Shop Update!

I decided to update my shop today instead of tomorrow (just couldn't wait)! Please check it out and leave me a comment with your thoughts!

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on the needles :: walden scarf

"I had three pieces of limestone on my desk, but I was terrified to find that they required to be dusted daily, when the furniture of my mind was all undusted still, and threw them out the window in disgust."

Walden, Henry David Thoreau

Four-stranded knitting in charcoal, light gray, aqua, and turquoise. I'm loving it!

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details

Aaahhh, the crafting for my shop update has come along nicely! I won't reveal the items just yet, but here are some details...

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tea blending

I've started blending my own tea with inexpensive herbs from the health food store and a little advice from Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal book. My local store has a great bulk herb section, but I still haven't been able to find all the varieties I want to try. I found seeds for a few of them and started a small container garden just for tea herbs.

Here is a blend that I like particularly well, I've been calling it "Daily Boost" :

Mix equal parts

nettle leaf

nettle root

gotu kola

hibiscus flowers

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sentiment

just a bit of stitchery...

*My Goldie Neckerchief is on ReadyMade magazine's homepage & blog today! Check it out!*

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making lists

I've started a listography page... it's so addicting!

(this embroidered paper is the prototype for an item in my upcoming shop update)

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linen scarf

I am really looking forward to autumn this year and I sewed this linen scarf to express my excitement... the giant rickrack is my favorite : )

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mushroom pincushion

Just a little sewing project with leftover linen...

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free knitting pattern :: goldie neckerchief

This is a simple pattern, but the rich color and texture of the fingering-weight yarn makes it feel special!

Needles: size US2 / 2.75 mm

Yarn: Araucania Lonco Solid, colorway 310 (this project uses less than one skein)

1. Cast on 3 stitches.

2. Knit one row plain.

3. Knit 1, KFB, Knit 1. (4 stitches on needles)

4. Knit one row plain.

5. Knit 1, KFB, Knit 2. (5 stitches on needles)

6. Knit one row plain.

7. Knit 2, YO, knit 1, YO, knit 2.

8. Knit one row plain.

9. Knit 2, YO, knit to last two stitches, YO, Knit 2.

10. Knit one row plain.

Repeat rows 9 and 10 until work measures about 12.5 inches from CO. You will have a nice triangle.

Then, knit two rows plain.

Bind off and weave in loose ends.

I found it was best to block my kerchief, as the CO corner tended to roll up a bit.

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stitchery

I learned a new embroidery technique!

What do you think?

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Shop Update

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if

I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the

successive autumns."

-George Eliot

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happy friday

This weekend I will be finishing up a new embroidery project to share on Monday...

I will also be

going to the library

working on a simple knitting pattern

making granola

doing some yoga

!

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cloth bread bag

When I started baking bread, I wasn't quite sure how to store it properly. Around here one loaf lasts about a five days or so, and I wanted to keep it fresh without resorting to anything plasticky. Then I remembered this SouleMama post about bread storage and it all made sense. I didn't have any cute tea towels laying around, so I just started wrapping the loaf in a normal kitchen towel and it worked very well. But, really, something prettier was needed.

So this week I made a cloth bread bag, although mine is made a little differently from the one in the SouleMama post. This towel is waffle-y and a little thicker, so I just couldn't get a drawstring to close tightly enough. My solution was to leave the top end open and fold it under the loaf (or loaves, this bag could hold two loaves at once) instead of cinching a drawstring. And it looks pretty sitting on the counter!

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quick collage

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man-knitting

I have started knitting some fingerless gloves for my husband... it's been a long time since I've made something for him... I guess when we lived in the desert, knit items weren't high on his list of needs! This year he requested a pair of mitts to wear while biking on chilly mornings. Something plain, with a not-to-long wrist, nothing fancy. After browsing around the Ravelry patterns I decided on this simple pattern, and I think I'll be done in no time!

The yarn is PimaClasico by Aslan Trends... it is so soft and almost silky to the touch!

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finished tank

I finished knitting the tank top from One Skein... finally! I like the fact that half shows the knit side and half the purl side.

It looks rather boxy on the hanger, but has much more shape when it's worn! Although it's too hot in Tuscaloosa to even think of wearing anything knit right now, I think it will be nice worn as a knit vest in the fall, too.

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happy friday !

This weekend I will be

knitting

cooking eggplant for the first time

hanging out in the shade

canning tomato sauce

watching Netflix

!

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wip

I had several false starts with this yarn, and finally decided to knit the tank top from One Skein (I have made a lot of projects from that book!). I'm really happy with way the yarn looks... I think all the stockinette stitch shows off the color variations nicely. It's Araucania Lonco Solid in color 3010 and I'm knitting with two strands...

I love this golden-y color.

The farmer's market is today! And I'm getting my first CSA box! I hope there is some good stuff to can or pickle! : )

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chunky socks

After working on my last pair of socks on and off for months, I finished this pair in two days! This is a quick pair made with worsted weight cotton yarn and US8 / 5mm needles. I used a pattern from the Knitalong book, although I had to adjust it a little bit for my slightly smaller yarn and needles. It's a great pattern and I may try to come up with my own variation on it - I just can't resist such a quick sock project!

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southern peach

I was so happy to find a recipe for Peach Butter in my new canning book. I have been buying TONS of Alabama peaches at the farmers market and freezing just as many as I eat! They'll be great in smoothies this winter (along with the blueberries I froze, too!). So, with an abundance of sweet peaches pushing me forward, I had to try the recipe!

I used the author's suggestion of adding cinnamon, cloves, and allspice to the butter and I'm glad I did --- I love those kinds of flavors! I made six jars, one of which went into the fridge for eating right away.

I think fruit butter recipes are nice for beginning canners (like me) because they're easy and basically foolproof (my first attempt at jelling was a disaster, butters seem to work so much better). And you don't need a pressure canner, just a water bath in a big stockpot. Now I can enjoy my summer peaches in the winter, too!

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socks & books & muesli

I started making Jamie Oliver's muesli recipe (available here) this weekend and it is so good! I used almond milk and peaches instead of bananas... that must be the source of energy I needed to finally finish this pair of socks! It only took about six months : )

I also bought a few books this weekend --- I'm really excited about trying some of the recipes in Canning & Preserving, and I've already finished reading Whole Health for Happy Cats (and it taught me a bunch of important things about my cat's diet!). The third book is Your Backyard Herb garden, which is next on the reading list...

And here is some cuteness to end the post...

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