Tasty Tuesday
Abigail had a great post last Monday about cooking ahead. This got me to thinking. Actually this is a subject that has been percolating in my brain for some time. This is the thing, I don't love to cook, I like to eat somewhere where I don't have to cook and, more importantly, clean up. However, lately, I have been convicted about eating out. We do it too much. So for economical and health reasons I have put myself back in the kitchen on a more regular basis. There is just one problem: I have a repertoire of 8 recipes, and when my beautiful daughter says "mom are we having spaghetti again?" I know it is time to step out of my comfort zone, gastronomically speaking. So I am instituting Tasty Tuesdays, where I will be trying a new recipe and letting all of you know how it goes. Hey, maybe I'll even try making a button, hmmm. Don't worry these posts won't be entirely fiber-free (the knitting/spinning variety, not the bran variety).

Abigail here is a recipe (one of my 8):
Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Cheddar cheese
1 bag tater tots
Directions.
Brown ground beef, drain. Mix ground beef and cream of mushroom soup together in casserole dish. Shred as much cheddar cheese on top of mixture as you like. Artfully place tater tots on top of cheese in a single layer. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes (or until cheese is bubbly and tater tots are brown).
*sometimes I mix in mushrooms, peas or mixed veggies (either frozen or fresh) with the ground beef.
*This can be made ahead of time and frozen or refrigerated
*Browning the beef ahead of time saves time.
Some actual knitting content:
I am still working on my hat. It is so much fun...but I must..cast..on..knitting...class...sample. I have been so tired of late with all of the cleaning I am doing that simple, no brain involvement knitting, rather than complicated colorwork is more up my alley, but alas and alack I must cast on this sample.
Holly

Technorati tags: knitting, cooking

Finished and Begun
I've been working hard on my hats for charity. I think that this will be a great expirence simply because it will put me into a habit of knitting for others. I am kind of sad that I will not be able to devote all knitting time in these two weeks to knitting for charity because I have to knit up a sample for a class that I am doing at a local yarn shop. I am really happy that I am teaching at a local yarn shop though. More on that at a later time.

Here are some Pictures of my finished hat and my begun hat (which will be eventually be a doube knit hat). I don't know where right now I am going to send the first hat but it will find a worthy home.

Holly

Technorati tags: knitting, knitting for charity

Eye Candy Friday...the turkey day edition

This is the best pie ever concieved by man. It is sweet potato pecan and is yummyyy.

Holly

Technorati tags: eye candy friday

10 Things I'm thankful for
In no particular order
1. My beautiful daughter, my gift from God and my husband who puts up with all my eccentricities with grace.
2. The essentials, you know, a roof over my head, water to drink, air to breathe and food in my belly.
3. The ability to teach and the opportunity to do so.
4. Freedom and those who protect it.
5. Health, the doctors and medicines that preserve it.
6. A decent singing voice and those who don't complain when it goes off key.
7. Employment and the feeling of usefulness and money that it brings.
8. Friends and family near and far.
9. All kinds of fibery goodness and the joy that it bring to me.
10 The ability to read and the availability of good books.

I hope that you have a very happy thanksgiving.
Holly
Technorati tags: thanksgiving

Washing Yarn

I washed some yarn this weekend. I tend to wash in quanitity. When I finish spinning I just chuck the yarn into a basket unitil I have a bunch. The basket was overflowing. I was afraid I would have to stop spinning because my drying rack finally kicked the bucket (again) I don't know if it is fixable or not but I needed a drying solution for my yarn and I found one Yea! I am hanging my yarn on an old (plasic) broomhandle between the i-beams in the basement. Pretty smart huh.
Holly

Technorati tags: knitting

Casting on for Charity
In preparation for Knit unto Others I rolled my skein into a ball. A short explaination may be in order: I don't own a swift, this is a very sad thing, but I get along nicely with my child's sized rocking chair. And what a ball it turned out to be (the Barbie is just for scale purposes). I may get three or four hats out of this yarn. I've cast on for the Carrot Top hat from the Knit Hats book. I'm going to use it to swatch from since there is soo much yarn, then maybe make some double knit hats as those are warmer and most desired by the charities I'd like to donate to. (The double knit would also nicely hide the not so great colors of yarn that are of the same type as this, which was orginaly white.)

