no it's not a beak!), a top hat, and stick arms.

Pumpkins and Candy, oh my!

2009-10-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

Been busy as usual, finally started making some fall/Halloween things, as well as starting in on Christmas stuff. (I know, trying to get ahead! And maybe even post things to my store)

The candy corn was a late night spur-of-the-moment idea. I didn't have the perfect colors, and even put them out if order! So that model became an ice cream cone thingy with a smiley face.

Model 2 is much better.

Apologies for the coffee shop lighting =)

Showers of Showers

2009-10-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well I guess "two" doesn't really count as a "shower," but anyway... Last week I went to a bridal shower for my soon-to-be sister-in-law, and helped put together a baby shower.

I didn't have too much notice for the bridal shower, but I made up a denim blue batwing shawl from my favorite pattern.

I guess I'm not as unpredictable as I might think. She opened the shawl, looked at me and said "This is from Kristen, isn't it?" =)

A friend is having a baby girl pretty soon, so we threw her a shower on Sunday. I made little pink and white coffee sweaters for favors, three of each design.

Then I wrapped them in tulle, and tied them up with pink yarn, as I didn't have any ribbon handy. I think they came out pretty well.

The hostess, who is a fabulous chef, made brunch with mushroom empanadas, two different kinds of frittata, and apple pie with caramel sauce for dessert.

I made lemon-chamomile shortbread, and maple-pecan oatmeal scones, both from Ezra Pound Cake. Here's a shot of the lovely table decorations, with the shortbread. And yes, it really is dangerously easy. I took the chamomile from a tea bag, and ground it up a little more in my morter and pestel.

I've been working on a couple gifts for the baby and the mama. Here's my friend C, modeling the scarf right after I finished it at our coffee night. She wanted to keep it, so I might just have to make another one :) It's this pattern in a bamboo yarn. So very soft! (you may have to sign up with Lion Yarn to see the pattern.)

Here's mom-to-be modeling the baby's lion terrycloth wrap. Really, it's more for a toddler than an infant. She can look forward to using it to make bathtime fun :)

And then I made a little lion toy to go with the wrap.

He's kind of permanently waving...

"bye!"

Black Fiberfill

2009-09-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, I guess my source for black fiberfill had dried up. I'm just as sad as you. I've had a couple people email me asking where they can get the stuff, but it seems that the only company I knew of is now out of business.

I'd suggest you check with your local fabric / hobby stores to see if they have any leads. The company I had posted about was for ethnic doll supplies. I also had seen small quantities sold as filler for model train sets.

All I can say is that I wish I had ordered more. I have no more information :(

If anybody runs across a new source, please let me know.

Welcome Autumn!

2009-09-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

Just a day late =)

Meanwhile, Here's a Panda

2009-09-22T22:26:00.001-07:00

It's not bamboo, rather a sweet potato surprise plant, currently living in a mug. Maybe it'll stick around longer than my purple potato, which was snacked on by deer.

Yes, the panda has crazy eyes. I think the recipient will be amused.

-- Posted From My iPhone

Finished

2009-09-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

Pssst, check it out. I have a new tag for finished projects. Mostly crochet stuff.

Labor Day Weekend 09

2009-09-08T20:31:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a great long weekend. I know I did :)

I'd feel more accomplished if I had actually finished the kitchen cabinets. However, I did finish a couple other projects, so that made me happy. I made a roast chicken at the beginning of the weekend. Sunday I shredded the remaining chicken and made enchiladas, 2 1/2 dishes worth of them. Fortunately we had friends over to help us eat them. I got a little over-excited when buying the mega pack of tortillas, however. What was I to do with 16 extra tortillas?

Homemade frozen burritos, that's what!

Yum, they look good enough to eat now...

I threw in some refried beans (on sale!) cooked up some rice spiced with enchilada sauce, and topped it with cheese. Well wrapped in saran wrap, into the freezer they went, saved for a rainy day. (Or just a day that I don't feel like preparing lunches)

I was craving cinnamon rolls, so I pulled out my Fannie Farmer book to get a recipe. I didn't read far enough ahead, and discovered halfway into them that they weren't the same type that I'm used to. I improvised anyhow, and they came out alright. Still, I can think of ways to improve them next time.

I've been wanting to cook with whole wheat, but I don't have a mill yet. I read somewhere that you can grind it in the blender, so I tried that. It worked! It wasn't super-fine, but it was ok to cook with. I made the cinnamon rolls about 1/4 whole wheat to not make them too heavy.

I'll wrap up with some kitty cuteness =)

Marms, always moving and difficult to photograph.

Spook, blending in with the plants and yoga mats.

Bat Wings!

2009-09-05T23:36:00.001-07:00

I finished a project tonight! This is a bat wing shawl for my friend's birthday. I actually gave her an IOU since I knew I was buried with other projects at that time.

