Craft and stress

Turning to handicrafts for me is both something I enjoy - I love being able to make something, build something - and often is a stress-reliever or escape mechanism.  I think this has been happening recently with both some knitting I took while traveling (hats, easy and fast), as well as my burgeoning interest in quilting. 

I have been watching a few online courses on Craftsy, as well as some YouTube videos on fast/easy quilting.  I admire tremendously hand-pieced and hand-quilted work, it is beautiful, but I will not have the time to invest in that for a little while.  I have been looking for designs that are still pretty or interesting or pleasant, but are not highly complex designs of cutting and piecing mastery. 

A friend and fabulous quilter mentioned Spoonflower to me, and I have been finding lots of very lovely fabrics that would be gorgeous as quilts, or other projects around the house.

First, to find that sewing machine.

I'd also like to get some knitting projects finished that have been WIPs for a long, long time now.  I have a very warm-colored Rowan wool sweater that is almost done, except for the end of a sleeve, and a zipper being sewn in.  It won't fit me any more, but it may fit a friend of mine.  If so, she'll be getting a pretty Autumn-y sweater at some point. 

I also have to figure out where I'd set up at home.  The basement may amplify sewing machine noises to upstairs.  I'll have to shift things around.

One of the few

I have been cooking and baking very little, but there is one recipe I've been making pretty consistently.  It's handy for toddlers and adults.  I've modified it from a Banana Nut Bread recipe given to me by a family member.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

dry stuff:

2.5 cups flour (I use 2 cups all-purpose and 0.5 cups whole wheat for that hint of fiber)
3.5 tsps baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

wet stuff:

3 Tbsps oil (I use olive oil)
1 egg
0.75 fluid cups milk
about 3 bananas, mashed or pureed (2 if really, really big)

other stuff:

about 6-10 oz semisweet chocolate chips
cooking spray


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.  In a separate container, blend bananas (if you have an immersion blender, it's great for this use), add egg, oil, and milk.  Stir to break egg yolk and mix wet ingredients. 

Pour wet into dry, and mix well.  (I just use a big spoon; no need to use a blender.)  When smooth(ish), add about 1/2 to 3/4 a 12 oz. bag of semisweet chocolate chips.

Spray muffin tin (smallish - not the monster muffins) with cooking spray.  (This recipe is bread-like and moist, so paper cup liners don't work as well.)  Spoon mixture into cups, filling each about 3/4 full.  Bake for about 25-35 minutes, checking after 25 minutes for golden brown color to appear.  When just becoming golden brownish, remove from oven and pan, and place on wire rack or ceramic plate to cool. 

Makes about 18.


Loved by toddlers and adults in need of a snack.

Enjoy!

Fabric longing

Does anyone out there have a recommendation for a lower-cost sewing machine that I could purchase to try out some basic machine quilting?

Also, these prints are just too cute.  TOO CUTE.  I have a terrible nesting urge to get these before even having a sewing machine.  *guilt*

Also these.  Baby quilts, anyone?  Or pillowcases?  Anything?

The lure of Twitter

I've been media-active in the past several months, but have been lured away from the sometimes more ponderous, but usually more substantial, blogging.  Yes, Twitter has been very interesting, rapid, and has a huge wealth of information (if you can find it between the pop culture static pieces), but I have missed the blogosphere in general.  So I am returning to my roost here. 

Now that Summer is starting (just starting) to fade - I could smell the Autumn smell of faint woodsmoke and dry leaves yesterday evening - my crafting mojo is rising, like sap in the trees.  Which is strange, as the sap in trees would be starting to drop soon. 

Anyways, I have pulled out the project I want to finish first - a sweater for Sprout.  It is a yoked pullover, with a bit of colorwork - penguins at the yoke.  (Link to free online pattern here.)  So far I've gotten through the body tube, and have just started on one wrist.  I'm looking forward to the penguins.  I do love yoked sweaters!

There is this one I have seen on Ravelry as well.  I love it - the colors, the pattern, everything!  I love both the construction and the finished look of yoked colorwork sweaters.  Clearly, a trip to Iceland is in order. 

With the "Winter is coming" nesting/crafting surge, my desire to quilt and sew has emerged as well.  A friend let me know about some very inexpensive sewing machines, and I am going to give away my old machine, which I bought secondhand, has not worked properly, and I cannot find a manual to help fix it.  I have been looking for easy baby quilts to start. 

I've also been finding some ridiculously adorable fabrics online.  I already have a yarn stash to knit down...will I end up having a fabric stash as well?  

Hello, 2012

Well, we survived holiday travel, and more importantly, Sprout did not get ill.  That's a win right there.  We had a very nice visit in Indiana over Christmas, and then had a post-Christmas "Christmas" with the family here.  Essentially that meant that Sprout had two mornings of getting overstimulated and overwhelmed with presents.  We have blocks now - lots of blocks!  And I love to build with them.  Although they are totally for Sprout.  Yes.  Right.

I was kindly given a number of lovely presents, including jewelry that I pointed out to E, multiple times, in what may have been a somewhat aggressive manner.  If you, like I, have an interest in shiny, sparkly, and luminescent things,  Lisa's Lovelies is a shop on etsy, and she sells very nice things.  I love the shapes she uses for her earrings. 

While I am mentioning etsy shops, I should also mention Novel Forms.   The jewelry I wore for my wedding came from there.  Also very nice work.

I have been able to read a number of books over this break, which is engiddying, to say the least.  (As in, to make giddy.)  I have been spending time cruising around Goodreads, adding books, reading reviews, and expanding my "to read" bookshelf.  I have also been bullying (or trying to bully - I'm not very good at it) friends to join the site so I can see what they are reading.

It seems like the family is dealing with a cold right now, so I will join the others in lying down and trying to rest.  Hopefully we will be filled with joy, energy, and happiness when we spring up from slumber. 

Would you believe it...

the pullover is already too short for Sprout!  Time to rip out those bind-off edges and add some length.

I'm plotting my next knitting project - continue the Immense Sweater for me?  (A Lopi pullover, will be scratchy and warm and perfect for Winter.)  Knit E another winter hat?  (In black please.)  Knit more for Sprout?  (Smaller and cuter projects.)  Hmmm.

I just read a story through Yahoo! news about a woman who self-published her book, and its growing popularity.  I had such mixed feelings.  On one hand, and most importantly, I think it's great that her work is out there, people are enjoying it, and she's even made some money off of it.  On the other hand, I wondered, will future publishing run so much towards self-publishing and self-marketing?  It sounds like another job on top of the writing, on top of the day job.  Phew.

Keep on

Keep on keeping on.

I want to thank the friends who encouraged me during NaNoWriMo (Essie, Amber, Sin) - it means so much to me!  I did kick myself when I was down, but I am working on better internal patterns and reinforcement.  I did realize that, given some time, I can put a lot of writing down.  I do want to work more and continue to develop my ideas.  And I'd like to set more reachable goals for myself for writing throughout the year.  I know an average of over 1,600 words a day is not attainable for me while doing the work/commute routine.  I have to come up with a manageable but still inspires-me goal, either per day or, more likely, per week.

Also, I did just finish a creative piece that I am proud of, albeit smallish.

Pullover for a babe.

Knitted from 100purewool in two colorways, from this site (I like a lot of her designs) - there is an English version of the pdf on Ravelry.

Sprout has not tried it on yet, but I am hoping he loves it.