Gardening Day 2

Okay so I got into my garden again on Tuesday. I got out  there at about 11am, didn't stop for a break until 2:30pm and finally quit for the day at about 5pm to feed the horse and take care of some of those chores. It still doesn't look like I made a dent! I edged everything first with the help of my little nephew.

My sister brought the rug rats over at the same time I showed up and ended up staying till 2pm. I think she got in a nap from the chair she was sitting in the whole time watching me sweat. Evelyn was sleeping since before they showed up until they left and Mallory was collecting flowers and worms! So cute! I need to get my paws on the photo of me showing little Ryan how to use the hoe!

Anyways, all that labor in the scorching sunshine and not much to show for it. I didn't even get so far as a third of the garden loosened up to even begin tilling. Then yesterday was all cold and rainy and this frost last night and only getting up to 54 degrees today. Oui! I'm feeling like I'll never get this garden done in time to plant.

Homemaking:

I decided a while ago to be as frugal as possible. Making my own lip balm, yogurt, and such. I succeeded so far though I'm not sure how much I've saved. So far I am avoiding making my own pasta as I remember doing this in school and it was a pain in the bum. I did make some greek yogurt the other day. It was good, delicious when I added some of my blackberry peach jam. The only problem I found with it was the consistency was like plain yogurt rather than greek style. I'm going to try again with some changes, maybe let it sit longer or put them in the oven on super low.

Crafting:

I've done some knitting. I even have an art trade that's almost done ... on the other person's part, mine's done. I'm getting two hair sticks of my own design (I sent him the schematics ... okay sketch and he worked from that) and he wanted a pair of my bomber gauntlets.

The Garden

The Garden Plot

So I went out to mothers and plotted out my garden. It's going to be 25'x~18'. Huge no! The pieces of wood mark my boundaries. The next step, which I'm working on, is to dig a 6" trench around the border and sink a fence so the wee bunnies and other small vermin don't eat my goodies. So many goodies to boot! The rain is helping in spats with this project. It's softened the ground to make digging easier but then I get too much and have to stop for fear of flooding and making everything fall back into the darn whole! Tomorrow though! If I can just get that fence in before it starts poring again I should be fine! I might steal my sister's tiller with some wishful thinking that I could get around to that tomorrow as well.

Blue potatoes, corn, tomatoes, squash just to name a few. So excited but I gotta dig fast so I can get my seeds in the ground!

Morgainѐ Continued

It would almost seem that now that I'm set to figure a new way of finishing this hood I may now understand the directions: Go figure! So to picturize my understanding ...

Lay flat to help visualize!

 The right side of your piece should be at the top. That is to say the right edge. That's what my pink yarn is for btw. To mark my 'right' edge. The live stitches should be held to your right, CO to your left. The Cabling likes to get all twisty so be sure to straighten it out. Tempted to pin this sucker to my floor!

Now that we got that sucker down we gotta start picking up sts. Looks easy enough all a sudden. Hmph! Anyway, it would seem that you want to pick up every stitch that you can find to equal out the amount the pattern wants. A little tricky, I might need to bust out another pair of needles.

As I knit along, getting more fabric, I wish I had changed to larger needles. I find myself stopping to double check my yarn to what is recommended thinking it shouldn't be so stiff with such nice yarn. Next time, if there is a next time, I might use larger needles or a not so bulky yarn. If I wanted my items to be this stiff I'd have stuck with crochet! Note to self:  knit looser!

COOKING:

Well not too long ago I got the hankering to make myself some buttermilk. I don't care to use the powder and the stuff you get in cartons really isn't buttermilk. I now have proof of that! So I got a mason jar out cleaned it and poured some heavy cream in. What comes next is one heck of a work out. I shook that jar for a good 20min. After about 15 (which btw my online source said 10-12min of shaking) I noticed the cream thickening to ... well cream. Another 2 min had it sticking. It was like a dough in my jar. I plopped it out onto a muslin cloth, Squeezed all my buttermilk out and Jarred it then rinsed my butter in ice water. Yum on both accounts. Homemade is so much better!

So I made some pancakes with my buttermilk and they just fluffed right up!

See! Fluffy!

 Daniel of course said, "Bisquick's are fluffier!" The bugger! See if I make him pancakes again!

MORE UPDATES:

I love this photo I took of my newest pixie hat.

Pixie Hat

In addition to my knitting and cooking I was inspired to make some Valentine's Day cards. Since I only have 1 lover I'm not sure who to give these all too. So I'm just going to store them until someone wants them or I get inspired. All are hand lettered and drawn plus folded and cut!

