Mini rant - and mumblings

 First of all, the rant.....my computer keyboard bit the dust and I was happy to know that I had one on hand.  Unfortunately the new one is way smaller than my old one and is a complete lesson in frustration.  The 'enter' key isn't where the old one was (why????)...the Caps Lock key is in a different place too.  All I can say is that I'm glad I already did the links for this post or there wouldn't be any.  Every single time I attempt to hit the letter 'a' I get either the caps lock or the letter q.  For a person who is a typist it's totally maddening.  ARGH!!!!

Rant over - soapbox dusted

I have a project that is almost completed which I hope to show you on Wednesday.

Today's quote (one which I need to take to heart)....

Nothing but mumblings

 

Sorry folks - I have nothing to show you because I've been living the life of sloth for a couple of days.  Christmas 'stuff' is done, wrapping is pretty much done, and I've been taking it easy.  Puttering is happening, but it's hard to take pictures of puttering.

Today's quote...."When you choose joy you feel good and when you feel good, you do good and when you do good it reminds others of what joy feels like and it might just inspire them to do the same"

In which I discuss the fact that I'm losin' it

 Some of you might remember that I made advent calendars for our grandies...two were mailed in time for the boys to enjoy last Christmas but of course our wee granddaughter wasn't quite born yet.  I, however, knew she was coming and made her an advent in preparation for THIS Christmas and tucked it away.  Last month I put it in with a box of goodies heading out their way and felt quite smug knowing that I was on top of things.  Well.  You can pretty much guess that wasn't the END of the story!  Over the weekend we received a call from our mystified son wondering just how they were supposed to attach the cross stitched ornaments TO the advent.  Turns out I had totally overlooked sewing the buttons onto it...so there went my feeling of smugness.  Good thing she's not quite a year old yet and doesn't know what an advent even is!  It will be returned to me and I will do what I should have in the first place.  Serves me right for not checking it over before I sent it!  And why, I ask you, didn't I put the buttons on when I was making it??  One of the great mysteries of life. 

For lack of any better pictures to share with you, thought I'd show you how I packaged the snowflake soaps I showed you earlier.  Pretty simple packaging - wrapped in Saran, a little bit of curling ribbon, and a sprig of holly berries 'harvested' from a cheap dollar store wreath.

The quote of the day..."If an egg is broken by an outside force, life ends.  If broken by an inside force, life begins.  Great things always begin from the inside"

Something from the Resident Chef

 

BROCCOLI AND CHEDDAR CHEESE SOUP

3 onions, chopped

2 leeks, white & green sections, chopped

12 cloves garlic, minced

3 T. olive oil

1 T. Italian dressing

6 c. chicken broth

1 c. chopped broccoli

1 c. instant white rice, uncooked

1 c. skim milk

1 can evaporated milk

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Salt

  Saute onions & leeks til tender.  Add broth, water &

broccoli.  Bring to boil & cook 8-10 mins.  til broccoli is

tender.  Add milk & rice. Reduce heat to medium & cook

5 mins.  Blend in blender til smooth.  Reheat on low. 

Top each serving with cheese.

And, just to prove that I haven't been slacking, there's this...

The final knitted gift for this Christmas!  Made from stash yarn, using up bits leftover from the sweaters.

Today's quote is from one of my favourites - Ralph Waldo Emerson...

The final toy

 This is the last toy I'm making for this year.  I'm not overly thrilled with it, but I guess it looks a little like a cat if you REALLY use your imagination.  

Today's quote... (disclaimer:  This is not my artwork, nor is it my poem...sadly!)

Bubble, bubble (literally!)

 Last night I turned my attention to soap making and these are the result. I now have to figure out how I'm going to package them for gifting.  Before you get too excited and think that I'm a soap maker I'm really not - these are the melt and pour type and SO easy!!  Measuring scary things like lye isn't on my radar and I far prefer all that technical stuff be done for me leaving me to play with colour and scent instead.

Today your quote is from Hans Christian Andersen..."The whole world is a series of miracles, but we're so used to them we call them ordinary things"

The efforts of the Resident Chef

 The weekend, at least on my part, involved uninspiring things like gift wrapping and writing Christmas cards and all sorts of busy work that really isn't worth photographing.  So, I thought I'd show you a couple of things Resident Chef was working on...

