Friday, October 29, 2010

Stash Project #4: More Scarves


When I think back to what went on this week, it is an absolute blur. I remember a toddler learning how to open and empty clothes drawers of their contents, escaping from the shower while I still had hair full of shampoo, and scaling the dining room table for the first time. I vaguely remember getting schoolwork done. I definitely remember a 7-year-old with a front tooth so loose he spun it around and around like something out of the Exorcist.

And somehow, in the midst of all that, I made more scarves. Four of the six are pictured above.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Twilight Novella Review

I spent one afternoon this weekend reading "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner." It is a Twilight Novella by Stephanie Meyer, so I couldn't pass it up at the library. If you have read the Twilight Series and can't get enough, this is a good quick read that fills in some back story for "Eclipse." The only drawback is that Bree Tanner is a character whose fate is already known from the series. Unlike my husband, I do not like to flip to the last page of the book first to know how it ends. I like the anticipation and surprise of the story as it unfolds. That being said, I am still going to start the Twilight Series again this week, for the third time.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Exhibit A: Procrastination

Some people would call my lack of enthusiasm to do what needs to be done procrastination, however, I like to think of it a little differently.

Let's say I need to get A done. B and C seem more interesting at the moment, so I get off task. By the time I get through L, M, N, and O, A is no longer as pressing and I get back to it. When I look at it that way it doesn't appear to be your standard definition of procrastination. I do get it done, I just get side tracked.

Long story short, this week of writing my blog has been Exhibit A.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Say What?

Yesterday I heard the words that I thought would be absent from my ears until I someday had granddaughters: Can you teach me how to crochet? I almost pinched myself to make sure it was not a dream. My oldest boy, who is 9, was then immediately followed up by his 7-year-old brother asking enthusiastically, "Me too?" I guess the preponderance of yarn strewn about the couch had finally caught their attention.

Today is the day we start, and I am a bit apprehensive. Will they like it? Will they quit after realizing the amount of patience it takes? Will I actually get someone in my household to share in my obsession of crafty crap?

However it turns out - good, bad, or ugly - I will keep you updated!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Stash Project #3: Scarves


I had a very productive weekend, though I accomplished none of the tasks I set out to originally do. The school assignments that should have been put together for the week will have to wait until later because football was on yesterday. And football around our house means lots of food, hooting, hollering, and knitting.

You are probably also wondering why this Stash Project is not the scrubbers, as promised, but then I never got around to that, either. Instead I worked in scarves all weekend. Our homeschool group is putting on a get together to knit for the needy next week and I couldn't help but start early. I was only trying out an oversized pair of hand-me-down knitting needles for the first time and doubling up the yarn, but it went so quickly that before I knew it I had three scarves done! I find trying something new very addictive, and with the more the merrier with this project, I'm not sure how many more I will make before I tire of it.

My scrubber project will have to sit a few more days until my scarf fever has run its course.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Cub Scouts and Crafting


I have discovered a new source of inspiration and time to craft from an unlikely source: cub scouts. I just finished a poster board haunted house for the scouts' Halloween party so they can put stickers on the jack-o-lantern while blindfolded (a version of pin the tail on the donkey).

The other crafting advantage is that while sitting at meetings I get the chance to knit without distractions. I wasn't sure this was going to work at first, with half a dozen boys running about. But then I realized they were as interested in my knitting as they would be in getting a manicure.

I already cannot wait for the next cub scout meeting!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Creativity Breeds Creativity


If I start working on writing one thing, I inevitably will wake up at three in the morning with a plot for a novel or a great opening scene for a screenplay (at least I think it's great at three in the morning). If I am working on a new crochet pattern, I will have a moment of enlightenment about using a cotton yarn on one side of a scrubber sponge - my next Stash Project - or crocheting a bikini (and yes, I have, though it turned out to be fit only for the bedroom).

I thought this was an adult-onset habit, until I pulled out my box of keepsakes last week. Everything I kept from childhood was jammed into an odd array of telling knickknacks, journals, and notebooks. I found poetry, encrypted stories and messages with a Rosetta Stone of sorts to decode them later, drawings and paintings, and even a baby blue sweater with brass buttons that I crocheted for a cat.

