Lettuce Babies & New Yarn!

Well, my lettuce is growing steadily, but the weather outside doesn't seem to be cooperating very well. We received almost another foot of snow since yesterday. Spring is only 22 days away!

I will have plenty to keep me busy in this winter wonderland because yesterday, I received 2 beautiful skeins of natural white pure wool yarn from SevenYaks. I'm going to look on Ravelry for a few ideas and wind these babies up:

Mom's Banana Bread

Yesterday afternoon found me with five ripe bananas. I phoned my mother for a basic banana bread recipe and loved it so much, that I'd like to share with you:

• 1/2 cup butter or canola oil
• 2 cups flour (all-purpose)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1/4 cup organic sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2-1/3 cups bananas (mashed)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• pinch of orange zest
• walnuts (lightly tossed in flour to keep them from sinking) optional

Preheat oven to 350º.

Using your hand mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Stir in eggs and bananas until well blended. Slowly add flour, baking soda, spices and orange zest. Once mixed completely, stir in the walnuts and pour into a lightly greased loaf pan. This is a one bowl recipe. My loaf pan measures 9.25x5.25x2.75"

Bake in center of oven for 1 hour. Serves a family. Enjoy!

If you make this, I'd love to know how yours is :)

Lovelies

made2ordermannequins 

 lostandfawnedhome

 manitobagifts 

Some exciting items found recently. The colors and ideas are helping me pretend that it's sunny and warm today.

My Parents Were Awesome

My Parents Were Awesome invites you to share photos of your parents before they were parents. How did they look? ♥

The Tallest Man On Earth

Thanks to a friend, I've been listening to The Tallest Man On Earth (a.k.a. Kristian Matsson) quite a bit lately. His music and lyrics really paint pictures and does so without losing a raw, emotional quality. You can also download a free mp3 of a newer song here:

The Tallest Man on Earth: "King of Spain"

Mushishi

So, I am accepting the fact that I'm stuck inside today. That said, I'm eying up a beautiful skein of Plymouth Yarn's Mushishi that I've had stashed for a little while now. Have you ever had a yarn that was so pretty you didn't really know what to create with it? A yarn that you feel the need to make such a wonderful piece that it would justify not being able to leer at it in your stash anymore. It came with a pattern for a hat and scarf and I was contemplating that. I've looked on ravelry for ideas, but if you have a suggestion, I'd like to know.

Lettuce Babies

They have some growing to do yet. Soon, these will be mesclun lettuce full of reds, purples and greens. I cannot wait! Their inside next to the sunniest window and with another two feet of snow pending tonight atop the already received two feet this past weekend, I'm starting to feel a bit silly.

You see, they represent my hopes for a Spring full of warmth and greens.

Tscarf

I'd like to introduce you to the Tscarf! I made the yarn myself using some upcycled cotton shirts and left the ends on so it can be tied or worn down like a normal scarf. This is my first so far, but I have another already started. We're expecting a 6-12 inches of snow in the next day, so I hope to finish a few more. To learn more about this piece, please have a look at my shop. It's perfectly adaptable for Spring!

Windowed

Lovelies

maidofclay

ghosthaus 

monkeysalwayslook 

I've been in a creative spurt lately and wanted to share some of these carefully chosen pieces with you:

• When I found maidofclay's shop, I felt comfortably at home, perusing each of her items. Each piece is carefully crafted and has so much whimsy & character. If you're looking for an original gift for yourself or someone you hold dear, you should truly take a look at her porcelain pendants and other handcrafted originals.
• Magic lanterns with slides that date from the late 1800s to early 1900s fill this shop. Each lantern is handmade and contains the fire of a simple candle to bring the 35mm glass slides to life. They have a vintage quality and make a fantastic conversation piece. To see more of these, please check out the ghosthaus shop.
• Each year, I chose a different way to mark the herbs in my garden. One year I used stones, one year wood, etc. This year, I'm leaning toward these reclaimed pieces of vintage silverware I found in the shop of monkeysalwayslook. I love the tarnish and colors & to imagine the way they'd pop in the garden makes me very excited too.

Woodsy

Fruit Slice Pastry

I've been doing my best all weekend to fight off a cold and I'm finally feeling as though I may be in the lead. Because I'm so bored, I decided to bake a white cake. The white cake required egg whites and because I didn't want to waste the yolks, I decided to also bake blueberry fruit slice pastry. My mom has been baking these for as long as I can remember and the recipe is simple:

• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 package yeast
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1-1/2 sticks butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 can or 12 ounces of fresh fruit filling (this recipe works great with apricot, blueberry, raspberry, etc.)
  