He is pretty happy with his new Kitchenaid as is evidenced by what's in his hand....both are sourdough buns, but the left version was kneaded using his new toy.  Much higher and fluffier than those kneaded by hand!

Heaven help the world if he didn't make his yearly allotment of butter tarts....

UPDATED TO ADD:
Recipe for his butter tarts can be found HERE.

And chocolate cookies whipped up in...you guessed it...the new toy...

Here's your quote for today..."On particularly rough days when I'm sure I can't possibly endure, I like to remind myself that my track record for getting through bad days so far is 100%"

From the Resident Chef

 I've been busy working on more cross stitched bookmarks (shhhh....I DO remember assuring you that there wouldn't be any more cross stitch for awhile....so I lied).  They're not photo ready as yet though.  

Because I have nada to show you, how about a really good potato soup recipe from Resident Chef's kitchen instead...

SLOW COOKER HAM and POTATO SOUP

8 c. potatoes, diced

2 onions, diced

3 large carrots, diced

1/2 c. chopped celery

16 oz. cubed cooked ham

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 c. chicken broth

1/4 c. flour

1 1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. sour cream

Add all but flour, milk and sour cream to slow cooker.  Cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 4 - 5 hours.  Add flour, milk & sour cream and cook on high for 15-20 minutes.

Today's quote..."If you love something, love it completely, cherish it, say it, but most importantly, show it.  Life is finite and fragile, and just because something is there one day, it might not be the next.  Never take that for granted.  Say what you need to say, then say a little more.  Say too much.  Show too much.  Love too much.  Everything is temporary but love"

Completed set

 I had leftover yarn from making this hat that I showed you previously so thought I might as well use it up and made another of the scarves to go along with it...

If you want the scarf pattern, I posted it HERE.

And the latest thing to come out of Resident Chef's kitchen (he and his new Kitchenaid are very busy!)...

These are called Martha Washington candies and the recipe can be found HERE.

Today the quote is by Leo Buscaglia..."Don't spend your precious time asking "Why isn't the world a better place?"  It will only be time wasted.  The question to ask is "How can I make it better?".  To that there is an answer.

Hive of industriousness-sssss

 Over the weekend both Resident Chef and I were busy creating and baking.  He, of course, absolutely NEEDED to test out his new Kitchenaid and this loaf of bread was the result...

My efforts yielded two different jar gifts that are all ready for gifting...

Hot Cocoa Mix (recipe can be found HERE - but we found that using half the amount of powder per cup of liquid was ample)

Bean Soup Mix - (recipe can be found HERE).  I changed it 

Today the quote is paraphrased from Louise Hay...."Choose to make the rest of your life the best of your life"

Button, button AND beads

 Many of you have heard me talk of the huge button collection I have so it comes as no surprise that I'm always looking for ideas to use them.  So....I made a Christmas tree which serves the dual purpose of using lots of buttons but also lots of pearl beads too (win/win!!).  We won't mention the two trips I made to the dollar store in order to obtain enough straight pins to finish the project.

AND...in the ongoing effort at downsizing my stash, I've been slowly working my way through my vast collection of beads (more than any sane woman would use in twenty lifetimes) and cutting them down by at least half.  Don't worry, I still have enough for ten lifetimes and then some!!  This shows just SOME of what I'm donating to the thrift store....

It's hard to get a decent picture of a grocery bag full of baggies of beads but you can get the general idea!

Today's quote is from Joseph Chilton Pearce..."To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong"

Another hat

 The ongoing 'using up odd balls of yarn' project is still underway and this hat is the result.  Another thing for the Christmas box.  Pattern is THIS one and I used Bernat Super Value yarn.

- I usually crochet and knit for others because it's not often I come across a pattern, particularly for a crocheted garment, that makes me sit up and take notice and want to make it for myself.  THIS got me excited (and Resident Chef, being an enabler, is telling me to order the yarn).  (UPDATED TO ADD:  Yarn is on order!)

