Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Knit Socks
(Warning: if you are not a knitter you may find this post extremely confusing)
I've heard that hand knit socks are lovely and make great gifts so I thought I would get into it. Last Saturday I bought a skein of this crazy soft (and super fine) Mohair yarn from Lone Star Quiltworks (it's hand wash only, but I just couldn't resist the softness). And size 5 double pointed needles. I started to make a sock but the mohair yarn left no room for mistakes... yanking out yarn was extremely hard. I decided to scratch that and start with something more forgiving. I grabbed fatter yarn and fatter needles (the key to knitting anything quickly).
The world of sock knitting is quite intense. I didn't know so much went into knitting socks and in the midst of construction I was wondering to myself why anyone even bothered. However, after slipping on my 'quick knit' socks I completely understood.
I really liked the idea of knitting two socks at once. It's quite involved making just one sock. Then after you complete that one you have to start all over with the next one... I feel it's kinda discouraging. I wasn't sure whether to go the double pointed or circular route... a friend suggested double pointed because it's what she likes... however you have to buy two sets of needles for that. I was too cheap for that and decided I would just do it the original way... one sock at a time. Well, with a gauge of 8-10 to an inch I got very discouraged.
I had heard of a "magic loop" method of knitting socks on long circular needles... and as a added bonus you can do multiple socks at once without buying a second set of needles. After sufficiently frustrating myself with the Mohair I decided I definitely needed to learn this "magic loop" method.
I found a great website that had several videos for this very thing (She also has videos for the regular double pointed method). The 'quick sock' pattern I had found (for free) was a very similar gauge & pattern to the sock she knits, so it was just prefect!
The verdict? I LOVE magic loop! This is a great method. I mean... with ONE pair of circular needles I could possibly knit an entire sweater... with seamless sleeves & everything! So, I've finally decided to start saving up for an interchangeable circular needle set. I've been eyeing sets for a long time but didn't really know the true versatility of it... now I understand and don't think $200 is too much to pay for one. And I definitely want it in bamboo... I just need to make sure the wires are flexible enough.
And that mohair?... Well, I didn't toss it out. It was a great price & like I said ridiculously soft. And while I don't have the money to invest in an interchangeable set yet I'll probably just buy some small sized circular needles to make one of the several patterns I've found on Raverly. And after that I might venture into socks for Christmas gifts.
Whatever I decide I'll keep you posted!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Whole Wheat Apple Muffins
Meet Breakfast. Swindell style.
(I'm such a Pioneer Woman wanna be)
Steven loves a quick breakfast. And I love anything other than cereal (or spaghetti) for breakfast... cereal can quite expensive. I started making granola bars & muffins & other baked goods to keep on hand. Our current favorite is Apple Muffins.
The recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen. The only thing I modified was making all the flour whole wheat. Muffins can really hold up to the extra weight. I also usually use the ol' milk & vinegar trick for the buttermilk as we rarely keep buttermilk on hand. I've tried to decrease the sugar, but the hubsters strongly protested it.
Anyway. I hope you're enjoying your breakfast!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes
I made this as "baby food" but I must tell you, I've eaten my fair share and they are quite hard to resist nibbling on when I give them to John. I wanted to make a whole wheat and/or oatmeal pancake to feed John for breakfast so I went recipe hunting on the Internet. I modified this recipe, but Steven insist that I make up the original for us sometime.
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (cooks in 5 minutes type)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups skim milk
2 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
1. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Set bowl aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the skim milk, eggs, and olive oil.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, being careful not to over mix the batter.
4. Let batter stand for 10-20 minutes (very important step as it softens the oats).
5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray.
6. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet (you may have to spread the batter around a bit as the batter is kinda thick), and cook until bubbles appear on the surface.
7. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side, about 2 minutes per side.
They were a hit all around. Steven thought they needed some syrup, but John scarfed them down. I was kinda surprised because they don't have much sugar in them, but sure enough he was putting them in his mouth faster than I preferred. I was trying to get a good photo, but of coarse I took like 20. Here are some of them...
"Yah, I like them!"
"See I put them in my mouth like this."
"I can put them in my hair too!"
"Sometimes they are hard to grab. I'm new at this so I have to concentrate."
"I know it's only one piece, but I have to use both hands."
"And leave one hand in your mouth while you chew. It's a must!"
"Even while smiling, keep your hand in your mouth."
"Okay. All done!"
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Those Gold Aprons
Steven's father has three sister. The Aunts are so much fun! I love it when we get together with them. They love to play cards. And coming from a family that also loves to play cards, I just soak it up. Almost every time we get together we play Shoot the Moon. It's great! and I always look forward to it.