I've been playing around with the PhotoForge app on my phone, and got unexpected (but fun) results this time.

Voilà!

-- Posted From My iPhone

Kitty-Approved Mitts

2009-09-02T23:48:00.001-07:00

I got this fun stripey yarn the other day, for some basic crocheting mitts, for those chilly evenings hanging out on the porch or at a coffee shop patio.

It also came in bright reds, but I thought this tweed would be more versatile.

I started them this evening at Pergs and finished a whole one!

Here it is, quick and dirty. I gotta finish the other one tomorrow or I'll have to re-count all my rows :)

edit: Finished them! See the colors better in the daylight :)

Sunsets and Shawls

2009-08-27T23:31:00.001-07:00

I taught my friend C how to crochet tonight. It was so much fun! And she picked it up fast, which was awesome. I tried it right-handed to show her, which felt like I was learning all over again :)

The sky was gorgeous tonight so I snapped a picture from my phone.

I'm really getting into this shawl pattern:

http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/donisfuff/croshawl.html

I have a couple going right now, and the picture above is an extreme example of yarn sizes. The little one is sock(ish) weight with a 4mm hook and the blue is chunky with a 10mm hook. Both have nearly the same amount of work to them so far.

If the formatting looks funky it's because I'm posting from my phone. And I should be sleeping, which is what I think I'll do now =)

Links!

2009-08-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

Here are a few interesting things I found this morning. Enjoy!

A pretty way to cast on knitting. With a picot edge!

Crocheted roses. These look easy enough to make.

An owl sweater. Love this one.

A circular needle holder. I don't have that many needles, but this looks handy.

And lastly, diamond fingerless mitts. These would satisfy my curiosity in knitting, with a small project! Though my knit shawl is coming along nicely as well, and I may even get to wear it this autumn. I'll definitely add these to my list.

Painting Cabinet Doors, round 2

2009-08-25T20:36:00.001-07:00

Going for the second coat of primer, with some help from Spook. Water-based from here on, so I can stand doing it indoors.

Paint and more paint

2009-08-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

What have I been up to?

Lots! I have about 5 shawls in progress right now. I've also made up a short list of crochet projects I absolutely must finish before I start any new ones, and am slowly getting through them.

I like having several projects going, but sometimes it gets out of hand.

This week I finished some belated birthday gifts from the Creepy Cute book by the talented Christen Haden.

This weekend it's been all about the kitchen. When we first moved in and painted the house, I picked out the wrong color for the kitchen... it was a light grey (barely blue, mostly white) I wanted a good solid blue-grey with white trim.

So Friday I re-painted the walls, and yesterday and today were dedicated to the cabinets, which started out as icky yellowing stained wood with brown accents.

Before:

And almost after.

Cabinet doors with primer, laid out on tuna cans to dry:

Once the kitchen's done (this round) I'll post true "before" and "after" pics. For now, break's over! I'm going back upstairs to put on another coat of paint.

Back Home

2009-07-31T22:47:00.001-07:00

We just took a 6-day vacation to go out east and visit family, which was quite enjoyable.

I actually ran out of yarn... I underestimated how fast I'd work through this stuff. My mother-in-law knew right where the local Michael's was, however, and solved that =)

My summer project (one of) is coaster sets. I made 26 coasters on the trip, some of which are below. Spook looks absolutely delighted, I know. It's because I'm not paying attention to her ;) the yarn is cotton, and these are headed to my shop at some point.

Underneath those is my "me" project. I feel delightfully indulgent making something that I'll keep for myself. This is a lightweight shawl to keep at the office when the AC is too high. This one is acrylic, and next I'll make a winter one in wool. I made half of it on the trip, and that's also because I ran out of yarn.

I'm posting this from my iPhone as my main hard drive is in the process of being replaced. The other night I was about to upload this when it went kaput. Hopefully I'll be back up and running soon

Blooming and Custom Crafts

2009-07-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud of this little african violet. It's the first time it's bloomed since I got it, oh, a couple years ago. I didn't realize that it just wasn't getting enough sun. Now it's happy =)

I've done a couple custom items for people lately. I had some orphan coasters left over from my sets, and I gave them out at the office. One of the ladies asked if I could make her two seafoam coasters, so I came up with these. They're 50/50 cotton and acrylic, and I think they turned out very well.

Then my friend C requested these water bottle totes. They're carrot orange and leaf green. The lighting is a little poor, but you get the idea. I like the one on the right, because it's like a pumpkin!

Also a little plug for our coffee shop hangout. Or at least one of them =)

Birthday

2009-07-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

Last week was my birthday, and so I made myself a Strawberry Shortcake Cake from the Pioneer Woman Cooks (love that blog!) I made a couple modifications, mainly because I was in a hurry. I didn't have a deep enough pan. I put it in two pans and forked the cake layers before pouring the strawberries over them. It was tasty!

Also, our friends gave us homemade ice cream. Yum! They made my favorite flavors, mint chocolate chip, and chocolate. Which I can honestly say are the best of each flavor I've ever had.

My husband gave me this gorgeous mask, which I'm hanging in the craft room. I love the peacock!

My calla lilies are finally blooming. They add a nice pink touch to the front yard.

July 4th was nice and mellow. We hung out with some friends, and walked down to the beach. It wasn't too crowded, but still it was nice to be away from tourists for the most part.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2009-06-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

One year ago today we said "I do" and became husband and wife.

Just like last year, we hopped on our bikes and headed north. This time it was just a weekend trip, almost 300 miles.

Looking forward to many more anniversaries! =)

Flowers

2009-06-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

The buddleia is going crazy right now. I was quite pleased to have my very first bouquet of fresh cut flowers from my garden.

For Christmas, my husband's parents had given our kitties these cute little pouches of catnip with mice painted on the side. Both cats loved them, and I'd occasionally find them quite chewed and drooled on.

But this was the scene last night, minus Marms, who just wanted her dinner.

See the look of disappointment on her face? "Aww someone destroyed my toy!"

I'm pretty sure our cats didn't do it, however we know for a fact that at least two neighbor cats are helping themselves to the dry food. Makes me wonder if raccoons are affected by catnip...

Time to look seriously into that RFID cat door.

PS- that neon green has an explanation. We got that cute white "dead mouse" pillow at Ikea, but every time the cats step on it, it slid out from under their paws. Voila a veggie drawer liner to be a non-skid surface!

Busy Busy!

2009-06-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

I'm going to start scheduling myself to post at least once a week. I have so many projects going on right now. I put a couple water bottle totes up on my shop. I've been really enjoying making those, especially as they're relatively quick and small. I also have a purse in the works, in the same net style. It needs to be lined and then it will be in my shop as well.

My roses just bloomed! Here it is partially opened from a few days ago, but now the two roses on the bush are just huge, easily 5 inches across, maybe six.

They're a little brighter than I had wanted, and the scent is not very strong. But I have red roses, and that makes me happy.

Wow, I did not see that spider in person. Good thing I didn't go in for a real close-up :)

On the baking front, I tried this awesome Raspberry Buttermilk Cake, with blueberries. I will definitely be making it again. I had to take it to my office so the two of us wouldn't eat the whole thing. Next time I think I'll follow the directions more carefully and put it in a cake pan, not the first thing I grabbed, which was a pie pan.

I started my Christmas shopping this weekend! Or rather, materials for the presents. We're only halfway through the year, but I have three gifts planned out and partially shopped for. Maybe I'll be finished on time this year!

Mother's Day

2009-05-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

First of all, I had a happy not-quite-surprise this evening. Ok, well it snuck up on me anyway. When we first bought our place in January there were these two HUGE bushes out back. They were way overgrown, and it took me two long trimming sessions to just get off the dead wood and do a little shaping.

I was hoping they were buddleia bushes, but I wasn't quite sure. I read that you really should do a severe pruning on them in spring, but these guys were well over 10 feet high. Also, they weren't looking too healthy. I thought I'd prune more aggressively next year. So I did the best I could, and hoped for blossoms.

I forgot to check them over the last few days, and happened to glance out the window tonight. Buddleia it is!

Yay!

As usual with any outdoor work, I had Supervisor Spook and Overseer Marmalade.

Another happy surprise: we have grapes! Or at least we will someday, hopefully. They're getting a little out of hand at the moment. I think I'll build a little trellis between the railing and the neighbor's fence. There's another vine already trained on top of the fence.

For Mother's Day this year I made a set of fingerless mitts to match the shawls I made for Christmas. They're both original patterns.

For my Mom's, I ran into the Solitary Sock problem. I made one, and was really happy with how it turned out, but then I set it aside to work on other projects. By the time I came back to the second, I didn't even know what size hook I'd used. On the bright side, the second one turned out looser, so it was just a matter of going down a hook size and re-working part of it.

I hear this happens when people make socks... That's why I'm intrigued by the concept of knitting two socks at once. Too bad it doesn't really work with crochet, other than holding two skeins. Which is not a bad idea, really.

Mario

2009-05-30T12:05:00.001-07:00

Here's a project a few years in the making. At least, the design was rolling around in my head for that long. Every once in awhile I'd think again: "I really want to make that Mario blanket!"

The recipient was obvious. When I was little, I remember my older brother B always on the NES. I got to play every now and then, but mostly I just got to watch. Not long after this Exciting game console came around, my oldest brother S decided to take it apart to see how it all worked (not surprisingly.) Unfortunately, when all the pieces went together, it no longer played any sound. Mario and Luigi had no theme music or action sounds for all their hopping around and smashing Goombas. Our parents pointed out that it could be sent away to be repaired, but B would have none of that! So, silent Mario it was.

I started the bricks a little over a month before my brother's birthday. I finished in time, but just barely.

Here's an action shot, where I'm just starting in on the question box.

I first pieced together the tube, attached it to the ground, and then filled in the sky.

I thought three coins were appropriate, one for each decade =)

I sewed on the coins and box each on one side only, so it wouldn't be too thick in those places.

I "climbed out" of the tube several times. I thought a life-size tube was awesome, and other people seemed to find it hilarious =)

Here he is all wrapped up and ready to go.

Awww it made a heart!

The finished product!

Here's B posing with his new blanket.

I got a tremendously awesome response from friends who saw the blanket in progress.

Happy Birthday, bro! I had a ton of fun making this, and I hope you enjoy it :)

Fire Poi

2009-05-14T22:46:00.001-07:00

I've realized that there simply isn't enough time to focus on all my projects/hobbies/interests at the same time. Therefore, they tend to drift in and out. Poi is something that's been out for a little too long, but I'm starting up again. I ordered a new set of fire heads and they just arrived today. I'm so excited!

This is the first time I've tried the Cathedral style of wick, which are supposed to burn more efficiently and bigger than my previous wrapped ones. I went to my favorite site, Home Of Poi to order them, and I tried not to get too distracted by all the yummy new toys they've added since I last looked...

I just need to get some kerosene and hit the beach! But until I do, here are a couple older images, from about 5-6 years ago. The quality was low, and that's why they're tiny. Maybe next time I'll get some better pictures and longer exposures.

Ok, so one of them isn't fire. That was the first time I played around with my multi-color LED Sauce sticks. They have since cracked, but they were tons of fun while they lasted.

Purple Potatoes

2009-05-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

Awhile ago I picked up some purple potatoes at our local market. They sat in my cupboard for a bit too long, and had unusual spidery-looking eyes all over them.

The insides were marbled and definitely purple. After they were cooked and mashed they turned greyish-blue, but otherwise tasted like normal mashed potatoes. Since the eyes looked so cool, I thought I'd cut one end off and plant it.

Now I wish I'd planted more!

It's growing fantastically in the front yard. Later I'll have my own purple potatoes =)

Moral of the story: Don't throw away good-looking potatoes that are already starting to grow.

Also, my mom and brothers brought us some little blueberry plants. I'm looking forward to harvesting our own blueberries!

The Big Christmas Post of 2008

2009-04-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd never get around to posting these, but here we are in the middle of April, and I'm finally showing off my Christmas presents!

First of all, I'm very excited about this batwing shawl pattern. I made one for my mother-in-law in a turquoise wool (one of her favorite colors,) and one for my mom in a pretty purple. Most of these pictures were taken late at night on the 19th or 20th of December, hence the tired look on my face =)

I'll definitely be making this pattern again, and maybe one for myself even. I had a little trouble understanding the pattern at first, but once I got the hang of it, the shawl worked up quickly. Ooh, I had my black hair still here (look closely you can see red roots.)

Posing by the tree, with our little husky ornament. Yes, this is what our tree looked like. It was decorated more later... Maybe on Christmas day...

Here I am on my own blog without makeup. The horror!

;)

I chose a heathered purple for my mom's shawl, also in wool, and in the same pattern. I wish I had a better shot of it, but it's the same shape.

I love this pattern.

My oldest brother is a connoisseur of all things Maltese, so I made him a traveling / relaxing mask. The design is the flag of Malta. Inside it are little beads, along with peppermint and homegrown lavender.

For my dad's girlfriend, I made another shawl, in a soft sage green. I've never worked with bamboo before, but I was very pleased. It's extremely soft, and has a light shimmer to it. She's modeling it here in their dining room which looked very festive.

For my father-in-law I was looking for a hat pattern that was ribbed, almost as if it were knit. However, I'm still not a fan of knitting, so everything here with yarn is crocheted.

Our Christmas tree modeling the hat. The yarn is a grey wool, held with a lace-weight blue yarn. I think the blue yarn is mohair, but I can't confirm that, because right now I have an extremely comfy cat on my lap, so I can't reach my stash to check the label.

And moi trying it on. I wanted a cuffed-look, but it wasn't turning out quite right, so I ended up stitching it down.

For my middle brother I made a set of coasters. The yarn is wool and soy, and it's the first time I've worked with striping yarn. I like it! It's especially fun for small project sets, where you get a random yet coordinated color scheme.

One of the first coasters had a knot in the middle, so I made it into a catnip-stuffed mushroom. The cats went crazy for it =)

Also here you can see a problem I had with binding off the original few. I later found a way to do it almost seamlessly.

This is another color scheme I made for a friend of mine. I also have a set of these up in my Etsy shop.