5"x5" postcard style. Great for framing.

Love the dangling crochet heart! Adds some more whimsy to the calligraphy style.

The Right to Bare Arms!



This guns rights issue seems to be another big one that will actually effect my everyday life so I'm just going to drop my opinion off in here somewhere. But from which angle? You've got people who swear by the words of men centuries dead that knew nothing of today's America ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and then you got people who think they can actually control others.

 

 

Both of these are a bit extreme even for me. Personally, I want the right to protect my damn self. I don't trust no one else to keep me safe they've done a shotty job of it so far and I don't feel that this will be any better. So let's see.

 

I own and carry my own gun around and some Jack comes around thinking he can just take what he wants from me I can protect myself. The government's opinion of this is that I should let this man do what he wants and they'll then track him down after the incident and slap his hand ... if they can even find him... if they even BELIEVE me! So tell me who do you stand with?

 

Another sitch. I'm at home with my gun safely beside my bed on a night stand because I have no small children with more curiosity then brains and another Jack beaks in to once again take what he wants from me. The government would have me hide and call them, hoping that Jack doesn't find/hear me then kill me. They have a high opinion that they can get to me in plenty of time to catch Jack before he does any harm. My opinion is to cock my shot gun within hearing range of the miscreant and loudly let him know that it's loaded and the cops know he's there and that I WILL protect mine! So tell me which would you prefer?

We can control our own destiny and sadly we more than not give that control away. We're taking that control away from our children and their children. If we let the government take our guns what's to really stop Jack from taking everything he wants? Sure they might catch him in the end but will that make everything all better. Will that mend your sense of security that was taken when he broke into your homes? Will it mend the dead he left behind? Will it bring peace to the girls/boys he's hurt? There are some sick people out there who don't give a damn about the laws. What makes people think they'll stop just because the government says he can't have a gun no more?

 

Morgainé

I' ve been working on this gorgeous hooded cowl by frenchgirlknits for sometime now. My first problem I'm loath to admit was reading the chart wrong. That fixed I got stuck on the instructions for how the cabling attaches to the rest. I asked the creator and haven't come up with any answers. So I placed it in my stash until I finished all my commissions, and the holiday madness.

Now it's the new year I'm done currently with commissions and would like to finish this project.

I NEED MY NEEDLES BACK!!!

pretty much modify every pattern I get my paws on and it will seem that the Morgainé is no exception. However, this time I'll document the journy so that the next person with my problem can hopefully find help here in!

So my journy begins...

Mobile upload! Cabling.

Tis the season!

Yay! This is the final update for the Holiday Card Project. I delivered the cards to the Nationwide Children's Hospital on Thursday night.

There are a lot of children who utilize the HHC, with this in mind Mrs. Val spent the night before baking cookies. Sadly, it was all windy and rainy all day which was bad for the HHC party as it kept most of them away. I poked my head in a couple times and got some photos to add here as well as for our internal system and was there to see all that lovely effort go to waist. At least these four youngsters showed and were willing to pose for the 'paparazzi' (that's what the cute little one in the purple shirt called me. :3)

HHC Coordinator and Associate showing off the cards.

The only HHC children to show up to the party ... and Miss Val.

 We also had our own party (staff members). Everyone brought in something good to eat. For example a bacon pizza. Can you believe that! Yum! I couldn't post many photos of that as a few coworkers wouldn't like to be 'exploited' on my blog so I'll stick with the cream puff swans!

Swan on a cup! I couldn't resist.

Jen's mother made these ... how cute!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Holiday Card Update

With two days left to finish and gather holiday cards I don't see much accomplishment. There are a few cards in the basket and I've sadly only managed to make 3. I have heard people telling me that they just haven't brought them in and our Homework Help Center at work has managed over 50 cards. Their goal however is 300. I'm sure they'll get there. Their incentive is seeing Mrs. Val dressed as an elf!

Inside the Snowman card.

Inside the Deer card.

Commissions Update:  I managed to complete most of my clients projects. I've still got 1 left to do however. I'm hoping to have it done my tomorrow so that she can give them away. She's kind of hoping this as well. It would have been much easier if I had gotten a deadline when she gave me the commission though. All well! That's just taught me to ask when they would like it by.

So First up is 'Hearts'. A lovely headband with a heart, lace pattern. It's knit in a wool/microfiber/cashmere fiber. The pattern was cutesy of Mel Clark though I did shorten it a bit.

 

A wee bit of self photography!

Hearts!

Then we have a forest green beanie. I lined it in fleece so it's uber warm!

Skull Cap