Today's quote...

Small finish(s)

 Over the weekend I finished the bookmark I showed you the other day and also made another one.

Today's quote is from Fred Rogers..."Some days doing the best we can may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do, but life isn't perfect - on any front - and doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else"

Another little set done

 I just finished knitting another little hat and mitten set for the Christmas box...

Yarn is of who-knows origin - pattern is pretty generic.  The mittens are from THIS pattern and the hat from THIS one.

And, Resident Chef's Christmas present arrived early (it's actually for both of us) and he couldn't wait until Christmas to play with it.  Claims that he wants to make sure it's working properly (!!).  

- I think THIS would be a great way to use up yarn 'bits' from your stash.

- HERE's something that would make great Christmas gifts. And THIS one is a different take on it.

- If you have need to make a number of little ornies for any occasion over the upcoming season, perhaps THESE might catch your eye.

- I really like THIS pretty afghan design.

- If you're giving filled mason jars at Christmas, perhaps making pretty covers like THESE would add a touch of elegance to your gifts.

- And, finally, HERE is one of those projects that made me say 'awwww'.

Today's quote (of course it doesn't in the least bit apply to moi)...."No, my sewing room isn't messy.  I just have everything on display.  Like a museum"

In progress

 You know that old adage "Never say never" ,well...

I know I said I wasn't going to be doing any more cross stitch anytime soon but as it turns out I lied.  I admit it.  This will be a bookmark for one of my friends and will be part of an advent 'calendar' I'm making for her for Christmas.  I thought it was a good idea when I thought of doing it but now that I'm trying to come up with 24 'things' to include I'm finding it might not be as easy as I'd originally thought.

Today the quote is from Tupac Shakur..."You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months over-analyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could've, would've happened...or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move on"

Another tutorial...who knew?

 Yes, who knew?  Two tutorials in such short order!!  Or maybe, to be technical, this one is more of a pattern than a tutorial.  At any rate...over the weekend I finished this scarf to accompany the hat I already made...

A close up...

And, in case you feel urged to make a scarf of your own (or for THAT gift occasion that's rapidly approaching!), here's the pattern I developed....

1 ball of Patons Canadiana yarn (or any #4 weight yarn of your choice)

8.5 mm knitting needles (either circular or DPN's)

Loosely cast on 23 (or 29 for a wider scarf).  23 stitches gives you a scarf approx. 6"x56".

Knit two rows.

Pattern Row 1:  Knit 3, *YO, K2 tog, repeat from * to last 2 sts., Knit 2

Pattern Row 2:  Knit 2; Purl to last 2 sts.; Knit 2

NOTE:  Mark Row 1 with a safety pin and keep moving it up as you go along in order to keep track of which row you're doing.  Ask me how I know!

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until ball of yarn is nearly done.

Knit 2 rows.

Cast off:  Knit 1, *Knit 1, insert left needle into front of  the two stitches on right needle, K2 tog.  Repeat from * until 1 stitch remaining.  Break yarn and pull through.

Today's quote from William Feather..."Conditions are never just right.  People who delay action until all factors are favourable do nothing"

Another addition to THAT box

 All of our grandies are getting sweaters, hats and mittens this year and this is the final sweater/hat/mitten combo that I've completed (still have two hats and two pairs of mittens to create)...

Patterns were three different ones adjusted to suit myself and the yarn is unknown from my stash.

I'm somewhat basking in a glow of self righteousness at the moment after I spent an hour or so culling my collection of needlework books that I never look at.  23 books are being delivered to the local library for their Friends book sales.  Am I going to wish I'd kept some of them, perhaps, but please let me feel virtuous for a little while.  

Today's quote..."You can tell a lot about a woman by her hands.  For instance, if they're placed around your throat, she's probably slightly upset"

Finally finished!

 This sweater has been sitting in the unfinished pile for too long and all it needed was buttons.  Finally found enough in my stash to complete it.  Another item for the Christmas box!  No pattern notes to speak of other than it was stash yarn and a generic sweater pattern.  

Today's quote..."My superpower is holding onto stuff for years and throwing it away exactly one week before I need it"