Fingerless Gloves and Weekend List

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 =)