For my youngest brother I made a little crocheted Bender. Unfortunately he has no arms. I didn't finish them in time, and sadly I still haven't finished them. One day, Bender, you can have arms to wave around and hands to hold beer with.

There were two other unfinished projects. I started some fingerless mitts for my dad, but it was a good thing I didn't finish them in time because I was making them too small. I corrected that, but I still had to do a couple more fittings to get it right. I'll post pictures of those later.

And finally, I was making something for my husband that got set aside with the house purchase and all that chaos. Another "one day" :)

So I'm thinking I'd better get started on Christmas 2009 pretty soon...

Bonsai

2009-03-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to a bonsai show held by the Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai. I've seen bonsai plants in person at a couple of gardens, and these were also fascinating. I loved seeing all the different types of plants. Wisteria is always one of my favorites to see, with the draping branches. (I'd love to have a Weeping Willow someday)

Then there was a training demonstration. The sensei took a ~15 year old Juniper that had been growing in his yard, and in the roughly hour as we watched, turned it into a masterpiece. Or at least the beginning of one. He talked about long-term training, and working on 5-year plans for these trees.

I picked up a 12-year-old Chinese Elm to start training, and then I won a little Juniper already in its own little pot. Below is my little Elm next to a much older one. I thought I'd give it something to strive for.

Here they are at home. I'll call them June and Emily.

I'm also a member of the club now. I think I'll wait until after my first meeting to re-pot and start training Emily. I'm also going to replace June's rocks with moss. It's going to be great to have a place to go for when I need advice. I mean other than the Internet.

My favorite question from the Q&A session: "Ok, so you've been given this 5o-year-old tree, and you take it home and it dies. Are there support groups?"

The reply mentioned some training groups that spend a year focusing on watering alone. Wow.

The oldest tree at the show was 350.

Serge!

2009-03-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I want to get a serger. I'll start saving my pennies and doing the research now, but it definitely won't happen until the craft room is done.

"Done" here being defined as "usable". Otherwise it'll never happen. But I've been enjoying wearing knits lately, and so I want to be able to sew that, and more. Knits, like these.

I've also set a goal that I want to make a suit by the end of the year. I have a bunch of navy fabric that would be great for learning on (I've never made that type of jacket.) And then I want a matching set of pants, a pencil skirt, and maybe a flared skirt if I have enough left. I haven't decided on a pattern yet, but I'm thinking something pretty classic. Here's a nice-looking jacket and skirt, and this looks like a very flattering jacket. And how fun would this coat be to make next winter?? But now I'm getting distracted =)

I'm hoping to get curtain fabric this weekend. Which means a shopping trip to my favorite fabric store!

What I Did This Weekend

2009-03-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

I feel pretty accomplished right now. I prepared half of the week's meals, and planned out most of the rest. That's two lunches and three dinners, done! I also cleaned most of the kitchen, which I've been procrastinating on. I thought about starting to paint the cabinets this weekend, but the sheer number of in-the-works projects right now made me re-think that.

I finally got my spice rack installed!! And it's completely occupied. One day we'll have a garden window and I can have plants in it too.

Then I installed the wheels on my rose bucket and planted the rose. I figured having it up on the deck might make it a little less tempting to deer. We'll see how that goes. I was hoping to get a Mr. Lincoln rose, as that's what I had once before, but I came across this one, and decided to try it. It's Legends, which is also a deep red and fragrant rose.

Our bathroom window felt a little bit blah, not to mention the fact that it faces the street, though on the second story. The window is in the tub/shower, so we couldn't put a curtain on it. Voila, flowers! I think it'll look really nice once the white ones start draping (I don't remember what they were called.) Plus this is a "before" shot for the outside of the house. We'll be painting it this summer, what my husband calls a "good east-coast blue." I can't wait.

A friend mentioned she might want me to make a shawl for her, so I started experimenting. This is a pattern I made up, loosely based on the shawls I made for my mother and mother-in-law this Christmas. It's heart shaped right now :)

The other day I was at the Capitola Mall right before it started raining, and I snapped this lovely view. Ah, spring rain!

Soon I'll go relax before bed with some crochet, but right now I'm not allowed in the bedroom, as my husband is painting it. I can't wait to see the finished product, as I think it's going to look awesome.

Going Green

2009-03-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

I've always tried to, as they say, reduce-reuse-recycle, but lately I've been more serious about it.

My main focus right now is the groceries. Not only picking them up from the store, but packing lunches every day. I don't like the typical "lunch bags," and so we've been using the regular plastic grocery bags. Which is great, but they only get reused once, then tossed, and if used more often, they tend to shred. Also, I've been running out of them, as lunch happens more often than grocery shopping.