Years ago, Steven's grandmother gave these aprons to her daughters. They have worn them while holiday baking most years. They may not be the first choice when it comes to fashion, but they unite the sisters and say "Holidays" in our family. And they are great way to remember Grandmother Geri.
This year the Aunts passed on their aprons to the three sister (including the married-in sisters). I hope every year the three of us are together we remember them and enjoy the humor.
Here's the picture from Thanksgiving. The thing that is a little off with this picture is that Ann couldn't make it for Thanksgiving. Cathy stepped in to receive her apron...
But, she did get to visit for Christmas and she claimed her apron...
And with the fun of editing, we have a photo with everyone in it!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
New Curtains
Look at those beautiful curtains!
A certain little boy is enjoying them as well. He doesn't pull on them so they aren't off limits... yet! Hopefully he's content to play pick-a-boo in them and doesn't pull on them ever, but in case he does there are some might anchors holding them up.
My sister got them for me in brown, but I decide to return it and replace it with something lighter. Our living room is a bit dark and in the future I would like to have lighter furniture. I like dark woods but too much dark wood and maroon can make a room feel like the walls are closing in... especially when your living room is as small as ours.
Once they were up I realized that John really likes to look out the window. It made me feel bad for not having the window open more, but now he can move the curtains and look by himself and I can maintain some privacy in the house.
He loves playing in them!
And I love finding him in all the curtains!
(note: the red spot on his head is a battle wound from learning to pull up on furniture)
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Years Resolutions
Here are a few of mine. I say a "few" because I figure that if I make several at least on of them will stick, right? We'll see!
Fitness
yes. I'm claiming this one... I know it's the most common and the most commonly broken, but I'm still claiming it. I did get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight after John was born, but my pre-pregnancy weight was definitely not my long term goal. And the pregnancy did strange things to my body. I carry weight differently now and it's not a very flattering different.
Another exciting reason to lose weight came up on Christmas Eve! A very beautiful sister-in-law of mine received a very pretty diamond ring from her boyfriend. We are excited to receive Manly into our family! He loves Jesus & John so he's off to a great start! The wedding date isn't finalized yet, but I know I would like to lose at least 20lb before it happens.
Owning the day
This one is something that I've kinda learned the hard way. When John was born I struggled with depression. I still do on bad days, but I've learned ways prevent this. Exercise is a big one. But another one that helps is if I wake up before John does. I like to get him going at 7am, weather he's up or not, it's just makes the rest of the day work really well. Sometimes he wakes up a little earlier, but he is pretty much like an alarm clock now. However, no one loves & adores their alarm clock! And I've been lazy and waking up at 7am when I HAVE to.
I do so much better on days when I wake up an hour before he gets up and get ready for the day. If I claim the day instead of the day claiming me things just work better around here. Reading my bible, hugging my husband and having a cup of coffee will go a long way toward improving my attitude towards John and myself.
(sorry if that sounds harsh towards John but that's real Mom talk! I promise I love my baby but somedays changing diapers and other Mommy duties get to me)
Etsy
Believe it or not I do have an etsy shop. Remember Thirty-one-Twenty-four? This year I hope to list more things. Most everything I've posted has sold so I really ought to bank on this. I have lots of ideas and friends and family keep the suggestions coming.
The short term goal is to just break even. The truth is that I love making things with my hands... quilting, sewing, crocheting, knitting, scrapbooking, just plan crafting! I love to do it all!!! So if I can break even then it wont hurt our budget.
The longer term goal is to make money to help boost our savings. I would love to commit to this but the fact is that I have an emerging toddler and can't ignore him. One thing I realized when my Mom was here was that I don't get in the floor and play with him enough. I tend to be all about business with John... feed him, clean him, etc. It's all about balance and I need to find it. I think once I find the balance I can focus on making money with a second job.
Gardening
Alright, last year I had a pretty good excuse... John. This year he's older and can play with himself (or some toys) quite contently. I really want to teach him about gardening and we need to spend more time in the yard together. The big hurtle with this is of coarse little critters. But I think I can get over it enough (or set plenty traps) to manage a small garden.
Currently we have spinach and lettuce growing in our boxed garden but that's not enough. Remember cotton and sunflowers (those were so pretty) and cucumbers and fall veggies (like pumpkins) and I need to give corn another try! Plus kids that grow vegetables are more likely to try a wider variety of food.
So those are the goals! I will try to keep you updated because after all this is our Swindell update site!
Happy Resolutions Making! And Keeping!!!