Happy knitting all

Holly




Technorati tags: knitting

Fits of Craftiness

There are dishes to the ceiling, clothes falling out of the laundry baskets, and my living room is in a state of chaos (we are moving furniture in preparation for the Christmas transformation). What should I be doing? Well, cleaning, of course. What am I actually doing? Having fun with my latest crafty find: flower pens!!!

I saw these about a month ago at a school where I was subbing and said to myself, those are sooo cool, I just gotta make some. Now, my craftiness does not generally go beyond the bounds of fiber but these are so easy to make and, best of all, I can now find a pen that actually works woohoo. Here's another picture of the actual pen

Have a happy Saturday
Holly

Technorati tags: crafts

Eye Candy Friday

Modern fossils?

Have a great Friday!!

Holly

Technorati tags: eye candy friday

Teaching Thursday (no fiber content)
I thought that even though this is primarily a fiber blog that once a week it might be nice to talk about my other great passion teaching. Right now I am substitute teaching, although I am certified (and certifiable?) and looking for a job. So I thought I would take a few moment to list the
advantages of substitute teaching.
1. Really, really flexible schedule (if don't want to work for any reason don't answer the phone, although one really must be careful, if you don't answer the phone too much, they stop calling.) and summers off.
2. Get to meet interesting people (students and staff alike)
3. If some of the interesting students or administration give you grief then you don't have to go back.
4. You get to see schools that you child may some day go to in way that the average, innocent public doesn't (yes there is a reason why My child doesn't go to public school).
5 You get to see how other teachers run their classrooms and what does and doesn't work.

Overall subbing really isn't a bad deal, good hours, decent pay. I've been doing it for 5 years and have only minor psychological scarring. I really want my own classroom, but as long as I am doing this I will do it to the best of my ability and share with you all the happiness and trials that go with it (but just on Thursdays don't worry, more fibery goodness comming up)
Holly

Technorati tags: teaching

Music to knit by...

I saw this on Gnome and it looked like fun.

here's how it works:
1. open your library (iTunes, winamp, media player, iPod)
2. put it on shuffle
3. press play
4. for every question, type the song that's playing
5. new question-- press the next button
6. don't lie and try to pretend you're cool

opening credits:"Play it Sam...as time goes by" Casablanca Soundtrack
waking up:"The Rumor Weed Song" Larry Boy Soundtrack
first day at school:"Hawk Swoops on High", (Father Son and Friends) Athair Mac Angus Cariad
falling in love: "Exsistence" Kevin Max
breaking up: "Unlearn" Psykosonic
prom:"The Christmas Song" Vince Guarldi
life's okay:"American Woman" The Guess Who
mental breakdown:"St Thomas" Sonny Rollins
driving:"Don't Let the Sun go down on me" Roger Daltrey
flashback:"Arise my Love" Michael Card
getting back together:"It cannot be" Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie
wedding:"Due South theme" Jay Semco
birth of child:"Flower of Scotland" Father Son and Friends
final battle:"Take me out to the ballgame" Trevor Hurst
death scene:"Chronology" Ornette Coleman
funeral song:"Erin's Green Isle" The Irish Rovers
end credits:"Serinade no. 13 in G major from Eine Kliene Nachtmusik" Mozart
music to knit by: "Try not to breathe" REM
music to spin by: "Strike the bell" Father Son and Friends

One more thing:
I found a great quote in the book that I am currently reading (Voyager by Diana Gabaldon) that I thought was a little profound.
"It isn't neccessarily easier if you know what it is your meant to do--but at least you don't waste time in questioning or doubting."
Holly

Socks and Thanksgiving
Socks
I don't know what it is about socks. When I knit socks I usually knit them at the same time, mostly because I don't know if I am going to have enough yarn. So I decided to knit the pink socks one at a time. Baad idea. When I finished with the first sock I got the "yea I'm done" satisfied feeling, then I realized: no not done, half done...man I have to knit a whole nother sock. So after a week of not knitting anything I picked up the second sock and am enjoying it as much as the first, even if there is a bit more counting rows.

