Preparing for winter: Chopping Wood

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

Here is the family observing Grand-dad at work.

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

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

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

Gift Idea 1: Melt-and-Pour Soap tutorial

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy!

Holiday Gift Budgeting Spreadsheet

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

Holiday Gift Budgeting Spreadsheet

November is the Time for Holiday Gift Making

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

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

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

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

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

Halloween Costumes

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

"A Mighty Knight"

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

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

"A Mighty Knight with Eggbert the Dragon"

Did you do your civic duty today?

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

SAFF - the Fiber (Photo Heavy)

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

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

Welcome to SAFF

The event floor.

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

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

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

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

Leaving for SAFF

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

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

Wish us luck in fiber foraging.

Holly's Front is Finished

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

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

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

Off for now to cast on the sleeves.

Turning 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Travel Knitting

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

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

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

Wedding

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

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

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

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

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

Week in Review

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

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

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

Have a good weekend,
~Gerwerken

The Width of Ribbing

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

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

Sleepytime Bear Nightgown GIVEAWAY !

Sleepytime Bear Nightgown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

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

Holly Jacket

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

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

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

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

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

Okay. Off to Cast on the fronts.

I Got A Wheel!!!!!

(My son thinks anything with wheels is his)

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

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

(a little ladybug is hidden somewhere on every wheel)

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

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

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

(The initial Product)

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

I think I am really going to enjoy this.