Here are the items I'm trying to focus on:

Grocery shopping - make fabric bags
Produce - make small tulle bags with drawstrings
Lunch bags - make fabric bags with velcro/buttons to close for travel
Snack bags - switch from ziploc baggies to something reusable
Tupperware alternative - ?

I like packing up snack things in serving-size containers, but I don't like wasting ziplocs, that are one-time-only. I might try little fabric bags that can be tossed in with the wash.

I'm also learning that I just don't like tupperware. It's hard to clean, and hard to remember to bring home. I'm still figuring out alternatives for main dishes... I'd love to have that list down by the end of the summer.

And finally, here is the requisite apple grove shot. The third one is no more, but these two seem to be doing well, even though the left one seems a little tall and scrawny. I still get teased: "Are they ready to pick yet?"

+ dragons =)

Fingerless Gloves and Weekend List

2009-03-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

Weekends always fly by so quickly. I accomplished much this weekend, but it still feels like I didn't get as much done as I wanted. The saying is so true that any given project will take 3 times as long and cost twice as much. Or something like that.

I finished these fingerless gloves for my husband. Lately he's been saying that his office is a little chilly, so he wanted something to keep his hands warm, but still be able to work.

Here's an action shot

They're 100% wool, worsted weight. I made them simultaneously from each end of the skein, so I could design them as I go, without writing anything down. That's how I like doing it. Next I'll be making him a pair for wearing at home, and then maybe some for myself.

I've also made some more kid/teen size mittens in a leaf green, but I didn't make them at the same time, so one is a couple rows longer. My solution, rather than re-working one of them (which I hate doing), is to make two more, one that matches each. Then I'll have two full pairs. I also started some small ones in a color I call Raspberry Parfait, and that's what I'll call them on my shop. The problem with making and selling gloves that are smaller than my hands, is that I need to find someone else to model them for the pictures. Or maybe I should find/make a mannequin hand. Otherwise all these gloves will end up being sized L/XL, and I'd like to have a little more variety.

I've also started a couple more shawls, which are working up pretty quickly. Those are my "non-thinking" projects, because they're in a pattern I can work without looking at or focusing on.

What else did I do this weekend? I organized more of the craft room. I cleared out two large boxes, and three small boxes, which is no small task. I started sorting out my fabric, and realized a trip to Costco was in order for more shelving units.

I finally painted the baseboards. That is 1/2 the reason my arms are sore right now. I got some serious oil-based primer, which only required two coats, and then put the tinted white over that. The white I chose for the craft room is called Moonrise. I laid them all out on the deck and went to it today. Took me about an hour per coat.

The other half of why my arms are so sore is because I painted the bathroom ceiling. I wasn't going to do the whole thing, I just started a tiny corner to make sure I liked the color. Then I decided it was such a big improvement that I kept going. The sink and the re-tiling of the floor and tub were waiting on the ceiling paint, so it's good to have that going.

Then I started out to do my first bit of REAL gardening, and realized that we don't own a shovel. A quick trip to the hardware store fixed that, and now we have a lovely little lilac bush in the backyard. I also picked up a rose, Legends, which will be placed in a wooden box on the deck.

I also finally finished painting the linen closet, which bugged me every time I walked by it. Now, rather than focusing on what I didn't get done this weekend, I'll be satisfied with that list. For now.

I have an overgrown little spearmint plant, so I threw some leaves into chamomile to make some relaxing tea. I think I'll go see how good it is.

The Towers of Yarn

2009-03-05T23:50:00.000-08:00

The craft room just got a new awesome addition: yarn towers! See, we got these at Ikea, originally for our pantry storage, but right after I put them together and started filling them, I realized it wasn't going to work. Anything heavier than a couple pounds bent the mesh downward, causing the drawer to hit the one below it. I was so irritated I walked away from it all for a few days. Then we came up with a new solution for it. Yarn! I just unloaded one box of yarn, and here's what I have:

Top to bottom: Thread/cotton, red acrylic, "misc.", wools, wool blends, Homespun, neutral acrylics, blue & bright acrylics, and baby yarn (lower shelf still empty). And I still have a whole tower to fill, which is good since I have another box plus some miscellaneous stuff lying around. I'll FINALLY be able to see all my yarn and actually find it again! I'll do a better job of sorting it all out once I find the rest of it...

And here's some cuteness.

Marms is very happy to have her sofa available, even though it's still surrounded by boxes. Spook was lounging in my lap in bed last night while I was doing some late-night crocheting.

Which is what I think I'll go do right now.

Status Update

2009-03-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, I promise this won't become the Apple Channel. But here's a quick update on my little grove :)

Last Thursday ...and today

So far they're pretty low maintenance, and it's fun to see the changes. I know when they get a little bigger I'll have to decide what to do with them. I'll probably take them home and put them in a protected place outside, since soon it'll be too warm for them indoors.