With this I realized two things: 1) I am a complete nerd; 2) I have always let my creativity lead me, and probably always will.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Gotta Love This


When I find something I love, I have to tell the world about it - and ravelry.com is one of those things. This is a free website to join if you love knitting or crocheting like me. Sure, there are tons of free patterns all over the Internet, but this is different.

I rarely buy a yarn specifically for a pattern, most of the time I just like the color or the feel without anything in mind. And if you like to do that, you can search Ravelry patterns for that particular yarn! There are even groups to join on every kind of yarn subject, including homeschooling knitters or local knitting clubs.

I have actually spent so much time downloading patterns for my stash that I didn't write my usual blog this weekend!

Friday, October 8, 2010

It's in the Genes


I am one of those people who just cannot sit still. My mind is a constant flood of ideas - some a little crazy - and my hands never rest. I think it's in the genes because everyone in my family is the same, though maybe not to this extreme.

Currently, in addition to writing this blog, I have half a dozen knitting and crocheting projects running simultaneously, not to mention all the various other crafts I throw in on a whim. This would be easy to carry out if I sent the kids off to school for the day, but we homeschool. However, I think it's all the hand crafts that keep me sane. Whether I am giving a spelling test or lecturing on history, my hands are busy. By switching projects frequently, sometimes after knitting only one row, it quells the tedium that an otherwise stringent schedule would bring. It gives a sense of personal satisfaction in that I was able to put my skills to good use. And it keeps me calm when one of the boys repeats the same question, because he wasn't listening when I answered at length the first two times.

Some people would call this chaos, but I like to think of it as multitasking!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Stash Project #2: Recipe Booklet


There is nothing better than pulling out your recipe box and whipping up a favorite dish that your grandma, aunt, or mom makes (unless of course your mom came to your house and baked it herself - and cleaned up the mess afterward!). Usually such prized recipes are kept in the family, and some are highly guarded secrets. It has taken me years to gather many of them up, but I wish I had been able to enjoy them all along!

I printed off family recipes on 4" x 5" card stock, embossed the cover, and tied the pages together with ribbon. As I would have loved to receive this when I got married, I tucked it into a wedding gift for a family member to enjoy. So go and share your recipes!

Monday, October 4, 2010

Just Desserts


Sometimes you win, and then sometimes you bake a cake that looks like a turd. This one happened yesterday as the convergence of two factors led to an aesthetic disaster.

First off were the two-layer cake pans that were star shaped. My grandma passed them down several years ago, but this was their maiden voyage. Secondly, I tried to make a chocolate butter cream frosting. Sure it was delicious, however, the consistency was more like cream cheese. Every time I attempted to spread it the whole sticky mess pulled away from the cake. And don't even get me started on those pointy corners that refused the frosting like it were a vile substance. At some point I dropped the knife, flew my white flag, and walked away.

This just proved that there must be a few flops when you try new things. I'm just glad it tasted a lot better than it looked!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Friday Night Tomatoes


It's October, but don't tell that to my tomato plants. I collected another dozen red tomatoes yesterday with no end of production in sight, and I am getting sick of eating them. I am sure the neighbors are also tired of getting bags of tomatoes dropped on their doorsteps.

After some searching recipes on the Internet, I decided it was time to try making sun-dried tomatoes in the oven. They came out delicious, but along the way I learned two valuable lessons. 1) If the recipe says it will take 6-10 hours, don't believe it - 10 hours is the minimum. 2) Never ever attempt an untested recipe at two in the afternoon on a Friday!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Stash Project #1: Baby Squares


This is the first in a series of Stash Projects, which will showcase what I have created without going to the craft store (read my last post, "No More Craft Stores!).

Knitting baby items is one of my pastimes for many reasons: they are small items that can be traveled with, they don't require a marathon of knitting to finish, and they're so cute!

When I was pregnant with my youngest son (and bonkers with hormones) I began a love affair with baby yarn. But what do I do now that my baby is a toddler and cannot wear tiny booties? Luckily a baby boom in my family is in full swing.

This project is knit squares to be sewn into a baby blanket. I found the pattern in one of the squares off an Odd-Ball Sampler at ravelry.com.