Soaps

 Here are some handmade soaps I have made recently. I really enjoy doing these-so creative, with lovely scents. Above is Mocha latte.

 Green apple

 Olive oil in Sweet Pear

 Candy Cane with sprinkles!

 Fresh Cut Rose, Sweet Rose, and unscented aloe vera

 orangesicles an lemon pops

 lavender shells

 lemon shells

 lemon sun

 lavender ducky

 lavender bunny

lemon sunflower and bees

Saving on Buttons and Supplies

For those of you interested in buttons and supplies, I have a shop on Etsy --> http://www.buttonjars.etsy.com

I will be offering savings coupons from time to time, so keep posted to get them :)

Here is the first coupon code (put it in when requested at payment):
BUTTONJARS112010

Have fun shopping!

Sewing

Well, I finally swallowed my fear and bought sewing patterns!

Since I never start small, I started with a pattern for a winter jacket for my daughter-modified, of course. It's hard to find water-proof fabric at my local store, but I found a nice bright yellow that looked lovely on my daughter. I cut and sewed...to find out that the Burda pattern I bought fits smaller. Even though she is a size 8 regularly, she will need the 10, I think.

Thankfully, I think I have enough fabric for both jackets. Now I have an extra one that will fit about a size 6-7....Hmmm.....

Summer Sonnets

    I have been itching to get back online and write what I've been up to this summer. Since fall is officially tomorrow, it's a perfect time to recap the summer from the perspective of my handiwork.

The clothespin Gang

    I planted a small garden at the cottage, which did not do too much since it had little sunshine, was worked for the first year, and lacked nutrients.  But I did harvest some oregano that was already growing there and we munched on a few snow peas.

    The kids thoroughly enjoyed the water (as did hubby and I). It barely rained all summer! We went to 2 camps where the kids learned how to paintball and the fine skill of horsemanship. God kept a close eye on them for me and kept them safe even though my youngest tried flipping over his horses head, and almost drowned in the pool and then at a friend's house. Hard on a mom's heart though!

Boating with dad.

Turtle at the lake.

    I knit and spun and quilted by hand here and there all summer long. My daughter and I picked wild flowers, wild mint (which we dried and put away for the winter) and enjoyed the bug free, lazy, hot summer days.

    We also found an enormous stand of chokecherry trees. We picked for an hour and came away with about 2 dozen bottles of jelly! I saved some for us, gave some away, and plan to sell the rest. I also made this delicious Blueberry Spice jam (we're keeping all of it), at the cottage.

    We finally moved into our "new" home that God gave to us. We're renting this lovely 3 story house with heated tiles in the bathroom, and the whole top floor (a finished attic) is all furnished with my knitting, sewing, spinning, loom, quilt rack, etc (and a rocking chair).

Playing Jenga with the packing boxes.

    I have been commissioned by a girl at church to make a shawl for her. I started with this fuchsia mohair and will probably not have enough. But I do have another shade of pink mohair that will blend in with it nicely. I also found some online, should I run out of that one as well. I hope it will be enough....

    I have been making lots of jelly of late. I made some with this lovely beet juice and added spices-best jelly yet! I also made some with rowan berries (also known as Eastern Mountain Ash). These are only edible cooked, though (FYI).

Daily Quote

"Comparing my weaknesses to the strengths of others, while neglecting to be grateful for the gifts and abilities God has given to me, is coveting at its lowest, and truly smacks of idolatry."- Tiana Krenz, Ladies against Feminism

Kings Landing Pics

Using a dutch Oven to bake a pie.

Making Butter

Here are some pics of the ladies at King's Landing churning butter (with my youngest lending a hand).

Summer Plans

I have all these great ideas to write in the evening but when I sit down, my mind goes blank.

We are moving and I'll be away from the computer for 2 months.

We went to King's Landing yesterday. I loved to see everything and really got inspired to make more things by hand. There is a look and feeling of hominess, love and beauty that so permeates everything made by hand. I want to do that for my family.

I want to make braided rugs (they had woven cloth carpets in some of the houses-what a load of work!). Also, the next quilts I make, I plan to have real cotton in it to authenticate the real feel and look of a quilt-besides providing better warmth and fewer chemicals.

This summer, we will be at the cottage lots. I plan to bring my fabric and squares and do some hand sewing. It is much more portable, and I'm suspecting it will also be quite enjoyable.

I also plan to bring my knitting along and my spinning. Nice to have some variety.

I have a few books that I plan on reading as well. So Much More by Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin (great for women of all ages), Logic by Isaac Watts (which used to be a textbook-wow! See how far we've fallen in our literacy), and Raising maidens of Virtue by Stacy McDonald (mother and daughter book). That should keep me going all summer.

Cotton

I ordered cotton here with very good results-great for spinning, quilt batting, etc.

How to Knit for Beginners : Picking up a Dropped Stitch

How to Knit : How to Pick Up a Dropped Stitch in Knitting

Knitting Bind Off

Knitting - How to Knit a Bobble

Knitting - Long-Tail Cast-on

Free Online Knitting Patterns

Knitting Pattern Central - Free Dishcloths Knitting Pattern Link Directory

Knit stitches - collection of knitting stitches with charts

Aunt Maggie's Slippers
Ballet-Style Slippers
Patons: Pattern Detail - Classic Wool - Slippers (knit)
Desert Boots and Slippers
Knitting Pattern Central - Free Slipper Knitting Pattern Link Directory

Great Beginners Knitting Links

Learn To Knit: Glossary Of Knitting Terms

How to read a knitting chart

AWESOME knitting link-glossary of knitting terms...with videos! (both English and continental methods)

KNITTING NEEDLE SIZES AND CONVERSIONS

Knit stitches - collection of knitting stitches with charts

Where to get supplies at a good price in Moncton, NB:

straight knitting needles-Great Canadian Dollar Store
Knitting accessories-Great Canadian Dollar Store
Yarn and DPN's=Zellers (the one on Mountain Rd. has the best selection)

Carding Fibers

HInt: Use dog brushes (the flat square ones) to card your fibers for spinning!

Sorbet

Sorbet Recipes (from Kara)

Simple Syrup

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

Combine in saucepan, heat until sugar is dissolved. Cool. May store in fridge for 2 weeks.

Chocolate Banana Sorbet

4 very ripe bananas

2/3 cup simple syrup

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Puree until liquiefied, pour into shallow pans. Freeze for 6 hours. Put frozen chunks ...in food processor and puree until smooth.

Raspberry Sorbet

1 1/2 cup raspberries

2/3 cup simple syrup

2tbsp lime juice

See directions above.

Strawberry Sorbet

2 pkg frozen sliced strawberries (15oz eaach)

2/3 cup simple syrup

2 tbsp lemon juice

Knitting Links and Resources

Many Knitting stitches

Knitting Needle Conversion Chart

Knitting Patterns for tons of dishcloths

How to Cast on (cable/knit method)

How to Knit : How to Pick Up a Dropped Stitch in Knitting

Knitting Bind Off

How to Pick up a dropped pearl

Finished Curved Medallion Quilt

I started this quilt about 5-6 years ago. I put it away once I finished the center medallion. The curved piecing wasn't sitting flat enough for my liking. Amazingly enough, after being stored for so long, it did flatten a fair bit. A wedding prompted me to pull it back out and complete it. Here are the results.

Hint

Use dog brushes (the flat square ones) to card your fibers for spinning! A good way to get started.