In other news, I had my first sale on Etsy! Very exciting! Now I've got to get some more inventory up there. I came up with a crocheted fingerless mitt this weekend, and I'm in the testing phase. I have a sample pair that is pumpkin orange acrylic, which I wanted to list last night, but my camera had died, and the charger is still packed somewhere... A co-worker of mine really likes them, and she suggested I could have her daughters wear some to school and advertise for me. Not a bad idea! I just have to work several up before the warm weather gets here...

Last weekend was again all about the house. I started organizing and painting the utility room, which is now The Yellow Room :) My husband doesn't like yellow, but he said he can live with this one room. In my opinion it's a huge improvement- went from "dingy" to "cheerful" with a pale creamy yellow. I'm doing a burgundy for the trim and accents.

Once I finally finish painting everything, I can start working on the curtains. That involves a trip to my favorite fabric store! Oh yeah, and I need to have the craft room done so I have space to sew them... It's coming along, but not quite as quickly as I'd like.

Apple Sprouts pt 2

2009-02-23T10:04:00.001-08:00

Here's what my seedlings looked like this morning. The tall one is bent over because the plastic was too short! But there's a second one that popped up :) Who needs ordinary office plants when you can have apple trees?

Enchilada Update and Apple Sprouts

2009-02-21T21:48:00.000-08:00

The enchiladas were a success! ...with some room for improvement. I thought the sauce was tasty, though possibly lacking in bite. My husband thought it tasted a little too smoky, like BBQ sauce. The sugar could explain that. The texture was just right. I also didn't have the brand of chili powder they recommended, so I used what I had on hand.

I used flour tortillas this time, as last week I discovered that neither of us care much for the corn ones.

So I think I'll try some other sauce recipes, and if I come up with something wonderful, then I'll start making my own from now on. I wonder how long it would keep if I canned it...

The other day I was eating an apple, and when I got to the core I discovered that a couple of the seeds had sprouted! What to do in this situation? (A) Throw them away and eat the next apple sooner, (B) Plant them, (C) Put them on my salad.

Of course I chose B =) I happened to have an empty pot with dirt at my office, so I planted those plus a couple more from another apple, totaling 5. The first one popped up on Thursday.

And the next day it was nearly twice the size, standing taller than the length of the leaves in that picture. I can't wait to see it on Monday! I put some plastic over it with a couple holes to keep it moist. I don't know what I'll do with it ultimately. I know it takes years to produce fruit, and that apples from seed are nothing like the apple you started with. Maybe I'll train it as a bonsai in a couple of years. That could be fun.

Cooking Adventures

2009-02-21T21:07:00.001-08:00

Last night I made something I found online and have been wanting to try: Mongolian Beef. It was tasty! And easy :) Now that I've made the recipe as it was, I'll try some modifications next time. One thing I want to try is substituting chicken, to cut down the high calorie count a bit. Then I think I'll cut the sugar by half. Should still be tasty, and would bring it to the low 500s rather than 700s per serving, minus rice. But the serving size is HUGE! 1lb beef for two people. Definitely filling also. I think I'd also only make half, and have another side dish.

All in all I was pleased with it though, and that I made a dish unlike anything I'd done before.

Tonight we wanted enchiladas, but didn't want to leave the house, and the only ingredient I was missing was the sauce. I could've run to the local market to buy their pre-made enchiladas (which are tasty but pricey), or I could've gone to pick up a can of sauce, but I decided to see if I could make it instead.

I was browsing on my iPhone, who's battery was rapidly dying, so I tried the first recipe I found. Also something I've never tried to make before. The sauce was very easy and fast, and I cooked up some chicken while doing it. Now the enchiladas are in the oven, and should be done any minute. I hope they're good!

On another topic: I've seen the Dangerous Book for Boys, and the Daring Book for Girls, but I found this parody the other day and picked it up. It's absolutely hilarious! Anyone who has cats should have a copy. I love the explanation for kitchen cabinets: It's a factory, where you feed it garbage, and cleaning products are made!

The Devious Book for Cats

Squash and A Chandelier

2009-02-11T21:46:00.000-08:00

I finally have my desk set up, although the craft room as a whole is far from functional (or presentable.)

Tonight I felt like cooking autumn-like foods, as it's been raining steadily. I made pork chops with apples and mustard sauce, straight out of the Fannie Farmer cookbook. Then I picked up a half an acorn squash, the $.49 special at the market, which is just enough for the two of us. As I was cleaning it I noticed how many seeds came with it and wondered if you can roast them just like pumpkin seeds.

They're on a salad plate there, and they're smaller than pumpkin seeds. I put them on a cookie sheet in the broiler, with a little pan spray, cayenne pepper, paprika and salt. Chili powder would have been good, but that's probably in a box somewhere :-/ I roasted them for 2 1/2 minutes and they started making popping sounds, so I took them out. I think they could have roasted a little more, but I think they'll still be a good spicy treat. Definitely got my money's worth out of that little squash!

