Hi! It’s me! I haven’t been here literally for years and almost even forgot this blog existed.

I’m opening up a new shop/blog, The Maine Skein. Yes, I say it’s me there, I’m confirming it by saying it here too. Bit by bit I’m going to move/reprint my articles that I have here, as well as adding new ones. N00b Monday will become Newbie Tuesday, and Project Friday will probably still be called just that. Anyway, I hope you join me over there.

Thank you for reading and enjoying even after all these years!

Laura/Peasie/Mistletoe

I’ve been saying it for years: I want to learn how to knit, because I want to learn how to make socks. Sure a sweater would be nice from time to time, but what I really want to make is socks.

And so, at the first of this year, I set out teaching myself to knit. And now, eight or so months later, I’ve taken the plunge and have started on my first attempt at hosiery. Here’s my cute foot modeling the progress, and no I’m not actually making the thing around my foot as I go!

The pattern comes from the book Charmed Knits by Alison Hansel (do look into getting a copy if you or someone you love is into Harry Potter!). It’s the pattern for the house colored striped socks, but I decided to walk before I run and just do it in one yarn instead of stripes. The yarn is Froehlich blau…something (I think I threw away the label…) and one skein is proving more than enough to make a pair of socks.

Some stuff I’ve learned already:

• The first few rows are the toughest. After a while, though, it’s much less tangly and falls more into place.
• I don’t get “ssk”. If what they mean is slip 2 then knit, why don’t they just say that? And in the case of this pattern, it seems what it really wants is “k2tog” in order to get the stitch count it claims I should achieve. So that’s what I did and it looks just fine.
• When making a stockinette stitch in the round, the side towards you (or me at least) is the side that has the pretty little “v”s on it. Somehow after shaping the heel I got my direction switched and had pretty little “v”s on the inside and bumpitties on the outside. I figured out my mistake after two rounds though.
• What side the yarn is on when making a stitch really does make a difference in texture.
• Shaping the heel makes very little sense. The direction was confusing. But after a couple tries I realized what it was saying and got it, no sweat.
• I’ve been told this one: as soon as this sock is done, I should cast on the second one immediately or I may never get to it!
• It really isn’t as intimidating as I thought it would be.

I’ll keep you posted as to my progress.

I wants one, Precious.

The recipe is unintentionally vague. I just didn’t pay very close attention to numbers.

• 2 boxes Parmalat “Pomi” Chopped Tomatoes
• about 10-12 jalapeno peppers (remove seeds for milder salsa, keep seeds for hotter salsa)
• 2 or 3 onions chopped up
• a fistful of fresh cilantro, chopped

Put it all into a pot or slow cooker and simmer low for 20 minutes or so. Can while hot, or refrigerate and let cool.

• Any and all leftover fabric you want to use. Mixed content is OK; I’m using both cotton and linen for this project. Make sure there’s enough of it to cut pieces 4.5″ wide.
• Scissors or Rotary cutter with mat
• Leftover thread, both bobbins and spools
• At least one spool of thread in a color that actually goes with what you’re making
• Optional: Pinking shears

Lay your scrap piece of fabric flat on the floor. Cut strips from the fabric that are about 4.5″ inches in width.

You don’t have to measure the width of the strips. The photo above was “eyeballed” and estimated. However, you’ll have neater results if you do measure. You might want to use a CD case as a gauge.

Strips need not be identical in length. Straighten ends of strips so that they’re all rectangular.

Repeat first two steps with remaining scraps. Discard scraps that are too small to use.

You may choose to use some type of pattern when pinning strips together. For the photo, I tried to keep it pretty random. It’s up to you, really.

Pin strips together and sew using leftover thread. To make sure that all the same sides are stitched (I know I messed up and got the wrong side more than once!) remember: right sides together. This is especially important if you’re using printed fabric. To ensure evenness, use a consistent seam allowance (I went with 3/8″).

Repeat until you have groups of 4 strips sewn together.

Now, you’re going to cut the sewn-together fabric horizontally (perpendicular to the seams you just made). Again, you may wish to use the CD case for your size gauge.

This next step depends on how wide you want your fabric to be. If you’re just making a throw pillow, it may be that four squares wide is plenty. If you’re making a small blanket or curtains, you may wish to make it 20 or so squares wide. If you’re making a garment, you may want as many as 32 squares wide or wider.

Pin edges of new strips together and sew together to make a longer strip of rectangles. Continue until you reach desired width. Stick to your pattern, if you have one, or simply disregard pattern and grab strips to attach at random. When your new strip is the width you want, set it aside and repeat step with remaining strips of sewn-together rectangles.

Optional step: With pinking shears, pink raw edges between rectangles. This will keep the edge from unraveling and also reduce the overall weight of the finished fabric (especially useful for curtains or garments).

Once you have sufficient new strips in your desired width, pin the top of one strip to the bottom of another, and sew. Repeat with remaining strips until desired length is reached.

Optional step: With pinking shears, pink raw edges between strips of squares. This serves the same purpose as doing so previously.

Once you’ve finished (which takes more time and more thread than you may have previously thought!) you may choose to line your fabric (for curtains), use lining and batting (for a blanket), or cut out pieces with lining and possibly interfacing (for garments). If you’re using it to make a throw pillow, no lining is necessary since the back won’t be visible anyway. This part is where you’ll be wanting that thread that actually goes with your work.

Is there something you want to learn about on N00b Monday? Post your questions and I’ll do the best I can to answer them. If I can’t, I’ll try and find someone who can. So long for now!

And here’s how much of a hippie chick I’ve been: when I prepared all the green beans for canning, I took the little snipped-off ends, extracted the seeds from them, and have said seeds drying to plant next year. Then I put the ends in compost, go me.

I think what brought it all on is a few things. First, the discovery of a Farmer’s Market here in Westbrook (my new town of residence) on Thursdays. Next, the new Mother Earth News. This one’s all canning and preserving. And finally, we’re taking a pretty big hit financially over the next month. Whenever we look at the numbers and hubby says, “We’ll have to be frugal,” I go all out with the frugality. And, interestingly enough, we often eat better when those times happen. I bake more from scratch, I do stuff like soaking 2 pounds of beans instead of buying a can, I dig back in the freezer for stuff to put in the slow-cooker; I get creative.

I’ll show pictures of my works in progress another time. Right now I’m in desperate need of a shower. Hey I may be in Hippie Mode but I don’t have to smell like the worst of them.

About 6 years ago, I got this blanket at an SCA event. It was just after a thunderstorm and it was the only remotely dry thing I had to wrap myself up in (since my blankets had been saturated…long story…). Years later, here it is thumbtacked to the bedroom window in our new house.

Well, I got inspired.

I took the blanket down and folded it in half widthwise, so that the design would be symmetrical and it would still be wide enough and long enough to cover my window. Then I cut it in half, hemmed up the raw edges, and made a simple casing at the top of each.

I saw a fancy curtain rod similar to this one at JoAnn for $30. But today, I saw this one at Family Dollar for $6! (I’ll share my feelings on recent changes at JoAnn sometime soon.) I stood on the end table (don’t worry, it’s a good sturdy one) and used a phillips-head screwdriver to put it up in no time.

The casing was a little snug, but it still fit.

After.

And, ta da! It makes a beautiful set of curtains, don’t you think?

And we are never doing it again!

And this is a sugar snap pea I picked out of my garden at the end of last month. Doesn’t it look delicious? (Well it was!) Something new I learned this summer: peas’ blossoms (peaseblossoms) are not in fact pink; they are white.

The back:

Next on the agenda: my 14-year-old Little Sister’s court gown.