Thanksgiving and other places to join in.
I joined the Knit unto Others, Knit along for charity. I was moved by their idea of giving in the season of Thanksgiving. I am going to start with a hat (maybe for Afghans for Afghans or the Dulaan Project, maybe one for each) from yarn that I dyed a while ago. I also want to knit mittens for From Hearts to Hands. I have a lot knitting to do woo hoo. Better get started.

Holly

Here are a couple of calendar pics for Chappysmom who is having this great calendar contest. The colored one is from our city calendar the black and white is from The Henry Ford


Technorati tags: knitting charity knitting

Eye Candy Friday
The birthday edition

Happy Birthday MOM and DAD from Holly & Ivy

For Mom: Scenes from Hawaii




For Dad: Ivy art


A big thank you to Purly Whites for this great idea and the Spiffy Button too!!


Technorati tags: eye candy friday

A Slightly snarky Bibliography...in 3 parts
Here is a bibliography in 3 parts. I will continue to add to this as time goes by and I read more books
Part 1 - Books that are about knitting/spinning
Part 2 - Books that mention knitting/spinning
Part 3 - Other books that I happen to find interesting.

Part 1
Gibson-Roberts, Priscilla and Deborah Robson. Knitting in the Old Way. Fort Collins: Nomad, 2004. This is not a book of pretty pictures. This is a book full of information and a great place for people with imagination to jump off from. It has designs and techniques from a variety of places and cultures to pick and choose from.

Taylor, Kathleen. Yarns to Dye for. Loveland: Interweave, 2005. This is a great how-to book on how to make self patterning yarn.

Vogue Knitting eds, Vogue Knitting. New York: Sixth & Spring, 2002. If you only own one book this is the one to own. This has a little bit of everything, perfect for the beginner or the expert.

Vogel, Lynne. The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook. Colorado: Interweave, 2002. I love this book. It has great ideas on dying, spinning and sock knitting, three of my favorite things. I learned to "handpaint" roving using this book (and a class by Lynne herself).

Part 2
Gabaldon, Diana. Voyager. New York: Random House, 1994. In which a character named Jenny is found knitting woolen stocking in 1765.

Paolini, Christopher. Eragon. New York: Random House, 2003. In which a healer knits as she waits by her patient. There is also a dragon and rider.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1997. A book in which Hagrid, a half giant, knits what looks like a giant yellow circus tent on a train and hand knit sweaters are given as Christmas gifts, among other things.

Part 3
Codell, Esme Raji. Educating Esme, Diary of a Teacher's First Year. North Carolina: Algonquin Books, 1999. This book is pretty self explainitory. I bought this book (at full price) on a whim once and have been so glad I did. It is a harsh look at the world of teaching written with compassion.

Gabaldon, Diana. Dragonfly in Amber. New York: Random House, 1992. The continuing adventures of Jamie and Claire, still waiting for some mention of spinning, but a great story all the same. Make sure you have the next book in the series at hand when you finish though.

vote vote vote

I am so excited. I went to vote this morning and there was a line, not just a little 4 people line, but like 20 people lined up to vote. Yea the democratic process at work (not to mention a great place to knit)!! I didn't vote yet, I will this afternoon, didn't want to wait in the line and since the polling place is also my church and my daughter's school I'll be back. It is so important to vote. This right was fought for and won by someone. (Some sooner than others but...) it is still important. Go out and vote
Holly

Article Review
"the book on knitting" by Joanne Seiff published in Vogue Knitting Holiday 2006
I love to read. I love to knit. I love to read and knit at the same time. That is what this article is all about. Joanne Seiff takes the experiences of professional knitters who read and professional writers who knit and knits them into a colorful scarf of good feelings. She showcases why the combination of reading and knitting are a great combination. In addition to the article there are two insets "books to knit by", a great bibliography of knit heavy books from the Yarn Harlot to the classics, and "Knitting in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series". I loved the article, only one thing bothered me, don't ordinary teachers, nurses, accountants and stay at home parents knit and read? Overall, though, this article was well worth the price of the magazine.

Holly
Knitting