Last weekend my husband and I went shopping for some house accessories. We discovered just how dangerous a trip to Home Depot, Frys, Bed Bath & Beyond, and our local Ace Hardware can be. And we discovered just how small my car is... I had to sit in the back seat, as this thing was in the front seat.

It's a dark picture, but you can see the basic shape and the pretty glass shades. This is hanging above the island in the kitchen (ok it's really a peninsula, but island sounds better.) We decided that a pot rack light would just hang too low. So the pots will hang farther along that beam in the foreground.

The bathroom is the next huge project, and I'll definitely do a "before & after" once it's done, but I couldn't resist this little sneak peek. You can see the color scheme, which I realized after the fact are our wedding colors. Funny that =)

Wistful Spook

2009-01-30T15:59:00.000-08:00

Not much house news yet. I'm finally almost done with the white trim in the craft room, and then I can start working on the layout. And then I'll have my desk set up, whoohoo! The trim was a very dark wood stain, and it took 2 coats of primer, and 3-4 coats of white paint to make it look right.

Once the craft room is set up we can clear the gym out and get equipment to make it really a gym.

Spook spends much of her time in this position, unless she's tearing around the house like mad. Marmalade seems content though, and maybe she's wise and realizes it's too cold to go out anyway =)

More Scenery

2009-01-23T17:13:00.000-08:00

Here's an early morning shot from my commute. This is at the little observation point on Highway 9. It's a quick and dirty panorama, but someday I may take my tripod out there and get something better. Obviously this is pre-rain. The road later in the week had a different kind of beauty, with the trees appearing out of a thick fog. Quite enjoyable, aside from the limited visibility.

S&B

2009-01-23T10:04:00.001-08:00

Did the S&B last night, and C & C came and hung out. It was a nice mellow night. Most of my yarn is packed away still, but I have a few projects out.

C made me this necklace for Christmas, and last night she made earrings to match. I love them!

I had some odd wool lying around, so I made a coffee cup sweater. I definitely like this ribbed version better than my old pattern, as it feels thicker and is slightly stretchy.

Maybe I'll make some up for Valentine's Day. Although my last batch of those didn't really go anywhere :) There are a couple up on my Etsy store, which is also my old pattern done in the round. At some point I should post the patterns for those.

Pretty Things

2009-01-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

Home is officially Home now that we have a net connection. But my desk isn't set up yet, because first I have to paint the ceiling, and then I can unpack the desk and the boxes.

The cats are just starting to explore the spiral staircase. Up until now they'd watch us going down with a look of complete horror, but wouldn't step foot on the stairs themselves.

This weekend I got Spook to step down a couple steps with treats and toys. She'd come down a couple, get the prize and head straight back up. All the while she'd be purring and acting very curious and cute, but it took some coaxing to convince her that the stairs weren't going to fall away under her. However, this morning they were both going all the way down and back up. Marmalade is a little more unsure of the steps, but she is a little older.

Every kitchen needs some daffodils. I can't wait to start a real garden...

My new commute is very lovely. I stopped off at a vista point along the way last week and got this picture. Gorgeous views on one side, and redwoods on the other.

Brrrrr!

2009-01-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

I know this isn't craft-related, but it's going to be awhile until I'm back into any kind of routine.

I've been trying out the new commute, which is more of a winding road than I was used to. It's been running around 50 minutes, which is not to bad, being only 20 minutes more. I've taken the car this week, but today I decided it was time Sophia got out.

I've seen ice on her before, but the kind of frosty thin layer that you can brush away. This ice I had to scrape away from the seat and the mirrors. Those grooves on the seat aren't water dripping. The whole thing is frozen solid. You can see the gas line on the tank!

My husband measured 26 degrees at our house this morning, but fortunately most of the ride was in the upper 30s and into 40s. I'm glad our heater's working! Double-paned windows are on the long to-do list.

We stopped by the old house for some more things last nice. A friend of ours gave us this balloon right after we got back from our honeymoon, which was the July 4th weekend. It's a little deflated, but it's still floating! Cool.

And that's our internet connection in the corner, ready to be moved to the new house. After tomorrow we'll be connected again.

The other day I decided that I need a duvet cover for my down comforter. It's a queen size, I think, but I want to put it into a twin size cover, since it's just a little too big. (We solved the blanket-stealing issue by each getting our own.) So there I am at Target, and I find this pretty lilac duvet cover with shams, and I almost put it in my cart without thinking, but then I saw the price: $50! For a simple little thin cover. Wow! So instead I picked up a set of cotton sheets, in a similar lilac color for $10 and I'm going to sew them together. That should do the trick. Really I just want a cotton cover to replace the noisy polyester-ish one that's on it Now all I have to do is unpack my sewing table! =)