Preheat oven to 375º. 

Dissolve the yeast in water and sugar in a small bowl or cup. Set this aside for several minutes.

In a large bowl, mix flour, butter and eggs until well blended. Add the water/yeast mixture into the larger bowl and mix well. Cut the dough into two equal balls and roll each half flat, spread fruit filling and carefully roll. Transfer the pastry to a greased baking sheet or large pan and gently cut a slit down the center that is 1-2 inches from each end of the roll. Repeat this for both balls of the dough, making two pastries in all.

Bake for 21-22 minutes. Serves at least six. Enjoy!

If you bake them, I'd love to see a photo :)

Rachell Sumpter

I learned of Rachell Sumpter's work through Jacob Magraw-Mickelson. He once sent me a brilliant book full of his own art that I cherish deeply to this day. Both artists have such a calming effect with their pieces.

Lovelies

lisaburkin

sparkflight

visualingual 

In gearing up for Spring and distracting one's self from the frigid January weather, I've located some inspiring finds with a garden theme:

• Orchids that will last indefinately?!? Oh my! These one-of-a-kind creations from Lisa Burkin's shop are simply gorgeous!
• Ruth Jensen's wire sculptures are fun and will add some creative company to your home or garden.
• Looking for a fun seed gift for that special gardener in your life? Check out visualingual's seed bomb's. You can drop them anywhere for colorful surprises!

Can't Hardly wait

I love gardening. This time each winter, the catalogs start arriving almost daily, showing me this year's future bounty of fruits, flowers, annuals, perrenials & vegetables. We do it all ourselves starting from the seeds in our recycled newspaper pots and nurture them until it's time to place them outdoors. They're like children that don't talk back.

It has been so freezy cold here that I find myself peeking at these catalogs daily, plotting and planning the exact perfect gardens for our little yard. Before I know it, we'll be tilling, weed picking and harvesting and the thought of that is helping me stay warm and get through. Tomorrow, we're expecting a bit of snow.

Lovelies

jennyleefowler

kailochic

alfalfalovesme

 Here are a few things I've been inspired by recently:

• Jenny Lee Fowler will blow you away in this computer art age. I really do appreciate work not traced or photoshopped. Her creations are truly unique and beautiful.
• Kailo Chic's purses make me happy just looking at them. The fabrics are bright and bubbly.
• Darla Jackson from Alfalfalovesme has a special way of bringing your darkest emotions to the surface with each of her pieces. She also is offering free shipping until 12/31.

French Press Felted Slippers

I did it! I made this gorgeous pair of slippers in less than a day to give to my mother for Christmas. They took me a little longer than 90 minutes to do the actual knitting than the Yarn Harlot site suggested, but they're done and quite lovely. I'm confident the knitting will take less time if I make another pair. I've felted with Lamb's Pride yarn before, but I may have just fallen completely for the Paton's Classic Wool used for this pair of slippers. Without having very much time or four days to block them, I used the household hairdryer to speed the process along a bit. I have exactly enough yarn (in two colors) to make two more pair.

The best part of this is that my mom was pretty shocked & loves them.

If you're interested in finding the pattern, please visit the designer's etsy shop: French Press Knits

Feelin' drifty

We knew it was going to happen. This morning, we woke to 24 inches of beautiful snow. I love snow because it makes me feel like a child. I enjoy the silent hush that befalls the landscape and the way my dogs play in it - they are jubilant!  Snow always makes me want to bake and hold my family dear. The cuddling factor alone is truly worth it.

Have you had snow yet this year? Did you love it? What is your favorite thing to do when you're snowed in? Why? I'd love to hear!

So much to do...

This year Christmas seems to be steaming ahead of my ability to keep up.

I've had so many custom orders that I am very thankful for, and those have kept me happily busy. I've been putting my own holiday preparations aside while I finish what seems to be an endless list of chores and such. In another week, it will all be fine and fully enjoyed and the stress of the holiday season will be expelled from my psyche only to move onto new and exciting projects. 

Switching formats after the new year will be a great break from the ordinary and I've been thinking about what I'd like to do instead of fiber for a while: clay. I have a potter's wheel, kiln, and a generous supply of clay to keep me muddy and occupied. The possibilities can be endless. 

Until then, I'd like to take a moment to wish you a Happy Holiday season. I hope it is fantastic for all. Would you please take some time to be charitable for those less fortunate? I've been making a few hats to drop of at my oncology center in the hopes of them being 'adopted' by someone who would love them.

~Christa

The Knitted Science

What happens when science nerds get hold of knitting needles & crochet hooks? Discovery the brilliant world of knitted science here: